Three months ago, I wrote an article titled "Writing on the wall" in regards to Penguins net-minder, Marc Andre-Fleury. In this article, I spoke of the the trials and tribulations that Fleury was working through as he was benched in favor of Tomas Vokoun during the 2013 playoffs, but that he was also shunned by his homeland of Canada for Olympic team tryouts. Twenty-one games into the season, Fleury has had a solid campaign for the Penguins, and for that reason, I would like to take a look at ... Read More
Can Lamar Patterson step up as Pitt’s go to guy?
Despite the lack of quality competition, it has been a nice start to the 2013-14 season for Jamie Dixon's Pitt Panthers. Through three games Dixon has done a good job of getting all his youngsters valuable playing experience as almost everyone on the roster has played a role in Pitt's three wins. The scoring has been fairly balanced with nine different players averaging five or more points per game and six different players averaging at least 8.7 per contest. However when the ... Read More
Looking at potential pitching targets for Pirates
A few days ago, we took a peek at the possible free agents available to the Pittsburgh Pirates on the position end of the spectrum. Today, we will look at the potential pitching options that could be had for a team that may be looking to upgrade their rotation – with or without A.J. Burnett in tow. The Burnett saga is ongoing. As it has been widely reported, Burnett is deciding between returning to the Pirates for one more season or retirement. He has no desire to test the free agent ... Read More
Malkin’s scoring drought isn’t a big deal
Slumps are brutal. However, slumps are a common thing in the professional workplace of the NHL. Every player at every level goes through a slump, there’s just no easy way to get out of it. Evgeni Malkin is no different. The only difference is that fans expect great players to always be great. When these types of streaks involve some of the best players in the league, they tend to get a lot of unwarranted attention. And unwarranted attention is exactly what it is. As we know, Malkin has not ... Read More
Gibbons gets the Pens back on track
In four of the last five games, the Pittsburgh Penguins have struggled mightily to score more than one goal. As a result, the Penguins have had a tough time winning games. Who knew Brian Gibbons would be the catalyst to get the Penguins off the schnide? Gibbons, playing in his first career NHL game, scored and registered an assist in what became an offensive explosion early in the third period as the Penguins defeated the Anaheim Ducks, 3-1 on Monday. Both teams took a scoreless tie ... Read More
Roethlisberger was just being “Big Ben” against Lions
Big Ben strikes again: After jumping out to a quick 14-0 lead in the first quarter and then finding themselves down 27-20 at halftime, the Steelers offense never lost confidence that they could come back. Not even for a second. And much of the reason was the confidence and calm demeanor of quarterback Ben Roethlisberger. “We didn’t blink at all,” said receiver Markus Wheaton. “We went up early and we didn’t blink at all. Everyone was still into the game, had a positive attitude and that’s ... Read More
Would Tomlin gamble on Martin or Incognito as a “project”?
The Pittsburgh Steelers offensive line has had their backs against the wall in 2013 as Roethlisberger is on pace to be sacked a career high 60 times this season. Changes will definitely be made in the offseason for the Steelers, but change may come in a different way. Since 2010, The Steelers have selected four offensive linemen in the first two rounds of the NFL draft who haven't lived up to expectations. Other than Maurkice Pouncey who in his rookie campaign, started all 16 games, has been ... Read More
PSAC West Hardwood Moments: Teams find success in home openers
The PSAC West is off to a good start this season. The nine teams have a combined 12-5 record after the first week of play. Seven teams - Clarion, Cal U, IUP, Seton Hill, Edinboro, Slippery Rock and Pitt-Johnstown - won their home openers this past week. Pitt-Johnstown won their home opener on Monday, 88-51 over Penn State-Altoona. Pitt-Johnstown had five players, including two bench players, in double figures. Bill Luther led the way with 17 points and 4 rebounds. They later beat PSU-New ... Read More
Steelers Week 11 Report Card
Even though they looked all but dead at halftime, the Pittsburgh Steelers managed to find a way to hang onto their slim playoff hopes with an improbable 37-27 comeback victory over the NFC North leading Detroit Lions. This game featured the good, the bad, and the ugly for the Steelers, but for a change they made the necessary adjustments in the locker room and turned things around in a positive way. With that being said, let's take a look at how the Steelers graded out in their second ... Read More
Robert Morris can’t hang in Kentucky
LEXINGTON, Ky. -- Kentucky rolled out an all-freshman lineup for the first time in program history, pleasing a fervent fan base eager to see how the school's best-ever recruiting class looked together. Sunday night revealed little to draw from the various combinations used by coach John Calipari, but it showed that newcomer Aaron Harrison is capable of carrying the load. Harrison scored 19 of his 28 points in the first half to get No. 1 Kentucky rolling toward an 87-49 victory over Robert ... Read More