Bruined My Night

6-1? Bruins? Leading the series 2-0???

Seriously?

Are you sure I'm just not having nightmares after eating a bad Charo churro?


What happened to our defense?

Where's the offense? One goal in TWO games???

Now is not the time to panic (but we're getting awfully close here.) The series moves to Boston and the Pens desperately need to find their mojo again. It's one thing to get beaten when you're playing your best and it's a hard fought game. But this is ridiculous. We're not even putting up a fight, here.

First order of business: Tighten up the defense. Gotta stop the sloppy play. There's no I in team, but there is a U in suck. Teamwork.

Second order: More pucks to the net. Sooner or later some of them will get in. Rask is not a superhero--he just thinks he is right now. It's time to find some Kryptonite pucks.

With games Wednesday, Friday and (hopefully) Sunday, I hope my weekend (and the Pens' season) won't be bruined as well.

Still No Penguins

Earlier, I posted No penguins till Saturday? Well, Saturday came and went, and . . .

Still.

No.

Penguins.

Tuukka Rask turned away 29 shots on goal and blanked the Penguins in the opener of the Eastern Finals. The Penguins hit the post six times, but not one found it's way in. It was a combination of bad bounces, and Rask playing out of his mind that earned the Bruins a 1-0 lead in the series.



We need some of whatever he's smoking!

Having a week off apparently didn't help the Penguins. The timing was just a bit off, and whether that was just dumb luck or the lengthy down time off remains to be seen.

Game two will commence Monday in Pittsburgh.

Crosby lost the jaw protector. Seriously? Why take the chance? Didn't improve his play. Put it back on.

Now is not the time to panic. They just have to get back to their game and match the physicality of the Bruins. Fights aside, I think they did match intensity and toughness last night, but just couldn't make the shots when they had the opportunities.

Pittsburgh has not been behind in any play-off series this year so far. It will be interesting to see how this team faces some mild adversity. They also have not lost two consecutive games in the play-offs yet. I look for the Pens to come out on fire and even the series tomorrow night.

No Penguins Till Saturday . . .

What A Wonderful Phrase!

Memorial Day

I Want to be a Blackhawk!

What's really sad, is that she lost her job over that slip of the tongue.

That's kind of taking things to sexcess, if you ask me.

The Penguins have a commercial (it's actually an ad for UPMC) . . . you can't skate like they do, you can't hit like they do, and you can't shoot like they do . . . but you can be treated by the same doctors.

For the Blackhawks . . . you can't score like they do.

GO PENS!

So Long, Suhey!

The alumni have spoken.  Both incumbents, Stephanie Deviney and Paul Suhey were ousted from the Board.  All three of the candidates endorsed by PS4RS won. (Note to future hopefuls . . . get on the good side of PS4RS.)

Here are the results of the voting with around 33,000 votes cast:

1.  Barbara L. Doran, '75, New York, NY ? 15,085
2.  William F. Oldsey, '76, Basking Ridge, NJ ? 13,940
3.  Edward "Ted" B. Brown, III, '68, State College, PA ? 11,403
4.  Paul V. Suhey, '79, Boalsburg, PA ? 4,521
5.  Ted J. Sebastianelli, '69, State College, PA ? 3,188
6.  Robert C. Jubelirer, '59, '62 JD, Boalsburg, PA ? 3,030
7.  David K. Mullaly, '69, '72g, Annapolis, MD ? 2,996
8.  Kathleen A. Pavelko, '75, '79g, New Cumberland, PA ? 2,732
9.  Vincent J. Tedesco, Jr., '64, State College, PA ? 2,250
10.  John W. Diercks, '63, '67g, '75g, State College, PA ? 2,133
11.  Stephanie Nolan Deviney, '97 JD, Exton, PA ? 2,026
12.  Amy L. Williams, '80, Wayne, PA ? 1,987
13.  O. Richard Bundy, III, '93, '96g, South Burlington, VT ? 1,976
14.  Pratima Gatehouse, '96, '10g, Short Hills, NJ ? 1,869
15.  Ben J. Novak, '65, '99g, Ave Maria, FL ? 1,863
16.  Thomas A. Conley, '01, Washington, DC ? 1,788
17.  William J. Cluck, '82, Harrisburg, PA ? 1,695
18.  Mark S. Connolly, '84g, West Chester, PA ? 1,375
19.  Eugene J. Bella, '63, Murrysville, PA --  1,362
20.  Ryan M. Bagwell, '02, Middleton, WI ? 1,360
21.  Darlene R. Baker, '80, Warminster, PA ? 1,321
22.  Doreen Ulichney Schivley, '78, State College, PA ? 1,184
23.  J. Andrew Weidman, '78, Reading, PA ? 1,118
24.  Scott T. Kimler, '83, Ladysmith, BC Canada ? 1,084
25.  Gregory "Sandy" S. Sanderson, '00, Pittsburgh, PA ? 1,012
26.  Christopher R. Owens, '06, Mechanicsburg, PA ? 1,003
27.  Christopher J. Bartnik, '91, '96g, Chantilly, VA -- 995
28.  Patrick J. Howley, '12, Baltimore, MD -- 980
29.  Matthew A. Bird, '80, Gettysburg, PA -- 887
30.  Charles R. Mazzitti, '80, Elizabethtown, PA -- 849
31.  Rudolph K. Glocker, '91, '93g, Henderson, NV -- 771
32.  John M. Mason, Jr., '70, '72, Auburn, AL -- 753
33.  Robert J. Hooper, '79, Burlington, VT -- 752
34.  Jeffrey N. Goldsmith, '82, Harrisburg, PA -- 675
35.  Robert P. McKinnon, '90, Hastings on Hudson, NY -- 509
36.  Robert J. Bowsher, '86, San Diego, CA -- 495
37.  Robert N. Grimes, '80, Potomac, MD -- 460
38.  Gregory A. Slachta, '66, Ridgeland, SC -- 444
39.  Frederik O. Riefkohl, '87, Annapolis, MD -- 414

I am actually surprised Suhey managed to come in fourth, but at least the margin of victory was overwhelming.  I am saddened that David Mullaly didn't win--and disappointed he didn't get more support.

But the message is pretty clear:  the alumni are NOT happy with the way the current Board--or at least those that were present in November of 2011--handled the scandal and the after-math.  The vast majority don't want to return to the status quo and "move on."  We want the cowardly bastards that fired Paterno by phone without ever getting his side of the story first OUT.  And if we have to do it 3 per year because the egomaniacs can't do the right thing and step down themselves, then so be it.

Mission accomplished this year.