SLAP SHOTS

The puck drops in Philly in less than a week and Vegas has your Pittsburgh Penguins as the favorites to take home the Stanley Cup at 8-1. Sure, there are many questions surrounding the Pens but I feel that the same can be said for the rest of the NHL what with the shortened season and the abbreviated training camps. I believe that the shortened schedule can work to the Pens’ benefit. First of all, it’s given Sid even more time to get healthy and ready to roll. I’m sure he’s chomping at the bit to hit the ice. Second, Geno is looking for back-to-back MVP awards. He was able to sharpen his skills in the KHL, during the lockout. He ripped it up in his motherland so Geno is good to go, too. Third, the Flower is looking to put his recent playoff meltdowns behind him and Tomas Vokoun is ready to help push him towards greatness. Don’t forget to throw in the Real Deal, who is coming off of a 40-goal season. Mix in Brandon Sutter, who the Pens got in the Jordan Staal deal and is getting rave reviews. You also have up-and-comers like Beau Bennett and Simon Depres. With the plethora of defensemen that the Pens have, GM Ray Shero could make a move to beef up the offense even more.  Add this all up and throw in the extra time that Disco Dan and his coaching staff have had to tweak the penalty kill and power play units and it should equal out to a 4^th Stanley Cup for our Penguins.  To quote Badger Bob “It’s a great day for hockey”. Let’s Go Pens!!!