"It's A Great Day For Hockey"

Well folks much to my pleasure and others dismay, Ray Shero with the blessing of Mario signed Dan Bylsma to a two year contract extension along with assistant coaches Tony Granato and Todd Reardon. It was the right thing to do for several reasons: Dan has gotten the Pens to the playoffs every year he has been here and usually as a higher rated seed. Dan has gotten the team to the conference finals twice in 5 years with a chance to with the Stanley Cup. Dan won the Jack Adams award getting the Pens to the playoffs without Geno and Sid. Dan helped get Paul Martin and Matt Cooke turned around successfully. Dan is well respected by the entire team and organization.

The Penguins are, I believe, one of the premier organizations in all of sports. Mario is a class guy who runs a class organization. Their popularity has soared to be like that of the Steelers. In fact I am friends with several of the "Brinzers" - our great friends from the British Penguins Fan Club and follow tweets from a Penguins fan club in Brazil and Poland.  Don't you think Mario wants class people to run his organization ? He recognizes that with Dan who is a class act.

I have heard it all from benching players who should be in the lineup to playing Iginla on his off wing to not adjusting during the games.........The only comment I say is to look at the score from games 3 & 4 against Boston and if one of those shots that hits the post goes in we could have gone 7 games and........Point is the series with the exception of game 2 was razor close. This is something that Ray Shero and Mario recognized along with the fact they have a class guy already in place. I have seen a lot of coaches who did not deserve to be behind the bench, were not repected or well liked by the players, or over emotional - names like Kevin Constatntine, Ed Olczyk, and Michele Therrein come to mind. Or what about the antics of Boudreau or Tortorella ?

Today is a significant day in the history of the Pittsburgh Penguins. Ray & Mario chose not to have a knee jerk reaction and put great faith in Dan and his staff. You can rest assured that tweaks will be made that will get us to that moment where we see Sid carry the Stanley Cup again.

It truly is without a doubt "A Great Day For Hockey" ! Let's Go Pens !

Pittsburgh Penguins 2013 Post Playoff Thoughts

There have been plenty of words written already dissecting, dicing, and finely mincing the 2013 Stanley Cup Playoffs for the Pittsburgh Penguins. I am not going into the finely minced route but offer a few thoughts from a 40 plus year fan of the Penguins perspective.

Stay And Get Me Some Help

Ray Shero is a great GM. Made a number of blockbuster deals giving up picks. Only one in my book panned out. The Iginla deal was selfish on his part.I know he is a seasoned GM but I really feel he could use some mentoring.

Dan Byslma’s is a system coach. That has and continues to work well during the regular season. And please remember that we don't get to the playoffs without this system and we don't get home ice without it either. People need to remember that Dan has to answer to Ray Shero who answers to Mario. Sometimes lineup decisions are out of Dan’s hands as well as adjustments and scratches – this is something that most people aren’t aware of. Also, people quickly forget that Dan won the Jack Adams award two years ago for what he did with Sid and Geno out. People also need to remember that Dan rely's on his assistant coaches Todd Reardon and Tony Granatto - maybe a change there is warranted. 

Martin. Has scored some great goals. Good at shot blocking. But folks he can’t swat a fly off a table. Poor D zone coverage and only average speed. Could use serious help

Fluery. He plays light out during the regular season but really struggles since 2009 in the playoffs. It was great to her from Dan today that he is our starting goalie and Vokun is his backup.  He needs a new coach - the Pens goaltending coach Meloche is old school and also a mentor.

Going, Going........

Iginla is a future Hall of Famer. Hearing him being interviewed was inspirational. Seeing him play was uninspiring to say the least. Shots off the mark. No desire. No passion.  I believe his age has caught up to him. His salary is $7 million - Pen's cannot afford him.

Letang. He’s in line for the Norris Trophy . But he tries to be the hero on every play and thinks if he gets  caught out of position that his speed will make up. Horrendous puck management in the post season. Lost count of the number of turnovers.

Murray. Hits like Mack Truck at the speed of a turtle. His coverage in front was marginal at best. He is simply not worth the $2.5 million salary he is being paid.

Vitale. Seriously what has he done ?

Eaton. There was a reason the Islander let him go. It was painfully aware during the playoffs that the gas has run out of his tank.

Sign Him  Up !

Malkin. Sign him. Sign him. Sign him. He gets better each year and is maturing into the best player in the NHL. Gives Pens opponents plenty to have to try to defend against. Oh did I say sign him ?

Cooke. Turned his life around which in turn turned his life around. His does everything asked of him and then some. Excellent PK, grinding for pucks. Truly can't be measured all that he does for the team.

Dupis. Another sign him, sign him. One of the hardest working members of the team. Speed, great shot, superb PK, perfect on Sid's line. Worth a good raise for sure !

Adams. He is a steal at $675K. Does everything asked of him and then some. Tough, physical, gritty.

There will be changes. Some due to salary issues. Some due to not really fitting in the system, But the core of team will remain intact.

Shero can acquire some great talent and Dan can draw up the plays, but the bottom line is that the players have to produce. 

Let's have a positive outlook for next season. Let's give every NHL team a reason to 'Fear The Waddle" #FearTheWaddle !

Each and every day "It's A Great Day For Hockey"

"Let's Go Pens" !

 

Pittsburgh Penguins Playoff “Time Out”

Head Coach Dan Bylsma can take one time out per game. I think now would be a good time for him to call a “time out” regarding the playoffs. 

Friday night – loads of words come to mind – surprising, ugly, embarrassing, lack of effort are the ones that I have been seeing. Whatever your summation one thing is crystal clear – this was not the same team that showed up on Wednesday night.

The Penguins need to get back to what they do best:

• 1.       Dump pucks in deep and be aggressive on the forecheck.
• 2.       Get physical with good clean checks. Let the Islanders know who is boss.
• 3.       Shot blocking. Was truly amazed with how many shots were blocked with sticks on Wednesday.
• 4.       Stay disciplined and out of the box.
• 5.       Good team defense. Help Marc Andre Fleury out – clear the crease of players and pucks.
• 6.       Great passing.
• 7.       More shots on net.

If Dan, Tony, and Todd can get the players to do this playoff game in and playoff game out, My wife and I will see you at a finals game at Consol in June. If not, they will be joining the Flyers on the golf course soon.

Let’s Go Pens !

Pittsburgh Penguins 2013 Regular Season Recap / Playoff Primer

The Penguins have had one of their best seasons in years – setting a season high winning streak of 15 games (the entire month of March).  They never lost more than two in a row all season long and also had a 7 game winning streak as well. All of this despite injuries to key players – Martin, Malkin, Neal, Crosby, LeTang to name a few.

Without a doubt one of the best off season acquisitions was Tomas Vokoun.  Having a reliable backup to Fluery had been an Achilles heal for the Penguins the past few seasons. Vokoun posted a 13-4 record and had 3 shutouts. There were a few games that fair weather Pens fans were thoroughly bashing him but his play for the most part bordered on stellar.

Another off season acquisition was Sutter and he was impressive with 11 goals – five of which were games winners. That was tied for second with Kunitz – Neal led the Pens with 6 game winning goals. Sutter fit in well with his line mates and handled changes in lines very well due to key injuries. 

Most Pens fans except solid efforts from Kunitz and Dupis  but this season they both shown brightly thanks to the selfless play of Sidney Crosby. They had 22 and 20 goals respectively. As teams had to respect their ability this in turn opened up the door for Sid. Had he not been sidelined with a broken jaw, there is no doubt  he would have led the league in points, goals, and more than likely assists. 

Rookies Beau Bennet and Simon Despres stepped right in and blended in well with the veterans. Bennet was a plus 7 with three goals and Despres was a plus 9 with two goals. Seemed like every game Despres was in that we won – he played like a vet at times. 

It wasn’t until late in the season that the Pens found themselves defensively. Several key losses or losses to teams out of the playoff were usually due to defensive lapses. Martin, who I had been critical of last season and part of this, was showing much better judgment with the puck and was impressive with his shot until he was injured. LeTang played very well as he tied Suban for point by a defenseman but had some nagging injuries. Orpik  picked up his play the past few weeks and was delivering those class clan hard hitting checks that we know he can do. Niskanen was solid scoring 4 goals and was a plus four. Mark Eaton was signed by the Pens as a free agent on February 25^th providing solid shot blocking skills (32 for the season) and the Pens were 19-3 with him in the lineup.

Craig Patrick pulled off some great trades that brought the Pens their first Stanley Cup in 1991. But what he accomplished could pale in comparison to what Ray Shero did before the trade deadline. He acquired Morrow from the Star, Iginla from the Flames, Murray from the Sharks, and Jokinen from the Hurricanes for draft picks.  To say that they all fit in is an understatement:

• ·         Morrow with his gritty clean aggressive style – personally saw him score a goal skating one handed with puck against the Bolts.
• ·         Iginla’s selfless play setting up his lines mates time and time again and seeming to be in the right place at the right time. I am sure he helped his teammates calm down after Sid went out with a broken jaw.
• ·         Murray was a brick wall on skates – I have not seen anyone knock him off his skates. He brings to the Pens a net front clearing presence that was sorely needed plus provides a surprising shot from the blue line – he actually scored a goal ! 
• ·         Jokinen was known for his faceoff winning ability which he demonstrated in his first game. He works hard, is an exceptional passer and has a sweet shot.  Truly a great fit.

There were times this season that the ‘casual fans’ were calling for Dan Byslma to go. They said his system wasn’t working and other teams were on to it. Well all he has down was become the fastest coach to win 200 games in NHL history. His unshakeable demeanor and calming presence behind the bench is truly like no other coach in the league.

On a side note I am very displeased with the league for their lack of enforcement for ‘blows to the head’ which sidelined Malkin and Neal with concussions. I strongly believe the ‘Office Of Player Safety’ needs a complete overhaul to remove it’s biased nature so it can truly be for the safety of all the players in the NHL.

Since the Pens won the cup in 2009, they have only gone once past the first round of the playoffs and had less than stellar showings the past two playoff to the Bolts and Flyers especially. The loss to the Flyers was seared into all of the Pens not only in the locker room but the entire organization as well. During the final week of the regular season,  losses to the Sabers and Devils left a number of us wondering if the Pens were going to ‘coast’ into the playoffs. And it was looking that way in the Pens last regular season game against the Hurricanes as the Pens were up by 2 but then defensive lapses by the Pens cost them and the Hurricanes tied it. But I believe the third period defined their season last night. I am sure that a combination of Dan and the veteran leadership in the locker room lit a fire that will carry them all the way to the Stanley Cup.  Penguins scored 5 goals and James Neal on his first game back had a hat trick. Malkin look determined as did his teammates. This was the look that my wife and I witnessed when the Pens routed the Bolts in Tampa.

If the Penguins can keep up that look of determination or ‘fire’, stay out of the penalty box, and stick to what Dan calls ‘Pittsburgh Penguins Ice Hockey’ it truly will not matter who they match up against in the playoffs.   With that being said I have a few more thoughts:

• ·        In the playoffs the Pens are 0-3 against the Islanders and 2-1 against the Senators.Islanders have also had our number all season long so personally I’d like to see the Pens face the Senators.
• ·       Sidney Crosby should not play until he is 100% ready. Period.
• ·       Mrs. Malkin needs to make her famous home made Russian spaghetti for Geno and also have the team over !
• ·      Neal’s visor rocks !       
•        Matt Cooke had a great solid season - well done Cooke !

Wednesday May 1, 2013 the quest for the Penguins to win their fourth Stanley Cup begins. Lord willing if the Pens make it to the finals you can count on seeing my wife and I at a game and at the parade !

It truly is always a ‘Great Day For Hockey’ ! 

Let’s Go Pens !

Proverbs 31:10-31

Most people weren't aware there was a significant event that happened this month. I am not talking about the meteor over Russia, congressional hearings over cabinet appointees, the Grammy's, or even the Oscars. Something much, much more significant than that.

It was on February 11, 2013 as Valerie and I celebrated our second wedding anniversary. We start the celebration by enjoying a wonderful dinner at 'The Capitol Grille' the Saturday prior followed by a relaxing meal on our actual anniversary at 'Macaroni Grille'. I was blessed to be able to purchase a small token of my deep love for my Valerie - a heart necklace and Valerie purchased a beautiful watch (yes 'he went to Jarod's' and so did Valerie) as a small measure of her love for me.

The past few months one of my friends from college and my son's best friend and his wife met Valerie. They all told me that everything I told them about Valerie was true and then some.

The more time goes by, the more thankful I am to our awesome God for her. She truly completes me in every way possible. To beloved by her is the best blessing in this world save that of Christ's love.

"He who finds a wife finds a good thing
And obtains favor from the Lord." Proverbs 18:22

God's word says it best - much better than my feeble attempts:

"Proverbs 31:10-31

New International Version (NIV)

Epilogue: The Wife of Noble Character

^10 [a]A wife of noble character who can find?
    She is worth far more than rubies.
¹¹ Her husband has full confidence in her
    and lacks nothing of value.
¹² She brings him good, not harm,
    all the days of her life.
¹³ She selects wool and flax
    and works with eager hands.
¹⁴ She is like the merchant ships,
    bringing her food from afar.
¹⁵ She gets up while it is still night;
    she provides food for her family
    and portions for her female servants.
¹⁶ She considers a field and buys it;
    out of her earnings she plants a vineyard.
¹⁷ She sets about her work vigorously;
    her arms are strong for her tasks.
¹⁸ She sees that her trading is profitable,
    and her lamp does not go out at night.
¹⁹ In her hand she holds the distaff
    and grasps the spindle with her fingers.
²⁰ She opens her arms to the poor
    and extends her hands to the needy.
²¹ When it snows, she has no fear for her household;
    for all of them are clothed in scarlet.
²² She makes coverings for her bed;
    she is clothed in fine linen and purple.
²³ Her husband is respected at the city gate,
    where he takes his seat among the elders of the land.
²⁴ She makes linen garments and sells them,
    and supplies the merchants with sashes.
²⁵ She is clothed with strength and dignity;
    she can laugh at the days to come.
²⁶ She speaks with wisdom,
    and faithful instruction is on her tongue.
²⁷ She watches over the affairs of her household
    and does not eat the bread of idleness.
²⁸ Her children arise and call her blessed;
    her husband also, and he praises her:
²⁹ “Many women do noble things,
    but you surpass them all.”
³⁰ Charm is deceptive, and beauty is fleeting;
    but a woman who fears the Lord is to be praised.
³¹ Honor her for all that her hands have done,
    and let her works bring her praise at the city gate."

My One Vote Matters !

My one vote matters. I was unemployed for 3 years. Applied for over 900 jobs.  Exhausted unemployment benefits, savings, pension, 401K. Throughout this time I never stopped believing that God would bless me with a job. I spent time in prayer and reading God’s word and believing God’s promises. Then the Lord literally landed a job in my lap last July.  It had nothing to do with anything that the Obama did but what my Lord Jesus Christ did. So how did I vote? I voted biblically. My one vote – you may say it’s only one vote. Remember what Jesus did with 5 loaves and two fish – he fed 5,000 !!  Don’t buy into the deception but do the right thing and vote biblically.

"Supreme Law Of The Land"

One of my friends recently shared he will be applying for citizenship and will need to study for the 'test' that they give. One of the questions is 'What is the supreme law of the land', That's an easy one for me to answer 'Whatever Valerie says' lol !