It’s time for the Penguins to stop tap dancing around and start playing hockey. Hit Somebody, get to the front of the net, clear the front of your net, hit somebody again. Start playing hard nosed, down and dirty, gritty hockey like you know how or take up golf. 

The Penguins as a team have dished out more hits than any other team this playoff season, an average of 36 hits a game. Last year the Penguins averaged 30 hits a game and last game the Penguins only had 20 hits registered. Detroit and Pittsburgh have been the top two teams in average hits per game in the playoffs the last two years, there is a reason both made it to the finals twice in a row. Let’s get back to old time hockey, put some foil on the knuckles if you have to.

I’m not going to sugar coat this any more. Ponikarovsky is a wuss. He down right is a horrible excuse for a hockey player. He was brought in as a big guy who could cause some traffic in front and he is afraid, chicken if you will, a weak link doesn’t fit in and is hurting the Penguins and Malkin’s production. Bylsma needs to give him one more chance today and say either get to the front of the net and cause traffic, stop playing like a 10 year old girl, take some hits for the team or bench him the way he did Satan and Sykora for being soft last year. There is a perfectly good Eric Tangradi in the wings that will pound people, get to the net and take a beating if needed, not like the pansy ass ballerina who’s wearing a Ponikarovsky jersey. Sorry, it had to be said.

Here is the lineup the Penguins practiced this morning. 

Kunitz-Crosby-Guerin
Talbot-Malkin-Dupuis
Cooke-Staal-Kennedy
Rupp-Letestu-Adams

The big glaring thing I notice right away is the lack of Ukrainian players in the roster.  Will Ponikarovsky and Fedotenko be benched for tonights game?  This is the lineup the Penguins need tonight to win.

Two men that know how to play hockey and do not own “European carry alls”, Mike Rupp and Billy Guerin practiced and are expected to be back in the lineup this evening. READ MORE »