Nam's Noodle

Saturday, May 25, 2013

What We Have Learned From The Pittsburgh Penguins Series Win Against The Ottawa Senators

                                      (1.)
     For the 3rd time in six seasons, the Pittsburgh Penguins have advanced to the Eastern Conference Finals (08', 09') and 2nd time overall under Head Coach Dan Bylsma who would help lead the Penguins to the franchise's 3rd Stanley Cup in 2009. While the Penguins will wait to see who they will play between the winner of the Boston-New York(Rangers) series, lets recap the Penguins strengths and areas they need to improve on by looking back on their series against Ottawa as the Penguins head into the Eastern Conference Finals
                                                                         (2.)
Scoring Depth
     This seems like beating a dead horse, but nonetheless it is one of, if not, thee primary source for the Penguins success. 4 of the top 5 scorers in the playoffs are Pittsburgh Penguins. (Malkin, Letang, Crosby, Iginla) Factor in Pascal Dupuis who is tied with Sidney Crosby for most goals in the playoffs with seven, with fellow teammate James Neal right behind them with 6 of his own. (Neal has scored 5 goals in the last two games). With additional scoring from Penguin teammates Chris Kunitz, and Paul Martin (9 points each) and contributions from the bottom six by Brendan Morrow, Matt Cooke, and Tyler Kennedy(13 points combined) Pittsburgh has arguably the most scoring depth among all teams in the playoffs and will continue to be a burden on any opposing goaltender if they maintain the same offensive production.

Special Teams
     Pittsburgh's Penalty Kill(PK) continues to be efficient. Killing of 12 of 14 in the man disadvantage. The Power Play(PP) however, struggled a bit. Converting on only 4 of 18 opportunities in the man advantage (22%, down from their regular season average of 25%). While the Penalty Kill remains to be strong, Pittsburgh needs improvement on their Power Play if they want to have continued success in the playoffs.

Dan Bylsma

                             (3.)
     No doubt Dan Bylsma has been using his players to put his team in the best situation to win and succeed. Despite an offensive juggernaut, the Penguins were held to just one goal in game three. A game the Penguins still should have one if it was not for Bylsma's decision to only play one D-Man while on the man advantage late in Game 3, Pittsburgh would have more than likely swept the Senators and would have not needed a Game 5 had they not given up that late goal. This has also happened a couple times in the regular season where the Penguins would give up a lot of last minute goals. Luckily each of those times, Pittsburgh had more than a one goal lead. As evident though from giving up the late goal in Game 3 in Ottawa, it ended up costing the Penguins the game. Bylsma and the Penguins need to make sure they do not get too conservative, and always apply some pressure to the opposition.

Turnovers
     Turnovers continue to be an issue for the Penguins. Both Kris Letang and Evgeni Malkin have had their fair share of them. The Penguins once again got lazy on the Power Play and gave up their second shorthanded goal of the postseason(Game 3 against Islanders being the other instance). Pittsburgh needs work on puck control and make better and smart decisions with the puck to prevent anymore costly mistakes.

Tomas Vokoun

(4.)

When I wrote my blog, prior to the start of the playoffs (which you can read here http://noodleofnam.blogspot.com/2013/04/pittsburgh-penguins-keys-to-winning.html) I stated that the Penguins success would be determined first and foremost with the play and performance of both Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin. That bell still rings true. It has also become quite clear that their success end with Tomas Vokoun(after all, he is the Penguins last line of defense). Since taking over for Marc Andre Fleury, Vokoun has gone 6-1 and has a Goals Against Average (GAA) of 1.85 (3rd best among active playoff goalies) and a .941 Save Percentage (2nd best among active playoff goalies, behind on LA's Jonathan Quick). Vokoun may not be the flashiest goalie or the most dynamic, but he brings many quality assets to the table. His veteran presence, knowledge of the game, composure, and confidence have been a big part of the Penguins success thus far. When the Penguins signed Vokoun last off-season he mentioned he came to Pittsburgh because he wanted to win a Stanley Cup (whether that be as a starter or backup) and now controls his own fate and destiny to one. Vokoun has every reason to be confident. Not only because of his performance, but the talent surrounded around him will make him that much more comfortable and composed as the Netminder.

Losing is unheard of. Perfection, unacceptable. Just win.

LETS GO PENS! WE WANT THE CUP!

Also, I have a youtube channel where from time to time I upload videos announcing my latest blog. So if you want to have other update information regarding my sports blog, feel free to subscribe to the channel (I talk about sports among other things as well) http://www.youtube.com/user/namsnoodle

Image Sources: (1.) http://penguins.nhl.com/

   (2.) Courtesy of PenguinPoop's Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=10152842384670385&set=pb.425753640384.-2207520000.1369495105.&type=3&theater
   (3.) http://bloximages.newyork1.vip.townnews.com/timesonline.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/c/02/c020d229-cc63-5b2a-b9e6-dd1933b850f0/51842e2a25157.preview-300.jpg

                           (4.) http://www.rantsports.com/nhl/files/2013/05/Tomas-Vokoun-2-s.jpg

Sunday, May 12, 2013

What We Have Learned From The Pittsburgh Penguins Series Win Against The New York Islanders

                                        (1.)
     Now that the Penguins have defeated the Islanders, the time for celebrating is over. It is back to work, as they prepare to face the Ottawa Senators in the 2nd round. With that being said, it never hurts to go back and look at what transpired into success for the Penguins and areas they need to approve upon.

Special Teams

     The Penguins found loads of success on special teams. In six games they scored seven powerplay (PP) goals. If Pittsburgh wants to advance past Ottawa, they need to continue to capitalize on the man-advantage against the Senators stifling defense and their hot streaking goaltender, Craig Anderson. While the Penguins are good on the penalty kill (PK), it may have not seemed this way in the past series against the Islanders. Though Pittsburgh's PK was a key part to the Penguins success as they allowed only two goals during the 20 times the Islanders were on the man-advantage, they will need to reduce shots on goal(SOG) as New York constantly applied pressure. The Senators who have a stellar lineup that consist of former Penguin and powerplay specialist, Sergei Gonchar, last year's Norris Trophy winner (NHL's best defenseman) Erik Karlsson, veteran Daniel Alfredsson, and their young star, Kyle Turris. All will provide Ottawa with generating a lot of scoring chances by applying pressure to the Penguins defense and goaltending much like the Islanders did.

Surprising Goals From Unexpected Players.
                                        (2.)

                                       (3.)
     It is not hard to imagine why the Penguins have one of the more highly potent offensive teams. Especially when you have players like: Crosby, Malkin, Iginla, Neal, Dupuis, and Kunitz. Pittsburgh also received some unexpected offense from players who are not known for scoring goals. Douglas Murray, who played in 57 playoff games prior to joining the Penguins at the trade deadline, scored only twice in the playoffs during that time frame. In six games against the Islanders, Murray already matched his career playoff best by finding the net twice. Prior to Game Six, Brooks Orpik played in 77 playoff games without registering a goal until scoring perhaps the biggest goal of his career that clinched the game and the series against the Islanders.

More Scoring

     More scoring? Really? That is an issue for the Penguins? While having a star studded lineup like the Penguins have and unusual offensive production from players not known for their scoring, Pittsburgh still could use some assistance from other players as well. Brendan Morrow, whom the Penguins acquired at the trade deadline for not only his leadership and veteran presence, but for his natural scoring ability and past playoff performances as well. Morrow was held to just one point, (an assist in Game Four) and committed a costly mistake in Game 3 when he made a blind pass on the powerplay that allowed Kyle Okposo to intercept the pass and score a shorthanded goal. Morrow will need to step it up a few if the Penguins want to continue to advance. Brandon Sutter and Matt Cooke also have been limited to scoring as they have only accounted for a total of three points combined in the six games against the Islanders. Pittsburgh will need them to contribute as they cannot continue to rely on only Crosby and Malkin for offensive production and also should not expect players like Murray or Orpik to continue providing unexpected goals on a nightly basis

Play Smart and Disciplined Hockey

                                                     (4.)
    A countless numbers of times Pittsburgh has had issues turning the puck over in the neutral or its own zone. That in itself is a recipe for disaster. Malkin had a costly turnover in Game Four and Kris Letang had one in the beginning of the third period of Game Six. Letang needs to start playing up to his expectations as a Norris Trophy candidate and play up to his potential by being smarter with the puck. Luckily for the Pens, they were able to survive and regroup as a team and found a way to come out on top. Although Pittsburgh did exceptionally well on the PK, the Penguins cannot afford to continue giving the opposition opportunities and expect to find success and move on in the playoffs. At times Evgeni Malkin has had trouble keeping his cool and has taken dumb penalties that are totally unnecessary. He needs to lead a better example for other players around him and step up his defensive game as well! After being considered one of the more, if not, dirtiest player in the game,Matt Cooke, has since cleaned up his act. Cooke still needs to have more awareness of what is going on around him and prevent himself from being called for penalties.

Fresh Legs & Energy

     After the Penguins loss in Game Four, Head Coach Dan Bylsma decided to revamp the lines, sitting Beau Bennett and Tanner Glass by replacing them with Tyler Kennedy and Joe Vitale. The change immediately paid off, as Tyler Kennedy scored on a breakaway goal in Game 5 which was eventually the game winner. Whenever the Penguins were tired, Kennedy and Vitale have provided additional spark with their speed and stamina to wear out the opposition. If and when Pittsburgh finds themselves needing a shot of adrenaline, Kennedy and Vitale will be more than ready and set to go to provide energy for the team.

Goalie Situation
                                                                                 (5.)

Despite registering a shutout in Game One against the Islanders, Marc-Andre Fleury would give up 14 goals in the next three games with an abysmal .845 save percentage. Though the Defense at times did not provide any sufficient assistance for Fleury as he faced 102 shots in that three game span, Fleury let his fair share of softies get behind him. Dan Bylsma did not hesitate to make a change for Game Five by putting in Tomas Vokoun. He would also register a shutout of his own that game, would come up huge multiple times in Game Six to keep the Penguins in the game. Vokoun finished with a 0.957 save percentage, stopping 66 of the 69 shots he faced against the Islanders in his two games. Though you never want to constantly flip flop starting goaltenders, Bylsma should not hesitate when need be if he sees any signs of struggling from either Fleury or Vokoun.
(6.)

Defense

   As shaky as goaltending has been at times, Pittsburgh and its defense has also faltered under pressure. A countless number of times against New York, the Islanders won the battle with effective forechecking and keeping the puck in the Penguins zone. This would cause Pittsburgh to become fatigued and allow New York's offense to generate and create numbers of scoring chances. Pittsburgh's defense will need to play the puck more effectively by creating less turnovers in the neutral and their own zone. They will also need to make sure they clear the puck out of their end and win the battle of puck possession to limit any scoring chances from the opposition as much as possible.

Lets Go Pens!

Losing is unheard of. Perfection, unacceptable. Just win.

Image Sources: (1.) http://penguins.nhl.com/
(2.),(4.), (5.), (6.) courtesy of the Pittsburgh Penguins Official Facebook Page
(3.) http://db66abc2c256b763aaef-ce5d943d4869ae027976e5ad085dd9b0.r76.cf2.rackcdn.com/2013/129/466/evgeni-malkin-and-douglas-murray_original.jpg (http://www.post-gazette.com/stories/sports/penguins/vokoun-shuts-out-islanders-in-4-0-penguins-victory-686998/)

Monday, April 29, 2013

Pittsburgh Penguins: Keys To Winning The 2013 Stanley Cup

The 2013 Stanley Cup Playoffs are officially upon us and the Pittsburgh Penguins have made it clear they are primed and ready for a deep playoff run! Already sporting the two best players in the world(Evgeni Malkin & Sidney Crosby) The Penguins have plenty of additional high offensive production Pascal Dupuis, James Neal, Chris Kunitz and added to its already potent offense with key trade deadline acquisitions Jarome Iginla, Brendan Morrow, and Jussi Jokinen. With these players alone, the Penguins are arguably the deepest team in terms of scoring depth entering the postseason. Having established themselves already as clear favorites and potential Cup champions, we will take a look at some key elements for the Penguins to have success in the playoffs!

Super Stardom

As mentioned above, the Penguins have the two best players in the world in Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin. If the Penguins plan on capturing Lord Stanley, their success will be determined first and foremost with the play and performance of both Crosby and Malkin. If they are able to generate offensive production like usual, everyone else will soon follow suit.

Scoring Depth

As stated, much of Pittsburgh's offensive success starts with Malkin and Crosby, but by NO means are the Penguins short on scoring! James Neal a 40 goal scorer last season, registered a hat trick in his first game back since his concussion, has provided the Penguins with an established sniper for Pittsburgh for years to come. Both Chris Kunitz and Pascal Dupuis have been having career years during their time in Pittsburgh. Dupuis recorded his first career back to back 20 goal seasons and Kunitz finished 7th in the entire league in scoring with 52 points (22 G 30 A). It's no surprise both Dupuis and Kunitz lead the league in +/- respectively with +31(Dupuis) and +30(Kunitz). Add the additions at the trade deadline of Jarome Iginla(11 points in 13 games with PIT), Brendan Morrow(11 points in 12 games with PIT), and Jussi Jokinen(11 points in 10 games with PIT), the Penguins are clearly stacked in terms of offensive production. Not to mention, the Penguins have Kris Letang, whom is always up for the Norris Trophy(Leagues Best Defenseman) registered 38 points in 35 games played and Paul Martin has done a complete 180 and stepped up his game and tied a career best of 6 goals, a feat which he achieved in his rookie season, in which he played in more than twice as many games as this season!

Veteran Presence & Leadership

The Penguins had been lacking veteran leadership presence in the locker room ever since Bill Guerin's tenure with Pittsburgh came to an end. That was all taken care of, but not adding one, but two players who were captain of their teams when the Penguins acquired Jarome Iginla and Brendan Morrow. Both are hungry for a Stanley Cup Championship. Iginla was one win away back in 2004, and is now again in great position to fill that void in his illustrious career. Morrow is a playoff warrior as evident of his 2008 playoff performance( 6 goals, 9 assists 15 points in 18 games played) which was also the last time Morrow made it to the playoffs! Each will have huge drive and hunger to capture Lord Stanley and with this extra motivation for both, this makes the Penguins as a whole all the more dangerous!

Defense

Whenever the Penguins offense is having a slow night, the defense has stepped up their game and have contributed in a big way. During the Penguins 15 game win streak, Pittsburgh held its opponents to one goal or less nine times, four of which came in shutout fashion. The additions of Mark Eaton and trade deadline acquisition Douglas Murray have injected new life into the Pittsburgh defense.

Special Teams (PP & PK)

Pittsburgh's Powerplay(PP), though at times have gone into dry spells, is nevertheless, loaded with scoring and fire power which should and more than likely, will drastically improve its power play. Especially when you have likes of; Malkin, Crosby, Iginla, Letang, Neal on one unit and; Morrow, Kunitz, Sutter, Martin, Jokinen on another, with the possibility of Dupuis, Niskanen, Cooke, Kennedy, Bennett, Despres, you have the formulas for lethal powerplay combinations. For the Penalty Kill(PK), Pittsburgh has always been at the top of the league. Starting with PK specialist Matt Cooke and Craig Adams, Shutdown D-men Orpik and Murray, as well as Tanner Glass's big body and help from even Sidney Crosby himself, the Penguins PK is very diverse.

Goaltending

Marc Andre Fleury will more than likely get the nod as the starting netminder. Fleury has struggled as of late in the playoffs, but now with everyone healthy, and a quality backup in Tomas Vokoun, Fleury will not have to carry the load like he did in the 2011 & 2012 playoffs when players were injured and Fleury was called upon more, thus fatigue setting in sooner. All Fleury needs to do is find himself and have the success much like he did in the 2008 & 2009 Stanley Cup Playoffs. If Fleury can do that, Pittsburgh will have a complete roster top to bottom and all the way around and set themselves up for a good run at the Stanley Cup!

Lets Go Pens!

Losing is unheard of. Perfection, unacceptable. Just win.

Monday, April 8, 2013

Wrestlemania 29 Review

Well WrestleMania 29 is officially in the books and now that I've had almost a full day to digest, I am ready to give my thoughts and opinions on it by discussing each match.

          The Shield vs. Sheamus, Randy Orton, & The Big Show

Despite the randomness for this match as Big Show was practically thrown in at the last minute, not to mention he was a heel who suddenly became face only to seemingly end up heel again after the match, the match itself overall was good. I think it was the right decision to have the Shield win as it establishes further credibility for their stable and each of the wrestlers as an individual themselves. I liked the ending where Rollins jumped off the top rope and Orton caught him in the RKO. Then Roman Reigns spears Orton and Dean Ambrose covers him to pick up the win for the Shield. Though I think it was pointless to have Big Show in the match since he reverted back to essentially being a heel anyway when he knocked out Orton and Sheamus after the match.

      Ryback vs. Mark Henry
Nothing to special about this match. You have two big guys who are not really going to have high flying moves or anything flashly. Still it was alright given those circumstances. Ryback did get his "WrestleMania moment" when he Shellshocked Mark Henry, but it was not until after the fact Henry already won the match. I do not understand the outcome as it does nothing to put Ryback over as a wrecking force.

      Team Hell No vs. Dolph Ziggler & Big E Langston
Decent tag match that mainly served as a filler. Good choice for WWE to have Team Hell No win and retain the titles as they are one of the more interesting topics going on right now for the company and I think Kane and Bryan's character's have meshed well together.

      Chris Jericho vs. Fandango
I understand the choice in having Fandango beating Chris Jericho to put him over. What I do not understand is that WWE waited to have Fandango have his first match be at WrestleMania. His character has not even established himself leading up to the match. The match was okay. Jericho went for the Walls of Jericho only for his "bummed" knee to give out and Fandango would win in an undramatic fashion with a rollup.

      Alberto Del Rio vs. Jack Swagger
A storyline of Swagger's character being fed up with America and taking an ultra conservative approach of how the country should be with Del Rio's defense claiming himself to be "American Made". The matchup consisted of each wrestler putting one another in their submission moves. In the end, Del Rio would prevail via Cross Arm Breaker. (side note: O thought there was a good possibility WWE would decide to have Ziggler cash in his "Money in the Bank" since this match took place after Dolph's tag team match.)

      CM Punk vs. Undertaker
Maybe the best match of the night. (and that is not saying too much) It is kind of disappointing at the fact WWE invested so much into the death of Paul Bearer leading up to Mania, but then hardly have it become a factor in the match or the outcome of it. I was hoping WWE would get creative(lol yeah right!) and have CM Punk at the end dismantle Undertaker and hit him with a GTS and then mock Taker by hitting him with a Tombstone. Then as Punk would go for the cover and sure win to finally end the streak, green smoke would "mysteriously" start coming out from the urn that Heyman was holding. The "spirit" of Paul Bearer would cause Undertaker to rise and sit up and then for Punk to turn around all bug eyed and shocked to see Taker standing there who would then finish off Punk with a Chokeslam and Tombstone to pick up the win and extend the streak to 21-0 that way. (I am least happy the Undertaker remained undefeated)

      Triple H vs. Brock Lesnar
Probably the most predictable outcome for a match on the night (along with Cena vs. The Rock) Not to take anything away from the match itself as it was decent, but the buildup to it was stale. Brock Lesnar breaks Shawn Michaels arm. Triple H wants revenge only to lose at Summerslam to Lesnar. Lesnar would then break Triple H's arm. Brock later on would go on to give Vince Mcmahon an F5, causing him to have "surgery" on his hip. Triple H comes back to get redemption against Lesnar for all of his actions against him, his best friend, and family. Maybe if the outcome would not have had been as predicatble if the stipulation "If Triple H loses, he must retire" Come on, this is the guy who is going to be around forever as he is next in line to run the company when Mcmahon is gone.

      The Rock vs. John Cena
Another redemption match. As noted before, the most predicatble match (along side Triple H vs Brock Lesnar). Nothing spectular as the "highlight" of the matchup was near the end when the wrestlers were trading, countering, doing the other's signature move(s) only to repeatedly kick out at the last second. The result was nothing outstanding either, it was with 100% certainity that Cena would win and become champion as The Rock will go back to Hollywood to film more movies. If that was not bad enough, they had Cena & Rock embrace one another by shaking hands and hugging. It gets a little redudant seeing wrestlers break character and kayfabe(i.e. last year when Undertaker, Shawn Micheals, and Triple H all embraced each other after the end of the match) instead of trying to get the fans to believe their is legitimate heat between the wrestlers. Oh and did anyone really think WWE was going to have Cena turn heel? (How many times has that rumor popped up only for it to obviously never come to fruition?)

      As far as the show goes as a whole, the results were actually good, but the delivery of the matches could have been better. WrestleMania 29 was average as I feel the writers made to many things predictable with no surprises twists or endings. No real special "WrestleMania Moments" other than Ryback(even though it was AFTER he lost his match) Too much advertising during the show and in between matches (i.e. promos for The Rock's movies, John Cena and his involvment in the Make a Wish Foundation, etc.) There was really no backstage segments in between the matches either. Finally, P Diddy singing was also pointless. I give this WrestleMania a 4 out of 10.

      If you like my blogs, feel free to follow me. Also, I have a facebook page devoted to my blogs, so check that out by visiting this link https://www.facebook.com/pages/Nams-Noodle-Sports-Blog-Video-Blogs-FB-Page/252192688235247

     Also, I have a youtube channel where from time to time I upload videos announcing my latest blog. So if you want to have other update information regarding my sports blog, feel free to subscribe to the channel (I talk about sports among other things as well) http://www.youtube.com/user/namsnoodle

Sunday, March 31, 2013

Could Mario Lemieux Have Been The NHL's All Time Leading Scorer?

(1.)

If we are to look at the list of most career points, one would see Mario Lemieux 7th on the all time list. At first glance one may say, "Wow, look at how many more points these players had than Lemieux." Lets look at all the facts though! First, the six players in front of Lemieux have all played in at least 400 more games than he did in their careers. Second, Lemieux's Point Per Game(PPG) Average (1.88) is significantly greater than five of the six players ahead of him, with the exception of Wayne Gretzky. (1.92)

Lets take a look at six players ahead of Mario Lemieux on the all time scoring list. Displaying their stats (number of games played, point total, and PPG average) to use as a guide. We will multiply the amount of more games played by each player and multiply it by Lemieux's PPG avg (1.88) and then take that amount and add it to Lemieux's 1,723 career points to get a projected total had he played in the same amount of games as they did. (I will also show players goals and assists along with their point totals)

(1st number amount of games played, 2nd is point total, 3rd is PPG avg.)

1 Wayne Gretzky 1487 2857 1.92
2 Mark Messier 1756 1887 1.07
3 Gordie Howe 1767 1850 1.05
4 Ron Francis 1731 1798 1.04
5 Marcel Dionne 1348 1771 1.31
6 Steve Yzerman 1514 1755 1.16

Mario Lemieux

(2.)

Mario Lemieux's stats
Games played- 915
Goals- 690
Assists- 1,033
Points- 1,723

Mario Lemieux vs. Steve Yzerman

(3.)Steve Yzerman

Steve Yzerman- Games played- 1,514 (599 more than Lemieux)
Goals scored- 692 (2 more than Lemieux)
Assists- 1,063 ( 30 more than Lemieux
Points- 1,755 (32 more than Lemieux)

1.88(Lemieux's PPG avg.) x 599 (amount of more games Yzerman played than Lemieux) = 1126

1,723(Lemieux's career point total) + 1,126(multiplied by Lemieux's ppg with amount of more games played with opposing player) = 2,849 (projected total for Lemieux had he played in same amount of games)

Mario Lemieux vs. Marcel Dionne

Marcel Dionne- Games played-1,348 (433 more than Lemieux)
Goals-731 (41 more than Lemieux)
Assists-1,040 ( 7 more than Lemieux)
Points-1,771 (48 more than Lemieux) (4.)Marcel Dionne

1.88 x 433 = 814

1,723 + 814 = 2,537 projected point total for Lemieux

Mario Lemieux vs. Ron Francis

(5.) Ron Francis

Ron Francis- Games Played- 1,731 (816 more than Lemieux)
Goals- 549 (Lemieux had 141 MORE)
Assists- 1,249 (209 more than Lemieux)
Points- 1,798 (75 more than Lemieux)

1.88 x 816= 1,534

1,723 + 1,534 = 3,257 projected point total for Lemieux

Mario Lemieux vs. Gordie Howe
(6.)Gordie Howe

Gordie Howe- games played-1,767 (852 more than Lemieux)
Goals- 801 (111 more than Lemieux)
Assists- 1,049 (16 more than Lemieux)
Points- 1,850 (127 more than Lemieux)

1.88 x 852 = 1,602

1,723+1,602= 3,325 projected point total for Lemieux

Mario Lemieux vs. Mark Messier

(7.) Mark Messier

Mark Messier- Games played- 1,756 (841 more than Lemieux)
Goals- 694 (4 more than Lemieux)
Assists- 1,193 (160 more than Lemieux)
Points- 1,887 (164 more than Lemieux)

1.88 x 841= 1,581

1,723 + 1,581= 3,304 projected point total for Lemieux

Finally, we will look at Mario Lemieux's projected total to the all time leading scorer Wayne Gretzky. I think if you want to give a true indication for Lemieux's projected point total, it would have to be with Gretzky's career totals.

Mario Lemieux vs. Wayne Gretzky
(8.)Wayne Gretzky

Wayne Gretzky- Games played- 1,487 (572 more than Lemieux)
Goals- 894 (204 more than Lemieux)
Assists- 1,963 (930 more than Lemieux)
Points- 2,857 (1,134 more than Lemieux)

1.88 x 572= 1075

1,723+1,075= 2,798 projected point total for Lemieux

While it may be debatable as to whether or not Lemieux would have more career points than Gretzky, if Mario Lemieux played in at least 1,000 career games and maintained his 1.88 PPG . 1.88 x 85(number of games Lemieux would have to play to reach 1,000 career games played) = 159.8 or 160, Lemieux would only be behind Messier by 4 points (but remember Messier played in 841 more games than Lemieux did). Lemieux never played a full 82 game schedule in a season and in the 1992-93 campaign, he was on pace to break Gretzky's point total of 215 until being stricken with Hodgkin's Lymphoma. Nonetheless, while only playing in 60 games that season, Lemieux still finished with 69 Goals, 91 Assists, for a total of 160 points.

What do you think? Could Lemieux have been the NHL's all time leading scorer had it not been for his battle with Hodgkins? Whatever the case, no doubt Wayne Gretzky and Mario Lemieux would be no.'s 1 and 2 on the NHL's all time scoring list. As to who would be on top, that is up for you to decide!

Image Sources (1.)http://cdn.gamerant.com/wp-content/uploads/NHL-12-Legends-Mario-Lemieux-Gordie-Howe.jpg
(2.) http://www.legendsofhockey.net/LegendsOfHockey/trophies/winners/CMT1985.jpg
(3.) http://www.legendsofhockey.net/LegendsOfHockey/trophies/winners/FST2000.jpg
(4.) http://www.legendsofhockey.net/LegendsOfHockey/trophies/winners/ART1980.jpg
(5.) http://www.legendsofhockey.net/LegendsOfHockey/trophies/winners/LBT2002.jpg
(6.) http://www.legendsofhockey.net/LegendsOfHockey/trophies/winners/ART1954.jpg
(7.) http://www.legendsofhockey.net/LegendsOfHockey/trophies/winners/LPA1990.jpg
(8.) http://www.legendsofhockey.net/LegendsOfHockey/trophies/winners/HMT1982.jpg

Source for player stats http://statshockey.homestead.com/alltimepoints.html

If you like my blogs, feel free to follow me. Also, I have a facebook page devoted to my blogs, so check that out by visiting this link https://www.facebook.com/pages/Nams-Noodle-Sports-Blog-Video-Blogs-FB-Page/252192688235247

Also, I have a youtube channel where from time to time I upload videos announcing my latest blog. So if you want to have other update information regarding my sports blog, feel free to subscribe to the channel (I talk about sports among other things as well) http://www.youtube.com/user/namsnoodle

Wednesday, March 13, 2013

What We Learned From The Penguins 3-2 Victory Over The Bruins

           (1.) Brandon Sutter & Sidney Crosby celebrate as Sutter caps off Pittsburgh's late game comeback win against Boston to give the Penguins a 3-2 victory over the Bruins

     Pittsburgh's win over Boston last night showcased an overall complete game performance by the Penguins as they continued to chip away and apply pressure, despite being down 2-0 late in the 3rd period. As mentioned, we found out about Pittsburgh's drive and perseverance. Here are a few more things that we learned from last night's game.

     Chris Kunitz Is Pittsburgh's MVP

                    (2.)
     Sounds crazy right? Considering he is on the same team with arguably the two best players in the world (Sidney Crosby, Evgeni Malkin). It is not hard to argue that a big part of Crosby's success has been due to the performance of Chris Kunitz's. Kunitz has the second most goals in the league with 18 (behind only Steven Stamkos) and is third in points with 37 (Crosby- 45 Stamkos 38). Despite Crosby having his eight game point streak snapped, Kunitz still provided the offensive spark the Penguins needed against Boston by scoring the 1st of 3 goals in Pittsburgh's late comeback win over the Bruins.

   Brandon Sutter Has Filled Jordan Staal's Shoes(Skates)

                             (3.)
     When Pittsburgh failed to retain Jordan Staal's services and shipped him off to Carolina and in return received Brandon Sutter, many questioned if he(Sutter) would be able to fill the void on the 3rd line. Sutter came through last night as he scored both the game tying and winning goals to complete Pittsburgh's comeback over Boston. Since scoring the OT winner against Montreal, Sutter has played an important part of the Penguins six game win streak by compiling 4 goals(2 of which were game winners) and 1 assist and has shown the capability to perform in the clutch!

     Special Teams Need Improvement

     It is rather odd to suggest Pittsburgh is struggling on its powerplay as they have one of the highest conversions in the league. Despite this, Pittsburgh has failed to capitalize on a few numerous opportunities when on the powerplay during their six game win streak ( 4 of 20 or 20%) and a couple of times have failed to score with a 5 on 3 advantage. Pittsburgh needs to cash in on these opportunities if they plan on having any success from here on out. As for the penalty kill, it has been struggling as of late too ( 11 for 16 on the kill or 69% in the past six games). We will see if GM Ray Shero will address these issues at the trade deadline by acquiring secondary scoring and toughness to the defense for more efficiency on special teams.


     Fleury Is Struggling Once Again

                       (4.)
     First things first, it would not be fair to assign all the blame towards Fleury with the amount of goals they have given up recently, as the defense has issues of clearing the puck out of their own zone. That said, Fleury has left quite of few softies get by him, something he has been known to do more often than not. In a previous blog of mine http://noodleofnam.blogspot.com/2013/02/what-we-learned-from-pittsburgh.html I noted that Fleury had gone 6-1 with a save % of .927 since Vokoun's shutout against the New York Rangers after the Penguins 6-5 loss to Philadelphia and that it was clear he was still Pittsburgh's starting goaltender. Since then, Fleury has hit a few bumps. Though he has maintained a similar average of goals allowed( 2.75) and a respectable 5-2 record in the 8 games since, Fleury's save percentage has been abysmal to say the least (0.879%). Fleury even had to be pulled after the 1st period in their game against the Flyers after giving up 4 goals on 18 shots (Pittsburgh came back to win 5-4). If Pittsburgh wants to avoid another 1st round playoff exit, Fleury will need to step up and improve his game and play like he did during their runs to the Stanley Cup Finals in 2008 & 2009.

Image Sources: (1.) https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=10151782024643765&set=a.98210128764.108719.13732078764&type=1&theater

                        (2.) https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=10151777466973765&set=pb.13732078764.-2207520000.1363194206&type=3&theater

                        (3.) https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=10151749311578765&set=pb.13732078764.-2207520000.1363194047&type=3&permPage=1

                       (4.) http://cdn.bleacherreport.net/images_root/images/photos/001/052/659/105650897_crop_650x440.jpg?1287418607

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Monday, March 11, 2013

Pittsburgh Penguins 2013 Trade Deadline: Pittsburgh May Not Need To Trade For Scoring Depth For Bottom Six

     The Pittsburgh Penguins are looking to add a scoring forward at the trade deadline to round out the top six for a deep playoff run. One other need has been scoring depth and how the Penguins plan to address this issue. Other than a top six forward, Pittsburgh may not need to necessarily trade for additional scoring as they can "redecorate" the house by adjusting the team's lines.

     If Pittsburgh is able to land Jarome Iginla or another top forward at the trade deadline, Pittsburgh could look at moving Pascal Dupius down to the 3rd line to provide scoring depth. Even though Dupuis has established great chemistry by being on a line with Crosby and Kunitz, and it would be hard to break them apart, Jarome Iginla has already established chemistry himself with Crosby, and the way Kunitz has been playing this season Iginla should not have a hard time adapting to their line.

     Pittsburgh has been reportedly shopping Tyler Kennedy around and if he gets moved, Dupuis would be perfect as not only does he already provide scoring , but the Penguins would not have to take on another player's salary to fill Kennedy's role. Nothing is set in stone yet, as teams around the league will continue to look at and evaluate their options. No doubt Penguins GM Ray Shero will look to make a few moves at the trade deadline to improve the team, but he may not need to put all of his eggs in one basket by cleaning house and trading many assets in order for Pittsburgh to make a run at the Stanley Cup.

If you like my blogs, feel free to follow me. Also, I have a facebook page devoted to my blogs, so check that out by visiting this link https://www.facebook.com/pages/Nams-Noodle-Sports-Blog-Video-Blogs-FB-Page/252192688235247

Also, I have a youtube channel where from time to time I upload videos announcing my latest blog. So if you want to have other update information regarding my sports blog, feel free to subscribe to the channel (I talk about sports among other things as well) http://www.youtube.com/user/namsnoodle

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