Attention Pens Fans - We Should Thank Hossa
After all the signs in Pittsburgh referring to Benedict Hossa and You Can’t Spell ASSHOle without HOSSA I think it’s time for a new sign that says “Thank you for being nothing more than a rental that helped us get playoff experience.” Wait…what? No, I’m being serious here.
Think about this for a second. If Marian Hossa stays on with the Pens, then it is highly likely that the Penguins are not in the playoff predicament come February that they were in, so Michele Therrien’s job is never in jeopardy and the Penguins probably never end up with Dan Bylsma as their coach. While it would be foolish to consider Therrien a bad coach, he is in no means the correct coach for this young Penguins team. Bylsma turned the team around (coupled with some great moves by Ray Shero) and has them playing a style suitable for a young offensively talented team. What’s more is the team is actually fun to watch again. I’m not sure about any of you but around January/February there were times I wanted to scratch out my eyes when watching the Penguins sit back and not play any offense under Therrien. While in all likelihood the Penguins will not win the Stanley Cup While the Penguins beat down an aging Red Wings team this year, the addition of Bylsma will undoubtedly mean more Stanley Cups in Pittsburgh in the future than under Therrien. So in return for not getting an aging winger who probably wouldn’t have made the team any better than they are currently, we get a great young coach to lead the team with what appears to be a huge future. I call fair trade on that one.
Finally, Pens fans take solace in the fact that it is highly unlikely Hossa will get the same kind of offer the Edmonton Oilers offered him last year since the crumbling world economy has also hit major sports. So while he might get a Stanley Cup he still doesn’t have a Stanley Cup and the Pens have their third, he has lost millions and has been influential in Pittsburgh obtaining Dan Bylsma and his staff to coach the Penguins, so I say kudos to you fine sir and have fun watching Sidney, Geno, and crew parade around with Cups in the now and in the future!
s’cuse me sir.. “While in all likelihood the Penguins will not win the Stanley Cup against an aging Red Wings team this year” keep your opinions to yourself.
Yo, I’m a Pens fan and have never been so happy to print a retraction in my entire life (which you could tell from the tone and from the previous post on here). Re-read it now and realize it was 0-2 and looked bleak at the time of writing. I’m a person who relies more on statistical probability in life than naive hopefulness.
At least unlike a lot of blog-alists I have the stones to say I made a mistake in some of it and am damn proud to say that to be honest. What a game, what a series, GO PENS!