Chris Bourque sent to waivers, Chris Kunitz and Alex Goligoski progressing slowly

by FrankD on Dec 4, 2009 3:39 PM EST in News Comment 19 comments

Chris Bourque

By now you're no doubt read the news that Hooks dished out earlier about the Pens sending Chris Bourque to waivers. I think situations like this are always unique, even more so in the case of a younger player that just doesn't seem to pan out. On one hand you really want to see the guy do well and benefit the team. As a fan you hope the guy under the radar can get his game on track and no longer be a negative factor on the ice. But unfortunately this isn't always the case and at some point, likely in the wake of a plummeting fan-approval rating, all hope is lost and a guy like Bourque is perceived as harming the team's progress more than helping. Once you lose the fans it's only a matter of time before you lose your spot on the roster. To quote the movie Gladiator, "Win the crowd and you will win your freedom."

In either case, it still remains unclear if any other NHL team will claim Bourque, although a healthy bunch do suspect Washington will come out to play again. After all, his departure from DC as part of a cap space move left a lot of the Washington faithful in a fit of, retrospectively speaking, unwarranted despair. In comparison to the current comments around the interwebs, look how "happy" the Pens fan base is to see him go to the waiver wire.

I think a recent comment from Pensburgh's very own Ulf Murphy embodies a solid fan perspective on the matter:

On a human level, we wish him well and hope he lands on a team that allows him the time to develop some kind of scoring touch in the future. Worst case scenario for him is that daddy made alot of money, so I don’t feel too bad.

From a rabid fan perspective, he was the worst player in a Penguins uni for the last 3+ years. I am pissed off on how long the Penguins let him continue to make the same bad plays, offensively, without doing this MUCH MUCH sooner. I would have rather seen ANY other player from WBS get called up than to continuosly watch this bum attempt to play this beautiful game.

After the jump, Chris Kunitz and Alex Goligoski take strides toward returning.

Still no exact date set for the return of either Chris Kunitz or Alex Goligoski, but according to the Post-Gazette, Dan Bylsma remains optmistic (and he likes the word "progressing" to describe it):

On GoGo: "There isn't a timetable on him yet, but he's positively progressing," Bylsma said.

On Kunitz: "He is progressing, but it's a situation where we don't want to [regress]. We want to keep going forward and be cautious. We have to keep in mind that we have 40-plus games to play yet this year. We're taking it slow with him."

I have to say I'd rather the two of them take their time in coming back to the ice rather than rush it. The team will obviously be better with them in the lineup, but for the time being they are doing just fine without them. So really, rushing a guy back only to risk further injury to the player is completely unnecessary. As seen earlier in the season with Tyler Kennedy, sometimes getting back out there as soon as possible can only do more damage.

However it will be nice once the two of them come off the shelf and return to the lineup. Kuni and GoGo remain the only two Penguins injured out of that rash streak of injuries that seemed to plague the team last month. The return of each player is evident in the overall results, as Pittsburgh looks to extend the current win streak to four games tomorrow against the Blackhawks.

Obviously getting the two of these guys back will be nice boost, but in the meantime do you notice any significant gaps without them around? The power play is clearly another subject all together...

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Comments

I’m glad to see the Bourque experiment over, but to say he’s the worst player on the Pens in th past three season is totally wrong…Kris Beech was on the Pens in 07-08!

Pensburgh.com

You come at the king, you best not miss.

by Hooks Orpik on Dec 4, 2009 3:50 PM EST via mobile reply actions 0 recs

haha Kris Beech is my eternal scapegoat. And what’s funny is he also ties in with the Caps. Something about that connection that just doesn’t pan out for some guys (Gonchar excluded)

Follow the Penguins on SBN @ Pensburgh.com and twitter.

by FrankD on Dec 4, 2009 3:53 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

Cooke is doing great and he came from the Caps aswel,

Also: A Gladiator quote, I approve!

On a sidenote, the bourque experiment may have failed but he’s part of the low risk medium – high reward deals that GMRS makes, for every bourque and pesonen there are players like Noted, Adams, Cooke etc, that provide this team with balance, grit and just a great playoff team.

There is a knack to flying: it's learning how to throw yourself at the ground and miss.

by Sid the captain on Dec 4, 2009 4:01 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

Beech, Sivek & Lupaschuk ! what a trio of turds they turned out to be.

by AronV on Dec 4, 2009 4:17 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

Beech was a 5 game experiment in 07. Borque deserved to be treated the same.

Besides, you should realize I like to embellish how bad I make my least favorite player out to be. Remember our differences on Whitney?

by Ulf Murphy on Dec 4, 2009 4:57 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

Yeah, in 07. He was a far worse experiment in 2001.

Follow the Penguins on SBN @ Pensburgh.com and twitter.

by FrankD on Dec 4, 2009 5:22 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

Yeah I know you were talking in hyperbole then (and now), just sayin…

Pensburgh.com

You come at the king, you best not miss.

by Hooks Orpik on Dec 4, 2009 5:33 PM EST via mobile up reply actions 0 recs

I will always appreciate you calling me out for being dramatic, but expect me to always criticize your monthly grades as being too easy!

“Yeah I know you were talking in HYPERBOLE then (and now), just sayin…” this is why you are an editor and I am a lowly commentor. Great 50 cent word! :)

by Ulf Murphy on Dec 4, 2009 6:20 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

I am honored Frank

Thanks for the front page. I am truly humbled to be taken at least semi-seriously.

by Ulf Murphy on Dec 4, 2009 4:58 PM EST reply actions 0 recs

It was a good comment, and I agree — I feel bad for him, and I hope he finds a place where he can contribute and feel good about himself. But, I am glad he will not be on our roster anymore because it wasn’t working out.

by Cari on Dec 4, 2009 5:19 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

Heh Well I really think the comment summed it up perfectly. It’s more or less what I wanted to say but didn’t have to type since i could just steal it from you ;-) (with credit of course)

Follow the Penguins on SBN @ Pensburgh.com and twitter.

by FrankD on Dec 4, 2009 5:22 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

really good comment Ulf… especially the second part of it… sums up my thoughts also, he got what… 1/4 of a season to show something? waaaay too much time!

You have to see it for yourself...

by Bla Razor on Dec 5, 2009 5:30 AM EST up reply actions 0 recs

PS – I’d also like to point out the following from Thursday’s game thread:

This is our last game of Bourque!

by ipenguin67

Linky

ipenguin67 = soothsayer

Follow the Penguins on SBN @ Pensburgh.com and twitter.

by FrankD on Dec 4, 2009 5:31 PM EST reply actions 0 recs

I'd like to point out that comment ended up with 9 recs.

Simulated Gameday Experience - just like the real thing, only we have smoke machines.

by Graysnail on Dec 5, 2009 11:46 AM EST up reply actions 0 recs

Stevens out in Philly

The Philadelphia Flyers, losers of six of their past seven games, fired coach John Stevens on Friday and replaced him with Peter Laviolette.

More at nhl.com

by John Carter on Dec 4, 2009 8:45 PM EST reply actions 0 recs

yeah I was gonna toss a little something up but then got really caught up with the folks over at Broad Street hockey. They have a solid thread going on over there.

Follow the Penguins on SBN @ Pensburgh.com and twitter.

by FrankD on Dec 4, 2009 11:46 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

Anyone pick him up?

Or did Borque clear waivers? I hope he clears waivers, sure he was (to borrow a line from the Movie Casino) “useless as tits on a boar” and no doubt he got a professional courtesy compliments his family name to play 1/4 of the season with the Pens. He really did absolutely nothing, nothing positive really. Hopefully he’ll clear waivers, firm up his game in WBS and come back and be a contributor, it might already be too late but I’d like to see a guy like him succeed and do it on a team I cheer for!

by Dutch71 on Dec 5, 2009 12:04 PM EST reply actions 0 recs