My Reaction to Another Penguin Playoff Debockle

I’m not upset the Penguins lost to the Rangers in Game 7. Sure if Sidney Crosby played up to half his ability they win the series but it would have only prolonged the in evadible. Funny thing is everybody including Fleury played pretty well, except for a few folks I’m looking at you James Neal,

Knowledgeable Penguin fans, and I think deep down Sid and Geno knew this team was not good enough. Is Dan Blysma to blame? Absolutely, he has made some very questionable personnel decisions, he played favorites and ignored young talent but he can’t turn hamburger helper into a bone in rib eye.

I blame GM Ray Shero. He has mismanaged this team for the last 5 years. This team has gotten soft and easy to play against. Talk all you want about a skilled winger and a puck moving defensemen, hockey, especially the playoffs is about toughness and BALLS, and the Penguins roster lacked both of them. When Shero came to town he immediately made them a tougher team. Tougher in the corners, in front of the net and with the gloves off. In the 2007 regular season the Pens beat the Flyers all seven games and in the last game won every fight (I thought they should have put up a statue to coach Mike Therrien right there).

The Pens remained a tough team until they felt they embarrassed the league after their line brawl with the Islanders in 2011. Since then management has shipped out or not resigned big , tough , on the edge players and brought in finesse players, guys who stay on the outside of the fray, who never get their nose dirty. It’s bad enough to have finesse on your top two lines but the Penguins had those guys on their bottom two lines.

Shero retained too many 3^rd and 4^th liners. He let those players get comfortable. Chicago doesn’t do that and they won two Cups since the Penguins won theirs. I consider Shero’s retention of mediocre 4^th liners his second biggest offense, signing offensively overrated and defensively brain dead Kris Letang to a large, long contract is his biggest offense.

Both Shero and Blysma should and hopefully will be fired. The players will be fired too. Only Sid and Geno are safe and probably Letang because who wants a 8 million dollar stroke victim. Chris Kunitz looked tired in the playoffs and maybe the Olympics wore him out. James Neal needs to GO. He’s acts like he won a Stanley Cup, he has not won anything but rides Geno coattails. He’s a bum. Jussi will want too much money so bye. Sutter played well for a month , if he leaves oh well. As for every other forward don’t let the door hit you. If Craig Adams was a horse he’d be glue. Only forwards I want back are Sid, Geno, Kunitz, Pascal Dupius (get well soon Super Duper) and Beau Bennett.

For the Defense, I’m not as down on them.  I wish Blysma gave the kids a chance to play more in the regular season but obviously those regular season points were needed. I love Robert Bortozzo’s game and Simon Depres is an NHLer. Ollie Maata faded but he’s nineteen. Paul Martin played great this year. Love Paulie. Brooks Orpik, Derek Engelland and Matt Niskanan are gone. Rob Scuderi should be but his contract is another chain around Shero’s neck. I love Scuds but he looked like an orange traffic cone in the playoffs. The Pens have lots of kids in their minors with pedrigee so bring em up. Flower player B+ goal all year and to the surprise of most was not a problem.

All in all, a smarter tougher coach and six new forwards who COMPETE and the Penguins could be back on top and by on top I mean a Stanley Cup winner not racking up a bunch of regular season points.

ROUND 2

I went 7-1 in round one. The Wild took extra time but they stuck it to me. Here’s a look back at round one and a look ahead to round two.

Round 1 Recap –

Boston took care of business and handled the Red Wings in 5 games. They were helped by horrible call on Todd Bertuzzi (who never gets a call) but after a game one scare they were never really challenged. Milan Lucic absolutely imposed his will on the series. Detroit fans have to be happy watching their young guys compete and Zetterberg return. Detroit will be a lot to handle next year but Boston is looking like the beast of the East.  Montreal also took care of business sweeping overmatched Tampa Bay. After hearing Oh Canada sung in French the Lightning had no chance.

The Rangers beat the Flyers because they didn’t let Philly goadthem into their bullshit and make it a special teams game.The Rangers are and were the better team five on five Wayne Simmonds had a classic Simmonds hat trick , three feet from the net but was the Invisible man on game seven.

The Penguins got past Columbus after the Penguins specifically Geno had enough. The Blue Jackets made a big deal out of out hitting the Penguins but hitting means you don’t have the puck. Columbus had heart but not nearly enough talent. Marc Andre Fluery except for one flub had a strong series and seems too have shaken off his post season woes.

Out West the Kings showed their championship hearts with an historic comeback against the San Jose Sharks a franchise that never seems to have any heart. Goaltender Quick was hung out to dry in the first the games but the King’s defense tightened in the final four games and Quick looked like his old Conn Smythe self.

BBQ Bruce reared his clueless head for Anaheim by starting a goalie controversy before game one than healthy scratched the living legend Teemu Selanne but Anaheim Captain and possible league MVP Ryan Getzlaf,  puck to the face and all would not let Lindy Ruff’s overachieving Stars beat them. Lindy and the Stars will be back.

Minnesota and Colorado had the most exciting series in the opening round. Nathan McKinnon had a coming out party but putting up ridiculous Lemieux like numbers at home. Erik Johnson had a inspirational empty net save in game one but got caught up ice in game 7.

Chicago and St Louis played the most intense opening round series. St, Louis lost their Captain Backes to a questionable hit thrown by Seabook who was suspended for that hit. Steve Ott gave Duncan Keith a similar dirty hit but it didn’t stop the Norris trophy candidate form torturing the Blues. The Blues, who never score when it matters could not keep up with the Toews, Kane and Sharps of the world.

Round Two –

The West is very easy to pick. The Kings are rolling. They have four lines of scoring and grit and Quick between the pipes. It’s May so it’s time for BBQ’s chariot to turn into a pumpkin. The Ducks Dynamic Duo will win a few games though.  Kings in 6. The Blackhawks will have no problem with the happy to be there Wild. Blackhawks in 5.

Both East series are almost a pickem. Almost. Montreal is probably the second best built team in the East, the problem is Boston is the best built team in the East. Habs vs Bruins is hockey’s Jews vs Arabs so anything can happen but I say Boston squeaks by. Boston in 7. The Penguins and Rangers will play a fast, skilled and extremely entertaining series. The teams are pretty even so whichever team’s superstar wakes up will determine who wins this series. I’ll go with Sid because Nash has never woken up. Pens in 6.