Steigula Sucks

Let me preface this by saying that I couldn't be happier that the Penguins ended up 11-3-0 for the month of October. It was the best start to a season in franchise history and we did it without Max Talbot, as well as stretches of games without Evgeni Malkin, Sergei Gonchar, and Tyler Kennedy. We are the best team in hockey and so far there has been no indication of a Stanley Cup hangover. Life is good.

But, this is a blog where a couple of guys can spout off their opinions regardless of how well or how terrible things are going for our teams. And tonight, I'm a little pissed off at the results of this game. The Pens totally outplayed the Wild. They more than doubled them up in shots, had three times as many power plays, had far more offensive attack zone time, and Sidney Crosby even beat up one of their players. So how is it possible we lost this game?

Real simple, Marc-Andre Fleury. Before we get nasty grams about how MAF is 9-2, let's be honest with ourselves. Both goals he gave up tonight were preventable and should have been stopped. The first goal was a bad rebound that unfortunately bounced right to an open Wild player and the second one he just quit on the play. Both instances he was down before the shot even came, which drives Enviro crazy. The Wild had 4 shots in the first period and 2 of them found the back of the net. That is something that happens to an Islanders goalie, not to a Stanley Cup winning goalie. Fleury did stop the next 11 shots he faced, but it just wasn't enough tonight.

Props to Pascal Dupuis for stepping up his game recently. Not only did he get the lone goal, which was assisted on by Martin Skoula and Craig Adams, but he lead all players with 5 shots on goal and hustled the entire game. With Malkin down for the next few weeks everyone figured Jordan Staal would step up but he's back to his former useless self. What happened to the Staal from the Stanley Cup Finals where he dominated portions of Games 6 and 7? He's gone into hibernation apparently because he hasn't scored in five games and doesn't have a goal in his last 8 games. That's not what you expect from a second line center.

Some other guys aren't pulling their weight either. When you're winning you can gloss over that stuff but when you lose it comes to the forefront. Chris Conner doesn't belong up here. His passes are always behind the players and he doesn't bring any scoring touch. Chris Bourque is too small and has all his shots blocked. I'm surprised they haven't called up Ryan Bayda (for experience) or Luca Caputi (for scoring). And although I love him, Bill Guerin is passing up way too many scoring chances by trying one extra pass. Just shoot Billy, just shoot.

Oh well, you can't win them all. And for some reason we just can't beat this Wild team. Maybe some dyke witch put a curse on us after the Pens beat the North Stars in the 1991 Stanley Cup Finals. As long as we don't meet them in the Finals again, I could care less about that curse.

Next up the Pens embark on a four game road trip with the first stop being in Anaheim on Tuesday. It will be nice to see Ryan Whitney and show off our enormous Stanley Cup Championship ring that he helped us win by going to another team. What a douche. The Ducks recently snapped a four game losing streak and currently sit in last place in the Pacific Division.

Notes: Both Crosby and Alex Goligoski's scoring streaks ended...the Pens record 22 out of a possible 28 points in the month of October...former Penguin Petr Sykora got into a nasty exchange with Kris Letang...this game marked the third straight game the Pens played a team that had a player from last year's team...the streak will reach five games after stops in Anaheim (Whitney) and Los Angeles (Rob Scuderi)...like I said before, Ryan Whitney is a colossal douche bag.