Hey all. I confess, marketing and self-promotion aren’t my thing. But I’d like to toot my own horn a little and tell our faithful PenguinPoop readers about my new book that’s slated for release this month.
Actually, it’s not new, but rather an updated spin on my second book…100 Things Penguins Fans Should Know & Do Before They Die…originally published by Triumph Books back in 2011.
Needless to say, a lot’s changed in the interim. The revised version boasts 13 new “things,” including tales from our back-to-back Cup runs and features about Patric Hornqvist, Phil Kessel, Kris Letang, Matt Murray, Jim Rutherford, Mike Sullivan and the “HBK Line,” among others. There’s even a shout-out for my favorite place to watch a Pens game…the Pennsbury Pub & Grille.
The book contains 21 new sidebars as well, ranging from Marc-Andre Fleury’s emotional homecoming, to the NHL’s (and Mario Lemieux’s) greatest moment, to fun stuff like the “Traveling Jagrs.”
Existing features on stars such as Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin have been enhanced and updated, too.
100 Things Penguins Fans Should Know & Do Before They Die would make a great Christmas gift for you or that special Penguins fan in your life. Beginning November 13, it’s available at all major bookstores, including Barnes & Noble, and online at sites such as Triumph Books, Amazon and Walmart.
You did it Rick.👏👏👏
Perseverance pays off.
3 time is the best they say.
Congrats from an old friend.
I sure it will be great.
God Bless you !
Jim
( a voice from up North )🇨🇦
Hey Rick Buker,
Congratulations. I can’t wait to support it and buy it.
From Islander games .. Particularly faster and fearless teams that have youth included with their veterans..
Pens cannot counterattack they collapse , clogged neutral zone and heavy forecheck . Use their speed to get the net and get to them dangerous spots to score goals. They don’t settle down and take control to win games.
They don’t have bottom lines to defensively and offensively help their big stars. They don’t capitalize on their powerplay when they need to score a goal. Pens powerplay is very passive and to indecisive with Letang doing the quarterbacking.
Hornqvist shouldn’t be with two centers. He deserves to be on the top lines..
I know you guys know I’m fan of Penguins Organization first not just the names of back the jerseys. I just can stand certain players and play on thei ce.
Justin Shultz is more valuable to this team His presence is missed. He knew how to quarterbackpowerplay, create something to get the pens going and help win a game..
Kris Letang and Jack Johnson. ( Not a fan ) Letang was doing to much last night .
Letang is always due for a handful of terrible plays each game, it comes down to the other team converting or not.
I will say this to the fighting end Letang will not help you win games in a key situations nor play smart consistent games for his team . He pinches to much and wants to be a forward instead of fading away to support at the blue line in case a turnover case odd man rushes. He’s constantly bad in his zone. Sully doesn’t hold him accountable. I didn’t understand him being in the shout-out. He doesn’t have creative to win it. It the same backhand feed.
He always unaware and don’t understand the situation on the situation. He pinch bad on that powerplay and didn’t skate fast to take the man nor the puck to at least hustle to stop the goal. He gives up pretty quick. He plays like a foward not a solid top #1 defender that know when to play defensively and offensively sound to win games. It’s simple.
Jack Johnson is brutal. There’s nothing to defend Jack Johnson. He won’t help you win games nor good in all three zones. He has some tools to be great defender from what scouts gave years ago But it not on the ice nor it’s good enough to help this team.
I didn’t understand why they didn’t let young players like Guentzel play in the shootout to help win the game. Geno and Sid were completely gassed.
It was a problem last season and continue to be a problem this season. Teams are more fearless and faster of take stuff away from them. Make them look slow and dictating the game of how they wants to win. They attack them in a way to get to make mistakes to capitalize on it.
That’s why I said Sully doesn’t have tactics and strategies to help win a game against opposition like the Islanders. When teams take ways from the pens Sully doesn’t have nothing to get them going to win a game. That’s my observation. Times when he needs to shorten the bench or line shuffling in games he doesn’t do it. He doesn’t load up with stars nor give youth opportunities to help win a game. Cullen line got outwork by Barzal’s line and Defenseman bad in their zone. Pens play down to their competition and let them dictate the game to tell the how to play the game. They get to fancy , impatient and not attention to detail to be a better team on the ice.
Also I understand that you have to sometimes crack a whipped on young rookies than veterans players. I don’t think so. I get it Simon cough up the puck and you gotta hold him accountable. You don’t bench for Rust on first line where Rust hasn’t done anything this season to help pens win games.
You should crack a whip and hold all players accountable when they do stupid things on the ice to send a message to all players. I would say Kris Letang..
… Pens needs more speed , youth and play players bring into their strengths not limitations. Better tactics and strategies. Solid in a game in adjustments to win games. Let other players have opportunity to help win a game. I don’t like Letang in Key situations
Pens need some spark on the team. New fearless blood that wanna help win games. Youth needs to play and some veterans needs to be hold accountable and youth gotta have a more trust in the them.
Points do matter ..
Hey Dee,
Thanks for the congrats on the book.
I’m always impressed by the depth of your comments and agree with a lot of what you say. I’m a little fried right now (I’m at work), but I did want to respond to a couple of your observations.
I agree that the Pens could use a jolt of speed, energy and aggression…especially given the attacking style Sullivan prefers to employ. I’ve made this point before and I’ll make it again…the kids were a very underrated aspect of the Cup teams, especially in 2015-16. They brought up Tom Kuhnhackl, Bryan Rust, Conor Sheary and Scott Wilson, and they all made a difference with their speed, energy and enthusiasm.
We just don’t seem to have that element this year.
Very interesting thought about Sullivan not making adjustments or only being able to coach a certain style. In second round of the 2017 playoffs against Washington, we kept trying to exit our zone along the wall. The Caps sent a lead forechecker in to harass the defenseman and a second forechecker to jump our forward trying to receive the outlet pass.
The result? They kept us pinned in our own end and dominated the series in terms of shot attempts. At times it literally looked like they had a perpetual power play.
Finally, in Game 7, Sully instructed his guys to exit via the middle of the ice, and it caught the Caps off guard. But, at least in my mind, it seemed to take him the entire series to adjust.
Shades of Dan Bylsma?
Rick
Hey Rick Buker,
Thank you.
I love hockey a lot!!
Yes . I remember that. I hate when they throw puck on the boards and don’t win puck battles. It’s seem to be happening again and teams are finding ways to beat them . Take every plan they have on the ice. You read my mind . I have been saying the same stuff all summer . I agree.
Pens are struggling again tonight . No urgency, aggressive, not winning puck battles and opposition is constantly in the zone . Odd man rushes and ton of chances for the Toronto Maple Leafs. Powerplay is very passive and not attacking with Kris Letang. Justin Shultz is missed.
I hate be harsh.. I know some fans don’t like it.. They hate when coaches or their favorite players gets call out.
Mike Sullivan is very good coach. He isn’t a elite coach . Elite coach adapt and retool their team to be new improved against any opposing they encounter on any given night. Penguins are not that team.
Mike Sullivan isn’t that type of coach . Nhl is copycat league. Teams have adjust, more faster, younger with veterans and making Penguins look small on the ice. Hes a short lived coach. I see nothing new and evolving with team. I don’t understand removing Guentzel from Sid’s line. Simon made two three bad plays on the ice and he isn’t reprimanded. Guentzel hasn’t been a problem on Sid’s line/ I like Simon But he doesn’t have the right consistency with Sid and Jake.
He does things that don’t make sense at all .
Murray getting run over in the net. Players are not fighting back.
I appreciate Sullivan changing the culture for the Penguins’ players to better and helping winning B2 B cups with Rick Tocchet. He brought the speed game to them. Rick Tocchet was a very valuable coach during his first two seasons. He missed it.
Penguins are playing the same way from last year. Coaching staff is failing, imo.
Penguins don’t have no identity at all . I think Penguins should get another coach. To much shade of Dan Blysma.
Hey Rick,
Congrats! Looking forward to getting the book. A Christmas present to myself.
— 55
Thanks 55!