I want to be excited, I really do.

I so want to be excited. As of the writing of this blog, the Pirates are tied for first place, not only in the National League, but in all of MLB. They are 48-30 and 18 games over .500 for the first time since 1992. I want to be excited, I really do. However, 20 years of empirical evidence tells me not to be. Every time there has been even a glimmer of hope, the Bucs have come crashing down. And I hate that feeling. That feeling that comes from watching a team that you love end their season with an epic fail. Did anyone catch the Eastern Conference Finals of the NHL Playoffs this year? Of course you did. You know what feeling I am talking about.

When it comes to sports, the Pirates were my first love. As a young boy growing up in the late 60s in Weirton, WV, just 30 minutes west of Pittsburgh, my love of sports was honed during the Pirates heyday. My father took us to games on a regular basis. He loved baseball, and he loved the Pirates. The sports scene was different then. There was no Steeler Nation, the Immaculate Reception had not yet occurred. The Penguins were a brand new team just starting to make their way in the NHL. The Pirates were the love of the city. My first team was the Pirates, and my hero was Roberto Clemente. So it's hard to keep from getting excited, even after 20 years of let down. I have seldom blogged about the Pirates because of their abysmal record. As I stated in a blog post two years ago: My mother told me that if you don't have anything nice to say, don't say anything at all. 

These Pirates are fun to watch. It's great to see them on a winning streak this close to the All Star Game. So I have to admit, I am excited. I know the Pirates history tells me not to believe. But I find myself believing anyway. I am enjoying every minute of this. I hope it lasts, I hope things have changed. I only have one goal for our Bucs this year, just compete. Don't let baseball season end in Pittsburgh when Steelers training camp begins, like it has for so many of the last 20 years. Just give me something to watch in September. I am not going to ask for October, not yet, not at this point in time. But man, that would be nice too.

It's Time for Leadership!!

To quote Friedrich Nietzsche "...if you gaze long enough into the abyss, the abyss will gaze back into you." That, my friends, is exactly where our Penguins find themselves, gazing into the abyss. I am not going to go into details as to why or how, that is all said and done. Plus I don't tend to do that in this blog. The Pens need to look forward, and to face their future. For them to avoid the abyss, it will take leadership. Great leadership. We can all call out Bylsma, that's fine. A head coach should take a lashing when a team of this caliber falls apart, as the Penguins have. But it isn't Bylsma who needs to take the reigns here, it's Crosby and Malkin. 

The test is upon them. Can our two superstars motivate this team to begin to once again play like the great team that they are? Motivation comes from within. It's the energizer that makes people take action. Can Crosby and Malkin get the Penguins motivated? It wont be easy, down two games and headed into a lions den to play the third. But if anyone can, it's Sidney Crosby; Calder Memorial Trophy Winner, Hart Memorial Trophy Winner, Olympic Gold Medalist, and of course, Stanley Cup Champion. Sid understands leadership, and combined with the example that Malkin is able to set on the ice, should be able to get this team back on their feet. Hopefully the Penguin's morale isn't damaged to a point of no return. I actually doubt that it is. Players of this high a talent level do not give up so easily. 

The leadership will have to come from within, from the leaders on the ice themselves. The coach can make adjustments, but only Crosby and Malkin can lead this team away from the abyss. I am constantly reminded on both Twitter and Facebook to remember '91. Yeah, I do. And the man who lead the Penguins out of that abyss is still with us today. I hope he was in the locker room today. I hope he and Sid have talked. I hope he has and will talk to the team. Crosby and Malkin can lead, but what an asset to have the great Mario Lemieux as the owner of your team. 

I will end this blog post with another quote from Friedrich Nietzsche: "Whatever does not kill you, makes you stronger." Let's all hope our boys are thinking that way. 

 

Do the Pens Chances in the Playoffs Rest on One Man's Shoulders?

The answer is obviously no. Hockey is the ultimate team sport. Unlike other sports fans, hockey fans are lucky if they see their heroes play for 1/3 of the game. Except for the goalie, whom we usually see the entire time. And if we don't see him for the entire time, it is commonly for a bad reason. We are quick to give accolades to our heroes when the our teams win. Standing ovations for Crosby, Malkin, Neal, and Kunitz are not uncommon in Pittsburgh. But if the Pens lose, one man usually carries the blame, Marc-Andre Fleury. As is the case for every goaltender in hockey, the loss rests on his shoulders, justified or not. He becomes the scapegoat, the center of criticism, and the subject for critique. Fans seldom see the lack of defensive play that leads to goals, only that the goaltender didn't stop the puck.

All that being said, one fact is true. To win the Stanley Cup, a team needs a certain amount of luck, and a hot goalie. The puck has to bounce your way a few times to become champion, and your goaltender has to make a few impossible stops. And I thank God that the Penguins have one who can.

We are all trying to forget the horrific 4 -2 first round playoff loss to the Flyers last year. And I am sure the Pens are as well. Fleury allowed 26 goals in that six game series. It's hard to bounce back from such a poor series. But if the regular season is any indication, then the Pens have bounced back, and so has Fluery. He has 23 wins and a 2.39 GAA in this lockout shortened season. And in the Eastern Conference, only Henrik Lundqvist of the Rangers has better stats. Fleury won a Stanley Cup with the Pens in 2009, and was with them when they lost in the finals the year before. He has a great disposition, he accepts the blame in a heartbeat when the team loses. And coincidentally, he can also shake off a loss better than any goaltender in the league. He is great, and one of the Penguin's best draft picks ever. Let's make sure we all remember these facts during these playoffs if the Pens lose, and especially when they win. He deserves a standing ovation as well.

Oh, and as for the question above, if you ask Marc-Andre Fleury, the answer is obviously yes.