I have spent a fair amount of time since the Pens-Islanders game thinking about the rematch tomorrow. In fact I had a wet dream about it. In my dream, Godard and Gilles fought, and on the way down to the ice, Godard's skate cut Gilles head off and I laughed so hard I pissed my pants. Now that was a WET dream! On the eve of the game, my thoughts have changed. If the Penguins beat the classless Islanders, and the Flyers lose in regulation to the Sabres, the Penguins go into Sunday in control of their own destiny in relation to winning the Atlantic Divsion title. That is far more important than slumming it with the trash on the island. Don't get me wrong, I have not suddenly become a peace loving liberal over night, I just agree with Mark Madden that the Penguins organization is far above the Islanders, and it is time to focus on a significant achievement, especially in light of the injuries this season. Winning the Atlantic with the issues faced this season would be a huge win for the Pens. Trust me, I am not saying that in the first Islanders-Pens game next season, that we should not remind them what happens when you kick the wrong dog, and I am not saying that Godard, Engelland, Asham, and Rupp should not ALL be in the lineup tomorrow night ready to punish any Islander who wants to cross the line, but the focus should be two points, the Atlantic title, and with that an increased chance that Disco Dan Bylsma takes home the Jack Adams Award as Coach of the Year that he so richly deserves. Retribution can wait, some of us have a LONG memory. Besides, the once proud Islanders are already a joke, I mean, consider this. Their owner (Charles Wang) has a name that is also slang for male genitalia, and would be far better at rolling sushi at Nakama than he has been at assembling a professional hockey team. In addition, GM Garth Snow, who could not even get Evgeni Nabokov to answer the phone to take a 7 figure job offer from him, was a sub mediocre goaltender who gave up the five hole more often than Paris Hilton does! Finally, they play their games in a dilapidated old building in a slum on the Island, "fill" the building with fewer fans than our Pirates, most of whom look like extras from the Jersey Shore. Come on, how much more can they be punished? They are a classic riches to rags story in every way you can think of.
Speaking of awards, there were a few significant awards given out to members of the Penguins organization this week. First, Coach John Hynes of the Wilkes Barre Scranton Penguins was awarded the Louis AR Piehl Memorial Award as the AHL Coach of the Year. This award is voted on by the coaches and members of the hockey writing media of the 30 AHL cities. He is the first member of the Penguins organization to be awarded this honor. In addition, despite his best players spending much of the season in Pittsburgh due to the injuries on the Penguins, Hynes, in his first year as a professional head coach guided the WBS Penguins to the MacGregor Kilpatrick Award, the NHL equivalent of the President's Trophy as the team with the most points(113 with 3 games left). The WBS Penguins posted a 56-20-1 record to date, with the 56 wins being the 3rd highest EVER posted by ANY team in the 75 year history of the AHL. Considering that the team's top 2 defensemen from the prior year made the big club, and as many as11 forwards and the top 10 scorers spent much of the latter half of the season in Pittsburgh (140 games), that is a HUGE accomplishment, and speaks to the depth of the Penguins organization.
In addition to that, top Penguins prospect Simon Despres, of the St. John's Seadogs in the QMJHL was awarded the Emile "Butch" Bouchard Trophy as the best defenseman in the Q! This is the equivalent of the Norris Trophy in the NHL. Depres posted 41 points (13G and 28A) in 47 games, and posted a +29 during this season in the Q. A big, fast defensman, who posted nearly a point per game, while winning the award as the league's best defenseman is another player to be excited about becoming a prominent member of the Penguins in the very near future. One scouting report compares Simon to Paul Martin, and calls him a steady, reliable player who rarely makes a mistake, and one of the rare 19 year olds who dominate in this league. Simon is now eligible to play in the AHL, as he has turned 19, but will likely be tied up in the playoffs with the Sea Dogs. He led them to the Finals before they lost last season! Look for big #47 in the Black and Vegas Gold as early as next season, though some time in the AHL may not hurt either. All in all, both awards are a testament to the quality and depth of the Penguins, and a glimpe into the bright future of our flightless birds. Does god love me enough to let the Flyers lose in regulation, the Penguins smoke the Islanders while sustaining 0 new injuries in addition to "career" ending injuries to Trevor Gilles and John Tavares? I doubt it, but one can dream, can't they?
No comments:
Post a Comment