Big Lead Sports Bar

2/16/2009

NOT A GOOD START



If you consider a 3-2 shootout loss to the league's worst team a good start for the Dan Byslma Era, you're a more optimistic person than I, because that's exactly what happened in a rare weekday afternoon game today on Long Island. The loss dropped the Pens to an unreal 1-7-2 in 2009 on the road [forgot to include that part in the original post]. Ugh.

I listened to most of the game online, and other than Phil Bourque getting overly excited about President's Day, there weren't many memorable moments from this contest. Sergei Gonchar did get his first point by assisting on Ryan Whitney's power play goal in the second, and Geno Malkin added a goal onto his league-leading point heap, but that's about it. Malkin and Sidney Crosby were both stopped in the shootout, and it was curtains for the first game under Mr. Byslma.

In other Pens-related news, Mad Mike Therrien said in an interview today that he thinks the Pens are still playoff-bound, and that he was basically blindsided by his firing, in the process adding that he thinks Byslma is "one of the up-and-coming young coaches". On both counts (the playoffs and Byslma), it's a coin-flip at this point. But after one game, there's one thing we can all say for sure: it's clear that Michel Therrien was not the entire problem.

Send your news, tips, and links to Mondesishouse@gmail.com.

8 comments:

Chris said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Chris said...

We won 3/4 before these last two games, so I don't think the 1 win in 2009 is entirely correct. Also, 1 game is awfully quick to give a complete verdict on the firing, especially since Bylsma hasn't even had a full practice with the guys yet...I doubt he was the ENTIRE problem either, but still awfully quick.

Anonymous said...

I just double-checked our wins/losses, and we're 8-11-2 in 2009. We are, however, 1-7-2, on the road in 2009, so that's probably what Mr. Mondesi meant. :)

SantoGold said...

Maybe we're just not that good. Given how many players we let go from last years team, its probably not that surprising.

Chris said...

Ah, ok on the record, that makes more sense. I am beginning to fear we're not that good either.

Dirty Sanchez said...

Wouldn't have mattered if Scotty Bowman or Toe Blake was the coach. Subtract Sergei Gonchar, Marian Hossa and Ryan Malone and add Miro fucking Satan and Ruslan Fedotenko and you're going to drop a few spots in the standings.

Paul Rupp said...

Dan Bylsma's first act as coach should be to have Sid practice his shootout moves with a 2 x 4 laid across the goal mouth. ELEVATE THE PUCK!!!

Anonymous said...

His name is Bylsma. Please correct that.