The Pens take on the Canes tonight in the 4th and final match-up of the year. The Pens have taken the first 3 meetings, all in pretty good fashion. Games against Carolina always seem to bring out the best in the Pens and I have no doubt that tonight will be the same.
Whenever I think of the Pens vs Canes match-up, I always remember that first shoot-out loss to them, with Cam Ward in net. Who the hell was Cam Ward and why was he shutting the door on Mario and Crosby? Ever since its just always been one of the better match-ups.
Tonight we see Kovy in action in a Pens jersey for the first time in about 10 years. I read he's going to be wearing #72 so I guess he didn't offer Craig Adams enough money. No honestly though, I think its a great move to take 72. I bet you he didn't even ask or hesitate. He knows Adams is a huge part of this team, wears an A, and is in my opinion, the leader of all the forwards below the 2nd line.
My prediction for tonight's game:
3-2 Pens
Kovy wth 2 and Letang with the other
Friday, 25 February 2011
Thursday, 24 February 2011
The State of the Team
So it's Feb 25th and the trade deadline is only 4 days away. So far we robbed Dallas of Neal (not to mention the courtesy toss-in of Niskanen that makes Shero the best GM in the league), and grabbed Kovy for next to nothing. If you ask me I think that's an absolute domination of a trade deadline so far. With Tanger playing like he is, Martin making 5 a year, and Despres in the system, Goligoski was clearly the odd-man out. Just like Whitney, a puck-moving defenceman on the Pens gets massive numbers and then gets traded for a winger plus a toss-in. That's the beauty of having such a good system. Shero can afford to move young pieces to obtain help in areas of weakness.
I'll be honest I was dead-pan shocked when I heard about the Kovalev trade. In my mind there was no way that he could play the type of game Bylsma demands every night. But the more I think about this trade, the more I like it. It reminds me of Miro Satan. Most people have no idea what I'm talking about when I say this, but Miro Satan was just as important in the Washington series as Sid was. Whenever the Pens seemed hemmed in their own end, or things weren't going right, Satan always seemed to continue to make the right play. The pens fed off this and were able to regain momentum several times. Now mind you he didn't do TOO much more, but that was enough for me. (PS See TK for the 2011 version of the spark-plug - most under-appreciated player in the league).
I still think there is a chance Shero will be looking for a centre and a veteran depth D-man. As much as I like Lovejoy, I still think he is a year away and that someone comparable to a Jay Mckee would be very welcomed.
And to end the night, I'll give you my projected lines for the playoffs (assuming the current roster stays):
Kovy-Sid-Neal
Kunitz-Staal-TK
Cooke-Letestu-Conner
Dupuis-Rupp-Adams
(Talbot, Jeffrey, and Sterling get primary back-up duties. Talbot could see time replacing Dupuis or Conner, but as of right now I think this is the best way to go)
Next post coming either Tomorrow with a pre-game or a Saturday full analysis plus pregame.
I'll be honest I was dead-pan shocked when I heard about the Kovalev trade. In my mind there was no way that he could play the type of game Bylsma demands every night. But the more I think about this trade, the more I like it. It reminds me of Miro Satan. Most people have no idea what I'm talking about when I say this, but Miro Satan was just as important in the Washington series as Sid was. Whenever the Pens seemed hemmed in their own end, or things weren't going right, Satan always seemed to continue to make the right play. The pens fed off this and were able to regain momentum several times. Now mind you he didn't do TOO much more, but that was enough for me. (PS See TK for the 2011 version of the spark-plug - most under-appreciated player in the league).
I still think there is a chance Shero will be looking for a centre and a veteran depth D-man. As much as I like Lovejoy, I still think he is a year away and that someone comparable to a Jay Mckee would be very welcomed.
And to end the night, I'll give you my projected lines for the playoffs (assuming the current roster stays):
Kovy-Sid-Neal
Kunitz-Staal-TK
Cooke-Letestu-Conner
Dupuis-Rupp-Adams
(Talbot, Jeffrey, and Sterling get primary back-up duties. Talbot could see time replacing Dupuis or Conner, but as of right now I think this is the best way to go)
Next post coming either Tomorrow with a pre-game or a Saturday full analysis plus pregame.
The Start of a New Era
Hello readers!
I'm here to give you a daily Penguins update with a Canadian perspective on everything to do with the team.
I figure since this is a new blog and I'm a new blogger, that I should probably introduce myself:
I've been a Pens fan since about 97' (I'm 23, so that makes me like...10ish). My earliest memories of the Pens are watching Darius Kasparaitis rip one past the Sabres in OT, the Straka-Lang-Kovalev line doing absolute work in the playoffs, Johan Hedberg (need I say more), Mario's return, Jagr's whole saga, and Rico Fata. I never had the ability to watch Pens games growing up unless it was the playoffs. For all the years it was Leafs 100% of the time. Between my dad, step-dad, friends, and family, everyone was a Leafs fan (except a couple weird uncles/cousins from Brampton who are Flyers fans, and a couple of Scottish Habs fans). Around 2002, 2003, my family obtained a nice satellite hook-up (maybe legal, maybe not..), and I was able to start watching regular season games (which blew my freaking mind). Then there was the lock-out. Since then it's been all roses. Geno drafted, Sid drafted. Got my pens tattoo. Been watching 90% of the games since.
You will be hard-pressed to find someone who is as dedicated as I am to being a fan and seeing this team win. I watch intensely, I say things before the announcers, and I feel part of the team. From now on I'm going to be blogging what I think about games (past and present), players, possible trade options, and everything you can imagine about the team.
I 'm 23 and live in Toronto so if you're looking for trade rumors this is not the place. If you are looking for hardcore analysis of every game and a perspective from someone who grew up in hockey-crazed Toronto and still fought tooth-and-nail for respect for the team every day, then this is the place.
I hope you all enjoy the reads and I look forward to reading your comments.
So with that, I think I'll start my first blog and talk about the current state of the Penguins.
But not before I show you that tattoo:
I'm here to give you a daily Penguins update with a Canadian perspective on everything to do with the team.
I figure since this is a new blog and I'm a new blogger, that I should probably introduce myself:
I've been a Pens fan since about 97' (I'm 23, so that makes me like...10ish). My earliest memories of the Pens are watching Darius Kasparaitis rip one past the Sabres in OT, the Straka-Lang-Kovalev line doing absolute work in the playoffs, Johan Hedberg (need I say more), Mario's return, Jagr's whole saga, and Rico Fata. I never had the ability to watch Pens games growing up unless it was the playoffs. For all the years it was Leafs 100% of the time. Between my dad, step-dad, friends, and family, everyone was a Leafs fan (except a couple weird uncles/cousins from Brampton who are Flyers fans, and a couple of Scottish Habs fans). Around 2002, 2003, my family obtained a nice satellite hook-up (maybe legal, maybe not..), and I was able to start watching regular season games (which blew my freaking mind). Then there was the lock-out. Since then it's been all roses. Geno drafted, Sid drafted. Got my pens tattoo. Been watching 90% of the games since.
You will be hard-pressed to find someone who is as dedicated as I am to being a fan and seeing this team win. I watch intensely, I say things before the announcers, and I feel part of the team. From now on I'm going to be blogging what I think about games (past and present), players, possible trade options, and everything you can imagine about the team.
I 'm 23 and live in Toronto so if you're looking for trade rumors this is not the place. If you are looking for hardcore analysis of every game and a perspective from someone who grew up in hockey-crazed Toronto and still fought tooth-and-nail for respect for the team every day, then this is the place.
I hope you all enjoy the reads and I look forward to reading your comments.
So with that, I think I'll start my first blog and talk about the current state of the Penguins.
But not before I show you that tattoo:
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