From left to right, you have Max Talbot, Jordan Staal, Taylor Swift, Alex Goligoski & Tyler Kennedy. I'm not sure when this picture took place, but it was at a time when the four guys pictured all played for the Pittsburgh Penguins while Taylor Swift wasn't feeling 22 yet. Anyway, all four of the players are no longer part of the Penguins organization, and while they have each done well financially, they have not achieved the level of professional success they did as members of the Penguins. So is there a Taylor Swift curse?
It’s pretty crazy, but that’s hockey. Not too many guys stay with the same team their whole career. Maybe it was that Taylor Swift [jinx] thing. I don’t think I’ll be going to any concerts in San Jose with Taylor Swift, that’s for sure. But I thought we really came together as a line, and I think we had a great two, three years. We really became close as friends. Maybe that’s why we did so well on the ice. The biggest thing was, we just played well together.
(emphasis added)
Did they know she was trouble when she walked in? I wonder if there are teardrops on guitars somewhere.
I am a Pittsburgh Penguins fan born and raised in Pittsburgh. I have also now lived in the Washington DC area for almost a decade, so I follow the Capitals rather closely. Therefore, I thought I would contact bloggers who are fans of the Pens and the Caps to get their takes on the Winter Classic, scheduled for 1:00 PM Eastern time on New Year's Day.
What a solid group! Anyway, I asked these folks the following five questions about the Winter Classic. Check out their responses.
1. Please predict Alexander Ovechkin's stats for the Winter Classic (ex. goals, hits, penalty minutes).
Ben -1 goal, 1 assist Seth - 1 assist. The ice will be too slushy for skill player to do much. Expect some dirty goals. Leahy - No goals, three hits, 0 PIMs
Rob - Ovechkin will register a hat trick, have 5 hits and 4 penalty minutes on Saturday. Or he could just skate around, hit people, and maybe register an assist. The Caps hope for the former, the Pens the latter. The truth probably lies somewhere in between.
Brandon - Ovechkin is always a threat every time he steps on the ice, but he has never faced a scenario quite like this before and will need change things up if he wants to be a factor in the game. Last Wednesday the Pens defense seemed to have figured out how to limit his scoring chances AND there is the potential for weather and ice conditions that will limit his mobility so his stat line will probably look something like this: 0 G, 1 A, 5 SOG, +/- 0, 4 Hits, 2 PIMS, TOI: 22:30
Ngewo - 1 goal, 3 hits, 2:00
Pat - One hit, where he tries to kill Malkin (again), but misses (again) and flies through the glass above the boards instead, knocking himself out of the game.
Corey - Oh man. Michalek is going to be like white on rice (if we are talking about white rice and not brown or Cajun rice) so it is going to be hard for OV to get a ton of opportunities. He will get his scoring chances and probably put one into the nets. You think the "refs you suck" chant was bad at the Steelers/Oakland game wait till you hear the boo birds for that goal announcement. He will probably take a run at Geno and get two minutes but it won't be a Penguins power play because Matt Cooke will probably breathe to negate any Penguins power play. I also predict that OV might step foot in his own defensive zone for the first time this season. I know this is a ballsy prediction, but someone has to go out on a limb and say it. No even going there on his double tramp stamp, can't imagine how his dad feels about that.
Sean - 1 assist and 2 penalty minutes. Ovie gets all the pregame hype, but Backstrom will be the best player on the ice for the Caps.
2. Will Penguins' center Jordan Staal play and if so, how will he do?
Ben - Yes and he will suck. Seth – No. Leahy - No he will not.
Rob - If Staal can brainwash the Pens’ doctors, he’ll be back. If not, then he will begrudgingly watch from somewhere inside Heinz Field. If he plays, it’ll be mostly ceremonial.
Brandon - Wow, tough question. Jordan claims to be pain free and I'm sure he wants to get back out there as soon as possible but I just don't think this is the right game to do it. Even if he is cleared to play, his fitness and stickhandling will still take quite some time to reach where they were before his injury so I'm going to have to guess that he will be making his return sometime during the following week. But to answer the 2nd part of the question: If he does play, he will surely have a limited role. He probably won't be put on the penalty kill until everyone is 100% sure he is good to go. Finding a line for him is also difficult. I assume he will eventually center the 2nd line with Geno, but until his game is ready for that he will probably take most of his shifts with line 4. Can't see him being a major factor in the classic from there. That being said, I'd certainly love to have him back ASAP.
Ngewo - Yes, and he will get a SHG.
Pat - I have no inside information on this whatsoever, but my gut says no - the Pens are generally conservative and have a long term perspective. This is just another regular season game, after all.
Corey - Can't see him playing. As big as this game is to the fans and the NHL it is only one of 82 and it is the first day of January. No reason to rush him and play. He will be back later in January (hopefully) and be back to his dominating self shutting down power plays.
Sean - No but his brother will play in the Winter Classic next year.
3. How many times will Capitals coach Bruce Boudreau swear during the game?
Ben – All of it Seth – A lot. Leahy - I've set the over/under about 47, win or lose for the Caps.
Rob - The better question is “how many times will a microphone pick up Bruce Boudreau swearing during the game?” Seriously, he’ll probably be on his best behavior because of the national prominence of the event.
Brandon - Bruce certainly does like to use his favorite word quite often. He swears quite a bit when his team is doing well, and even more when they are not so I'm going to have to predict a number somewhere around 38.
Ngewo - 42 (36 of them will be F-Bombs) Pat - On NBC? None. On HBO? 87 times.
Corey - Oh man. If there is a whole hour dedicated to the Winter Classic on 24/7 then I would put the number at like 78. It is not that even Boudreau makes sense when he swears. Like if you put out a book that taught you the proper way to drop the f-bomb you would see nothing from 24/7 on there. He is awkward saying things and you can tell he does it just for the camera. Maybe he is in with Vegas to try and win some money so he can buy some more Primanti's sandwiches when he is in town. He could also be shaving "points". Lord knows he isn't shaving any pounds.
Sean - Pretending to be on a Hadeed Carpeting commercial, Boudreau will be good.
4. Any predictions and/or funny comments for Friday's Capitals-Penguins alumni game?
Ben - Alan May will get into a fight. Seth - Since Brian Bellows isn't playing for Washington, no. Leahy - Don Beaupre is going to get lit up like a Christmas tree ... like old times.
Rob - Like everything from the past era of the Caps-Pens series, this one heavily tilts towards Pittsburgh. The roster imbalance is a joke, which either speaks volumes about the inequality of the two franchises’ alumni base or, more probably, the willingness of the Caps’ alumni to put themselves through the experience of playing in bad weather when they’re out of shape. Let’s hope the NHL doesn’t find a way to use this as a tiebreaker for the real players.
Brandon - I almost feel bad for Bondra. The lone man going up against HOFers like Mario and Coffey as well as guys like Roberts and Guerin who could still probably play today if they wanted. I'm interested to see how much intensity will be brought. Obviously, there won't be fighting or slew foots but I wonder if maybe Mario will try to split the D for ol times sake or Gary Roberts might give someone a nice smack into the boards. -Pens Alums win by at least 5 or 6.
Ngewo - I got nothing for the alumni game, but I can guarantee that every time a Penguin gets a big hit during the Winter Classic at least 10 people will tweet (ugh, did I just use the word tweet?) that Goodell just fined James Harrison...
Pat - Nah - I'd love to watch it, but the last I heard, it wasn't going to be shown until January 5th or something like that...
Corey - This is going to be an absolute s**t show. It is going to be great to watch 66 be on the ice again and probably dominate anyone the Caps put on the ice but outside of him and some of the more recent guys that have played hockey in the last five years it is going to be pretty funny to watch. Just imagine your dad, or yourself, going out and trying to play a legit football game with his old buddies, or your alumni game if you were a college athlete. Exactly. Ton of fun for people to watch but don't expect a whole lot of great play.
Sean - Rick Tocchet will win a nice bit of cash on this game.
5. Who will win the Winter Classic (please include the final score and the player who will score the game-winning goal)?
Ben - The Caps, 4-3, Ovie will score the winner. Seth - Penguins 2-1. Matt Cooke. Leahy - Pens take it 4-2 with Chris Kunitz potting the third and decisive goal. Rob - Caps 3, Penguins 1. GWG by Mathieu Perreault. Brandon - Slushy ice and wind will probably = a low scoring game. Pens 3, Caps 1 -Backstrom scores for WSH -Sid scores the 1st, Talbot gets the GWG, and someone gets an empty netter.
Ngewo - Penguins! 3-2, Malkin
Pat - Penguins 4, Capitals 3 with Mark Letestu getting the game winner.
Corey - The Penguins win that game like 4-2. Someone like Mike Rupp will score the game winning goal. Bing will have a few points, probably a primary and secondary assist each. Bruce Boudreau will probably consume 2.5 dozen of full wings in between the first and second period and then 4 dozen "wing dings" between the second and third period and wash it down with Diet Coke in order to "watch his girlish figure". I think the Penguins are just the better overall team right now and that will propel them to victory. I Caps are talented but I can just see Mike Green looking like a pylon and letting Mike Rupp sneak behind him after a 50 foot shot gets stopped by whatever jobber the Caps decide to strap goalie pads on. Either that or Backstrom will shoot it into his own net. It will be a good game regardless as both teams will probably be on the top of their games, as we have heard neither team cares for each other even though everyone from the Washington fan base to the management has an inferiority complex for the Penguins. So is life.
Sean - Pens 4-2. I'll go with Pascal Dupuis (the Iceman!) with the game-winning goal.
Thanks again to all of these great bloggers for participating. Please make sure that you visit their blogs. In addition, please feel free to share your own predictions in the comments section below. Enjoy the hopefully rain-free game!
With Detroit’s win over the Chicago Blackhawks last night, the Red Wings will now face the Pittsburgh Penguins in a rematch of last year’s Stanley Cup finals. For all of you hockey fans and non-hockey fans (at least for now) out there, let me be of assistance for what you may (or may not) hear from the media over the next week.
- Marian Hossa was a member of the Pittsburgh Penguins last season and signed a one-year contract with Detroit this season.
- Jordan Staal does not have any brothers on the Red Wings.
- Chris Chelios will be the oldest player ever in the Stanley Cup finals at 72. (Actually, he’s only 47, and I have no idea whether or not he could be the oldest player ever in the Stanley Cup finals.)
- The Penguins are 3-0 in the playoffs when Craig Adams scores a goal. Why isn’t he playing 35 minutes a night?
- As a member of the Penguins last season, Ty Conklin was part of the trial of the decade against Marc-Andre Fleury on the old version of The Pensblog. (Just make sure that you also visit the new version of The Pensblog.) Conklin is now on Detroit.
- Detroit defenseman Brad Stuart is not related to singer Rod Stewart. (Although both think they are sexy.)
- Mikael Samuelsson played for the Penguins in 22 games during the 2002-2003 season. No one remembers this including Mikael Samuelsson.
- Where Have You Gone, Andy Van Slyke? He's a coach on the Detroit Tigers staff along with Jim Leyland and former Pirates Lloyd McClendon, Gene Lamont, and Rafael Belliard. I thought I would mention this since Detroit is facing Pittsburgh in the Stanley Cup finals.
- Jerome Bettis is from Detroit.
- Larry Foote is also from Detroit and recently signed with the Lions after leaving the Steelers. Foote will be supporting the Red Wings. (The same article pointed out that Whitehall, Michigan native Nate McLouth was undecided. Is he still? Dejan - get on this!)
- After not participating in the Eastern Conference finals against Carolina, will Pascal Dupuis (the Iceman) play in the Stanley Cup finals?
- Penguins coach Dan Bylsma has been an NHL head coach for only a few months longer than me.
- Dan Cleary is still from Newfoundland and is still the first and only native of Newfoundland to win the Stanley Cup.
- The Penguins touched the Prince of Wales trophy.
- The Penguins are 2-0 in series when I do these previews.
This just in (as I'm writing this on Wednesday night): the Stanley Cup finals schedule has been announced (h/t Empty Netters):
Saturday, May 30 at Detroit, 8:00 pm NBC Sunday, May 31 at Detroit, TBD-Night NBC Tuesday, June 2 at Pittsburgh, 8:00 pm VERSUS Thursday, June 4 at Pittsburgh, 8:00 pm VERSUS * Saturday, June 6 at Detroit, 8:00 pm NBC * Tuesday, June 9 at Pittsburgh, 8:00 pm NBC * Friday, June 12 at Detroit, 8:00 pm NBC
Finally, here's the latest Yinz Luv 'Da Guins video:
Now that the Pittsburgh Penguins defeated the Washington Capitals, we can all focus on the Eastern conference final between the Pens and the Carolina Hurricanes, who defeated the Boston Bruins in a tremendous game seven Thursday night. For those of you seeking storylines for the series, let me be of assistance of what you may (or may not) hear from sportscasters and writers over the next week.
- Eric Staal and Jordan Staal are brothers. I feel like you should hear this from me since the announcers will fail to mention this.
- Although Tuomo Ruutu is the brother of former Penguin Jarkko Ruutu, Pirate great Turner Ward is not related to Carolina's goalie Cam Ward.
- Scott Walker, who scored the series winning goal against Boston, is not a Texas Ranger even though he may think he is after punching out the Bruins’ Aaron Ward.
- Sergei Samsonov and Simeon Varlamov are not the same person.
- It's time for Bill Cowher to decide whether he supports the Penguins or the Canes.
- Cam Ward and Ryan Bayda are both from Saskatoon, Saskatchewan. OK, no one outside of Saskatoon will mention this, but I still think Saskatoon is one of the greatest city names ever.
- After watching hundreds of "The Portal at NHL.com" commercials, you will snap and want to "Scott Walker" guy who randomly (and unconvincingly) appears to be in the stands and locker room. Conversely, you realize that the FreeCreditReport.com commercials aren’t as bad as you originally thought.
- The Penguins will get all of the calls since the NHL wants Sidney Crosby in the finals. Oh sorry about that. I channeled my co-worker who is a Washington Capitals fan momentarily.
- Craig Adams is on a one-game goal-scoring streak! (Or the Penguins are undefeated in game sevens when Craig Adams scores a goal.)
- Ron Francis, Carolina’s associate head coach, won two Stanley Cups with the Penguins. Even if Francis decides to "Scott Walker" the cotton candy guy, which would completely out of character for this three time Lady Byng recipient, he will still be loved in Pittsburgh. (h/t Empty Netters for this video)
- Will the Pens see the return of Casey Hampton at its home games? Since Ric Flair is a huge Canes fan, who would win in a steel-cage match between these two?
Let's just hope Casey Hampton keeps his shirt on this time unlike during the Super Bowl parade.
I was the referee for a soccer game on Sunday that featured a predominantly Spanish speaking team. At one point, a player on the opposing team came up to me and said, "You know they are swearing in Spanish, right?" (Swearing can get a player a red card.) Um, no. Apparently, several players said "puta" during the game, which I now know means bitch. That seems like a very odd expression to say when your shot badly misses the goal. Perhaps son of a bitch, but just bitch doesn’t seem to fit. Regardless, my New Year’s resolution will be to learn Spanish swear words and the appropriate expression to tell the players that I know what they’re saying so knock it off.
I’m a little late in writing about this but Tuesday night’s Pittsburgh Penguins-Detroit Red Wings game was amazing. It's only November but the 7-6 overtime win will be the game of the year. I know there has been a lot of discussion about what to do with Jordan Staal, but if the Penguins are able to keep him at a reasonable price that fits under the salary cap, I think you have to do it. He’s only 20 years old! Of course, if he wants at least $5 million per year as has been reported, I don’t think that will be possible. The Pensblog and Empty Netters have much more about the game and the Penguins in general.
I watched exactly two minutes of the CMA Awards last night, but it was enough to see Lady Antebellum win the best new artist award. I actually heard of them since they performed prior to the Browns-Steelers game last year. I also saw Povertyneck Hillbillies perform at a Steelers game, so if they ever get back together, I’m sure they’ll win some type of CMA award.
My favorite Smithsonian museum, the National Museum of American History, is reopening next week!
Now that the Pittsburgh Penguins have defeated the New York Rangers, we can all focus on the Eastern conference final between the Pens and the Philadelphia Flyers. For those of you seeking storylines for the series, let me be of assistance of what you will hear from sportscasters and writers over the next week.
Pittsburgh and Philadelphia are both located in Pennsylvania, or some variation of this such as the battle of Pennsylvania or the Keystone State rivalry. Let’s face it: this is truly a battle between fans that choose pop versus fans who say soda.
In the Eastern conference semi-finals, Jordan Staal of the Penguins defeated his older brother Marc Staal of the Rangers. Jordan Staal has no siblings on the Flyers. (Or does he? [dramatic pause] No he does not.)
The Flyers’ R.J. Umberger is the Pittsburgh area. Specifically, Umberger is from Plum, which was on of the high schools that my high school faced regularly in sporting events (the last part will not be mentioned during any broadcasts).
Former Penguin Joe Mullen is now an assistant coach for the Flyers.
The last time the Penguins and Flyers met in the playoffs was the 1999-2000 season when the Flyers defeated Pittsburgh 4-2 in the conference semi-finals. The Penguins fourth leading playoff scorer during that post-season? Janne Laukkanen. (This useless piece of trivia will also not be discussed during any playoff coverage. In case you were wondering, Jagr led the Pens with 16 points in 11 playoff games followed by Martin Straka and Jan Hrdina with 12 points each.) Personally, I hope Versus or NBC shows footage of the epic 1989 series when the Flyers defeated the Penguins in seven games in the Patrick Division finals.
Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin are both young and very good.
The last name of Philadelphia’s Joffrey Lupul is a palindrome.
Riley Cote (202 penalty minutes during the regular season) and Georges Laraque (1,037 career penalty minutes) could fight. Of course, Laraque may be practicing more yoga lately as he amazingly has no penalty minutes so far this postseason.
With Wednesday’s release of the 2007-2008 NHL schedule, I am here to break-down the Pittsburgh Penguins schedule. I’d like to point out that the NHL apparently fears matching the Penguins with colors. The Penguins do not play against the Columbus Blue Jackets, Detroit Red Wings, St. Louis Blues or Chicago Blackhawks.
Friday, October 5, 2007 – at Carolina – The first game of the year!
Saturday, October 6 – vs. Anaheim – The Pens’ home opener against the defending Stanley Cup champions
Wednesday, October 10 – vs. Montreal – Sidney Crosby takes over the NHL points lead.
Saturday, October 20 – at Washington – I’ll be there!
Monday, November 5 – at New Jersey – I’ll watch the first two periods and then probably switch to ESPN for the Steelers-Ravens game. How am I going to watch both games plus Prison Break and How I Met Your Mother?
Thursday, November 22 – at Ottawa – The first time these teams will meet since the Stanley Cup playoffs. Hopefully, the result of this game will be better for the Pens than the last few against the Senators.
Saturday, December 29 – vs. Buffalo – Jay Caufield bobble-head night?
Friday, January 18, 2008 – vs. Tampa Bay – Michel Ouellet returns to the Burgh.
Wednesday, January 30 – at Atlanta – Jordan Staal scores his 17th short-handed goal.
Sunday, March 9 – at Washington – This is the same weekend as my brother’s wedding. I’m going to try to make it (it meaning the game; I will definitely make the wedding). Actually, the Penguins aren’t playing on Saturday. Maybe Sidney Crosby or Evgeni Malkin will attend the wedding!
Saturday, April 6 – at Philadelphia – The last game of the regular season. Sidney Crosby wins another scoring title.
My prediction is that the Penguins make the playoffs as the #6 seed. There will be some growing pains as there will be high expectations to start the season, which the team did not face last year. The division will also be better since the Flyers can’t be as bad as last year.
The second annual hockey road trip will take place again, dates to be determined. This year will likely include trips to Chicago, Detroit and possibly Minnesota. I think a game in Tampa and/or New York/Long Island/New Jersey could also be on the agenda.
Welcome to Sean's Ramblings! If you're looking for thoughts on pop culture, music, fun and informative links, random DC and Pittsburgh info, sports (particularly Pittsburgh sports), and just what's going on in my life, then you're come to the right place.
Any questions, comments or links? Contact me at seanramblings[at]yahoo[dot]com.
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