Is that RUUTU? No - it's the "COOK[i]E Monster"!

Even though he hasn't yet proven himself on the ice in a Penguins uniform, Matt Cooke is already being compared to Jarkko Ruutu. He may be a good replacement from what I'm hearing, but I don't think he'll be as good of an agitator as Ruutu - no one ever will (then again, I'm slightly biased)!

Shero has said that he is a player similar to Ruutu but that he has more goal-scoring ability. What about shoot-out goals? I think this comparison is unfair to both players (and all it does is make me want Ruutu back even more - would everyone just please allow me get over it already?!)!!

"I've liked Matt for a long time," Shero said. "He plays his 15 minutes a night, and he's done that on some good teams. He brings a lot of the qualities that Jarkko did, though he's a little different -- a little better skater, a little better speed and he can score some points." [taken from the official Pittsburgh Penguins webpage]

One thing that may make Cooke become more endearing to me and alot of the Pens nation is a new nickname alot of the bloggers / posters have already bestowed upon him -- the "Cookie Monster"! Although I cannot give my husband the appropriate credit he deserves, I will still let you know that BEFORE anyone said or posted anything over the internet (maybe it would be better to say "before we saw anything about it on the internet"), my husband looked at me this past Saturday and out of nowhere exclaimed, "I got it - the Cookie Monster!" Having no idea what the hell he was talking about, he further explained that it would be the perfect name for Matt Cooke - I kid you not! And, indeed, it apparently IS the perfect name because it was obviously the same thing that came to mind for alot of others which became apparent as I browsed through the internet the next day. I'm afraid this nickname will stick (so hopefully Mr. Cooke approves).

One of the first to post "Cookie Monster" entries was, of course, The Pensblog! Fans have been so enthusiastic about the name that they've been submitting photoshopped photos of the NEW Cookie Monster (see a few below courtesy of The Pensblog):