The Bottom Line
I mention the struggles of two of hockey’s best veteran players to make the point that our talented young kids are going to struggle, too. The bottom line when it comes to us, though, is that when all of our kids produce, we win games, and when all of our kids don’t produce, we lose.*
A tough burden for the kids to bear? Sure. But definitely a lesson they need to learn when the time comes to be in the top 5 of the league standings and a perennial contender for the Cup. Some nights, Crosby might have to pick up for Malkin; some nights, Malkin might have to pick up for Crosby. (I don't refer to effort, which should be assumed, but to escaping the checking or defensive pair of an opponent.) But to go anywhere, really, Crosby, Malkin, Staal, Whitney, Fleury, players like Armstrong and Moore, they all have to produce.
*(Caveat: Of course sometimes our kids will produce wonders and still another team might produce more depth, or even better stars, to beat our kids—but those are going to be the league’s elite teams, the ones that are considered Cup contenders. As for the rest of the league, perhaps 20 other teams, when every single one of our kids produces, this team wins far more frequently than it loses.)
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Sunday, December 10, 2006
Scanning Around the League
It continues to amaze and astound me how evenly the Penguins and Rangers are matched. Their scorers against our scorers; their depth against our depth. Generally speaking, too, the teams both like to, um, how shall I put this kindly, play the style of hockey that I so enjoy (time spent in the offensive zone). In any case, the Pens and Rangers are fairly evenly matched, and our kids have to learn how to win games against a team that boasts experienced future Hall of Fame players Brendan Shanahan and Jaromir Jagr. When the Pens are evenly matched with a team, they have to win those games if they want to make the playoffs.
Jaromir Jagr is not good in shootouts, or hasn’t been good (something like 2 for 12). At last glance, he was still leading the league in scoring. Sometimes things don’t make logical sense.
Chris Pronger was minus 2 in a game against Tampa Bay. Talk about a crazy unusual night—crazier things have happened, but really? Chris Pronger, a minus 2? (Again, no direct comparison should be inferred, but Ryan Whitney "haters," "bashers," etc, please note--no one would have raised their eyebrows at a minus 2 game from Pronger his first three seasons in the NHL.)
It continues to amaze and astound me how evenly the Penguins and Rangers are matched. Their scorers against our scorers; their depth against our depth. Generally speaking, too, the teams both like to, um, how shall I put this kindly, play the style of hockey that I so enjoy (time spent in the offensive zone). In any case, the Pens and Rangers are fairly evenly matched, and our kids have to learn how to win games against a team that boasts experienced future Hall of Fame players Brendan Shanahan and Jaromir Jagr. When the Pens are evenly matched with a team, they have to win those games if they want to make the playoffs.
Jaromir Jagr is not good in shootouts, or hasn’t been good (something like 2 for 12). At last glance, he was still leading the league in scoring. Sometimes things don’t make logical sense.
Chris Pronger was minus 2 in a game against Tampa Bay. Talk about a crazy unusual night—crazier things have happened, but really? Chris Pronger, a minus 2? (Again, no direct comparison should be inferred, but Ryan Whitney "haters," "bashers," etc, please note--no one would have raised their eyebrows at a minus 2 game from Pronger his first three seasons in the NHL.)
Shoot-Outs
A confession. During the regular season, I like four-on-four overtime. I’m not a huge fan of the shootout, but I’ll deal with it (if it’s good enough for the Olympics, I’ll cope in the NHL regular season). As a fan who grew up watching an offensive juggernaut, I like to watch teams play to win (instead of not to lose), and when teams go all out for the win in overtime, well, I appreciate that aspect of the game.
However, looking at the Pens’ record right now, I might venture to say that it might be shootout losses that cause the team to miss the playoffs this year (granted, there would be a myriad of other reasons why the team might miss the playoffs as well). Seriously, how many more points would the Pens have if they had won those games (particularly against division rivals) that ended in a shootout?
My brother said last year that he didn’t understand how the Pens were so bad in shootouts—Fleury was a goaltender who could stop the puck, and well, we had players who should be able to put the puck in the net.
Anyhow, I’m not sure that I know of any quick fix. Shootouts may continue to be a problem for the Pens, a problem that doesn’t appear to make logical sense. (The nerves of young players might make some sense, but not enough to me.) What really needs to happen is that the Pens don’t get to the point where they have to go to shootouts; they learn how to win games in regulation and overtime so they don’t have to bemoan those missed points from shootout losses.
But, of course, for the team to get that point, well, what’s that saying I’m going to have to keep repeating?
Oh, yes. Patience is a virtue.
5
A confession. During the regular season, I like four-on-four overtime. I’m not a huge fan of the shootout, but I’ll deal with it (if it’s good enough for the Olympics, I’ll cope in the NHL regular season). As a fan who grew up watching an offensive juggernaut, I like to watch teams play to win (instead of not to lose), and when teams go all out for the win in overtime, well, I appreciate that aspect of the game.
However, looking at the Pens’ record right now, I might venture to say that it might be shootout losses that cause the team to miss the playoffs this year (granted, there would be a myriad of other reasons why the team might miss the playoffs as well). Seriously, how many more points would the Pens have if they had won those games (particularly against division rivals) that ended in a shootout?
My brother said last year that he didn’t understand how the Pens were so bad in shootouts—Fleury was a goaltender who could stop the puck, and well, we had players who should be able to put the puck in the net.
Anyhow, I’m not sure that I know of any quick fix. Shootouts may continue to be a problem for the Pens, a problem that doesn’t appear to make logical sense. (The nerves of young players might make some sense, but not enough to me.) What really needs to happen is that the Pens don’t get to the point where they have to go to shootouts; they learn how to win games in regulation and overtime so they don’t have to bemoan those missed points from shootout losses.
But, of course, for the team to get that point, well, what’s that saying I’m going to have to keep repeating?
Oh, yes. Patience is a virtue.
5
Staal
Shero decided not to let Staal play in the World Juniors. I haven’t seen the kid play enough to make real judgments. I think the things I worry and wonder about are possibly the same things that might give Shero nightmares.
If Staal is twenty years old, and it’s two years later and he’s had more development time, is he shining the way Malkin is now (although he is a very different player than is Malkin)?
What is best for the kid’s development to be a phenomenal two-way NHL center, in the mode, perhaps, dare I dream, of a Ron Francis?
In any case, Shero is the Pens’ GM. From not letting Staal play in the World Junior, I’m concluding he’s made the decision that 1). The NHL will help Staal to develop far more than the World Juniors ever could. 2). Staal is too important a piece to the Pens to lose in the middle of the season.
If Shero and Therrien, along with others, have correctly decided that the NHL is where Staal’s development can best occur, bravo.
As a fan, believe me, I understand the secondary consideration. Yet, as much it sucks, that consideration has to remain secondary. The Pens aren’t winning the Cup this year. How is Jordan Staal best going to be prepared to help them win the Cup when the Pens’ time does come? That’s the question that has to be answered, and it has to continue to be answered throughout the year.
Shero decided not to let Staal play in the World Juniors. I haven’t seen the kid play enough to make real judgments. I think the things I worry and wonder about are possibly the same things that might give Shero nightmares.
If Staal is twenty years old, and it’s two years later and he’s had more development time, is he shining the way Malkin is now (although he is a very different player than is Malkin)?
What is best for the kid’s development to be a phenomenal two-way NHL center, in the mode, perhaps, dare I dream, of a Ron Francis?
In any case, Shero is the Pens’ GM. From not letting Staal play in the World Junior, I’m concluding he’s made the decision that 1). The NHL will help Staal to develop far more than the World Juniors ever could. 2). Staal is too important a piece to the Pens to lose in the middle of the season.
If Shero and Therrien, along with others, have correctly decided that the NHL is where Staal’s development can best occur, bravo.
As a fan, believe me, I understand the secondary consideration. Yet, as much it sucks, that consideration has to remain secondary. The Pens aren’t winning the Cup this year. How is Jordan Staal best going to be prepared to help them win the Cup when the Pens’ time does come? That’s the question that has to be answered, and it has to continue to be answered throughout the year.
Malkin
While I referenced Malkin previously, I did have to agree with Therrien’s assessment that Malkin’s thing had been to let Sid do his thing lately. I don’t really think Malkin intended any harm by what he was doing—after all, Crosby is already the undisputed leader and heart of this Pens’ team.
However, Therrien was right when he challenged Malkin (I don’t want to use the term "call out") to do the same thing Crosby does. Because, frankly, though Crosby and Malkin are different players, they’re both obscenely talented. Both kids who can’t yet legally drink (in the US, anyhow), are already capable of dominating NHL games.
For the first years of his career, as he was still adapting to the NHL, Jaromir Jagr wasn’t yet a superstar as was Mario Lemieux. The Pens were Mario’s team, and Jagr was a supporting cast member. When Mario returned for the 1995-96 season, the Pens’ team suddenly had the two best players in the world on it—two superstars, two players capable of dictating the tempo of the games, of dominating the opponent, of just willing their team to victory.
Crosby’s already shown the capability to take over games as did Mario and Jags, and so, too (when Crosby was out injured) has Malkin. I still believe that we’re going to witness more growing pains with Malkin—the kid has to adjust to the North American game and ice surface, learn to keep his head up, and of course, learn to speak English—but like Jagr was as a youngster who couldn’t speak or understand English, Malkin GETS hockey.
Malkin can dominate games, and Therrien is right. Malkin needs to dominate games. Malkin and Crosby need to be "on" at the same time.
One of my favorite memories as a child was the night Mario and Jagr made a bet as to who would reach fifty goals first. By that point, Jagr could speak English, and there was good-natured competition as to who would win the scoring title that Lemieux ultimately won.
Right now, Malkin’s still the kid who doesn’t speak English and who doesn’t yet have the ability to crack jokes with the media (a trick Jagr’s long since developed). Malkin, probably partially due to his lack of familiarity with the language and culture, isn’t yet ready for a leadership role off the ice.
But on the ice, well, Malkin’s talent has to be on, and it has to be on at the same level as Crosby’s. Because when it is, wow; I’ll be able to add adult memories to my childhood memories of watching two of the best players in the world play for my team and both show themselves to be the best in the sport.
While I referenced Malkin previously, I did have to agree with Therrien’s assessment that Malkin’s thing had been to let Sid do his thing lately. I don’t really think Malkin intended any harm by what he was doing—after all, Crosby is already the undisputed leader and heart of this Pens’ team.
However, Therrien was right when he challenged Malkin (I don’t want to use the term "call out") to do the same thing Crosby does. Because, frankly, though Crosby and Malkin are different players, they’re both obscenely talented. Both kids who can’t yet legally drink (in the US, anyhow), are already capable of dominating NHL games.
For the first years of his career, as he was still adapting to the NHL, Jaromir Jagr wasn’t yet a superstar as was Mario Lemieux. The Pens were Mario’s team, and Jagr was a supporting cast member. When Mario returned for the 1995-96 season, the Pens’ team suddenly had the two best players in the world on it—two superstars, two players capable of dictating the tempo of the games, of dominating the opponent, of just willing their team to victory.
Crosby’s already shown the capability to take over games as did Mario and Jags, and so, too (when Crosby was out injured) has Malkin. I still believe that we’re going to witness more growing pains with Malkin—the kid has to adjust to the North American game and ice surface, learn to keep his head up, and of course, learn to speak English—but like Jagr was as a youngster who couldn’t speak or understand English, Malkin GETS hockey.
Malkin can dominate games, and Therrien is right. Malkin needs to dominate games. Malkin and Crosby need to be "on" at the same time.
One of my favorite memories as a child was the night Mario and Jagr made a bet as to who would reach fifty goals first. By that point, Jagr could speak English, and there was good-natured competition as to who would win the scoring title that Lemieux ultimately won.
Right now, Malkin’s still the kid who doesn’t speak English and who doesn’t yet have the ability to crack jokes with the media (a trick Jagr’s long since developed). Malkin, probably partially due to his lack of familiarity with the language and culture, isn’t yet ready for a leadership role off the ice.
But on the ice, well, Malkin’s talent has to be on, and it has to be on at the same level as Crosby’s. Because when it is, wow; I’ll be able to add adult memories to my childhood memories of watching two of the best players in the world play for my team and both show themselves to be the best in the sport.
More on the Right Approach
Glancing at the way the Pens have handled a couple of young players this year, well, at least on the surface it seems like there is better communication than used to exist in recent years.
Example A: Jordan Staal was made a healthy scratch and the coach explained to the press why—and told the kid why, too. You’d think a one-on-one meeting with a young player where honest communication occurs should be par for the course, but I don’t think it always has been in recent years. Open communication bodes well for the development of the kids.
Example B: Despite the fact that English is neither Therrien nor Malkin’s first language, the coach and a player had their first meeting. If Malkin’s performance in last night’s game against the Thrashers is examined, well, it appeared the message got through, despite any language problems. According to reports, Therrien told Malkin that he could be a dominant player every game and he wanted him to be that player every game. Malkin played like a dominant player last night.
Such open communication with the kids has to help. Telling the kids what’s expected of them has to help. Also, telling the kids these things in such a way that isn’t demeaning but that points to the fact that what is happening is for their benefit, to help to accelerate their development and to help their team win games—that has to help, too.
Further examples of this apparently open communication abound. The Pens told Noah Welch why they were returning him to the minor leagues and told him exactly what they wanted him to do in the minor leagues. And while the last example involves a veteran nearly old enough to have fathered some of the kids, open communication still exists.
When it’s come to handling veteran forward John Leclair, Ray Shero opened lines of communication with Leclair to ask what he wanted. By the general manager, anyhow, Leclair’s situation, at least to this point, has been handled with professionalism, class, and tact.
In the past, people worried about Therrien’s approach with players (rough on them, etc, not necessarily communicating with them). While the Pens’ sending Fleury to and from the minors probably had far more to do with money and salary than with what was best for the team or the kid, communication lines haven’t seemed this open in awhile.
And one thing about young players, and really any organization—communication needs to be open, at least within the organization itself. And young players, especially, who are just learning how to navigate the highest level of professional hockey, need to know clearly exactly what is expected of them.
Clear and open communication can only help development. As a fan, I appreciate Therrien’s candor when it comes to sharing a little of what he’s told the players. But even if Therrien didn’t necessarily share all of that with the media, I’m still glad he and Shero are having these one-on-one meetings with the players. I’m glad the kids know what’s expected and what they’re being asked to do. Seriously—until the kids know that—they can’t really do it purposefully, can they?
Keep the lines of communication open, even when things get rough, perhaps rougher than they have been—and seriously, I really do believe good things will happen.
In most cases, open, honest, and frank communication that’s intended to make a player better benefits and accelerates the development of young players.
(Aside: I realize some players respond to screaming tirades like those of "Iron" Mike Keenan. However, I will still state firmly that even for those players who respond best to screaming tirades, the coach still has to be clear about exactly what he expects from a player in the midst of that screaming tirade in order for the verbal beat down to make any real, tangible difference in the play of a particular player.)
(Another aside: I am of the same generation as most of the Pens’ young players. Most of the players and I share generational values. Honestly speaking, being screamed at and yelled at—the old-school way of doing things—might work with a few of us, but the majority of my generation just doesn’t respond. The world in which we were raised—and I’m not just talking about the U.S. but the globe—wasn’t one in which we learned to respond to those kind of methods. We were raised in a different era, and in dealing with today’s young players, you have to acknowledge that young players today often rightfully anticipate open, honest, and direct lines of communication.)
Glancing at the way the Pens have handled a couple of young players this year, well, at least on the surface it seems like there is better communication than used to exist in recent years.
Example A: Jordan Staal was made a healthy scratch and the coach explained to the press why—and told the kid why, too. You’d think a one-on-one meeting with a young player where honest communication occurs should be par for the course, but I don’t think it always has been in recent years. Open communication bodes well for the development of the kids.
Example B: Despite the fact that English is neither Therrien nor Malkin’s first language, the coach and a player had their first meeting. If Malkin’s performance in last night’s game against the Thrashers is examined, well, it appeared the message got through, despite any language problems. According to reports, Therrien told Malkin that he could be a dominant player every game and he wanted him to be that player every game. Malkin played like a dominant player last night.
Such open communication with the kids has to help. Telling the kids what’s expected of them has to help. Also, telling the kids these things in such a way that isn’t demeaning but that points to the fact that what is happening is for their benefit, to help to accelerate their development and to help their team win games—that has to help, too.
Further examples of this apparently open communication abound. The Pens told Noah Welch why they were returning him to the minor leagues and told him exactly what they wanted him to do in the minor leagues. And while the last example involves a veteran nearly old enough to have fathered some of the kids, open communication still exists.
When it’s come to handling veteran forward John Leclair, Ray Shero opened lines of communication with Leclair to ask what he wanted. By the general manager, anyhow, Leclair’s situation, at least to this point, has been handled with professionalism, class, and tact.
In the past, people worried about Therrien’s approach with players (rough on them, etc, not necessarily communicating with them). While the Pens’ sending Fleury to and from the minors probably had far more to do with money and salary than with what was best for the team or the kid, communication lines haven’t seemed this open in awhile.
And one thing about young players, and really any organization—communication needs to be open, at least within the organization itself. And young players, especially, who are just learning how to navigate the highest level of professional hockey, need to know clearly exactly what is expected of them.
Clear and open communication can only help development. As a fan, I appreciate Therrien’s candor when it comes to sharing a little of what he’s told the players. But even if Therrien didn’t necessarily share all of that with the media, I’m still glad he and Shero are having these one-on-one meetings with the players. I’m glad the kids know what’s expected and what they’re being asked to do. Seriously—until the kids know that—they can’t really do it purposefully, can they?
Keep the lines of communication open, even when things get rough, perhaps rougher than they have been—and seriously, I really do believe good things will happen.
In most cases, open, honest, and frank communication that’s intended to make a player better benefits and accelerates the development of young players.
(Aside: I realize some players respond to screaming tirades like those of "Iron" Mike Keenan. However, I will still state firmly that even for those players who respond best to screaming tirades, the coach still has to be clear about exactly what he expects from a player in the midst of that screaming tirade in order for the verbal beat down to make any real, tangible difference in the play of a particular player.)
(Another aside: I am of the same generation as most of the Pens’ young players. Most of the players and I share generational values. Honestly speaking, being screamed at and yelled at—the old-school way of doing things—might work with a few of us, but the majority of my generation just doesn’t respond. The world in which we were raised—and I’m not just talking about the U.S. but the globe—wasn’t one in which we learned to respond to those kind of methods. We were raised in a different era, and in dealing with today’s young players, you have to acknowledge that young players today often rightfully anticipate open, honest, and direct lines of communication.)
Remembering That Patience is a Virtue
And
The Right Approach
Prior to the start of the 2006-07 season, I stated that patience would be a necessary virtue for Penguins fans. While the Pens started the year quite well (well above .500) and raised expectations, reality has hit home lately. As reality has sunk in, as the team has experienced stretches of losing far more frequently than winning, I find myself repeating the refrain that patience is a virtue.
The past week and a half was not really been a great time for me as a Pens fan. The kids I love to watch are experiencing growing pains. Eighteen-year-old Jordan Staal was a healthy scratch for the first time this season, and twenty-year-old rookie sensation Malkin wasn’t exactly performing up to his usual level. Additionally, the Pens returned young, promising defenseman Noah Welch to the minors, and well, there have been games where Marc-Andre Fleury hasn’t been perfect. Even though it’s already been made very clear that I like and appreciate Ryan Whitney as a player, he, too, has experienced the growing pains that come with every young defenseman.
In any case, as the kids have experienced some trials, the Pens have lost games. Frankly speaking, I far prefer to see my team win than lose. I want to see the kids do their thing—be really, really good and win games.
Except, as you knew it would, here comes the caveat. Honestly speaking, coach Therrien and GM Shero are taking the right approach with their young, talented team. Shero will not be trading away young talent (who haven’t yet shown what they’re worth) for immediate help. Therrien’s lines about coaching this young, talented team are hysterical. When it comes to taking too many penalties, Therrien’s referred to his youngsters as "like telling a baby not to touch a hot stove, but you know, sometimes they have to learn by touching the stove." In today’s Post-Gazette, Therrien is quoted as saying that a team doesn’t go from 29th in the standings to the top 5 the next season. Therrien is also quoted as saying that you have to learn how to walk before you can run—there’s a process, and even if you want to skip learning how to walk, well, guess what, you really can’t skip learning how to walk before you learn to run.
Here’s the thing that sucks for Penguins fans and yes, also, for the players who I’m sure want to win every game they play. Therrien’s right. He has a young, talented team that (from his quotes) I can infer that he loves to coach a great deal and that will also, occasionally, drive him batty or at least add more gray hairs to his head. And while Therrien loves his team, he also knows that his core players are still kids learning what it takes to win in the NHL. And sometimes, well, that means his young team, as it has done recently, is going to lose close games, not going to know how to hold onto leads against more experienced opponents, etc. And the thing is, experience is really the best teacher. Therrien can talk until the cows come home to roost (a favorite, absurd phrase of mine that deliberately makes no logical sense)—forever—but it’s not going to make a difference until the young Penguins see. Oh, that’s what I have to do on the PK. Oh, that’s how we have to play to maintain our 2-goal lead. Oh, I have to make that save, or that clear, or take that shot there. And really, the only way the kids are going to learn is by playing.
And for fans, and for the coach and GM who are still in the midst of evaluating talent to see what they have and what they might eventually trade away for what they need, it’s what we as Pens fans have to accept. We have to accept that trading away for immediate help isn’t going to happen if we’re trading away an unknown commodity (e.g. a young player) who could someday be a key component of a perennial contender. Likewise, we have to accept—seriously—that all our young players are not yet who they are going to be. Even our young stars aren’t who they’re going to be (and for those who’d forget, Jaromir Jagr, year 1, Jaromir Jagr, 6 years later, not the same player; ditto for Chris Pronger and so many other current elite NHL players).
So what’s it mean for Pens fans and for Pens players and for the organization? For the organization, it means to keep doing what they’re doing. Because the organization’s approach, despite the fact that I’d love for the kids to make the playoffs this year, is the right one, even if the team does miss the playoffs this year. The organization needs to find out who players are, how players gel together, etc.
As for the players, well, they just have to play. Some of them might still need more (hopefully temporary) minor league seasoning. Others, like Malkin, like Whitney, like Fleury, guess what? They have to learn what it takes to be elite NHL players, and they only way they’re going to learn how to play at a consistently (consistent: every game) elite level in the NHL is to play in the NHL and learn what it takes. The kids have to put in the effort and learn from their mistakes, and the coaching staff has to work with the kids to accelerate their development.
And what about me, the Pens fan who grew up watching a perennial contender as a child throughout most of the nineties? As the Pens fan who yearns for her team again to be a perennial contender and sees so much hope and promise for the future in her team’s current roster? What about fans like me, who really, really want to see playoff games this year?
Much as it sucks, patience is a virtue. And the reason patience is a virtue is because patience later bears fruit, sometimes and often abundant fruit that never would have resulted without patient endurance.
So I’m going to cheer for the kids to win—and also cheer for them to learn from their mistakes. I’m going to be patient and know that the lessons learned this year—even if it means, in Therrien’s words, that the kids have to learn by touching that hot stove—will bear fruit in future seasons.
M
And
The Right Approach
Prior to the start of the 2006-07 season, I stated that patience would be a necessary virtue for Penguins fans. While the Pens started the year quite well (well above .500) and raised expectations, reality has hit home lately. As reality has sunk in, as the team has experienced stretches of losing far more frequently than winning, I find myself repeating the refrain that patience is a virtue.
The past week and a half was not really been a great time for me as a Pens fan. The kids I love to watch are experiencing growing pains. Eighteen-year-old Jordan Staal was a healthy scratch for the first time this season, and twenty-year-old rookie sensation Malkin wasn’t exactly performing up to his usual level. Additionally, the Pens returned young, promising defenseman Noah Welch to the minors, and well, there have been games where Marc-Andre Fleury hasn’t been perfect. Even though it’s already been made very clear that I like and appreciate Ryan Whitney as a player, he, too, has experienced the growing pains that come with every young defenseman.
In any case, as the kids have experienced some trials, the Pens have lost games. Frankly speaking, I far prefer to see my team win than lose. I want to see the kids do their thing—be really, really good and win games.
Except, as you knew it would, here comes the caveat. Honestly speaking, coach Therrien and GM Shero are taking the right approach with their young, talented team. Shero will not be trading away young talent (who haven’t yet shown what they’re worth) for immediate help. Therrien’s lines about coaching this young, talented team are hysterical. When it comes to taking too many penalties, Therrien’s referred to his youngsters as "like telling a baby not to touch a hot stove, but you know, sometimes they have to learn by touching the stove." In today’s Post-Gazette, Therrien is quoted as saying that a team doesn’t go from 29th in the standings to the top 5 the next season. Therrien is also quoted as saying that you have to learn how to walk before you can run—there’s a process, and even if you want to skip learning how to walk, well, guess what, you really can’t skip learning how to walk before you learn to run.
Here’s the thing that sucks for Penguins fans and yes, also, for the players who I’m sure want to win every game they play. Therrien’s right. He has a young, talented team that (from his quotes) I can infer that he loves to coach a great deal and that will also, occasionally, drive him batty or at least add more gray hairs to his head. And while Therrien loves his team, he also knows that his core players are still kids learning what it takes to win in the NHL. And sometimes, well, that means his young team, as it has done recently, is going to lose close games, not going to know how to hold onto leads against more experienced opponents, etc. And the thing is, experience is really the best teacher. Therrien can talk until the cows come home to roost (a favorite, absurd phrase of mine that deliberately makes no logical sense)—forever—but it’s not going to make a difference until the young Penguins see. Oh, that’s what I have to do on the PK. Oh, that’s how we have to play to maintain our 2-goal lead. Oh, I have to make that save, or that clear, or take that shot there. And really, the only way the kids are going to learn is by playing.
And for fans, and for the coach and GM who are still in the midst of evaluating talent to see what they have and what they might eventually trade away for what they need, it’s what we as Pens fans have to accept. We have to accept that trading away for immediate help isn’t going to happen if we’re trading away an unknown commodity (e.g. a young player) who could someday be a key component of a perennial contender. Likewise, we have to accept—seriously—that all our young players are not yet who they are going to be. Even our young stars aren’t who they’re going to be (and for those who’d forget, Jaromir Jagr, year 1, Jaromir Jagr, 6 years later, not the same player; ditto for Chris Pronger and so many other current elite NHL players).
So what’s it mean for Pens fans and for Pens players and for the organization? For the organization, it means to keep doing what they’re doing. Because the organization’s approach, despite the fact that I’d love for the kids to make the playoffs this year, is the right one, even if the team does miss the playoffs this year. The organization needs to find out who players are, how players gel together, etc.
As for the players, well, they just have to play. Some of them might still need more (hopefully temporary) minor league seasoning. Others, like Malkin, like Whitney, like Fleury, guess what? They have to learn what it takes to be elite NHL players, and they only way they’re going to learn how to play at a consistently (consistent: every game) elite level in the NHL is to play in the NHL and learn what it takes. The kids have to put in the effort and learn from their mistakes, and the coaching staff has to work with the kids to accelerate their development.
And what about me, the Pens fan who grew up watching a perennial contender as a child throughout most of the nineties? As the Pens fan who yearns for her team again to be a perennial contender and sees so much hope and promise for the future in her team’s current roster? What about fans like me, who really, really want to see playoff games this year?
Much as it sucks, patience is a virtue. And the reason patience is a virtue is because patience later bears fruit, sometimes and often abundant fruit that never would have resulted without patient endurance.
So I’m going to cheer for the kids to win—and also cheer for them to learn from their mistakes. I’m going to be patient and know that the lessons learned this year—even if it means, in Therrien’s words, that the kids have to learn by touching that hot stove—will bear fruit in future seasons.
M
Sunday, December 03, 2006
The Simple Play and the Kids Showing Off
Frequently speaking, the Pens’ young players do not make the simple play. Perhaps this syndrome is nowhere more evident than on the Pens’ power play. The Pens seem to try to set up the perfect play on the power play, and on the night I visited the arena, several fans frequently screamed, "Shoot!"
Usually I ignore the fans who scream "Shoot!" the puck. I remember Pens’ teams, eons ago (a decade ago and a decade and a half ago) who screamed "Shoot!" at one of the best producing power plays in the NHL. I really did believe that future HHOF players knew better than fans when to shoot the puck, and I still firmly believe that players know far better than fans when it’s appropriate to shoot the puck.
That being said, the Pens’ youngsters do have a problem, and it’s not what my mother termed their problem. Mom basically said, "They’re a bunch of kids showing off." If you’ve watched Crosby and Malkin try and fail to split the D this year, or if you’ve seen a Ryan Whitney pinch gone bad (c’mon, Whitney bashers!), you might be tempted to agree with my mother. You and Mom would also be wrong.
Granted, Crosby and Malkin have all-world skills. They’re trying to figure out how their all-world skills will manifest themselves at the NHL level. And sometimes it looks like they’re kids showing off—although Malkin’s goal against New Jersey gave Mario Lemieux pause when he saw it on TV, so it’s not like the coaching staff needs to start reigning in the kids’ all-world talents.
Still, the Pens’ coaching staff does need to make sure their youngsters—even the most gifted ones—learn how to make the simple play. There are times, for example, when splitting the D is not going to work, and there are times when that risky pinch-in is just a free 4 on 2 give away to the other team. And there are times on the power play, when, for example, the defenseman needs to shoot the puck at the open lane and Crosby or Malkin will need to score a goal that won’t be aesthetically pleasing.
Right now, I’d venture to say that one of the Pens’ biggest issues—when it comes to their power play—is learning when to take the risk to set up the play that only the best players can make and when to avoid the risk and go for the simple play that can also produce surefire rewards. Frankly, I don’t believe putting a lasso on Crosby and Malkin and telling them not to pass to set up a surefire scoring chance is a good idea. Crosby and Malkin might be kids, but they’re already elite players. Oftentimes their passes are going to result in an awesome scoring chance that very few other players could produce. Yet even as I say that the coaching staff has to be careful not to lasso Crosby and Malkin, every youngster on the Pens still needs to learn about simple plays.
What do I mean when I talk about simple plays? Watch a tape of Jaromir Jagr his first season in the NHL. Seriously, look at the goals he scored. They’re great goals. Also notice how often Jagr makes things more difficult for himself—he’ll try to beat the same player three times. Sometimes he was so good that young that he was successful anyway; other times he didn’t succeed.
Watch a tape of Jagr now; watch a tape of Jagr in the years when he was winning scoring championships. You’ll still see a player who can produce some of those gorgeous, aesthetically pleasing highlight reel goals. You’ll also see a player who learned to make the simple play. Who learned when to take a simple shot, who learned how to dish the puck off to a teammate and get it back—you’ll see a player who dominates not just because he can do things no one else can do but because he learned how to apply his talents to making the plays that helped him to pile up more goals and assists than anyone else in the NHL for the past sixteen years.
Interestingly enough, Rangers’ fans still scream at players like Jagr and Straka to shoot the puck and get frustrated when they don’t. And still, Jagr and Straka know far better than do Rangers’ partisans as to when the puck should be shot. And when Jagr and other players on the New York power play use their skills to do two things—things only the best players can do, and the simple play executed by all-world players—the Rangers power play works. (An aside: The Rangers power play was scary at a moment when Shanahan and Jagr were controlling play from the points. While that might be scary if anyone got an odd-man break the other way, the way Jagr and Shanahan were controlling things, for a few seconds, from the points, was scary—scary good even if I wondered if that had been planned.)
The Pens’ superstars and superstars-to-be are still kids learning what the simple play even is. Sometimes, I seriously feel like the players—who’ve always been able to do things their opponents couldn’t do—still have to learn what the simple play is and how to make it. They also need to have the freedom not to make the simple play. Sure, it’s a fine line to walk—make the simple play or take the risk and try to do something only a player like you can do.
And yeah, we might want to scream, "Shoot!" But I recommend the coaching staff, rather than following the lead of fans, teach the players what the simple play is and tell them when to make it—while also giving future and current superstars the option and freedom to try for something greater, learn from their miscues, and learn how to make that great play—or opt for a simpler one—the next time.
Sure, it might drive us crazy. Yet I still remember Jagr as a rookie, the way he "doesn’t finish all the chances he creates for himself," as Mike Lange said. And now—well—look at the result.
Teach the kids the simple play, have patience while they learn how and when to use their skills to complete the simpler play or to, well, you know, start piling up the goals that might someday land them, too, in the Hockey Hall of Fame.
Frequently speaking, the Pens’ young players do not make the simple play. Perhaps this syndrome is nowhere more evident than on the Pens’ power play. The Pens seem to try to set up the perfect play on the power play, and on the night I visited the arena, several fans frequently screamed, "Shoot!"
Usually I ignore the fans who scream "Shoot!" the puck. I remember Pens’ teams, eons ago (a decade ago and a decade and a half ago) who screamed "Shoot!" at one of the best producing power plays in the NHL. I really did believe that future HHOF players knew better than fans when to shoot the puck, and I still firmly believe that players know far better than fans when it’s appropriate to shoot the puck.
That being said, the Pens’ youngsters do have a problem, and it’s not what my mother termed their problem. Mom basically said, "They’re a bunch of kids showing off." If you’ve watched Crosby and Malkin try and fail to split the D this year, or if you’ve seen a Ryan Whitney pinch gone bad (c’mon, Whitney bashers!), you might be tempted to agree with my mother. You and Mom would also be wrong.
Granted, Crosby and Malkin have all-world skills. They’re trying to figure out how their all-world skills will manifest themselves at the NHL level. And sometimes it looks like they’re kids showing off—although Malkin’s goal against New Jersey gave Mario Lemieux pause when he saw it on TV, so it’s not like the coaching staff needs to start reigning in the kids’ all-world talents.
Still, the Pens’ coaching staff does need to make sure their youngsters—even the most gifted ones—learn how to make the simple play. There are times, for example, when splitting the D is not going to work, and there are times when that risky pinch-in is just a free 4 on 2 give away to the other team. And there are times on the power play, when, for example, the defenseman needs to shoot the puck at the open lane and Crosby or Malkin will need to score a goal that won’t be aesthetically pleasing.
Right now, I’d venture to say that one of the Pens’ biggest issues—when it comes to their power play—is learning when to take the risk to set up the play that only the best players can make and when to avoid the risk and go for the simple play that can also produce surefire rewards. Frankly, I don’t believe putting a lasso on Crosby and Malkin and telling them not to pass to set up a surefire scoring chance is a good idea. Crosby and Malkin might be kids, but they’re already elite players. Oftentimes their passes are going to result in an awesome scoring chance that very few other players could produce. Yet even as I say that the coaching staff has to be careful not to lasso Crosby and Malkin, every youngster on the Pens still needs to learn about simple plays.
What do I mean when I talk about simple plays? Watch a tape of Jaromir Jagr his first season in the NHL. Seriously, look at the goals he scored. They’re great goals. Also notice how often Jagr makes things more difficult for himself—he’ll try to beat the same player three times. Sometimes he was so good that young that he was successful anyway; other times he didn’t succeed.
Watch a tape of Jagr now; watch a tape of Jagr in the years when he was winning scoring championships. You’ll still see a player who can produce some of those gorgeous, aesthetically pleasing highlight reel goals. You’ll also see a player who learned to make the simple play. Who learned when to take a simple shot, who learned how to dish the puck off to a teammate and get it back—you’ll see a player who dominates not just because he can do things no one else can do but because he learned how to apply his talents to making the plays that helped him to pile up more goals and assists than anyone else in the NHL for the past sixteen years.
Interestingly enough, Rangers’ fans still scream at players like Jagr and Straka to shoot the puck and get frustrated when they don’t. And still, Jagr and Straka know far better than do Rangers’ partisans as to when the puck should be shot. And when Jagr and other players on the New York power play use their skills to do two things—things only the best players can do, and the simple play executed by all-world players—the Rangers power play works. (An aside: The Rangers power play was scary at a moment when Shanahan and Jagr were controlling play from the points. While that might be scary if anyone got an odd-man break the other way, the way Jagr and Shanahan were controlling things, for a few seconds, from the points, was scary—scary good even if I wondered if that had been planned.)
The Pens’ superstars and superstars-to-be are still kids learning what the simple play even is. Sometimes, I seriously feel like the players—who’ve always been able to do things their opponents couldn’t do—still have to learn what the simple play is and how to make it. They also need to have the freedom not to make the simple play. Sure, it’s a fine line to walk—make the simple play or take the risk and try to do something only a player like you can do.
And yeah, we might want to scream, "Shoot!" But I recommend the coaching staff, rather than following the lead of fans, teach the players what the simple play is and tell them when to make it—while also giving future and current superstars the option and freedom to try for something greater, learn from their miscues, and learn how to make that great play—or opt for a simpler one—the next time.
Sure, it might drive us crazy. Yet I still remember Jagr as a rookie, the way he "doesn’t finish all the chances he creates for himself," as Mike Lange said. And now—well—look at the result.
Teach the kids the simple play, have patience while they learn how and when to use their skills to complete the simpler play or to, well, you know, start piling up the goals that might someday land them, too, in the Hockey Hall of Fame.
Looking Forward
Sidney Crosby didn’t play the game I got to see last weekend. Fans booed when it was announced he wasn’t playing; the only boos I understood the whole evening. I wanted Crosby to play, too.
Watching Malkin was special and fun. I’m grown now, but watching Malkin skate all over the ice and make magic, it takes me back to how I felt when Jagr was a kid.
Watching these kids for the rest of the year—even if losses do eventually pile up and inexperience/fatigue wield ugly heads—promises a fun future, one I’m eagerly awaiting.
Sidney Crosby didn’t play the game I got to see last weekend. Fans booed when it was announced he wasn’t playing; the only boos I understood the whole evening. I wanted Crosby to play, too.
Watching Malkin was special and fun. I’m grown now, but watching Malkin skate all over the ice and make magic, it takes me back to how I felt when Jagr was a kid.
Watching these kids for the rest of the year—even if losses do eventually pile up and inexperience/fatigue wield ugly heads—promises a fun future, one I’m eagerly awaiting.
Oh, the Booing and the Cheering
Before the game, I’d said that I was going to cheer for Jagr instead of boo him. Well, Jagr scoring the game-winning goal didn’t make me feel like cheering for him, but I didn’t boo him—and neither did any of the people sitting around me (though I still heard boo’s from places throughout the arena). Not that the boos mattered. Jagr was "on" when he needed to be on, and what I’ve learned from watching Jagr over the years it that Jagr is only the one who can stop himself. (Seriously, Rangers fans. If Jagr thinks he’s hurt and can’t do something, he’s not going to do it. If he’s just feeling like he can’t do something, not necessarily due to injury, he’s not going to perform as you feel he should. The best thing to do for Jagr is to keep him as sane as possible and as mentally healthy as possible. Ron Francis’ skill at keeping Jagr’s head in check was probably among his most underrated skill. For Rangers’ fans, here’s hoping a player like Brendan Shanahan can do, at least a little, for Jags, what Francis did so successfully for many years.)
In any case, the fans surrounding me were polite and respectful of Jagr. The Jumbotron splashed a display congratulating Jagr on his six hundredth goal, and while he didn’t get tons of applause, people clapped politely (a few idiots booed, but there’s a reason I don’t mince words when I call them idiots). The fans around me, all of whom appeared to know hockey, cheered and stood for Gonchar’s 500th point in the NHL. Because, see, as much as we fuss about Gonchar, he’s ours now. And as much as we cheered for Jagr, he’s not ours anymore.
But really—I guess I have so many good memories, mostly from childhood, of Jagr that the idea of booing him just totally repulses me.
Yet I was among the many who stood and cheered for Gonchar (much as I winced every time he was on the ice against Jagr). I wasn’t standing and cheering for Jagr because, well, he’s not on my team anymore. (Granted, if the Rangers had been playing the Flyers in Madison Square Garden, you can bet I would have been cheering for Jagr—but just not against my team.)
In any case, the boos and cheers were what they were. And I was relieved not to be near any idiots who thought it appropriate to boo the achievement of 600 NHL career goals. (Sure, Pittsburgh fans know hockey, but there are always a few…..)
Before the game, I’d said that I was going to cheer for Jagr instead of boo him. Well, Jagr scoring the game-winning goal didn’t make me feel like cheering for him, but I didn’t boo him—and neither did any of the people sitting around me (though I still heard boo’s from places throughout the arena). Not that the boos mattered. Jagr was "on" when he needed to be on, and what I’ve learned from watching Jagr over the years it that Jagr is only the one who can stop himself. (Seriously, Rangers fans. If Jagr thinks he’s hurt and can’t do something, he’s not going to do it. If he’s just feeling like he can’t do something, not necessarily due to injury, he’s not going to perform as you feel he should. The best thing to do for Jagr is to keep him as sane as possible and as mentally healthy as possible. Ron Francis’ skill at keeping Jagr’s head in check was probably among his most underrated skill. For Rangers’ fans, here’s hoping a player like Brendan Shanahan can do, at least a little, for Jags, what Francis did so successfully for many years.)
In any case, the fans surrounding me were polite and respectful of Jagr. The Jumbotron splashed a display congratulating Jagr on his six hundredth goal, and while he didn’t get tons of applause, people clapped politely (a few idiots booed, but there’s a reason I don’t mince words when I call them idiots). The fans around me, all of whom appeared to know hockey, cheered and stood for Gonchar’s 500th point in the NHL. Because, see, as much as we fuss about Gonchar, he’s ours now. And as much as we cheered for Jagr, he’s not ours anymore.
But really—I guess I have so many good memories, mostly from childhood, of Jagr that the idea of booing him just totally repulses me.
Yet I was among the many who stood and cheered for Gonchar (much as I winced every time he was on the ice against Jagr). I wasn’t standing and cheering for Jagr because, well, he’s not on my team anymore. (Granted, if the Rangers had been playing the Flyers in Madison Square Garden, you can bet I would have been cheering for Jagr—but just not against my team.)
In any case, the boos and cheers were what they were. And I was relieved not to be near any idiots who thought it appropriate to boo the achievement of 600 NHL career goals. (Sure, Pittsburgh fans know hockey, but there are always a few…..)
The Atmosphere
Yeah, I know, Mellon Arena is old. The lights have gone out this season. The building needs to be replaced.
And yet, last Saturday, can I tell you how much I just didn’t care? Can I tell you how much fun it was to be in that old building? How much fun it was to be around fans who knew hockey? Who clapped and cheered loudly when penalties were killed? Who knew how to applaud simple, good plays? Who cheered for saves and initiated cheers on their own?
Pittsburgh fans know hockey. Fans of my generation learned hockey from watching Mario Lemieux, Paul Coffey, Larry Murphy, Ron Francis, and Jaromir Jagr, and what those players will one day share is HHOF membership. We know hockey, and we love lockey.
So, to the politicians and everyone else—please, get a new arena built. Because hockey is too much fun not to have around, because the banners that now hang from the Mellon Arena ceiling mean that our team has a history—a history that I really don’t want to see transported to any other city.
Yeah, I know, Mellon Arena is old. The lights have gone out this season. The building needs to be replaced.
And yet, last Saturday, can I tell you how much I just didn’t care? Can I tell you how much fun it was to be in that old building? How much fun it was to be around fans who knew hockey? Who clapped and cheered loudly when penalties were killed? Who knew how to applaud simple, good plays? Who cheered for saves and initiated cheers on their own?
Pittsburgh fans know hockey. Fans of my generation learned hockey from watching Mario Lemieux, Paul Coffey, Larry Murphy, Ron Francis, and Jaromir Jagr, and what those players will one day share is HHOF membership. We know hockey, and we love lockey.
So, to the politicians and everyone else—please, get a new arena built. Because hockey is too much fun not to have around, because the banners that now hang from the Mellon Arena ceiling mean that our team has a history—a history that I really don’t want to see transported to any other city.
Oh, them Rangers
Watching the Rangers game was pure fun. However, I really think Glen Sather should be aware of the limitations his team has. As presently constructed, the Rangers are not ready for a Cup run. The Rangers, on the surface, appear to have similar problems to the Penguins in terms of the fact that it is only a few players who can be counted on to produce the majority of New York’s goals.
While Jagr, Straka, Shanahan have the experience of wily NHL veterans (and thus inexperience isn’t an issue for them as it is for the Pens’ kids), the Rangers’ overall lack of scoring depth is going to pose a problem, as is their lack of consistently solid NHL defensemen. When it comes to watching Rangers and Pens games, I know I’m going to enjoy watching the games because the teams are going to play offensive games, and the superstars are going to have the chance to do their thing. Yet I also know I’m going to enjoy watching the games because right now, the Pens and Rangers are fairly evenly matched, and that makes for a good test.
However, knowing that his Rangers match up well with Shero’s young Penguins should scare Glen Sather if his ultimate goal is a Cup run this year or in the near future. Straka and Jagr are in their mid-thirties, and while Jagr, at least at the moment, doesn’t appear any worse for wear, the fact is the Rangers have a more finite amount of time in which they can legitimately contend for a Cup. In four or five years’ time, Shanahan, Jagr, and Straka are probably out of their prime playing days. In four or five years’ time, hassles of the NHL’s new CBA momentarily disregarded for the moment, Malkin, Crosby, Fleury, Whitney, Staal—are young men in the prime of their careers.
Which is to say that right now, it’s okay for the Pens not to have defensive depth or scoring depth. (Which is not to say that the lack of depth is any easy thing for the current team to overcome.) The Pens, at the current moment, aren’t yet on the verge of making a run at the Cup. Their core players haven’t yet reached the point where they’re ready to be the cogs that take the team on a run to the Cup. And for Pittsburgh, now isn’t the time to be trading a young player who could potentially net far more in two to three years time, when the team isn’t poised to make a Cup run.
For the Rangers, however—if they’re really trying to go for it with Jagr, Straka, and Shanahan—well, they need defenseman, at least one elite defenseman, and they need more scoring depth. An overall system to employ against certain teams probably wouldn’t hurt, either (though I haven’t seen enough of the Rangers to know if they lack the system or just the willinginess/ability to apply the system consistently). And the Rangers need that now, and need it soon.
The Pens, honestly, have time to wait. That’s what happens when your core players are all under 20 and your supporting core players are under 25. There’s time, not as much as we think, but there’s time.
And as someone who loved Straka and Jagr as a kid, as someone who’s always liked Shanahan, well—while I’m waiting for my kids to be ready to contend—it would be very nice if King Sather would position his Rangers, and those kids I watched who are now seasoned vets—to make a run at the Cup. Seriously.
Watching the Rangers game was pure fun. However, I really think Glen Sather should be aware of the limitations his team has. As presently constructed, the Rangers are not ready for a Cup run. The Rangers, on the surface, appear to have similar problems to the Penguins in terms of the fact that it is only a few players who can be counted on to produce the majority of New York’s goals.
While Jagr, Straka, Shanahan have the experience of wily NHL veterans (and thus inexperience isn’t an issue for them as it is for the Pens’ kids), the Rangers’ overall lack of scoring depth is going to pose a problem, as is their lack of consistently solid NHL defensemen. When it comes to watching Rangers and Pens games, I know I’m going to enjoy watching the games because the teams are going to play offensive games, and the superstars are going to have the chance to do their thing. Yet I also know I’m going to enjoy watching the games because right now, the Pens and Rangers are fairly evenly matched, and that makes for a good test.
However, knowing that his Rangers match up well with Shero’s young Penguins should scare Glen Sather if his ultimate goal is a Cup run this year or in the near future. Straka and Jagr are in their mid-thirties, and while Jagr, at least at the moment, doesn’t appear any worse for wear, the fact is the Rangers have a more finite amount of time in which they can legitimately contend for a Cup. In four or five years’ time, Shanahan, Jagr, and Straka are probably out of their prime playing days. In four or five years’ time, hassles of the NHL’s new CBA momentarily disregarded for the moment, Malkin, Crosby, Fleury, Whitney, Staal—are young men in the prime of their careers.
Which is to say that right now, it’s okay for the Pens not to have defensive depth or scoring depth. (Which is not to say that the lack of depth is any easy thing for the current team to overcome.) The Pens, at the current moment, aren’t yet on the verge of making a run at the Cup. Their core players haven’t yet reached the point where they’re ready to be the cogs that take the team on a run to the Cup. And for Pittsburgh, now isn’t the time to be trading a young player who could potentially net far more in two to three years time, when the team isn’t poised to make a Cup run.
For the Rangers, however—if they’re really trying to go for it with Jagr, Straka, and Shanahan—well, they need defenseman, at least one elite defenseman, and they need more scoring depth. An overall system to employ against certain teams probably wouldn’t hurt, either (though I haven’t seen enough of the Rangers to know if they lack the system or just the willinginess/ability to apply the system consistently). And the Rangers need that now, and need it soon.
The Pens, honestly, have time to wait. That’s what happens when your core players are all under 20 and your supporting core players are under 25. There’s time, not as much as we think, but there’s time.
And as someone who loved Straka and Jagr as a kid, as someone who’s always liked Shanahan, well—while I’m waiting for my kids to be ready to contend—it would be very nice if King Sather would position his Rangers, and those kids I watched who are now seasoned vets—to make a run at the Cup. Seriously.
Thoughts on Players—The Ex-Pens who are now Rangers
As has already been stated on this blog, Jaromir Jagr is my all-time favorite hockey player. I grew up watching Jags play, watch him become the best player in the world, and—save for Pens versus Rangers games—I still root for Jags.
Watching Jagr, Straka, and Rozsival, it occurred to me that what I read somewhere (online) is probably right. When it comes to the way Pens fans boo players, really, Rozsival deserves to be booed more than Jagr. Jagr, when a Penguin, won two Stanley Cups, 5 league scoring titles, the Pearson Trophy and Hart Trophy. I mean, seriously, Jagr, in Pittsburgh, for the most part, was a phenomenal player. While Rozsival is hardly a phenomenon, he does appear to have blossomed into a legitimate NHL defenseman (on some nights, that is) in New York. Rozy didn’t typically look the part of legitimate NHL defenseman when a Penguin, so really, if we’re actually booing about performance, well, it makes more sense to boo Rozy.
Rozy aside, however, what struck me about Straka and Jagr was how they were still Straka and Jagr. As a teenager, I rooted for Straka and Jagr quite a bit. I know their schemes, know how they feed off each other, and know how they set up on the power play. I know how well they know each other, know they know each other’s timing—and well, despite the fact they’re both in their mid-thirties, they’re still really, really, really good. And Jagr’s still among the top players in the league and certainly looked the part Saturday night.
Anyhow, dare I say that I knew something bad was going to happen to the Pens when Straka and Jagr were deep in the Pens zone and Gonchar and Melichar were on the ice. Staal had just missed a penalty shot, and it was Jagr and Straka on the ice against two defenseman who, let’s face facts, are not exactly defensive stalwarts. And presto, bam, bam, Jagr scores the game-winning goal. How often had I rooted for that to happen for so many years? How weird was it to be unhappy when one of the game’s best players performed the way you expect one of the game’s best players to perform?
And the thing was, in all honesty, I couldn’t be that unhappy. Sure, would I have preferred that Staal end the game by converting his penalty shot? Or that Malkin would not have hit the post? Of course. And yet, having loved Straka and Jagr for so many years, the end result of losing the game upset me, of course, but somehow the fact that it was two former first round draft picks of the Pens, still playing productively in the NHL more than a decade after they’d been drafted, well—
The Penguins’ day—Staal, Malkin, Crosby—is coming. For one night, I said after the game, "their superstars were better than ours." Granted, with Crosby out, Malkin was the only superstar on the ice for us (Staal’s not close yet), and our guy had the misfortune of hitting the post.
I wanted to say that inexperience lost us the game, but it wasn’t inexperience that made the Pens lose. If Crosby had played, I venture to say the Pens could probably have won that game. The Pens lost because the Rangers had a superstar who played like a superstar when it mattered the most.
The Pens have several of those superstars in waiting, and I’m looking forward to watching them. And even as I left the arena, not happy because the Pens lost, I still felt grateful to Straka and Jagr—not for beating my team now—but for the fact that they had played that same way for my team for so many years.
As has already been stated on this blog, Jaromir Jagr is my all-time favorite hockey player. I grew up watching Jags play, watch him become the best player in the world, and—save for Pens versus Rangers games—I still root for Jags.
Watching Jagr, Straka, and Rozsival, it occurred to me that what I read somewhere (online) is probably right. When it comes to the way Pens fans boo players, really, Rozsival deserves to be booed more than Jagr. Jagr, when a Penguin, won two Stanley Cups, 5 league scoring titles, the Pearson Trophy and Hart Trophy. I mean, seriously, Jagr, in Pittsburgh, for the most part, was a phenomenal player. While Rozsival is hardly a phenomenon, he does appear to have blossomed into a legitimate NHL defenseman (on some nights, that is) in New York. Rozy didn’t typically look the part of legitimate NHL defenseman when a Penguin, so really, if we’re actually booing about performance, well, it makes more sense to boo Rozy.
Rozy aside, however, what struck me about Straka and Jagr was how they were still Straka and Jagr. As a teenager, I rooted for Straka and Jagr quite a bit. I know their schemes, know how they feed off each other, and know how they set up on the power play. I know how well they know each other, know they know each other’s timing—and well, despite the fact they’re both in their mid-thirties, they’re still really, really, really good. And Jagr’s still among the top players in the league and certainly looked the part Saturday night.
Anyhow, dare I say that I knew something bad was going to happen to the Pens when Straka and Jagr were deep in the Pens zone and Gonchar and Melichar were on the ice. Staal had just missed a penalty shot, and it was Jagr and Straka on the ice against two defenseman who, let’s face facts, are not exactly defensive stalwarts. And presto, bam, bam, Jagr scores the game-winning goal. How often had I rooted for that to happen for so many years? How weird was it to be unhappy when one of the game’s best players performed the way you expect one of the game’s best players to perform?
And the thing was, in all honesty, I couldn’t be that unhappy. Sure, would I have preferred that Staal end the game by converting his penalty shot? Or that Malkin would not have hit the post? Of course. And yet, having loved Straka and Jagr for so many years, the end result of losing the game upset me, of course, but somehow the fact that it was two former first round draft picks of the Pens, still playing productively in the NHL more than a decade after they’d been drafted, well—
The Penguins’ day—Staal, Malkin, Crosby—is coming. For one night, I said after the game, "their superstars were better than ours." Granted, with Crosby out, Malkin was the only superstar on the ice for us (Staal’s not close yet), and our guy had the misfortune of hitting the post.
I wanted to say that inexperience lost us the game, but it wasn’t inexperience that made the Pens lose. If Crosby had played, I venture to say the Pens could probably have won that game. The Pens lost because the Rangers had a superstar who played like a superstar when it mattered the most.
The Pens have several of those superstars in waiting, and I’m looking forward to watching them. And even as I left the arena, not happy because the Pens lost, I still felt grateful to Straka and Jagr—not for beating my team now—but for the fact that they had played that same way for my team for so many years.
Thoughts On Players—Jordan Staal
At the beginning of the year, I was in the camp that thought it was fine to give Staal a taste of the Show, but that he needed to learn how to dominate in junior. Staal’s work on the penalty kill, among other things, early in the year convinced me that the child needed to stay—at least for awhile.
In any case, Staal understandably played limited minutes (Coach Therrien, likewise understandably, is cautious with his 18-year-old). Yet some of the things the child did, seriously—wow—and wow in a good way. In particular, there was the play, on the penalty kill, probably a 5 on 3, if I recall correctly, where Staal just cleared the puck with the poise of a veteran. I applauded along with the rest of the crowd—it was a play that exemplified why the Pens made the choice to keep Staal in the NHL this season.
Yet there were other moments during the game when I saw Staal’s age. He could create something along the boards, and the mere fact that he could create something was great. Yet the ability to see the play through wasn’t yet there—it was close to being there, but not fully present.
And then, of course, there was the overtime penalty shot. Pens fans know how to root for our team. The arena was standing and loud, and dare I say, there was tension. Not quite like playoff tension, but still tension. I knew Staal had the experience of playing games in similar settings in juniors, but still, at the NHL level, it can be a little different, and definitely new. What ran through my sympathetic mind was that he was eighteen—eighteen! And yet, wow, I was really rooting for the kid to score.
Staal ultimately didn’t score, and the Pens ultimately lost the game. I figured I could trust Staal not to pull an Aleksey Morozov (years ago, in a playoff series against Montreal, Morozov missed a penalty shot, and his play in the series—and dare I say, thereafter—was never the same). Missing one penalty shot wasn’t going to kill the kid’s confidence or make him distraught for too terribly long, I figured, and at least it would be a learning experience.
Overall, watching Staal played made me feel like I understood what Coach Therrien had said earlier to assembled New York media, "Eventually he’ll be a better play, but he’s eighteen years old." Therrien had explained the team didn’t want to give Staal more than he could handle.
There are two ways to look at how the Pens are handling Staal. One is that it’s fine for them to ease him into playing in the NHL. He can do what he already intuitively knows (penalty killing, which is obscene for an 18-year-old to be able to master), learn NHL systems, and learn what doesn’t work at things that—for this moment—aren’t quite as easy (finishing the plays he’s able to create).
There’s another way to look at things, too. As an old copy of The Hockey News mentioned, Staal hadn’t dominated at the junior level yet—perhaps, the thought goes, could it hurt to let the kid learn to dominate in every facet of his game at the junior level?
I understand both perspectives. Right now I’m curious to see if the Pens will release Staal and let him play in the World Juniors or not. I’m likewise curious to see what will happen as game number forty approaches. Whatever GM Shero and the organization decide to do, I’m glad I don’t have to make the kind of decisions they have to make. I understand the perspectives of those who would support more time in juniors and playing in the World Juniors; I understand those who would support the World Juniors but not a return to juniors, and I understand those who’d say "No" to anything with the word "junior" in it.
The question concerning the 18-year-old isn’t that different from the one that had to be answered at the start of the season. Does keeping him help or hinder his long-term development (and does anyone really know for sure)? All the other questions—how much does he help the team this year, and does it matter how much he helps the team this year—have to be secondary to that question as to what is in the best interests of the kid’s development.
And at this point, I know that I love watching him play in the NHL. I loved rooting for him to score that penalty shot. And yet I wonder, will he, in two years' time, be able to do what Malkin is doing this year in terms of scoring? Will playing in juniors help him do that, or will keeping him here help him do that?
But I want what’s best for the kid to have a long-term, distinguished NHL career. And if that means time at the World Juniors or time back in juniors, much as I’d miss him this year, I’d welcome him back gladly when the time comes.
@
At the beginning of the year, I was in the camp that thought it was fine to give Staal a taste of the Show, but that he needed to learn how to dominate in junior. Staal’s work on the penalty kill, among other things, early in the year convinced me that the child needed to stay—at least for awhile.
In any case, Staal understandably played limited minutes (Coach Therrien, likewise understandably, is cautious with his 18-year-old). Yet some of the things the child did, seriously—wow—and wow in a good way. In particular, there was the play, on the penalty kill, probably a 5 on 3, if I recall correctly, where Staal just cleared the puck with the poise of a veteran. I applauded along with the rest of the crowd—it was a play that exemplified why the Pens made the choice to keep Staal in the NHL this season.
Yet there were other moments during the game when I saw Staal’s age. He could create something along the boards, and the mere fact that he could create something was great. Yet the ability to see the play through wasn’t yet there—it was close to being there, but not fully present.
And then, of course, there was the overtime penalty shot. Pens fans know how to root for our team. The arena was standing and loud, and dare I say, there was tension. Not quite like playoff tension, but still tension. I knew Staal had the experience of playing games in similar settings in juniors, but still, at the NHL level, it can be a little different, and definitely new. What ran through my sympathetic mind was that he was eighteen—eighteen! And yet, wow, I was really rooting for the kid to score.
Staal ultimately didn’t score, and the Pens ultimately lost the game. I figured I could trust Staal not to pull an Aleksey Morozov (years ago, in a playoff series against Montreal, Morozov missed a penalty shot, and his play in the series—and dare I say, thereafter—was never the same). Missing one penalty shot wasn’t going to kill the kid’s confidence or make him distraught for too terribly long, I figured, and at least it would be a learning experience.
Overall, watching Staal played made me feel like I understood what Coach Therrien had said earlier to assembled New York media, "Eventually he’ll be a better play, but he’s eighteen years old." Therrien had explained the team didn’t want to give Staal more than he could handle.
There are two ways to look at how the Pens are handling Staal. One is that it’s fine for them to ease him into playing in the NHL. He can do what he already intuitively knows (penalty killing, which is obscene for an 18-year-old to be able to master), learn NHL systems, and learn what doesn’t work at things that—for this moment—aren’t quite as easy (finishing the plays he’s able to create).
There’s another way to look at things, too. As an old copy of The Hockey News mentioned, Staal hadn’t dominated at the junior level yet—perhaps, the thought goes, could it hurt to let the kid learn to dominate in every facet of his game at the junior level?
I understand both perspectives. Right now I’m curious to see if the Pens will release Staal and let him play in the World Juniors or not. I’m likewise curious to see what will happen as game number forty approaches. Whatever GM Shero and the organization decide to do, I’m glad I don’t have to make the kind of decisions they have to make. I understand the perspectives of those who would support more time in juniors and playing in the World Juniors; I understand those who would support the World Juniors but not a return to juniors, and I understand those who’d say "No" to anything with the word "junior" in it.
The question concerning the 18-year-old isn’t that different from the one that had to be answered at the start of the season. Does keeping him help or hinder his long-term development (and does anyone really know for sure)? All the other questions—how much does he help the team this year, and does it matter how much he helps the team this year—have to be secondary to that question as to what is in the best interests of the kid’s development.
And at this point, I know that I love watching him play in the NHL. I loved rooting for him to score that penalty shot. And yet I wonder, will he, in two years' time, be able to do what Malkin is doing this year in terms of scoring? Will playing in juniors help him do that, or will keeping him here help him do that?
But I want what’s best for the kid to have a long-term, distinguished NHL career. And if that means time at the World Juniors or time back in juniors, much as I’d miss him this year, I’d welcome him back gladly when the time comes.
@
Observations of Players—Ryan Whitney
Ryan Whitney has been criticized (and that’s putting it mildly) on various message boards I’ve scanned this year. Some insane fans have taken to turning Whitney’s name into a girl’s name. And watching the game I watched I against the Rangers, and watching the games I’ve seen this year—I do not get it.
Against the Rangers, Whitney never made me nearly as nervous as did Joe Melichar and Sergei Gonchar. (Seriously, the fact that Joe Melichar matched up well against Jagr one night had far more to do with Jagr having one of those "off" nights. When Jagr has an off night, as he admitted in his autobiography, even the worst defenseman can stop him.) Now granted, Melichar and Gonchar were on the ice against Jaromir Jagr, and Jagr still makes me nervous when he’s playing my team. (Every other night I still root for Jags, but more on that a little later.) All I noticed about Whitney, seriously, is that the boy could make long outlet passes easily, that he pinched in, usually at appropriate times, and that he certainly had the skating speed and size to compensate for those occasions when he did pinch.
At the current moment, Whitney is not an All-Star defenseman (despite the OLN guy who mentioned that he felt that Whitney, perhaps, should be). But Whitney is already a solid NHL defenseman—yes, Pens fans, I’m talking to you. He can already skate as well or better than most defenders, and he knows how to make outlet passes that I haven’t seen Pens blueliners makes in years. Is there room for improvement? Sure, from what I could observe in my limited viewing experience and from what I’ve read, Whitney definitely needs to unleash his shot far more frequently. And yes, he probably needs more experience just to get used to when he’s playing offense and when he’s playing defense.
Sometimes I wonder if one of the reasons people dislike Whitney is because he’s six foot four, huge, and not at all physical. The attitude seems to be that Whitney needs to crunch people. To be honest and to be fair, let’s look at the top three defensemen in the league right now. How often do you see Lidstrom and Niedermayer making bone rattling checks? Instead, don’t you usually sees the respective captains of the Red Wings and Ducks making smooth outlet passes, unleashing their cannons of shots, and playing solid positional defense? Even taking Chris Pronger, who can still dish out checks, well, Pronger’s game has adapted to the new NHL. Just like Lidstrom and Niedermayer, Pronger plays solid positional defense, rushes the puck or makes an outlet pass, and wields his cannon of a shot appropriately while playing with an edge.
Right now, let me be very clear that I am not comparing a YOUNG defenseman—let me repeat, a YOUNG defenseman—to perennial Norris Trophy contenders and defensive stalwarts. At the moment, Whitney is not at, or even close to, the elite level of Pronger, Lidstrom, and Niedermayer—who can control the tempo of an entire game when they’re at their best. Yet do you know what I see in Ryan Whitney? I see a defenseman who, with proper development and coaching, actually has the chance to become a defenseman like Niedermayer or Lidstrom. A defenseman who has the skill to be able to control the tempo of a game, a defenseman who has the size and stamina to play long minutes, and a defenseman whose skating ability alone means that he might match up well against league superstars.
In a few years’ time, though Jagr may be retired, Whitney, a defenseman who by that point has hopefully learned positional defense, with his speed and skill, might be the defenseman who not only mans the number one unit on your power play but kills penalties and matches up well against the opponent’s best skating stars.
I know Pens fans who would scoff at that, and frankly, Whitney may turn out to be more one-dimensional that I would prefer. (Again, no direct comparison should be made here, but I loved Paul Coffey dearly, and Coff did break up that 2 on 1 in the 87 Canada Cup, lest you accuse Coffey of constant defensive deficiency.) Yet when I watch the YOUNG, YOUNG defenseman—I see a kid who’s a good player who still has a lot to learn. (Watch tapes of Pronger when he first played in the league; he had a lot to learn, too. Watch him today and learn the ultimate reward of time, patience, and effective coaching and development.)
And yet, Whitney is already a good player who has much to learn. He has the skill set already; it’s such a matter of learning how to apply the skill set, and that comes with experience, coaching, and development—and it doesn’t happen overnight. But in Whitney, I see potential, and not just potential to be good, but potential to be great—so how about laying off the kid for not yet being what he’s going to be and instead eagerly expecting him to become what it’s clear he can be—hopefully, eventually, some form of an elite, or at least, an All-Star, defenseman?
ê
Ryan Whitney has been criticized (and that’s putting it mildly) on various message boards I’ve scanned this year. Some insane fans have taken to turning Whitney’s name into a girl’s name. And watching the game I watched I against the Rangers, and watching the games I’ve seen this year—I do not get it.
Against the Rangers, Whitney never made me nearly as nervous as did Joe Melichar and Sergei Gonchar. (Seriously, the fact that Joe Melichar matched up well against Jagr one night had far more to do with Jagr having one of those "off" nights. When Jagr has an off night, as he admitted in his autobiography, even the worst defenseman can stop him.) Now granted, Melichar and Gonchar were on the ice against Jaromir Jagr, and Jagr still makes me nervous when he’s playing my team. (Every other night I still root for Jags, but more on that a little later.) All I noticed about Whitney, seriously, is that the boy could make long outlet passes easily, that he pinched in, usually at appropriate times, and that he certainly had the skating speed and size to compensate for those occasions when he did pinch.
At the current moment, Whitney is not an All-Star defenseman (despite the OLN guy who mentioned that he felt that Whitney, perhaps, should be). But Whitney is already a solid NHL defenseman—yes, Pens fans, I’m talking to you. He can already skate as well or better than most defenders, and he knows how to make outlet passes that I haven’t seen Pens blueliners makes in years. Is there room for improvement? Sure, from what I could observe in my limited viewing experience and from what I’ve read, Whitney definitely needs to unleash his shot far more frequently. And yes, he probably needs more experience just to get used to when he’s playing offense and when he’s playing defense.
Sometimes I wonder if one of the reasons people dislike Whitney is because he’s six foot four, huge, and not at all physical. The attitude seems to be that Whitney needs to crunch people. To be honest and to be fair, let’s look at the top three defensemen in the league right now. How often do you see Lidstrom and Niedermayer making bone rattling checks? Instead, don’t you usually sees the respective captains of the Red Wings and Ducks making smooth outlet passes, unleashing their cannons of shots, and playing solid positional defense? Even taking Chris Pronger, who can still dish out checks, well, Pronger’s game has adapted to the new NHL. Just like Lidstrom and Niedermayer, Pronger plays solid positional defense, rushes the puck or makes an outlet pass, and wields his cannon of a shot appropriately while playing with an edge.
Right now, let me be very clear that I am not comparing a YOUNG defenseman—let me repeat, a YOUNG defenseman—to perennial Norris Trophy contenders and defensive stalwarts. At the moment, Whitney is not at, or even close to, the elite level of Pronger, Lidstrom, and Niedermayer—who can control the tempo of an entire game when they’re at their best. Yet do you know what I see in Ryan Whitney? I see a defenseman who, with proper development and coaching, actually has the chance to become a defenseman like Niedermayer or Lidstrom. A defenseman who has the skill to be able to control the tempo of a game, a defenseman who has the size and stamina to play long minutes, and a defenseman whose skating ability alone means that he might match up well against league superstars.
In a few years’ time, though Jagr may be retired, Whitney, a defenseman who by that point has hopefully learned positional defense, with his speed and skill, might be the defenseman who not only mans the number one unit on your power play but kills penalties and matches up well against the opponent’s best skating stars.
I know Pens fans who would scoff at that, and frankly, Whitney may turn out to be more one-dimensional that I would prefer. (Again, no direct comparison should be made here, but I loved Paul Coffey dearly, and Coff did break up that 2 on 1 in the 87 Canada Cup, lest you accuse Coffey of constant defensive deficiency.) Yet when I watch the YOUNG, YOUNG defenseman—I see a kid who’s a good player who still has a lot to learn. (Watch tapes of Pronger when he first played in the league; he had a lot to learn, too. Watch him today and learn the ultimate reward of time, patience, and effective coaching and development.)
And yet, Whitney is already a good player who has much to learn. He has the skill set already; it’s such a matter of learning how to apply the skill set, and that comes with experience, coaching, and development—and it doesn’t happen overnight. But in Whitney, I see potential, and not just potential to be good, but potential to be great—so how about laying off the kid for not yet being what he’s going to be and instead eagerly expecting him to become what it’s clear he can be—hopefully, eventually, some form of an elite, or at least, an All-Star, defenseman?
ê
Last Weekend, Pens versus Rangers
Last weekend, I had the chance to watch the Pens play the Rangers in person. What follow are several thoughts about the game.
It Was Just Plain Fun
Before the game, I had joked about what a regular season tilt between the Pens and Rangers might resemble. Given the offensive superstars on each team, I was hoping for something like a score of 6-5, with a shootout. I wanted the chance to see stars shine as stars, and I wanted to be entertained.
While I didn’t get the 6-5 score or shootout, I got to see an awesome regular season hockey game that reminded me of hockey the way hockey is supposed to be. (Remember that I grew up watching HHOF players play on the same power play unit.) Very little of the game was played in the neutral zone. The Pens were either in front of "Henrik the Great," or the Rangers were in front of Marc-Andre Fleury. Both teams were on the attack frequently. The goaltending from both young goaltenders was phenomenal. The superstars on the ice—Malkin and Jagr—did their thing with skill.
Oh, and on the whole special teams battle? First, I have to note that I’m biased in favor of the new NHL rules, even when it seems like a power play parade. And thus, when Mark Recchi was upset at the beginning of the game about a hook that he clearly felt shouldn’t have been called, I didn’t disagree with the call. Recchi had been hooking the guy—I’d seen him do it twice. (Now Recchi complaining about inconsistency of officiating, and what is a penalty one night not being a penalty the next night, that’s a complaint I can understand and that NHL headquarters needs to rectify ASAP.) Anyhow, the Pens spent much of the first period on the penalty kill—and they were successful. Later in the game, as I figured they would, the Pens got their own chances on the power play. Special teams, at least in terms of opportunities, got pretty much evenly distributed over the course of the game.
The bottom line of the entire game—superstars on the ice, no playing not to lose with clutching and grabbing in the neutral zone, special teams play—was that the game was fun. I mean that, the game—even though my team lost in OT—was just plain fun. It was hockey as hockey is supposed to be, and I could only imagine how much more fun it might have been had Sidney Crosby’s groin healed by that Saturday.
J
Last weekend, I had the chance to watch the Pens play the Rangers in person. What follow are several thoughts about the game.
It Was Just Plain Fun
Before the game, I had joked about what a regular season tilt between the Pens and Rangers might resemble. Given the offensive superstars on each team, I was hoping for something like a score of 6-5, with a shootout. I wanted the chance to see stars shine as stars, and I wanted to be entertained.
While I didn’t get the 6-5 score or shootout, I got to see an awesome regular season hockey game that reminded me of hockey the way hockey is supposed to be. (Remember that I grew up watching HHOF players play on the same power play unit.) Very little of the game was played in the neutral zone. The Pens were either in front of "Henrik the Great," or the Rangers were in front of Marc-Andre Fleury. Both teams were on the attack frequently. The goaltending from both young goaltenders was phenomenal. The superstars on the ice—Malkin and Jagr—did their thing with skill.
Oh, and on the whole special teams battle? First, I have to note that I’m biased in favor of the new NHL rules, even when it seems like a power play parade. And thus, when Mark Recchi was upset at the beginning of the game about a hook that he clearly felt shouldn’t have been called, I didn’t disagree with the call. Recchi had been hooking the guy—I’d seen him do it twice. (Now Recchi complaining about inconsistency of officiating, and what is a penalty one night not being a penalty the next night, that’s a complaint I can understand and that NHL headquarters needs to rectify ASAP.) Anyhow, the Pens spent much of the first period on the penalty kill—and they were successful. Later in the game, as I figured they would, the Pens got their own chances on the power play. Special teams, at least in terms of opportunities, got pretty much evenly distributed over the course of the game.
The bottom line of the entire game—superstars on the ice, no playing not to lose with clutching and grabbing in the neutral zone, special teams play—was that the game was fun. I mean that, the game—even though my team lost in OT—was just plain fun. It was hockey as hockey is supposed to be, and I could only imagine how much more fun it might have been had Sidney Crosby’s groin healed by that Saturday.
J
Recent Losses
Fortunately or unfortunately, I didn’t have the chance to see the two recent losses of my hockey team. Friday night’s loss I chalked up to the goalie imploding—seriously, every goalie, even those of All-Star caliber, have those so-called "off" nights throughout a season. Unfortunately, the Penguins aren’t yet a team that can afford—when it comes to the standings and the playoff picture—for their goaltender to have one of those nights where it seems like he couldn’t stop a beach ball. (Harsh, I know.) However, just like Pens’ players, I was very aware of the games that Marc-Andre Fleury has won for the team thus far this year. And one game, really, where things are off, by the end of November? If someone had told me that at the start of the season, I would have taken it.
Now, of course, Fleury can’t continue to have games like that—meaning those games cannot come with frequency. The Pens need their starting netminder to find a groove and to find a groove fast and to shake off the loss and go back to doing what he had been doing for most of the rest of the season. Once again, as the team is presently constructed, the Pens simply don’t have room for error when it comes to goaltending. In order to be in contention for a playoff spot, Pittsburgh is going to need consistent and high-quality goaltending throughout the season.
While my team losing of course irritates me (I speak of mild irritation that comes because I don’t have the temporary emotional boost that sometimes come with a string of victories—because, yes, I probably smile slightly more easily the morning after a win), I think these are the losses that—honestly—are the ones that make the Pens a borderline playoff team. Because, when it comes right down to it, the Pens can play pretty even with teams in their division. And while others would beg to differ with me, I’m not yet convinced with the Rangers, Devils, or Islanders, as presently constructed, are as TEAMS vastly—or even just a little—superior to the Pens. (Caveat: Partisans of each team could debate their team’s superiority until the cows come home—but take a look at each team’s current record. What do you see? Teams with similar number of points. Now, if still so inclined, debate away about the quality of each Atlantic team.) However, the Pens can play evenly with these teams, and these teams can play evenly with them. And on some nights, one team prevails, and on some nights, the other team prevails. That’s usually what happens with parity.
As much as I enjoyed the Pens’ best-in-the-league division winning record through their first 10 division games, there probably was too much parity in the Atlantic Division for the young Pittsburgh team to maintain that division record. Nonetheless, if the Pens want to be a playoff team, they’re going to have to find a way to win those close games that come against their Atlantic Division rivals. Yes, games against the Devils, Rangers, and Islanders fall into those category of games that aren’t necessarily against "clearly superior" or "clearly inferior" opponents. But the Pens have to start winning those games once again if they want to make the playoffs.
And as for the two recent losses? Well, here’s hoping what one always hopes when cheering for a young team. Hopefully mistakes were learned from and will not be repeated—and hopefully losing leaves a bad enough taste in the mouths of the youngsters so that they’re determined not to repeat the same mistakes in their next bout with a divisional rival. (Of course, being young players, there’s always a possibility of still more, yet uncommitted errors—but for now, I hold to the side of hope. After all, it is the holiday season.)
Fortunately or unfortunately, I didn’t have the chance to see the two recent losses of my hockey team. Friday night’s loss I chalked up to the goalie imploding—seriously, every goalie, even those of All-Star caliber, have those so-called "off" nights throughout a season. Unfortunately, the Penguins aren’t yet a team that can afford—when it comes to the standings and the playoff picture—for their goaltender to have one of those nights where it seems like he couldn’t stop a beach ball. (Harsh, I know.) However, just like Pens’ players, I was very aware of the games that Marc-Andre Fleury has won for the team thus far this year. And one game, really, where things are off, by the end of November? If someone had told me that at the start of the season, I would have taken it.
Now, of course, Fleury can’t continue to have games like that—meaning those games cannot come with frequency. The Pens need their starting netminder to find a groove and to find a groove fast and to shake off the loss and go back to doing what he had been doing for most of the rest of the season. Once again, as the team is presently constructed, the Pens simply don’t have room for error when it comes to goaltending. In order to be in contention for a playoff spot, Pittsburgh is going to need consistent and high-quality goaltending throughout the season.
While my team losing of course irritates me (I speak of mild irritation that comes because I don’t have the temporary emotional boost that sometimes come with a string of victories—because, yes, I probably smile slightly more easily the morning after a win), I think these are the losses that—honestly—are the ones that make the Pens a borderline playoff team. Because, when it comes right down to it, the Pens can play pretty even with teams in their division. And while others would beg to differ with me, I’m not yet convinced with the Rangers, Devils, or Islanders, as presently constructed, are as TEAMS vastly—or even just a little—superior to the Pens. (Caveat: Partisans of each team could debate their team’s superiority until the cows come home—but take a look at each team’s current record. What do you see? Teams with similar number of points. Now, if still so inclined, debate away about the quality of each Atlantic team.) However, the Pens can play evenly with these teams, and these teams can play evenly with them. And on some nights, one team prevails, and on some nights, the other team prevails. That’s usually what happens with parity.
As much as I enjoyed the Pens’ best-in-the-league division winning record through their first 10 division games, there probably was too much parity in the Atlantic Division for the young Pittsburgh team to maintain that division record. Nonetheless, if the Pens want to be a playoff team, they’re going to have to find a way to win those close games that come against their Atlantic Division rivals. Yes, games against the Devils, Rangers, and Islanders fall into those category of games that aren’t necessarily against "clearly superior" or "clearly inferior" opponents. But the Pens have to start winning those games once again if they want to make the playoffs.
And as for the two recent losses? Well, here’s hoping what one always hopes when cheering for a young team. Hopefully mistakes were learned from and will not be repeated—and hopefully losing leaves a bad enough taste in the mouths of the youngsters so that they’re determined not to repeat the same mistakes in their next bout with a divisional rival. (Of course, being young players, there’s always a possibility of still more, yet uncommitted errors—but for now, I hold to the side of hope. After all, it is the holiday season.)
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