Badger Bob & Craig Patrick Poll Results, Mario & Winter Classic Cancellation?
Did you know James Neal scored 40 goals last year despite an average shot distance of 31.3 feet? By comparison, Crosby (25.4 feet) and Malkin (24.2) both shot from closer range. Brooks Orpik posted the longest average shot at 56.8 feet. Check out www.BehindtheNet.ca for all kinds of cool stats.
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I ran into someone close to the Penguins organization Saturday afternoon. As the circumstances were totally coincidentally, I asked this person what he thought of the lockout. Speaking to me as an average fan, the person thought the Winter Classic would be a casualty of the season. He said the NHL lost more money on the first Saturday night of games than it would with the Winter Classic. He believes there will be a season but said the Classic would be cancelled because of the advanced time necessary to schedule everything and make preparations.
NOTE: I feel like @hockeyinsiderrrr a little bit because I don’t want to reveal the person since he was speaking to me without thinking his thoughts would be printed. Plus, it’s just one person’s opinion – everyone’s got one yet no one really knows when this madness will end.
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The James Neal and Matt Niskanen trade for Alex Goligoski may be Pens GM Ray Shero’s best move. That said, wouldn’t it be nice to have a second blueliner after Kris Letang who could man a power-play point? Someone that can shoot, pass, help set things up. The team hasn’t had a second defenseman on the man advantage capable of bringing those skills since Goligoski left.
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Following Allan Walsh @walsha on Twitter is akin to driving past a major wreck on the highway. You don’t want to look but you can’t help yourself.
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After four games, the Baby Penguins are the lone AHL team without at least one point, going 0-4-0. The team has been outscored, 12 goals to six. Philippe Dupuis leads the team with two tallies. Trevor Smith, Riley Holzapfel, Joe Morrow and Eric Tangradi each have one goal apiece. Brian Dumoulin leads all defensemen with two points – both assists.
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Watching 24/7 Pens-Caps on TV over the weekend, the 2010 Winter Classic really marked the peak of a Penguins era and the beginning of some tough times. Rarely after the game would the organization dress all of its top players. Leading into the game, Jordan Staal was set to make his season debut. Staal had been slashed by a sloppy PK Subban skate in the prior postseason and then broke a wrist during practice during the ensuing recovery.
Sidney Crosby was playing the finest hockey of his life, the team was clicking on all eight cylinders – and then came the darn game. A day earlier, Mario Lemieux had skated with Penguin alumni on a beautiful day for hockey. Pittsburgh was in the midst of its coldest December on record ‘til the Classic. Forty-nine degrees, rain and a thought-to-be improved forecast moved the contest from the afternoon to night – dumb luck turned into a stroke of genius. A David Steckel hit later, however, would end of Crosby’s first phase of his career.
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The new Mario Lemieux website is up
here and can be found on Twitter @mariolemieuxFDN. I bought a couple Lemieux hoodies last year and there are new designs. Check ‘em out.
While searching for the Lemieux site I came across his career statistics. It’s a shame the team missed the postseason the last four seasons of his comeback. Of course, the losing led to favorable draft picks and even better players. It was interesting to see that teams Lemieux played for missed the playoffs more frequently than they made them, nine seasons to eight. He cherishes his two Stanley Cups for good reason.
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Hockey Buzz readers have crowned Badger Bob Johnson as the all-time Penguins coach. Johnson led all coaches with 55 percent of the vote. Scotty Bowman, who has been a part of 12 Stanley Cups – nine as a head coach, came in second with 32 percent.
Current head coach Dan Bylsma (20 percent) overtook the late Herb Brooks (15 percent) for third place with a late charge.
What a lineup of heavy hitters.
As far as all-time Penguins general managers go, Craig Patrick (51 percent) and Ray Shero (40 percent) duked it out for supremacy. Patrick’s trade for Ron Francis was probably the organization’s finest deal ever. Shero got the team to Cups in consecutive years and has done well in salary-capped era.
Eddie Johnston finished third at nine percent but is more than a bookmark. Johnston stayed strong and drafted Mario Lemieux when other franchises offered their entire lot of draft choices for the right to draft le Magnifique.
Thanks to all of the 600 voters who took the time to help compile the list.
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Treasure Life!
JT
Pittsburgh Penguins Blogger • 
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