Stunned out of my Whits...:

Evidently, Shero was waiting for the first person to request some personal time to immediately trade him to the Anaheim Ducks. So when Ryan Whitney asked for some personal family time he was the lucky target. For those of you that didn't hear (and for those that did, I'm easy) Whits was traded today to the Disney Quackers for a jersey, 2 sticks and a used puck bag. Actually what he was traded for was a 'gritty, speedy winger' Chris Kunitz (pronounced Koon-its), and an interesting prospect, Eric Tangradi. I've never paid much attention to either of them, but they both shoot left handed, which seems to be a requirement for Shero to hire you. Coach Dan has both played with, and coached Kunitz (can we just call him knutz?) and thinks pretty highly of him. He's evidently the kind of player that goes to the net, and camps out which is something that the Pens have needed all year. He was 5th in goals with 16, and led the team in hits with 148, it's kind of a win-win stat sheet. Bylsma says, "You don't score many goals if you don't go to the blue paint. You will see Chris Kunitz in the blue paint." And you will also see him Friday in Chicago. This should create space for the edge players (Croz, Malk, et al) because someone will have to cover him. (or not, actually I prefer not) If they don't cover him, something like this might happen frequently:

I hate to see Whitney go, especially now that he seems to be getting back into stride with the whole new foot thing. But Kunitz, if he pans out, could be a welcome addition to the team. Shero had a bit of the 'deer in the headlights' look to him during his press conference. It could be that he's feeling a bit of the pressure. Hey, Shero... if you're looking for grit, I hear these guys are available:

Croz's Crotch Watch: El Capitan skipped another practice today, and there's no further word about whether or not he'll play Friday against the Chi-town Dark-birds.

Update to the Update: El Capitan will not play tonight against Shy-cago (what is a 'cago' anyway?) it seems that his crotch is still a problem. (uh.... nevermind) Tim Wallace is lurking somewhere around the team, and if he plays be prepared for more 'Grizzly bear eating the baby moose' stories.... (oh Great Spirit, what have we done to offend you that you punish us so?) Speculation is that either Dupuis or Thomas will replace the Croz in that line.... but who knows?

Extra Added Goodness: Didn't mean to leave out the other member of the trade deal. Eric Tangradi (Tan-gray-dee) I was snooping through Youtube for the youngster and found some nice things. But if you type his name and watch the stuff, remember that OHL doesn't have the ban on noise makers that most NHL arenas do.... someone is always blowing some damn plastic noise making thingy and if you hear enough of it it will drive you crazy. But here's some good footage of Chris being a tough guy....

Suckage and Suicide:

I'm not going to try to blow smoke up your ass. Sunday's game sucked. The score sucked, the announcers sucked, (curse you NBC!!), pulling Marc Andre Fleury in the second period sucked, the power play sucked..... let's just say there was much suckage, including the fact that all the wrong teams are winning their games (how the hell did Florida beat Boston anyway?).

But some things didn't suck.... or at least not as much. Garon kept the net clear once he was thrown to the lions, Mad Maximus scored his second goal in 3 games, Gonch scored another power play goal, and the ever dangerous Rob Scuderi was once again doing his imitation of male denial especially on Nylander's breakaway in the third period. The Pens matched the Caps physically, and strangely enough, that may not have been such a hot idea. It forced the Pens to try to beat the Craps at their own game while still trying to adjust to a new system. Not easy, especially when dealing with our own world class goalie who, let's face it, is in something of a slump for the last few games. Flower, we love ya, but when you're in the net, sometimes the guys have a tendency to lean on you a bit too much.

For the third game in a row Kris Le-tank sat sadly on the sidelines and watched (I think) the game like an average citizen. Possibly because of the tendency of coaches not to mess with what's working (you must respect the streak), he's waiting around like the goofy kid that didn't get picked for the game. (and let's face it, Kris is kind of goofy, incredibly talented, but goofy) Coach Dan has publicly said that he's hoping for a bit more from Kris in the way of intensity during games and practices. (Coach, if you're waiting for the Tank to become a serious player, you may have to wait a bit.... like until he's a grandfather or something) Rumors are flying around that his sitting out is a prelude to a possible trade. But this makes no sense. When you're ready to trade someone you keep him on the ice so the other teams can drool over him and offer you more, you don't sit him out. Besides, the way we were going through defensemen earlier in the year there's no such thing as having 'too many'.

Ratt-note: I will be among the crazed Pensaddicts flooding the Waste spaces with my inanities when and if the Pens make the play-offs. I have every confidence in their ability and the possibility of making the post season. But just in case the worst (?) happens and I can't find that bottle of pills right away, I won't be looking for a tall building to throw myself off of (what if I change my mind on the way down?), I'll be thinking about how the Pens played the last third of the season. If in the midst of my despair at having to watch teams that I don't care about in the play-offs and SCF I can look back and say 'Damn, those Pens never gave up, they fought all the way through' I'll put down the shotgun, empty the pill bottle into the sink, untie the rope from the rafters, and actually look forward to next season. All that 'character' rah-rah aside I might change my opinion if Rob Rossi's speculation about the possibility of Pierre McGuire becoming the next head coach of the Penguins becomes a reality. But if that horrible future actually takes place, I'll have more of a 'He goes before I do' mentality about the whole situation. Mr. Shero, these guys are on TV for a reason and that reason is... they can't coach, they can't play, and they enjoy kissing the wrong team's ass during a national broadcast! (ok that was more than one reason, but you get my drift)

Interesting..... but shtupid: TSN's Bob McKensy, is reporting that the New York Rangers have reached a secret accord with John Tortorella, former coach of the Lightning, for him to become head coach now that Renney has been fired. Just as soon as they ask permission to talk to him..... There's something backward about that, but that's the way it goes sometimes. And when someone can explain that to me, I'll get them to work on this one: How do you get fired while coaching a 6th place team? The mind wobbles.

But that brings something else into the pinball table I call a mind: Don't be surprised if you see FHC (Former Head Coach) Michel Therrien behind the bench next season. I wouldn't be at all shocked to see him behind the bench of.... oh..... say the same team that is now being called 'Penguins South'? I mean, they took everyone else, didn't they? Malone, Hall, Recci, Roberts, et al? And the Lightning are 3rd from the bottom in the Conference. I have no inside information,(ok, I'm talking out my ass) but it's something to think about.

New Penguin and Migration:

Marc Andre Fleury and most of the rest of the pens are taking a few days off during the All Star Break. Kris Letang, Evgeni Malkin and Sidney Crosby will all be making a trip to Montreal. That is, if El Sid wouldn't rather take the time to rest his knee/hip/ankle/undisclosed. Le-tank is playing in the Junior Stars game, well, mostly because he couldn't get an invite to the adult table I guess. I've taken some time between posts as well. (did you notice? I thought I noticed you noticing) but the Penguins have not been idle... wait a minute, yes they have, that's the whole point.... sheesh.

For those of you that haven't heard Ray Shero signed Jason Anderson to a one day deal the day of the 'Canes game. I'm going to throw a vid atcha, but I've got to warn you, keep the tissues handy, because you'll be welling up by the end.

Jason had most of the day with the Pens, and a big part of that was spent being toted around by the guy he replaced on the first line, Matt Cooke. (Jason was posted on the board on the line with Geno and Sid) He got to take a couple of shots at Flower and went 1-4. MAF said, "I gave it my all. I did not want him to get much on me and to show him who is king out there on the ice. I think I did well. He still scored, so I think we're even, he did a good job." Jason spent the pre-game in the penalty box and the game in seats behind the player bench with his sister and parents. After the game all the players signed his official jersey. This was the 10,000th wish granted by the Pittsburgh chapter of the Make a Wish Foundation, the most of any single chapter in the country. Which kind of shows you that the sports teams around here (quite a few wishes of the total) are a bunch of soft touches when it comes to kids, and I heartily approve. (I have my official seal of approval around here somewhere)

Migrating Penguins: The Pens have shifted so many players down to WBS that they should have just gotten a bus to get a group rate. Jeffery, B-nasty, Minard, Thomas and Pesonen within the last week or so have all been re-assigned to the Baby Pens. How do these guys handle living it two different cities across the state? I'll bet they've seen more groundhogs while driving across the state, than the people in Punxsutawney (damn that's tough to spell). (Thankfully, I'm not Bill Murray, so I won't have to do that again tomorrow.) Maybe they should just get a house in State College, or Dubois, you know, halfway in between.

Big Hits: Evgeni Malkin has done his best to enhance the reputation of the tough Russian hockey player recently, pasting people into the boards at random intervals. Well, the NHL has decided that his hit on Zherdev during the Raggers game was worthy of the #3 spot this week.(just the hit) (the whole top 10) I'm curious to see what Malkin and O'retchkin will do playing on the same team this weekend. You know there's not supposed to by any hitting, right guys?

Give us a Break: Somehow I figured when the Pens started winning a couple of games we'd be in more of a relaxed mode, media and fan-wise. In my incredibly unofficial poll I see that the fans are ranging from 'Looking up' to 'I don't want to get my hopes up yet'. While the media seems stuck somewhere around, 'this could be just the third bob to the surface for a drowning team'. Seemingly because the Pens are 2-1 for the last three games instead of 3-0. Molinari, over at PPG.com seems to think that the Pens need to 'regroup' after the 2-1 loss to the 'Canes, Tues. He also wonders if the power play, or something else 'betrayed' the Pens in that game. (Yeah, the PP is a traitor to the Cause) Shero, on the other hand, praises the team in one breath, and says that the Pens 'must be a playoff team' in the next.
Let's all take a bit of a trip to Lastweekland, shall we? Remember when all we wanted was for the Pens to win a game? Then we all made sacrifices to the Hockey Gods (the HG are not interested in virgins) to maybe, possibly, hopefully help the guys win TWO in a row. Let's gain a little perspective, ok? Even Stanley Cup winning teams lose the occasional game now and then. Let's not jump out of our collective windows yet, ok people? There's still a couple of games to go, and the guys are playing better hockey than last month. So let's enjoy what we've got, ok?

Late Late Late Edit: The NHL Network is showing a progam of Mike Lange on 'Voices'. It should be posted on their site sometime, and if I find it, I'll swipe it, in the fine tradition of TFS.....

A Very Penguin Thanksgiving:

Giant Flying Penguin Crushes Onlookers at Local Parade on Long Island!
Seriously (sort of) in the next 24 hours or so tens of thousands of people will go from watching the Pens against the Isles to a triptophane induced coma watching the Detroit Lions get their butts handed to them for the 14th Thanksgiving in a row. Translation: Hockey good, Football...... ok. So here's my contribution to the Holiday festivities. When someone in your house zonks out on the couch, face to the ceiling, snoring away, take one of those leftover brown and serve rolls that turn into rocks 20 minutes after they cool down, and place it ever so gently on their forehead and take a picture. (blackmail is such an ugly word, we prefer 'extortion') OK, on to hockey stuff!

Ray Shero, Gilles Meloche (goaltender coach) and Asst. General Manager Chuck Fletcher, all agree on one thing: Back-up to the back-up goaltender, John Curry is a 'Battler'. I think they mean that he never gives up on a game and he'll fight all the way through it. But it also might mean that if you get on his bad side he'll pop you in the schnoz. I had a chance to watch him during pre-season practice and I've said before that I like what I saw. He's a bit small at 5'11'', but he manages to cover the entire net if only through sheer stubbornness. Shero stated, "Curry wouldn't be with us if we didn't think he could handle the situation. You don't hand that kind of responsibility to a guy if you don't think he can handle it". Nuff said.
After game note: If you didn't believe me before, then perhaps this will convince you. John Curry making a timely save in his shut-out two period effort tonight on the Island.

What can you say about Evgeni Malkin? He's a beast, just a Russian hockey playing beast. I was glad to see him take the empty net shot he's passed up so many times recently to get the hat-trick. Also stealing a page from El Capitan's book to score his second goal sliding on his butt. 4pts for Geno, 3 for El Sid and a goal for Brooksie for a 5-3 comeback win. The Penguins lead the league in comeback wins with 10 now, but I'm pretty sure I could do without the whole 'Cardiac Kids' routine. I'll take any win we can get, but if I had my 'druthers' I'd like to see more blow-out wins and less 'blood pressure checks'. FSN will be showing the Winter Classic and Game 5 of the SCF on Turkey Day 2ce each, so you can avoid that whole 'Oh my God is that football game over yet?' thing if you want.

If you look at the third question on PPG's Pens Q&A you'll find an interesting speculation on what would happen if all the players on the team participated in the OT shootout and the teams were still tied. Would the goalies be able to have a go at it? Molinari says that the rules don't specifically forbid it, and while it might be cool to see Flower in full gear trying to deke out Ludnqvist it probably won't happen. But it sounds soooo cool.
More stuff later, but I just had to steal something from Snoop over at The Sidney Crosby Show. It's the guys, Including Marc Andre Fleury, The Tower of Flower Power, wishing everyone a happy Thanksgiving. Once again, I saw it, and just had to have it, I've given her stuff too, so I don't think she'll come after me, or anything.

Arbitration Situation

Pittsburgh Penguins.com is reporting that the Pens have filed for salary arbitration with Marc-Andre Fleury.

Essentially this gives Ray Shero more time to negotiate with Fleury and he won't become a free agent on July 1, 2008.

For more on NHL salary arbitration, please see this About.com article.