This picture is just so awkward it completes any Penguin fan.
I felt compelled to write some sort of season review in response to the saga of the Flyers below, so here is my magnificent attempt:
The Penguin’s season last year ended with an embarrassing defeat at the hands of the Ottawa Senators. You might try to say it was due to the lack of experience on the team, or the lack of performance from their stars, or dare you say it, all Marc-Andre Fleury’s fault, their young goalie. But it doesn’t matter, the defeat was embarrassing, and the Penguins were determined to make their next season even better.
During the off-season the awesome Ray Shero made some stellar moves, including acquiring Petr Sykora, and Daryl Sydor, and losing Chris Thorburn, Nils Ekman, Jocelyn Thibault, and Michel Ouellet. And honestly, other than Oullet who has a cool name, it wasn’t a big loss, with a huge gain.
And so the season started…dismally. Going 10-13-0 during the first two months of the season isn’t a horrible record I suppose, but it’s definitely nothing to be proud of.
But it was in December that things seemed to take a turn for the worse, the much worse. Everyone was injured and out, and when I say everyone, I mean everyone except Gary Roberts, because a broken leg never stopped him, or the high right ankle sprain…
Which incidentally became the Penguin’s new favourite term…and injury.
MAF (Marc-Andre Fleury) decided to jump on the band wagon, and was out, so
But meanwhile, other crucial players were taking the “high ankle sprain” to heart. We lost Max Talbot pretty much the same time, and then it happened:
Sidney Crosby out with high ankle sprain.
As a Penguins fan, that’s a devastating thing to hear…it makes you sit there in shock for at least a good minute or two. Critics, reporters, and hockey fans alike, all said that the Penguins’ season was over.
HA!
Personally, I think it was the best thing that could have happened. Not really a Crosby fan, seeing Evgeni Malkin lead the team out of their little slump and finally showed everyone that the team didn’t need the Kid to win. And win they did. “Geno” Malkin at their helm.
Oh then came the trade deadline…we waved a tearful farewell to the trusty friend and goalie-runner Colby Armstrong, the shoot-out king Eric Christensen, and a couple draft picks, but we welcomed Hal Gill, Pascal Dupis, and… MARION HOSSA.
No, Hossa hasn’t quite lived up to his hype, but neither has Jordan Staal this year. Do we love them any less? No.
Do I hope Hossa stays around? Yes. Do I think there’s salary cap room for him? My answer: Is there room for everyone of this all-star team? Make your own call there.
Gill has provided the size and skill lacking on the blue line, and Hossa has proved to be a decent line-mate for
The Penguins played some more good hockey for the rest of the season, and then tada, it was playoff time. They finished a beautiful second in the conference, and added an Atlantic Division title banner to the Igloo.
Round 1:
Time for revenge.
And it was sweet.
Like sugar covered honey, with ice cream and sprinkles.
Sweep
Next.
Round 2:
They said this would be a tougher series.
I suppose it was.
5 games and done.
More media calling the Kid a diver and saying the refs were biased.
Honestly, is anyone still reading that stuff?
Next.
MAF is still on fire, his former hot-and-cold ways, seem to have been banished.
Michel Therrien is a beast, that’s all I need to say.
Round 3:
Eastern Conference Finals.
Division Rivals.
State Rivals.
Bring it.
-kc
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