Wanna blog? Start your own hockey blog with My HockeyBuzz. Register for free today!
 

Choice of fully healthy Sid or Geno: Who do you take?

February 14, 2012, 11:45 AM ET [279 Comments]
John Toperzer
Pittsburgh Penguins Blogger • RSSArchiveCONTACT
Sid or Geno, who would you pick?

Follow me on Twitter @JohnToperzer



-Question for the day:

"Would you rather have a fully healthy Sidney Crosby or Evgeni Malkin? What's your deciding factor?"



-Shelly Anderson of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette responded to this Eric Tangradi question on Twitter.

IF Tangradi traded what could be had? What would #Penguins want?” doubt he's on block, don't know what it would take.

Should Tangradi be on the block? Are the Penguins going to get fair value the Big Dog? What is Tangradi’s value?



-It took a goalie, Phoenix Coyote Mike Smith, to go 4-0-0 with a 0.74 GAA and one shutout to keep Evgeni Malkin from being named the NHL’s no. 1 star of the week. Malkin had three goals and five assists in three games, settling for the no. 2 star.



-Rick Nash is on the trade market, Greg Wyshynski of Yahoo! explains.



-I’d like to see how the teams would finish in the NHL standings if a no-trade policy went into effect from now until the end of the 2011-12 season -- mostly because the Pens don't have any extra $$$.



-Mike Knuble has served as a healthy scratch the last three games for Washington. Knuble has three goals and 11 points in 53 games. Retirement looms for the 39-year-old winger. Should the Penguins take a chance on him, hoping to catch lightning in a bottle?



-Mike Comrie officially retired from the NHL on Monday. Comrie’s Penguin legacy? Scoring an empty-netter in the last game ever in Atlanta for the Pens. The score was also Comrie’s lone goal for Pittsburgh in 21 games. A training camp injury derailed what looked to be a promising line combination between Comrie and Evgeni Malkin. Fortunately, Geno found someone else to play with.



-Hal Gill is not the panacea, end-all-to-cure-all link to the Penguins winning the Cup in 2011-12. That said, the Canadiens might not even trade him if they keep winning. The Habs are only seven points out of eighth place. A third-period collapse against Carolina on Monday, however, didn’t help matters in Montreal.

The Hurricanes might be dead last in the East but they're only nine points out of eighth place. The ‘Canes are 5-1-4 in their last 10 games.



-The Penguins regular season could mirror the Pittsburgh Steelers’. The Steelers finished with the second best record in the AFC but settled for a no. 5 playoff seed after two losses to the Baltimore Ravens. Unless the Pens catch the New York Rangers, the highest they can finish is fourth in the East though they’re only one point behind Boston (70) for the second-most points. Pittsburgh has 69 points while the Rangers have 77 in two less games.



-It doesn’t sound like coach Bylsma intends to sit Paul Martin for a game or two, but he may stick with the defensive pairings he used Sunday, according to the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review. Bylsma paired Martin with Deryk Engelland.

"A lot of the motivation to see that change was to get Paul and Deryk together," Bylsma said, adding that Engelland provided "a little more physicality" to that pairing.



-Sidney Crosby was given a day off of the ice Monday but he’s not on the ice Tuesday, either. Anytime Crosby misses practice it needs to be at least noted.



-Arron Asham returned to practice Tuesday, according to the Penguins’ Web site. Which forward do you sit for his return?



-TSN’s Bob McKenzie said that Antoine Vermette and Kristian Huselius could be on the trade market. Why the Blue Jackets signed Vinny Prospal to a one-year extension remains a mystery.



-Tuomo Ruutu is scheduled for an MRI on Tuesday after suffering an upper-body injury Monday. Ruutu is one of the few prized trade deadline pieces.



-The Penguins won’t have to travel far to scout Bobby Ryan and other Ducks. Pittsburgh hosts Anaheim on Wednesday.

*****



Treasure life!
JT
Join the Discussion: » 279 Comments » Post New Comment
More from John Toperzer
» To Bylsma or not to Bylsma, that is the poll question
» Game Night: A light-hearted approach to Game 4
» Pens better in Game 3 but still unable to beat Bruins
» Game Night: Pens need Wednesday win to keep dream alive
» History suggests Pens-Bruins series not over