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The rarely updated blog of Joel Dixon
Viewing blogs posted in 2016
Sunday, July 24, 2016
Pittsburgh Penguins - 2016 Stanley Cup Champions!
# Posted by Joel Dixon at 24/07/2016 04:32:38Updated by Joel Dixon at 25/07/2016 01:14:16
It has taken me far too long to write the blog post, but the Pittsburgh Penguins have won the cup again!
Is anyone happier in this photo than super Duper?
Just like last time we had a pretty ordinary first-half to the season, followed by a coaching change and return to form.
While in the early part of the season it seemed to Phil Kessel never met an easy tap-in goal he couldn't stuff up, there wasn't a better, more consistent player in the playoffs (especially amazing when you consider the iron man was playing hurt). Watching The Phil streaking down the wing and firing a wicked wrister at net was as amazing as advertised, but it was his incredible passing abilities (especially on the PP) that really impressed me. Along with Hags and Bonino Bonino Bonino!, the HBK like provided us a third line that no team could cover.
Clutch Crosby performed as he always does, scoring goals and setting up the play at the opportune moments. Matt Murray also played like a veteran of the game, his focus and maturity on display all through his first NHL playoff series. I feel bad for Fleury, he kept us in playoff contention when we sucked in the first half of the season, only to get two concussions and having to turn the reins over to Murray. Geno Malkin also dominated some early games when Crosby was MIA, but a shoulder injury towards the end of the regular season seemed to affect his playoff performance significantly.
I remember thinking back in '09 that the Penguins could win the Cup year after year, but a 7 year gap just shows how hard the NHL is. Still, I wouldn't be betting against the Pens in 2017! Speaking of betting, I could see the team responding well to Coach Sullivan's no-nonsense approach early in the year, so I put $100 on them making the Stanley Cup Final. The $700 I won helped me afford all the usual goodies - championship hat, shirt and puck, locker room towel and bobble-head. I also had to pick a player jersey to remember this playoff series (I bought a Talbot last time after his game 7 heroics). Early on I thought it might be Sheary or Rust getting the nod, with Bonino and Letang having an outside chance. By the end - it was hard to argue against Kessel, so I picked up this beauty:
I am yet to eat cookies while wearing this jersey, maybe I shall when I watch the first game of next season
This also marks the first season that I watched every single game of the regular and playoff seasons, thanks to NHL.TV. After every single playoff game that we watched, Pao and I listed to the following song. I'm pretty sure this helped the Pens as much as anything else this season.
# Posted in the Hockey section and tagged as: Pittsburgh Penguins
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