Bleacher Report - Articles by J Othmer

Why the Penguins Should Keep Ruslan Fedotenko

J Othmer — Mon, 29 Jun 2009 19:42:35 -0400

If seven goals and 14 points in 24 playoff games is what you would of expected out of Ruslan Fedotenko I would have to call you a crazy man, or the worst Armchair General Manager around. It's pretty impressive when you think Fedotenko only scored 16 goals in 65 games this season.

OK so he is not the kinda guy you're gonna lean on for goal production. Fedotenko is more of a role player and after this past season experts would have to think a pretty valuable one. Let me remind you Fedotenko is a secret weapon of sorts in the playoffs. With 12 goals in 22 games in the '03-'04 run, Feddy netted a two goals in Game Seven to lead the Tampa Bay Lightning to their first Stanley Cup in franchise history.

When most people think of Ruslan Fedotenko what do they think? Well you tell me because I don't know. Honestly I figured he would be a bust this season for the Pens. But the one thing I think of when I think of Ruslan Fedotenko was that 03-04 run in the playoffs. Now with two Cups, Fedotenko has put himself in a class of "been there done that" veterans, a category every hockey player would love to be in. Remember, Fedotenko played most of the season and all the playoffs on the second line with Malkin.

Today the Penguins signed Craig Adams to a two-year deal. If this will have any affect on Shero's decision to keep Fedotenko around, we will just have to wait and see come July 1.

Other interesting Fedotenko stats. He was never drafted. The Flyers signed him in 1999 and played his first season on the AHL. Playing eight seasons in the NHL with the Flyers, Lightning, Islanders and Penguins. Fedotenko was born in Kiev of the former USSR, which is now the Ukraine. Playing for Team Ukraine in the 2002 Olympics, Fedotenko had one goal in one game and was a +2, one more reason Ray Shero should take a good long look at this 30-year-old. If you ask this Armchair General Manager, I think a short-term deal would make both parties happy.

Let me remind you, two Rings!!

Pittsburgh-Ottawa: Eastern Conference Quarterfinals, Game One

J Othmer — Thu, 10 Apr 2008 10:56:41 -0400

Before the opening game of the Eastern Conference quarterfinal series between Pittsburgh and Ottawa, Pens coach Mike Therrien said, “If Ottawa wants to run around and take cheap shots and stupid penalties that’s fine, but the Penguins have weapons to counter attack.”

Was Therrien talking about weapons of mass destruction? Well, we all know where this is going. I think Therrien was referring to the "Secret Weapon” in Gino Malkin!

Ottawa is going to have to redirect a little bit of their focus from Sid the Kid to pay more attention to Malkin. Last night, this guy was on a tear. A shut-out win for Fleury was just what this kid needed to build his confidence.

It looked like Fleury and a bunch of other Pens were relaxed and having a lot of fun out on the ice. The shut-out was Fleury's first in the postseason.

I knew having Gary Roberts back in the lineup would be huge for the Pens, but I never expected a two-goal night. The fourth line for Pittsburgh was one of the best for most of the night, and Coach Therrien rewarded them with extra ice time. Georges Laraque played the best game I think I have ever seen him play.

This is what a team needs to do in order to make a run deep into the playoffs.

Excellent play by the Pens; keep up the hard work on all four lines, and maybe steal a game in Ottawa, and this series should be in the bag for the Pittsburgh.

Memo to Pittsburgh Penguins: Trade for Maple Leafs' Jason Blake

J Othmer — Mon, 21 Jan 2008 11:31:53 -0500

Trade Jason Blake to the Penguins.

Can you imagine if Jason Blake played for a team like the Penguins? With the sinking ship in Toronto nowadays, a trade to Pittsburgh would be a slight possibility.

Blake currently is fifth in the league with shots on goal and last year he scored 40 goals.

With the possibly of Crosby and Malkin passing the puck to Blake, rather than the likes of Antropov and Ponikarovsky, maybe then Blake can repeat on a 40-goal season.

With the Pens in a playoff hunt and the trade deadline approaching, an offer for an All-American boy like Blake to the Leafs would be worth a shot.

Blake can also provide the much needed experience with the departure of Mark Reechi.

Blake is only 34-years-old, but on a youthful team like the Pens he would be the third oldest on the team just behind Gary Roberts and Darryl Sydor.

Don’t forget that Blake was an All-Star last season; this guy can do some damage.

The question is who do you trade for Blake?

The Leafs are going to want something worth their while.

Or maybe not.

This might be a time for the Penguins to take advantage of the Toronto mess.

All I know is if the Pens can steal a player like Jason Blake at the trade deadline, it’s game on baby!!!

Pittsburgh Penguins' Evgeni Malkin Not an All-Star?

J Othmer — Wed, 16 Jan 2008 13:59:34 -0500

Evgeni Malkin is not an All-Star.

Isn't Evgeni Malkin the secret weapon of the Pittsburgh Penguins?

If Pens fans are looking for a nickname for this kid “Secret Weapon” would be more then fitting.

Malkin got a hat trick for the second time in 11 games, this time against the Rangers.

Has anybody else accomplished this feat this season? If so, let me know.

Malkin has secretly led the Penguins in goals with 23 and is in the top 10 in the league in goals.

Apparently Malkin is so secret that he wont be attending the All-Star game.

Instead, Malkin will be sitting at home while currently sitting 13^th in league scoring. Gomez, on the other hand, will be going to the All-Star game even though he currently sits 37^th in the league in scoring.

You can argue that Malkin is now on a line with Crosby. Well, Gomez has been playing with former Pens great, Jagr since the start of the season.

Why is Malkin not going to this year’s All-Star game?

Will Malkin be one of those quiet superstars, like a Ronny Francis?

If anybody knows why Malkin was overlook for this year’s All-Star game I would really like to know.

Searching for Sidney Crosby's Stanley Cup

J Othmer — Mon, 14 Jan 2008 11:14:53 -0500

How long will it take for Sid the Kid to win a Stanley Cup?

You know the time will come in the near future.

It took Vincent Lecavalier six years to accomplish the feat. Lecavalier was also a former Rimouski Oceanic, the same team Crosby took to the Memorial Cup in junior hockey days.

Lecavalier is now leading the NHL with 63 points in just 44 games. Crosby is hot on his heals with 59 points in 43 games.

Being Crosby’s third year in the NHL, you can’t help but wonder when Sid’s Kids will bring a Stanley Cup back to Pittsburgh.

What a great success story this would be for the Pens with an all-star lineup of young guns like Stall, Malone, Armstrong, Malkin, Whitney, and Letang. I know I gave Marc-Andre some flack in my last column but he is still a pretty good goalie and will be for years to come.

This will be like the good ol' days of hockey—the last time a team had this much firepower in was back in the 80’s with the Oiler's dynasty.

If the new CBA and salary cap has brought back the old days of run-and-guns hockey, then I am all for a solid young team like that of the famed Oiler’s dynasty.

Gretzky scored 92 goals in 80 games in the 1981-82 season and finished with a total of 212 points.

Will we ever see that kind of point production again by a player in the NHL?

Probably not, but with the likes of Alexander Ovechkin signing a 13-year extension and once Sid’s Kids start firing on all cylinders, we might come close.

The question is how long will it take for Sid’s Kids to win not one, but multiple Stanley Cups for the Pittsburgh Penguins?

Curtis Joseph Not the Solution to Pittsburgh Penguins' Goaltending Woes

J Othmer — Wed, 09 Jan 2008 11:47:56 -0500

If the Pittsburgh Penguins want to make the playoffs and go deep once they're there, they need goaltending.

Despite the fact Ty Conklin was the NHL’s third star this week, having posted a 7–0 record since being called up from the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins, he will not netmind Pittsburgh to a Stanley Cup this season.

Even if Marc-Andre Fleury comes back into the lineup, I don’t think he has the experience to go far in the playoffs.

Fleury did not play terribly in last years playoff run, but the rebounds coming off those yellow pads, along with his general inexperience, will be the demise of the Penguins this season.

The Penguins will be in trouble if they don’t address their goaltending situation now. Would Curtis Joseph be the answer to the Penguins goaltending dilemma? I think not!

The Pens missed out on Cujo two seasons ago, when the Coyotes signed him. Joseph would have been a great mentor for the young Fleury, but now this old dog is out of new tricks.

I can’t see Joseph fairing much better then Conklin would.

Understandably, Joseph has the veteran experience that might help the Pens—but do they really need another cheerleader on the bench?

Cheerleaders don’t win you Cups in the NHL—great goaltending does.

With that in mind, who is felt to fill the void? Remember when the Oilers acquired Dwayne Roloson and they went on a roll to the Finals? With one year left on Roloson’s contract and with the state of the Edmonton team this season, Roloson would a very good fit.

I’m not saying Roloson will be the savior of the Penguins season—remember, Dwayne had a pretty good D man in Chris Pronger that played almost as many minutes as Roloson himself.

With that being said, if Roloson can go on that type of hot streak behind the powerful offence of the Penguins, they can really do some damage this postseason.