Sometimes you get the Bear......and sometimes the Bear gets you

I am not sure what to say about this..........funny and frightening at the same time

Is this Hacksaw Jim? If we repeat, this will be me next year!!

Great game at the igloo tonite.....the Pens could not pull it out despite outshooting the Wild 35-15. The effort was there, the hits were there, Backstrom was just a beast! Very entertaining game, and again Goose was one of the most visible players on the ice. The move Craig Adams made at the end of the game in front of the net was classic. If we would have put that home, the house would have come down. The Penguins played very well five on five for all sixty minutes of this game. The bear got us tonite.....Let it go and get some points on the west coast this week! Time for a west coast road trip.

The Steelers

I wrote a couple of weeks ago as I watched the Steelers struggle to finish off a horrible Browns team, AFTER struggling to finish off a horrible Lions team that I could not envision a scenario in which the Steelers won a playoff game. At that time they had not beaten a winning team, and looked less than strong in beating two very weak teams. The defense had blown 4th quarter leads that led to two consecutive losses, and could have led to a third against San Diego. This same defense almost let Detroit do the same thing! They had very few turnovers, very few sacks and my favorite player, Lamarr Woodley had largely been a no show. With Aaron Smith shelved for the year, and Polamalu hobbled, that statement felt like reality at the time. I am still not sure about this team. We did beat a very good Vikings team, and our defense made big plays like the defense of the prior year. Ben is playing like a SB champ, and our offense has a lot of weapons. I love the development of Mike Wallace, and the hard running of Mendenhall. I love that we finally seem to be taking advantage of the best TE in football, getting him the ball often. I worry about a special teams that gave up touchdowns against San Diego, Cleveland and Minnesota, and would like to see the defense follow up with a couple of performances like the one in Minnesota. With games against Cincinnati, Denver and Baltimore coming up in the next month, we will know what kind of team our defending champs really are.

Dont plan the parade route, but................................................

HitchCOCK choking away..........Like the Jackets, hate HitchCOCK

Back atcha pal. Go play with your "buckeye"

Pens are INDESTRUCTIBLE

Okay, you are missing your defensive leader and Power Play QB, you are missing last years scoring champion and playoff MVP, you are missing two of your best role players, one of whom is blossoming into a real scoring threat, and you fall behind 2-0 on the road.......game over right? Not for this team, trailing 3-1 with less than 3 and a half minutes remaining, missing more firepower from the lineup than some teams HAVE, playing their backup goaltender, the Pens strike quickly with Kunitz and Goose scoring two goals in under a minute to tie it to earn at least one point. After trading good chances in the OT, the Pens win their third of three SO efforts. The heart and depth of this team continues to impress me. They are now 11-1, after two straight LONG playoff runs and the expected Stanley Cup Hangover. Malkin has been playing hurt, Talbot has not played yet, Gonchar is out, as is Tyler Kennedy. The other NHL teams have to really hope that the Pens are not healthy as the playoffs come around this year, as I am not sure how you can bet against the will and skill of this team with all of the marbles on the line. I keep reminding myself how long the season is, how many things can happen, how EVERY team has bad patches, and all of that is true. This team just carries itself in a manner that says champion, and it if fun to watch. If they manage to get another decent top six winger for Malkins line, how do you defend this team? Any line centered by Malkin or Crosby is a threat........Crosbys line has the perfect mix of dynamo who can make plays and score, a physical high energy puck retriever, and a big tough veteran finisher. Malkins line has Malkin, that is enough of a threat, but Fedotenko showed he can finish, and the other wing has been a bit of a revolving door, but when Talbot comes back, ou have your puck retrieval guy. The Penguins third line? Staal is at least a second line center on every other team, and on some a first liner. Cooke provides energy, toughness, puck retrieval as does Kennedy, but Kennedy is now emerging as a real scoring threat. All three have a knack for BIG goals, and they never stop working. This is the matchup that creates huge headaches for anyone we play. Finally, we have so many options on the fourth line, but putting Adams, Rupp, and Godard out there for a physical prescence and energy can never hurt this team......Adams and Rupp in particular are talented lunch pail guys that make this team to tough to play against. Godard is a very good enforcer who does a great job of looking out for his teammates, and he fills his role very well. Add to that the fact the Brookbank and Bayda are both in WBS, both having NHL level experience and both providing grit and toughness and you can see the depth this team has.

On defense, watching Skoula fit right into this unit and not miss a beat makes me feel like we have as good of a 7 man D unit as there is in the NHL. I worry about depth after that, but how many teams can boast three offensive, puck moving D men like Gonchar, Letang, and Goligoski. All three are pretty responsible in their own end as well. The Pens have two hammers in McKee and Orpik. Eaton plays a steady game, and he along with McKee and Orpik block shots like crazy! Skoula has shown he provides more than adequate play if anybody here goes down or needs a rest. Mckee either leads the league in blocked shots or is second, while Eaton and Orpik are up there as well. Goligoski leads the NHL in plus/minus and is up there in scoring for a defenseman.

Goaltending is STRONG-Fleury seems to be playing with the confidence of a Stanley Cup champion, and despite giving up the occasional softie, seems to make the big saves that alter a game more often than not. I think MAF is finally a top 5 goalie in the NHL. With Johnson as a backup, the Pens (unlike last year) can rest MAF for a game in EVERY back to back situation this season if they choose and feel good about their chances to win.

In the era of the salary cap there is not a team in the league that doesnt have an area or two that could use work, but the Pens top to bottom have all of the ingredients of a repeat champion. The emergence of either Tangredi or Caputi during the course of the year OR a moderate deal for a decent top 6 winger will make this team nearly impossible to stop. A minor deal or waiver pick up of a an addtional NHL caliber D man or the emergence late of Lovejoy, Guenin or Engellend who are all borderline ready gives this team DEPTH on the blueline that is tough to match.

Finally, this team has an owner and GM who have proven that they look at the season as an evaluation period for how playoff ready they are, and that they will pull the trigger at the trade deadline to address any percieved needs at that time. Hossa was brought in two years ago, Guerin, Kunitz, and Adams this year. The organization has the depth in the minors (Bayda, Brookbank, Tangredi, Caputi, Connor, Letestu, Lovejoy, Guenin, Engellend) and role players to make any reasonable move necessary to add to this team at the deadline. Do not plan the parade route that is for sure, but I cannot think of a team with a better shot at the ring than this one. Enjoy the ride.

Another Fond Playoff Memory

My angry little friend from the playoff run!

Memories

If you see this ugly dude wearing a new Hosebag jersey this year, it is GOOD News for us.......if I have to bust out a Hawks Hosebag, not this year either jersey, it will be the third trip to the Finals in a row....saw this in Detroit Free Press and it brought back fond memories of harassing the Detroit media the nite of Game 4..........

Another Workman like win for the Pens

Two of the best of the young season, Tyler Kennedy and Alex Goligoski..........Alex Goligoski is certainly fitting in and contributing quite well. He has played responsibly in his own end, his speed has helped eliminate odd man rushes on multiple occasions AND Go Go is fourth on the team in total points with 7, including 2 goals, and carries the BEST plus/minus at plus 9. I know it is spilled milk, and I know we won the cup, but I still scratch my head at his December demotion last year in favor of that old French guy.........as far as MR KENNEDY goes, he only LEADS a team with guys like Malkin and Crosby on it in GOALS with 5 after 9 games. He is fifth in total scoring with 6 pts, and is part of the BEST third line in the NHL. Add his constant energy level and forecheck, and you can see how the organization continues to thrive due to its home grown talent pool coming out of WBS. With the injury to Gonchar, we will now see even more responsibility and PP time given to Goligoski and Letang, and I believe they are ready.

Pretty Cool Tats

Mine will be better!

A Tale of Two Teams

As I sit watching the Steelers game this afternoon, I cannot imagine a scenario in which they win a playoff game, much less repeat as Champions.........for the second week in a row, they look more like they are in the category with an NFL bottom feeder, unable on consecutive weekends to beat the Lions or Browns in a convincing manner. Special Teams gives up a 98 yard return, we give up sacks, we cannot run for a yard when we need it, we cannot even do a real kickoff, giving the Browns the ball at their own 43 every drive.....as I sit and watch this game, the Browns are on their way to making it a one possession game AGAIN, and if not for dropped balls, might be winning this game. They cannot sack Anderson, and when give time he is finding huge holes in our vaunted defense. Win or lose today, I am utterly unimpressed with this team six games into the season. Well Ryan Clark just picked one off and HOPEFULLY this team can hold off the tremendous Brownies for the final 4 minutes or so..............As far as the Pens, that is a bird of a different feather! Despite Crosby and Malkin playing well, but not spectacular this team, other than the forgettable game v Phoenix turns in a workmanlike performance every night. They are atop the entire NHL with 14 of a possible 16 points, and they are getting contributions from EVERYBODY on the roster. Again, Ray Shero looks like a genius, with new additions such as Jay Mckee and Mike Rupp making valuable contributions at every turn. This team plays physical hockey, smart hockey, and responds to every challenge put in front of them. The season is long, and I am sure there will be stretches that are much tougher on this team than what we have seen thus far, but they have the heart of a champion. The one concern I have is depth on defense. The 6 guys they put on the ice right now are a PERFECT combination of tough, skilled, shot blocking, smart defenseman. One key injury here though leaves them with Martin Skoula as the sixth man, and either Ben Lovejoy or Derek Engelland coming up from WBS. Right now, this is poetry in motion and sure fun to watch. As the two minute warning hits, and the Steelers are sure to move their record to 4-2, there is something missing in my opinion from this years squad. I hope that I am wrong!

Guins win again

Lange Late Season 2009

Enjoy the next four clips worht of Mike Lange making the Pens games great to hear!!

Lange Late season 2009

Lange ECF

Lange Stanley Cup Finals

The Daydream

Jumbotron Opener-Defy Oridinary

New Pens Campaign.....cool

Three workmanlike wins in the NHL/GARAGE LEAGUE

The Penguins have just played three very productive workmanlike games on the road to run their record to 5-1. They are playing tough physical hockey, answering hit for hit in three rough games in a row starting in Philadelphia, then Toronto, and now Ottawa.........it is fun to watch them play, fun to watch guys like Cooke, Kennedy, Rupp, Staal, Kunitz, Guerin, Adams, and McKee finish checks EVERY shift. That said, I am struck by the Canadien influenced cement head mentality of the NHL, which in many ways is still a garage league. I LOVE tough hard nosed hitting and even the occasional fight as much as anybody, but I cannot stand when players of questionable talent and character are allowed to run around and potentially hurt players because there are no consequences. Or at least consequences not significant enough to deter their actions. Lets start with the Flyers game, a tough hotly contested game all night long. At the end of the game, when it was apparent they were going to lose, Richards attempts to take Fleurys head off by running right over him, then turtling like a punk as if he were hurt so as not to take the retribution he deserved. Then Hartnell bites Letang, and with no direct video evidence there is no punishment......Hmmmmm, the two of them are in a scrum, and Letang leaves bleeding with teethmarks in his finger.......I wonder what may have happened there, huh? Only in Canada could a cross dressing loud mouthed imbecile like Don Cherry be popular....he thinks Hartnell had no choice because Letang "had his fingers in his mouth." What a joke.......then in Toronto they let Rosehill take some serious runs at players all nite, starting with an obvious spear to the upper chest again on Letang, and followed up by several cross checks and hits from behind into the boards...........hopefully, long memories will prevail and a season for a player who does not even matter will be ended the next time the teams meet........add Chris Neils dirty boarding hit on Gonchar, eerily similar to the hit by low life thug Koci that killed most of Gonchars season last year in this game, with no call and you see a pattern that puzzles me. I have no interest in protecting star players from the hardest of "clean" hits that can be delivered. I also have no problem with "letting them play" if you will allow the retaliation from the other team to serve as justice and future deterrent.......but what I see is less talented players attempting to make a name for themselves and level the playing field by targetting talented players for cheap shots.........and the referees ALLOWING IT...........so lets end the season of a Malkin, Crosby, Gonchar, Tavares, Gaborik or other guys nobody comes to see, so that these great pillars of the game like Hartnell, Rosehill, Niel, Ruutuu can play on an even playing field.............The Pens are so well known for their skill level, that many make the mistake of underestimating the toughness and will of this team.......it is a mistake that I enjoy watching...........they will match any team in the league in a rough game of hockey.....the refs need to make sure that the cheap shots and hits from behind are punished enough to be a deterrent..........I promise more than one seaoson of an exciting player will be ruined by a cheap shot from a guy whose talent is marginal at best......

Into to Pens Leafs game on Hockey Nite in Canada

Fartsmell leaving practice today

Intimidating Fans

The homeboys know the score though!

Short bus?? Did somebody say my bus was here??

Nothing does need to be said here folks..........is there something in the water??

Mommy, hold my hand, we are going to lose again to the Pens! Can we get a cheesesteak on the way home, I promise I will clean my room!!

Fartsmell bites Lewang! I knew it!!

Wow, 4 games into the season and my hatred of all things Flyer is already at playoff level! Lost in the moment because of Fartsmells unbelievably cheap act, is the cheap shot Richards took at Fleury. Yo Adrian, the Crosby sucks chant is SO LAME, it is not funny........ Sure made SHHHHHHHHH, extra sweet, no? Anyway, we are only four games in, but some players have really caught my eye:

Jordan Staal-did I really say that paying him 4 million per year when we need wingers who can score was stupid? I did, and I was wrong! And I am glad...this kid gets better and better.....he was a monster in the finals, and this season he has been a beast on faceoffs, and an offensive force, as well as a steady defensive forward. If he ever learns to finish his chances consistently, he will be as good a two way forward as there is in this league.

Alex Goligoski-conversely, I bitched from the day in December he stopped playing and ultimately was sent down about the talent they were wasting........2 goals and 2 assists thus far, plus solid play in his end, and good puck movement.............

Craig Adams-loved the pick up off of waivers when it happened.........love it more now.....kills penalties, plays physical, takes draws, will drop the gloves when necessary.......all heart.....great pickup! Thanks Chicago!

Jay McKee-he reminds of Gill with his size, except he can skate some, he blocks shots like Scuds, and hits more than both of them........I like this pick up............

Fedotenko-goes to the net, plays tough in the corners........will get his 20 on the 2nd line this year...........

Mark Eaton-solid play, offensive contributions, blocked shots.........

Rupp-SOLID 4th line guy, who plays smart, hits and stands up for his teammates............these are the kind of guys you HAVE to have to compliment Crosby, Malkin, Fleury, and Gonchar to win championships......

It is a good sign to me that these guys are all contributing....take away the Phoenix game, and what I like best about this team has been its balance..........

All you need to know

Punishing, Vicious, Ferocious,Ruthless, Merciless, all taglines on this beauty........nothing about victorious, skillful, talented.......as the Pensblog pointed out, a real glimpse into the mentality of this organization...........they still have not figured out that you will not goon your way to the cup.......and Hartnell, sorry, but you are the assclown I originally thought you were.....you like the taste of LeWang I suppose?? The Crosby sucks chant may be the funniest thing I have heard in sports, hey ladies 46 points in 26 games, and two playoff eliminations in two years....he SUCKS.......the life out of your team!

the stuff of nightmares

Welcome back Biznasty...........beware the trap game........with a road trip to the city of brotherly love awaiting after tonites game, do not take the 'yotes lightly.

The Fartsmell Jersey is in this one

I will spend tomorrow looking for good sucks videos of our other top two rivals according to Madden......had to put this in due to the Fartsmell jersey.

Some good rivalry videos

Some pretty funny stuff for our most hated rival according to Madden........

Great Mark Madden article

>>
I love myself for hating them
Monday 10-05-2009 11:51am ET
When you win a Stanley Cup, you make enemies. With that in mind, here are the Penguins’ most bitter rivals:1. FLYERS. It’s a close race for once, but you’d have to commit genocide to dislodge these war criminals from the top spot. The Flyers’ summertime moves will ratchet things up: Returning members of the KGB are augmented by Chris Pronger, the human crosscheck; Ray Emery, the abominable snowman; grizzled hack Ian Laperriere; and a full season of Daniel Carcillo. You can never be too big, too tough or too stupid.That philosophy hasn’t worked since ‘75, and certainly not the last two postseasons, both ended for the Flyers by the Penguins. Stir in a Wachovia Center crowd utterly devoid of class or common sense – they were chanting “Crosby sucks!” even as he was eliminating the Flyers – and you’ve got tens of thousands of bullies that need put in their place constantly, and it’s fun EVERY SINGLE TIME.The orange-and-black SS beat the Pens half to death – figuratively and literally – for over two decades. Getting even is AWESOME, and our captain is the perfect guy to lead the charge. His smile altered by dimwitted inebriate Derian Hatcher at the tender age of 18, Sidney Crosby has HATED the Flyers since. He won’t admit it. He doesn’t need to. Sid has a whopping 26 goals and 34 assists in 37 career games vs. Philly, and when he gets a star at the Wachovia, he takes a spin in front of the crowd and GLORIES in the abuse. JACKPOT!Pens-Flyers: Inglourious Basterds on ice. Each and every man under my command owes me 100 Flyer scalps…and I want my scalps!2. RED WINGS. I don’t care how many Stanley Cups they have, or how many Hall-of-Fame players dot their roster, the Red Wings are a bunch of babies. Kris Draper is STILL complaining about Crosby’s perceived snub of Nicklas Lidstrom in the Game 7 handshake line and remember, it wasn’t a knee-jerk post-game reaction on Draper’s part – he texted prominent hockey writers the morning after Game 7, and Draper’s anti-Sid campaigning continued all summer.Craig Adams said it best: “Kris Draper needs to get a life.” Claude Lemieux breaking Draper’s face in 1996 seems funny now. OK, I confess…it was funny THEN, too. HAW, HAW, HAW, HAW!Lidstrom is a phony. Detroit’s version of the Mona Lisa is known for grace and honor, but where were those qualities when Crosby got grilled? Lidstrom should have remembered what it was like when he won his first Cup back in the ‘40s and cut Sid some slack. A few kind (and logical) words would have called off the dogs. They were not forthcoming.The Red Wings and their fans act like the Penguins did something wrong by winning the final, like their divine right to again make the Holy Grail property of the sacred Original Six was interrupted by barbarians with bad breath. I have never seen a crowd act less classy when the Cup was presented to the visitors. Mellon Arena certainly did things right in 2008.For a good team, their frequent chest-thumping reveals lots of insecurity. Marian Hossa is gone, but I still loathe the Red Wings. That required a sustained level of stupidity and boorishness that I almost admire.3. CAPITALS. With Alex Ovechkin feuding with Crosby and taking runs at Evgeni Malkin, the Capitals seemed heavy favorites to top this list at last season’s midway point. It just proves that being regarded as a top-level jackass is about longevity and consistency. To wit, Alexander Semin called Crosby “nothing special” but has since said zilch, perhaps because Semin realized he has a last name that’s fun to mispronounce.The Capitals’ Game 7 disappearing act may have them on the pay-no-mind list as far as Penguins fans are concerned. Ovie got schooled by Marc-Andre Fleury, Jesus H. Varlamov leaked more than Antonio Cromartie’s birth control, Mike Green became less relevant than Tom Green, and did Semin even play? Is there video evidence to prove it?Hate the Capitals? When Kris Letang scored to make it 4-0 2:12 into the second period, I started to LOVE the Capitals.We will all despise the Caps again soon, because the most detestable thing about them hasn’t changed. They haven’t won anything, but act like they have. The Capitals have the arrogance you’d expect from a Stanley Cup champ, except teams that have actually WON the Cup realize the fine line, sacrifice and physical toll and are actually HUMBLED by the experience. The Capitals are conceited losers, an oxymoron with emphasis on the last two syllables. Their braggadocio is mindless word-drool.Ovechkin can score, but needs a stylist. Jim Breuer’s stirring show-biz comeback (see JACKPOT! above) reminds me just how much Ovie resembles Goat Boy. That stick sure wasn’t aflame during Game 7.There’s clear distance between the Top 3 and the field. It’s been a long time since Adam Graves slashed Mario, or since the Rangers were more than mere annoyance. Threat = rivalry. The windshield does not have a rivalry with the bug.

Sorry To My Friends from Cleveland

but this is funny.

That was interesting

Well, they won....and the offense looked terrific, Mendenhall ran like we thought Mendenhall COULD run, Roethlisberger looked like a world beater, Wallace showed another flash of what type of player he is, Heath Miller is on fire, Harrison had a couple of sacks..........yet it is a win that troubles me. I thought this team is finally spreading its wings as it jumped out to a 28-0 lead, and again at 35-14, I thought wow, this is the Steeler team I had expected to see. After watching the defense surrender 14 points and special teams give an additional touchdown up late in the game, I remain a bit concerned about this team. They are now 2-2 and one game behind Cincinnati and Baltimore, with most of the season to go, but man, that defense has to learn to finish games! My only other concern is Mendenhall running high AND carrying the ball like a loaf of bread. He sure hit the holes HARD, made the right cuts and even made a few nice blocks, BUT trust me, watch him carrying the ball.......an inviting target for an opportunistic defense. All in all, given the sub par 4th quarter play of the defense, and two blown games, the Steelers still sit in a good position.......with upcoming games against Detroit and Cleveland, the Steelers should be 4-2 at the six game mark, and hopefully about ready to see the return of Polamalu to the defense. With Ben dissecting defenses, we should be in every game we play, and a little more late game defense, and this team should be in the thick of things again as the leaves fall and winter comes.

Mr and Mrs Mako meet Stanley

Our seats fromt the ice!

The entrance to the grand old barn!

We get to meet Stanley

I am not supposed to touch shiny objects, but I could not resist in this case! The two or three of you read this blather regularly know that I am usuallly VERY positive relative to my feelings about the Penguins organization and how they handle things......Not this time guys......though I wound up having a nice time standing in line for four plus hours with my lovely bride, I in no way intended to give up my whole DAY for this event. In a two day supposed thank you for season ticket holders, the Pens decided to allow them a ticket per season ticket for a photo opp with Lord Stanleys cup. They divided the group into Saturday and Sunday and gave you a two hour window based on your initials to show up for the picture.......Well, Saturday turned into a 4-6 hour wait as apparently some of my fellow season ticket holders think it is okay to include their entire family in the event, and the staff at Mellon Arena seems to be incapable of enforcing rules, which turned Saturday into a clusterf**K. Hearing this, and having a slot between 8 and 10 am Sunday, for those season ticket holders with the last name starting in Ma to Mo, my wife and left at 8:15 for our trip to the arena. As we arrive at 8:45 there is a line that comes out of the entrance and runs about 100 yards down the street......did not look too bad right? No! We waited four hours and fifteen minutes as every asshole with a ticket or a relative with a ticket decided to come down between 8 and 9, regardless of when they were supposed to come.........there are not as many people in PA with the first letters to their last name Ma to Mo as there were in front of us. Again, why have the rules if you allow anyone in at any time regardless? Anyway, to you yinzer fools who were in front of us this am whose last name did not start in Ma to Mo, please know that I would not waste a drop of urine to put out the flames should you or a family member catch fire! To the concessionaire who tried to sell me beer that was so skunked it smelled like vinegar, I might waste the urine, but not much else! To the annoying family that included the woman whose derriere caused me to worry about whether the ice was thick enough, see my first statement and hope there is no gas within my reach! Despite this, my wife and I had some laughs and got some interesting perspective as to the size of the ice, and the micorscope the players must feel they under during a game........

Lyrics to the best hockey song EVER

good time had by all

Woooooooooo

Our photos from last night

Banner Raising Ceremony Starts

This was an unbelievable night to be a Pens fan...... a good time had by all, and a good start to the season.......

Banner Raising

Banner Raising