Too Little Too Late For Penguins?

So Michel Therrien gets the axe as the Penguins are in serious danger of missing the NHL playoffs one year after making it to game six of the Stanley Cup Finals. I don't necessarily agree with the move, especially after hearing the players were beginning to tune Therrien out. In my opinion, the inmates should never run the asylum. If Therrien was good enough to get them back in the postseason and to the Cup Finals, he should have been allowed the opportunity to coach his way out of his team's slump. Oh, well. What's done is done. So now, the new coach says: Forget the trapping, and the defensive-minded style of play, we're going to play to our strengths, play more wide open, and score. They plan to be the St. Louis Rams of hockey. You wanna beat us, outscore us! Maybe that will be enough to get back into the postseason, but one has to ask: Is it too little too late? Pens GM Ray Shero says he didn't like the way the team was playing, so he canned Therrien. Not a huge surprise when you considered he inherited Therrien in the first place. But, when a team has two of the best players in the world, there's pretty much no excuse for not making the playoffs. If this move backfires, Shero deserves a good bit of blame as well. He couldn't convince Marian Hossa to come back, he let Ryan Malone walk, and he mis-fired on the signing of Miroslav Satan. Shero's a good GM, but make no mistake about it, the pressure is now officially on his shoulders. Stay tuned!

Penguins Miss Malone

The other night, I had the pleasure of the attending the Penguins/Sharks game with my friend and colleague Mike Prisuta from the DVE Morning Show and the Tribune-Review. Mike and I sipped a few adult beverages and watched a hard-fought, tough hockey game that the Pens eventually won in a shootout. (Sidney Crosby got the game winning shootout goal, so you know all was right with the world.) It seems like these gritty efforts have been few and far between for the Penguins these days. Many say the Pens struggles have to do with a so-called sense-of-entitlement the players feel after pushing the Detroit Red Wings to six games in the Stanley Cup finals last spring. Others say the players have tuned out head coach Michel Therrien and his demanding style. My theory: this team misses Ryan Malone and his intense two-way play. In my opinion, Malone was the heart and soul of the Penguins last season. He was the guy who would step up and get physical when needed, he repeatedly paid the price in front of the net which often created scoring chances for the team's more skilled players. Whatever "it" is, Malone had it last year, and the other players seemed to feed off of it. Sure, Malone was playing in the final year of a contract, so there was plenty of motivation for him to play well. But after a great rookie season, "Bugsy" kind of got lost in the shuffle once Crosby, Geno Malkin, and Jordan Staal came into the fray; that is before last season. Immediately after the Penguins season ended, I told anyone who would listen that the Pens should have made Ryan Malone their top off-season priority and not Marian Hossa. My theory was with Crosby and Malkin as your top two centers, anyone with half a brain could play wing on their lines and score 25-30 goals. But, few players can inspire the way Malone can. So now Malone is playing his hockey in Tampa, and the Pens are in danger of not even making the playoffs. Coincidence? I'm not so sure. Now, there's no need to panic: The Penguins are too talented to not make the playoffs, they will get in. But without Malone, how long will they last? Stay tuned.

Superbowl Thoughts

Sorry I haven't blogged in a while. I've been recovering from my "JB World Tour." Started off in Miami where I blew off a little steam, made my way to DC to visit family and give big-ups to our new president, then I made my way to Tampa for Superbowl 43. What can I say? It was one of the best Superbowls you will ever see. Here are some random thoughts from someone who covered the Steelers virtually the entire season before I was....well...nevermind!

-Place Ben Roethlisberger's face right next to Peyton Manning and Tom Brady on the Mount Rushmore of current NFL quarterbacks. Big Ben's performance on that final drive against the Cardinals was nothing short of legendary. (Kind of reminds me of what a certain Giants QB did on his final drive a year ago!) His last two throws were as good as it gets. High and away, either your guy gets it, or no one gets it. That's a sign of greatness! My advice to Ben: Understand that after 2 Superbowl wins in 5 years, the demands for your time will increase ten-fold! Be ready for it!

-Santonio Holmes has now arrived! Quite frankly, when I covered the Steelers, I thought this guy was all flash and no substance. But all that changed in Tampa. This guy WANTED the ball on that final drive, and he made the plays! Expect to see number 10 take his place among the elite of NFL wide receivers in the near future!

-Mike Tomlin is now a made man in Pittsburgh. It took him only 2 years to do what Bill Cowher needed 14 to do. With the tough schedule, all the injuries, and the inconsistent offense, to win 12 games and the Superbowl? Nothing short of amazing. I heard rumbles from some people closely affiliated with the Steelers that Tomlin wouldn't last long as an NFL head coach because he worked his players too hard, and he relied to heavily on his assistants. Well, he's already accomplished what a lot of so-called great coaches have yet to do, and he's more than earned his players' respect. Wait til he figures out what he's doing!

-As someone who's a huge fan of former Pitt Panther Larry Fitzgerald, I was heartbroken for the kid. After getting virtually shutout in the first half, he was clearly the best player on the field in the second half. He came this close to bringing home a championship to Arizona, he just scored a little too early.

-Don't be surprised if the Steelers go on a Patriots-like run over the next few years. With Roethlsiberger at quarterback, and Dick LeBeau running the defense, the Black And Gold will be in the mix for the AFC title for the foreseeable future.

-Steelers vs Giants at Superbowl 44! Who's with me?