PENS COME BACK TO PITTSBURGH WITH ONE WIN

The Pens got the split they wanted in Washington and are now headed back home for Games Three and Four. Once again, the Pens got done early in Game Two, but unlike Game One they couldn’t overcome the early deficit. Everyone expected the Capitals to come out flying on their home ice, and they did just that. The good news for the Pens is that the series is even heading back to Pittsburgh. The bad news is the Caps are on a mission after losing so many times to the Pens. They also know the Penguins are not unbeatable at PPG Paints Arena. Just ask the Flyers.
• Injuries are part of hockey. They’re also a major concern for the Pens as they head home for Game Three. Evgeni Malkin, who was thought to be a go for Game Two, has yet to suit up in this series, as has speedy winger Carl Hagelin. The Pens are going to have a tough time winning this series if those two don’t return soon. Throw in the latest injury, a shot to the head of steady defenseman Brian Dumoulin, and the Pens are hurting big-time. It takes luck and skill to win the Stanley Cup. It also takes a healthy lineup.
• The Pens flat-out stole Game One in DC. I didn’t think the Pens could win with Evgeni Malkin and Carl Hagelin out of the lineup with injuries. And when the Caps scored just 17 seconds into the game I thought the game would be a blowout. The Pens deserve a ton of credit for hanging in there and coming back from two goals down. It shows you the character that this team has. Heck of a win for the two time defending Stanley Cup Champions.
• So much for the Steelers drafting inside linebackers. The team didn’t take any, even though there were reports the Steelers tried to trade up in Round One to get one of the top players still left on the board. I too was shocked when the Steelers took safety Terrell Edmunds from Virginia Tech with their first pick. I look at a lot of mock drafts and Edmunds wasn’t even rated as a player who would be taken in the first few rounds. It was definitely a reach. A few years from now we’ll look back and say that Kevin Colbert and his staff really knew what they were doing, or we’ll proclaim that they flat out blew it. Only time will tell.
• I love the pick of quarterback Mason Rudolph in Round Three. Rudolph is a big guy with a strong arm who put up great numbers at Oklahoma State. Many draft experts thought he could go as high as Round One. There’s no pressure on him for a few years as he sits and learns from Big Ben. It’s obvious the Steelers took him to be Roethlisberger’s replacement when Number Seven finally hangs it up. To get him in Round Three is a steal. If he doesn’t pan out, it’s not like the Steelers gave up a top pick to get him.
• Count me among those who were surprised that the Steelers traded away wide receiver Martavis Bryant. I figured that given his talent, and since the Steelers feel like they are a Super Bowl contender, they would keep him for his last year under contract and then let him walk away as a free agent next year. Kevin Colbert said repeatedly that the team would not trade Bryant. I guess he felt the third round pick they got in return was too good to pass up.
• The top moment of the first round of the draft was not all the quarterbacks taken and trades, but rather when Steelers injured linebacker Ryan Shazier walked onto the stage and announced the team’s first round pick. It was a special moment indeed.
• Marc Andre Fleury continues to amaze. He shutout the San Jose in Game One of Vegas’ second round opener. Fleury has been incredible for the surprising Golden Knights. And to think he missed over a month of the season with a concussion. Wouldn’t it be something if Vegas and Pittsburgh meet in the Stanley Cup Finals?
• Great weekend for the Pirates with their sweep over the Cards. The Friday night comeback, when the Pirates were down 5-0, was a heck of a win for the Black and Gold. Sunday’s series finale was special too. We knew that Nick Kingham was a pitcher the Pirates liked. Never did anyone expect Kingham to throw 6 2/3 innings of perfect baseball in his major league debut. The kid looked like a seasoned veteran. It’s a game he’ll never forget, and one Pirates’ fans should also remember for all the right reasons.
• I was shocked when the news broke that Jung Ho Kang is back in the country and will again play for the Pirates. I figured he was a footnote in Pirates’ history and would never be heard from again. Reaction to his return is certainly mixed. If I was calling the shots for the Pirates I would not have taken him back. Kang was a good player for the Buccos. It will be interesting to see if he can regain his old form.
• Kudos to the Pirates for honoring long-time usher Phil Coyne on his 100th birthday. Coyne was a fixture at Forbes Field, Three Rivers Stadium and PNC Park for decades but has not been back this year due to his failing health. He is a Pittsburgh treasure. Here’s to many more, Phil!
• I was very surprised to see that former IUP standout Max Redfield was passed over in the NFL draft, and as of Sunday had not even been signed as a free agent. I’m guessing that teams were scared off by his hip injury he suffered during IUP’s playoff run. When healthy Redfield, who showed what he can do at Notre Dame before ending up at IUP, is an impact player. A team would be wise to sign him and put him on injured reserve for a year.