Checking In With an Old Friend

Last night the Anaheim Ducks knocked off the San Jose Sharks, the NHL's top team in the regular season, to earn a second round matchup with the vaunted Detroit Red Wings. Not too shabby for a team that was out of playoff contention at the trade deadline (sound familiar?) At the deadline, in order to shake things up a bit, the Ducks moved one of their most popular players in Chris Kunitz to the Pittsburgh Penguins for an underachieving offensive defenseman named Ryan Whitney.

The only love Whitney received in Pittsburgh over the past year.

Whitney, a one-time top 5 pick for the Pens, was mercurial at best in his time on the Pittsburgh blue line. He was once looked upon as the heir apparent to Sergei Gonchar, but with his recent injury problems, inconsistent play and the rise of up-and-coming players like Kris Letang and Alex Goligoski, Whitney was now a trading chip for Ray Shero that could be used to acquire much-needed depth on the wing. So Ryan Whitney was shipped off to the West Coast, much to the chagrin (I kid) of Pens fans everywhere.

Fast forward to the playoffs. The trade has payed off for both teams. Both the Ducks and the Pens overcame long odds and qualified for the postseason, and both knocked off their first round opponents to reach the next level. Kunitz was huge down the stretch for the Pens , and while he didn't score against the Flyers, his hit on Kimmo Timonen has become legendary.

Whitney has also regained the form that he showed in previous seasons with the Pens. In the six game series, he tallied four assists, to go along with a +2 rating in just over 21 minutes of ice time a game. On a team that already features stud blueliners in Chris Pronger and Scott Niedermayer, Whitney offers the Ducks another dangerous option from the point. He's even added a little physicality to his game, something everyone in Pittsburgh thought he'd never do.

I know it pains most Pens fans to admit Ryan Whitney could be successful after seeing him plod his way through a disappointing final abbreviated season with the Pens. But you gotta give the guy his due. Maybe he needed a change of scenery to jumpstart his game. It's not like the Pens got screwed in the deal, they added a gritty playoff-tested winger in Kunitz who's instantly become a fan favorite and who's locked up long term. And we haven't even talked about Eric Tangradi, the prospect thrown in on the deal, who's starting to look like a big time prospect. So best of luck to you Mr. Whitney, I know I'll be rooting for you during your next series. Say hello to Marian Hossa for me.

The Ray Shero Love Fest (continued)...

I know BGK just did a post on this, but you cannot give GM Ray Shero enough credit for the work he's done over the past month or so. He has taken a team that was stuck in neutral, going nowhere fast, losing bandwagon fans faster than the car industry has been losing money. Shero was taking shots from all angles, unfairly criticized for overseeing an underachieving team only months removed from a Stanley Cup finals appearance. Shero knew work must be done to turn things around, so he put on his hard hat and went to work.

Can we fix it? Yes we can!

First on the agenda was head coach Mike Therrien. Yes, he did take this team to the Stanley Cup finals only two years after being one of the worst teams in the league. But his trapping, overly conservative system was cramping the style of the freewheeling superstars the Pens employ. So out goes HCMT, in comes Baby Pens coach Disco Dan Byslma.

No more grammar lessons needed at post game press conferences.

Bylsma's first order of business was to unleash the hounds, so to speak. The Pens hit the road and jelled from the start, finishing a five-game road trip with five much-needed victories. During the trip, Shero went back to work, sending off another Pens staple in the process.

The amount of booing heard at Mellon Arena was just cut in half, at least.

Shero sent Ryan Whitney to Anaheim for new fan favorite (and Stanley Cup winner) Chris Kunitz and a stud prospect in Eric Tangradi (yes, he's a Philthadelphia native, but let's give the guy a chance.) He also swung a HUGE deal for Bill Guerin (another Stanley Cup winner, and for a third round pick, at most.) The Pens are 10-1-3 since Byslma took over, and have gained points in eight straight games, sitting in 5th place in the Eastern Conference today, a long cry from the 10th place standing they owned just a few days back. Things are looking up for the Pens, and with the top teams in the East like Boston and Washington losing momentum, I'm foreseeing a bright spring for the Pens once again, all thanks to our main man, Ray Shero.

All Pens. All the Time.

There's only one news story that I care about right now...no, it's not the two NFL players missing at sea or Jay Cutler and his hurt feelings...it's the Pittsburgh Penguins. A huge week for the Pens, with wins over the Isles, 'Hawks and Stars the Pens have moved into eighth place in the Eastern Conference. Most noteworthy among these three victories was not the reemergence of MAF, Jordan Staal and Miroslav Satan making apperances on the score sheet, or even the instant impact of newcomer Chris Kunitz (three points in two games) but the fact that the Pens won all three games without captain Sidney Crosby.

I don't know who Adam Burish is.

Three huge wins without Sid the Kid. He's definitely expendable now. I'd trade him in a heartbeat. Come on Ray Shero, you have three days to make this happen! Ok, back to reality now...any human being who considers themselves a hockey fan and thinks that the Pens should trade one of the top three players in the world is insane (I guess that means Bob Smizik isn't right in the head, go figure.) I cannot take the fact that fans ride guys like Crosby and Staal so hard. THEY ARE 21 AND 20 YEARS OLD, respectively. Let me reiterate that, in case you missed it. 21 AND 20. What were you doing when you were that age? Probably skipping your Pysch 101 class because you were too hung over from the beer pong tournament the night before. Take a look around at the rosters from other teams. Not too many teams have kids that are this age putting up numbers and playing vital roles for their teams. These guys can't even see their prime yet, and yet they have their team primed to make another playoff run, one year after reaching the Stanley Cup finals. Patience my friends. These guys are still learning on the fly, learning what it takes to win in this league. I have utter faith in Ray Shero, the man is learning which types of players he needs to assemble to play with these guys. Crosby, Malkin, Staal, MAF...these guys are the core, the future. Dan Bylsma seems to get it, and is letting these kids play the way they need to play to gain confidence and be successful. There's still a part or two missing for the Pens to compete this year, but to do away with one of the vital cogs would be suicide.

Ryan Whitney watch:

Saturday, 2/28. W @ Dallas. 0 G. 0 A. +1. 20:34 TOI. 1 hit.

TGIF (2/27)

Yoi!

Friday thoughts...

-It's the one year anniversary of one of the saddest days in Pittsburgh sports history...the passing of Myron Cope. ESPN Radio 1250 is honoring him with Myron Cope Day. Since it's Friday, stop by your local watering hole after work and have a few in honor of one of our fallen heroes.

-Another huge game for the new-look Pens tonight in Chi-town. Chris "the Savior" Kunitz makes his Pittsburgh debut against the Blackhawks. He'll be skating on Sidney Crosby's line, but likely without Sidney Crosby, who's still struggling with his groin. As for the departed Ryan Whitney, he was held scoreless with an even plus/minus rating, which is surprising seeing that his Ducks were shut out 6-0 by the Bruins. I'm planning on keeping tabs on Mr. Whitney, to see if the change in scenery does him well.

Parting is such sweet sorrow.

-The Super Steelers turnover continues. Former Pro Bowler Kendall Simmons was cut yesterday, as was resident big mouth/small game Anthony Smith. It's also looking like Chris Kemoeatu and Nate Washington are out the door as well. No complaints here. In other NFL news...Albert Haynesworth got paid. Ten bucks says the 'Skins regret this in two years, as they usually do with their huge free agent mistakes.

-Two wins in two days for your Pittsburgh Pirates, this time a 3-2 comeback victory over 6th Ward's favorite team, the Boston Red Sox. That means the Buccos have beaten the past two World Series champions in successive days. Playoffs here we come.

Whitney=Gone.

Good news MAF...less odd-man rushes are coming your way!

The good news...every Penguins fans' favorite lightning rod for criticism has found his way out of town. Ryan Whitney was traded today to the Anaheim "not so Mighty anymore" Ducks for Chris Kunitz and a prospect. The bad news is twofold...1. Pens fans have to find someone else to blame their problems on, now that Public Enemies #1 and 2 (Whitney and HCMT) have been shown the door. The second reality is that the return was not quite up to par for what you would think the return should be for an offensive-minded defensemen loaded with upside and signed long-term. Kunitz is yet another secondary winger on a team loaded with them. The prospect, Eric Tangradi, was a second round pick by the Ducks in 2007 who's put up 87 points in 52 games in the OHL this season, but that doesn't always translate to success at the NHL level. He was ranked as the Ducks' fifth-best prospect this past year, jumped to their second-best this spring, and is a big-bodied power forward, something the Pens definitely lack. I have to say, I'm not surprised Whitney was traded, but I'm definitely caught off-guard by the return. I think the Pens could have done a little better, but you can't judge the success of a trade mere minutes after it's announced.

The News (2/26)...

A few more Thursday lunchtime quick hits until I can come up with something worthwhile...

-Big day for your Super Bowl MVP Santonio Holmes...he's due in court for his marijuana charge today. While I'm not an advocate of drug use, I cannot understand why they don't just make marijuana legal. There are so many people I know that "smoke" and most of them are not your typical "pot head" but respectable members of the community. I see no difference from alcohol usage, when used in moderation and responsibly it hurts nobody. The strict marijuana laws are leading to overcrowding of our prisons and a backlog in our legal system. Make it legal, put restrictions on who can grow and sell it, and tax the hell out of it. That should put a nice dent in the deficit and also lower some of the crime associated with it.

-I don't know if you can call the Pens victory last night a big win, but two points in the standings are two points, whether you beat the worst team in the league 1-0 or 9-2. It was big for me, seeing that MAF brought home the shutout for my Semin Stains fantasy hockey team. It also pointed out the importance of one Sidney Crosby to the Pens' offensive gameplan. Hopefully it helps to quiet the "Trade Crosby" nonsense coming from various outlets. And without trying to pile on, but I found it noteworthy that the Pens put up a shutout with Ryan Whitney out of the lineup. Sorry big guy.

-Tiger Woods is back. Yawn.

-A-Rod homered in his spring debut last night, and was also seen after the game with his cousin that supposedly helped him inject the banned substance a few years back. He's definitely back on the stuff.

-In more Grapefruit League baseball news, your beloved Buccos won their spring opener yesterday over the defending champion Phillies 8-2. Jack Wilson had the go-ahead single, non-roster 2B Shelby Ford hit a three run shot and Rule V pickup Donnie Veal got the victory. Nothing to get excited over, but it's a start. Wonder how many yinzers talked about trading Freddy Sanchez to open up a spot for Ford after yesterday?

This just in...

Big Pens news for tonight...

It appears Sid the Kid will miss tonight's game with the groin injury he aggravated in practice. Early reports had Sid in the lineup, but a groin injury is not something you want to mess with. Thank god it's only the Isles tonight (yes, I know it's the same Isles that beat the Pens in OT last week. But they did lose two of their top players in Mr. Hillary Duff and Chris Campoli last week in a trade with the Sens.) Time for Geno to take the Jag and carry the team once again.
And to make matters worse (well, actually it might be a blessing in disguise) Ryan Whitney has left the team temporarily to return home to family matters. This opens the door for the triumphant return of Kris Letang to the lineup tonight. I'm predicting big things for The Orange Drink tonight. No word on what Whitney is dealing with, it could be a bruised ego from all the "Whitney Sucks!" chants he's heard over the past month.

Jay-Bo

A big thanks to Biggamekilla for this discovery...from the not-always-100% accurate CNNSI Truth and Rumors but still 100 times more reputable than that clown Eklund...

There has been talk that Panthers GM Jacques Martin has held talks with his old friend Ray Shero of the Penguins (the two worked together with the Senators) about a possible trade of defensemen -- Jay Bouwmeester for Ryan Whitney and draft picks.

I was caught a little off-guard by this development, but if it does ring true, it would be a huge score for the Pens. I've always had a soft spot for Ryan Whitney. He has shown flashes of being a top offensive force on the blueline. But as time goes on, his defensive liabilities continue to force their way to the forefront. Many may look at this trade as a lopsided deal in favor of the Pens, and I would tend to agree. The main upside for Florida would be to receive a D-man with Whitney's upside and ability who's locked up for the next few years. While Florida has become a player this season in the Eastern Conference playoff race thanks in large part to Bouwmeester, they cannot take the chance of losing him via free agency in the offseason. He has already turned down numerous attempts by the Panthers to resign him, and seems to want to play in a more traditional hockey market. It would be hard to see a guy like Whitney go, but to get a guy like Jay-Bo back for him, I'd do it in a heartbeat.

Make it happen Ray.