Wednesday, January 7, 2009

Thoughts On Last Night's Win

Here are some of my thoughts and observations on last night's win (please feel free to post your own thoughts / comments):
  • I probably would've enjoyed the game more being there, but I think John and I made the right decision to stay home (there will always be next time)!
  • Staal looked good on the top line with Sid; he hasn't had a chance to play on his line (everyone else has, so why not him?), so I'd say give him more of a chance there along with Kennedy - it could end up being a solid line that works out in all aspects (good for Sid / good for Staal).
  • Fleury looked really good against the Thrashers; granted, it was the Thrashers, but we had to start somewhere to regain his and the team's confidence!
  • Boucher had a decent game; unlike John, I am impressed with what he's brought to the table for the Pens as a defenseman (he's definitely proving to be the better part of the trade since Sydor doesn't seem to be doing much for the Stars - or getting any more ice time than he did here in Pittsburgh).
  • It looks to me like Satan got the message loud and clear being placed on the fourth line on Monday and knew he had to step it up; he seems to be playing harder and more willing to get "dirty."
  • If it turns out that Fedotenko broke his hand, this could mean he would be out for an extended period of time which would be a big blow to the Pens since he's been playing pretty well these last few games. I just read that Bob Grove reported in his post-game show that Therrien said he doesn't think that he'll be back anytime soon, but I watched the post-game press conference and didn't hear him say that exactly - just that they will miss him.
  • I'm still not sure what happened with Dupuis, but I can't say that I think it'll make a difference for the Pens if he doesn't return to the lineup (he doesn't impress me and never will).
  • Does anyone realize how well Talbot does on face-offs? He's right behind Ziggy with a win-percentage of 55.4% (Ziggy leads the team with 62.9%).
  • Thoughts on the upcoming stretch of road games: the dads will be joining the players on this road trip and we all know how well they usually do when their fathers join them; this probably couldn't come at a better time for them to register more wins and help build the team's confidence (this should definitely help them to continue climbing out of this hole they've been in).

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