Random Notes

∑ I heard the Rangers-Penguins game over the Internet (actually it was over a phone connection over the Internet, but let’s never even go there) Thursday night. Hearing announcers refer to the line of Straka-Jagr-Nylander as possibly the oldest line in the NHL unnerved me. Given the way Straka and Jagr still play, I have a hard time picturing them as grizzled veterans. Yet their NHL playing time reveals the players are most definitely NHL veterans. Listening to the tic-tac-toe and lack of defense in the Pens-Rangers game, however, well, wow, it was hard to believe that Jagr and Straka were 34 years old, the way they were conducting themselves on the ice. To me, I guess Jagr and Straka will forever be the young players on those great Penguins teams of the early nineties (yes, I know Straka didn’t come along until 1993, but still, that 1993 team set a new NHL record for a17-game winning streak that season) and later the young men who still made Penguins games, sans Mario, worth watching during the late nineties.

∑ I had several thoughts about the Rangers-Pens match-up.

1. The Rangers have got to play defense if they want to go anywhere this season. More timely goaltending would help, too. But the Rangers are doing neither of their goaltenders any favors by letting up odd man breaks and taking needless penalties.

2. I agreed with Mike Lange when he said, "If this is any indication, we’re going to have a lot of fun with the Rangers this year!" I love hockey games that end in scores of 6-5. I like offense, and I like stars being allowed to be stars. I like seeing stars perform as stars. Say what you will, but the way Crosby and Jagr et. al were clicking Thursday night—the lack of defense aside—that game was exciting and tons of fun. The NHL would be well served if more games were like the Pens-Rangers game in terms of excitement and stars putting on shows that befit stars.

3. Just taking Thursday night (not the flat performance against Carolina Saturday night) into consideration, my first thought was, "The Penguins weren’t supposed to be this good." Not this year, not this fast. The Penguins are supposed to be able to win a shootout against Shanahan and Jagr someday but not necessarily this season. What I saw Thursday night wasn’t necessarily a portend of an incredibly great season to come—but Thursday’s night performance did show me what I can expect to see of the Penguins, perhaps not this season, but definitely in future seasons.

4. If the 3 teenagers perform like that every game, the Penguins win a lot more games than they lose. If the Penguins defense scores 3 goals a game, they win way more games than they lose.

5. Goaltending matters, and Marc-Andre Fleury staying hot matters, perhaps more than anything else, when it comes to Pittsburgh’s hopes of making the playoffs.