Shake Up?
The Penguins finally made some personnel moves, are they the ones that many thought were on the horizon? No. When the team waived 4 players over the past week, Lasse Pirjeta, Rico Fata, Konstantin Koltsov and Rob Scuderi, the thought was that Craig Patrick may be pulling the trigger on something. One of the roster spots was used to allow Shane Endicott to play one game and re-injure himself. The others are being used for the return of Defenseman Sergei Gonchar and the call up of two long time Baby Penguins: Michel Ouellet and Matt Hussey. Both have had some success in the AHL this year but will it translate into anything in the NHL?
The knock on Michel Ouellet has always been poor skating, but he has developed a nice goal scoring touch around the net. I am not certain that the he can keep up with the speed, especially in the new NHL. Let's hope that I am wrong. He may be able to add a bit of offense to the 3rd line. Matt Hussey was a 9th round pick in 1998. He had a cup of coffee with the parent team in '03-'04 and chipped in with 2 G and 1 A in 3 games. He is a high energy player who may add a spark to the Penguins.
Is the team done making moves? The answer seems to be no. There are several other players set to come off of the injured reserve. Dick Tarnstrom has been practicing with the team and could be back as soon as this evening. Andre Roy has also been skating and could add the physical presence that the team sorely lacks. There was some speculation that Dick Tarnstrom was close to being dealt to Edmonton before his injury and depending on his impact upon returning, could still be headed out. He is an asset that could possibly fetch the second line center that the team has lacked all season.
Notes:
Mario Lemieux has stated that he would give up his spot on team Canada's Olympic team if he wasn't completely healthy or not playing well. Mario is a very smart man, and it seems that he may be flashing back to 2002, when he was not healthy but led Team Canada to a gold medal. The backlash in Pittsburgh was great. The city thought that Mario had thrown them under the bus. Playing on one leg for a gold medal was worth it, but not for team he owned. I personally had no problem with him chasing his dream of a gold medal at 36 years old. Not many get that opportunity. Not many get the chance at 40 either. However, if the team is not healthy in the standings and Mario is not performing at a high level he will not play.
Ovechkin v Crosby Part 1 tonight. The battle for the NHL's top rookie will continue at the Mellon Arena as the Penguins meet the Washington Capitals. Both Crosby and Ovechkin have had all the right things to say about each other leading up to the clash, gushing about each other's ability. The game should be a good one, the first of many in this budding rivalry. A rivalry that should get better each game, one that will get even more intriguing when Evgeni Malkin in thrown into the mix next season.
The footage of Jiri Fischer's seizure was one of the most frightening things I have ever seen at a pro sporting event. The league was definitely right for canceling the remainder of the game until a later date. Seeing the players scramble to Jiri's side, escorting his fiance to the bench really put everything in perspective. Though it is so much more to many of us, ultimately, it is just a game. Please keep Jiri Fischer and his family in your thoughts and prayers.
The knock on Michel Ouellet has always been poor skating, but he has developed a nice goal scoring touch around the net. I am not certain that the he can keep up with the speed, especially in the new NHL. Let's hope that I am wrong. He may be able to add a bit of offense to the 3rd line. Matt Hussey was a 9th round pick in 1998. He had a cup of coffee with the parent team in '03-'04 and chipped in with 2 G and 1 A in 3 games. He is a high energy player who may add a spark to the Penguins.
Is the team done making moves? The answer seems to be no. There are several other players set to come off of the injured reserve. Dick Tarnstrom has been practicing with the team and could be back as soon as this evening. Andre Roy has also been skating and could add the physical presence that the team sorely lacks. There was some speculation that Dick Tarnstrom was close to being dealt to Edmonton before his injury and depending on his impact upon returning, could still be headed out. He is an asset that could possibly fetch the second line center that the team has lacked all season.
Notes:
Mario Lemieux has stated that he would give up his spot on team Canada's Olympic team if he wasn't completely healthy or not playing well. Mario is a very smart man, and it seems that he may be flashing back to 2002, when he was not healthy but led Team Canada to a gold medal. The backlash in Pittsburgh was great. The city thought that Mario had thrown them under the bus. Playing on one leg for a gold medal was worth it, but not for team he owned. I personally had no problem with him chasing his dream of a gold medal at 36 years old. Not many get that opportunity. Not many get the chance at 40 either. However, if the team is not healthy in the standings and Mario is not performing at a high level he will not play.
Ovechkin v Crosby Part 1 tonight. The battle for the NHL's top rookie will continue at the Mellon Arena as the Penguins meet the Washington Capitals. Both Crosby and Ovechkin have had all the right things to say about each other leading up to the clash, gushing about each other's ability. The game should be a good one, the first of many in this budding rivalry. A rivalry that should get better each game, one that will get even more intriguing when Evgeni Malkin in thrown into the mix next season.
The footage of Jiri Fischer's seizure was one of the most frightening things I have ever seen at a pro sporting event. The league was definitely right for canceling the remainder of the game until a later date. Seeing the players scramble to Jiri's side, escorting his fiance to the bench really put everything in perspective. Though it is so much more to many of us, ultimately, it is just a game. Please keep Jiri Fischer and his family in your thoughts and prayers.
posted by Bmetzer66 at 10:34 AM
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