Post by ds on Aug 30, 2009 17:07:33 GMT -5
In Defense of the Title.
By Kevin Lapointe
Aug 19th '09
The Pittsburgh Penguins are the defending league champions and are off to a mediocre start. Perhaps the hardest working member of the organization continues to be their GM Kevin Lapointe.
Lapointe saw fit in the offseason to part company with Jason Allison, the team’s now former top pivot was a huge part of the team’s success in 2003/2004 and fans were outraged. “Call in” shows were rife with confused fans, who had been still riding the high of their cup championship, when news broke that Allison had been dealt the news sent them crashing back to reality. How could Lapointe, known as the architect of the expansion to champion Penguins, have done this to them?
While drive time radio DJ’s didn’t have the answer some fans of the GMs pleaded for patience, “…after all this man just built us a team to be proud of… let’s wait and see.”
The wait didn’t last long, Lapointe inked the top prize in free agency Pavel Bure to a 2 year, 5 million dollar contract – Allison too had been making 5 million and was in the final year of his contract, shockingly, it seems Lapointe had a plan all along. At the news conference Introducing Pavel to the Pittsburgh “faithful” again shockingly, there was no talk of Allsion with the exception of well wishing from his former GM “Jason is a special player and he played a major role on our team, the Racers are fortunate to have him… With Spezza progressing as expected we knew it was only a matter of time before we needed to make room down the centre.”
Water cooler conversation quickly turned to the potential of a Afiniganov - Bure combination and the same bewildred drive time radio hosts fueled fires questioning whether there was a defense in the league that could keep up with the speedy duo. The cooling embers of the championship were rekindled and Lapointe once more was held in high esteem, seemingly by all.
Shortly afterwards, with the timing of a skilled politician, Lapointe announced that the team had reached an agreement with young Mike Fisher -the rights to the young centre had been acquired in the Allison deal- to a 3 year deal. Fisher, while not as adept as Allison in playmaking is, considered by most to be, at least his equivalent in his defensive zone; both are heads and shoulders above the majority of their peers and with the addition of Bure’s offense almost all pressure had been taken off the young centre and Pittsburgh fans were now ready to get excited about his addition to the fold. Some fans even bandied about words like dynasty, others familiar to the ritualistic traditions of hockey are scornful of this talk equating it to that of a late third period conversation of an impending shut out.
Talk of dynasties faded quickly as the new season got underway the Penguins who went 16-6 en route to the championships just a few short months earlier stumbled out of the gates with early loses to the last placed Oilers and the Whalers, the team they had swept in the finals. Worst still they were tying more than winning. Fans were in an uproar heads were going to roll. Perhaps Lapointe is a knee jerk manager because shortly after his fickle fans, once more filler the airwaves with talk of over an overconfident team that is taking the early season seriously Milan Hedjuk was dealt back to the Nodiques. In return for Hedjuk young Daniel Sedin and draft picks. Hedjuk had been one of the most productive Pens in the 2003/2004 regular season (73pts in 77 games) but disappeared during the playoff run posting a mere 6 pts in 22 games so it is possible that it was only a matter of time before Hedjuk was dealt.
Despite making four major roster changes to his championship team Lapointe’s most recent criticism is the most confounding one of all. The squeaky wheel of Pittburgh hockey seems focused on the myriad of moves the GM has made in building his Wilksbury Scranton Penguins claiming the GM should be less focused on that squad and more attentive to the big league Pens.
It is true that Lapointe has been extremely busy with the WB Pens, Bringing in Petr Vrana, Scottie Upshall, Niclas Havelid, Shaone Morrison, Matt Greene, Blake Comeau, Troy Bodie, Tuomo Ruutu and Kevin Dallman. Rumour has it Lapointe is finalizing contract negotiations with a young Danish centre.
Fortunately, the Penguins hold 6th in the league right now which while not coinciding with the lofty expectations has cooled the complaints of fans and made way for cheers and at least for now Lapointe is in the good graces of his franchises’ fans who seem to have grown to expect big changes from their GM. Prompting a league official to comment “he made his own bed out there, don’t get me wrong he has done amazing things with that club but he did it so fast and his fans, relatively new to having their own team, have known only him and mirror his tendancies.”
Whether fans or Lapointe will ever be satisfied with their team remains to be seem. On the ice his team stands behind their GM 120% according to team captian Nic Lidstrom “He has done so much for us, he personally is responsible for bringing every one of us here… ” Tuomo Ruutu was shocked when the GM brought him in and explained to him that he expected him to share time with their minor league affiliate Ruutu had been enjoying what might have been a career year based on his early numbers but the young LW felt the GM made a solid case for why “he says he wants me to get top line minutes and experience” likening throwing him on the 4th line all season to “…hooking a thorough-bread up to a plough”
Incidentally, all those moves have resulted in the a blazing start for the WB Penguins they currently also sit 1st in their conference with an impressive 15-6-7 record . The future is now in Pittsburgh and it appears with the fans and the players behind him Laopinte is intent on defending their title. Rumour has it Lapointe is even shopping a first round pick in an attempt to further bolster his lineup. One thing is for sure hockey has found a home in Pittsburgh.
By Kevin Lapointe
Aug 19th '09
The Pittsburgh Penguins are the defending league champions and are off to a mediocre start. Perhaps the hardest working member of the organization continues to be their GM Kevin Lapointe.
Lapointe saw fit in the offseason to part company with Jason Allison, the team’s now former top pivot was a huge part of the team’s success in 2003/2004 and fans were outraged. “Call in” shows were rife with confused fans, who had been still riding the high of their cup championship, when news broke that Allison had been dealt the news sent them crashing back to reality. How could Lapointe, known as the architect of the expansion to champion Penguins, have done this to them?
While drive time radio DJ’s didn’t have the answer some fans of the GMs pleaded for patience, “…after all this man just built us a team to be proud of… let’s wait and see.”
The wait didn’t last long, Lapointe inked the top prize in free agency Pavel Bure to a 2 year, 5 million dollar contract – Allison too had been making 5 million and was in the final year of his contract, shockingly, it seems Lapointe had a plan all along. At the news conference Introducing Pavel to the Pittsburgh “faithful” again shockingly, there was no talk of Allsion with the exception of well wishing from his former GM “Jason is a special player and he played a major role on our team, the Racers are fortunate to have him… With Spezza progressing as expected we knew it was only a matter of time before we needed to make room down the centre.”
Water cooler conversation quickly turned to the potential of a Afiniganov - Bure combination and the same bewildred drive time radio hosts fueled fires questioning whether there was a defense in the league that could keep up with the speedy duo. The cooling embers of the championship were rekindled and Lapointe once more was held in high esteem, seemingly by all.
Shortly afterwards, with the timing of a skilled politician, Lapointe announced that the team had reached an agreement with young Mike Fisher -the rights to the young centre had been acquired in the Allison deal- to a 3 year deal. Fisher, while not as adept as Allison in playmaking is, considered by most to be, at least his equivalent in his defensive zone; both are heads and shoulders above the majority of their peers and with the addition of Bure’s offense almost all pressure had been taken off the young centre and Pittsburgh fans were now ready to get excited about his addition to the fold. Some fans even bandied about words like dynasty, others familiar to the ritualistic traditions of hockey are scornful of this talk equating it to that of a late third period conversation of an impending shut out.
Talk of dynasties faded quickly as the new season got underway the Penguins who went 16-6 en route to the championships just a few short months earlier stumbled out of the gates with early loses to the last placed Oilers and the Whalers, the team they had swept in the finals. Worst still they were tying more than winning. Fans were in an uproar heads were going to roll. Perhaps Lapointe is a knee jerk manager because shortly after his fickle fans, once more filler the airwaves with talk of over an overconfident team that is taking the early season seriously Milan Hedjuk was dealt back to the Nodiques. In return for Hedjuk young Daniel Sedin and draft picks. Hedjuk had been one of the most productive Pens in the 2003/2004 regular season (73pts in 77 games) but disappeared during the playoff run posting a mere 6 pts in 22 games so it is possible that it was only a matter of time before Hedjuk was dealt.
Despite making four major roster changes to his championship team Lapointe’s most recent criticism is the most confounding one of all. The squeaky wheel of Pittburgh hockey seems focused on the myriad of moves the GM has made in building his Wilksbury Scranton Penguins claiming the GM should be less focused on that squad and more attentive to the big league Pens.
It is true that Lapointe has been extremely busy with the WB Pens, Bringing in Petr Vrana, Scottie Upshall, Niclas Havelid, Shaone Morrison, Matt Greene, Blake Comeau, Troy Bodie, Tuomo Ruutu and Kevin Dallman. Rumour has it Lapointe is finalizing contract negotiations with a young Danish centre.
Fortunately, the Penguins hold 6th in the league right now which while not coinciding with the lofty expectations has cooled the complaints of fans and made way for cheers and at least for now Lapointe is in the good graces of his franchises’ fans who seem to have grown to expect big changes from their GM. Prompting a league official to comment “he made his own bed out there, don’t get me wrong he has done amazing things with that club but he did it so fast and his fans, relatively new to having their own team, have known only him and mirror his tendancies.”
Whether fans or Lapointe will ever be satisfied with their team remains to be seem. On the ice his team stands behind their GM 120% according to team captian Nic Lidstrom “He has done so much for us, he personally is responsible for bringing every one of us here… ” Tuomo Ruutu was shocked when the GM brought him in and explained to him that he expected him to share time with their minor league affiliate Ruutu had been enjoying what might have been a career year based on his early numbers but the young LW felt the GM made a solid case for why “he says he wants me to get top line minutes and experience” likening throwing him on the 4th line all season to “…hooking a thorough-bread up to a plough”
Incidentally, all those moves have resulted in the a blazing start for the WB Penguins they currently also sit 1st in their conference with an impressive 15-6-7 record . The future is now in Pittsburgh and it appears with the fans and the players behind him Laopinte is intent on defending their title. Rumour has it Lapointe is even shopping a first round pick in an attempt to further bolster his lineup. One thing is for sure hockey has found a home in Pittsburgh.