12/18/24
April 20, 2006
Penguins GM Iced: Craig Patrick, the GM who built the Pittsburgh Penguins' two Stanley Cup winning teams, has been let go after nearly 17 years on the job.
Patrick has been running that team since it feels like forever - and they've done little but suck. However, coming into the season he was one of the two guys (with Bob Clarke) who seemed to have gained the most ground post-lockout. Except all his moves blew up in his face. Lemiieux couldn't hack it, LeClair is LeSuck, Recchi was awful (the worst defensive forward in the league - the anti-Selke), Palffy showed up fat and uninterested and Gonchar blew goats. Everyone thought these moves were awesome before the puck dropped. It's too bad - this should have been his greatest year, but it ended up his worst. New blood needed.
posted by WeedyMcSmokey at 02:51 PM on April 20, 2006
Leclair was definitely a big gamble and they paid way too much for Gonchar. Those are the only two things I can fault Patrick for. Nobody had a clue that Palffy was gonna give up at the beginning of the season or that Recchi was going to be such a disappointment. And when you're aging player is also part owner, you can't scratch him or trade him. The Penguins did look real good on paper though at the start of the season.
posted by njsk8r20 at 04:08 PM on April 20, 2006
Anti-Selke... Nice. In hind-sight the LeClair signing was dumb b/c of his age, stats in recent years and style of play, but that's easy to say now. Recchi's play (or lack thereof) is a bit of a surprise. Who knew Lemieux's heart would goof up or Palffy would show up without one? I do think he waited too long to pull the plug on Olczyk mainly for how Edzo misused Crosby in the early going. Also, could been different if Evgheni Malkin came over. Weedy, thanks for the welcome over on the refs thread... This is the greatest message board ever. People actually discuss sports intelligently. What a concept. I don't curse (while typing Speaking is another matter), see no point in calling someone out anonomously, but i will warn you... I am a miserable typer. I have a grasp of the language... It's the keyboard that gets me.
posted by SummersEve at 07:15 PM on April 20, 2006
Funny. I read somewhere (maybe here at spofi?) that Alex should win the Calder - regardless of his Russian elite league experience - over Sid because Sid had so many great players (Lemieux, Palffy, Gonchar, Recchi) and Alex had no one of that calibre to play with. Heh. To his credit, Patrick was stuck: he had to give away all those cats he acquired - Jagr, Francis, Kovalev, Straka and others.
posted by Philfromhavelock at 07:52 PM on April 20, 2006
The Post Gazette says they didn't have internet access in the coaches offices until this season. Ouch.
posted by SummersEve at 08:08 PM on April 20, 2006
What do you expect from an arena that leaks when it rains and the power goes out all the time. And people wonder why they want a new one.
posted by dbt302 at 09:07 PM on April 20, 2006
Alex could very easily win the Calder, but it'd be mainly because he's done plenty on the ice to earn it. Crosby has done more than his share as well, but the one thing Ovechkin has over Sid the Kid is an awful lot of highlight film, which admittedly does count for something. As far as Patrick is concerned, well, his place in history is assured. If he wants to take a year (or more) off and come back into whatever situation he sees fit, I can't say I blame him. He did eveything he could over the better part of two decades in Pittsburgh, with no small amount of success.
posted by chicobangs at 03:05 AM on April 21, 2006
>an awful lot of highlight film, which admittedly does count for something. Heh. I think you're right.
posted by Philfromhavelock at 09:22 AM on April 21, 2006
At this point, I think it's entirely likely that the three best players in the whole league next year will be Ovechkin, Crosby and Phaneuf. Playoff hockey and basketball this weekend - can it get any better? Only if I'm getting a blow job at the precise moment that Calgary scores a goal, Nash sets up a basket and Sean Avery realizes that he is a terrible hockey player and simeltaneously retires AND explodes. ("Wow, you know guys - I'm just not good. I really never thought of it before. Yeah, I think that's it for me." POW!)
posted by WeedyMcSmokey at 09:39 AM on April 21, 2006
Jeez, Weedy welcomes the new girl, then starts prattling on about sports-related blowjobs and spontaneous human combustion at the same time. Is it Friday already?
posted by The_Black_Hand at 04:55 PM on April 21, 2006
Not a surprise, regardless. Glad that St. Louis won the draft lottery. It may not be the strongest draft year, but they need an awful lot of help. Maybe they can trade down for more picks.