"The Great One" is a Moron

A few remarks about the current state of hockey,

First, I liked Edzo he did an amazing job with the 2003-04 team. Yea I know they were the worst team in the league but believe me they could have been a lot worse. That said, I think it's safe to say that firing him was the best move the Pens have made in the last five months. Let me let you in on a little secret, during the 90's, even during the cup years, the Pens were probably the least coach able team in the NHL. But you know what? It didn't matter, they were just that talented, they were so good that they were able to completely ignore the systems of some of the greatest minds in hockey and still win. Just imagine if they would have actually listened to what Ivan Hilinka or Herb Brooks had to say, maybe there would be more than two banners hanging from the disintegrating roof of the Igloo. When we started this season everyone seemed to think it was going to be a return to the glory days, no more dump and chase, no more neutral zone traps, a fore-check? ha! that's for talent less losers like the Minnesota Wild. Well guess what, it's not 1994, John LeClair is washed up and though I hate to say it Mark Recci is well on his way. In a league where clutching and grabbing no longer exists Sergei Gonchar is no longer an offensive-defensemen, he's a fourth line winger that just happens to line up on the blue line and can't hit the net to save his life. Ric Jackman is an offensive-defensemen Gonchar is no more a defensemen than Straka was when he played the point on the powerplay, and at least he would score every now and then while giving the other team countless shorthanded beakaways.

The simple fact is the Pens are not good enough; heck nobody's good enough to play without a system. Michel Therrien is an NHL quality head coach and as one of the few people from the Burgh to actually follow the Baby Pens I can tell you that the Pens probably should have hired him to coach the big team two years ago and sent Edzo to Wilkes Barre. If Craig Patrick is as smart as I used to think he was he'll let Therrien implement his system and fire any player that doesn’t buy into it regardless of their NHL pedigree. If anyone can turn this team around in 40 odd games he can, and if he can't I guarantee that no player on that roster will take as much as a shift off and still see any sizable amount of playing time.

Second, I know his Mom just died but that dosen't excuse Gretsky for being a complete hockey idiot. If you weren’t aware apart from his job of destroying the Phoenix Coyotes by pretending to be an NHL head coach he is also in charge of the Canadian National Hockey Team and today they announced their roster. Now since Mario he's not playing in this year's Olympics there was an open spot on the team, Mario even suggested that the spot should be given to his young and insanely talented teammate Sidney Crosby. But Gretsky who spent his entire career moving from franchise to franchise, from one pre-built team to the next on a never ending quest to pad his stats and sell his crap merchandise didn't think Crosby was a good enough player to make "his" Team Canada. Who did make the team? Scott Niedermayer, Kris Draper, and Adam Foote, that's a heck of a line up in 1996 but maybe if your putting together a national team it might be a good idea to include the most talented player to come out of your country in the last twenty years instead of your washed up friends.

That's all I’ve got, if anyone interested I'm thinking of hitting up the Pens-Flyers game Friday night. So since I'll probably be too lazy to update before Sunday, Merry Christmas and I'll talk to you all next week.

peace out yo