The Steelers need a Corner
By Dagger | March 12, 2010
The Steelers have a dilemma on their hands. Finding UFA cornerbacks is a relatively simple task. Finding UFA cornerbacks that fit under the Steelers budget is nearly impossible. If you don’t want to pay top dollar for CBs on the open market then you need to draft them. Unfortunately the Steelers track record when it comes to drafting corners is average, at best.
Take a look at some of the DBs the Steelers have drafted recently:
2009: Keenan Lewis, Joe Burnett
2008: Ryan Mundy
2007: William Gay
2006: Anthony Smith
2005: Bryant McFadden
2004: Ricardo Colclough
That’s two 3rd Round Picks….two 5th Round Picks…..a 6th Round Pick….and two 2nd Round Picks. A lot of swings and misses. Five picks in the top 3 Rounds of the NFL draft over the course of 6 years and you only find 1 keeper? (McFadden)
Since 2004, you can say the Steelers have “hit” on 1 of 7 DBs drafted. The jury is still out on Burnett and Lewis so perhaps it’s unfair to include them but they were both sitting on the sidelines while guys in front of them on the depth chart underperformed. That can’t be seen as a real good sign. The bottom line is, if your team is too cheap to pay for a good corner, then you BETTER be able to find one in the draft.
Joe Haden is expected to be drafted in the Top 10. Some think a slower than expected .40 time might push him back to the mid-teens. Kyle Wilson and Patrick Robinson are the only other Corners considered to be Round 1 talent. You certainly don’t want to reach for a CB but it you think a guy is going to be a starter, then draft him.
I know my mentality is a bit off-base but I am of the mind that you can get Guards, Tackles, and Centers anywhere. You can’t get Alan Faneca’s in the 6th round but you can find good serviceable linemen outside the top 2 rounds. I would like to see Pittsburgh go CB (a starter) or LB (Farrior replacement…a guy who can play the run and cover RBs in open field) in the first 2 rounds….then you can throw some lineman at the wall and see who sticks with the team and who doesn’t during training camp.
Topics: NFL, Sports, Steelers | 8 Comments »
No suspension for Cooke
By Dagger | March 10, 2010
Technically, the hit that Matt Cooke put on Marc Savard was “legal” in that he didn’t break any league rules. Was the hit dirty/cheap? Absolutely…but there are tons of guys in the NHL that play this style of hockey and it’s unfortunate that sometimes people get hurt as a result. Word came down from the NHL today that Cooke will not be suspended for his hit.
NHL GM meetings in Florida have just wrapped up and there is a proposal on the table for next season that will punish players for these types of hits in the future.
“A lateral, back pressure or blindside hit to an opponent where the head is targeted and or the principal point of contact is not permitted. A violation of the above will result in a minor or major penalty and shall be reviewed for possible supplemental discipline.”
So why did Cooke escape suspension even though he’s a multiple offender? Simple. He didn’t use his elbow on the hit and NHL precedent had already been set for hits like his. Shoulder-to-Head hits happen from time to time and it’s a hard hit to regulate. An elbow to the head is seen as “an intent to injure” or an “attack” and are easier to crack down on. Tom Mast over at Hockeybuzz posted the following frames of the Cooke hit in comparison to the Mike Richards hit (which also resulted in no suspension) from earlier in the season.
Next year both of these hits will be penalties because the hits were head-shots delivered from the side on unsuspecting players.
The NHL chose not to penalize Matt Cooke but I have a feeling the Boston Bruins will want to get some sort of revenge on him when the Bruins meet the Penguins on March 18th.
Topics: NHL, Pittsburgh Penguins, Sports | 1 Comment »
Roethlisberger didn’t ask for this
By Dutch | March 10, 2010
Let me ask a theoretical question. Suppose that Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger decided to invite a female companion over to his home and cook dinner for her. Afterward, the two of them cuddled up on the couch and took in the Nancy Grace show.
Would Roethlisberger be putting himself in a bad situation here?
Absolutely.
After all, what is to stop her from leaving his home later that evening and heading right to the police to file an accusation?
See, it doesn’t really matter if Big Ben would decide to invite a woman over for dinner or go with friends and bodyguards and meet her in public.
In the case of the hypothetical situation above, his critics would say that he should never put himself into a position where he was alone with the woman. If he would go out to a club instead, they would say that he should have stayed home and invited her over for dinner.
Talk about “damned if you do, and damned if you don’t.”
If you’ve spent any time listening to sports radio in southwestern PA over the past few days, you know exactly what I mean: it has been an all-out, on-air free-for-all against Roethlisberger.
As a long-time Steeler fan, I can tell you that it has been embarrassing.
Here is a small sample of what you may have missed if you haven’t been able to keep an ear glued to the radio during this developing “story”:
“Can we trade him for two Number 1 picks in the upcoming draft?”
“He was never really that good of a player in the first place.”
“We had a run-in with Ben about four and a half years ago, and he was the worst human being you could ever meet.”
“I know of someone who was told by someone that found out through someone, that Ben…”
You get the drift? Even a good friend sent me a text message that said, “I never knew so many in Pittsburgh disliked this guy this much.”
Please tell me that what I have heard has been nothing more than a vocal minority. Please!
After listening to this all weekend long, I honestly don’t know how a guy can go to war every Sunday for these fans. I’m sure $100 million can buy a person a lot of skin. But for Roethlisberger’s sake, that skin had better be thick.
Roethlisberger has finally given his bashers a reason to bash. It is the moment they have been waiting for since they cheered Bradshaw on a stretcher.
Big Ben has rarely given his critics a reason to rip into him, but that hasn’t stopped them from looking.
They have called him a drama queen.
They have tried to convince themselves that he didn’t play a major role in the 2005 championship season.
They have hammered him for riding a motorcycle.
Ultimately, it is just that Roethlisberger wins too much, too often for these people to do what they do best: bash their starting quarterback. They would look foolish for doing so, and they know it.
That’s why they resort to calling talk shows and telling their little stories about how Ben was rude to them four years ago.
It starts with the autograph chasers. If they don’t get full compliance out of Ben, they immediately start spreading vicious rumors about him.
My favorite bashers are some of the Pittsburgh bar owners who have been quoted as saying that they no longer want anything to do with Ben because he supposedly refused to pay some cover charge when he came to their places of business. Hilarious!
All of the people in the bar start calling and texting their friends, letting them know that the town’s superstar quarterback has just entered the place. Suddenly, 300 people show up and begin spending their money there. How can a club owner complain about Roethlisberger skimping on a five-dollar cover charge in exchange for that kind of business? Roethlisberger must shake his head at such ignorance.
No wonder he spends his time in Georgia.
I can understand a fan being disappointed that Big Ben is in the news again for reasons that aren’t good, but what is actually taking place is over the top. I get the distinct feeling that some of this talk is coming from those with personal agendas, and it needs to stop.
For the so-called fans that are expressing a desire to trade Roethlisberger, you simply don’t know anything about football or the history of this Steeler team. If you think Roethlisberger is nothing more than an expendable player that can be easily replaced, you are sadly mistaken.
He won you a Super Bowl without an offensive line!
These are the types of fans you would want to call on Sunday mornings and ask them which team is guaranteed to win in the NFL that day. You would then bet against their pick and become an instant winner.
After 30 years of watching football, and never having missed a Steeler game in all that time, I’ve had to sit through and watch some truly awful quarterbacks.
- Cliff Stoudt. He completed passes at a rate of 52.5% for a 6.6 yards-per-pass-attempt average. I can remember one season where the Steelers started out something like 9-2 and nearly missed the playoffs because of the Stoudt-led offense. Bradshaw came off the bench and saved the team.
- David Woodley. He nearly mirrored Stoudt with a 52.8% completion rate and a 6.6 YPA average. The Steelers could have had Dan Marino, but got this stud instead.
- Mark Malone: 6.2 YPA, 50.5% completion rate. He’s better known for the record he held for the longest non-touchdown catch in Steelers history.
- Bubby Brister: 6.5 YPA, 54% completion rate. Anti-Janitor.
- Neil O’Donnell: 6.7 YPA, 57.8% completion rate. Larry Brown.
- Mike Tomczak: 6.8 YPA, 56% completion rate. I can still remember a close-up showing Mike Ditka’s ever-reddening face. That, of course, was the result of increased blood pressure that Tomczak brought while he was with the Chicago Bears.
- Kordell Stewart: 6.3 YPA, 55.0% completion rate. Some said he could have been Jerry Rice. The Steelers made him a QB.
- Kent Graham: 5.8 YPA, 44% completion rate. < just look at that completion % while he was with the Steelers.
- “Turnover” Tommy Maddox: 6.7 YPA, 57.2% completion rate. At least there was that Cleveland playoff game.
It hit rock bottom for me right around the time Graham took over. But, then again, that two-quarter stint with Jim Miller in 1996 could generate a vote.
I can remember having to fool myself at the start of each season into thinking that my favorite team had a chance to win the Super Bowl. It was a painful 20-plus years having to watch so many quarterbacks fire the ball into the dirt on a five-yard swing pass to a running back.
Oh, those were the days.
The Steelers passed on Dan Marino in the NFL Draft and, a year later, we were stuck watching David Woodley, the guy that lost his job to Marino in Miami.
The Steelers played wide receivers at the quarterback position. They had starting quarterbacks who wouldn’t mop-up for other Quarterbacks. hey even gave an insurance salesman the starting role at one point. I still watched every game.
So forgive me while I thoroughly appreciate this:
- Ben Roethlisberger: 8.0 YPA, 63.0% completion rate. Two Super Bowl wins and 21 game-winning drives.
To the fools who want to trade this guy, just ask Buffalo Bills fans how they have been doing without Jim Kelly the last 15 years. Or maybe talk to 49ers fans about what they think of their offense.
Those Miami Dolphins can sure run the ball without Marino. For all the good that’s doing them. Maybe if they run Roethlisberger out of Pittsburgh, the team can become just like the Chicago Bears of the past quarter century. Or maybe we can make a trade and get Jim Miller back.
Hey, I watch sports to see great players perform. I’ve heard the Pirates have a collection of some of the nicest guys you could ever want to meet on that team.
But they make me hate baseball.
Topics: NFL, Sports, Steelers | 45 Comments »
STEEL CURTAIN RADIO #64: COME ON BEN ….. NOT AGAIN
By Lance Williams | March 10, 2010
Click Link to Listen or Subscribe in Itunes
http://traffic.libsyn.com/wtcb/SCR_64.mp3
Show Topics:
- Big Ben gets in trouble again
- Antwaan Randle El is back is Back
- Ryan Clark returns to the fold
- Will Tony Hills be on the 2010 roster?
- Will Limas Sweed be on the 2010 roster?
- Did the Steelers get it right with it’s Free Agent signings?
- Will the NFL discipline Big Ben?
- Will the Steelers discipline Big Ben?
- Should the Steelers start making plans for life after Big Ben?
Topics: NFL, Sports, Steelers, podcast | 6 Comments »
The Steelers have re-signed Ryan Clark?
By Dagger | March 8, 2010
Wow, I didn’t see this one coming. I wrote Clark off as a goner a few days ago. I was certain the Ryan Mundy era had begun and I was coming to terms with the fact that we were going to have the worst secondary in the entire NFL.
The National Football Post is reporting that the Steelers have just agreed to a 4 year deal with Ryan Clark worth around $17 million dollars….and $5 million of that to be paid in the first year of his contract.
This should make Steeler fans happy. Clark is a solid safety and has a nice rapport with Troy Polamalu. Apparently his visit with Miami didn’t go as well as he had hoped or he was playing a game of chicken with the Steelers front office.
We’ll update this post if more info becomes available.
UPDATE: A quick update on the Will Allen/Arnaz Battle signings. Battle got 3 yrs—$3.9M total—$975K guaranteed. Allen got 3 yrs—$4.5M total—$975K guaranteed. Very cheap signings. Very Steeler-like.
UPDATE: As has been reported elsewhere, the moves Pittsburgh has made today are bad news for a few guys currently on the roster. Tyrone Carter is probably gone. Allen can backup at Safety and is a better special teams player. Battle and El will replace Grisham and Sweed. With El on the team perhaps the need for a 3rd QB disappears as well.
Topics: NFL, Sports, Steelers | 8 Comments »
Steelers to sign Antwaan Randle El
By Dagger | March 8, 2010
Per Adam Schefter’s tweet…..the Steelers have agreed to a 3 year deal with Randle El. Not sure how much $$ the deal is worth right now but I don’t have a problem with the move. Nice insurance in case Stefan Logan gets hurt or struggles and of course he’ll be a solid #4 WR with the ability to move to #3 in case of injury.
2 WRs signed in the past 24 hours. Limas Sweed has got to be done, right? He missed the last few games of the season due to “personal issues” and left the team. Nobody has heard from him since. Rumors out there suggest he’s going to retire, he’s having depression issues, he doesn’t love football, etc….Who knows the real story, but it looks like his time in Pittsburgh could be up. What a waste of a 2nd round pick.
In case you haven’t been following Antwaan since he left the ‘Burgh, check out El’s stats over the past few years:
Topics: NFL, Sports, Steelers | 11 Comments »
Battle and Allen sign with Steelers
By Dagger | March 8, 2010
The Steelers signed two guys today to help bolster their special teams units. The coverage teams were obviously a big issue last season but these two guys will do nothing to help the team 11-on-11. Battle will be a 4th/5th WR and Allen will be a backup DB.
Safety Will Allen has registered 8 “passes defended” in 6 years. He hasn’t intercepted a pass since 2005/2006.
WR Arnaz Battle played in 15 games last year for San Francisco and totaled 5 catches for 40 yards and 0 TDs.
Lets hope the next few signings are guys that can potentially fill some of the Steelers holes on defense. Rumor has it that the Steelers are interested in bringing back Larry Foote after his visit with the Redskins this afternoon.
Topics: NFL, Sports, Steelers | 9 Comments »
Matt Cooke in line for a suspension?
By Dagger | March 7, 2010
Well, this debate ought to be pretty interesting.
Check out this hit from earlier in the year:
Mike Richards was not suspended.
Now check out the Matt Cooke vs Savard hit from today:
Some people out there are predicting a 10 game suspension….are they for real??
Looks like the exact same hit as the Richards/Booth incident, no? I’d venture to say that Richards looked to actually EXTEND his elbow while Cooke kept his elbow tucked into his body on his check. I fully expected Richards to receive a suspension but he didn’t get one. Cooke is a repeat offender and I think he’ll get a few extra games because of his “history.” I’m thinking he’s going to get 3-5 game suspension. We shall see….
Topics: NHL, Pittsburgh Penguins, Sports | 5 Comments »
The truth about Marc-Andre Fleury
By Dutch | March 5, 2010
Marc-Andre Fleury is the hot topic today as he continued his dimal play by allowing 4 goals in just twelve shots thursday night againt the Rangers. Outlined below are the reasons why Pittsburgh fans have the right to be concerned about the work of Marc-Andre Fleury.
Here are the following talking points Fleury backers routinely mention. The argument against each one is listed below.
1 Fleury backers say that the same people who criticize him are the same people who were critical of Roethlisberger in the past.
2 Fleury backers often point to the final save in game 7 on the shot of Lidstrom against Detroit as a reason that he is a big-time goaltender.
3 Fleury backers will tell you that he was the difference in the Penguins series victory over the Capitals last season.
Here are my responses
1 It is incorrect to equate Fleury critics to Roethlisberger critics. Ben Roethlisberger is one of the most efficient NFL Quarterbacks of all time and this started as a rookie when he averaged a majestic 8.9 yards per attempt (most important stat in football). Fleury on the other hand is the opposite of efficient. Consider the following goalies and all important save percentages for this season.
R Luongo van 92.1 A Raycroft Van 91.1
M Kiprusoff cgy 92.3 C Mcelhinney cgy 88.5
R Miller Buf 93.1 P Lalime Buf 89.2
H Lundqvist nyr 92.0 S Valiquette nyr 85.2
M Turco Dal 91.3 A Auld Dal 89.4
E Nabokov SJ 92.7 T Greiss SJ 91.8
T Vokoun FL 93.0 S Clemmen FL 88.9
J Hiller ANA 91.8 J Giguere 89.9 (20 games with Anaheim)
J Howard Det 92.5 C Osgood Det 89.0
M Fleury Pit 90.6 B Johnson Pit 91.3
If this were a standardized test, they would ask you to pick out the one thing above that stands out of place.
Clearly the answer would be that the Starting Goal tender for Pittsburgh has a lower save percentage than his minimally paid backup! This in itself should be enough to make fans question what is going on with a guy who was once drafted #1 overall. Fleury was expected by many to parlay his cup winning run of last season into becoming one of the more dominant goalies in the league this year.
Take a look at the last two set of goalies listed above Fleury and Johnson.
Isn’t it clear why Howard has taken over as the new starting goal tender for Detroit? The save percentage tells the entire story. Wasn’t keeping Hiller over Giguere an easy decision for Anaheim when you look at save percentages while both were players were with the Ducks?
The truth is that Fleury’s post season play was not very good. His poor play was simply masked by an outstanding effort of his team’s offense and superior defensive play.
Comparing Roethlisberger to Fleury is embarrasing to listen to coming from fairly knowledgable Pittsburgh spots fan base. Roethlisberger is one of the most efficient quarterbacks of all time. Fleury isn’t playing as efficiently as his little paid backup Brent Johnson. Something is wrong with that.
2 Fleury backers often point to the final save in game 7 on the shot of Lidstrom against Detroit as a reason that he is a big-time goaltender.
Fleury backers are quick to mention his save on Lidstrom in game 7 of the Finals as a reason to justify his greatness. This theory however is nothing more than fool’s gold.
The Penguins had 20 blocked shots recorded that night. That was more important than 1 save in my opinion. If the Pens defense doesn’t block 20 shots in that game, (which is a ridiculously high number) Fleury would have never found himself in a position to make a game winning save based on his save percentage. You will see even more evidence below.
Fleury backers will have you believe that he was the difference in the Capitals series.
I completely disagree
Here are the game by game “shots faced” stats by both Marc-Andre Fleury and Simeon Varlamov.
Penguins vs. Capitals post season series 2008/2009
Game 1
Fleury 26 Shots Faced Varlamov 36 Shots faced
Results = Varlamov faces 10 more shots and allows 1 less goal than Fleury.
Game 2
Fleury 33 Varlamov 36
Results = Varlamov see’s 36 shots once again.
Game 3
Fleury 23 Varlamov 42
Results – Varlamov faces 19 more shots and gives up just 1 more goal than Fleury.
Game 4
Fleury 22 Varlamov 28
Results = once again the Pens outshoot the Caps and held Washington’s offense to just 22 shots.
Game 5
Fleury 31 Varlamov 42
Results = Varlamov pounded once again with 42 shots. He allows just one more goal than Fleury.
Game 6
Fleury 24 Varlamov 42
Results = Fleury gives up 5 goals while facing just 24 shots. Varlamov once again pounded with 42 shots.
Game 7
Fleury 21 Varlamov 30
Results = Varlamov finally caves in.
#1 There is no way that I can look at these stats and agree that Fleury was the difference maker.
#2 Fleury backers would have you believe that the Results of game 7 were due to Fleury being a big-time goal tender. But I would have you believe that the results of game 7 happened for two reasons.
The Penguins simply pounded Varlamov for 6 games until he finally broke. He faced 256 shots in this series. That amounts to 37 shots a night. Varlamov faced a whopping 76 more shots in the series! No wonder he finally broke down.
The Penguins took a high flying offensive team that was getting 35-40 shots a night in previous series, and held them to only 21 shots at Washington in game 7. Furthermore, they held the Capitals to only 23 shots on average in 5 of the 7 games. The Redwings were getting nearly 40 shots a night in the post season, but were only able to generate 26 shots on average in 5 of the 7 games against the Penguins. It was the amazing work of the Penguins defense that kept shots away from Fleury that propelled the Pens to a cup. Not so much work of Marc Andre Fleury. After all, he had the lowest save percentage of any Cup winning goalie in years. Fleury gets touted in Pittsburgh as being one of the best in the game. But the truth is that Fleury is not a factor when facing opponents. Opponents know they can beat Fleury, if they can get the puck. I know it seems like I ahve been exceptionally hard on Fleury. But the truth is that I am just providing balance to all those that continue to rate Fleury as a top level Goalie. Fleury must raise his level of play. These are the facts and they cannot be disputed.
Topics: NHL, Pittsburgh Penguins, Sports | 24 Comments »
Should The Skins Bring Back Clark?
By Namaste | March 4, 2010
The Redskins marked the eve of free agency by watching one of their best ever lineman (Chris Samuels) retire and making significant cuts, which included Antwaan Randle-El, Rock Cartwright, Ladell Betts, Cornelius Griffin, Randy Thomas, Fred Smoot, and Todd Collins. Certainly, Mike Shanahan and Bruce Allen’s plan of change has come. Among those changes will be the Skins shifting to a 3-4 base on defense similar to what Jim Haslett ran when he coached with the Steelers over a decade ago. With that in mind, should the team pursue one of their former safeties, Ryan Clark, who has not agreed to terms on a new contract with the Steelers and will become a free agent? Clark will be the second-best unrestricted free safety on the market behind Antrel Rolle and although he’s 30, still has plenty left in the tank. The Skins tendered Reed Doughty and expect him to play a significant role in the new 3-4 while Chris Horton is coming back from injury. The wildcard in all of this is Laron Landry who has not quite lived up to expectations yet (even though playing out of position from time to time), and has issues with work ethic and overall attitude towards the team. Haslett wants safeties who are smart, take good angles, are sure tacklers, and play to the whistle, and Clark certainly fits that description. Plus, his return would be an emotional one since he was very close to Sean Taylor and became sort of a mentor to #21. There’s no doubt that the Skins are going to go hard after Karlos Danbsy, Rolle, and Julius Peppers (bad idea), but a player like Clark could be just what they need to help the new regime make their transition a little smoother.
Thoughts?
Topics: Football, Redskins | 6 Comments »
Shero competent, capable, but no genius
By Dutch | March 4, 2010
“We have had 10 years of rebuilding. Now [you're] trying to jam down [what's] left of your fan base another rebuilding plan. You can’t keep selling a poor product!
Be proactive for once, go out and sign decent player.”
You’re probably thinking that this quote is from a disgruntled Pittsburgh Pirates fan, but it is not.
That quote came from a Florida Panther fan who posted a comment on the Miami Herald newspaper’s online edition after his team traded defenseman Jordan Leopold trade to the Pittsburgh Penguins.
I admit that it stuns me that so many people express amazement and downright giddiness for the work of Penguins general manager Ray Shero after he makes a trade for a solid player from a downtrodden organization that is simply looking to cut their losses and trim payroll while using the masking agent called “rebuilding.”
Pirates principal owner Bob Nutting unloads quality players every year. Do you really think it took a genius from the Boston Red Sox to acquire outfielder Jason Bay? Is it really that hard to strike a deal by agreeing to take some salary away from a Pittsburgh Pirates owner who licks his chops at the mere hint of a new five-year plan?
Shero is simply doing the job he has been paid to do. He has a top tier team based primarily on some draft picks that took place before his arrival. His basic job duties are to manage the salary cap as best he can and add a piece here and there around the trade deadlines that could help push his team to the top.
These players are not hard to come by. There will always be poor organizations wanting to unload their talent at this time of year. Trading for a solid player or two at this time of year should not surprise or amaze anyone. These types of moves are hardly worth labeling general managers as the best.
Turning teams like the Pirates, Panthers, Detroit Lions, Kansas City Royals, and L.A. Clippers into winners, however would garner a “Best GM” nomination.
Shero is a doing a fine, competent job as GM of the Penguins, but there isn’t anything spectacular going on with his work. Any reasoning to the contrary is pure nonsense.
Now that we got that out of the way, lets take a look at the two newest Penguins players.
Leopold, as previously mentioned comes to the Penguins from Florida. It is questionable that any defenseman from the Panthers could really be of help, as Florida allows the most shots on goal per game defensively (35). Few goalies, if any, see more pucks per game than Florida’s Tomas Vokoun.
On the other side, the Penguins definitely needed to bolster their defense, as the key to repeating as champions will be keeping as many pucks away from the mediocre Marc-Andre Fleury as possible. While Fleury’s work may be tolerable, it is far from exceptional.
Backup goalie Brent Johnson’s save percentage (91.4) is currently better than that of Fleury’s (91.0), and Fleury’s stick handling of the puck leaves a lot to be desired, as well.
Last year in the postseason, the Pens held the Washington Capitals to 23 shots per game and the Detroit Red Wings to 26 shots per game in 5 of 7 games in each of those series.
Prior to playing Pittsburgh, these two teams were pumping 35-to-40 shots a night. It wasn’t Fleury who played spectacularly last postseason, but rather the play of his defense in front of him. Refer to the amount of blocked shots against Detroit for more information.
If the Capitals and Red Wings would have been able to get anywhere near their amount of shots that they typically averaged, the Penguins would not have won the Stanley Cup. Fleuery’s save percentage is simply not good enough for the Penguins to allow their defense to slip and allow more shots.
In fact, the Penguins have allowed too many shots this year. That is why signing a defenseman was important. The Penguins hope that Leopold’s skills of moving the puck will help their possession game and indirectly help their defense by getting the puck out of their zone quickly. For the Penguins, the best defense is a good offense.
Of course, this may mean less paying time for mighty shot-blocker Jay Mckee. We shall see how it all plays out.
Shero also traded for Toronto Maple Leafs forward Alexia Ponikarovsky, who should fit in well with head coach Dan Bylsma’s system. The Leafs have been a puck possession team this season.
Ponikarovsky did the unthinkable by maintaining a plus-5 statistic this year with Toronto, a team that has lost 26 games by two or more goals. Yet, when Ponikarovsky was on the ice, the Leafs outscored their opponents as a whole. Tremendous work.
He brings his 13 percent shooting percentage to Pittsburgh and should give an immediate jolt to the Evgeni Malkin line that has struggled to produce this year.
Ponikarovsky’s shooting percentage could actually increase. One could expect him to get a better quality of shots due to the open ice created by the attention being paid to guys like Malkin.
To continue reading click here…….
Topics: NHL, Pittsburgh Penguins, Sports | 14 Comments »
STEEL CURTAIN RADIO# 63: NAH .. NAH .. NAH .. NAH .. GAAAAY GOODBYE
By Lance Williams | March 4, 2010
Click Link to Listen:
http://traffic.libsyn.com/wtcb/SCR_62A.mp3
Show Topics:
- The Big Snack Returns
- Why Will Gay won’t return to the Steelers?
- Why getting the Draft Tender means your expendable?
- Why the Defense was the main reason the Steelers missed the playoffs?
- Why 3rd Down Defense Doomed the Steelers
- Why the CB position might be the route to go?
- Why an Offensive Lineman will be selected in the 1st Round?
- Why I hate the Combine?
Master Feeds for all the shows on Whatchatalkinbout.com
Topics: NFL, Sports, Steelers, podcast | 1 Comment »
Steelers Willie Colon is the best Right Tackle in the NFL
By Dagger | March 4, 2010
Say what? According to his agent, Willie Colon is the best right tackle in the NFL and he thinks Colon is good enough to get snatched up by another team. The Steelers tendered Colon at a first-round level and will receive a 1st round pick if another team signs Colon to a contract that the Steelers are unwilling to match.
I’d love nothing more than to see another NFL team snag Willie from under our noses. We would wind up with 2 1st round picks and we could replace Colon through Free Agency or the draft. The direct quote from Colon’s agent:
“We really don’t know if he fits in their (long-term) plans,” agent Joe Linta said Tuesday night. “Now we have a chance to look at teams in the first round of this year’s draft between 12 and 32 and see if they’d be willing to give up their pick for who I believe is the best right tackle in football.
“If you have the 15th pick and you need a starting offensive lineman, why wouldn’t you do it (make a trade)? You hope your draft pick is good. With Willie, you know what you’re getting. He’s a young guy (26) who’s still got 8-10 years to play.”
Is this some sort of threat?? Colon is OK but I’d trade a 1st rounder for him in an instant.
Topics: NFL, Sports, Steelers | 8 Comments »
The Poni Express
By Dagger | March 3, 2010
Whelp, Ray Shero has done it again. Highway robbery. The Penguins have just acquired 6′4 230lb Alexei Ponikarovsky (20+ goal scorer and 114 hits) from the Toronto Maple Leafs for Luca Caputi and Martin Skoula.
The Penguins parted with Caputi because they have other guys in the organization who they think can fill the roll they once envisioned Caputi filling. Luca was brought up earlier this season and was quickly sent back down to WBS. Guys like Nick Johnson, Letestu, etc….had more impressive stints with the big Pens. Caputi has had off-ice issues and was expendable. Losing him is no big deal. He might be on the Leafs roster this week but he’s not skilled enough or fast enough to be a good top 2 line player.
Skoula, obviously, was one of the worst defensemen in the entire NHL this year. He was absolutely terrible. Toronto took him off our hands in order to make the trade work for the Pens salary cap constraints. Why Shero didn’t have to include a late draft pick for this, I have no idea.
Ponikarovsky “The Poni Express” will likely play on Thursday night with Fedotenko and Malkin….forming an all Russian/Ukranian line.
Ponikarovsky isn’t a Hossa or a Kovalchuk by any stretch but he’s exactly what the Penguins needed this season….a scoring winger for Malkin. He’s big, physical, can score, and will help our PP. I’m very surprised Brian Burke couldn’t get more in return for him. Skoula was a toss-in, so this trade is basically Caputi for Ponikarovsky. I really don’t know how other teams didn’t jump in and better the Penguins offer.
Final note, I wouldn’t be surprised to see Poni (a free agent at season’s end) sign a new contract with the Penguins this offseason. He’ll like playing with Malkin and the Penguins will be able to match his salary demands….estimated to be around 3 million dollars. Fedotenko and Guerin will not be on the roster next year (their contracts expire) and the money currently being spent on them will be transferred over to Ponikarovsky. Don’t look at this guy as a rental, there is a good chance he’ll be a Penguin for the next 3+ years.
Here are some Youtube videos for you:
Topics: NHL, Pittsburgh Penguins, Sports | 2 Comments »
Props to Penguins GM Ray Shero
By Dagger | March 2, 2010
In light of tomorrow’s trade deadline let’s give a shout out to the excellent job Ray Shero has done since taking over the GM job from Craig Patrick. Everything he touches turns to gold. Can you even remember the last time one of his moves didn’t work out? Every trade, every signing, every trade he DIDN’T make, every contract, etc….
I bring this up now because 2 former Pens that were recently traded away are once again up for sale. Two years ago the Penguins traded Erik Christensen, Colby Armstrong, Angelo Esposito and a 1st round pick for Marian Hossa and Pascal Dupuis. The Pens got to the Stanley Cup Finals that year. Dupuis is still on the team and is playing solid hockey. Christensen is what we that he was….a tad below average and is currently on his 3rd team since PIT traded him away. Esposito is still toiling in the minors and has done nothing with his potential. Colby Armstrong has had an awful season and the Atlanta Thrashers are desperately trying to trade him at some point over the next 24 hours. When this trade was first announced many thought Pittsburgh had overpaid. “You gave up Armstrong and Christensen??” Well….look at where we are now. Atlanta traded away Christensen long ago and is looking to dump Colby.
Last year the Pens traded Ryan Whitney to the Ducks for Kunitz and Tangradi. It was a shock to many as Whitney seemed to be one of the young/core Penguins that were going to be on the team for a long, long time. After the trade, the Penguins acquire Billy Guerin and a few months later they win the Stanley Cup. Fast forward to today and rumors are swirling that Ryan Whitney is being shopped by the Anaheim Ducks.
Are you noticing a trend here? Everybody that Ray Shero trades away is eventually traded/given away by their “new” team. How long until other GMs stop dealing with Shero? He seems to be a pretty good judge of talent.
Topics: NHL, Pittsburgh Penguins, Sports | 2 Comments »
Ovechkin has some catching up to do?
By Dagger | March 2, 2010
Check out this very polarizing article written by Wilbon in today’s Washington Post. Frankly, I’m tired of the Ovechkin vs Crosby stuff but I live in D.C. surrounded by Capitals fans and I’ll rub Sid in their faces every chance I get. Truth be told, I love the way Ovechkin plays. Extremely physical, wants to win real bad, plays with lots of energy, very exciting, nice size, scores goals, etc….Of course I don’t like when some of his semi-dirty hits are put on Penguin players but if he was on my team I’d have no problem with it. Pittsburgh has had Matt Barnaby, Brooks Orpik, Ruutu, Darius Kasparaitis, Ulf Samuelsson, and many others that play the game on that fine line between nasty and dirty. There is room for both Sid and Alex in this NHL. No need to “pick one over the other” or create another Bird vs Johnson or Kobe vs Lebron or Manning vs Brady debate. Who cares what player in the NFL, NHL, MLB, NBA is the “best player”? I’d rather have the best team and the most championships.
Wilbon wrote a piece today that sums things up nicely as we sit here post-Olympics. This debate is usually fought using stats and head to head wins/losses…..Wilbon takes a unique look at the contrast in their behavior/personalities.
Michael Wilbon| March 1, 2010; 7:03 PM ET
Crosby miles ahead of Ovechkin
One of the biggest Olympic winners has to be Canada’s Sidney Crosby, who at 22 years old has already won Olympic Gold, the World Championship and the Stanley Cup. And for the second straight time Crosby went through Alexander Ovechkin en route to winning. If this doesn’t make Crosby the preeminent player in the world, I don’t know what does. Crosby didn’t exactly light it up, in terms of scoring; he’d have gone three straight games without a point had he not scored the game winner in OT against the U.S. But he did. And before that, Crosby’s team trashed Ovechkin’s Russian team, just as Crosby’s team went on the road to beat Oveckin’s team in a Game 7 during last year’s Stanley Cup playoffs.
Capitals fans might as well stop with the argument that Ovechkin is a better player; sure he is a bigger scorer and more entertaining player. But he can’t get his team past Crosby’s teams and they’re undeniable rivals and will be for the length of their careers. Right now, Ovechkin would need a telescope to see Crosby, who’s that far ahead in this race.
But far more disturbing is Ovechkin’s behavior in Vancouver. First, he shoved a female fan’s camera and reportedly she suffered bruises in the incident. Now comes the news that he broke the camera of a man asking for an interview. There is video of each incident. How this has gone largely un-discussed is nearly as annoying as Ovechkin’s churlish behavior. Is he so distraught about Crosby kicking his butt repeatedly that he has to take out his frustration by smashing people’s cameras? The woman referred to earlier was reportedly a fan who traveled from Russia to Vancouver to root on her hockey heroes, including Ovechkin.
Somebody needs to get Ovechkin under control. Opponents have wondered whether his knee-on-knee hits are accidents. His own coach, Bruce Boudreau, wondered this season whether his star was out of control. At the time it seemed like Bordereau might have been overreacting; not now. Boudreau’s radar is simply more accurate than most. Remember two weeks ago when Tiger Woods said he was guilty of developing such a sense of entitlement he didn’t think the rules applied to him? Has Ovechkin reached that point? Does he think the rules of society and the ice don’t apply to him? The worst thing Ovechkin can have around town is too many apologists. Look where it got Gilbert Arenas a couple of years ago after he’d become, arguably, one of the five to ten best players in the NBA. Ovechkin is quite a bit better in his sport than Arenas is in his. If Crosby is a rough equivalent of a young Kobe Bryant, in terms of talent and results, then Ovechkin is a rough equivalent of LeBron James, which is to say young and physically unstoppable but as yet undecorated.
That also means Ovechkin is far too good to be involved in something as stupid and as petty as grabbing a woman’s camera. Seriously, when is the last time an athlete of that stature, in any sport, was involved in such an incident? Don’t tell me Randy Johnson because was never as big a figure in baseball as Ovechkin is in hockey, and Unit at least confronted a member of the paparazzi, who are (in my mind) fair game for confrontation. But some ordinary fan, and a woman at that? Can you imagine Gretzky or Jordan or Elway or LeBron or Jeter doing such a thing? No, never. An inflated sense of self and entitlement can bring any athlete crashing down. All you have to do is listen to Tiger’s assessment of his own fall. Somehow, Ovechkin’s lapses in judgment (or was it a disregard of civility?) went largely unnoticed. Ovechkin is damn lucky he’s not black and playing basketball; my brethren in the national (and local) media would have put on their Sunday church robes and preached him to death by now. We’d have read about “those thug basketball players” and such. Ovechkin, apparently, is for whatever reasons, beyond their reach. He’s untouchable. All these folks writing and talking about the Winter Olympics and I haven’t seen a word of criticism directed at Ovechkin, famous as he is.
Here’s the issue that should concern the Capitals. Every time a truly great athlete, and Ovechkin is that, thinks he’s above the law, a hard, steep fall seems to follow. Since Ovechkin appears to have gotten away this time with barely a scold, perhaps somebody in the Capitals organization or in Ovechkin’s life might seize the opportunity to get in his ear now. The cost for not doing so could be enormous.
Now that you have read what Wilbon has to say, check out some of the insane comments at the bottom of the article. Follow the link:
http://views.washingtonpost.com/world-wide-wilbon/wilbon/2010/03/crosby_miles_ahead_of_ovechkin.html
Topics: NHL, Pittsburgh Penguins, Sports | 10 Comments »
Sidney Crosby on the cover of SI
By Dagger | March 2, 2010
Two weeks ago he was on the cover of SI Canada. This upcoming week, he’s on the US cover. Cool.
Topics: NHL, Pittsburgh Penguins, Sports | 4 Comments »
Penguins Trade Deadline
By Dagger | March 1, 2010
Today the Penguins acquired Jordan Leopold from the Florida Panthers for a second rounder. Frankly, I was hoping we could land ourselves another Brooks Orpik….a crease clearing/mean/tough defenseman. Those guys are rather expensive and hard to come by but don’t be disappointed in Leopold. He will turn out to be a very nice addition to the Penguins blueline. He will get Top 4 minutes and will most likely push McKee to the press box as a healthy scratch.
Leopold was tied for 1st on FLA in ‘goals by a defenseman’ and was getting a ton of ice time (22:25 minutes of ice per game, which would place him 2nd on the Penguins in terms of ice time by a dman behind Gonchar).
Pros:
Great experience
Offensive Defensman
Used to getting lots of ice time
Plays on the Powerplay
Real good puck mover and passer
Frequently plays against the other team’s top line
Happily waived a No Trade Clause this morning because he wanted to play in Pittsburgh
Cons:
Not physical
Free Agent at the end of the year
Acquiring him means you’re not getting Sheldon Souray, Andy Sutton, etc…the defense is pretty much set as is
To wrap up the Leopold trade I’ll say this: He isn’t as good as Gonchar or Orpik but he’s better than Letang, Goligoski, Eaton, McKee, Skoula, Lovejoy. So the team definitely just got better. Grabbing another defenseman was more important than getting a scoring winger and members of the Penguins front office have admitted as much. The #1 goal heading into the postseason was to improve the blueline.
With 48 hours to go until the deadline, what else might we see from GM Ray Shero? Well now that Leopold is on the roster, the Pens have to figure out a way to cast off one of their defenseman. They also will be looking to add another forward. If you want Staal to play on Malkin’s wing then the team needs to find a 3rd line Center. If you want to keep Staal on line 3 then the team needs to find a winger for Malkin. Here are the options:
1. Easiest option if you want to cut down from 8 dmen to 7 dmen is to simply waive Skoula. He has no trade value and has been awful this season. Waive him, give him away for free, save yourself some salary cap.
2. Make a big splash by trading away Goligoski. You hate to part with young defenseman but Goligoski is a guy that many other team’s are asking Ray Shero about. If you trade Goligoski you’re going to get a young scoring winger/sniper in return. This would finally end the “Crosby/Malkin need good wingers!” complaints. The only way this team is ever going to get a young sniper is if they trade away a guy like Goligoski/Letang in order to bring one in.
3. Package Fedotenko, a prospect/bottom 2 dman, a pick and find yourself a LW/RW. Fedotenko was brought back this year because he plays well in the playoffs but he has been so disappointing this season it makes you wonder if he’s going to be able to “flip the switch” once the postseason hits. He’s done it before, but I have my doubts this season. If Ray Shero has doubts, Tank will be moved before March 3.
Rumor Mill:
So what forward will the Penguins end up with? Ray Shero has a habit of acquiring guys that were never rumored to be heading the Penguins way via trade (like Leopold today for example) but we’ll list a few options:
1. Raffi Torres–plays just like Chris Kunitz. Is rumored to be the Penguins #1 target. The Blue Jackets told the Penguins they could have Torres for a 2nd round pick and Shero declined. He then turned around and used that 2nd rounder on Leopold this morning. Raffi Torres easily could have been a Penguin this morning but Shero valued Leopold a bit more. Perhaps a 3rd rounder and change could get this deal done. Unfortunately….. the Capitals, Flyers, Bruins, and others are after Torres. He’s the type of guy you hate to play against so lets hope Philly/Washington don’t grab Torres from under our noses.
2. Alexei Ponikarovsky–the Penguins sent an offer to Toronto today and GM Brian Burke is mulling over the trade. Poni, at 6′4 220 is a big/strong Russian scoring winger that also plays a physical game when he wants to. He currently ranks #2 on Toronto’s roster in terms of “hits” with 114 and that would place him 5th on the Penguins (right behind Matt Cooke). A big winger capable of putting up 20+ goals a year would be a nice addition to the team. He would be a nice fit on Malkin’s line. He is a Free Agent at the end of the year and Toronto wants a 2nd round pick for him.
3. Ray Whitney–the best scoring winger available at this year’s deadline. He would be MONEY on the Penguins Powerplay and would instantly be a perfect fit for Malkin/Crosby. Carolina wants a 2nd rounder. Also important to note that Whitney has a No Trade Clause but has said Pittsburgh is a team that he would play for.
4. Paul Kariya–an extreme longshot due to his salary cap number. Not having a very good year in STL but I’m sure he’d look good on one of the Penguins top 2 lines.
5. Teemu Selanne–Anaheim probably won’t trade him but put this guy on a line with Malkin or Crosby and we’d see some fireworks. His name has come up in the rumor mill but Anaheim is only 2 points out of playoff contention….why would they trade one of their best wingers?
5. Colby Armstrong–a lot of Penguin fans would love to see Army back on the team but he would be one of Shero’s last options. He has only 26 points for the Thrashers this year and they are actively looking to get rid of him before the season’s over. He wouldn’t fill the need for “scoring winger” AT ALL but he’d be a decent depth addition to the Pens group of forwards. A reminder to all here that Armstrong only has 4 goals this year….so don’t get too excited if his name comes up in rumors.
Topics: NHL, Pittsburgh Penguins, Sports | 4 Comments »
Gonchar not likely to be back next year
By Dagger | March 1, 2010
Word from the Penguins/Gonchar camps is that Ray Shero and Gonchar’s agent met while catching the Olympics in Vancouver and were unable to hammer out a contract extension. Sergei is set to become a Free Agent after this season and is asking for $4.5 to 5.0 million per year over the next few seasons. He currently makes 5.0 million per season but he’s career is on the downswing at age 35 and Ray Shero typically refuses to hand out 3+ year contracts to guys in his age bracket. The only reason Jarkko Ruutu is playing in Ottawa right now is because Shero refused to give him the 3rd year he was looking for. When you sign players to 3 and 4 year contacts, you lose your flexibility as a General Manager. It’s more difficult to manage the cap, you can’t get out of bad contracts, it’s hard to trade players away, etc….
Reports are that Gonchar’s reps asked Shero to agree to the following:
a 3 year deal worth $15 million
OR
a 4 year deal worth $18.25 million.
Ray Shero rejected both proposals. I’m OK with that. As much as Gonchar means to the Pens, you cant give him a 5 year deal for the next 3 years. That money would be better spent locking up Letang and bringing in some Free Agents.
You’re probably all aware that the NHL Trade Deadline is on Wednesday. Here we are 2 days from the deadline and the Penguins just found out that most likely, Gonchar is going to walk away “for free” this offseason. Call me crazy but it wouldn’t hurt to listen to a few trade proposals over the next 48 hours. Imagine the return you would get from one of the top playoff contenders in the Western Conference. Teams would be tripping over themselves to get a PP Quarterback, a top 2 defenseman, and a veteran presence for their blueline. Any holes you think the Penguins might have in their lineup/organization right now….would be instantly filled with the return package you would receive from a Gonchar trade. Scoring Winger? Defensive Defenseman? The Penguins would be able to plug any/all holes in their organization for the next few years.
Having said all this, trading a guy like Sarge would send an awful message to the rest of the team and it would seriously damage your chances of making a Cup run this postseason. You can’t trade Gonchar because it might help you in a year or two from now….the Penguins are a Cup favorite RIGHT NOW….you cant trade a guy like Gonchar 20 games before the playoffs start. It’s neat to think about the what-if but there is no way this happens.
Topics: NHL, Pittsburgh Penguins, Sports | 4 Comments »
Canada vs USA
By Dagger | February 28, 2010
Team USA has a monumental task in front of them this afternoon. Any chance Canada loses to team USA twice in one week? The Canadians are the clear favorite heading into the game but USA is undefeated for a reason and should make this a great game to watch. Usually these HUGE games that everyone looks forward to turn out to be snoozers/blowouts (see Canada vs Russia a few days ago)….so hopefully this game lives up to the hype.
If you’re a Pens fan you are really in a no-lose situation here. If USA wins you’re happy. If USA loses, well, at least you can be happy for Crosby. Winning a Stanley Cup and a Gold Medal in a span of 7 months will do a lot to shut up some of the Ovechkin-lovers and Crosby-bashers.
Go USA!
Ken Beckett over at Hockeybuzz posted a “tale of the tape” a few hours ago; I’ll paste some of the info below:
Canada vs. USA: Tale of the Tape
Goals For
Canada: 32*
USA: 22
*Team Canada has played one extra game.
Goals Against
Canada: 14
USA: 6
Scoring Leaders
Canada: Dany Heatley & Jonathan Toews (7 points)
USA: Zach Parise (7 points)
Goal Scoring Leaders
Canada: Jarome Iginla (5)
USA: Brian Rafalski (4)
Assist Leaders
Canada: Jonathan Toews (7)
USA: Zach Parise, Brian Rafalski, and Ryan Suter (4)
Face-Off Leaders
Canada: Joe Thornton – 49/75 (65.33%)
USA: Ryan Kesler – 61/80 (76.25%)
Power Play Efficiency
Canada: 7/24 (29.17%)
USA: 6/21 (28.57%)
Penalty Kill Efficiency
Canada: 15/17 (88.24%)
USA: 10/13 (76.92%)
Goaltending
Canada: Roberto Luongo – 3-0-0, 1.75 GAA, .919 SV%
USA: Ryan Miller – 5-0-0, 1.04 GAA, .953 SV%
Topics: NHL, Pittsburgh Penguins, Random Musings, Sports | 7 Comments »