Exciting Days Ahead

Courtesy a reader of Pensblog

So I spent the last day reading a lot of articles and getting the overall feel of what happened Wednesday night. I had extreme confidence that we would win the first playoff game. I am a very superstitious guy and have this really great Lemieux sweater that I can't wear on game day due to the fact that they never win when I wear it...even during the end of this past season. It seemed that every time I wore it during the game, they lost. Well, Wednesday night, I dawned that sweater. I knew that we would come out victorious. Now I can't not wear it. It is officially labeled my playoff sweater.

Upon opening face off the Penguins set the stage with a couple big hits. This was obviously not what the Flyers were ready for. It was pretty much all downhill from there. It was almost exactly like I said it. I predicted that the utter hatred will knock them off of their game, and it did. The Flyers were more worried about getting even the whole game that they forgot the game was won by goals, not hits and cheap shots. This is obvious not only by the scoreboard, but by the fact that Daniel Carcillo was suspended for Friday's game for a bone-headed play. He pretty much punched Max Talbot in the face with a combination of his fist and the butt end of the stick upon the final face off. Carcillo's only argument in the issue was that he was sure he hit him with his fist. Really. Who cares what you hit him with. Idiot. The point of the suspension was that you hit him. The other bonehead of the game was out favorite Flyer, Scott Hartnell. He chalked up three penalties for stupid actions and finished it off with his ten minute misconduct. If they plan on winning any games this playoff series, they need to get back to what they did in the final match-up of the season. To be honest, I don't think that would even matter. The Pens are playing on a whole new level, even higher than last year.

Onto game two. I can easily see the Flyers try to set the tone as we did Wednesday. They may at first, but they have too many goons and irresponsible players on their roster to win the type of series this is going to be. They have a ton of wins this season chalked up to brute force to a lesser opponent. We are not a lesser opponent, therefore the brute force tactic can't work. They would have to change who they are to win, and it is way too late for that. Their losing ways started with their .500 run in the last 25 games of the season. You can't win a playoff series without knowing how to win.

The Flyers are similar to the Baltimore Ravens are to the Steelers anymore. It doesn't matter what happens in the regular season because we have their number in the playoffs. The Steelers and the Penguins can take it to a whole other level when the stakes get higher.

The Pens over the last two years sorta reminds me of the Pens of the '90s. I am not just talking the early years when we won the cup, but the 11 year playoff streak. It seemed that no matter how we played, if we were within a goal or two, we could pull it out. It wasn't a guaranteed loss. I love that feeling. You know, the feeling that the score doesn't matter. You have to play 60 minutes against us and if you don't, you will lose. It is a feeling that only Pittsburgh fans know.

Let's Go Pens!

Read what some other bloggers wrote:

Penguins That Fly
The Pensblog
The Confluence
Pensburgh
The Steel City Sports Fan
Clark and Heptner
Face-Off Factor
Staal Tactics
Experiencing The Evolution
Faceoffs And First Downs

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Here We Go Pens!

The playoffs are here! This is my favorite time of the year. I even love it more than football playoffs time. I love it more than baseball playoff time as well. I mean seriously, when I watch the NFL playoffs, the teams step it up a notch, and it is very exciting. I watch the MLB playoffs, the catches are more spectacular, but that's it. In the NHL, the teams step it up like six notches, and it is fantastic. The game gets ten times faster and even harder hitting. The saves by the goalies seem that much more dramatic. I love it. To top off the whole thing, it is almost every day for six weeks or so. You simply can't beat it.

The Penguins are once again playing the Flyers, our most hated rival. I remember last year when we beat them handily in five games, the commentators believed that there would be blood, but there really wasn't. I don't know if it was because Georges Laraque was too much of a gentleman or we just beat them too quickly, but there wasn't. We had hard hitting and that, but it wasn't what I expected. I am going to pull a paragraph out of the last blog I did about the playoffs concerning the Flyers specifically.

"The Philadelphia Flyers, our most heated rivalry other than the Washington Capitals. I don't know who we love to hate more sometimes. We have faced Philadelphia four time in the playoffs, losing the first three. Last year, we won our revenge. We lost in 1988-89 in the second round in seven games. We were destroyed in the last two games of that series with a combined score of 10-3. We wouldn't have to face them again until the 1996-97 season where we lost four games to one. In that series, we went down three games to none right away, only to win a 4-1 decision at home. We then lost the series in game five 6-3. We would then face the Flyers three years later in 1999-00, where we lost again four games to two. This was a key series that fueled the fire between us and them. We went up two games to none before coming back home only to lose in overtime. The very next game turned out to be historic, lasting five overtimes only to end badly for the Pens when Keith Primeau scored to win it. We never recovered from that and lost the series. We finally solved this playoff debacle last year with an easy four games to one. This was the most recent run at the Stanley Cup." 10-APR-2009

In that last post about the playoffs, I was pretty positive that there was no way that we were going to finish in fourth. As it turns out, the Flyers and the Hurricanes turtle shelled. I don't believe that the Flyers did it on purpose due to the fact that they lost home ice advantage as well as have to play us. The Canes had a good reason to drop the last couple games, they are playing the slumping New Jersey Devils. Now, I am not saying they did something as unsportsmanlike as that, but it sure looks that way.

I love how the commentators and major writers all feel it is necessary to start writing when the playoffs begin. It seems like they know absolutely nothing, just what others have been writing. I have been reading a lot and find in mildly humorous that people don't realize that the stats before coach Bylsma don't reflect on how the team is playing now. I just read on NHL.com that the Pens need to be more responsible in their own end because of their season average of 30.3 shots per game. I wish they could have watched the Pens all season and realized that it was the staff from before that allowed a majority of the high shot totals and Bylsma's regime has brought that number down. I believe that the commentators will realize that we are more than just Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin. We are a complete team.

Now, onto the season series, we won it 4 games to two. I will honestly say we didn't look dominant at any time against this team. It is like they have the ability to bring us out of our game just because of our utter hatred for each other. The only good part is that it takes them out of their game as well. The team that can work past this will win out. I feel that Coach Bylsma will have that emotional button well within his control for his first playoff series. I also think that this is the best team we could possibly play for the first round with Bylsma. What I mean by this is that it will have everything in it, raw skill, courage, emotion, and speed. It will give him a taste of everything so he can be ready for the rounds ahead.

I was looking at all the statistics for the season between these two teams and although they look completely even, they aren't. I believe aside from the power play, which the Flyers win out easily, we dominate every other aspect of the game now. What I mean by now is that with the new confidence and coaching style, we almost fixed our season stats. They were horrible before and we improved so much that it makes us look even. This just tells me that the way we are capable of playing now is so significantly better that if we would have been able to play a majority of the season like this, we would have been in first in the east and dominated the stats sheets.

I want to compare my preseason predictions to the actual standings:

I guess I wasn't that far off!

Here are a couple links to playoff previews:
ESPN.com
NHL.com
Yahoo Sports
CBS Sportsline
The Sporting News
Here are a couple links to Penguin blogger previews:
Pensburgh
Face-Off Factor
The Pensblog
Experiencing the Evolution
Penguins That Fly
Staal Tactics

I like our odds of going deep, but I am not going to talk about that. It is time to stop shaving and get intense!

Pens will win this series in six!
Let's Go Pens!

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Harrison Deserving or Steelers Statement?

Well, James Harrison finally got his payday. Now, I know a lot of you are thinking that the Steelers shouldn't pay a 30 year old linebacker a possible $50 million. They did pay Ben Roethlisberger $102 million...why not? Are the Steelers making a statement or is it a deserving payday? You decide!

Think about it for a minute...I mean really think about it. The Steelers organization isn't known for paying older players as well as players who have proven themselves over a short period of time. They find the diamonds in the rough from the draft or as an unrestricted free agent, but as soon as they appear to be losing some of their shine, the organization releases them. So far, for the past 50 years, it has worked like clockwork. They haven't paid out an older guy yet, but in the state of the NFL, I think it might be a necessary evil. It might be a huge payoff for the future, I mean, planting the seed that we are willing to pay for talent that shows the virtues of a true Steeler. That statement could bring a lot more success in than Harrison ever could.

Think about it for a minute...I mean really think about it. If the Steelers think it is worth it, than they are probably right. Harrison hasn't been a starter for long and that might be a serious influence on their decision. He hasn't had the wear and tear a typical 30 year old linebacker experiences in a career. He won the league's defensive player of the year. He set the sack record for the Steelers, which is saying a lot and he is still just a second year starter. They did have him on discount last year at $1 million. They did have another year on his current contract and could have held him for another by franchising him. Did they see something in him or not? I hope we will know as soon as the season starts.

So, you make the decision...a deserving raise or a statement for the future?

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New Everything Pittsburgh Forum!

Just a quick heads up here!

I created a new Forum for all Pittsburgh Fans!

Feel free to join or give me input on what you think!
http://www.everythingpittsburgh.net
We are going through some pains to get everything up and running properly, so bear with us!

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First Recruits....Volume 4!

This one has five prospects on the table, it is getting closer and the numbers of prospects are adding up...

A later pick, but like I have said before, we need a CB.
Looks like a good future replacement for our aging defense.
I don't know if we need a tight end this year, but I guess if he is the best that is available at the time, he may due.
Another CB, never hurts to look at as many as possible. He is the tallest one for today.
We may wait to get this one as a free agent.

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First Recruits....Volume 3!

This one is another shorty, but here is three more recruits, I believe if we can get any of these guys, it would be great...

Well, we are looking at Mack for the first overall pick. We do need some assurance on the offensive line. I would love to see him as a Steeler.

Johnson is another offensive lineman, specifically a Guard. We could also use another Guard, and he is the biggest guy in the draft. I am started to get excited to see who we are able to pick!

Well, if you read what they wrote, he has some skill in his blood. I would love to see him as a Steeler as well.

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The Three Kings

There are special people that play a certain important position on all major sports teams that are usually the centerpiece for that team. It is the position that pretty much makes or breaks their own team. If they play terrible, it affects the outcome of the game significantly, if they play incredible, it could make that said team look like champions, if only for that night. In hockey, it is the goaltender, in football, the quarterback, and finally, in baseball, I believe the catcher. I also believe that we are blessed with some of the best in their game for all our major teams in these positions.

We have Ben Roethlisberger for the Steelers, Marc-Andre Fleury for the Penguins, and Ryan Doumit for the Pirates. These three guys are proving to be the rock that our teams can build off of. It is often said that a team can only go as far as these players let them. It all depends on the talent level in those positions. After looking at the whole picture, it looks like we can go far. In the case of the Pirates, unfortunately, they need more than just a great catcher to get this team rolling. The Super Bowl Champion Steelers are set with their franchise quarterback and the Eastern Conference Champion Penguins are set with their franchise goalie though.

I believe that there are also different types of these players on every team. For instance, we have the ugly players statistically, but these guys know how to win. We know that if the game is on the line, Fleury will make a key save, Roethlisberger will make a key throw, and even Doumit is starting to get that key hit. I do have to say that Doumit is still the low man on this great totem pole we have in Pittsburgh. Until he takes us to the next level, he will remain there.

Ben Roethlisberger was drafted 11th overall in 2004 by the Steelers, their first pick in that respected class. He was supposed to ride the bench his first year, but in the second game of the 2004 season, the starting quarterback, Tommy Maddox injured his throwing elbow against the hated Baltimore Ravens. So the Roethlisberger era began. He never looked back either. He comprised the best rookie season in NFL history by winning the next 15 consecutive starts and playing us into the AFC Championship game, where we lost to the then Super Bowl Champion New England Patriots. It was a tough loss, but as the season video put it, it was an incredible run. Following this great season was record after record for Roethlisberger. He is the fastest player to 50 wins in NFL history, as well as one of two NFL quarterback to register three perfect passing games in the regular season. Two Super Bowl victories later, he is the pride of the organization. The great part is that he is only 27 still. He still has a lot of years and a lot of winning to do.

Marc-Andre Fleury has a different, but similar career to Roethlisberger. He was drafted first overall, the Penguins first pick in that draft in 2003. He immediately started games in his rookie season at age 18. In hockey, a player usually is sent to the minor leagues to hone his skills against lesser opponents. Fleury didn't have this luxury. He started good, but had a terrible team in front of him. It wasn't until a few more centerpieces were drafted that the team started looking like a team in front of this gifted netminder. Like I was saying earlier, these players can't do it on their own, but the team can't make it without them. Fleury and the Penguins have made the playoffs in the last two years and will make them this year again, I have confidence. They made the biggest splash since 1992 last year when they made their first Stanley Cup Finals appearance. Fleury has been sensational in the second half of his last three seasons, just when we need that extra boost. In March and April, like I said in another post, he is a combined 35-10-5 for the past three years. That is saying something.

Ryan Doumit is still on the outside looking in at this position. Just like Fleury was in the beginning of his career, he is a good player in a good position, on a very bad team. Doumit was drafted by the Pittsburgh Pirates in the 2nd round as the 59th overall selection in 1999. He spent some time in the minors as all players usually do and finally cracked the starting lineup in 2005, primarily as a backup. After an injury plagued 2006-07, he got a full season under his belt last year and really showed what he was capable of. He batted .318, knocking in 15 homers and 59 RBI's. For a catcher, these are great statistics. He is looking forward to getting the Pirates over .500 for the first time in 16 years, one shy of the major league record. I can see that happenning this year.

The Pittsburgh players have a reputation of being hard nosed players, as well as very hard workers. These three particular athlete exume this personna and give us all hope for the future. They have long and illustrious careers ahead of them to add to their already staggering numbers. Hopefully a few more championships as well.

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First Recruits....Volume 2!

This one is a shorty, but here is two more recruits...

We do have defensive lineman needs as well. We will see, I guess.

In my honest opinion, we are in desperate need of a true fullback. Considering our beloved Dan Kreider just signed with the Arizona Cardinals.

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First Recruits....Volume 1!

I am going to try and capture the scouts visions of the recruits we are bringing in for the NFL Draft on April 25-26, 2009.

The shear size of this man is impressive. Imagine Max Starks' 6'8" frame on the same line as his. Let's just hope there is more skill from this one.

We do have a need for a Cornerback. We will see though.

This Wide Receiver seems a little on the small side, but so does Sproles from San Diego.

These are the first three of the 30 allotted recruits for the Steelers this offseason. Let me know what you think of who we are looking at. What are the odds of us drafting them? We have no idea.

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On The Right Track

I looked at the roster from last year's Super Bowl winning Pittsburgh Steelers and couldn't think of anyone else I would want on this team. In saying this I mean that I figure if we sign a majority of our free agents and come in next year with the same team, we would be in good shape to repeat. I know, I know, Coach Mike Tomlin says we aren't allowed to say that word because every year, every team is different, but I am saying it because it is so close to the same.

I see us only getting better now that we have resigned some of our key players. I know we lost Bryant McFadden to Arizona and Nate Washington to Tennessee, but out of the starters, the only important piece that we lost is McFadden. We have some strong backups in William Gay and Fernando Bryant. Grant it, they aren't as strong and McFadden, but I see him as replaceable. I mean that players like Troy Polomalu and Ben Roethlisberger aren't in the replaceable category. Out of all the Free Agents we have signed from last year, I believe the most important was Max Starks and Chris Kemoeatu.

I know its our dreaded offensive line, but we need some players to bridge the gap until we get the proper replacements. I figure the draft will help us there. We did release Kendall Simmons and didn't try to sign Marvel Smith, but I think those were very smart risks to take, as the Steelers always seem to do.

Another plus that will make us stronger this upcoming year will be the return of Daniel Sepulveda. I know he is only the Punter, but come on, look at our statistics from one year to the next and it is like day and night. In 2008, we were a combined, between Mitch Berger and Paul Ernster, 78 punts averaging 39.8 yards per punt. We had 4 total touchbacks and 23 inside the 20. Now, looking at 2007, Danial Sepulveda had 68 punts for an average of 42.4 yards per punt. A significant improvement, also, he had 2 touchbacks and 28 inside the 20. Those are much needed yards.

I am excited to see how our top two rookies from last year pan out this year. I know Rashard Mendenhall only had 19 ruches last year before breaking his collar bone, but he showed alot of spark that we needed. Willie Parker definitely need the break to keep his career going longer. Limas Sweed is the other important player now with Washington gone. I am interested to see how he answers all the criticism from last year. I would love to see him as everyone in the draft saw him, a big threat.

The last item I want to cover is the defense. We have the exact same defense as last year, minus McFadden. We should rank in the top 5 at least. I would love to see us accomplish #1 in all categories, unlike last year where we came so close, but didn't quite get there.

I am prepared to say that with this team, and the 4th easiest schedule next year, we should make another huge splash in the postseason. I am hoping, as always that we give a 7th reason for all other fans to hate the Steelers!

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What A Year!

This site is all about Pittsburgh sports. I am going to try a serious attempt to cover all of them. That's right, from the Pens to the Steelers and from the Panthers to the Pirates. After my session on the Kegs and Eggs show with Mike and Chris this morning, I realized I know alot about our teams, but not nearly enough. I hope for this scenario of me knowing all my teams like the back of my hand becomes my career someday, but that's just a dream, right? Who knows. Hopefully alot of people heard me on the radio, even though I sucked, and maybe even place some ads!

I will start with the Pittsburgh Penguins. Can you believe that game yesterday? Who could ask for more excitement. I loved the fact that we matched them in their physical play in all aspects. We also showed that we would be patient and stick to our gameplan in the face of adversity. It was Dan Bylsma's 8th win in 10 games, giving him 17 point out of a possible 20. This is a franchise record for the first 10 games, overtaking the late Herb Brooks. We are well on our way to the playoffs. There is some speculation on whether or not we should take the "interim" tag off of Coach Bylsma, but I think he is doing just fine with the job so far. The playoffs will definitely make the organization rethink this option.

The Steelers have had a few fre agency departures, but non were surprising. We lost Bryant McFadden, our promising young starting cornerback, to the Arizona Cardinals. We also lost Nate Washington to the Tennessee Titans. Anthony Smith, a third string Safety was lost to the Green Bay Packers. We have young bodies to fill these slots, luckily, and non were a big hit. We have William Gay, who was playing great with his chances last year, for McFadden, Limas Sweed for Nate Washington, and any safety on the practice squad can fill the shoes of Smith. I think one of the biggest avanues we have to look at is the offensive line. We resigned Max Starks and Chris Kemoetu, but released Kendall Simmons and probably Marvel Smith. With the draft coming up quickly, all our issues should be resolved. With the addition of Rashad Mendenhall this season after his early injury last and the resigning of Sean McHugh as a FB/TE position, we should be set on offense.

I have to honestly say I am extremely excited about Pirates baseball this year. I look at this team and realize that we are only one or two elements away from a playoff birth. Before I jump to that idea, let's get to .500 this year first. What will it take for our Pittsburgh Pirates to get 81 wins? If you watch the Bucs, you may have realized that we always seem to have one pitcher playing well and the rest playing horrible. If we could get all our pitchers to play one year together as a unit, we would, without a doubt, get at least 81 wins. I like our odds for this year. We have a great pitching coach, finally, and it is showing in the preseason already. We are 8-3 right now while outscoring opponents 61-43. Last year, we went 13-17, while scoring 150 runs to 155. We are starting off great. I fully believe that success breeds confidence, confidence breeds winning. We are having early success. Let's hope that carries onto the regular season.

On the idea of baseball, we have the World Baseball Classic going on right now. Last year, USA finished and embarrassing 8th place. You might ask why is it embarrassing? Well, considering we created the sport, we should be. The USA team turned a corner this year and are playing like a unit. The are 2-0 and into the second round. They have beaten Canada and Venezuela a combined 21-11. I know this isn't Pittsburgh, but we do have John Grabow in the games, and he is as Pirate.

Pitt Panthers basketball is now looking for a #1 seed in the NCAA March Madness Tournament. They have had an incredible season for the ages, upsetting the #1 ranked UConn Huskies twice. We are 28-3 and 15-3 in the conference, which is second to Louisville in conference play. We have been undefeated at home and lost to Louisville, Villanova, and Providence. I am really looking forward to the Big East Tournament as well as the big tournament. Let's see if we can bring back a national championship!

Last year, Pitt Panther football seemed to take a big step forward as far as a winning tradition. We were 9-4 and 5-2 in the conference. We went to the Sun Bowl in El Paso, TX, wich turned out to be a big snoozefest against Oregon. It ended with a loss of 3-0. That's right, a field goal, that was it. Hopefully this coming year, with the new offensive coordinator in the mix, we make an even bigger splash in college football. We have the second full class of recruits under Dave Wannstedt and also a winning season under his belt, not to mention a few nationally televised games this year. This will give the team some big stage time to prepare for the big stage that is a bowl game.

I hope this quick rundown will help out any Pittsburgh Sports anxiety you may be having. Looking at this as well as all the other college Pittsburgh area teams possibly making the big tournament, this may be the best year in Pittsburgh Sports. A Superbowl Championship, possible long run in the Stanley Cup playoffs, stopping the streak of Pirates losing seasons, possibly a National Championship, possibly a great Bowl Game, and Everything Pittsburgh celebrating its one year anniversary soon. Who knows what 2009 will lead to, but it sure is promising.

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