Penguins-Flyers Breakdown: Bursting Biron's Bubble

A lot of the hype surrounding this series has boiled down to the Penguins trying to solve the suddenly hot Martin Biron. While Biron will arguably play the largest role in determining the Flyers' chances, the amount of praise that has been lumped upon him seems to be a bit overstated, or at least hypocritical. Here are Biron's stats in the regular season compared to the playoffs.


Biron, purely by the numbers, was actually better in the regular season, and has only faced an additional shot per game this postseason. This doesn't factor in the quality of the shots or key saves, most notably in Game 7 of the Caps series. Still, either give the guy credit for a good season or lay off the Conn Smythe talk for at least this series.

Also, I'm having trouble understanding how Fleury is still unproven or untested, but Biron gets off the hook. Fleury has put up a 1.76 GAA and .938 SV% while facing an average of 28 shots a game. Facing four shots less per game can have an impact on your goals allowed, but not THAT much of an impact. If anything, Fleury has appeared to finally turn the corner while Biron is more of a flash in the pan, the next Johan Hedberg. Nothing against the moose, but he only got us to the conference finals too.

So if the Flyers defense is allowing around the same amount of shots and Biron is maybe playing only slightly better than he did in the regular season, then why are the Flyers' surging? It's all in the offense. Here are basic statistics for each team.




The Flyers are averaging an extra 0.6 G/GM in the playoffs. The Penguins are hitting at 0.5 G/GM higher now then in the regular season. While they are similar bumps in scoring, the Penguins had already shown an increase in their offensive output with the arrival of Hossa and Dupuis, averaging 3.21 G/GM from the trade deadline to the end of the season, only 0.23 behind their current pace. The Flyers were relatively consistent with their scoring throughout the year, indicating they may be playing above what they are actually able to produce consistently.

Defensively, the Penguins are lowering the ice curtain with a GAA of 1.89, which is 0.6 GA/GM lower than their regular season mark. Again, though, after the trade deadline the Penguins improved to a 2.36 GAA. While there are signs that this improved defense is here to stay due to the new personnel, assuming that the Penguins can maintain this gaudy mark is probably wishful thinking.

This series boils down to two units playing better than they probably actually are, going head to head, with one likely tumbling back to Earth. I'd have to give the edge to the Penguins, simply because they had displayed signs in the regular season that their defense had improved, and the new players add credibility to that argument. The Flyers, on the other hand, have played the second worst defensive team in the playoffs and a young and shaky goaltender who couldn't catch a cold in winter.

Either way you look at it, Biron is going to have to play better than he's already played and the Flyers have to crack a surprisingly stout Penguins defense. The chances of both happening are slim. Pens in 5.

Stats: NHL.com, hockey-reference

Casey Hampton Likes To Play Beer Pong

This is a picture of Casey Hampton playing Beer Pong before Game 5 between the Penguins and Rangers.

Besides the fact that I liked the picture, my one question is this: How much beer do you think it takes for Casey Hampton, who probably weighs close to 350 lbs, to get drunk?

Various People React to the Penguins -Flyers Series

Flyers fans in the State College area: Holy shit! We're not too bad! Time to throw on my old Lindros jersey and act like I've been a fan the whole time!



Colby Armstrong: I'm just proud of my boys. They're doing a great job, I'm really ok with the trade...(starts sobbing uncontrollably)



Ray Shero Show of hands: who misses Eric Christensen?



Bryan Murray The Penguins tried to intentionally lose to the Rangers so they wouldn't have to face the Flyers.



Ed Rendell: There's a team called the Penguins in a city called Pittsburgh?



Barack Obama: Now, look, this series is an incredible story of two teams recently at the bottom of the league, born to a white woman from Kansas and a goat herder from Kenya, who battled through injuries and turned down the big firms on Wall Street to help those on Main Street. This is a story only possible in America. (Sorry Canada)



Hillary Clinton: 7 games is not a good indication of the better team. We should trust only those who have been around hockey the longest to decide who would be best to face the Red Wings in the next round.



John McCain: I'm very much looking forward to watching the series between the Pittsburgh Flyers and Philadelphia Penguins. (Lieberman whispers in his ear). Shit.



Rocky Yo, as Philadelphia's greatest sports champion I want Pittsburgh to know that even though Darien Hatcher has arthritis in his neck and calcium deposits in his joints he'll still be bringin' the hurtin' bombs. Unless that Laraque guy comes around, in which case forget I ever said that.



Carey Price: Sorry, I didn't catch the question.



John Stevens: Wrong John Stevens.


Need to be more specific:




John Stevens, Douchebag: Laraque should still be suspended.


Philadelphia's Champions in the Last Quarter Century: ::crickets::

That One Good Trade...

Remember that time you traded your best friend an Ultra Fleer Lenny Dykstra baseball card for a Ken Griffey Jr rookie card?

What a steal huh....Good luck making that trade again.

For the Pirates GMs, who are considered "professionals" at what they do, those kinds of trades also come very infrequently.

With the recent Pirate beat down of Oliver Perez, most of it coming from the bat of Xavier Nady, I was finally reminded of what Dave's Littlefield one "Good Trade" actually was.



So Bonifay traded Ricardo Rincon for Brian Giles...

Then Littlefield traded Oliver "Walkathon" Perez (as one New York Met blog put it) for Nady...

Now ...what is going to be the 1-deal that Neal Huntington knocks our pants off with...maybe trading Nate McLouth and Xavier Nady to the Padres for Chase Headley?

That would make sense, and be right on par with every other deal that the Pirate's GMs have made in years past. Yes, this tidbit was written sometime in the offseason, but just imagine if the Pirates would have traded Mclouth, and then he sets the world on fire in San Diego, just like he is in Pittsburgh right now... People would be calling for Huntington's head. I mean sure, Headley might light the world on fire too....but it's the Pirates...when has a trade ever worked out like that?

Mclouth has the sweetest, no hole swing, that I have seen on a Pirate's roster in years.... He might even rival Ken Griffey Jr for the smoothest swing, and none of that is a joke. (something you might normally expect from a guy called "I want to Fight Tom Brady")

For a team that has needed a CF for so long, it's about god damn time someone arrived. Now, can we just get Laroche to show up and play for once?

This Pirates team has the best lineup I have seen in years...they just need Jack Wilson and his glove back in the lineup, then I truly think that things will start rolling.

Now... all I ask is that Neal Huntington doesn't make that stupid trade that just rips it all apart. Can a GM for once, just learn how to make more than one good trade...

Avery Hospitalized

Lots of various things being thrown around about the Sean Avery this morning, but the most recent development I have seen is that it's a lacerated spleen. That's what the Rangers are saying, at least. The New York Daily News was saying cardiac arrest earlier this morning, but I think this is one of those "let's sit and wait" scenarios given that the story is updating on ESPN every twenty minutes. The only thing we seem to know for sure is that Avery is done for the playoffs.

Best wishes to Mr. Avery - I now feel pretty bad about wishing so many awful things happening to you. Let's hope it isn't anything too serious.

Oh, and if you want to talk about "bad timing", the front story on ESPN is about Mike D'Antoni and Avery Johnson being canned as NBA coaches. The one link is entitled "Adios Avery?"

*winces*

Might wanna change that one, folks.

Claiming Victory Over Kiper; Quick Draft Recap

He never stood a chance.

By a margin of 48-37, the Stache out-projected Mel Kiper. If only I could have his perfectly coiffed hair.

In actuality, you could say my first round projection was the best on the Internet. My score of 48 would have placed me squarely at the top of the standings all by myself. So much for the so-called "experts."

Quick draft recap:

1) Rashard Mendenhall, RB, Illinois

Shocked over the pick at first, because I never envisioned the thought of him being available. He'll lengthen Parker's career, and be an outstanding compliment to him. Down the road, he'll be a feature back.

2) Limas Sweed, WR, Texas

I had wanted Quentin Groves, who Jacksonville traded one spot ahead of us to take, but Sweed is a damn nice consolation price. The tall receiver Ben has clamored for, he'll be the #3 or #4 guy this season, and eventually will team up with Holmes as the one-two punch when Ward calls it quits. An offense consisting of Ben, Parker, Mendenhall, Holmes, Ward, Sweed, and Miller. Talk about explosive. The sheer number of weapons alone will hopefully cause defenses to think twice about blitzing, which as a byproduct should help out the pass protection.

3) Bruce Davis, DE/OLB, UCLA

Will provide depth at 3-4 OLB. With any hope, he can turn into another one of those successful 3-4 OLB projects, ala Joey Porter

4) Tony Hills, OT, Texas

Oft-injured, but if he can stay healthy he seems to have the tools to become a decent left tackle.

5) Dennis Dixon, QB, Oregon

Potential Heisman candidate before his injury. If he's not completely healthy by the start of the season, I could envision a scenario where he is placed on IR in his first season, allowing him time to recover physically while assimilating the offense. By Year 3, hopefully he'll be the #2 QB.

The other two picks, Humpal and Mundy, seem like they could be solid special teamers. That's fine by me. We've seen the trouble on special teams. Anything else they could provide would be gravy.

Your New Pittsburgh Steeler: Rashard Mendenhall

Well, nobody can say that we reached.

The Steelers stayed true to their word, and took the BPA. Mendenhall was never even on my radar. If they went RB, I expected Jonathan Stewart.

I don't know what to think about this pick. On the one hand, Mendenhall is a supreme talent that had no business being on the board at #23. On the other hand, there are still some glaring issues on the O-line and D-line.

Parker and Mendenhall is a sick tandem, though.

Can the Stache Out-Project Mel Kiper (Judgment Day Edition)

First, there was “I Want To Fight Tom Brady” vs. Tom Brady.

Today, there will be Dave Wannstache vs. Mel Kiper. I am going to try and out-project Mr. First Round Projection himself.

If you don’t remember, a couple of months ago I said I was going to wage a competition between myself and Kiper and see whether I can out-project him. Let’s be clear, here. I have no access to the inside information that Kiper has. Furthermore, the man has been doing these mock drafts since the Stone Age, so he has more expertise than I do. But, I fancy myself as more than a casual NFL fan, so I think I can hold my own.

Here are the rules. We’ll be using The Huddle Report’s scoring system. One point for each player correctly placed in the first round, and an additional two points for players matched to the correct team.

The tough part about doing a projection is that you know trades are going to mess everything up. Once a trade happens, it creates a domino effect, and your mock draft goes to hell. Initially, I was thinking about doing a projection with a few trades mixed in, but since Kiper’s does not, I decided to do mine straight up in order to play on an even playing field. Without further ado, let’s go to the table:



Feel free to leave predictions or comments about the draft in this post. Enjoy it, cause it's the one slice of football you get until training camp in July.

So Who Will the Steelers Take?

The speculation is almost over. For the last few months, the Steelers have evaluated and interviewed hundreds and hundreds of prospects, and sometime Saturday evening, barring a trade, they will exercise their 23rd selection and add another member to the organization.

So who will it be? Well, that’s what we’re going to try and figure out.

First, we need to start with a pool of candidates. I’ve mentioned numerous times already that for the most part, our first round selection has almost always been someone who has come into Pittsburgh for a pre-draft visit. By my count, they have visited with ten such players who merit first round consideration. They are (in no particular order):

RB Jonathan Stewart (Oregon)
WR James Hardy (Indiana)
WR Malcolm Kelly (Oklahoma)
OT Jeff Otah (Pittsburgh)
OT Gosder Cherilus (Boston College)
OT/OG Branden Albert (Virginia)
DE/OLB Quentin Groves (Auburn)
ILB Jerod Mayo (Tennessee)
CB Aqib Talib (Kansas)
CB Mike Jenkins (South Florida)

Right off the bat, I think we can eliminate a few guys from consideration:

- At one point, Albert seemed like the logical pick. That was before his stock skyrocketed. Now, he’s a sure-fire top 15 pick, with a chance at cracking the top-10. I don’t think he even comes close to us.

- Otah would look good in the black and gold as well, but too many teams ahead of us need offensive tackles, so I’m of the opinion that he does not make it to us as well.

- Mayo is another interesting prospect who’s stock has risen, but I can’t see the Steelers taking another inside linebacker in the first round. If we’re going to go linebacker, it better be for an outside guy who can rush the passer.

- Previously, I would have thought that the Steelers would give serious consideration to Talib, but reports came out that he tested positive for marijuana numerous times while in college. With the recent legal problems of Wilson, Harrison, and Davenport, I don’t think they would consider touching him in the first round.

- Jenkins is a guy I like a lot, but like Albert, doesn’t make it to #23 in my mind.

This leaves us with five guys: Stewart, Hardy, Kelly, Cherilus, and Groves. Stewart has an outside chance of reaching us. He has dropped a bit because of injury concerns, but seems to have recovered and now seems like a top-20 pick again. But, if Albert and Otah are gone and Stewart makes it to our pick, I’m convinced the Steelers would take him. He’s too talented. As it is, though, I don’t think we sniff him. Kelly was once thought to be a top-15 pick, but a slow 40-time and injury concerns have dropped him to the 2nd round. Hardy seems like an early 2nd rounder to me as well, so I don’t think we take him, although it wouldn’t shock me if we did.

Now, two guys remain: Cherilus and Groves. Before Starks signed his transition tender, I was leaning towards Cherilus. But with the recent talk of signing Starks to a long-term deal, I don’t see the need for Cherilus because he’s strictly a right tackle and is not a candidate to move to the left side. In addition, he’s a very similar player to Starks, further bolstering my belief that he isn’t necessarily needed. I also don't see that much difference between Cherilus and guys you could get in the 2nd or 3rd round.

That leaves us with DE/OLB Quentin Groves from Auburn, and he’s my pick. The Steelers have shown considerable interest in him, going so far as to have Colbert and Tomlin attend his pro day. We are already pretty much set at outside linebacker, but Harrison isn’t that young (30 years old) and I’m confident Tomlin and Lebeau would find a way to use Groves skill set. Plus, you can never have enough pass rushers, as the Giants exhibited in the Super Bowl. They were in a similar situation a couple years ago, with Strahan and Umenyiora as their bookends, but they went ahead and took Boston College DE Mathias Kiwanuka in the 1st round anyways, and by the looks of it that seems to have worked out. In my mind, Albert, Otah, Stewart, and Jenkins will all be off the board, leaving Groves as the next best option.

All of this is predicated on the fact that we stand pat at #23. If we trade down, which has been heavily rumored, all bets are off. Personally, I would love to trade down and stockpile some picks, because I think there would still be a decent chance the Steelers could land Groves if that’s the guy they are targeting. Watch for a potential trade down with the Dolphins, Falcons, or Chiefs, who all could be looking to trade back up into the 1st round for a quarterback. As a summary, here’s how I think the Steelers draft board would look, based on the ten guys mentioned above.

1) Albert
2) Otah
3) Stewart
4) Jenkins
5) Groves
6) Cherilus
7) Hardy
8) Kelly
9) Talib
10) Mayo

We’ll find out what happens on Saturday. Look for another post sometime Saturday before the draft begins at 3 PM, where we’ll see if I can out-project Mel Kiper.

Also, check out Mike Batista's post over at Steelahs.com for some more draft insight. He's got some good stuff, and he mentions a few names I did not in my post because they never visited the Steelers. For the record, I agree with him on possibly choosing Chris Williams if he falls to the Steelers, but I view Cason as more of a round 2 guy. That's what makes the draft great, though. It's an inexact science.

Pens vs. Rangers: Oh. My. God.

With the Flyers victory tonight in Washington, the Eastern Conference semis are set: Flyers vs. Canadiens, Penguins vs. Rangers. How did the Capitals take the loss?

"It's tough to beat the officials as well as the Flyers." - Tom Poti

Classy. Better luck next year.

Which leaves us with an uber-intriguing matchup with the New York Rangers. The storylines are suffocating, and there are plenty of parallels to the '92 second round matchup with the Rangers. There is (sadly) perhaps no more talked about player right now than Sean Avery, who's antics will surely come in to play this series. If you know your "Against the Odds", then you know that the '92 series was all about justice (scroll down to #6). The Pens had to keep their cool and allow the Rangers to take stupid penalties. Will Ruutu, Laraque et al retaliate to Avery? Which team will get more "dumb penalties"? I hate when a series comes down to questions like this, but it certainly does seem that way right now.

The Pens went 3-5 against the Rangers this year (3-3-2 if you are into that sort of thing), which might not matter at all, although it isn't terribly encouraging. Besides, there are plenty of other things to be worried about. Lundqvist is a Vezina Finalist, much has been written about Drury's "clutchness", and Brendan Shannan and Martin Straka always seem to score big goals.

But the biggest storyline by far concerns the gentleman in blue at the top of this post. It seems completely unfathomable that the Pittsburgh Penguins are playing in a playoff series AGAINST Jaromir Jagr. Some might scoff at that statement. But take a look back at what Jagr did in Pittsburgh and you'll realize that it is astonishing (sidenote: if you were a reader when I used to write those articles, then God bless you for sticking with us for so long). After witnessing him in person last year, it is undeniable that he has lost a few strides. But he still has that shark-like, dare I say Mario-like ability to float around and be in the right spot at the right time.

Sam says this is the series where we see what we really got in Hal Gill. Frequent reader J Staal says we go as far as Fleury takes us. Both may be true. All I know is that even though we're nearing in on a decade since the Jagr trade, playing against him in the playoffs will be a new type of weirdness that could only happen in the NHL playoffs.

Why This Draft is So Important to the Steelers

Nathaniel Adibi. Ricardo Colclough. Alonzo Jackson. Just some of the guys the Steelers have drafted after the 1st round that came into Pittsburgh and became colossal busts. They are part of the reason why this week’s draft is so important to the future of your Pittsburgh Steelers.

When I look at the roster, I see a mess along the offensive line. I see a starting defensive line that when the season begins will consist of a 30 year-old, a 31 year-old, and a 32 year-old. I see a starting inside linebacker who’s 33 (Farrior) with no successor in sight. I see a starting cornerback who will also be 33 when the season begins (Townsend), with a nickel guy who’s had two seasons to unseat the veteran and has yet to do so (McFadden). I see an aging wide receiver (Ward) that probably has two seasons left in him. Beyond that, I see serious depth issues along the offensive and defensive lines, and also at outside linebacker. This is an aging roster that needs an infusion of youth and talent, and this is where the draft comes into play.

For any team in the NFL, the core of their roster is built between rounds 2-7. Failing in these rounds causes serious depth issues, and this is exactly what has happened to the Steelers in recent drafts. For the most part, the Steelers have knocked it out of the ballpark in the 1st round. They’ve pretty much failed miserably thereafter, although last year’s draft seems like it could be different (Woodley, Spaeth, Sepulveda, and Gay look like they could be contributors for quite some time). Let’s take a look at the Steelers drafts between 2003-2006. We won’t look at 2007 because it’s too early to form an opinion on those guys.

2003:

1) Troy Polamalu, S, USC
2) Alonzo Jackson, LB, Florida St.
4) Ike Taylor, CB, Louisiana-Lafayette
5) Brian St. Pierre, QB, Boston College
7) J.T. Wall, FB, Georgia

Great 1st and 4th round picks, but the trade up to get Polamalu cost several valuable draft choices. Total misses on Jackson, St. Pierre, and Wall.

2004:

1) Ben Roethlisberger, QB, Miami (OH)
2) Ricardo Colclough, CB, Tusculum
3) Max Starks, OT, Florida
5) Nathaniel Adibi, LB, Virginia Tech
6) Bo Lacy, OT, Arkansas
6) Matt Kranchick, TE, Penn St.
6) Drew Caylor, C, Stanford
7) Eric Taylor, DE, Memphis

This draft will long be remembered for getting The Franchise, but beyond that it was absolutely abysmal. Colclough busted, and making matters worse was the fact that we actually traded up for him and sacrificed an additional pick. I still hold out some hope for Starks (who signed his transition tender this past weekend, by the way), but overall he’s been under whelming. And all of the other guys were absolute scrubs, and I believe not one of them is on an NFL roster today.

2005:

1) Heath Miller, TE, Virginia
2) Bryant McFadden, CB, Florida St.
3) Trai Essex, OT, Northwestern
4) Fred Gibson, WR, Georgia
5) Rian Wallace, LB, Temple
6) Chris Kemoeatu, OG, Utah
7) Shaun Nua, DE, BYU
7) Noah Herron, RB, Northwestern

Another great pick in the 1st round but little thereafter. I had higher hopes for McFadden, and am still hopeful he can be an important cog on the defense. For a third round pick you are hoping for more than a mediocre backup swing offensive lineman, which is what Essex is. Gibson and Wallace stunk, as did Nua and Herron. Kemoeatu in the 6th round was decent.

2006:

1) Santonio Holmes, WR, Ohio St.
3) Anthony Smith, S, Syracuse
3) Willie Reid, WR, Florida St.
4) Willie Colon, OG, Hofstra
4) Orien Harris, DT, Miami (Fla.)
5) Omar Jacobs, QB, Bowling Green
5) Charles Davis, TE, Colorado
6) Marvin Phillip, C, California
7) Cedric Humes, RB, Virginia Tech

Not much needs to be said about Holmes. He’s a stud. Smith is still developing, but the coaching staff did sour on him some last season. Reid was drafted primarily for his special teams ability, which he magically lost upon arriving in Pittsburgh. Colon was pretty bad at right tackle, but I think he would do much better at left or right guard. None of the last five picks are even on the roster. That’s right. This draft was only two years ago, and yet five of our six picks on the second day are not on the roster today. Not acceptable.


It’s up to Colbert and Tomlin to improve between rounds 2-7. As I mentioned, last year’s draft looks like it could be a good one if Timmons ultimately fulfills his potential. But the failures in the previous ones are the reason why the Steelers are where they’re at today. It’s an aging roster that could cause the team to go downhill quickly if they don’t start drafting better after the first round. This is a draft that they need to hit big on, and they have to do it with only six picks since they traded away their 7th rounder for Allen Rossum. I think they need to get at least three eventual starters, and two decent depth guys. Obviously, we won’t know if that’s the case for at least a couple of years, but if in that time the 2008 draft looks similar to the ones in 2003-2006, well, we could be in trouble.

As a side note, I will be putting up a post on Friday detailing who I think the Steelers will ultimately pick in the 1st round. Most years I have a pretty good idea where they’re going, but this year, I could envision them going pretty much anywhere except quarterback and tight end. And on Saturday, sometime before the draft begins at 3 PM, I will post my final first round projection (along with Mel Kiper’s), and we’ll see if I can truly take down the man himself.

Insert Broom Comment Here

Everyone knows the Pens play tonight. Everyone knows how the series has been going. The only thing I'm really looking hard at tonight is to see if the Penguins have those "gun-fighter eyes", to see if they can really kick a team while it is down. There is no worse feeling in sports than slowly letting a team back into a game/series. The city of Pittsburgh will sleep better than it has in a while if the Pens win tonight. A loss? The Mellon better be rockin' this weekend.

Since there is really no other analysis to add to the ridiculously lop-sided series, let's take a look at Ron Cook's bizarre article today. The abstract would read something like this: Sid and Malkin are good...very good...so good they are rivals...but no one will say that...in fact you are a fool if you do...but I will...sort of...they are very good...CHAMPIONS!?!?!

Ok maybe that is a bit harsh, but it is a bizarre article. It's never a good idea to say "If you didn't know better, you might think..." in the first paragraph, and then write a whole article about thinking that exact thing. Ron Cook just has me confused here.

Also, is it me, or is Ryan Whitney's comment in the second paragraph completely sarcastic and Ron Cook takes it totally out of context? Talbot, Crosby, and Therrien all dismiss the rivalry idea. Did Cook write an article based off one sarcastic comment?

Steelers Schedule Released

Well, here it is. Start planning those road trips, because the 2008 Pittsburgh Steelers schedule has been released. The Steelers own the toughest schedule in the NFL, with their opponents sporting a .598 winning percentage based on 2007 records. Here's the schedule:

A few things:

1) It's an absoutely brutal schedule. Right now. But things change, so we don't really know how tough this schedule really is. If your favorite team had the Bears, Saints, or Ravens on the schedule last season, you may have penciled that in as a loss. As fate would have it, all those teams pretty much stunk in 2007. So while it may look imposing now, I have a feeling it won't look as daunting, say, in October.

2) Let's remember that the rest of the teams in the AFC North play the exact same opponents as we do, with the exception of New England and San Diego. So our rivals in Baltimore, Cincinnati, and Cleveland have it tough as well.

3) Check out Week 10 through Week 15. As it looks now, that's as tough a stretch as you'll find on any team's schedule. Indy, San Diego, and divisional-rival Cincy at home, followed by a road game against New England, and then home and away versus the Cowboys and another division foe in the Ravens, respectively. Not good times, but again, you never know what these teams will look like in November and December

4) What good is the release of the schedule without a prediction? Take these with a grain of salt, because again, who knows how good these teams will be (Do I sound like a broken record?). With the schedule set up the way it is, a 9-7 record could win the AFC North. Here are my game-by-game predictions. Feel free to leave yours in the comments:

Week 1- vs. Hou (W), Week 2- @ Cle (W), Week 3- @ Phi (L), Week 4- vs. Bal (W), Week 5- @ Jac (L), Week 6- BYE, Week 7- @ Cin (W), Week 8- vs. NYG (W), Week 9- @ Was (W), Week 10- vs. Ind (L), Week 11- vs. SD (W), Week 12- vs. Cin (W), Week 13- @ NE (L), Week 14 vs. Dal (W), Week 15- @ Bal (L), Week 16- @ Ten (W), Week 17- vs. Cle (L)

Final W/L record: 10-6, AFC North Champions

Believe It

You could talk about many things after tonight's installment of "Wow, The Senators Totally Aren't Any Good this Year". Hossa finally got on the board. Gonchar played quite well, I thought. Sam wants Sydor to start over Ryan Whitney.

But the most intriguing plot line by far is the play of Marc-Andre Fleury. No one should even try to act like they saw this coming. When Ty Conklin was bringing his "amazing puck handling ability!" and "savvy veteran presence!" to the team, the collective light bulb went off in Pittsburghers' heads: here it comes, another mind-boggling run by an also-ran backup goalie. The PensBlog made t-shirts and held a trial over it. I think I invoked comparisons to Christ on several occasions in online print.

And then just as if it were nothing more than a change in the weather, Fleury comes back and here we are in the midst of a first round performance that has to make the Penguins the favorites to come out of the Eastern Conference. Not only was there the shutout in Game 1, but tonight one could argue that he single-handedly diffused the enthusiastic onslaught put forth by the Senators in their home building. This had all the makings of a Pens-come-out-flat game. You saw it in Boston last night with the Habs. When a team is down 2-0, there is a type of desperation present for them that can't possibly be matched by the favorite.

Unless you have an equalizer, which was what Fleury was tonight. You'll hear a lot of "if you told me in October..." jargon spouted off my radio talkheads over the next few days, but the truth is this: if you want to win championships, you need role players ready and willing to fill holes and you need star players to carry the load in crunch time. Such has been the case with the Pens' goaltending to this point.

Draft Prospect Profile: Quentin Groves

With the NFL Draft now almost here, the Steelers are beginning to bring in prospective draft choices to their South Side facilities. If you look back at past first round Steelers draft choices, almost all of them (Simmons, Polamalu, Roethlisberger, Miller, Timmons) visited with the team prior to the draft. The lesson here is that the Steelers first round pick will almost assuredly be someone who comes into Pittsburgh for a visit. With that said, over the next few weeks I will be providing brief profiles of those players who will most likely be picked in the first round and come into Pittsburgh for a visit. Chances are, one of these players profiled will be the team's first round selection in April. Today, it's Auburn defensive end/outside linebacker Quentin Groves, who according to the Post-Gazette has already visited with the Steelers.

Player: Quentin Groves, DE/OLB, Auburn

Height/Weight: 6'3'', 250 lbs.

Overview (courtesy of NFL.com): An athlete blessed with incredible quickness coming off the edge, dislocated toes did what no other offensive lineman could do in 2007 - stop Quentin Groves. Those who witnessed his performance in the South Florida game last year realize that this is a player that needs to be unleashed on the football field to get maximum production from his tremendous athletic ability. Drawing comparisons to Dallas' DeMarcus Ware, Groves will probably shift to outside linebacker in the professional ranks. He received a crash course at that position late in his senior campaign and even earned a start at left outside linebacker in the Tennessee Tech game. With his tall, muscular physique, excellent speed, outstanding change of direction agility and superb body control as a pass rusher, NFL quarterbacks will soon have to contend with one of the most disruptive backfield penetrators in the 2008 NFL Draft. Groves is an affable sort, frequently smiling and cracking jokes.

But the Auburn defensive end does have one group of guys he just doesn't care for: quarterbacks. "I just really don't have a liking for them," Groves said. "You can't hit them in practice. You have to stay off them. They don't do too much running. "I don't like quarterbacks, period. I don't know why." Luckily for him, his primary job for the Tigers the past four seasons has been to harass and hit opposing quarterbacks. And that's something he has done well enough to earn All-American and All-Southeastern Conference honors as he went on to tie Auburn's 22-year-old career record of 26 sacks held by Gerald Robinson.

Groves enrolled at Auburn in 2003, seeing brief action in the season opener vs. Southern California and vs. Western Kentucky before he was redshirted. He finished that year with three tackles (2 assists). The following season, Groves earned Freshman All-American honors from The Sporting News, Rivals.com and the Football Writers Association. Despite sharing left defensive end duties with Doug Langenfeld and Stanley McClover, Groves led the team with 7.5 sacks and 10 stops for losses as a reserve left defensive end. He posted 23 tackles (19 solos) in 13 games, adding four quarterback pressures and two forced fumbles. What made those figures even more impressive was the fact that he was nursing a right high ankle sprain that he suffered in fall camp. His performance earned him team Most Improved Defensive Lineman honors.

In 2005, Groves started three of 12 games at right defensive end, picking up third-team All-Southeastern Conference accolades. He registered 21 tackles (8 solos), ranking third on the team with six sacks and fourth with eight stops behind the line of scrimmage. He also caused a fumble, deflected a pass and returned a kickoff 13 yards. The 2006 off-season was one that Groves would just as soon forget. He was placed on probation after he was in a car accident with no auto insurance and a suspended license. He was also arrested after police responded to a domestic dispute call. Back on the football field, he started all 13 games at right defensive end, picking up All-American third-team and All-SEC first-team honors. As a junior, Groves led the Tigers with 9.5 sacks and ranked second on the squad with 11 stops behind the line of scrimmage. He totaled 35 tackles (24 solos) with seven quarterback pressures and also caused three fumbles.

Groves, who is married and has already graduated, opted to return for his senior season after being projected as a likely middle-round pick in the NFL Draft. The chance to move up in the draft and land a big contract had plenty to do with the decision. There were other motivations, too. "It was a money thing, and I wanted to win a championship with my teammates," Groves said. "I felt like if I came back here, we had a good chance to go to Atlanta and compete for an SEC title." Named to Bronko Nagurski Trophy, Chuck Bednarik Award and Hendricks Award preseason watch lists, Groves was having a banner 2007 campaign until he suffered dislocated toes on his right foot in the season's fifth game vs. Florida. The injury cost him two games of action and when he returned, he was used mostly in a reserve role before starting at left outside linebacker vs. Tennessee Tech after playing left defensive end in the Tigers' first five contests. He also closed out his career by starting vs. Clemson in the Chick-Fil-A Bowl at left end. In 11 games in 2007, Groves registered 38 tackles (23 solos). He had three sacks, seven stops for losses and led the Southeastern Conference with a career-high 23 quarterback pressures. He also caused a pair of fumbles, including one that a teammate returned for a touchdown. In 51 games at Auburn, Groves started 23 contests (16 at right end, six at left end and one at left outside linebacker). He registered 120 tackles (75 solos), tied the school career-record with 26 sacks for minus-169 yards and had 36 stops for losses of 194 yards. He was credited with 38 quarterback pressures, caused eight fumbles and deflected one pass.

Wannstache: The NFL is a copycat league. So when teams saw the New York Giants defeat the New England Patriots in Super Bowl XLII with a relentless pass rush, you can bet that organization’s around the league are going to try and stock their defense with skilled pass rushers, much like the Giants did with guys like Umenyiora, Strahan, Kiwanuka, and Tuck. The Steelers are no different, which is why they brought in Groves for a visit and will likely give him strong consideration with their first round pick. Their starting OLB’s for next year are set, with Harrison and Woodley. Behind them, though, there is little depth. Add in the fact that you can never have enough pass rushers, and the interest in Groves is probably warranted.

At 6’3, 250 lbs, Groves best fit is probably as a 3-4 outside linebacker. He could probably contribute as a 4-3 defensive end, but all reports seem to indicate that he would be a better fit standing up. However, that versatility is probably very appealing to Tomlin and company, who could be looking to implement more of a 3-4/4-3 hybrid style of defense. Groves had a very good junior season, notching 9.5 sacks. He struggled in his senior year, though, in large part due to the fact that he was playing with dislocated toes. Near the beginning of the offseason, he was considered as a 2nd round pick. Then, the combine came, where Groves tore it up. He ran the 40-yard dash in 4.57, faster than some running backs and receivers, and put up 30 reps on the bench press. For comparison purposes, DeMarcus Ware of the Cowboys ran the 40 in 4.56 and had 27 reps on the bench press, while Shawne Merriman of the Chargers ran the 40 in 4.66 and had 25 reps. After his performance, Groves vaulted himself solidly into the late 1st round picture. So how would he fit with the Steelers should they take him? In his first year, he’d probably be a situational pass rusher who could spell Harrison and Woodley. He would provide great depth, because right now, if either of the starting OLB’s go down, the next man up would be Arnold Harrison. Not exactly the ideal scenario, which is why the Steelers have visited with a number of mid-round OLB prospects as well. In the long run, after Farrior’s time with the club is done, the team could conceivably shift Harrison over to Farrior’s position, and insert Groves into the vacant ROLB spot. A starting linebacking corps of Groves-Harrison-Timmons-Woodley would be downright nasty, and could harken back to the days of Lloyd-Brown-Kirkland-Greene.

At this point, Groves has a better than average chance of being available at pick #23. Washington at pick #21 could be another landing spot for him, but assuming they pass, it’s up to the Steelers to decide whether they want to spend another premium pick on a linebacker after spending their first two in the 2007 draft at the same position.

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