Light The Lamp Report / Random Notes

The Penguins were slapped in the face again (YES AGAIN) this morning when news broke that another defenseman is on the injury shelf. Jay McKee, who is tied for the league lead in blocked shots has a infection in his finger after biting it eating a sandwich. This unfortunate incident will force him to sit out for the next few weeks.

Mark Eaton remains the only top six defenseman left in the lineup. In other words, keep your fingers crossed. Eaton has not had the best luck with the injury bug while here in Pittsburgh, although last season he stayed relatively healthy playing in 68 of a possible 82 games.

However, good news is on the horizon as Sergi Gonchar is rumored to be ready to go for the Ottawa game tomorrow night. Brooks Orpik is also on the verge of cracking the lineup. Fellow defensemen Kris Letang, Alex Goligoski and now Jay McKee will continue to mend while newcomers Ben Lovejoy, Deryk Engelland, and Nate Guenin attempt to make their mark in the NHL.

And that's just the defensemen!

Tyler Kennedy, Chris Kunitz, and Max Talbot remained sidelined with various ailments. Talbot has been cleared for contact and can potentially join the Penguins on the ice during this three game road trip. In the meantime, Chris Bourque, Chris Connor, and Mark Letestu fill serviceable roles. Bourque and Connor have struggled to generate much of anything and likely will be sent back to WB/S once the reg's get healthy. Mark Letestu does have some intrigue. He's looked pretty damn good even if it's just been two games. This kid has far more promise than any other minor league forwards the Pens have deployed so far this season. Keep an eye on this kid. Don't be surprised if you see him centering the 3rd or 4th lines within the next few seasons.

Seth from Empty Netters found an absolute gem of an article on Yahoo's hockey blog "Puck Daddy" which features the top 10 worst teams of the last decade. Your 2003-2004 Penguins rank #3 on the list behind only the 2000-2001 New York Islanders and the infamous Atlanta Thrashers team of 01-02. The Penguins that year finished 23-47-8-4, good for the worst record in hockey. Some of the stats highlighted will make you giggle with wonder. Here's the team stats for that year. Do yourself a favor and look at those +/- numbers. Simply stunning. We remember that season vividly and how truly awful the team was. Pretty much zero talent on the ice aside from Lemieux (who only played 10 games), Malone, Orpik, and a young Scuderi. The full article is here.

It isn't confirmed, but the above picture (snagged from the article) has who we believe to be former Penguin Ramzi Abid getting absolutely pulverized by Devils left winger Jeff Friesen. Regardless, the picture is chock full of bad ass.

AROUND THE EAST:

Alex Ovechkin, who returned to the Capital's lineup last night after sitting out six games to a bum shoulder, had a goal to help his team beat the New York Rangers 4-2. Washington is currently in the drivers seat in the Eastern Conference with New Jersey and Pittsburgh hot on their trail.

Buffalo continues to be the surprise of the conference as they are holding off Ottawa and Boston for the Northeast division lead. Comprised of mostly washed up jocks and glue sniffers, the Sabres undoubtedly owe all their success to the man in goal, Ryan Miller.

The Islanders have rebuilt in a hurry and will look to contend for one of the last playoff spots come spring time. Their 23 points is good enough for seventh in the conference to date, but their seven overtime losses are tops in the league and may come back to haunt them later in the year if they miss the playoffs by a handful of points.

AROUND THE WEST:

San Jose has hit their typical season form of beating anybody and everybody, while claiming the best record in the league. We have no doubts that they will win the president's trophy and then do a handstand and take a shit once the playoffs have begun.

Colorado has quietly led the Northwest division since day 1 of this hockey season. We're not saying they will be staying there all season, but if you look at their schedule, they've been dominating the division rivals which is always a good sign.

After their impressive start, the Phoenix Coyotes have once again submerged into mediocrity. They are now 11-9-0 and on the outside looking in if the playoffs started today. Rumor has it that their announced attendances have been in the 4-5 thousand range. I haven't been able to watch a game that has been played there yet, but I'd be surprised if you could find even a hint of a pulse in the crowd. If I ever made the mistake of comparing that franchise to the Penguins, I was wrong and will assuredly serve my penance one day.

*Just a few random notes we had on our minds.

The Pittsburgh Pirates have hired this guy as their new Major League Scout. In other news, we unloaded the dishwasher last night.

How desperate must the Pro Bowlers Association be for viewers? If you're like us and you watch ESPN prior to the 1:00 NFL games, you may notice that once the clock strikes one, the bowling begins. There ratings must be sky high the first 2 minutes of the show, then plummet to the floor once everyone realizes they have to change the channel to CBS or (gulp) FOX. Honestly, someone could commit murder on television between the times of 1:00 and 4:00 on Sunday afternoons from September to February and it would take the FBI weeks to piece together the evidence. Bowling is a great pastime, and we partake in it often enough to appreciate the game. But on television, it absolutely fails.


One thing we're surprised about is how well Jon Gruden has done on Monday Night Football. Going into this season, we though for sure that Gruden would be near unwatchable. To our delight however, he's been a breath of fresh air that provides honest insight from one of the most unique minds to coach the game. Let's be honest here. We've had to endure far worse over the last decade. Gruden should be commended for the job he's done on the sport's grandest stage on such short notice. Hell, he was still on the sidelines not even a year ago.

Until next time, shut up and catch the damn ball.