Gone fishin’. The sign might very well hang outside most teams’ offices as the dog days of August arrive, but this year seems different. Too many teams have too many unresolved issues for the NHL trade rumors to end. Surely someone will make a move, or are others and the Pittsburgh Penguins done? We try to answer that in the Penguins Blog. Elsewhere in the Daily, Pickles is upset and hoping to stick it to the Sharks. Steven Stamkos explains what went wrong in Nashville, and the top three Canadiens are ready for a breakout.
I began Saturday by walking for breakfast in little Marietta, OH. I saw a little bar with a sandwich board that promised breakfast, so how could I say no to a dive bar with eggs? It turned out to be quite the feast, and the frosted mug with a Miller Lite was an inflation-busting $2.50.
I sort of chuckled when I got my bill, “Are the beers on special in the morning?”
And the short bartender with various dates tattooed across her chest and arm, standing in front of the cheap bar mirror, surrounded by wooden paneling, looked at me puzzled, “No, they’re always $2.50. Come back sometime!”
I think I will. As I spent the afternoon sitting along the Muskingum River watching boats and barges roll past, reading a book (Catcher in the Rye), I realized Marietta just earned a regular rotation on my small-town visits. I highly recommend making the trip down the Ohio. It has been a head-clearing, very necessary two days … but my haunted hotel room was just an ordinary room. Darn.
Pittsburgh Penguins
Pittsburgh Hockey Now: The off-season can’t be over, can it? We’ve reached the point when the moves typically stop and GMs start to play the waiting game, but this year feels different. It almost has to be. There’s also a new free agent to watch, who could fit well with the Penguins’ rebuild.
Steelers Now: It was an entertaining pre-season game, though the Tampa Bay Buccaneers beat the Pittsburgh Steelers, 17-14. Mason Rudolph led a touchdown drive, including a 42-yard connection with Roman Wilson. Here’s the quick recap and Steelers analysis.
And here are Derrick Bell’s Dudes and Duds, with one disappointing linebacker that I had high hopes for–More Steelers breakdowns.
Pittsburgh Baseball Now: I posted this last week, but I don’t think enough people read it. John Perrotto talked to the Milwaukee Brewers management. Here’s why the Brewers are winners and the Pirates are losers.
NHL Rumors, News, & NHN
We’ve got a pair of stories from The Journal de Quebec today.
Marc-Edouard Vlasic didn’t see his buyout coming. He thought he would return for a 20th season with the San Jose Sharks. He’s quite happy with his life, but he wants badly to “stick it in their teeth.” Pickles wants to show up the Sharks.
Steven Stamkos was thrown for a few loops when he signed as a free agent with the Nashville Predators. It sounds like Nashville made too many changes, too quickly, and nothing jelled. Here’s Stamkos’s story.
Montreal Hockey Now: I make no secret that I enjoy the Montreal Canadiens. The team’s history. The fanbase. It’s fun. The bleu blanc et rouge are emerging from their rebuild with a loaded corps of players. Here are the top three Canadiens players set for a breakout.
Forever Blueshirts: The NHL Network’s rankings are usually debatable, but their Top 20 Defensemen list last week was wild. Former Norris Trophy winner Adam Fox was pretty well disrespected, according to Rangers fans.
Florida Hockey Now: It’s been a long road from laughing stock relocation rumors to three-time Eastern Conference champs and two-time Stanley Cup champs. It’s been a hard path that is finally paying dividends for the Florida Panthers.
Categorized:NHL News Penguins Pittsburgh Penguins
