Yardbarker: Sergei Gonchar

Devander: I HOPE RYAN MALONE LAUGHED

Sun, 08 Jun 2008 20:29:31 -0500

by Jason Devander
jasondevander@gmail.com

Honestly, I wanted to puke.

Granted, some of my stomach-churnings came in the aftermath of the Penguins being bounced by the Red Wings on Wednesday night, but I still wanted to vomit.

It goes back to Game 1 of the NBA Finals when Paul Pierce went down with, what looked like, a serious knee injury. He returned to the game minutes later, but my nausea arrived when he began to hit jumper after jumper and showing, what some called, "tremendous courage" by coming back after being hurt so seriously earlier.

He came back after flailing around on the floor, crying into the team doctor's arm while clutching his knee -- he refrained from licking his palms, a la Ferris Bueller -- and then teammates carried Pierce off the floor, which some folks at The Big Lead describe accurately as "more uncomfortable than any injury he received on the play." . For the big finish of embarrassment, team trainers or hangers-on whisked him away in a wheelchair to the locker room.

When you saw him go down, you thought "wow, that's a shame...his season's probably done." Then, as he returned several minutes later, healed by the miraculous powers of a neoprene knee brace, the inclination I felt became "wow, what a whiny, pussified girl" and so much like the kid you knew in fourth grade who cried when he got hit in the mouth with a Nerf football.

Now, I'm not the first nor the last to criticize Pierce. The Los Angeles Times' Bill Plaschke called BS on the moment, and so did, Phil Jackson, in so many words. But courage? Puh-leez. Yet, there were pundits after the game trying to compare Pierce's recovery from a knee injury to the comeback that the Knicks Willis Reed made in Game 7 of the 1970 NBA Finals.

Are you serious? Yes, they were serious. But, no, seriously people considered this an inspiring comeback. Have we gotten to this point in our society where the standards for magnificence are lowered to such an alarming degree?

Of course, the wonderful citizens of Boston will say this is the greatest thing ever, and they will all use this as another case of how the rest of the country hates-on everything Boston. In which case, they'll be right. I don't think it's a stretch to say that Boston is the new New York in the "I Hate Your Teams and Fans" Derby. (And for the record, I despise the expression "hate-on" and any form of "haters." Hate-on sounds too close to Head-On, the headache relief remedy applied directly to the forehead.

Don't get me wrong. I'm not a Lakers fan or a Celtics fan. And I really do believe that Pierce hurt his knee. But I am a sports fan who respects and relishes real acts of courage and playing through pain, especially on the largest possible stage of which the game can be played.

For the record, I believe Willis Reed's return in the 1970 Finals should always be remembered as one of the gutsiest and heart-filled performances by any athlete in any sport. Period. It ranks right up there with the Toronto Maple Leaf's Bobby Baun breaking his ankle in Game 6 of the 1964 Stanley Cup Finals and returning in the same game to score the overtime winner. It's there with Kirk Gibson's home run in the 1988 World Series. And let's not forget Michael Jordan's flu game in 1997.

But seriously, did Paul Pierce deserve the laurels that so many were ready to bestow upon him?

You want to talk about courage and playing through pain in THIS playoff year? How about Sergei Gonchar crashing into the boards at full speed in Game 5 vs. the Red Wings, hurting his back and shoulder, and then coming back to be a part of Petr Sykora's game-winner in overtime. And even that wasn't as impressive as Ryan Malone taking the USS Hal Gill's slap shot right in the face near the end of the second period, breaking his nose (again), and then returning for the start of the third after he was stitched up. Hell, Malone got up on his own and skated to the bench as blood poured from his face.

Malone didn't need a damn wheelchair.

And that's why I hope he laughed at Paul Pierce because, as the commercial says, "you'd never make it in the NHL."

SO CLOSE...

Fri, 06 Jun 2008 20:21:44 -0500

RED WINGS 3
PENGUINS 2

Watching this season play out, the way the Penguins' 2007-08 campaign finally ended pretty much summed it all up: a talented team facing adversity gave an incredible, gutsy effort.

Down 3-1 while getting only one shot on goal through the first 16 minutes of the third period? No problem. Summon Sergei Gonchar and Marian Hossa for a little power-play magic and give us renewed hope with a minute-and-a-half remaining.

With the lid of Mellon Arena ready to be blown off, Marian Hossa's final effort trickled past Detroit goalie Chris Osgood, just inches away from tying the score as the clock ran out on the Boys of Winter.

It was an excruciating tease of what could have been.

But hockey, like football and golf, is a game of inches. A bounce here, a bounce there, and the Penguins could have won more than two games in this series. But there is no doubt that the better team won. The Penguins were the NHL's #2 team this year, and considering the age and inexperience of many of these players, there's no shame in that. But the day after, that's a message that no one wants to hear, especially the players.

As the title implies, the Penguins were both close and far in this series. Things couldn't have started much worse than back-to-back shutouts in Detroit, coming home with a 7-0 goal defecit.

There were times when this series had the feel of the 1960 World Series between the Yankees and Pirates. Yes, it was played about 20 years before I was born, but I've heard and read about it enough to know what happened.

Going into Game Seven, the Yankees won three games over the Pirates by scores of 16-3, 10-0, and 12-0. The Pirates also won three games: 6-2, 3-2, and 5-2. And as we all know, it took every bit of the seventh game, right down to the final at-bat, for the Pirates to eek out a 10-9 victory on home turf, cementing Bill Mazeroski's legacy in this town for the rest of time.

From 1947-1959, the Yankees won eight World Series and appeared in two others. Of the three years in that span that they didn't make it, their records were 94-60 (1948), 103-51 (1954), and 79-75 (1959). Their team was stocked with names like Mickey Mantle, Roger Maris, Yogi Berra, and Whitey Ford...and that was just in 1960, to say nothing of the DiMaggios, Rizzutos, and Billy Martins that played in the years preceding.

To tie my comparison together, the Penguins were outshot by the following margins in this series: 36-19, 34-22, 34-24, 30-23, 58-32, and 30-22. True, shots alone don't win games, but they certainly give you an indication of who is in possession of the puck, and that was not the Penguins. They scored a grand total of 10 goals in six games, with seven of those 10 coming in just two games. They were facing a Red Wings team absolutely stocked with experienced, Stanley Cup-winning talent.

And much like the 1960 Pirates, these Penguins bridged the apparent gap between the two championship contestants with an amazing effort and a never-say-die attitude. After the series' start, few would have been surprised to see a sweep. But a funny thing happened on the way to that four-game series: the Penguins made it a series. This is not a team that packs it in.

The obstacles in the Penguins' path were many. First and foremost was the ridiculous Detroit defense, which was somehow able to totally neutralize the red-hot Pens, who had just had their way with the entire Eastern Conference. At times it was felt like trying to penetrate the Steel Curtain defense.

The Red Wings were able to hold Evgeni Malkin to a mere one goal for the entire series. The Penguins' goal scoring was very top-heavy, with three of their 10 from Hossa, two from Sidney Crosby, and two from the surprisingly efficient Adam Hall. Ryan Malone, Pascal Dupuis, and Gary Roberts were held to just one assist each. Jordan Staal failed to crack the scoring ledger.

With the lack of scoring production came the increased importance of other factors. Marc-Andre Fleury certainly silenced any remaining doubters who failed to notice his 19-10-2, 2.33 regular season or his 12-2 record coming into the Finals. Brooks Orpik and Hal Gill did their part to make the Red Wings sore on a regular basis. For inspirational purposes, you could look at a number of guys playing hurt, most notably Gonchar and Malone. There was the added lift from veterans Roberts and Daryl Sydor. And of course, no one will forget the efforts of Max Talbot or Petr Sykora in the near future.

Even on the losing end, it was as heroic an effort as anyone could have asked for. The Penguins gave, gave, and gave up until the final buzzer. Sadly, it was not to be this year. And I realize we can't take any future Finals appearances for granted, but the future is certainly bright.

So today, the offseason officially begins. GM Ray Shero is in a tough situation, as some combination of Hossa, Roberts, Dupuis, Hall, Malone, Orpik, Ty Conklin, Georges Laraque, and Jarkko Ruutu will surely sign for greater dollars elsewhere. But as he's proven time and time again, he's more than competent at his job. And while I'd love to see a guy like Hossa back in the black and gold next season, the Penguins will be a challenger for the crown regardless of who stays or goes.

To the Penguins, we thank you for an incredible, memorable season. From the October 5th opener against Carolina to the Winter Classic to the climactic finale last night, it will be regarded as a year for the ages.

The great thing for fans about playing this late into the season? Training camp's only a few short months away. I'm sure this nucleus will be more than ready to finish what they started.

2008 Playoffs: Wrapping Up Game 6 And The Finals

Wed, 04 Jun 2008 23:56:27 -0500

The Stanley Cup Finals are over and the Detroit Red Wings emerged victorious over the Pittsburgh Penguins with a 3-2 win. How did it all go down and where do the two teams go from here?

THE NEWS

Wed, 04 Jun 2008 17:59:39 -0500

--Game Six is tonight and hopefully decided in 60 minutes (or less) with another memorable/important Penguins victory. Tickets are ranging from $300 to nearly $3000. The mere thought of paying so much for a ticket has Sergei Gonchar grimacing in pain for Penguin fans.

--The Steelers were practicing indoors yesterday. The question is whether they were practicing for football or an MMA fight, because several skirmishes broke out, including Willie Colon vs. Lawrence Timmons and Arnold Harrison vs. Trai Essex.

--To the legions of Mike Lange fans (including myself), here is your chance to be heard.

--The longer the Penguins season goes on means a shorter gap between hockey and football season. So for those of you who still remember that we have a Major League Baseball team, the Pirates are 27-31 and in the NL Central basement following a 2-0 loss to Houston last night.

--This just in: the Washington Wild Things will be hosting a softball game against the Pittsburgh Steelers this Saturday at 7:05 PM at CONSOL Energy Park in Washington, PA. Tickets start at $7.00 and there will be a free autograph session after the game.

Of course, I just realized that there will in all probability be a certain Game Seven starting about an hour later that night, but that will rest on some heroics tonight.

--Here's a great article from TSN entitled, "10 Things You Didn't Know About Sidney Crosby."

With all of the hype Sid's received since he was a pee-wee, I'm surprised they could come up with that many things we didn't know.

--Look, Red Wings coach Mike Babcock can question the refs too! Did he attend the recent Michel Therrien Coaching Clinic?

--Hockey fans have a new enemy: Tiger Woods.

--Former Steeler RB Noah Herron recently welcomed a group of burglars by unscrewing a bedpost and beating them with it. That wasn't very friendly.

--After his arrest for illegal possesion of oxy, Patriot Nick Kaczur went undercover and wore a wire to bust a drug dealer. And the Patriots' pristine image of a few years ago takes yet another body blow.

--Our friends at Ripe TV are proud to unveil their new game show. Enter and win!

--It's Beano Cook's turn at Deadspin's Media Approval Ratings.

--Bob Ryan takes his swings at one Bill Simmons. It's the Boston version of Smizik-Madden.

--Rabbit Hash, Kentucky Mayor Junior Cochran just passed away. It's worth noting that Cochran was 12 years old and was a dog.

--Detroit Sucks!

See more funny videos at CollegeHumor

--The voices behind The Simpsons got a new four-year deal worth about $400,000 per episode. Aye carumba!

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HOW GREAT WAS IT?

Wed, 04 Jun 2008 12:41:45 -0500

PENGUINS 4

RED WINGS 3

TRIPLE OT

Now that people are starting to slowly awaken from their slumbers, it's time to try and decipher what we saw last night/morning. Everyone is going to have their unique angle today, be it depression [Albom], "last laugh" [Cook], or inspiration [Prisuta]. Of course, you could just ditch the Penguins discussion and write your umpteenth column about Mark Madden [Smizik], but instead I'm going with the question of where this game ranks in Pittsburgh sports history?

The way I see it, games are broken into two categories: most memorable games and most important games. A memorable game is a no-hitter, it's watching Mario score five goals five ways, it's a Steeler game played in a snowstorm. It can be in the regular season or the playoffs, and involve a good team or a bad team. An important game is a Stanley Cup-clincher, a Super Bowl victory, or something of great significance to your team's advancing.

Some games fall into both categories, most notably Bill Mazeroski's home run in Game Seven of the 1960 World Series, and for the wrong reasons, Game Seven of the 1992 NLCS (or as you may remember it: FRANCISCO CABRERA). This is the distinction that will be bestowed upon last night's contest.

But ultimately, where will Game Five rank in the pantheon of Pittsburgh sports (and Penguin) lore? Was it the greatest and/or most memorable Penguin game ever? That's up for debate. As far as memories go, multiple-OT or unusually lenghty games tend to stick with you, which will certainly strengthen the case for Game Five. I can tell you where I was for the "Petr Nedved Game" and the "Keith Primeau Game" all these years later, and they weren't in the Finals. I even vividly remember the Steelers-Falcons game a few years ago that ended in a tie after a ferocious rally led by Ron Mexico.

And in addition to the debate of what this game meant, we can also debate the great and memorable individual performances of all time based on what went down just a few hours ago. Last night featured 55 saves from Marc-Andre Fleury, a Willis Reed-like moment from Sergei Gonchar, an unreal goal on the brink of extinction from Max Talbot and a truly inspiring effort from the banged-up Ryan Malone. And that's before I even mentioned the words "Petr Sykora" and "Called Shot".

For Sykora, that goal defines his career. It's the moment that means he never has to pay for a meal or a drink in Pittsburgh for the rest of his life. It's the kind of play that allows a player to make a living by signing photos of that specific moment as long as he can scribble his name on an 8x10 photo. He joins Bill Buckner, Mookie Wilson, Bobby Thomson, Ralph Branca, Don Larsen, and most recently, David Tyree in that unique category.

Yes, any way you slice it, Game Five had it all. Most important, though, was the fact that the Penguins actually, you know...won the game, because there were ample opportunities to add another name to another list: infamous players who took down Pittsburgh teams in the postseason. So to David Volek, Francisco Cabrera, Keith Primeau, and Larry Brown, sorry, but your exclusive club will not be getting any new members anytime soon.

Game 6 will be at 8:08 p.m. tomorrow at Mellon Arena. Our mental scrapbooks have a blank page ready and waiting.

Back From The Dead

Wed, 28 May 2008 22:25:30 -0500

It appears NHL fans will get the competitive Stanley Cup Finals they expected as the Penguins returned to form on Wednesday night with a 3-2 victory over the Red Wings. After miserable performances that saw the Pens go scoreless in the first two games of the series, they were able to put everything together in front of the hometown crowd.

2008 Playoffs: Wrapping Up Game 1 Of The Finals

Sat, 24 May 2008 23:54:58 -0500

Detroit came out and took care of business, to the tune of a 4-0 victory, against the Penguins in Game 1 of the Finals. What were the keys to the game, what can the Pens do to rebound in Game 2, and who are the leaders in the Conn Smythe Trophy hunt?

Breaking Down the Stanley Cup Finals

Thu, 22 May 2008 00:14:46 -0500

82 games, 3 rounds of playoffs, they all lead to this: Pittsburgh v Detroit. who will win and how inside...

2008 Playoffs: Handicapping The Conn Smythe Contenders

Wed, 21 May 2008 22:25:17 -0500

A look at the leading candidates for Playoff MVP on both the Detroit Red Wings and Pittsburgh Penguins. Which players have been the biggest contributors for their respective teams heading into the Stanley Cup Finals?

All Is Right In The Eastern Conference

Mon, 19 May 2008 21:36:57 -0500

There's a familiar flightless bird atop the Eastern Conference as Sidney Crosby, Marc-Andre Fleury and the rest of the Pittsburgh Penguins have cruised to the Eastern Conference crown. What is the impact of this playoff run, and will they have enough left in the tank to take down the Red Wings?

Eastern Conference Finals Preview

Thu, 08 May 2008 14:37:28 -0500

The Eastern Conference Finals features the Pittsburgh Penguins, along with the Philadelphia Flyers. This match up is extremely tough to call and could easily go seven games. Let's take a look at how the teams have done thus far throughout the playoffs and how they match up.

Follow the bouncing puck

Sat, 26 Apr 2008 14:02:46 -0500

Last night was a game of strange bounces. The games first goal came when Martin Straka's centering pass bounced off the skate of Penguin defensemen Sergei Gonchar and past Marc-Andre Fleury. On that play Jaromir Jagr recored his first playoff point against the team he won two cups with in the early nineties. The Rangers scored 2 more goals to take a 3-0 lead in the 2nd period. Just as the announcer on VS. was saying that the Penguins haven't come back from a 3 goal deficit all year, they scored 2 goals in a 14 second span. The first came from Jarkko Ruutu as his pass bounced off a defender and into the net. Then the 2nd came from a pretty pass from Sid the Kid to Pascal Dupuis who scored his first goal of the playoffs. Then in the 3rd the craziest bounce of them all happened. Marian Hossa was in the corner and sent the puck to the front of the net only to have it go right through the space between Scott Gomez's skate blade and his boot and through the legs of Henrik Lundqvist. If you give Hossa 100 tries at that shot again I guarantee he wouldn't be able hit that shot again. The teams traded goals to make it even again at 4 a piece until late in the third when Sidney Crosby took a rare slap shot from the top of the circle and of course it bounced off Evgeni Malkin's shin and into the back of the net for the game winning goal. The Penguins started off slow after having a extended break between rounds but picked up their game and won their 5th playoff game in a row.

AccuScore NHL Rundown 4/14

Mon, 14 Apr 2008 12:59:55 -0500

AccuScore NHL analyst Tim Williams breaks down today's games, detailing: -Players to watch in each game. -Top fantasy goalies for each game. -Simulated outcomes for each game, including "AccuScore Upset Watch" contests.

07-08 Fantasy Hockey All-Fire & All-Ice Teams

Sat, 12 Apr 2008 15:57:15 -0500

The best and worst of the regular season in fantasy hockey. Some of the choices are obvious, while some of the selections are somewhat unexpected, especially on the cold end of the spectrum.

Penguins Overcome Senators Comeback, Take 2-0 Series Lead

Fri, 11 Apr 2008 22:25:20 -0500

The Pittsburgh Penguins exploded for 54-shots against the Ottawa Senators, but it took 2-goals in the last 1:02 of regulation to break a 3-3 tie and give the Penguins the win and a 2-0 series lead. Pittsburgh looked to be in complete control of the game and the series as they scored 3-unanswered goals through the first 30-minutes, but the Ottawa Senators finally bounced back with 3-unanswered goals of their own to tie the game and almost send it into overtime. A late high-sticking call against the Senators would be the difference, however, as the Penguins capitalized on the man-advantage to break the tie and get the game winner.