Big Lead Sports Bar

1/08/2010

TODAY'S HEADLINES



Flyers 7, Pens 4: Jeff Carter and James van Riemsdyk each scored two goals as the red-hot Flyers dropped the ice-cold Pens at the Igloo. The Pens have now lost seven times in their past nine games.

Sidney Crosby lit the lamp twice for the Pens, who also got goals from Mike Rupp and Matt Cooke. But it was a long night for the Boys of Winter, who pulled goalie Marc-Andre Fleury after allowing four goals on just 15 shots.

The Pens leave today on a 10-day road trip that takes them to Toronto, Minnesota, Calgary, Edmonton and Vancouver, and ailing assistant coach Mike Yeo will not be making the trip. [NHL.com, PittsburghPenguins.com]

Local teams finish strong: In the final AP college football polls, Penn State finished 9th, Pitt 15th, and West Virginia 25th.

Penn State was one of three Big 10 teams in the top 10, joining Ohio State (5) and Iowa (7). Cincinnati (8) was the only Big East team ranked higher than Pitt. [ESPN.com]

Shipley's future up in the air: A.Q. Shipley, the Moon and Penn State product who spent last year on the Steelers' practice squad, was the only member of that unit not yet signed to a contract for next season.

Shipley, a center, wants to play, and there are no guarantees that he'll be on the team's 53-man roster. So he and his agent, Eric Metz, are looking at other options.

Shipley was a seventh-round pick in 2009 and was released on the final cut last season. [TimesOnline.com]

Rest in peace, Yvonne Zanos: KDKA's consumer reporter, who just turned 60, passed away this morning from complications related to ovarian cancer. She began her Pittsburgh broadcasting career on KDKA's Evening Magazine in the 1970's. She began work on the consumer beat in 1987. [PG]

Rest in peace, Phil Musick: Pittsburgh lost another longtime media member on Tuesday, when Phil Musick passed at 71 due to congestive heart failure. Musick hosted a show from 1987 to 1998 on WTAE Radio, and later worked as managing editor at KDKA. [WTAE]

--More links coming soon...a little overloaded this morning---

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5 comments:

Steve said...

So, it seems the Pens are hell bent on doing their best impersonation of the Pittsburgh Steelers. Like the Steelers, the Pens are not even one season removed from winning a Championship and after a solid start on the campaign to defend it, they have faltered mightily at mid-season and are playing like a team that has no answer as how to fix things. Let’s just hope Bylsma doesn’t decide to unleash hell at the Igloo.

Also like the Steelers defense and special teams, part of the Pens game is a huge disappointment. The PP for the Pens has gone from worst to worser (yes, that is a word in this instance) and has probably cost the team a minimum of 8 or 10 points in the standings, so far. This, combined with shoddy defense, soft goaltending and Malkin more likely to be found on the back of a milk carton than on the score sheet any given night, has me thinking this team might be looking at tough odds to make the playoffs, let alone defend the cup. With most of the East playing well to very well right now, the Pens could find themselves looking up at 8th place less than 2 weeks from now.

Am I overreacting? I remember people thinking it was overreacting to call the season over after the Steelers fell to 6-4 also. With what we experienced with the Steelers after these two recent post-Super Bowl defenses, I can’t think how anyone could be surprised if the Pens fail to make the playoffs too. Has there even been two teams from the same city not make the playoffs after winning Championships together the year prior, and if so, what did those parades look like?

JB said...

Steve, yes, you are overreacting but not by much. I will just say that it is a long season and things change. Let's not forget where the boys were last season at this time and things worked out pretty well.
On another note, I was sad to hear of Phil Musick's passing. I had the pleasure of taking a writing class he taught at La Roche and his lessons still stick with me to this day. Hell of a writer and a very nice guy.

Louis Lipps is my homeboy said...

The Pens were way more dominant early in the season than the Steelers looked at any point in theirs.

I think they'll right the ship. It's an 82 game season, and team's go through ups and downs.

Plus, this team always seems to struggle without Gonch. And that's disturbing because he's getting up there a little bit in years.

Also, I'm calling this one now. After the Olympics, the sleeping Geno awakens!

Look, here in the states most puck fans are way more concerned with their NHL team and not the Olympics. But to the fans and players in other countries, they are a HUGE deal. Remember, Mario pretty much gave up one of his last NHL seasons to win the gold with Canada in 02. Right or wrong, maybe Geno's saving something for team Russia next month.

Dallas Mike said...

Somewhere the spirit of Mike Webster and his #52 are relieved at the A.Q. Shipley news.

nuthinhere said...

Aww, sad to hear about Yvonne Zanos. :-(