Not much to say about that game, they played terribly and got shut out as a result. I cannot thibnk of a good thing to say about anyone's game last night, so I will move on to more general rantings. First, the lineup. I really like Dan Bylsma, the team is fighting for top spots in the league and the conference, so it is tough to argue all in all with his coaching. Watching 24/7 made me like him more for his calm but tough demeanor. That said, Dan WTF are you doing to the lineup with Crosby out??!! I know you love Letestu, and I know that you want to let Staal and Malkin get some chemistry out there, but you are now without 3 of the last possible 4 points and your team has scored one goal in 6 periods. Letestu BLOWS on the top line, and ALWAYS will. Staal and Malkin need chemistry, but there are plenty of games once Crosby gets back to try that, there are points out there to take that may affect playoff seeding, and Staal needs CONFIDENCE as much as playing time with Geno. Reuniting him with familiar linemates like Cooke and Kennedy may help get him going and give him some confidence. Finally, Malkin has been mediocre all year, but he has SUCKED at wing. So in the absence of Sid, for the love of all that is not captard red, PUT MALKIN ON THE TOP LINE BETWEEN KUNITZ AND DUPUIS, AND MAKE STAAL 'S OLD LINE LINE 2, AND HAVE LETESTU CENTER THE RECENT THIRD LINE BETWEEN CONNOR AND WHO GIVES A FUCK? The fourth line has many options out of your available forwards. This puts Malkin back at his natural position with wingers who have sandwiched a world class center all year, puts what was once called the best third line in the NHL intact, but having to step up some offense, and a 2011 third line that was extremely effective mostly intact to balance out the lineup........What am I missing? Chemistry with Staal and Geno can wait, taking available points in the absence of Crosby cannot.
Item 2, and some of the readers here will call this whiny, but it is what it is. Only David Steckel knows for sure if he intended to hit Crosby in the head, on the blindside, away from the puck..........but nobody has argued any of those 3 elements......he hit him with an elbow or shoulder to the head, from the blindside, AWAY FROM THE FUCKING PUCK!!!! The incompetence of the officiating crews aside, the idiots from garage league central should have suspended Steckel, intentional hit or not, as this hit was the very definition of the type of play they are supposed to want to eliminate. (Given the acrimony between the two teams , I doubt it was an accident.) It occurred on their second biggest stage, to their most marketable player and they did NOTHING at all about it. Yet Bettman wonders why the best game in the world lags behind the sport of the toothless in US popularity. I may be wrong, but I had less issue with the Hedman hit, though it too occurred high, and after the puck was away, it seemed more like an incidental hit to me. The outcome was more due to height, happenstance, and a prexisting issue due to Steckels hit. What can the Pens or Crosby do about it, they deal with the fact that they play in a league run by idiots, right? Wrong. The Pens and Crosby answer the bell every time Colon Campbell needs them for PR, and are very giving of Crosby's time any time the leauge asks. What do they get in return? League wide whining about too much Crosby/Penguins exposure, and well, less than nothing beyond that. From now on, I would leave the league hung out to dry on anything beyond the minimal requirements of any player or team. Sounds a bit bitchy, but what else can they do? Let's face it......if ANY Penguin or Flyer hits the Caveman or Seminbreath away from the puck in the head from the blindside, it is 5 minutes, game misconduct, and depending on which player did it, 2-5 games suspended.
All of that said, the Penguins need to get their shit together, as they have been very up and down post 12 game winning streak, and they have lots to play for in a very competitive division, conference, and league. Time to put the big boy helmets on and pick up some points in Crosbys absence. Malkin, it is time to show whether you are worth anywhere near what you are paid, and maybe you could carry the team for a few games in Crosby's absence. Thus far, in two games you have failed miserably in that regard. Prove me wrong, please?! Two more big points on the line Monday night against a tough Boston team.
