Off the ice, the team is putting ink to paper in getting its core established, recently signing Patrick O'Sullivan, Anze Kopitar, and this week, Matt Greene to long-term deals. Dustin Brown is also locked up for the foreseeable future and is wearing the C this year.
there is a difference in these wins versus any hot streaks that the team may have had last year. This time, the right guys are scoring and the goaltending is strong, and these are factors that haven't been aligned rightly very often in the recent past.To start with the goaltending, Jason LaBarbera played his fourth straight game on Friday. This after the coach reportedly thought of giving backup Erik Ersberg some work early in the season. But LaBarbera came into camp healthy and lean and he's been playing well, even in the two opening losses. Against the 'Canes, he allowed three straight goals, but none of them were shots he had any chance of seeing. It wasn't that they were screens or seeing-eye chances. They bounced from pillar to (inside the) post, pinging and ponging off of skates, sticks, and whatever else and ending up in the net.
Wow, getting somebody in the press who doesn't think they are trying to get the #1 pick next year. I can see us doing the Penguin turn around. We may not have Crosby and Malkin, but we do have a deep team that has a number of potent guys, and coach who put together the Legion Of Doom line with a record of developing young teams, and a new defensive commitment. I can't wait to see some games at Staples this year after being a half dormant skeptic the last 2 years.
