Feb 25, 2012; Pittsburgh, PA, USA; Tampa Bay Lightning defender Brendan Mikkelson (29) fights against Pittsburgh Penguins center Joe Vitale (46) during the second period at the CONSOL Energy Center. The Pens won 8-1. Mandatory Credit: Charles LeClaire-USPRESSWIRE

The sample size is low and probably too low to decipher how good or how not good the Penguins really are.  Look at the first two games, everyone was on the Penguins dick after taking out the hated Flyers and East favorite Rangers before losing to two lower stature teams like the Leafs and Jets  and we suck again.  It’s normal to think this way but it’s irrational. After scoring 6 goals in the Rangers game the Penguin’s offense has been mostly stifled with all goals in the past three games coming from superstars Sidney Crosby (3), Evgeni Malkin (1 on PP) and James Neal (1).   In a shortened season like this every two game losing streak is like a 4 game losing streak in an 82 game season and while it may seem rash to be debating decisions and changing lines so early into the season it must be a reality for all teams in the NHL.  With the lack of secondary scoring for the Penguins what can Dan Bylsma do to get the Penguins out of a rut?

Aside:  Rumors are abound that Shero is looking for a winger to play with Sid to move Kunitz back with Malkin and Neal as soon as possible but top 6 forwards don’t just climb out of the dirt.   Let’s shelf that idea because I don’t feel like going into all kinds of hypothetical if we trade this for that noise.

With a defense with a shoddy third pairing like the Penguins have they must rely on Offense (The top 4 are playing well over 22 minutes a game).  Is this a way to win the Stanley Cup?  I don’t know but it is the reality of the situation at this point.  So what’s wrong with the offense?   I think it’s a little we lost Staal but for the most part I think it’s the gap on the second line, or whatever you want to call it.  A line with Malkin and Neal isn’t really a second line but it’s whatever.  Last year the line with Malkin, Neal and Kunitz was one of, if not the best lines in the league.  With the return of Sidney Crosby and the failure in the offseason to acquire someone to flank Crosby it seemed necessary to move Kuntiz back to the first line with Crosby where he played since arriving in Pittsburgh.  I was all for it, I thought give Crosby Kunitz, and give Malkin Neal, those are the two best wingers we have but after the start of the season I find myself questioning the decision as should Bylsma but I think that should be the last option.

The Penguins started the season with Eric Tangradi on a line with Malkin and Neal.  Eric Tangradi has the size to instill hope in the fans hearts that maybe he could be another Kevin Stevens, but no he sucks.  By game 3 Tandgradi had been relegated to the 4^th line and maybe he’s better off for it.  It’s probably hard to get into an NHL line up regularly for the first time and have the pressure of playing on a line with a 40 goal scorer and a 50 goal scorer.  If Tangradi can get something going maybe he can get another shot but that’s a huge maybe since he’s done less than nothing since first appearing the NHL.

The Penguins are now on option B, which is Tyler Kennedy on the second line.  Is Tyler Kennedy a second line player?  Maybe.  Is he a second line player with James Neal and Evgeni Malkin?  No.  Tyler Kennedy will shoot from anywhere on the ice as his first option without looking for other outlets.  Does it work for him?  I guess, he got a $2M a year contract out of it but is that any way to play with two of the top 10 players in the league?  You can answer that.  Kennedy is an above average third line player and it works when he’s the shooter on the third line and he has Sutter feeding and Cooke driving.  The third line has looked out of sorts since TK moved up and the second line hasn’t really gotten into any more of a flow.  (Granted they look better with TK than when Tangradi was on the line).  Sutter has had a slow start but I’m confident he will be the player Shero thought he would be when he acquired him that being said if you want him to get used to the water keep him with the same players so he can get into some kind of groove.

So what do they do?  I don’t know I’m not a hockey coach, but here’s how I look at it…When was the Malkin line at its best?  With Kunitz on the wing if necessary put him back.  But I would try option C first.  Option C being the following…  Who is the player that plays most like Kunitz?  My answer to that question is Joe Vitale.  He’s a second year player that has improved greatly over the course of last season and has made more steps this season.  He’s the new Max Talbot (who played with Malkin in the 09 Playoffs).   He always skates hard both offensively and defensively.  He crashes the corners and digs out pucks.  He has a pass first mentality.  He has the speed to keep up with Malkin and Neal.  He can throw his weight around and he can get dirty in front of the net.  In this option you keep Sutter comfortable with TK and Cooke on the third line. You have Glass and Adams working hard and defensively on the fourth line and you can keep 14 with 87 and 9.  What the hell do I know?  Not much.  But that’s what I would do.

June 22, 2012; Pittsburgh, PA, USA; Pittsburgh Penguins general manager Ray Shero announces the Penguins first round draft choice in the 2012 NHL Draft at CONSOL Energy Center. Mandatory Credit: Charles LeClaire-USA TODAY Sports

What an up and down ride its been from the absolute elated joy Sunday morning (when the tentative agreement was announced at around 7am), seriously…I was literally jumping on my bed to the bizarre drunken screaming at a podium in mid December.  No matter how bad it hurt to watch, if there was any chance of a deal the past three plus months, I was stuck to twitter refreshing every minute hoping for some kind of logic to prevail.  Now finally the season will start in Mid January instead of the originally scheduled Early October and I could go on and on about what a pathetic and embarrassing process this has been and what a f–king travesty it is that there was even the slightest chance we wouldn’t have a season again  after the NHL was the first professional sports league to cancel a season just a short 7 years ago but I’m tired of typing the letters CBA and the names Fehr and Bettman so let’s move on eh?

Thank god there will be something to write about again and we will get into the season preview and all those great things soon enough but I’m going to take this time to give Ray Shero a quick handski before we get into the players and coaches.  During the off-season Shero made a few key moves that may not have made sense at the time but now that everything has played out lets take at how Ray Shero has put the Pittsburgh Penguins in perfect position to compete in the shortened season and under the newly agreed upon CBA.

1.  Shero trades a 7th round draft pick to the Washington Capitals before free agency started to be able to talk to (and eventually sign) goaltender Tomas Vokoun before July 1.   A lot of people were left curious if acquiring a second goalie to outshine the Stanley Cup winning goalie already have was the best way to approach the situation especially with the disparity in age.  Well turns out that Vokoun (in my opinion) was the biggest pick up of the off-season for the Penguins and should be instrumental if the Penguins are to succeed this year in a crammed 48 game schedule.  The last time there was a 48 game season was in the 94-95 season and in that season the Penguins played 14 games in 27 days in both February and March, and had a total of 9 back to back games.   Now with one of the top goalie tandems in the league the Penguins are in prime position to make another run at the East.

2.  On Draft day Shero traded Jordan Staal for Brandon Sutter, Brian Dumoulin, and Derrick Puliot and traded Zbynek Michalek to Phoenix for a prospect. No one wanted to see Staal go but he was going regardless and Shero acquired maximum return for Staal by pulling off the trade at the draft rather than wait for the trading deadline or playing out the season with him.  The Penguins were able to get two touted defensive prospects and Sutter who will have a salary cap hit of half of what Staal’s would have been this year.  I’ve spoken at length about how I felt that Brandon Sutter will be perfect to fill in the role Staal once filled when the Penguins won the championship.   Add that to the salary dump that was the Michalek trade and the Penguins salary cap was reduced by almost 10 million dollars.  Most experts and fans at the time thought they’re freeing the money to go after Parise and maybe they did take a run at him but take a look at it now and the freedom that Shero has ensured himself is even more impressive.  The Penguins salary cap sits at 60.9M.  The agreed upon salary cap that will go into effect next season is 64.3M.  Add a buyout of Paul Martin’s absurd contract to that after this season and Shero has allowed himself ~9M dollars in wiggle room going into next season without leaving any gaping holes in the roster.

The Penguins have their problems, don’t get me wrong, the defense put too many question marks in our head after the Flyers series but the way Shero was able to work preemptively to assure the Penguins would be in  a position to make changes when the season finally starts is a true work of art.  The Penguins are favorites to win the Stanley Cup against vegas at 8/1 odds.  I don’t know about you but I wouldn’t bet against Shero.

Is there good news on the horizon?  The Penguins majority owner Ron Burkle supposedly armed with principles discussed with minority owner, Mario Lemieux took over the CBA bargaining negotiations on Tuesday in a meeting set up by Commissioner Bettman for six NHL owners and 18 NHL players to have discussions without his or NHLPA head Donald Fehr’s presence.    Players were reportedly lead by Penguins Captain Sidney Crosby who worked with Burkle to discuss what the next proposal had to include to get a deal done with several reports coming out of the meeting that the Penguin constituents were “a voice of reason” in the negotiations.

The Board of Governors, comprised of all NHL owners, met Wednesday afternoon for the first time since they decided upon locking the players out in early September.  The BOG meeting had been scheduled previously and it has been reported that the owners had this week circled to get a deal done for several reasons including  the paychecks missed by the players would not have to be reimbursed to this point and they could add additional games at the end of the season to make up revenue without paying the players additional funds and the ending of the college football season allowing for sun belt markets to be able to pull in steady attendance without competing with the big college football programs of the SEC.

The same group that met Tuesday, including Burkle and Crosby, are scheduled to continue negotiations tonight again without Bettman and Fehr where the NHLPA is supposedly to put forth a new proposal to try and end the lockout.

Additionally, it has been reported that Bettman said he wants the deal done by Friday and Nick Kyperos of TSN reported there are rumors circulating that coaches are touching base with players telling them to be prepared for training camp on Dec. 14^th.

Will it fall apart again in the 25^th hour?  It’s possible but for the first time in awhile there is some positive news that may allow fans to turn off the Voice and watch NHL hockey soon.

Keep your fingers crossed.