No MSG, Please:

Would you buy a used car from this woman?

I was getting ready to post today (sleeping on the couch) when it occurred to me, that sending my Zombie Witch Doctor (Certified Professional) to the Igloo wouldn't help take off the curse that's been plaguing the Pens in Madison Square Garden (House of Hate) this year. The Pens are 0-2 there this season and, other than the play-offs last year, they haven't won there in two years. I tried to contact my Zombie Witch Doctor, and was promptly told to go do something to myself that I'd always considered anatomically impossible. (I'm just not that flexible) After further negotiation, (begging and pleading) and the purchase of one of the Voodoo Dolls (looks just like Jagr), at her roadside stand she agreed to 'do what she could'. Actually if I'd been thinking I'd have remembered how many Zombies already live in New York, and just made a phone call. (they're in the Yellow Pages) If that doesn't help I'll have to give her a talking-to (She scares me)

Stuff Not Zombie Related: Mike Zigomanis (Ziggy) has been placed on Injured reserve according to PP.com. I don't pretend to understand all the strange, other-worldly intricacies of the CBA, or the aliens that wrote it, but putting Ziggy on IR must have something to do with Salary Cap, because all it seems to mean to us is he definitely won't play for the next week. After 15 games what's one more week? The Pens could really use his face-off win percentage. (duh)

TK also mentions in the article that he's 'Feeling sore, but good', and despite his 13 minutes of ice-time it'll still take a while to get his 'legs under him'. (who are they under now?)

Update-ish: Tyler Kennedy will evidently be boosted up to the first line. This could be a good thing, but might take a while to develop. TK's speed and lack of concern for his bodily parts could open up some chances for El Capitan and Super-Duper. Also it's going to cause someone fits to have the three fastest skaters on the team on the same line. Having someone willing to crash the boards (and anything else) will keep Sid from having to hesitate about getting caught low and not be able to get back on defense. He can cruise high in the zone and cut off the pass or defend the rush. No one has to tell TK to go to the puck, because he'll already be there. I don't often make predictions, but it wouldn't surprise me to see a multiple point game out of that line. If not tonight, then soon.

Therrien is not saying who he's going to send in tonight out of the 8 (count them, 8) defensemen he now has at his disposal. With Boucher now healthy enough to join the line-up HCMT almost has enough defensemen (for a while) to start a new team. (I hear angelic music in the background) Right now PP.com has Eaton and Boucher as scratched, but that's just someone's guess.

Some Time for Sergeants: When I saw this article about how the Pens are missing Sergei Gonchar, I thought, 'Well, Duh. But it actually had more to do with how they're missing the presence of the Veteran Defenseman, more than his goals or play on the ice. (though they're missing that too) I forgot to remember what I already knew (huh?) Sarge is more than a force on the ice, he's a stabilizing influence on some admittedly young players. He's the ultimate 'Been there, done that, calm down it'll get better' guy in the locker room. Frankly, the guys might need that more than his ice-time (which they need a lot). The frustration these young guys are going through isn't going to make the come-back trail any easier, or quicker.(PPG's similar article) There's still no time table for Sarge's return, but he'll see the doctor next week and take it from there. Gonchar and his wife are expecting the arrival of their second daughter sometime in March, leaving Sarge and the Cat (Why name it? They never come when you call) as the only males in the house. (4 sisters growing up, I feel your pain Sarge)

Staying the Course: Ray (you gotta love him, he looks like a Smurf) Shero has no plans to make any major deals.... well, let me rephrase that, what he actually said was, "I would not make a trade now, that I wouldn't have made in the first 20 games.". That still leaves the possibility that someone already at the ticket counter may still be on the way out. There's not much in the way of 'blockbuster trades' going on right now anyway. But Ray doesn't think that a trade is what the team needs to get better. I agree. Won't keep me from being as frustrated as a married sailor watching the ever tightening spiral of flush-water that is the season at the moment. But I agree with him, freaking out at this time of the season and bailing on the guys isn't going to solve anything. Stay the course, Ray, and try to ignore all the cursing I'll be doing, it's just a Pensaddict venting.

Younger Hockey: I haven't been watching much since the US team was torpedoed by Canadia and some Former-Russian Country team in successive nights, but Team Canadia and Team Sweden will meet tomorrow night in the gold medal game. The Coach most well known for his motivational speeches, Pat Quinn, thinks that Sweden looks like the better team 'on paper'. Much more of his brand of motivation and the Canadian team will concede with a 5 goal lead.

Ramble on, Ramble on: Rob Rossi over at the Trib seemed to have some problem filling out the space he needed in an article, so he called his Trib-pal Joe Starkey in to give him a hand. They both proceeded to keep babbling about in circles about everything from hardest places to play, best places to play and so on and so forth, until I couldn't remember that the article started out talking about how MSG is a tough place to play, but some of the Pens (Crosby, Geno, Whitney) actually like playing there. (yep, they're crazy) Oddly some of the current and former Rags don't like the 'attention' from the fans at MSG. (don't they put that in Chinese food?) Then, evidently because the article hasn't covered two pages yet, he calls in John Bombulie (hell of a name) to cover the prospects coming up through WBS. (spoiler: Lovejoy is a good defenseman) (what insight, what knowledge). Then, all the way at the bottom of the article they mention that Monday's game against the Rangers will be on VS at 7pm. (Good thing I've got a schedule.... uh... never mind).

I'll probably post more on this Monday evening, (hey, I did that) but don't look for any more interviews until the Pens stop acting like someone killed their collective Kittens.... If I wanted to look at someone who looked like that, I'd look in the mirror, ya know?