In Shero We Trust

It's been a while since I've posted, so I want to make some quick remarks about the Pens and their recent activities.

I almost vomited when Pierre McGuire went on and on and on last Monday night about how much the Capitals miss Mike Green. How good the Captials will be when Mike Green returns. Is this the same Mike Green that the Caps were rumored to be shopping around last summer? Is this the same Mike Green that plays about as much defense as me sitting on the couch?

Well hey Pierre, just think about how good the Penguins would be if they had a healthy Sidney Crosby, Evgeni Malkin, Brooks Orpik, Chris Kunitz, Paul Martin, Aaron Asham, and Tyler Kennedy. They just got Mark Letestu and Dustin Jeffrey back and it already paid dividends against Toronto.

The Pens are completely decimated by injury. Jordan Staal missed the first half of the season. Staal, Malkin, and Crosby only played 2 games together all season. I understand that injuries are part of the game, it happens. This team could be really good if healthy; however, they are not and this is probably not the year they make another run at the Cup, but Shero still was wheeling and dealing.

This team still has the third most points in the East while fielding a squad of AHLers. Wilkes-Barre was dominating the AHL, then their whole team was shipped up to the big leagues, and they still are dominating. Kudos to the management in WBS.

One thing we can count on, year in and year out, is Ray Shero making moves to improve the team. Sometimes it works: Roberts, Laraque, Hossa, Gill, Guerin. Sometimes it doesn't: Ponikarovsky. But nonetheless he will make moves. This year was no different. He traded Goligoski, I hated to see him go for the sole reason that I own his jersey, for a talented young winger in James Neal, and a young, talented but unproven D-man in Matt Niskenen. Goligoski had to go. All 7 defenders were signed through next season. Letang, Orpik, Martin, and Michalek couldn't be traded. So out of Goose, Lovejoy, and Engelland, Goligoski was the obvious candidate to garner a return. So Shero make the move, pulls the trigger and gets Neal. A winger that has another year on his contract and knows how to light the lamp. This could be a move for next year, but why get Sid a winger if he won't be back this season. Maybe they know something we don't know. A line with Crosby, Neal, and Kunitz has the making of something special. Crosby is the superstar play maker, Neal the sniper, and Kunitz the grinder that every good line needs.

Then Shero steals Kovy back from Ottawa. It only took a conditional 7th round pick to bring the Cosmonaut back the Pittsburgh. Granted Kovy had worn out his welcome with the Sens, and he is a little old and nowhere near the player he was during his first stint in the Burgh. Wouldn't be terrible to see him do this again though.



Sign Bobby Lang and Marty Straka and bring back the KLS line. Why not bring back JJ while we are at it. Doesn't matter if we don't win the Cup it would be an awesome post season.

So far Neal has looked pretty tough. He hasn't scored, but he backchecks like a beast, throws his body around in the corners and is not afraid to get in front of the net and mix it up. It doesn't look like he can create his own space to shoot, but when he gets a healthy Crosby skating next to him he will be fine.

Kovy has looked awesome so far. He scored a goal in regulation and the winner in the shootout to beat the Leafs. He looks like he means all business right now. He knows he is playing for a contract somewhere next season. He methodically carries the puck like Gonch did, maybe that is a special skill the Ruskies have, which takes a great load off of Letang, especially on the Power Play. Kovy might not be as fast as he once was, but he is still a playmaker and can be a difference maker in a long series.

Speaking of Letang, these moves Shero made has helped him out the most. Since the slew of injuries, Letang hadn't looked like his pre-All Star Game self. He was just trying to do too much. Without Crosby and Malkin, he is the best puck handler and skater on the team. He was trying to do too much offensively while logging team-high minutes on D. Something was going to give. Thanks to the acquistions of Kovy and Neal, he won't have as big of a burden on himself offensively, and can focus on his main duties on defense.

We will have to wait and see where this season goes, but one things for sure, it's gonna be a fun ride.