The last time Tomas Vokoun started in a playoff game, he was a member of the 2007 Nashville Predators that lost to the San Jose Sharks, tended by Evgeni Nabokov, in the opening round.After Vokoun's performance Thursday night, he has a chance to return the favor to Nabokov on Saturday in Long Island. Vokoun stopped all 31 shots earning his second career playoff shutout, and Sidney Crosby tallied three points as the Penguins dominated the Islanders 4-0, pushing the division rival from Long ... Read More
Message to the Pens
"Keep it simple." Is there a more overused term in the history of any sport ever created? Hockey players say it like it's a mantra and for the Pittsburgh Penguins, it should be. Since Game 2, and really last year, it has been no secret that the Penguins' biggest problem in the playoffs has been puck management in the defensive end. Allegedly, they correct that problem in the regular season. That is, until the playoffs started. Now it's back to blind passes, bad decisions, and awful ... Read More
Snedden’s Take: The Unique Evolution of Pittsburgh the Sports City: Past, Present and the Possible Future
When people think of the city of Pittsburgh here in 2013, very rarely does the industrial past of the region influence the opinion of people from around the Country. Pittsburgh, once known as the most important city in America doing the World War II era, has come along way from its smoke-filled past and steel forged history. While a great deal of the world now knows Pittsburgh as a leading provider of health care treatment, rarely do people refer to our city without bringing up professional ... Read More
The Mind Game of Being a Pirates Fan
The fact that the Pittsburgh Pirates have fans is weird, isn’t it? Think about this for a minute; fanhood is an investment. You pour hours of your day into following the team, and the majority of fans invest monetarily in the team as well, buying tickets and merchandise to prove their interest in the team is legitimate. So what’s the possible return on this investment? Pride, enjoyment and some extent of happiness. Everyone has a different view on the value of time, money, pride, enjoyment and ... Read More
Was QB the Steelers Biggest Draft Need?
The selection of Quarterback Landry Jones of Oklahoma in the fourth round of the 2013 NFL Draft shocked many fans; many were disappointed that other play-makers were available in positions of need still on the board, others were confused at the selection. Kevin Colbert had said during his rounds with the media that no position was off the table as far as far as the Steelers were concerned, hinting that a Quarterback may indeed be selected this year. Many expert opinions doubted that the ... Read More
Baseball is out of control
For 20 years, Pittsburgh Pirates fans have been waiting to see a winning team. During that time, the Pirates have lost a lot of its fan base to bigger market teams who have been successful such as the Yankees and the Red Sox. Baseball has proven since 1994 that whoever has the deepest pockets will win. Not many people believe this, but if you look at the numbers, it's true. Baseball is the only league in professional sports without any type of salary cap system to limit team spending. In ... Read More
With the series tied 2-2, it’s time for the Pens to give Fleury a break
Last Wednesday the Pittsburgh Penguins began their quest for their fourth Stanley Cup in team history, and did so in impressive fashion. The Penguins looked like the dominant force that earned them the No. 1 seed in the Eastern Conference, disposing of the New York Islanders, who are making their first appearance in the playoffs since 2007, 5-0 in front of a crowd of 18,612 at CONSOL Energy Center. Besides the offense clicking on all cylinders, Marc-Andre Fleury flashed signs of his 2009 form ... Read More
More of the same: Isles even series 2-2
The New York Islanders will head to Pittsburgh with an even series, tied at two games a piece. While two of the last three games of this best of seven will be on the road, the eight seed from Long Island looks poised to make a move on the Eastern Conference favorite, Penguins. John Tavares scored the game winning goal 10:11 into the third period and Casey Cizikas added another late goal to route the Penguins 6-4, Tuesday night. For the Penguins, it was a carbon copy of last season's ... Read More
Islanders will be force to be reckoned with for a long time
If this opening playoff between the Penguins and the New York Islanders has not said anything about the parody in the NHL, then people must not be watching the same series. The Penguins have found themselves in a tighter battle than they might have expected but many do not seem to be surprised. The New York Islanders have been the forgotten franchise in not just the Atlantic Division but the whole New York sports scene. A franchise that has four Stanley Cups in their history and great Hall ... Read More
“Mean” Joe Greene Retires From Player Personnel
One of the most beloved Steelers legends, Joe Greene, or ‘Mean Joe’ as other players called him during his playing days, has chosen to retire from the Pittsburgh Steelers organization. Greene was a member of the Steelers’ player personnel department for nine years as a special assistant to General Manager Kevin Colbert. In 1984, Greene was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame after a stellar career with the Steelers as one of the best defensive tackles in league history. His time with ... Read More