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

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

 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

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

Pittsburgh Penguins: Potential Trade Deadline Targets

     Arguably the most chaotic day of the NHL is the trade deadline. This year, it may even be more so as a majority of teams may still be buyers as opposed to sellers due to the shortened season. As a fan of the Pittsburgh Penguins I wait and wonder anxiously as to who the Penguins trade for as they will be primed for a deep run in the playoffs. Here is a list of several players who have had received reported interest from Pittsburgh, and giving my take on some players on whether or not I actually see the Penguins strongly pursuing and trading for these said players at the trade deadline.

     Sergei Gonchar (Ottawa)- Gonchar addresses the issue for a puck moving defenseman and someone to "quarterback" the powerplay, Pittsburgh may wait until the off-season to go after Gonchar as there has been reported interest from both parties for him to return to the Penguins. Only thing that may make the Penguins hesitate about bringing him back at this moment is his $5.5 million cap hit.(When Gonchar enters FA this off-season, Pittsburgh can sign him at a much more reasonable price without a big hit to their salary cap)

     Jack Johnson (Columbus)- Though he is a puck moving defenseman, which is one of Pittsburgh's interests and needs, I do not see Pittsburgh trading for him.  Unlike with Sergei Gonchar where he will become a FA and the Pens could sign him in the off-season for a much more reasonable price. Johnson's cap hit is not too bad, at just a little over $4 million, I do not think he will be one of Pittsburgh's first choices come the trade deadline as the Penguins would likely part away with young talent of their own. But on the off chance that the Penguins would trade for him, what and who would Pittsburgh have to give in return for a relatively young Johnson who has not even reached his prime yet?

     Jay Bouwmeester (Calgary)- I do not see Pittsburgh welcoming Bouwmeester's contract with open arms with a hit at over $6.6 million. 0% chance of this happening.

     Jordan Leopold (Buffalo)- Leopold had a previous stint with Pittsburgh before, albeit a short one. That being said, Leopold is a good shutdown defenseman and has an offensive upside to him as well. Leopold's cap hit of $3 million is very reasonable and may be the player the Penguins are looking for to toughen up the defense and also provide scoring depth.

    Robyn Regehr (Buffalo)- Pittsburgh is also reportedly interested in another defenseman from Bufflao, that being Regehr. He may not necessarily provide scoring depth like his counterpart Jordan Leopold, Regeher would give Pittsburgh big body, with his strong defence and physical ability.

     Jarome Iginla (Calgary)- A lot of buzz has been going around about Iginla coming to Pittsburgh and pairing up with fellow Canadian Sidney Crosby. Iginla and Crosby already have established chemistry as evident of the 2010 Winter Olympics. Iginla would quickly make the Penguins become Stanley Cup favorites. In addition, he would provide Pittsburgh with veteran leadership, much like Bill Guerin did a few years ago! The only question is, will the Penguins be willing to take on his $7 million cap hit and what would Pittsburgh have to give up in order to obtain him? On top of that, would Pittsburgh be able to re-sign him in the off-season?

     Nate Thompson (Tampa Bay)- Thompson would be able to provide Pittsburgh with scoring depth as well providing a much needed boost for the Penalty Kill. He may not be one of Pittsburgh's first targets, but no doubt that he is on the Penguins radar.


     Ryane Clowe (San Jose)- Clowe's name has been mentioned and would most likely end up in Pittsburgh's top six pairing up with Evgeni Malkin and James Neal to provide size and scoring.


     Matt Cullen (Minnesota)- Cullen's name has come up in trade talks for Pittsburgh. Cullen would be able to provide veteran leadership, scoring depth, and solidify a quality 3rd line alongside Brandon Sutter and Matt Cooke.

     Devin Setoguchi (Minnesota)- Alongside Wild teammate Matt Cullen, Setoguchi has received reported interest from Pittsburgh for his services. If Setoguchi ends up in Pittsburgh, he would most likely be paired up Sidney Crosby and Chris Kunitz and provide the Penguins with a solid scoring sniper.

     I am no expert, nor do I claim to be, this is all just merely speculation. Hockey GM's eyes and ears will definitely be opened the next few weeks leading up to the trade deadline to figure out what they need to do to put their teams in the best position for a lengthy playoff run.

 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

Bill O'Brien, A Mastermind Both On & Off The Field!

     In what seemed like a certain date with destiny for Penn State football program and doomsday, after the brutal (and very questionable) sanctions, it was going to take a miracle for Penn State to stop the bleeding anytime soon. Right off the back Penn State lost its first two games of the 2012 season and it appeared that only darker days seemed to be ahead. Bill O'Brien though was not going to allow that to happen, especially on his watch! Penn State would go on to win 8 out of its last 10 games to finish with an overall record of 8-4 and a 5-3 record in the Big Ten Conference. By all accounts, Bill O'Brien met,and exceeded expectations. O'Brien's success has not only come on the football field itsself, but what he has done off it is just as remarkable!

     Penn State's 2013 recruiting class was ranked 43rd by Rivals.com, 24th by ESPN, and 23rd by 247sports.com.  Either way you look at it, the fact is that Bill O'Brien and Penn State were still able assemble a very respectful recruiting class, not to mention they did so with only 17 LOI's,(letter of intent) instead of the usual 25. But perhaps even more impressive was O'Brien getting two of the most highly touted recruits in Quaterback Christian Hackenberg and Tight End Adam Breneman, both whom look to be a great fit in Bill O'Brien's offensive system!

     O'Brien's off the field success doesn't end there though. O'Brien has attracted high school recruits to come to Penn State as walk-ons, or as O'Brien has labeled them "Run-ons" due to the lack of scholarships they have to offer. In fact, it maybe more impressive than the actual recruiting class of 17 commitments itself as he managed to match that total of "Run Ons" (Walk Ons). While walk-ons are usually brought on to teams for depth, O'Brien managed to persuade some high school football stars who had actually received scholarships and interest from other top schools to come to Penn State on a try-out basis.

     Despite being limited to scholarships, O'Brien has already received three pledges(all 3 star recruits according to Scout.com) for the 2014 class. While Penn State may be a couple years away from becoming a powerhouse once again, It will be interesting to see the kind of recruits O'Brien will be able to obtain during and after the sanctions are over and if his success on the field can continue as well!

     If there are still any doubts of what O'Brien is capable of, just remember, this is a guy who coached Tom Brady and incorporated an effective offensive system in New England and has now brought it over to Penn State with him. If that is not enough, consider this, Matt McGloin broke nine school records, and tying another while amassing some of the best numbers ever produced by a Penn State Quarterback in a single season, finishing the 2012 season with; 3,266 yards, 24 touchdowns and only five interceptions.(McGloin also had 5 Rushing TD's)


Image Sources: (1.) http://binaryapi.ap.org/7851ed421aa34e628148a51913a53e6b/460x.jpg

 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

"The Ruslan Fedotenko-Max Talbot Connection"

                                (1.)                             (2.)

     Both Ruslan Fedotenko and Max Talbot are not necessarily known for being big time scorers throughout the duration of the regular season. However, they each have some history of coming up huge in the playoffs.

     Now teammates on the Philadelphia Flyers, this is not the first time they have sported the same logo on the front of their jersey's as they were teammates in Pittsburgh and helped lead the Penguins to a Stanley Cup in 2009. The connection between the two actually goes back all the way to 2004, when the Tampa Bay Lightning won the Stanley Cup over the Calgary Flames.

     Ruslan Fedotenko may have not put up the most points, or was the flashiest player on the Tampa Bay Lightning back in 2004, but he certainly had a spot in being an important role player on the team. Fedotenko tied for the 6th most points on the team with 39 points (17 Goals and 22 assists) With Martin St. Louis finishing 1st on the team and overall as the league's leading scorer with 94 points (38 Goals 56 Assists). Fedotenko was still relatively young. At the age of 25, Fedotanko had only been in the league for a full three seasons prior to the 2004 campaign. His presence was somewhat overshadowed by a pair of the team's other young talented superstars, Vincent Lecavalier and Brad Richards.

     The first two rounds for Tampa Bay were no trouble at all as they defeated the Islanders in five and swept the Canadiens respectively. Though Fedotenko only managed to score three goals through the first eight games, one being a game winner, he started to heat up at the start of the Eastern Conference Finals against Philadelphia! In a 7 game battle with the Flyers, Fedotenko amassed 7 points, 6 of them being goals! Two of which were crucial, with the game winner of Game 3, and scoring on one of the two goals in the Lightning's 2-1 win in Game 7 over the Flyers to advance to the Stanley Cup. Upon entering the Stanley Cup Final, Fedotenko had registered 10 points (9 Goals 1 Assist)

     The Lightning would face the Calgary Flames in another see-saw 7 game series. Through the first six games Fedotenko cooled off, recording just one goal and an assist. Interestingly enough, Fedotenko would play the role of hero in Game 7 by scoring both of Tampa Bay's goals in a 2-1 win to give the Lightning its first Stanley Cup in Franchise history! Fedotenko finished the 2004 Playoffs with 12 goals (tied for 2nd most in the entire playoffs with teammate Brad Richards, only fellow teammate, Martin St. Louis finished ahead of both 13 goals) and 2 assists for a total of 14 points. So what does Ruslan Fedotenko have to do with Max Talbot you may ask? Lets Flash forward five years later to 2009! 

                                  (3.)
     Ruslan Fedotenko was signed as a free agent in the 2008 off-season by the Pittsburgh Penguins. Like in 2004 with Tampa Bay, Fedotenko would find himself with a team loaded with young talent that featured; Sidney Crosby, Evgeni Malkin,Jordan Staal, and Kris Letang. Also just like Fedotenko himself in 2004, the Penguins had another young talent that was overlooked because of other young talent, and that was Maxime(Max) Talbot.

      Talbot, just like Fedotenko,was not a guy who was going to lead his team in scoring, but would still be a key contributor by adding scoring depth and had a lot to offer with hard work and perseverance and be an all around quality player. By season's end, Talbot finished with 22 points (12 Goals 10 Assists) Fedotenko himself finished with 39 (16 Goals 23 Assists) nowhere near Malkin's 113 points or Crosby's 103. Despite that, the playoffs as we know is a whole new season, and just like Fedotenko five years before him, Talbot would provide plenty of offense entering the 2009 postseason!

     For Talbot, the first two rounds were much like Fedotenko's in 2004. Fedotenko produced 3 points (all goals) in the first two rounds of the 04' playoffs with Talbot doing the same in the 09' playoffs, with the only difference being one of the points came as an assist (2 goals 1 assist) Fedotenko through the first two rounds of the 2009 playoffs, had assembled 7 points (4 goals 3 assists) It was not until the conference finals that Max Talbot started to heat up, just like Fedotenko did 5 years earlier with Tampa Bay.

     After beating the Philadelphia Flyers and Washington Capitals in consecutive rounds respectively, the Pittsburgh Penguins would meet the Carolina Hurricanes in the Eastern Conference Final. Fedotenko would maintain his consistency while Talbot started to heat up! Fedotenko would provide secondary scoring with 2 goals and an assist while Talbot was effective in his own right with 2 goals of his own and 2 assists to go along with it. In Game 4 of the Eastern Conference Final, Fedotenko and Talbot each had a huge role. Talbot assisted on Fedotenko's goal which tied the game, with Talbot scoring the Game Winning (and Series Clinching) goal and help the Penguins move on to the Stanley Cup Final for the second consecutive year in a row by sweeping the Hurricanes in four games.

     In a rematch of the previous year's Stanley Cup Final, the Pittsburgh Penguins were looking to avenge their loss to the Detroit Red Wings. The first two games though produced a similar result as Detroit jumped out to a two games to none lead. Fedotenko would score his first and only goal of the series in Game 1, while Talbot was left off the scoreboard all together in the first two games. Talbot would however quickly get out of his short cold streak by catching fire once again in Game 3 as the Penguins won 4-2 thanks in large part to two goals by Talbot, one which was assisted by Fedotenko himself. Talbot himself, again, would play a crucial role in Game 4 as he helped set up the game tying goal with the Penguins eventually going on to win the game and tie the series up at 2-2. After a blowout loss in Game 5, the Penguins returned to Pittsburgh needing a win to force a Game 7. Both Talbot and Fedotenko had a tremendous impact as they helped set up the eventual GWG in Game 6 to set up a Game 7 showdown with everything on the line. Just like fives years earlier when Fedotenko found himself in the exact same situation with the Tampa Bay Lightning when they headed into a Game 7 with the Calgary Flames!

     With all eyes on the Penguins and Red Wings heading into Game 7, the story around Ruslan Fedotenko actually started to come to a head when his Game 7 heroics five years earlier helped the Tampa Bay Lightning capture Lord Stanley with his two goals in a 2-1 win over the Calgary Flames. In fact, in an interview(1.) posted by George Malik via  "NHLMedia", Fedotenko was asked  "you've been there, you've been the hero, you've done it. Do you say something to your teammates tomorrow about that moment? To which he replied Oh, for sure. I will have my moment, and I will talk to the team before the game." Interestingly enough, Crosby was asked an intriguing question himself

     "Ruslan Fedotenko scored a pair of goals to give his team the Cup in a Game 7 that nobody really expected he would do because of the talent they had. Is there any talk in your dressing room about a hero, an unexpected hero emerging tomorrow? Someone different stepping up?" Crosby's response "There's not really talk, but I think that's what you see in these situations a lot. You know, somebody finds a way to elevate their game no matter who it is. But we see that happen a lot, so we haven't really talked about it, but we're hoping Feds has a lot of confidence after that game and can do the same thing."

     Indeed an unexpected hero would step up like Fedotenko did, this time it would be none other than Max Talbot! After a scoreless 1st period, Talbot would open the game's scoring with the 1st goal just 73 seconds into the 2nd period. Just under nine minutes later, Talbot would once again light the lamp beating Red Wings goaltender Chris Osgood for a second time to give the Penguins a 2-0 lead. That score would hold up until the Red Wings would score late in the 3rd period to cut the lead in half. In the end, it was not enough for the Red Wings. Pittsburgh held on to win 2-1 and capture the team's 3rd Stanley Cup thanks to Talbot's heroic efforts just like Fedotenko's five years earlier.

                                     (4.)
     The connection between Fedotenko and Talbot is interesting to say the least. Teammates once again, it would be interesting to see if history would repeat itself the same way it did with these two with another young talent that ends up being overlooked due to other highly touted superstars on the team, and ends up doing the exact same thing they did in a Game 7 of a Stanley Cup Final. (As a Penguins fan I would hope not, at least not at this particular time since they are currently members of the Philadelphia Flyers) In any case, their heroic efforts, along with the many similarities between the two draw interesting parallels with one another, which I will end with by providing the circumstances that draw them to one another, especially when it comes to the playoffs!

The Fedotenko-Talbot Parallels

- Both scored Stanley Cup winning goals in 2-1 wins with each scoring both team's goals (both of their goals came before the other team's lone goal)

- They each broke a pattern that transpired during the series (Fedotenko ended pattern of teams alternating wins with Calgary winning games 1, 3, and 5 and Tampa Bay winning games 2,4,6, and breaking the pattern by winning game 7. Talbot broke the pattern of the home team winning each game with the Penguins winning Game 7 on the road.

-During the '09 playoffs, Fedtenko assisted on 2 of Talbot's goals and likewise, Talbot assisted on 2 of Fedtenko's goals

-Both of their 1st career playoff points were an assist, with each of their's occurring in their first postseason appearance's (it would also be the only point each player registered in their first postseason appearances)

-scored their 1st career playoff goals the second time they reached the postseason

-As of 2013, each have 4 career GWG in the playoffs

-Both have now played on the same team twice

Source(s)1. http://blog.mlive.com/snapshots/2009/06/penguins_offday_presser_transc.html
               2.  http://www.hockey-reference.com

Images: (1, 2.) http://legendssportsmarketing.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/01/ruslanfedotenko.png  
http://legendssportsmarketing.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/01/maxtalbot.png
3. http://s3.amazonaws.com/media.flyersfaithful.com/uploads/2011/09/ruslan-fedotenko-cup-lightning.jpg
4. http://media.naplesnews.com/media/img/photos/2009/06/12/StanM0YI_t607.jpg

 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

File Profile: Martin Brodeur "Greatest Goalie Ever To Play Hockey"

        

                    (1.)

     It is not hard to argue that Martin Brodeur is not only the best goalie in hockey today, but is also the best to have ever played the game! For good reason as well!

     To date, Brodeur holds several records that speaks volumes in itself alone. Arguably two of his most impressive feats are his 691 wins and an astonishing 125 career shutouts in the regular season.(Both are all time best)  Add the 24 he has posted in his playoff career (also an all time best), Brodeur has 149 in total. Some goaltenders that have come and gone throughout the games history are just lucky to even accomplish that many wins, but to have that amount of shutouts is simply unfathomable.

     As evident by his 24 career shutouts in the playoffs, Brodeur has been able to transition his regular season successes over into the postseason as he has lead the New Jersey Devils to five Stanley Cup Finals appearances, winning 3 out 5 of them. His performance in the 2003 playoffs is arguably his greatest postseason to date when he recorded seven shutouts, three alone in the Cup Finals as he helped the Devils secure a Stanley Cup Championship over the Anaheim Ducks.

     No questions asked, Brodeur is a guaranteed hall of famer who again is not only the best goaltender in the game today, but is already the best of all time as well! At the age of 40, Brodeur still displays the skills of a goalie in his prime and will only add on to his career achievements as he is the "Wayne Gretzky" of goalies with impressive stats that may never be duplicated ever again in the history of the game!


  Martin Brodeur's Career Accolades

Updated 1-27-15

- 691 wins (all time leader)
-125 shutouts (all time leader)
-2.24 GAA
-.912 Save Percentage
-3 Time Stanley Cup Champion  ('95, 00', 03')
-2 Time Olympic Gold Medalist ('02, '10)
-Most Career playoff shutouts 24
-10 Time NHL All-Star
-4 Time Vezina Winner (best goaltender)
-1994 Calder Memorial Trophy (Rookie of the Year)
-5 Time William M. Jennings Trophy (Goaltender who allowed least amount of goals in a season) ('97, '98, '03, '04, '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

Image Sources: (1.) http://tiger.towson.edu/~mjaspe1/martin%20brodeur.jpg

Stat Sources: 1. http://www.hockey-reference.com/players/b/brodema01.html
                     2. http://www.cbssports.com/nhl/players/playerpage/19461/martin-brodeur