Some of my favorite Penguins.

I was thinking the other day about some of the players that have worn a Penguins jersey and some of my favorites. Instead of thinking about them, I'm going to list them here. I know, novel, right? Anyway, I'll break them down by era. Here goes:

Pre-Lemiuex:

Jean Pronovost is my favorite player from this era. He was a very skilled winger and prolific scorer. No. 19 scored 41 points his rookie year(1968-69) and played right wing on the "Century Line" with Syl Apps Jr. and Lowell McDonald in the mid-70's. He is third on the Penguins all-time list of games played with 782.

Tied for favorite is No.10 "Lucky" Pierre Larouche. He lead all rookies in points in 1974-75 and was one of the key players in Pittsburgh's march to the playoffs that year. He backed up his rookie year with 111 points in 1975-76. He only played in Pittsburgh for three and a half years and retired in 1988, playing 10 games for the New York Rangers. He has 822 career points.

Dave "The Hammer" Schultz is another favorite. I've always had a soft spot for goons and Schultz was the king. He holds the Most Penalty Minutes in Season record with 472 PIM in 1974-75 with the Flyers. While never a goal scorer, he had a 20 goal season in 73-74, he was there to be tough and to fight. That he did very well.

Lemiuex to Cup('92):

To leave Lemiuex off this list would be absurd, obviously he is on here. If I have to tell you why, hang your head in shame.

Mark Recchi was my favorite when I was a kid. I met him in person at the CCBC dome and he signed my jersey. I liked how was always moving as a player and always working hard every shift. I will forever remember his signature play: screaming down the right side of the ice, lifting a leg and firing the puck up over the goalie's shoulder. I also liked how he is a smaller guy like myself and nobody believed he would make it in the NHL let alone still be playing at age 41. Long live the "Rechhin' Ball."

Kevin Stevens is on the list. "Big Artie" was a powerhouse during the cup years, finishing second in scoring(behind Lemiuex) in 1991-92 and holding the record for most points by an American born player and a left wing in a season. He was the prototypical power-forward and basically invented the position.

Looking back, Paul Coffey is my favorite form this era. His offensive ability was outstanding and his skating was out of this world. I can watch him skate and be mesmerized. Overall, he holds 10 NHL records and is 12th all time in scoring. If you look up offensive-defenseman in the dictionary, his picture is there, right next to Bobby Orr.

Ron Francis was one of the best all around players ever. He could do it all; score, play defense, pass, shoot and win big face-offs. Him being 4th all time in scoring is no fluke, Francis was the real deal and one of the best ever.

Ulf Samuelsson was a Swedish linebacker on skates. A large, powerful defenseman who could block a shot and deliver a crushing hit all on the same play. Yeah, he could be dirty at times(ask Cam Neely), but his job was to be physical and he did it well.

Rob Brown never got the recognition he deserved. Everyone points to his 115 point season in 1988-89 and gives all the credit to Lemiuex. Wrong. "Down Town" Robby Brown could play some hockey. He backed up that season with an 80 point showing in 1989-90. He could play, he just couldn't skate.

Rick Tocchet was an absolute monster. He left everything on the ice, every shift. He could do it all. He would squash you against the boards, fight and then score a hat trick, all in one period. Besides, the guy broke his jaw in the first period of a game and returned to the ice in the third. Wow.

I pretty much fell over and died when Pittsburgh signed Luc Robitaille. Here's the highest scoring left wing of all time on the same team with Lemiuex and Jagr. I thought the league should just hand us the Cup and avoid embarrassing the other teams. Alas, it did not work out that way. "Lucky Luc" did not have a good season and was gone the following year. A shame, really.

Post Cup to lockout:

Alex Kovalev is my favorite from this era. He is the consummate sniper. He can seemingly score from anywhere, no matter how much net he has to work with. The KLS line with him, Marty Straka and Robert Lang in 2000-01 was one of the best line combos in franchise history.

Marty Straka was a workhorse. He never stopped skating and working, regardless of how long the shift was. He was the only player that didn't look tired in the multiple-overtime games he played in while in Pittsburgh.

I liked Petr Nedved, even though he was difficult and sometimes diva-ish. He played well and was good scorer. Plus he scored the winning goal to beat Washington in the multiple-overtime game in 1996.

I hated Darius Kasparaitis when he was an Islander. As a Penguin, I loved him. He was a small, blond hitting machine. Definitely a fan-favorite. Plus he(of all people) scored the winning goal against Buffalo in the multiple overtime game in 2001.

Post-lockout:

Evgeni Malkin is my favorite of the current roster. His ability to take over a game and seemingly will the puck into the net is unreal. The scariest part is that he is only 22. I can only imagine how dominating he will be in his later 20's.

What can you say about Sydney Crosby that hasn't already been said.

I really liked Gary Roberts. I thought he was the perfect example of what a hockey player should be. He's tough, competitive and can really play. His veteran leadership was irreplaceable in the Cup run last year.

I am one of the believers in Jordan Staal. We've all seen the flashes of brilliance he's shown in the past few years. I think this kid is going to be a monster in a couple of years.

Jarkko Ruutu was definitely fun to watch. His proclivity to take dumb penalties was offset by his intelligence and ability to get under your skin. He also possessed amazing shootout ability.

Matt Cooke took over for Ruutu and is a much better player. He's fast and has decent hands. He also doesn't take as many dumb penalties as Ruutu while delivering a ton of crushing hits on seemingly every shift.

Honestly, I probably have a hundred favorites. I narrowed it down to players I love to watch.

Really? Pacifiers? Sad.

So Washington Capitals fans, "fans", purchased 500 pacifiers to, um, suck on during the Pens/Caps game this afternoon. Apparently they did this to mock Sidney Crosby and his so-called whining. Grown adults. Sitting in the first couple of rows. With pacifiers in their mouths.

Wow.

How sad is your team's fanbase when, instead of celebrating your success, you choose to mock the opposing team's star player? Also, some fans have suggested throwing the pacifiers on the ice and tossing tissue boxes on the bench. What a wonderful way to get yourselves kicked out of the game you paid good money to see.

Even Caps coach Bruce Bodreau thinks the idea is stupid. "I have no idea, and I don't want to know," he said. "Oh, geezus, no, please, no. What a waste of money."

I could see if the Caps were low in the standings, didn't have 1/3 of the leagues top players or destroyed the Pens in the past, but none of the above is true. The Caps are second in the East and have Alex Ovechkin. In spite of all of their recent success, they choose to mock Crosby. Sad.

As for Pens/Caps history, well, lets look at some of the more recent playoff meetings between the teams:

2001: Pens win series 4-2, 1st round.
2000: Pens win series 4-1, 1st round.
1996: Pens win series 4-2, 1st round.
1995: Pens win series 4-3, 1st round.
1994: Pens lose series 4-2, 1st round.
1992: Pens win series 4-3, 1st round.
1991: Pens win series 4-1, 2nd round.

For those keeping score at home, that 6-1 in favor of Pittsburgh. Plus, there's two Stanley Cup's in there, as the icing on the cake.

The "fans" of the Capitals are becoming akin to the Crosby haters in Philadelphia. The Flyers fans choose to mock Crosby, instead of supporting their own team, in an effort to get him off his game. Last time I checked, Crosby had a four point game and the Pens won last time the two teams met. Looks like this strategy really works!

The only word I can use to describe this is sad. It's the only word that fits. Maybe the Pens should distribute a DVD to Caps fans, showcasing the disappointments the Caps have faced over the years at the hands of the Penguins. Actually, it could provide a good history lesson for the Caps fanbase, seeing a though most have only been following hockey for less than a year and wouldn't know who Don Beaupre, Dale Hunter, Keith Acton, Rod Langway, Michal Pivonka, Joe Juneau, Al Iafrate or Peter Bondra are.

Nah, that's a bad idea. The Caps fans are morons and we shouldn't stoop to their level. I think Crosby and the rest of the Pens having a huge game and shoving those pacifiers up the fans' collective asses would be the best retort imaginable.