Good morning one and all! The Pens are playing a game in Chicago tonight and here is the lineup.
The Penguins were ranked top team in the NHL and are in the top 10 (#7) in all of professional sports in ESPN The Magazine's Ultimate Standings annual fan survey. The top franchise in all of sports is supposedly the Memphis Grizzlies. Um, okay.
In the relatively new and growing movement of hockey analytics serious geeks are looking at every possible angle. Here's another one: cap efficiency charts, or basically value for money. All that money spent on Sidney Crosby, up there by himself in the upper right, is basically money well spent. Tanner Glass, ugh, not so much.
Jussi Jokinen wants to be counted on. Our Finnish Swiss army knife was arguably the best addition to the team this past trade deadline, and will hopefully continue to deliver in the 2013-14 season. We also have a logjam on defense, and we've all been guessing as to which of these seven guys will get the last two spots on the bottom of the defensive roster.
Cal Clutterbuck suffered a nasty cut by skate during split-squad practice and will miss extended time. Doesn't sound good.
The latest in the sale of Florida Panthers to someone named Vincent Viola. Vinnie Viola and Timmie Trombone will make great music together.
Some rule changes are forthcoming. If you deliberately take off your helmet for a fight, it will cost you seven minutes instead of five. Goodbye, jersey tuck! Kris Letang says he's just fine with it, but Ovie thinks it's stupid. The first jersey tuck violation of the season was called on Alexander Semin Wednesday night. I can't wait for a playoff game to be decided by a jersey tuck. Immediately picturing the Caps and the Rangers ratting out one another. Tomas Vokoun thinks some of the goalie equipment is still bigger than it should be, even with the shorter pads.
Why would anyone make and market this? And why on God's green Earth would anyone wear it? Why, why, why?