The Penguins playing the Atlanta Thrashers amidst this five game slide is the absolute best medicine they could have gotten. The Pens are 9-1 against the Thrashers in their past 10 meetings. If this could not get them out of their slump…..nothing would.
The Pens showed some signs of getting their “A” game back, though it was certainly not there in the first period when they were being outshot 11-1. Brent Johnson did a very nice job of keeping the Pens in the game until the wheels started turning.
Maybe the most notable thing that occurred to me tonight was the fans instituting a loud whooping sound kind-of-a cheer. It was very interesting. It seemed to catch on pretty good as the game progressed. I have often thought that Pittsburgh needs some sort of unified cheer to make a presence on TV and radio. Could this be it? I’m not sure.
Notes:
- Luca Caputi scored a goal in his first game back in the NHL. That was great. I will say, however, that this kid needs to get stronger on his skates. He is easily knocked onto his neck. It is certainly too early to make judgements, but that is what I could see tonight.
- I can’t wait for Malkin to loosen back up and let the game flow for himself. He is one of the finest players in the league, but he is making some bad decisions with the puck. Now, I know he will break out of this slump at some point. When he does; he will tear it up.
- Nice to see a defenseman score. We haven’t seen that in weeks.
- Nice to see some non-Guerin wingers getting on the board, recently.
Oh, and by the way, the second best medicine the Pens could get for a slump is playing the dreaded Flyers. I hope they take a big dose of kill the Flyers on Thursday.
Playing the FLYERS has never been considered to be the best medicine. The games usually are as tough as they come. That’s why most Pens fans hate the bassets. Carcillo, Hartnell and a host of others dropping their gloves isn’t easy and if we have to dress Goddard to combat that that isn’t good either. I love nothing better than kicking the Flyer’s arses but they are hardly good medicine for ending slumps even with the AHL goalies they have.
So much for Dunlap’s second best medicine theory. Godard in and he takes another minor. What a wasted roster spot.
Just a spoonful of sugar helps the medicine go down.
As to whether “Luca Bazooka’ (you have to love that name) is ever a TOP-6 winger with the Pens won’t be determine in one or two games. Looking back it’s almost 10-years since we had a winger who put up 30 goals. That was Kovalev. Contrary to the belief Billy Tibbetts did it– he didn’t. Is Luca Bazooka just an average prospect and we are so starved for wingers he looks like a TOP-6? That could be. Shero has to be searching for someone. Maybe something like Teemu Selanne finally getting here.
How does Brent Johnson not get one of the three stars?