Well, it’s been a while since i’ve written anything in my blog and i apologize for that.  In all honesty, the reason i haven’t written anything is that there hasn’t been much to write about.  The Penguins have been very lackluster for the last couple of months and seem to be missing something…but what is it?  What is it that is taking this Stanley Cup contender to the bottom of their division?  (i know they aren’t there yet, but give them time…if they keep playing like this, they will be lucky to even make the playoffs)  Is it the lack of Gonchar in the lineup to help them in the power play by being the point man?  Well, i think the answer to that question is a resounding ‘no’ due to the fact that Malkin has stepped it up in that area and leads the NHL in power play points (20).  So is it the fact that we have just suffered so many injuries that it has messed up our lines and our chemistry?  Well, okay, maybe i will concede that it has been a bit of a tough road to hoe in light of their injuries and maybe i would buy this excuse, had it not been for a few brief glimpses of greatness in the Penguins in spite of all the injuries.  There have been a couple of games (including the game against the Islanders) where we have seen just how powerful this team is.  So what’s the deal then?  What in the world has changed us so much that we get shut out (15 shots on goal) by the worst team in the NHL?  I think there are 2 answers to this…and you’re not going to like either one of them…because i don’t either.

1. I think first and foremost the answer lies with Michel Therrien.  Everything rises and falls on leadership.  I know that he says the team complains a lot and makes excuses and that they don’t execute, blah, blah, blah…ok, all that may be true, but we are still talking about a team that is mostly made up of kids.  What do you expect them to do?  When they aren’t receiving the leadership that they are supposed to be receiving, they’re going to resort back to their first instincts as kids…which is complaining and pointing the finger at everyone and everything else.  I think that Michel Therrien needs to step back and take a look at himself first.  How is HE failing the team in his leadership?  It doesn’t matter if you have the best system/plan, but if the team doesn’t buy into it, then you as a leader have failed somewhere along the way.  He obviously has not inspired them to play the way they are supposed to play.  As you watch them on the ice, they seem to be a disorganized mess.  There seems to be no new life in the way that they are playing.  It’s same old same old.  I realize that there has to be consistency and a strategy and game plan, but when your plan isn’t working, you need to find something that will work.  If your team isn’t buying into your plan, you either need to change the plan, motivate the team somehow to buy into the plan, or go somewhere else and flip hamburgers because you aren’t fit to lead a pack of boy scouts on a trip to the park.  I know that this is kind of harsh, however, i’m just telling it like i’m seeing it.  And believe me, over the last 8 games, i’ve been seeing it over and over again.

2. This one pains me to write as well…ok, not so much, but here it is.  Sidney Crosby.  The NHL’s golden child.  Now, don’t get me wrong, i like Sid and think he’s a great player.  I don’t line up with Semin in saying that “you can make anyone a star if you promote them enough and give them enough media attention”.  I, for one, don’t believe that.  You still have to perform and last year i saw how much Sidney performed.  This season, he seems to lack motivation.  I know that he has a lot of ideas as to why the team isn’t doing well, however, it’s his team.  He’s the captain.  Again, everything rises and falls on leadership.  If you say that the blame doesn’t fall on Therrien, then it falls on the teams captain.  In fact, the last couple of months, i haven’t seen much in Sidney on the ice to demonstrate that he is indeed the captain.  I know he has the potential, but i just haven’t seen much of it.  He doesn’t seem to be motivating and leading his team.  Malkin, on the other hand, has stepped up to fill the seemingly vacant roll of captain.  He has created opportunities, battles hard on the boards every game…yes he does give up the puck sometimes and make stupid plays, but he makes up for that by creating scoring opportunities EVERY game!  He’s the biggest producer on the team.  However, one man alone cannot win a hockey game.  He isn’t the top of the NHL in points, assists and +/- (+22) for nothing.  Crosby is a +10, which is still nothing to sneeze at, and i know that he still has a lot of points, however, consider that he is the captain and that he’s supposed to lead the team.  On and off the ice.  He will probably grow into the role and i know he’s only 21, but something has to change.  If Crosby isn’t fullfilling the role, then someone else needs to be captain…period!

That being said, and now that all the Penguins fans are mad at me, please feel free to let me know who/what you think is responsible, because now the Penguins have a long couple of days to think over that last loss.  Going from the Stanley Cup to a shutout from the last place team is disgraceful to say the least.  EVERYONE on that team better wake up and smell the Cup, because otherwise they will again be watching another team host the Cup, only this year it will be on their TV, since they won’t be there in the game.

First off i have to say…i’m so sorry that my blog never gets updated like it should.  Life being what it is…i’m just so busy i very rarely get a chance to blog anymore.  So it comes down to blogging at 1:15am, like i’m doing at this very moment. 

Ok, now that is off my chest…on the the MAIN EVENT!  All i can say about the game tonight was WOW!  What an incredible game!  From start to finish there was non-stop action.  It had everything a hockey fan could want…powerplay goals, come from behind win…ok, ok, so Goddard didn’t get to pound Marian Hossa’s face a bit…but, meh…still a great game. 

Sidney Crosby hopefully is starting to crawl out of his goal scoring drought with his goal tonight.  Now don’t get me wrong, he’s still been playing incredibly well…just not as well as we all know he can perform.  He’s still no slouch as he’s got 19 points on the season…only 5 behind his partner in crime, Evgeni Malkin…who is just terrorizing the NHL with 24 points so far this season.  He’s on a pace to get over 130 points…which is over 20 points more than Ovechkin scored last year. 

Speaking of Ovechkin…has anyone seen Ovechkin?  “OVECHKIN”?  hmmm…nope.  Haven’t seen him.  He’s somewhere around 160th in the NHL in points at the moment.  LOL…funny to think that there are defensemen…several of them in fact, that have more points than the 10 million dollar man.  LOL. 

Ok, i’m digressing.  Back to the Pens.  What about the kid Staal?  Incredible!  It’s been a slow start for him…actually a slow year last year as well coming off a great rookie season…he had just seemed kind of stuck and destined to be a 10-20 goal scorer/year.  With the incredible performance tonight against Detroit, i believe that it will instill him with a confidence that will propel him to 30 goals this season.  (At least)  I believe that if he can keep this up…the Penguins will be feared by all the goalies in the NHL.  What goalie wouldn’t be with the likes of Malkin, Crosby, Satan, and Staal coming at you?  You know that ONE of them is bound to score sooner or later.  I’m predicting the Sharks vs Penguins in the Stanley Cup Finals…with Penguins taking it in 7. 

I can’t close the blog without a parting word about the joy and happiness that was in my heart after we won the game tonight.  Not only did we show incredible heart and determination…but we proved to the NHL and to the world that we are the Pittsburgh Penguins and that we are a force to be reckoned with! 

Oh yeah…it felt good to watch Hossa hang his head a bit as he was walking to the locker room too!  I’m looking forward to him watching us lift the Stanley Cup this year and think “wow…that could have been me…”

That’s all for now.  Thanks for stopping by!  More to come as we prepare to steamroll over Philly on Thursday.