First Blood: Pens’ Shero Strikes First, Still Has Money To Spend
Short-handed Scribbles -- notes taken From Rob Rossi, TribLIVE Radio Interview
-- High asking price for Iginla – top four defense prospect, a roster player and a 2013 first round pick.
-- Brenden Morrow fits better for what Pens are looking for.
-- Third Round Pick for Fifth Round Pick – might be closer to a second for a sixth, depending on how far Pittsburgh goes and how low Dallas drops (my thoughts).
-- Joe Morrow talked about attitude but talent supersedes attitude, Pens needed to break Morrow of some bad habits. Same went with Kris Letang when he first came to Pittsburgh.
-- Pens really like Olli Maatta, perhaps as much as any prospect for his overall game.
-- Don’t want to be known as team raiding other teams, like they did with Dallas and Alex Goligoski.
-- Morrow had top four potential but can’t pay everyone top-four money.
-- Never won East under Ray Shero, lost three straight years to lower seeds.
-- Letang eight years at a little more than $7 million. If he refuses then Pittsburgh will look to move him.
-- Can Brenden Morrow keep up with Evgeni Malkin? His health will determine his play. Missed 25 games last year with neck and back injuries. Didn’t commit long-term to him, perhaps Matt Cooke goes back up to second line.
-- Malkin’s 5-on-5 play hasn’t been dominant, that line will need to be better in the playoffs.
-- Bylsma likes Bennett playing on the right wing.
-- Brandon Sutter doesn’t grind opposing lines to the ground like Jordan Staal, but may have more offense. Cooke and Sutter have good chemistry going.
-- Fleury has 17 wins and other than a couple games has looked really, really sharp.
-- Pens done making moves? Can have 50 players under contract, have 46. Upgrade defense, fourth-line center, best cap situation since 2008. Prices are enormous right now. Only think this rules them out of Iginla.
-- Asked Sid if management is going for it, Sid said “absolutely.”
-- It’s been a long, long time since I took a healthy and mentally fit Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin and goalies going into playoffs. Ray Shero to Rob Rossi.
-- Shero says he better make the most of this. Doesn’t want to mess up top-line chemistry, good vibe right now. Let one slip away last year. Shero doesn’t want this to become too big of pressure, wants it to be more motivational, not an albatross. Rossi's opinion on Shero's mind-set.
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"Source: B’s bid for Morrow falls short,"
Joe Haggerty of Bruins Talk reports.
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Dallas Stars color man, Darly Reaugh, also spoke on TribLIVE radio Monday morning
Regarding Brenden Morrow:
Team guy, as team oriented as anyone I’ve ever come across. Sad to have a team captain’s role reduced to a fourth line in same venue, with same team.
2nd line? I think he can in short spurts, I don’t know if he can do it every night. He’s become a 4th liner because of injuries. Productive guy for a short time, maybe not a 30-goal guy of a few years ago but could still play well in big games.
Captain who led by example, fans loved that style but understand time marches on. Pretty excited about getting Joe Morrow. Joe Morrow’s going to practice with team this week.
If he scores from four feet out, that’s long range for him. He can be a net-front presence.
Burning desire, so close, so young. (Morrow lost in Stanley Cup Final in 2000, his rookie year, and hasn’t been back).
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Post-Game Penguin Interviews
Dan Bylsma
Sidney Crosby
Tyler Kennedy
Marc-Andre Fleury
James Neal
Peter Laviolette
Courtesy of Pittsburgh Penguins
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Brenden Morrow was drafted 25th overall in the 1997 NHL Entry Draft, held in Pittsburgh at the Civic Arena.
Click
here for a list of first-round draft picks taken that year. The big thing was Boston having two of the first seven overall picks. The Bruins chose Joe Thornton first and Sergei Samsonov, seventh. The Islanders selected Roberto Luongo 4th overall. Pittsburgh selected the mulleted Roberto Dome 17th.
Dome played 52 games with the Pens and one with the Calgary Flames.
That draft also yielded Matt Cooke, who was selected by Vancouver in the sixth round.
Morrow
debuted on Nov. 18, 1999. He went pointless on 13 shifts and 7:42 against Philadelphia in a 1-1 tie. Morrow scored his
first career goal against Patrick Roy in his third game.
Dallas lost the
1999-2000 Stanley Cup to New Jersey in six games in Morrow’s rookie season, one year after winning the championship.
Here’s Morrow’s career statistics page. He’s scored 30 goals two times, with a career high of 33, and tallied 42 assists twice. Morrow totaled 100-plus penalty minutes six times, topping out with 183 PIMs in 2005-06.
Morrow has 17 goals and 42 points in 78 career postseason contests. The Stars haven’t reached the playoffs since 2007-08.
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Tweets ‘O the Day
Shelly Anderson @pgshelly
Pascal Dupuis, who was slammed into boards by Coburn last night, is on the ice for #Penguins practice. So is Malkin.
Shelly Anderson @pgshelly
Dallas GM Nieuwendyk today suggested the trade to #Penguins will "fuel the fire" for Brenden Morrow, who had dropped to 4th line with Stars.
ROOT SPORTS™ | PIT @ROOTSPORTSPIT
Thx to the 515,000+ fans who tuned in 4 last night’s @penguins game vs. Flyers making it the HIGHEST rated reg. season game in our history!
Pittsburgh Penguins @penguins
All but James Neal accounted for at today's #Pens practice.
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Treasure Life!
JT
Pittsburgh Penguins Blogger • 
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