Playoff Hockey Rocks

I don't post too often about other teams' games(unless it involves Caps humiliation), but I have to say that I love the Tampa-Boston series, and it is a prime example of what makes playoff hockey the best game around. While much of yinzer nation is busying waxing Wines Hard's genitalia, I after a brief period mourning that he did not tear an ACL while "winning" DWTS went back to the greatest game on earth, and was not disappointed. Tonight's 5-4 win by Tampa forced a game 7 for the right to join Vancouver in the Stanley Cup Finals. This game came down to the wire, with Boston pressing hard and dominating play over the final six minutes in an effort to tie the game, while Tampa dug in and held on to a one goal lead. The action was fast and physical, a very small snapshot of what it takes to win the big silver trophy. You have to win 16 of those wars for a chance at that! This series has it all. Tampa starts off with a convincing 5-2 win, and looks invincible. Boston promptly takes the next two games and a 2-1 series lead before jumping out to a 3-0 lead in game 4. Things looked bleak for Tampa, and I wondered aloud if the glass slipper had been broken. Roloson, the main reason the Lightning were here, looked bad, and was replaced by Mike Smith. The next thing you know, Teddy Purcell scores two goals in 64 seconds, the place goes nuts.....GAME ON! Tampa then completes the comeback scoring 3 more unanswered goals to take a 5-3 win, and tie the series! Boston looked defeated, and many thought a collapse like that would spell doom for the Bruins. How do you recover from blowing a lead like that? So what happens now? Boston comes out and beats Tampa again, 3-1, chasing Roloson for the second game in a row. Smith again gives up zero goals, and most think he may have taken the job from Rolo. Boucher shows some courage, and give Roloson the nod in tonight's tilt despite the fact that Rolo looks like he might be fading. He did not look too good actually, and the way Thomas had been playing, Rolo coughing up 4 goals would normally spell doom for them. Not tonight! In a back and forth game, a game that started with a goal in the first minute by Tampa, you saw the best of playoff hockey unfold. Boston answers the Tampa goal with two of their own, dominating play for an extended period and going up 2-1. Tampa then scores three unanswered to go up 4-2. Boston scores to close within a goal, and just as you say Tampa may be in trouble, Downie sets up St. Louis and they get the back breaker as they restore a two goal lead seconds after Boston closed to within one. Boston had other ideas though, and they close back to within one goal with 6:32 left in the game. After a furious onslaught, and some epic net front battles, Tampa survives to force a Game 7 for the right to play for hockey's holy grail. If you don't like playoff hockey, perhaps a lobotomy is in order! Fun stuff for Friday night, and a dilemma for me. On one hand, I would like to see a friend of mine experience the thrill of watching his Bruins win the Cup for the first time in his lifetime. That would be cool to see! On the other hand, I HATE Colin Campbell and watching his son skate with the Cup would be kind of like that feeling you get when you zip your jeans BEFORE everything is safely put away. Ouch! Add to that, I kind of like Guy Boucher, Steve Yzerman, and Martin St. Louis. So, I think I will kick back Friday with a cold one or three, and watch one of the best events in sports, a game 7 in the Stanley Cup Playoffs. Even better, I can enjoy the outcome regardless of who wins!

Penguins Tidbits

Pens news remains predictably slow, but I will give some updates as they come. The first issue is probably the Tyler Kennedy free agency talks. It is being said the the Penguins are comfortable looking at TK in the 1.4-1.5 M per year range, but rumors are that the Kennedy camp wants 2M per year. Shero, while not stating this specifiically about Kennedy, did say in a conversation related to Kennedy that when teams cannot come to terms with an RFA, they will typically not go to arbitration, but will usually be traded on draft day. I would think that Kennedy has a good situation here in Pittsburgh, and would be smart to take a deal at 1.5M if the Pens hold firm there, which I think they should. Related to that, my favorite possible Penguin in free agency, Curtis Glencross, signed a 4 year, 10.2M deal to remain a Calgary Flame, leaving only Torres, Tanguay, and Leino in my opinion as realistic and attractive possible UFA forward signings for the Penguins. I get the sense that the Penguins may be very conservative in the market, electing to retain key players of their own, and bank on the improved defense, and the hopeful health of Crosby, Malkin and Staal to make them a contender again. They only had those three on the ice together for 4 periods of hockey this past season. On that note, this may be a big year for the Penguins to evaluate and decide on the long term future of their three center model. The Penguins went to the Finals in 2007-08 with Malkin, Crosby, and Staal still on their entry level contracts, and they won the Cup in 2008-09 with Malkin and Staal at least still on an entry level contract. In the two years since all three went off an entry level deal and now eat up 21.4M in cap space, the Penguins have been eliminated in the second and first rounds of the post season. Now, as noted, this past year was not a real fair test of the team's ability to compete with so much money tied up in the three centers, as the injury bug never allowed all three to really be on the ice for more than one complete game. But, with Staal's contract up at the end of 2012-13 season, and Malkin's the year after, this season may be pivotal in the Penguins formulating their longer term strategy. If they cannot make a deep run this season, and if they cannot afford to put enough quality at the wing to take advantage of the center depth, they will likely have to decide if Staal at 4-5M per year has more value than Malkin at 8.7 M per year to create the cap space necessary to field a dynamic and balanced top six forward group. Some variables to consider in that mix is the fact that both James Neal and Chris Kunitz, their two most talented wingers are UFA at the end of this season. Other variables include the retention and further development of Tyler Kennedy, and the ability of Eric Tangradi to progress to the point where he can be a productive top six forward. In addition, will top forward prospect and RW Beau Bennett be an option in the next two seasons, or Tom Kuehnackl, their other top RW prospect? Can Letestu or Jeffrey develop enough to be a productive full time third line center in the NHL? This coming season could be a pivotal one for all of the above referenced players, as I am sure Shero and crew want to decide how to build the team for the coming seasons with the pending free agency of Jordan Staal.

Another interesting dilemma may come at the blue line. 2009 first round pick Simon Despres, a 6'4" 225 pound blue liner has continued to develop since he almost made the team out of camp in September. First, he made the Canadian U20 World Junior Team, where he won a silver medal as a member of that team's blue line. There were concerns in camp that Despres was too much of an offensive defenseman, who could be high risk to represent Canada in the IIHF World Championships. Despres however worked his way on to the squad and earned more and more ice time by proving his ability to be responsible in his own end, improving his gap control, and playing a defense first game, where you jump up into the play when appropriate. Having a successful World Juniors campaign is another step in Despres' development. In addition, after another successful season with St. Johns, where Despres played in 47 games scoring 13 goals, 28 assists, and 41 points, while playing to a plus 15 rating, Despres' Sea Dogs won the President' Trophy as QMJHL champs. Despres averaged .87 points per game this season, and is now playing for the Memorial Cup Championship. Some impressive developments, and considering he almost made the team last season, you can figure that he will press for a roster spot again this year. Add to that, top AHL Blue liners like Bortuzzo, +28, Strait, +22, and Sneep, +17 all figure to press hard for a spot on the blue line. I think any of the four could make it hard for the Penguins to NOT try to move Niskanen's 1.5M contract to add more cap room for a top 6 forward.

Add to all of that, decisions that remain with regard to the signing of Dupuis, Rupp, Adams, Asham, and you can see that the summer months will start to heat up soon relative to Penguins news. In the meantime, check back periodically for updates here!

Silicone and Beer

Hockey Game Boobs - The best video clips are hereOkay, the hockey news locally is slow........and the girl at the Canucks game last night that bared her chest for Ben Eager led me to this little side show. It really is the combination of beer and silcone as the original poster noted. Not sure why I posted this but it does kind of amaze me that one would pick a hockey game for this..I am not attempting to marry sports and porn, just found this a curiousity....enough said. Get a laugh, real hockey news coming soon. Work has been too crazy for me to get too serious about good posts, but soon enough! As the conerence finals heat up, draft day looms, and free agency is coming, there will be better news to report. But for now, live my silicone and beer post.

JJ Come Home

There has been a lot of talk this past week about Ray Shero visitiing the World Championships, with one objective at least to get Jaromir Jagr back as part of the Penguins family. In reality, the major focus is to get the franchise's second best player in history to feel comfortable being part of the Penguins family, and hopefully to lead the eventual hanging of the #68 in the rafters of the Consol Energy Center. There has been a lot of speculation about the prospect of Jagr playing for the Penguins again. Though he is 39 years old, Jagr is supposed to be in great shape, and a 6'3" 243 lb RW with some scoring touch to be added to a line with Malkin at center, and James Neal at LW would be FUN to watch for Penguins fans. Don't count on it though. First off, the Penguins don't have the room to pay Jagr more than about 2M to sign, and I personally do not think for a second that Jagr would accept that kind of pay in return for his services, he is a guy who is a lot about the money. Second, he really does not play a style that will be well recieved by Disco Dan, so despite his skill set, his style of play would likely frustrate both he and Bylsma to the point of insanity. So, Pens fans, what I hope to see is the group of you who still hate Jagr for his infamous "dying alive" quote, those who booed his every return to the Mellon Arena to remember that despite that ill advised, and frankly overblown comment, he is truly one of the top players in NHL history, currently number 9 all time in scoring, and the second best player in Penguins history, behind only 66. Crosby and Malkin may have something to say about that before their careers are over, but for now, Jagr is only behind LeMagnifique. Jagr is a guy who always hustled, and brought his A game to the post season every season. Who can forget his game tying goal in Game One of the 1991-92 Finals late in the third, where he walked out from the wall, and left four Blackhawks hung out to dry before burying a game tying goal that blew the top off of the Mellon Arena. What about the 1995 playoffs where he single handedly willed the Penguins past the top seeded Devils in the first round of the playoffs, despite being hobbled by a significant leg injury? His heart and desire could not be questioned, even if his maturity at times could. The kid won 5 Art Ross Scoring Championships! When you think about Jagr's accomplishments as a hockey player, it is amazing that we have been lucky enough to have him for his best years, along with Lemieux, and now we get Crosby and Malkin to boot. Let the following accomplishments and statistics sink in for a moment when you think of Jagr:

Jagr is one of only 24 players to be a member of the Triple Gold Club, which includes winning the Stanley Cup, IIHF World Championships, and an Olympic Gold Medal. Jagr won two Stanley Cups with the Pittsburgh Penguins(1991-92), two IIHF World Championships (2005-10), and an Olympic Gold Medal in 1998.

His list of NHL Awards includes the Hart Trophy(MVP) in 1999, and he was nominated as a finalist also in 1995, 1998, 2000, 2001, and 2006;

The Art Ross Trophy (Scoring Champion) in 1995, 1998, 1999, 2000, and 2001;

Lester B. Pearson (Players MVP) 1999, 2000, 2006;

NHL All Rookie Team 1991;

7 Time NHL First Team All-Star;

1 Time Second Team All-Star;

Other Awards include both a Gold and Bronze Medal in the Olympics and Two IIHF World Chanmpsionships.

Jagr's list of NHL records is also quite impressive includeing the following:

Most assists by a rookie in the Stanley Cup Finals in 1991 with 5;

Most regular season points by a RW in 1995-96 with 149;

Most regular season assists by a RW in 1995-96 with 87;

Most regular sseaon points by a non Canadien in a season in 1995-96 with 149;

Most all time regular season points all time by a European with 1599;

Most all time regular seaon goals by a European with 646;

Most all time regular season Overtime goals with 15;

Most consecutive 30 goal seasons with 15 from 1991-2007;

Most consecutive 70 point seasons with 15 from 1991-2007;

He has played in 1273 regular season games scoring 646 goals, 953 assists, and 1599 points , while adding 169 playoff games played, with 77 more goals, 104 assists, and 181 playoff points!

Now, where does Jagr stand in Penguins history with some key statistics? After Mario Lemieux's 85, 70 and twin 69 goal seasons, Jagr's 62 goals are the highest ever in a season for a Penguins' player. Jagr's 439 career goals as a Penguin are second only to Lemieux's 690, and his career 640 assists as a Penguin are second only again to Mario's 1,033 assists. Jagr's 149 points in 1995-96 is the second highest point total by a Penguin not named Mario Lemieux, and his career point total as a Penguin of 1,079 is second again, only to Mario Lemieux. Jagr's 110 power play goals as a Penguins is also only second to Number 66. Jagr is the all time leader in career game winning goals as a Penguin with 78 game winners, and his 12 GWG in 1995-96 is the most by a Penguin in a single season. JJ is also the Penguins career leader in plus/minus at plus 207. Jagr also is the career all time game winning goal leader in the PLAYOFFS for the Penguins with 14 playoff game winners in his time as a Penguin. He is also second all time for the Pens in playoff scoring with 147 playoff points as a member of the Penguins. Jagr is second all time to Mario Lemieux in playoff goals with 65 playoff goals to Mario's 76 playoff markers. Finally, Jagr leads the Penguins all time in even strength playoff goals with 44 to his credit, leading Mario by 4 even strength goals. As you sit and absorb all of this guy's accomplishments as a Penguin and as a professional hockey player in general, you should WANT this guy to take his rightful place in the Penguins family as an all time great. You should also raise the roof the night they raise his jersey to the rafters in the CEC. I know I will. There are few more deserving players in the world. That said, those who think that Jagr will be a Penguin next year scare me. This guy will be offered 7-9 M by teams in the KHL, and both New York and Montreal, the other two teams he would like to play for in the NHL can afford to offer him much more cash. At any rate, forgive the fact that as a young man, he was somewhat immature, and thank him for the effort and memories he gave his teammates and Pens fans!

Eastern Conference Rivals and Free Agents

After watching another big Penguins rival get bounced out of the playoffs, I thought it may be a good time to discuss the general free agent situation with the other Eastern Conference rivals as I see them. Let's start with the cross town Flyers, since their elimination is so fresh. They have some interesting decisons to make in the offseason. They looked to me like a team that would take the experience of last season's Finals run, and the addition of Andre Meszaros in the offseason and Kris Versteeg at the trade deadline to take another run like last year, and perhaps get over the hump. But, alas, Paul Holmgren is following in Bobbie Clarke's mold by ignoring the most important playoff position, goaltending. Hey, they made a run last run without a true stopper, falling two games short of the holy grail, BUT that is an EXCEPTION, not the rule. Going into next year, they have several key UFA's. Included in that group would be Zherdev at 2M, Leino at 800K from their group of forwards, and Sean O'Donnell at 1.3M, and Nick Boynton at 500K on the blueline. Add to that, Bryan Boucher at 925K in the net. Carcillo, Nodl, and Powe are notable RFA role players for Philadelphia. The Flyers need a goaltender in my opinion to take the next step, and they are right up against the cap. Add to that the fact that they would dearly love to keep Ville Leino, but he will command 3 times his current salary I am sure. I would think that they will not offer Zherdev a deal, so that is 2M that they could put toward Leino, but that still leaves a hole in net. It will be interesting to see what they do about that. To bring in a top notch goaltender, it may take a trade as opposed to a free agent signing, and the Flyers do seem to possess the depth up front to do this.

Washington has a number of pricy UFA players to deal with during this offseason. Arnott at 4.5M, Sturm at 3.5M, Laich at 2.06M, Bradley at 1M, and Boyd Gordon upfront at 800K are all UFA. I have to believe that Laich is their priority from this group. On the blue line they have solid blue liner Scott Hannan at 4.5M as thier only UFA defenesman, but Karl Alsner an RFA making 1.675M could be due a raise. I am not sure what to think about Washington this off season, as they have big issues in my opinion. They may have big money to throw around, or could be very active in the trade market. In addition to expensive UFA's noted above, they have several players who are softer than a baby's ass making big money such as Mike Green, Alexander Seminbreath, and Niklas Backstrom. I don't think they sign Sturm again, the rest may depend on the market for some of their high priced players. I actually hope this keep this group together, but I dont know how you can given the past three year's playoff disappointments. If it were me, I keep Arnott a reduced rate, and Laich upfront, Alzner on the blue line, and attempt to trade Green and Semin for a player who two with male genitalia.

Montreal Canadiens-The interesting thing about the Habs is the fact that the only blue-liners from last year's team under contract are PK Scissorskates and Sissy er, Jaroslav Spacek. Also Josh Gorges. That may actually present more of an opportunity for the Habs, as they have some defenseman who make quite a bit of dough for their production. Notable blueliners as UFA for Montreal are Andre Markov at 5.75M, Roman Hamrlik at 5.5M, James Wisniewski at 3.25M, Brent Sopel at 2.33M, Hal Gill at 2.25M, and Paul Mara at 750K. To me Wisnieswski is worth a similar deal, and Paul Mara up to 1.25M. The rest are guys whom I think are overpaid, though Markov is extremely talented. Yannick Weber and Alexandre Picard are also RFA. The Habs have a glut of high priced back end talent potentially on the market. Along with their blue liners, Andre Kostitisyn is an RFA at 3.25M.

Tampa Bay Lightning-They are still in the midst of a playoff run, but will have some interesting decisons to make next year. Eric Brewer, a key component of the blue line is a UFA at 4.25 M. I have to think that Stevie Y wants Brewer back, and that he may be due a bit of a raise after this run. The other key blue liner who is UFA is power play specialist Marc Andre Bergeron, at 1M. Up front, Simon Gagne at 5.25 is UFA, as well as third line playoff star Sean Bergenheim, who earns 700K. With a history of head injuries, not sure if I would bring back Gagne, but I am sure they will pay more than double to have Bergenheim back. They also have second liner Teddy Purcell as an RFA. He is making 750K, and that will like more than double, but they will bring him back. Their most interesting call may be in the nets. Both goaltenders, Mike Smith at 2.2M and Dwayne Roloson at 2.5M are both UFA. Roloson looks GREAT in the net right now, but how much do want to put into a net minder who will be 42 years old next season? I would not be surprised to see Smith get a deal in a similar area, and Rolo to get a one year deal as well. I expect Gagne to be gone in favor of a younger less injury prone replacement. With the core of St. Louis, Stamkos, LeCavalier, Malone already signed they will remain a dangerous team for the coming season.

Buffalo Sabres-Buffalo seems to be a city that is destined for disappointment, nevertheless, the Sabres were a playoff team this year, so I had to comment. Their biggest UFA is Tim Connolley, a 4.5M UFA forward. Drew Stafford, who pumped home 31 goals a RFA, making 1.9M, a number likely to approach 4M if they hope to keep him. Other notable UFA's up front include Mike Grier at 1.5M, and Rob Niedermayer at 1.25M. On the blue line, Steve Montador at 1.55M is UFA. I expect that Sabres to sign everyone but Niedermayer.

New York Rangers-They seem to be a team who is always turning over high priced talent, with the same result, an early post season exit. This season should be no exception. Notable UFA's upfront include Frolov, at 3M, Vinny Prospal at 2.5M, and Rusland Fedtotenko at 1M. They have 3 notable RFA forwards in Ryan Callahan at 2.3M, Artem Anisimov at 820K, and Brian Boyle at 525K. All three are big parts of the team, and all three will get significant raises, especially Callahan who seems to be the heart and soul of the team. On the blue line Bryan McCabe at 5.75m is UFA as is Steve Eminger at 1.25M. I expect both to be back. It never seems to matter though.

Boston Bruins-The Bruins have some key parts of their team who will be UFA next season. Michael Ryder is the most notable forward at 4M who is UFA. Mark Recchi also at 1.9M. I think they will keep Ryder, but I expect Recchi to maybe be a casualty due to age. Brad Marchan is a notable RFA at 821K who will be due a nice raise as well. On the blue line, the Bruins picked up notable offensive defenseman Tomas Kaberle, who will be UFA at 4.25M, and I expect him back, as well as Shane Hnidy a 500K UFA, who will be due a raise. All in all, the B's look like they will be able to keep this group together for next season as well

I think the Eastern contenders who will be most intersting to watch will be the Flyers, and the Leino/goaltending situation, the Habs and their blue line, and the Rangers are always a drama queen. I also think an eye on the Craps will be fun, as they have many big time players that could be on the block, as well as their coach and or GM. The Pens should stack up well assuming 87 is back in the fold!

Penguins Off Season Free Agent Possiblities

Now that the Penguins are in their offseason, I wanted to take a look at some possible free agents for the Penguins this summer. I truly believe that the Penguins biggest priority is assessing their own players and deciding who to keep. I would think that Tyler Kennedy as an RFA is going to stay. If the Penguins give him an offer sheet of at least 110% of what they paid him last year, any team that would want him would wind up losing some signficant draft picks to acquire Kennedy. If they can get him for reasonable money, I love the idea of keeping him, and going back to the three center model with Kennedy and Cooke flanking Staal. If they get the sense he may want to go to arbitration, then some of the UFA wingers below may make sense. The top line of Crosby, Kunitz and or Dupuis/Jeffrey/FA and a second line of Malkin Neal and Tangradi/FA would make sense to me also. I think this alignment gives the Penguins three lines who can come at you with offense. I hope our fourth line ends up being Rupp, Asham and Adams, but I get the feeling that the Penguins will not heavily pursue Asham. Given the fact that the Penguins could use a bit more scoring, but have some cap issues, I looked at UFA wingers that could add some punch, but potentially still be in the ball park of what the Penguins could afford. My list of possibles is as follows:

Teddy Purcell-RW-17 G, 51 points, and +5-currently makes 750K;

Sean Bergenheim-LW-14G, 29 points and currently makes 700K-he has 7 playoff goals currently;

Ville Leino-LW-19G, 53 points, +14 and currently makes 800K;

Nikolai Zherdev-RW-16G, 22 points, and +5-he currently makes 2M;

Alex Tanguay-LW-22G, 69 points and even player-he currently makes 1.7M;

Curtis Glencross-LW-24G, 43 points, and he is a +6-he currently makes 1.2M;

Chris Higgins-LW-13G, 28 points and a +5-he currently makes 1.6M;

Raffi Torres-LW-14G, 29 points and a +4 player-he currently makes 1.0M;

Drew Stafford-RW-31G, 52 points and he is currently a +13 player who makes 1.9M- Stafford will likeyl get offered big money;

Each of these players could potentially fit in under the cap for the Penguins dependent upon which of their group that they keep. The Penguins top three lines LW is set it would appear with Kuntiz, Neal and Cooke all playing LW. The most intriguing players to me from this list include Teddy Purcell, as he would seem to be relatively affordable, is a natural right wing and has some scoring ability. I really like the idea of Curtiss Glencross, who plays a solid forechecking game, is effective on the penalty kill and pumped home 24 goals last season for Calgary. Ville Leino would be an intriguing option as well. As much as Philadelphia likes Leino, they may really need to put their money into a goaltender, making it tough to retain Leino as well. Alex Tanguay could be a unique option as well, perhaps the Sykora like veteran looking for a Cup run at a reasonable rate. Finally Sean Bergenheim would be an interesting option, and his playoff performance has been lights out. Stafford a RW, who put up 31 goals would be a great fit, but I think he will command too much money. I am not sure that any of the other UFA wingers would have a chance at fitting under the salary cap, even if the Penguins were interested, UNLESS they made a trade that opened up cap space. I also like the idea of getting rid of Niskanen's 1.5M salary and letting some of the young guys come up from Wilkes Barre. If they felt that they needed a veteran defenseman to shore up the blue line, Nick Boynton from Phildadelphia who makes 500K could be an option. I don't know what the Penguins are thinking, and who they think they want to keep. I have to believe that they want to give Tangradi and Jeffrey a real shot at regular ice time this year, and it is time to find out for sure what they are. They also seem to be enamored with Letestu, Connor and Johnson, so they have some young guys who would be cost effective to plug into the lineup. It will be an interesting off season, where they have to balance the group of current veterans, as opposed to younger cheaper home grown options, while hoping to add one more sniper for the top six. As I look at the players who are available to the Penguins in a price range they can likely afford, I would be most interested in a guy like Glencross, while doing our best to sign our UFAs.

Some More Love for the Red