Pittsburgh press, more lunacy

[miksteri 55]

http://www.pittsburghlive.com/x/pittsburgh...s/s_576092.html

By Joe Starkey

TRIBUNE-REVIEW

Saturday, July 5, 2008

The storm has passed. Took with it the Penguins' top two wingers in Marian Hossa and Ryan Malone, plus character guys such as Jarkko Ruutu, Gary Roberts and Adam Hall, an enforcer in Georges Laraque and a solid backup goaltender in Ty Conklin.

What's left?

Only an embarrassment of riches.

What's left?

story continues below

Only the best team in the Eastern Conference.

What's left?

Only a club whose elite young core is nearly secured - Jordan Staal being the final item on the to-do list - for the next several years at unbelievable bargain rates.

So, please, spare us the wailing over Hossa. Spare us the fretting over Ruutu and Conklin.

Now, I would have gone harder after Malone. He probably would have taken less than his market value, too, as so many of his teammates have done.

I love Malone's skill and grit and leadership ability. He's a late bloomer who might still get better. But it's not like he's irreplaceable. Staal can do as much damage or more in front of the net on the power play, and free-agent signee Ruslan Fedotenko will help make up for the missing 27 goals.

Put it like this: If you gave a prospective coach, general manager or owner the choice of any team in the East, 95 out of 100 would choose this one.

The other five would be whisked away in a straitjacket.

Clearly, the Penguins are the strongest team at center, with Sidney Crosby, Evgeni Malkin, Staal and Maxime Talbot. Only the Philadelphia Flyers reside in the same neighborhood (though not the same block) down the middle.

Nobody will put more talent on the ice for power plays, if the Penguins deploy, say, Crosby, Malkin and Staal up front with Sergei Gonchar and Ryan Whitney on the points. Nobody has a superior defense, and nobody has a significantly better goaltending situation.

And if you think the Penguins are the only club lacking elite scoring punch and some depth on the wings, go check three-quarters of the other rosters and remember that the team you see now might not be the team you see in October, and the team you see in October definitely won't be the one you see in March.

Rentals remain an option.

In the salary-cap era, every team outside of Detroit has holes. Look at Ottawa's lack of depth on the wings. Look at Tampa Bay's defense (and would anyone feel entirely comfortable with Mike Smith and Olaf Kolzig in goal?). Look at the Flyers' depth on defense. Washington's, too. Look at some of the misguided contracts lavished in free agency, starting with the Rangers' ridiculous six-year, $39 million deal for 31-year old defenseman Wade Redden.

Last we saw Redden, he was doing a wonderful imitation of a speed bag as the Penguins beat him to a pulp in the first round of the playoffs.

A popular line in the wake of the free-agency flurry goes like this: The Penguins are worse today than they were a month ago.

Considering that Miroslav Satan and Fedotenko have essentially replaced Hossa and Malone, that point is hard to argue at face-value. But it fails to take into account a crucial point: The Penguins' best young players still have significant upside.

People talk about these guys as if they are finished products. They aren't close. Staal is 19 years old. He will look like a different player in a few years, as he matures into his offensive potential.

Crosby is 20. His next frontier is to develop a finisher's touch and improve his goal-scoring output. I have no doubt he will. The greatest athletes find ways to get better each season, the way Magic Johnson improved his shooting touch and scoring ability with age.

Malkin is 21. As he grows into that lanky frame, he stands a chance to become an even more devastating force and perhaps the best player in the world.

Goaltender Marc-Andre Fleury is 23. He began last season as the youngest starting goaltender in the NHL.

Whitney is 25 and has yet to reap the benefits of playing his natural spot at the right point on the power play.

Defenseman Kris Letang is 21 with possibilities of becoming a future All-Star.

Losing Hossa obviously was the greatest disappointment of the past week, but in the end, the Penguins managed to reinforce their team-first culture. As with the Red Wings, it is one predicated on sacrifice with an eye toward winning. We knew that was true on the ice. Now, in the wake of Malkin, Fleury and Orpik all taking less than market value, we see it is just as true in contract negotiations.

Make no mistake: The so-called hometown discount is alive and well in Pittsburgh. If you'd asked me after the Cup final, I'd have said Orpik was gone, and Malkin would want more money than Crosby.

Too bad Hossa didn't buy in. Too bad Malone and the others are gone.

But what's left, you ask?

A lot to look forward to, I'd say.

----

[Superman54 91]

I strongly disagree about them having a better power play unit then any other team. I guess we will just have to wait and see...

[ThePensblog 0]

Nobody will put more talent on the ice for power plays, if the Penguins deploy, say, Crosby, Malkin and Staal up front with Sergei Gonchar and Ryan Whitney on the points.

He didn't say it was the best PP in the East.

[Cicada 4]

Nobody will put more talent on the ice for power plays, if the Penguins deploy, say, Crosby, Malkin and Staal up front with Sergei Gonchar and Ryan Whitney on the points.

He didn't say it was the best PP in the East.

thats actually a fairly weak powerplay considering they'res no screen there. Malkin is scared to get physical and the other 4 are most perimeter players..

i'd take our 1st and 2nd unit over them anyday

[ThePensblog 0]

That's not the point.

[Cicada 4]

That's not the point.

i'd argue the 'talent' point as well..

Crosby, Malkin yes..

but the other 3 are scrubs

[Doggy 130]

i'd argue the 'talent' point as well..

Crosby, Malkin yes..

but the other 3 are scrubs

:rotflmao:

Yeah, real scrubs. Lol.

[miksteri 55]

They still have good group, but the question is, can they win the cup with Therrien behind bench?

Even if they faced any other team from west in the finals?

I wasnt really impressed with him in the finals, isnt it head coach's job to do the talking during the timeouts?

And there are other, much better coaches available, im not complaining if they stick with Therrien

[Systemfel 33]

For how many losing years is Pittsburgh going to use the, "We're sooo young, we will only be better in the future" excuse?

[19Hockeytown5 0]

For how many losing years is Pittsburgh going to use the, "We're sooo young, we will only be better in the future" excuse?

What's amazing is they actually beleive that. Almost all of their fans think they are gaurenteed a return trip to the finals, but I ask how many 1 year wonder teams have you seen over the last 5 seasons? They vastly underestimate the losses to their team.

Even though I am nuts we added Hossa to an already stellar roster I realize we are not just going to cake walk to the finals. ANYTHING can happen, hot goalies, hot teams, injuries, bad bounces...ect. It's the stanley cup playoffs...I have learned to appreciate our cup wins even more now after the heart breaking losses.

[UKWING 8]

they will still be one of the best teams in the east and i would not be at all surprised to see them make the SCF again next year.

[stormboy 47]

For how many losing years is Pittsburgh going to use the, "We're sooo young, we will only be better in the future" excuse?

i'd have a hard time calling the penguin's last season a "losing" one.

[Systemfel 33]

i'd have a hard time calling the penguin's last season a "losing" one.

Losing as in "failing to win the Cup."

[Reds4Life 51]

Nobody will put more talent on the ice for power plays, if the Penguins deploy, say, Crosby, Malkin and Staal up front with Sergei Gonchar and Ryan Whitney on the points.

He didn't say it was the best PP in the East.

Hmmm..let's see.

Datsyuk Zetterberg Hossa

Rafalski Lidstrom

Yeah..that's way more talent than your unit has

[betterREDthandead 58]

What's amazing is they actually beleive that. Almost all of their fans think they are gaurenteed a return trip to the finals, but I ask how many 1 year wonder teams have you seen over the last 5 seasons? They vastly underestimate the losses to their team.

I think they're guaranteed a return trip too. Not this year, maybe, but Crosby will win a Stanley Cup in Pittsburgh before all's said and done.

And I don't see how this article is "lunacy."

[UKWING 8]

Hmmm..let's see.

Datsyuk Zetterberg Hossa

Rafalski Lidstrom

Yeah..that's way more talent than your unit has

i can't see the wings putting that line out there. they will want to have someone to screen the goaltender - whether it be homer, mule or cleary.

having said that i do think that a PP unit of dats, hank, homer, raf and lids is a more talented one than crosby, malkin, staal, whitney and gonchar.

both units are pretty damn talented though!!

[SouthernWingsFan 854]

http://www.pittsburghlive.com/x/pittsburgh...s/s_576092.html

By Joe Starkey

TRIBUNE-REVIEW

Saturday, July 5, 2008

How is this article ridiculous? Of course with a sports hometown journalist you might have some positive homer bias towards your team. And it's not like Pittsburgh is bare of talent after all this, they are still probably going to be one of the better teams in the Eastern Conference next season.

[chrisdetroit 189]

they will still be one of the best teams in the east and i would not be at all surprised to see them make the SCF again next year.

Yes, but even they admit that they are no match for the Wings...

So unless somebody knocks of the Wings, their will be no cup in Pittsburgh.

[grsbmd 0]

I don't think this is dumb at all. There's nothing wrong with a writer looking at the glass as half full. Who, in the east, is clearly better than Pittsburgh right now? I don't think anyone is clearly better. They'll still contend for the conference title this season.

[eva unit zero 271]

The lunacy in that article:

Saying that Satan+Fedotenko=Hossa+Malone, or the comment about 'Hossa not buying in' to the hometown discount philosophy when he took FORTY MILLION LESS than Pittsburgh offered to go to a team that had a much better shot at winning. After all, The Wings without Hossa beat the Pens with Hossa....so the Wings WITH Hossa should be even further ahead of the Pens without Hossa.

[nkuehnl 0]

I don't think this is dumb at all. There's nothing wrong with a writer looking at the glass as half full. Who, in the east, is clearly better than Pittsburgh right now? I don't think anyone is clearly better. They'll still contend for the conference title this season.

Bingo. The Pens are the best team in the East right now, and that's all the writer is trying to say.

That said, they are highly overrating Fedotenko. Fedotenko played with Lecavalier or Richards for most of his time in Tampa and he didn't do anything. I can't see how Malkin or Crosby are going to turn him into more than the 45-50pt player he is. Satan is also not better than Sykora, and Sykora scored 60 points.

Still, even though their wingers are mediocre, they have the best centers in the conference and a great young defense backstopped by Fleury. Pittsburgh has nothing to worry about.

[cupcrazy 13]

In the salary-cap era, every team outside of Detroit has holes.

SO many people said the Wings would be done without there deep pockets,and they adjusted better than any other team to the cap era!

[DraperFan MN 0]

How is this article ridiculous? Of course with a sports hometown journalist you might have some positive homer bias towards your team. And it's not like Pittsburgh is bare of talent after all this, they are still probably going to be one of the better teams in the Eastern Conference next season.

Have to agree with SWF here. This article makes a lot of great points. They are working at locking up their core, just as the Wings have done in a way to help them keep their core together.

The only mistake the writer makes is not qualifying "the most skill on the pp" being the best unit in the east. Pretty hard to look at the Datsyuk, Zetterberg, Hossa, Lidstrom, Rafalski unit as not being THE most talented overall PP unit in the league.

Good God, that is a sick 1st PP Unit.

Edited July 6, 2008 by DraperFan MN

[Stevie4Pres 0]

Maybe I have a mis-conception of what a "hometown discount" is but I thought a hometown discount referred to a player taking less money to play for the team that he grew up close to (geographically). For instance, Rafalski taking a discount because he grew up in Dearborn. Why does Pittsburgh refer to every signing as a hometown discount. Every article I've read insinuates that each player should sign for less money in order to get the "Pittsburgh Hometown Discount" whether they are from Minnesota or Russia. This just doesn't make sense to me. Can anyone explain?

[DraperFan MN 0]

Maybe I have a mis-conception of what a "hometown discount" is but I thought a hometown discount referred to a player taking less money to play for the team that he grew up close to (geographically). For instance, Rafalski taking a discount because he grew up in Dearborn. Why does Pittsburgh refer to every signing as a hometown discount. Every article I've read insinuates that each player should sign for less money in order to get the "Pittsburgh Hometown Discount" whether they are from Minnesota or Russia. This just doesn't make sense to me. Can anyone explain?

Good point. If Rolston had signed here for less term and money he got elsewhere, that would have been a hometown discount.