Tomorrow night is the annual awards show. Won't be watching due to scheduling conflicts (and the minor detail that I don't have Versus currently) . Makes sense that the NHL channel wouldn't air their own awards show. Of all the awards being handed out, the one I have the strongest opinion on is the Jack Adams. "Disco" Dan Bylsma has done alot with a little after the injury bug plagued the Penguins. Bylsma he coached a rag-tag team of AHL call-ups to play with grinders while his starting roster enjoyed a vacation on the IR. Any coach who can get a team with this variety of players to win any game, let alone make the playoffs should be a shoe in. The Penguins big 3 of Sidney Crosby, Evgeni Malkin and Jordan Staal played exactly 1 game together due to an assortment of injuries. And it was in that lone game (the Winter Classic) that seemed to have opened the injury flood gates, starting with El Captain and his head.
Leading up to the Winter Classic HBO followed the team around for the series 24/7 and showed the world why everyone wanted to play for Disco Dan. He made practices fun, losses bearable and never once seemed to think everyone else was the problem. The team camaraderie amongst the players and coaches made you think that they were invincible. Not a single piece of bad news seemed to register on Bylsma's radar. From the injuries to the suspensions to fight night with the Isles, nothing seemed to faze him and that to me is amazing. If I was allowed to vote, he'd have mine.
All the votes were tallied prior to the playoffs so nothing that happened since the regular season ended counts towards these awards. So even though now Tim Thomas would for sure be the Vezina winner, I still think Luongo has a shot at it for his during season performance. This is why it's probably good the awards are voted prior to the playoffs when someone decides to make up for a lackluster year with a Cup winning performance!
Till next time...
Showing posts with label Pittsburgh Penguins. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Pittsburgh Penguins. Show all posts
Tuesday, June 21, 2011
Wednesday, June 15, 2011
This is it
As Game 7 is finally upon us, NBC has managed to give me a serious scheduling conflict- Game 7 or the first full episode of my summertime favorite So You Think You Can Dance. This is a major issue in my book, since Game 7 should have been over a week ago, if only they hadn't decided to take trips to Europe in between each game. There was no reason for this. Nothing was on TV last night, or pretty much any night they deemed inappropriate for hockey. I think they do this to test me and see where my loyalty lies.
While waiting for what has seemed like the longest final round in the history of all sports to end, there has been plenty of time to analyze all sorts of fun trends in this series. Like the city of Boston actually being the Canucks kryptonite. Have you ever seen a team fall apart like they do there, yet put on a goal-tending clinic next game in their home confines? It is like watching the entire team play Jekyll and Hyde depending on which country they are in.
How about Loungo letting in more goals by the B's when on the road than his team can muster in this entire series, yet shutting the door to the Bruins goal factory when home? I also like the cool trend of the Olympic-Stanley Cup connection. Every time Canada has hosted an Olympics, the Canadian team in the finals the following year has won the Cup. No pressure or anything Vancouver, except that everyone in town would like to have the worlds largest party for hockey a year after winning the Gold.
While waiting for what has seemed like the longest final round in the history of all sports to end, there has been plenty of time to analyze all sorts of fun trends in this series. Like the city of Boston actually being the Canucks kryptonite. Have you ever seen a team fall apart like they do there, yet put on a goal-tending clinic next game in their home confines? It is like watching the entire team play Jekyll and Hyde depending on which country they are in.
How about Loungo letting in more goals by the B's when on the road than his team can muster in this entire series, yet shutting the door to the Bruins goal factory when home? I also like the cool trend of the Olympic-Stanley Cup connection. Every time Canada has hosted an Olympics, the Canadian team in the finals the following year has won the Cup. No pressure or anything Vancouver, except that everyone in town would like to have the worlds largest party for hockey a year after winning the Gold.
Concussion and Injury Report
Nathan Horton is flying cross country, enjoying sunshine and noisy, wild arenas all while suffering from a "severe" concussion. I have no words for this. Nothing. Nada. Zilch. Zero. Nil.
Mason Raymond is out for months on end with a vertebrae compression fracture. I'm no doctor but that just sounds horrible and painful. For the record, his injurer Johnny Boychuk has inflicted suspension, fines or talks from the NHL. Aaron Rome will be watching Boychuk from the press box try to destroy his time one last night, while concussed Horton parties in some capacity in Vancouver tonight. I'm so confused as usual.
Player Signings
Craig Adams has been locked up by the Pens for two more years. This was a no-brainer for all parties involved. Now what to do about Max Talbot, Pascal Dupuis and Mike Rupp. Even with the cap going up, there's not room for all of them, and there's lots of guys who got a taste of the NHL this season from Wilkes-Barre hoping to make the team out of camp. Can't also forget those young guys are cheap labor compared to the vets. Will Talbot and Dupuis stay for lesser money and a shorter term than what want or will they cash out when they can?
I have just managed to do something crazy to my browser so I am ending this now before I delete this without meaning too The font size has become miniscule and my toolbar is MIA. Eeek.
Tomorrow we shall have a new Stanley Cup Champ and that will begin a new round of party pictures. Recently the cup has swam in Mario Lemieux's pool and was party animal Patrick Kane's wingman last summer. Can't wait to see where it goes next!
Nathan Horton is flying cross country, enjoying sunshine and noisy, wild arenas all while suffering from a "severe" concussion. I have no words for this. Nothing. Nada. Zilch. Zero. Nil.
Mason Raymond is out for months on end with a vertebrae compression fracture. I'm no doctor but that just sounds horrible and painful. For the record, his injurer Johnny Boychuk has inflicted suspension, fines or talks from the NHL. Aaron Rome will be watching Boychuk from the press box try to destroy his time one last night, while concussed Horton parties in some capacity in Vancouver tonight. I'm so confused as usual.
Player Signings
Craig Adams has been locked up by the Pens for two more years. This was a no-brainer for all parties involved. Now what to do about Max Talbot, Pascal Dupuis and Mike Rupp. Even with the cap going up, there's not room for all of them, and there's lots of guys who got a taste of the NHL this season from Wilkes-Barre hoping to make the team out of camp. Can't also forget those young guys are cheap labor compared to the vets. Will Talbot and Dupuis stay for lesser money and a shorter term than what want or will they cash out when they can?
I have just managed to do something crazy to my browser so I am ending this now before I delete this without meaning too The font size has become miniscule and my toolbar is MIA. Eeek.
Tomorrow we shall have a new Stanley Cup Champ and that will begin a new round of party pictures. Recently the cup has swam in Mario Lemieux's pool and was party animal Patrick Kane's wingman last summer. Can't wait to see where it goes next!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)