Game 3: Pens 3, Devils 1

Johnny on the Spot...
Penguins- 3
Alex Goligoski (Tangradi) 1-18:56
Mark Letestu (Letang, Martin) 2-2:32
Paul Martin ENG (Kunitz) 3-19:49
W- Johnson (30-31)
Devils- 1
Patrick Elias (Arnott) 3-8:20
L- Brodeur (28-30)
RECAP
The Pens got their crucial first win Monday afternoon, and better yet got it done against the Devils. The Pens quickly broke the curse of being unable to beat NJ, and went into Prudential Center to dominate. It was such a major turnaround from last year that in this game alone the Pens 3 goals have already matched 60% of their entire total from last year vs the Devils. The Devils' style of play was noticeably different from last year, with not nearly as strong of a trap defense and more open ice movement. The Pens had little trouble gaining the zone and putting quality shots on Brodeur, and although Marty was pretty solid, a few did find their way past. Alex Goligoski tallied the 1st with a rocket slapshot on a play set up by a great play from Eric Tangradi on Kovalchuk. The Pens' 2nd goal was tallied by Mark Letestu after he deflected a Kris Letang slapshot behind Brodeur with his skate. Paul Martin got the third empty net goal, and got himself the last laugh on a crowd that was showering him with boos every time he touched the puck. As I said before, Marty was good but the real hero was the man between the pipes across the ice from him. Brent Johnson, making his first start of the season, posted 30 saves and held off an onslaught of Devils' shots in the last 10 minutes to preserve the win for the Pens. After the game, he mentioned how he relishes "every opportunity to start" that comes his way and how happy he was to be able to tally such a pivotal victory for the team. The Pens did experience a scary moment when Zybenek Michalek left the ice holding his arm. This could amount to some serious difficulty for the Pens D, who was already playing the game without shutdown man Brooks Orpik.

Game Changing Play

With time running out, Travis Zajac deked out most of the Pens' defense along with Johnson and seemed poised to tuck in the equalizer when Craig Adams came out of nowhere to poke the puck away and prevent the Devils from tying up the game.

Grades

Offense- B+ Looked much better and was able to get quality shots on Brodeur throughout the game. And they were even rewarded with the occasional goal.

Defense- B+ Held their own without Orpik and Michalek and overcame a short bench (though not as short as the Devils) to contain Kovalchuk and Parise and keep the Devils from most of the high percentage areas.

Johnson- A How can you not give him an A. He made some crucial saves down the stretch and would have had a shutout had it not been for a rocket shot by Elias. Great performance by Brent.

Powerplay- C+ Ok so they got a goal but at least 4 of their 6 powerplays looked uneventful and sluggish not to mention that they were unable to convert on a 5 v 3. Still work to do on the PP.

Penalty Kill- A- Weren't really needed much but they got the job done when they had to so they get in the A range.

3 Big Points

-3 games, 3 solid performances from Tangradi and Letestu. If they keep playing like this, there is no way that either of them get sent down even when Asham and Staal return.

-Though many of the Pens posted strong individual performances, I must say that I still don't care for the new lines. Comrie wasn't nearly as effective with Sid as he was with Geno and Dupuis was a non-factor on the 4th line. It is hard to eval the new D pairings because of Michalek's early exit.

-Sid looked like he drank about 4 red bulls before he took the ice. He seemed like he was everywhere, making acrobatic shots and passes as well as backchecking hard. He still hasn't scored yet, but he looked a lot more like the Sid we all know and love.

Pens Gameday #3 (Devils)

Penguins (0-2-0, 0 pts)
Devils (0-1-1, 1 pt)
Where: Prudential Center
When: 4:00 pm
TV: FSN

Both teams are looking to put their bad opening weekends behind them and start fresh for their season. Unfortunately, only 1 will be able to. For the Pens, they will be relying extra on FA pickup Dman Paul Martin who is familiar with the Devils trap system and how to beat it. Hopefully this info will come in handy because the Pens were unable to beat it at all last year. Also note that this game is on at 4:00. (those of us who don't have the day off can thank the fine folks down in NJ)

Opponents to Watch:

Ilya Kovalchuk- Keep an eye on Kovalchuk at all times, and not just because he may be the only one with the puck.

Travis Zajac- The silent killer on the line between Parise and Kovalchuk, Zajac is effective in slipping under the radar while the 2 superstars draw the attention of the defense.

Martin Brodeur- He is beatable, its just that the Pens weren't able to figure him out last year.

Notes:

-Volchenkov is questionable, still recovering from a nose injury he suffered Saturday vs the Caps

-Bylsma has not yet said whether to expect Fleury or Johnson.

Live Notes:

Johnson between the pipes tonight.

Orpik out also

Devils starting short bench today because of their injuries/lack of cap room.

Starting Lineup:
Kunitz-Crosby-Comrie
Tangradi-Letestu-Malkin
Cooke-Talbot-Kennedy
Rupp-Adams-Dupuis
Martin-Letang
Goligoski-Michalek
Lovejoy-Engelland
Johnson

Practice/Asham Update

October 10 The Pens were back at work today in practice looking to improve on some of the glaring errors that cost them their first 2 games. When interviewing with the media at today's practice, he said that his team needs to work on some fine details and need to control their emotions when playing the Devils' trap defense tomorrow afternoon. Of course the big news of the day was the revised line combos, as reported by the Penguins official site.

Kunitz-Crosby-Comrie

Tangradi-Letestu-Malkin

Cooke-Talbot-Kennedy

Rupp-Adams-Dupuis/Godard

Ok so obviously a few things jump out here. Though I agree that Letestu is currently playing worthy of a top 6 spot, Malkin and Comrie had some good chemistry together. Also, one of Comrie's main strengths is his ability up the middle and that is lost on Sid's wing. Dupuis is one in the doghouse here, falling from the top line to the 4th. His play has been lackluster, but isn't 2 games a bit early for such a harsh demotion?

Asham Update

The moods of Pens fans went from bad to worse on Saturday when they heard the latest update about Arron Asham. He went from a questionable day-to-day shoulder injury to indefinitely on the IR. The possibility of surgery has also been tossed around several times from what I'm reading. It may be a long time before he makes his debut with the Pens.

WBS vs Hershey Game 1

Statement Win!Wilkes Barre-Scranton opened up their season Saturday night with a statement 4-3 shootout win over the 2 time defending champion (and favorite for a 3rd) Hershey Bears. This win sent a message to the rest of the AHL that the Pens mean business this year and left me more excited for the season than I was at the start of the game. Why am I so excited now? The reason is that for the most part the Pens were outplayed by Hershey. As strange as this may sound, the fact that a Penguins team not playing their best can defeat a Hershey team that looked like they have been playing for weeks may be the most exciting part of all. It makes one think about what this team would look like if everyone did play their best and it also shows that Hershey isn't unbeatable this season. (good to have confidence against a team that you play 9 more times) Kyle Greentree and the Bears opened up the scoring early, but the Pens were quickly able to answer with strikes from Chris Collins and Nick Johnson to grab a 2-1 lead. They should have actually been given a 3rd goal, as Holtby clearly fell back into the net with the puck but the referees blew the whistle and did not signal a goal. The Bears answered Johnson's goal with a strike of their own from Steve Pinizzotto after he was left all alone on a breakaway. The Pens jumped back out in the 2nd period when Tim Wallace drove to the net and Andrew Hutchinson was able to skate up and slam home the rebound, but they just could not hold off Hershey's powerplay and Keith Auccoin. The overtime period was mostly uneventful, and the shootout did not start off well for the Pens after Dustin Jeffrey tried one too many dekes and missed. Things got even scarier when Francois Bouchard connected on his attempt to put the Bears up 1-0. WBS was just getting started though, as they answered with an onslaught of great shots. Nick Johnson took a nice straight path to the goal and just pounded one home past Holtby, Geoff Walker put a spectacular last minute deke on Holtby for the circus shot goal, and Brett Sterling did what he does best with a lightning shot past Holtby to put the Pens up 3-1 in the shootout. Theissen stopped all 3 of his final shots and the Pens fans rose in an ovation to their team and perhaps the most promising season in the 11 year history of the franchise. But I don't want to get ahead of myself here, and now it's time to calm down from this win and start working out some of the defensive kinks (especially from the Sneep-Wagner pairing) before the Adirondack game on Tuesday.

Game 2: Habs 3, Pens 2

24 seconds of hell.
Canadiens- 3
Mike Cammalleri (Plekanec, Kostitsyn) 1-15:24
Mike Cammalleri (Halpern, Gorges) 3-17:48
Scott Gomez (Poulot, Gionta) 3-18:12
W- Price (34-36)
Penguins- 2
Evgeni Malkin (Crosby, Goligoski) 2-0:40
Mark Letestu (Comrie, Martin 3-8:42
L- Fleury (21-24)
RECAP
All in all, the Penguins really deserved to win this game, and they surely would have had it not been for a 24 second lapse late in the third in which they conceded 2 straight very soft goals to tie the game up and then jump ahead. The final goal was really the worst, as Gomez simply threw the puck on net without any intention of scoring and it managed to trickle its way past. They seemed to be on the right track of fixing the problems that plagued them Thursday night when their entire body of work fell apart for 24 seconds. Before Gomez netted the GWG, Mike Cammalleri had 2 of his own (1 was a tip-in). Any Pens fan who watched the series last year probably expected this, and Comrie delivered. Even Carey Price looked good, making 34 saves on 36 shots and kept many of the Pens' shooters in check. It was quite the physical game, with PK Subban getting an opening shower of boos before proceeding to agitate and try to draw whistles from nearly every Penguin on the ice.

Game Changing Play
Obviously it was Gomez's goal, which pretty much left Fleury and the rest of the team awestruck at how that puck found its way into the net.

Grades
Offense- C- 2 goals against Price and the Habs is really nothing to be proud of. Granted that Carey played quite well but to have 36 shots and only convert 2 is a disappointment.
Defense- B- Improved from their disaster Thursday night and only played 24 seconds of disaster. Actually they made plenty of errors but for the most part were able to recover.
Fleury- C- He made some great saves, but 2 of the 3 goals (even maybe even the third) were pitiful. I know he is capable of more.
Powerplay- B- Though I know the powerplay was not credited the goal, Malkin's goal was really on the PP (player just coming out of box when goal was scored). Still much room for improvement.
Penalty Kill B+ The object of a PK is to keep your opponent from scoring, and the Pens did that so I guess you can say their PK was effective.

3 Big Points

-Pens showed improvement from Thursday, but it still may be a few more games before this team starts playing up to their full potential. That being said, they could still go get some wins.

-Malkin is playing out of his mind right now, but even he can only carry the team so far. It's time for Sid and Fleury to show some life.

-Another solid game from former WBS guys Tangradi and Letestu, and Ben Lovejoy also looked decent in his Pittsburgh debut.

Pens Gameday #2 (Canadiens)

Penguins (0-1-0, 0 pts)
Canadiens (0-1-0, 0 pts)
Where: Consol Energy Center
When: 7:00
TV: FSN

The concept of revenge is always an interesting one in the minds of hockey players. The Pens fell to a crushing defeat last year at the hands of the Habs, and even though one regular season win won't make up for it, it still carries a bit of extra motivation. The Pens are coming off a very sloppy 1st game but the Habs really didn't look that much better in their opener.

Opponents of Interest:

Mike Cammalleri- He tortured the Pens in last years playoffs, and is back from his suspension.

PK Subban- Had a breakout series vs Pittsburgh last year and now there is a lot of buzz around this kid. Time to see what he's done in the offseason.

Carey Price- I wonder if the Habs will allow as many shots withhout Halak? Let's hope the Pens light Carey up.

Live Notes:

12:25 pm- Word is that Asham is nowhere near ready to play. Out tonight for sure.

6:00 pm- no other injuries of note to report

6:20 pm- PROJECTED LINES

Kunitz-Crosby-Dupuis
Malkin-Comrie-Tangradi
Cooke-Letestu-Kennedy
Rupp-Talbot-Adams
Orpik-Michalek
Martin-Letang
Goligoski-Lovejoy
Fleury

Homecoming

Penn State Gameday

TV: ESPN 2, 12 PM
Series: Penn State leads 14-3, last meeting Oct. 10, 09 ... PSU 35 Illinois 17
Line: Penn State by 8

Penn State will try to rebound against Illinois. The Lions have only 6 touchdowns in the red zone out of 18 trips this year. That sucks. In fact that ranks 114th out of 119 in the FBS. RB Evan Royster needs 128 yards to become Penn State's all-time career rusher.

Prediction: Penn State 21 Illinois 14

Game 1: Flyers 3, Pens 2

Sloppy, Sloppy, Sloppy...
Flyers- 3
Daniel Briere (Richards, Leino) 2-2:51
Blair Betts (Powe, Van Riemsdyk) 2-17:15
Claude Giroux (unassisted) 3-4:55
W- Bobrovsky (29-31)
Penguins- 2
Tyler Kennedy (Martin, Letang) 3-0:44
Alex Goligoski (Michalek, Kunitz) 3-5:14
L- Fleury (24-27)
RECAP
There really isn't much that can be said for this game that can't be found on any other recap you may come across. Sergei Bobrovsky made the Pens look silly at times, and they couldn't put all three periods together. They came out like a war machine in the 1st, looked flatter than pancakes in the 2nd, and then tried to recover in the 3rd but was just unable to dig themselves out. They put 15 shots on the rookie in the 1st period, and he stopped every single one of them. The mistakes and sloppy play became dominant in the 2nd, and the Pens began to show the rust from the offseason. They came out hard in the 3rd, but couldn't buy a call from the refs and just couldn't get one past Bobrovsky to tie the game up. There was a lot of "excitement," but both teams really lacked the physical play that has come to define these games. To be honest, this game looked more like "croquet on steroids."

Game Changing Moment
I have to say Betts goal late in the 2nd period. It really took the air out of the building, especially since it should have never happened. Mistake by the Pens changing, mistake by Fleury playing the puck, and a mistake by every Penguin on the ice for losing sight of the puck.

Grades
Offense- C+ 2 goals against a first-time starter isn't exactly a marvelous accomplishment. They had several opportunities to bury one, but just couldn't get the shot on goal.
Defense- C Nobody really stood out as having a "good game." Michalek was decent, and Martin wasn't bad but everyone else was quite disappointing.
Fleury- B- Ok, so 2 of the 3 goals weren't his fault but he also let like 3 shots behind him that hit the iron. He can do better.
Powerplay- B They moved the puck well, but just had a hard time getting the shot off. Deja vu?
Penalty Kill- B- One major hiccup but they actually looked pretty good after that.

3 Big Points

-Despite a few flashes of brilliance, Letang and Goligoski really were plagued by a few glaring mistakes with positioning and turnovers and ended up costing the Pens a few goals. Boy I hope this trend doesn't continue.

-Kennedy looked pretty good, while Talbot and Adams came out flat. This may become significant if Asham returns to the lineup in deciding who to bench.

-This game didn't count for any more points than the next one does. Get back on the horse and go get 'em on Saturday.

Pens Gameday #1 (Flyers)

Penguins (0-0-0, 0 pts)
Flyers (0-0-0, 0 pts)
When: 7:00
Where: Consol Energy Center
TV: VS

If you cannot figure why this game is huge then you must not know much about hockey. A showdown between the last 2 Eastern Conf champions and perhaps the most hated rivalry in hockey, not to mention the grand opening of Consol Energy Center should add to the intensity.

Gameday Notes:

-Asham is questionable for the game tonight, and I would expect Kennedy to fill his spot if he is unable to play.

-The Flyers will probably have Pronger, though he is still listed as a game time decision.

Projected Goalies:
Fleury vs Boucher

Opponents to watch:

Ville Leino- played as well as anyone on that team during the playoffs last season.

Brian Boucher- if the Pens get enough shots on him, he will start to let pucks in.

Andrej Mezaros- I wonder how the Flyers biggest defensive acquisition will fit in? I say the Pens should test him.

Live Notes:

12:30 pm- I'm hearing Letang is sick and is a game time decision

12:40 pm- Pronger out? That's what I am seeing.

12:40 pm- By the way Tangradi is back up in PIT. Got sent to Wheeling b/c of Asham. Killeen came up to practice with Meloche.

1:00 pm- Rumor that the Flyers are starting Bobvrosky

2:25 pm- Pronger out confirmed by ESPN. Make of that what you will.

4:30 pm- Hearing Letang is doubtful. Adams likely healthy scratch.

5:00- PROJECTED LINES
Kunitz-Crosby-Dupuis
Tangradi-Comrie-Malkin
Cooke-Letestu-Kennedy
Rupp-Talbot-Godard
Orpik-Michalek
Martin-Lovejoy
Goligoski-Engelland
Fleury

GAMETIME

Kunitz-Crosby-Dupuis
Tangradi-Comrie-Malkin
Cooke-Letestu-Kennedy
Rupp-Talbot-Adams
Orpik-Michalek
Martin-Letang
Goligoski-Engelland
Fleury

1-20:00 - end of 1st period. score 0-0

2-3:10 - Briere scores. 1-0 Flyers

2-17:30- Pens caught in a change. Betts buries a rebound. 2-0 Flyers.

3-1:??- GOALLL!!!! Kennedy puts the Pens on the board. 2-1 Flyers

3-5:00- Giroux scores off of a gift Letang turnover. 3-1 Flyers

3-5:14- SCORREEE!!! Goligoski answers right back with a zinger! 3-2 Flyers

Final Score: Flyers 3 Pens 2

Tangradi to Wheeling?

And Killeen up to Pittsburgh. No word why.Just hours after being told that he won a spot on Pittsburgh's NHL roster, Eric Tangradi was surprisingly demoted to the Pens' ECHL affiliate Wheeling Nailers. That's right, not AHL, I said ECHL. To replace him, the Pens called up goaltender Patrick Killeen, who is just beginning his first season of professional hockey. To make matters even stranger, nobody from the Pens organization has commented since making the announcement. Now you can probably find just about every rumor in the book on the internet right now, but after pondering this for a while I think I have a reasonable theory.

Since Killeen was the choice of replacement, it seems that either Fleury or Johnson suffered some sort of minor injury/sickness during practice today and Pittsburgh is in need of a backup goaltender. Rather than pull someone out of Wilkes-Barre, they figured they would just take Killeen because Wheeling is a much shorter drive and they likely won't need him to do anything anyway. Ok so that half of the story makes sense so far.
Since Killeen will be in Pittsburgh, that makes 24 players on the roster and therefore one player needs to be cut. Tangradi has a contract that allows him to move freely around the NHL/AHL/ECHL without having to clear waivers, so he was the obvious choice to be cut. (Now here comes the confusing part.)
Instead of sending him to Wilkes Barre, they chose Wheeling mainly because of its close proximity to Pittsburgh in case Tangradi needs to come back on short notice. Now Pittsburgh has 13 forwards already so even if Asham is unable to play, Tyler Kennedy should fit in his spot. But, if someone else gets hurt right before gametime, then the Pens will be in need of another forward and Tangradi will be able to come back up to Pittsburgh without penalty while whoever is injured gets put on the IR.

That's just my theory because I find it hard to believe that Tangradi actually will stay in Wheeling unless he really violated team rules of some sort. Hopefully someone will clear this thing up tomorrow.

*note: Simon Despres was the final cut (until the Tangradi fiasco) of camp and was assigned back to his juniors team in St Johns.

Hot Seat

2010-11 will be an important year for all the Pens, but let's take a look at a few that will be watched a bit more closely. Yes, the 2010-11 edition of the "Hot Seat."
1. Tyler Kennedy
As if there wasn't already enough pressure on TK, the Pens front office decision to keep Tangradi multiplies that by 3. This means that there are now 14 forwards (including Godard) on the roster and there will be 15 once Staal comes back. Unless somebody is sent to WBS soon, it means that Godard and one other will need to sit out each game (or 2 when Godard plays). The ones nominated for that role will likely come down to either Talbot, Letestu, Tangradi (assuming he stays in PIT), and TK. Letestu seems like a lock to play, and Bylsma wouldn't keep Tangradi around unless he planned to use him. The bottom line is that TK is probably already looking at limited starts, and that number could dwindle even more unless he improves on last year. I certainly don't think the management would go as far as sending him to WBS, though that option is still on the table as well. On a positive note, he has held his own thus far in camp and could get back to his 2008-09 form.
2. Kris Letang

Tanger must not have trusted the Ice Crew last year, because he used more of his shots as a means to test the strength of the plexiglass backstop than he did testing the opposing goalie. His situation is a bit more favorable than TK's, as he has his contract and roster spot locked up for a while but he is at risk of losing his top 4 slot and some TOI if his shots don't start hitting their mark. The turnovers will also be scrutinized heavily this year, but if he can fix both of those things than his "hot seat" may start to cool off a bit.

Pens Powerplay

Perhaps the biggest glaring failure of last season was the powerplay. Despite having the more talented guys on the ice about 95% of the time, the Pens struggled with time management and simply were not able to generate enough QUALITY shots with the man advantge. With Mike Yeo gone now, the powerplay is expected to have a different "revamped" feel to it last year lead by new PP QB Alex Goligoski (replacing Gonchar).

*yes I know Reirden really won't be in charge of the PP, but the picture is still pretty good.

My Thoughts on Russell, And His Replacment

I didn't write anything about this yesterday because, quite frankly, I wanted to sleep on it. The Pirates firing of Russell came as no surprise to anyone who follows the team. Someone has to go down after three seasons like we have seen, and Russell really gave no indication he was a big league manager.

His ingame decisions were often baffling (pulling Duke up a ton with 2 out in the 9th), the constant bunting over of guys on second base with no outs, relying too heavily on veterans who have proven they aren't worth the time (Ryan Church, Tyler Yates), and really not understanding how to properly platoon players. These are just a few examples, I know everyone has their favorite JR moment but really this isn't about that.

Russell was a fall guy and, while he deserved to take the fall, the light shouldn't be taken off the FO. After all they gave him this team, and tasked him with doing the impossible. It's very hard to keep good bench coaches like Perry Hill when you are constantly blowing up his work, and I think it showed in the defense this year. Some of the defensive woes come from guys like Pedro Alvarez and Neil Walker learning the game, but some of it is just stupidity and a lack of concentration, see Lastings Milledge.

The Pirates relied on a lot of things to go perfect this season and for the most part they all went wrong. Is that the fault of JR? I doubt it. Was it realistic for us to expect Charlie Morton to become a one or two pitcher? I doubt it. At the same time I don't think it was realistic to expect him to be as bad as he was. And that's where I think Russell's firing is also justified, these guys didn't really correct their mistakes, and when they failed to meet expectation it wasn't just by a little bit. I think you can put that on the manager.

What do I want from a new manager? I want fire, they don't have to be Lloyd Mclendon, but I want to see them stand up for their players. I want new ideas, while batting the pitcher 8th was a bit different JR seemed to only go half way with his "innovations", in the end he was still playing small ball on a team that couldn't win by a run or two.

So what names have been kicked around early?

Bob Walk - I can't believe people are seriously considering Walk for this role. He is a small ball guy too, and really seems pretty much in tuned with the old way of doing things.

John Wehner - Wehner seems like a good guy and he, like Walk, is knowledgeable about the game. Sadly it's much easier to make calls like they do in the booth with even that little amount of hindsight they have. John Wehner has shown nothing to suggest he could handle running a major league team.

Eric Wedge - This guy is probably the favorite at this point in time. If for nothing else than the fact that he managed an Indians Organization that Neil Huntington was part of. We are following largely a model that the Indians do, so he would be comfortable with the young players, and deadline deals. He has been pretty successful with the Indians, although he only had one postseason appearance. A former manager of the year he brings instant credibility and a ton of experience into the young locker room.

He is also a great community guy, and would fit nicely with the large focus the organization puts on it's Pirates charities wing.

Ken Macha - Macha really interests me. First he has had a ton of success at the ML-Level. Second a lot of that success was with the A's organization. The A's do things a lot different and Macha's time there coincided with their changing of the game. He also has interviewed with the Pirates before so I'd have to assume he has at least been open to coming here.

His problem, for me at least, was his time with the Brewers. His staff was horrible, and the clubhouse was a mess. The Brewers became one of the most underachieving and immature teams in the league on his watch. I'm not sure how I feel about a guy coming in and basically letting the players act like the Brewers did.

Bobby Valentine - Valentine has been named as a possible manager for about every team needing one thus far. I want nothing to do with him. This team doesn't need a celebrity type manager, they need someone to teach fundamentals and deal with rebuilding. Don't know if that's the type of gig Valentine wants anyway.

Wally Backman - Backman is one of my favorite candidates. He is a guy chomping at the bit for a second shot at the big leagues. He has a Pittsburgh connection (which really shouldn't matter), and has been very successful in the minors. He has shown an ability to teach young players, and had a short lived job with the D'backs.

The problems with Backman are all personal ones. He was accused of assault, was arrested for DUI, and failed to pay his taxes. All of these problems occurred ten years ago, but it's very hard to put a guy with those sort of skeletons in charge of a big league team. That said the guy has apparently been on the straight and narrow for ten years and deserves another chance.

From that list I would hire either Wedge or Backman. There will be plenty more names over the next few weeks, so this is just a very small one for now.

Yinz Luv 'Da Stillers!, PIT vs. BAL (Week #4)

John Russell Fired; Walker Wins Clemente Award

The Pirates have officially fired John Russell. Names already being thrown around for the next Pirates manager are Eric Wedge, Ken Macha, and more hilariously, Bob Walk. No, no and no. They should hire my choice.

Also today, Neil Walker won the Roberto Clemente award from members of the Pittsburgh chapter of the Baseball Writers Association of America.

Oct 3 vs Red Wings

Lookin good...
Penguins- 5
Mike Comrie (Michalek, Malkin) 1-4:19
Chris Kunitz (Malkin, Letestu) 1-7:40
Mike Comrie (Goligoski, Kunitz) 1-19:46
Alex Goligoski (Michalek, Malkin) 2-4:35
Evgeni Malkin (unassisted) 3-2:43
W- Fleury
Red Wings-2
Pavel Datsyuk (Zetterberg, Lidstrom) 1-10:24
Mike Modano (Datsyuk) 3-3:22
L- Osgood
RECAP
It was a very good tune-up Sunday afternoon at Joe Louis Arena as the Pens took home yet another win (finished pre-season at 5-1) and looked very cohesive. They started "most" of their NHL line-up, with notable exceptions being Sid (hip), Orpik (groin), and Asham ("upper body"). Detroit started pretty much their entire NHL line-up, or at least the major players. Mike Comrie and new line-mate Evgeni Malkin lead the way offensively for the Pens, with Comrie scoring two markers in the 1st period and Geno adding a goal and 2 assists of his own. Chris Kunitz and Alex Goligoski got the other two tallies for the Pens, while Pavel Datsyuk and Mike Modano scored for the Wings. The Pens limited their mistakes, and looked like they were in regular-season form. Fleury also looked better, seeing the puck well and quick in the crease. (22-24)

3 Big Points

-Anyone else getting a bit concerned about this "hip flexor" thing? I know it's probably just a precaution, but still...

-The Pens just shellacked the full Red Wings squad without Sid. Yeah, I think they're ready for the regular season.

-I think Disco just found Geno his new partner. He and Comrie looked really good together, and the score sheet reflects it. Comrie is solid down the middle, and allows Geno to be a bit more free and creative on the ice.

Steelers vs. Ravens Inactives (Game 1)

Steelers Inactives

DT Chris Hoke
CB Crezdon Butler
RB Jonathan Dwyer
OG Trai Essex
WR Emmanuel Sanders
LB Thaddeus Gibson
OT Tony Hills
CB Keenan Lewis

Ravens Inactives

OT Jared Gaither
CB Josh Wilson
DE Corey Redding
CB Prince Miller
LB Tavares Gooden
LB Edgar Jones
DT Arthur Jones
WR Donte Stallworth

Dennis Dixon is going on IR, that will end his season. Neither Hoke or Essex being inactive is a surprise. In fact there are really no surprises on the Steelers list and, like usual, most of these guys are depth.

The Ravens will be without Starting DE Corey Redding, but other than that it is depth guys for them as well.

PSU @ Iowa Gameday

Penn State Gameday

TV: ESPN, 8
Series: Tied 11-11, last meeting Sept. 26, 09 ... Iowa 21 PSU 10
Line: Iowa by 7

Ricky Stanzi is still the QB at Iowa??? It seems like he's been there for 10 years. Conference play starts with a bang in Iowa City. It should look cool on TV anyway. I am a fan of the Black and Gold but don't mess that up Iowa fans.

The Hawkeyes are 3-1 with their only loss at Arizona, which was a great game. I think Iowa will end up giving OSU a run for their money in the B10 this year.

Evan Royster had a career high 187 yards last week vs Temple. If he does it again, PSU may pull the upset. Iowa has a great D-Line and Penn State's Offense isn't that good so he needs to.

Prediction: Iowa 24 Penn State 10

October 1 vs Blackhawks

Can't win em all...
Blackhawks- 5
Fernando Pisani (Bolland, Bickell) 2-4:20
Patrick Sharp (unassisted) 2-13:47
Marian Hossa (unassisted) 3-:18
Patrick Kane (Sharp, Keith) 3-5:56
Marian Hossa (Seabrook, Scott) 3-18:59
W-Crawford
Penguins- 2
Alex Goligoski (Rupp, Hutchinson) 3-10:40
Craig Adams (Dupuis, Goligoski) 3-18:42
L-Fleury
RECAP
Ok, so the Pens pretty much got romped by Hossa and the Hawks but just remember that it's just pre-season and that they were without stars like Crosby, Malkin, Orpik, and Michalek. Fleury played 2 periods and didn't look too bad, and the Johnson came in for the last period. The Pens made a lot of mistakes with the puck today, and this lead to scoring chances for the Hawks. The real news from this game for both teams were the injuries. Arron Asham left the game in the first period and would not return due to an upper-body injury. Hawks defenseman Brian Campbell had a similar fate, and also left the game with an undisclosed injury.

3 Big Points

-Upper body injury? That could mean anything from a minor bruise to broken ribs to a season ending injury. Asham is to be re-evaluated tomorrow so we have to wait until then to really know how serious.

-If you looked at the lineup card, it would be an utter shock if the Hawks didn't win. They started almost their full team (Kane, Toews, Hossa) while the Pens elected to bench Crosby and Malkin.

-Engelland saw a lot of TOI tonight though Despres and Hutchinson also saw their fair share. I think Deryk has 7th Dman locked up but never underestimate young talent.

Next Game
The Pens wrap up their pre-season Sunday at the Joe vs Detroit.

*note- WBS won 4-3 in a shootout over Hershey today

This Week In Real Pirateball - Week 25

Greg Mercer makes funny Pirates videos on the Internet. Check them out and follow him on Twitter. Here is his latest one. Week 25 and now we start to post them. TiGO sucks.

Sept 28 vs Blackhawks

Roster taking shape.
Penguins- 4
Evgeni Malkin (Tangradi, Comrie) 1-12:21
Dustin Jeffrey (Adams, Rupp) 2-3:46
Nick Johnson (Talbot, Martin) 3-8:25
Mark Letestu (Kunitz, Martin) 3-11:13
Blackhawks- 1
Kyle Beach (Bickell, Seabrook) 2-8:53
RECAP
Evgeni Malkin lead the way for the Pens on Tuesday's preseason game against the Blackhawks, scoring the games first goal and looking to be in solid form for the rest of the game. He and the rest of the Pens rolled to a 4-1 win vs the Hawks, though they did receive some help from Brent Seabrook. Seabrook seemed to be at the wrong place at the wrong time throughout the final period, with both of the Pens' goals going in off of him. The lineup tonight for the Pens featured mainly NHL starters and some AHL guys fighting for a spot. (like Letestu, Jeffrey, Johnson, Sterling, Tangradi). Sid, Fleury, Orpik and others were scratched while Simon Despres saw some TOI tonight. Perhaps this is something to consider because the organization must be serious if they are still playing him.

3 Big Points

-Mark Letestu is really close to an NHL spot. He seems like the top choice to fill in while Staal recovers.

-I guess Disco gave them all a little talk about why it isn't prudent for star-caliber players to be throwing down in the pre-season. Much cleaner game.

-Ok, the Pens are 4-0, but it's the pre-season. Take a few steps back and realize what the pre-season is really about...rosters.

Next Game
Friday the Pens return the favor and face the Hawks at United Center. It is the all important next-to-last pre-season game, and should be crucial in determining the lineups for the opener.

*note: I will also try my best this year to keep up to date with the happenings of the WBS Penguins, who opened their pre-season schedule tonight with a 7-6 shootout loss to the Syracuse Crunch. I find it pointless to write any seperate post about it today, though, because most of their team is still in Pittsburgh.

Yinz Luv 'Da Stillers!, PIT vs. TB (Week #3)

Windows

While recently leafing through ESPN the Magazine's NHL preview issue, I came across an article that just struck me as fascinating. It seems the folks over at ESPN (who aren't always on the up and up when it comes to hockey) had devised a system to rank a team's chances not only this year but on the overall picture. It's called the window theory and it goes something like this:
There are three categories of teams. There is the group before the window that are teams that are building towards the goal but not quite there yet. As you advance through this category closer to the window, the teams get a little bit better and become greater immediate threats. Then you hit the second category of teams (this year's main cup favorites) that are in the window. Now, within this window there is also a ranking because the teams closer to the beginning of the window have a greater chance of staying there while those further down the list are at risk of falling out of the window. They would join the third class of teams, who either had been in the window and simply are waiting for some prospects to reload or just completely skipped over the window entirely after a group of prospects just didn't work out and are waiting to start over. If that was too much for you to read at once, here is a simpler version.
The goal of the teams before the window is to gradually work their way into the window. The goal of the teams in the window is to contend for cups and stay there as long as possible. The goal of the teams past the window (though some of the teams that are just past the window still have a chance this year) is to get some prospects and work their way back into the group waiting to reach the window.

Here is how ESPN had them ranked. (window teams bold)
Panthers
Islanders
Blue Jackets
Lightning
Hurricanes
Thrashers
Rangers
Sabres
Avalanche
Blues
Canadiens
Coyotes
Predators
Bruins
Kings
PENS
Blackhawks
Capitals
Canucks
Flyers
Sharks
Red Wings
Devils
Ducks
Flames
Senators
Maple Leafs
Stars
Wild
Oilers

So, according to their model the teams with the best shot this year are the Canucks, Flyers, and Caps while the Kings, Pens, and Hawks are better off in the long run. They think Oilers and Wild fans are going to have to wait longest for a winner while Boston, Nashville, and Phoenix are right on the brink of success.

So now that you get the idea here is my model:

Thrashers: I'm putting this team on the right side of the window, but just barely. They do have a bit of promise with guys like Bogosian and Kane but they still have some work to do.

Oilers: With two potential superstars in the system, the Oilers certainly are moving in the right direction but what they need to do now is to find them a supporting cast.

Panthers: They are here not because of who they have on their team but who they have behind the front desk. Tallon has shown that he wants to steer this team in the right direction, and he is already off to a good start drafting Gudbranson.

Islanders: John Tavares is a superstar coming into his own, and though the rest of the team is not yet up to par, he may keep them afloat (or at least from totally going under) until they get things together.

Sabres: I like what I saw from this team in the regular season last year. Playoffs, not so much... That's ok though, as it shows there is lots of talent there and they just need to work out some kinks.

Maple Leafs: Surprise. Some key offseason additions like Versteeg and Armstrong as well as the maturing of young guys like Luca Caputi will supplement "window players" (players who have reached peak of their career) like Phaneuf to make Toronto at least competitive this year.

Predators: This team is actually moving a bit in the wrong direction, but I still think their future is still ahead of them. They better be careful they don't jump the window though.

Blues: It's almost your time St Louis. This is a team that has obviously committed themselves to success in the near future (as seen by Halak trade) that believes that it's time is coming.

Lightning: Silently building an offensive juggernaut behind Stamkos. This team can be good way sooner than anyone expects them to be.

Coyotes: Phoenix is a team that found success not through superstar talent and blockbuster trades but rather through acquiring solid players and surrounding them with solid leadership. If they keep this up, they could find themselves in/near the window for a long time.

Avalanche: Most people would say that I am putting them too high, but I really loved what I saw from this team in the playoffs last year and they were not too far away. If they could put it together this year, they have the potential to stay in the window for at least 3-5 years.

PENGUINS: I'm sure I'm not the only Pens fan that is already starting to get nervous for those ominous years when Sid/Geno/etc contracts expire, but the truth is that that day is still quite a long way off. Until then, let's try to win a few cups.

Capitals: Basically the same situation as the Pens, and (as much as it kills me to say it) it is only a matter of time before they figure it out in May.

Bruins: Guys like Savard and Bergeron to lead the way now. Guys like Seguin and Lucic to lead the way later. What more can you ask?

Kings: I guess even I am going to have to jump on the "Kings are a legitimate contender" bandwagon. They look to be primed for a deep run for the next few years.

Canucks: I know we've all heard this one before, but I'm willing to give Vancouver one more year to impress me before I move them to the back of the window. Just a glance at the roster is all that one will need to automatically pick these guys to win the West. (or at least get #1 seed)

Red Wings: They have been about this place on the "window scale" for the last 5 years. They keep getting older, yet never show any signs of age. Why should this year be any different?

Flyers: Didn't lose that much from last year (although they still don't have a goalie) so you can't count them out. Young talent like Van Riemsdyke and Leino should keep the rest of those hooligans on the map for a couple more years.

Blackhawks: They got absolutely ripped apart after their cup last year, and almost need to start rebuilding again to find a supporting cast for Kane and Toews. Both of those guys currently at the top of their game should be enough to make this team a contender for at least a little while longer.

Sharks: They are right on the borderline of the back of the window, so I will be generous and include them. The talent is still there, just getting older.

Kovalchuks: Yeah, he's very good but it's nice to have a few other guys out there. It seems like guys like Parise are going to waste in that new system, and the loss of draft picks and cap space adds further to the chaos. Also, Marty isn't going to be around forever. Even though I have them outside, I'd say its now or never for this team.

Senators: Veteran leadership is a very good thing. But is there such a concept as too much of a good thing? Yikes, they may need to start distributing HoverRounds as contract incentives.

Canadiens: Was last year's playoff run a fluke? I guess we'll find out.

Rangers: They seem like they are starting to get the right idea, but I wouldn't say they are "rebuilding" just yet. I would expect maybe one more down year before they start to slowly work their way back up to the top. It is there, but it will take time.

Hurricanes: This team is tricky. I put them here really not so much because of their chances this year but their chances of being able to work their way into that "window." It won't take that long once they start rebuilding, it's just that they havn't really started yet.

Blue Jackets: Well, at least Nash will put up monster stats again.

Ducks: I'm with ESPNMag on this one. They need a D before they could really get back to business.

Flames: Bad trade after bad trade. They had their window a few years ago but were just unable to jump on it. Now it's time to take a step back and get back to building some pillars for a team.

Stars: Ok, they have a couple good young guys but the rest of the team really is pretty average. It's not like they will be the worst team in the league anytime soon, its just that they seem like they are destined for mediocrity for quite a while.

Wild: They had their window a few years ago and they totally skipped right over it. Whoops, back to the drawing board.

So there you have it. It's not often that I really get inspired by an NHL piece done by ESPN, so I felt the need to post it.

Steelers/Bucs Inactives

Steelers

QB Dennis Dixon
CB Crezdon Butler
RB Jonathan Dwyer
G Trai Essex
WR Emmanuel Sanders
LB Thaddeus Gibson
T Tony Hills
CB Keenan Lewis

Buccaneers

QB Rudy Carpenter
LB Niko Koutouvides
RB Kareem Huggins
CB Myron Lewis
DE Michael Bennett
C Ted Larsen
WR Maurice Stovall

No shockers on this front. Antonio Brown will dress today and be fielding kickoffs once again and ARE is expected to handle punt return duties.

Sept 25 vs Blue Jackets

I went to a fight and a hockey game didn't break out.
Penguins- 3
Pascal Dupuis (Asham) 2-16:48
Evgeni Malkin (Hutchinson, Tangradi) 3-2:47
Arron Asham (Jeffrey, Kennedy) 3-17:17
Blue Jackets- 1
Michael Ratchuk (Brassard) 1-12:03
RECAP
WWE isn't scheduled to come to Pittsburgh until December, but if you watched tonight's game it would be hard to tell the difference. The Pens and CBJ racked up a total of of 74 PIMs, with 5 fights breaking out throughout the game. Kris Letang lead the way in that category, first dropping the gloves with Matt Calvert and then later in the game with Jakub Voracek.
Letang was not the only one engaging in fisticuffs, as pro-enforcer Eric Godard and scrappy WBS forward Tim Wallace also dropped the gloves.

This all lead up to the final and most interesting fight of the night, which featured Malkin dropping the gloves with Columbus star forward Rick Nash near the end of the third period. As for the whole "hockey game" thing, Asham lead the way with a goal and an assist, now really showing that he may have some offensive upside. Malkin and Dupuis also found the twine for the Pens, while Michael Ratchuk scored the lone tally for the Jackets. Fleury had a good game as well, allowing just 1 goal in 33 shots.

3 Big Points

-Yes Letang had 2 fights, but he also had 2 minors as well. Add these to the other 6 committed by the team and you have the math for a potential recurring problem. I sure hope either the Pens settle it down a bit once the reg season starts or the PK is up to the task.

-Why is Malkin fighting in the preseason? Can anybody answer that? ANYBODY?

-Fleury looks to be in mid-April form, so I wouldn't expect to see much of him until the opener. Very impressive tonight.

Next Game

The Blackhawks come into town for the last game at CEC before the opener vs the Flyers.

Is Bill Cosby Dead?

Bill Cosby is not dead and he doesn't like the rumors so stop it. We can't confirm if Sabrina Le Beauf is still alive. Hey Hey Hey.



Penn State Gameday

TV: Big Ten Network, 3:30 PM
Series: Penn State leads 35-3-1, last meeting Sept. 19, 2009 ... PSU 31- Temple 6
Line: Penn State by 14

The line on this game dropped three full points, and for good reason. This Temple team is good, coming off an impressive win over UConn. Something about this game has me a bit worried. Penn State hasn't looked bad but could look much better, espically the Offense. Temple DE Adrian Robinson is a stud and could easily suit up for any big conference team. Keep an eye out for Bernard Pierce. The Owls tailback will give the Penn State defense fits all day.

The last time Temple beat the Lions was in 1941. That's pre-Paterno. That won't happen today but this is going to be one hell of a football game.

Prediction: Penn State 28 Temple 21

Sept 24 vs Blue Jackets

Young talent and new faces emerge.
Penguins- 5
Arron Asham (Goligoski) 1-0.34
Mike Rupp (Conner, Wagner) 1-9:31
Chris Kunitz (Letestu, Goligoski) 2-16:46
Nick Johnson (Wagner, Jeffrey) 3-8-13
Mike Comrie (Letestu, Kunitz) 3-12:08
Blue Jackets- 4
Tomas Kubalik (Vermette, Huselius) 1-12:27
Tomas Kubalik (Vermette, Huselius) 2-2:35
Kyle Wilson (none) 2-3:01
Tomas Kubalik (Klesla, Huselius) 3-19:16

RECAP
This was nothing more than another regular old preseason game, especially considering the number of scratches. Clearly Disco wanted this one to be reserved for the younger and tougher guys and he has to be playing around with some line combos. Sid and Brooks sat this one out, likely for precautionary measures. This probably means nothing though, as Malkin, Letang, Michalek, Fleury, Kennedy, and Dupuis were also scratched. (and HOPEFULLY there's nothing wrong with them) The grinders really did their share of work today for the Pens today, and this should all be accounted for in Dan's lineup decision for Game 1. Meanwhile, Tomas Kubalik was running absolutely wild today for CBJ, totalling up 3 goals and definitely gave HC Scott Arniel something to think about as well.

3 Big Points
- I love how the tough guys are finding the twine. If they could add a few supplementary goals to what the scorers will produce, then we just may have quite the nice formula here.

-Mark Letestu is lucky that he gets to wear his #1o in Pittsburgh, because he will be needing it when the season starts. He is looking more and more solid to make the NHL roster.

-I know this is only the preseason and the Pens only started about half of their team, but you still gotta love the fact that they fought for the W, and didn't get involved in another slugfest like the opener.

Next Game
We get to do it all over again on Saturday. Columbus makes their first trip to the Consol Energy Center for the second game of the preseason home and home.

100

Pens vs Red Wings

I thought this was pre-season?
Penguins- 5
Mike Comrie (Sterling Michalek) 1-1:21
Sidney Crosby (Boulerice, Letang) 1-7:29
Ryan Craig (Letestu, Orpik) 1-11:45
Brett Sterling (Crosby, Dupuis) 2-13:28
Ryan Craig (Kennedy, Letestu) 2-15:06
Red Wings- 1
Ruslan Salei (Ritola, Filppula) 2-9:29
RECAP
Obviously when you have two rival teams trying to send a message to each other in their preseason opener, things may get a bit rowdy but this was just out of hand. Both teams came out with intensity, which is usually a very good thing, but in the preseason it can become dangerous. The Pens were able to translate their intensity into goals, routing the visiting Wings 5-1 with Ryan Craig having 2 goals along with one from Sterling, Comrie, and Sid. But since the score matters very little, that's all I'll say about it.
The real fireworks happened all night long, with an occasional series of skirmishes that usually lead to minor penalties. There were a few less minor occurrences, though, that may lead to seriously negative consequences on both sides. Johan Franzen and Brooks Orpik collided at center ice, and Franzen injured his knee in the process and had to be assisted off the ice. (I saw the replay a few times, and I say that nobody is at fault.) Likewise for the Pens, Crosby left the ice and did not return after the 2nd period. The official word at the moment was a sore hip flexor.

3 Big Points

-As a WBS fan, I love what I saw from Sterling and Craig. Noted that they won't have Sid to feed them down in the minors, but I can see both (especially Sterling) putting up some pretty good stats.

-Settle down people. Its only the preseason! I'd like to have a team left by the time the season starts.

-Wow, the Consol Energy Center is nice. Absolutely beautiful.

Next Game

Friday Sept 25 at Columbus

Hopefully Sid will be playing and Disco would have settled the boys down by then. All NHL teams are in the same category at this time of the year, so there's not much more to say about this one.

Yinz Luv 'Da Stillers!, PIT vs. TEN (Week #2)

Steelers vs. Titans Inactives

Steelers

DT Casey Hampton
RB Jonathan Dwyer
LB Thaddeus Gibson
OT Max Starks
OL Ramon Foster
CB Crezdon Butler
LB Jason Worilds
WR Emmanuel Sanders

Titans

QB Rusty Smith
S Robert Johnson
S Nick Schommer
LB Rennie Curran
T Mike Otto
G Ryan Durand
WR Lavelle Hawkins
DE William Hayes

No huge surprises for the Steelers. Both Hampton and Starks are injured and were not expected to play, and Sanders did not practice yesterday with a quadriceps injury.

No real big loses for the Titans either. Mostly just depth guys out as well.

Crash of the Titans

Well here it is, the first major hurdle of the season. Some story lines in this game, Chris Johnson's 100 yard rushing streak, Vince Young hasn't threatened to kill himself (yet), Nate Washington playing his old team, and of course Dennis Dixon getting his second start of the seasons.

First off you must read this, it's the Gospel written by FC at Steelerfury. It's the best pre-game writeup you'll see bar none. I'm thinking we will link to that every week, because it puts an analysis I could do myself to shame.

The Steelers are the solid 5 point dog in this road game, and really I would expect no less. How couldn't the Steelers, with Dennis Dixon starting be the underdogs on the road against the "mighty" Titans?

After all the Titans had an impressive win last week against the perennial powerhouse Oakland Raiders.

Chris Johnson again rushed for over 100 yards, in fact he rushed for 100 more yards than the Steelers rush defense allowed total last week. I guess Michael Turner just isn't very good.

The big reason the Steelers must lose though is history. Nevermind that the Steelers are 42-30 in the series, they haven't won at LP Field since 2001.

I just don't understand the love for this Titans team. The only thing they do really well is run the ball, and we have one of the best rushing defenses in the league, maybe in history over the last 5 years.

Vince Young is far from a proven commodity and, let's face it, he's probably a few IQ points higher than a plate of leftover Macaroni and Cheese. Our pass rush should be able to get to him, even though he is good with his feet and rattle him.

Their receivers as a group are pretty uninspiring. Nate Washington is a glorified number 3 who has hands just a step above Braylon Edwards, Justin Gage is a marginal possession receiver who averages about 22 catches per season, and Kenny Britt has been a headcase and a distraction for the Titans this year.

I see no reason why the Steelers can't or shouldn't win this game. The key is obviously the defense, and limiting the mistakes to give Dixon every chance to succeed.

Steelers win 13-10.

At Least James Harrison Is Cool

This was the only pic I could find of him in college. You suck Internet.

I don't know much about Kent State so I won't pretend to. The things I do know ... 4 dead in O-HI-O, they call themselves the Golden Flashes and James Harrison went to school there.

Penn State Gameday

TV: ESPN 2, Noon
Series: PSU leads 2-0, last meeting Sept. 20, 2003 ... PSU 32 Kent State 10
Line: Penn State by 21

The Lions need to start clicking on all cylinders and this is a good place to start. Evan Royster, Graham Zug, I'm looking at you. Hey defense ... guess how many turnovers you forced so far this season? The same as me. Lets get to work.

Prediction: Penn State 41, Kent State 10

Chasing 3000

Two brothers drive across country to see their hero, Roberto Clemente, get his 3000th hit. If anyone has seen this let me know. Here's the trailer. It has a pretty good cast too.

Letting Go

Yes, the completely expected yet dreadful news was confirmed earlier this morning. Civic Arena has been voted for demolition. It is sad news to Pens fans, Pittsburgh residents, and anyone else who appreciated the history of the Igloo, but it simply had to be done. It is not an official decision, but the vote was taken and as of now the demolition is on. There are those who are still in opposition, and while I praise you for the noble idea, it is time to let go. Here are a few reasons why it simply has to be done.

Upkeep- Trying to keep this arena looking nice costs money, which may not always be available. Unless given great care, the entire structure may start to lose its beauty over time and become almost an eyesore. Lady Mellon deserves better than that.

Structure Problems- I mean, it is nearly 50 years old. Its time

Reasons to Stay- The prospect of a backup concert stage and practice rink for the Pens simply was not strong enough of a cause to sway the verdict any.

See Below
A few days here may change your mind.

Let's Go Pens.

Saying Goodbye to Bill Guerin

As all of you surely already know, Bill Guerin has agreed to a "tryout" contract with the Flyers. Though nothing is official yet, it is not the first time that Guerin will be skating with the team and he has commented that the Flyers would be a good fit for him...(blah blah the usual generic stuff) As you also may know, this has caused much unrest among Pens faithful even though we ALL knew there was no chance of Guerin coming back to the Pens next year. I'm sure nobody wanted it to end this way, as Billy G was a great locker room presence and still effective on the ice. But the money just wasn't there, and sadly hockey is indeed a business and sometimes things don't always turn out the way the fans believe it should. So...
Do I think any less of Guerin as a person?
Of course not. Guerin is a great guy and changing teams doesn't change that.
Am I going to hate the Flyers any less?
Of course not.
If Arron Asham and Guerin drop the gloves next season, who would I root for?
Asham of course.
If Guerin wins the cup with Philly, will I congratulate him?
Hell no.

It all boils down to the greatest cardinal rule of being a fan of a team:
Cheer for your jersey

before you even bother to read the back.

Hockey is getting quite close now. Pens first preseason game at CEC is in one week from tomorrow.

Yinz Luv 'Da Stillers!, PIT vs. ATL (Week #1)

In Defense of Randle El

A good bit has been made about Randle El returning punts yesterday. This has been muted, mostly by the fact that the Steelers won, but still the rumble is out there, and will probably get a bit larger as we go on.

The usual argument I've been hearing is that Emmanuel Sanders has much more potential and at this stage in his career is a better option to get us good field position than Antwaan Randle El. That argument is probably true. I have little doubt that El's days as a dynamic, dangerous return man are pretty much over.

That argument leaves out something though. That something is Ricardo Colclough. Colclough was a very green punt returner going into a game vs. Cincinnati, with the Steelers nursing a small lead all he had to do was not turn the ball over. Instead he took a punt that was over his head and tried to catch it backing up, the ball bounced off his face mask in the Red Zone where Cincy recovered it and scored on the resulting drive, winning the game.

Yesterday the Steelers were starting a young, inexperienced, and unimpressive quarterback. A quarterback not capable of overcoming a ton of mistakes, and a quarterback who was probably not likely to head a large comeback. Randle El is sure handed, and will usually make the correct decision on a punt. He has enough experience that he will not go out and dive for a punt, or let one clang off his helmet. He knows when to let them go and when to fair catch.

Sure he may not set us up with great field position, but he probably won't set the Falcons up with an almost guaranteed three points by turning over the ball.

Besides the Steelers have the best defense in the league to help get field position, and they once again proved they can be relied on. In keeping the Falcons out of the endzone they did more than anyone to prop up Dennis Dixon. Troy Polamalu's interception is what you expect of a player of his caliber and we have enough elite player that turnovers of that nature are not an unreasonable expectation on a regular basis.

So it's a trade off in the sense that while Sanders, or maybe Antonio Brown might break one, or at least set us up with decent field position, there is also a very good chance they muff one, or make a bad decision about fair catch, or letting one fall. At the same time our defense can do it's job and set Dixon up with good field position anyway, so it pays to play conservative on special teams because the Offense is fragile at this point and a Special Teams mistake (looking at you Jeff Reed) could very well be the difference between a win and a loss.

And these wins are crucial.

Beat Bama

Will Penn State shock the football world or will this be an Alabama blowout?

Penn State Gameday

TV: ESPN, 7 P.M.
Series: Alabama leads 8-5, last meeting Oct. 27, 1990 ... PSU 9, UA 0
Line: Alabama by 12

If Penn State starts off slow like last week this may get ugly. We all know about Alabama and how good they are. It's no secret. Expect Alabama WR Julio Jones to see a lot of balls thrown his way against an untested Penn State secondary.

PSU QB Robert Bolden looked poised for a freshmen last week but this sure isn't Youngstown State. Penn State must establish the running game to have a chance.

Prediction: Alabama 38 Penn State 17

Yinz Luv 'Da Stillers!, Preseason '10

Our good friend Jim Shearer is back with Yinz Luv 'Da Stillers!

Sidney Crosby hits homerun at PNC Park

Pirates call up 8 players, one of which deserves it

Pirates have announced that they will be bringing up OF Alex Presley, OF Brandon Moss, SS Pedro Ciriaco, C Jason Jaramillo, RHP Brad Lincoln, LHP Justin Thomas, RHP Brian Bass, and RHP Steven Jackson.

To make move on the 40 man roster for Ted Nugent the Pirates have DFA'd Akinori Iwamura and fan favorite Erik Kratz. They also placed Ross Ohlendorf and Jeff Clement on the 60 day DL.

It's typical to bring up guys in September, but I would hate if anyone but Alex Presley gets any regular at bats.

Brandon Moss was named team MVP and led the league in RBI (AAAA hero!). Many fans have been calling for him to be called up because he apparently has found his stroke, really that isn't the case though. He's a nearly 27 year old feasting on AAA pitching. His OPS of .804 is good, but nothing special. In fact Alex Presley has a better OPS in his short time at AAA this year. Taking any at bats away from guys with upside, even if it is limited for Moss is a joke. He should earn his spot in Spring Training next season.

No problem seeing what Pedro Ciriaco has because they will have to make a decision on Argenis Diaz next season, that is what these callups are for.

Jaramillo has really shown nothing at either level, he shouldn't see much time with three catchers on the roster.

Thomas, Bass, and Jackson have all been up this season and really are just marginal bullpen arms. Not a whole lot of upside with these guys either.

The one I question most, with the obvious exception of bringing up the Hunter Gatherer, is bringing up Lincoln. He is coming off an injury, and a horrid performance today. He really hasn't improved too much since he was sent back down to the minors the first time, and if he's struggling and coming off an injury they might be better off just shutting him down instead of possibly re-aggravating the injury, or killing his confidence any more.

Really the only guy who I'm even remotely interested in seeing is Presley, who I've seen look good in Altoona.

Dixon Named Starter

Mike Tomlin announced today that Dennis Dixon will start on Sunday against the Falcons. Despite Eddie Bouchette's suggestion that Batch would most likely get the nod, I'm not sure if there was ever a legitimate shot for him to start in the first place. It was pretty obvious to me that the mutual plan was for him to be released (nod, wink) and then retire (possibly pursuing a coaching career). Think about it. The coaching staff was so hesitant about giving Dixon an opportunity. They obviously have very little faith in him, so what does that say about their faith in Charlie Batch? It wasn't about faith. It was "Well shit, now what?", and then a ruse to "confuse" the Falcons a little bit. Chawlee never had a chance and I'm not sure if he even wanted a chance.

Speaking of faith, was it really just two weeks ago that the entire city had Dixon Fever? This town is freaking bipolar. All summer, the only thing I heard was about giving Dixon a shot, Dixon is a better fit, Dixon is the future. Now he's named starter it's suddenly the worst decision the team has ever made. The kid had one bad preseason game, give him a chance. I seem to remember in 2004 a (somewhat) similar scenario playing out, forcing a rookie into the lineup and remember hearing about how the team was "doomed" then. They then won 14 games in a row. This is only for 4 games. Relax. Because I have a feeling that, in a month from now, we're going to be hearing about how taking Dixon out of the lineup will hurt the chemistry the team has and how we don't need Ben anymore. Bank on it.

Is there an answer in St. Louis?

So Colby Rasmus is probably on his way out. His teammates are even turning against him now and that's a pretty bad sign. It also put the team over the barrel a bit. This is the type of move the Pirates HAVE to make. Even if we have to give something big away, afterall they are in our division, I wouldn't hesitate. He is a lefty and would make use of the Clemente Wall.

I would be willing to give up basically anything in the minors for Rasmus who is second amongst CF in terms of OBP, and is tied for sixth in homers even though he has 100 or less AB than everyone in front of him.

Rasmus is a legit 30 homer player, and while not a burner, his bat could play pretty well in RF. Taking his current stats, his OPS would rank 7th in the league in RF. That is substantially better than anything the Pirates have trotted out there.

Why I think this will happen? Neil Huntington has shown a willingness to trade for guys with attitude problems. Couple that with the fact that he seems to be very willing to trade within his division (Gorzo, Torress) and the statements that they will add players I think this trade has as good a chance of going down as any.

The Pirates have built a pretty deep system, now is the time to start using it. Make a bold move Neil!

Pirates recall Joe Martinez *UPDATED*

Jen Langosch is reporting on Twitter that Joe Martinez will join the team tonight. Martinez was acquired by the Pirates for LOOGY Javier Lopez at the trade deadline. Here is our post on the trade.

Not really sure what to make of this move. I'm sure the Pirates see him as a starter, but he only has 4 starts in his 7 appearances at Indy. He may be a bullpen arm for now, or the Pirates may be going to a 6 man rotation. It sounds like he also may take Jeff Karstens spot tomorrow.

He sure hasn't earned this call-up, boasting a pathetic 5.72 ERA at Indy, with a laughable 1.871 WHIP. If there is anything worse than his 1.9 HR/9 it's probably his 14.6 H/9.

Usually you use September to get a look at guys, but he is struggling mightily to adjust to his new team, and league, I can't imagine making him do it again will put him in some sort of comfort zone.

Teams tend to bring up guys when they are hot so it continues at the ML Level, well if that is true than the same should hold true for guys that are as cold as a witches tit.

*UPDATE* Multiple media outlets are reporting that Martinez will work exclusively out of the bullpen. Jeff Karstens will skip his start tomorrow due to his sore shoulder, and Brian Burres will go in his place.