PITTSBURGH — In the almighty words of Dr. Emmett Brown, if my calculations are correct … I forgot to write a mailbag in November.
It was a busy month. The season has been, well, all over the place, I have two new kittens, and sometimes life happens. But those are all excuses. For all of you mailbag fans, I’ll make up for it, perhaps with a holiday edition later this month or something like that.
Anyway, many important questions have been asked. I’ll do my best to respond with thoughtful and entertaining answers. Hope everyone had a good Thanksgiving. Away we go …
Best player ever? Mario, Sid, or the field? And what’s your death row meal? — @waywaylarge
These questions combined made me laugh.
For any of my longtime readers, you know where I’m going with this. But it’s a fair question. I’m of the belief that Mario Lemieux is not only the greatest Pittsburgh Penguin of all time but also the greatest hockey player of all time. You’ll never, ever convince me otherwise. Call me a homer if you want. I don’t care. I know what my eyes saw. Wayne Gretzky is the most accomplished hockey player of all time. Lemieux was better than Gretzky in almost every facet, some by considerable margins. He was the best hockey player ever.
Crosby, though, is very much in consideration for the top five. In fact, I’d probably rank him No. 4 behind Lemieux, Gretzky and Bobby Orr. Crosby is essentially the perfect hockey player and has been a dominant force for two decades. He’s exceeded the hype, and he’s the most hyped player of all time. In some ways, my thoughts on Lemieux and Gretzky are like my thoughts on Lemieux and Crosby. Sid is probably more accomplished in some ways. He’s won more Cups, had more international glory and has been greater for a lot more games than Mario. So, there is that.
But if you saw Mario play, you know.
As for my death row meal … can I mix and match from different restaurants? Well, it’s my mailbag, so I’m going to. I’ll go Eat’n Park chicken noodle soup, Al’s Cafe’s chicken Romano, some pasta from Chef Vola in Atlantic City and a chocolate milkshake from Bill’s Golfland in Belle Vernon for childhood sentiment. How’s that for diversity? That’s a lot of calories. No fruits and veggies. But no need to calorie count or be healthy on death row, I suppose.
Which Penguins do you expect to be gone by the deadline? — @MinkahsGoat
Impossible to say, but some candidates are more likely to go than others.
I’d be stunned if Marcus Pettersson is still on the Penguins roster come March. There’s really no argument for keeping him, unless the Penguins produce an unexpected run of excellence and look like a playoff team by springtime. Pettersson is a fine player and an even better person, but the Penguins need assets. He will produce them badly.
I think there’s a real chance Rickard Rakell is traded, also. Again, the Penguins need assets.
I know Drew O’Connor’s name is out there. It’s possible. How about someone like Blake Lizotte? For that matter, how about Kris Letang? Unlikely, sure, but it’s not impossible.
I’d also be surprised if a team in need of a backup goalie doesn’t snag Alex Nedeljkovic. It’s going to be a very hectic few months.
Why is it so difficult for this team to protect third period leads? — @VailsburgT
They’re a terrible defensive team and their best players are always eager to push offense instead of being satisfied with protecting a lead. And their goaltending isn’t particularly good.
Not a good combination. However, they looked excellent in protecting the lead on Saturday against the Toronto Maple Leafs. Baby steps.
Are the Penguins making a push for the playoffs now? — @IamSCORE_ceLLyz
That recent four-game winning streak certainly gave some corners of the fan base hope, and the Eastern Conference really is mediocre after the top four or five teams.
But no, I don’t see this as a team making a playoff push. Stranger things have happened, but I’d be quite surprised. Too many flaws.
If the Penguins keep up the recent momentum, what do you think they’ll do at the deadline? — @LeviFravel
Even if they’re in playoff position, which is unlikely, the Penguins will be sellers. As they should be. Kyle Dubas knows he must build for the future.
If Jacob Trouba can get traded, Erik Karlsson can be traded by the deadline, right? — @Jeffs_Penguins
I appreciate the optimism, Jeff. And you are never wrong.
Seeing Anaheim take on all of Trouba’s contract floored me. I haven’t a clue what the Anaheim Ducks are thinking. What an enormous break for the New York Rangers.
So, sure, anything is possible. But I can’t imagine a team being interested in this version of Karlsson. Should he start playing better — and make no mistake, he’s been much better during the past few weeks — I guess it’s conceivable. But I wouldn’t get your hopes up. That’s a bad, bad contract and Karlsson doesn’t appear to be the player he was a couple of years ago.
Sid said in the summer that he wants to play into his 40s. But will the state of the Penguins convince him otherwise? — @87crosbycareer
Did he say that? I wasn’t under the impression that he did, though he has implied to me that he would love to play at least until age 40.
I could see the state of the Penguins having influence for sure. As Mike Babcock once famously said, Crosby is a “serial winner.” If the Penguins are building something special and Crosby can smell a Cup run or two before he hangs up the skates, then yes, I could see him being seduced into returning.
Do you think Sid would ever be in a limited deployment role in his later years? Like 10-12 minutes a game, or do you suspect he’ll retire before then? — @tylershred
I can’t see that. He doesn’t have the ego where he has to be “the guy.” Mario once said that he wasn’t coming back “to be average” when he returned from retirement in 2000. Sid would never say anything like that.
Still, I can’t see him being a 10-to-12-minute-a-night guy. No way. He’d retire before then, I’m sure.
Since we know the 4 Nations rosters, which nation do you think is the favorite? — @cwhitney29
I think Team USA is the favorite. Some Canadians might be irked by this, but I really like Team USA here. Yes, Canada has the outrageous trio of Connor McDavid, Nathan MacKinnon and Crosby. Not to mention Cale Makar on the blue line. No team in this tournament can match that kind of otherworldly talent. There’s a pretty steep drop after those four, however, and the Canadian goaltending situation isn’t great.
Team USA has a better blue line and way better goaltending and, while its star power up front isn’t on Canada’s level, it’s still impressive. The Americans are the favorites and don’t forget about the Swedes and Finns. Anyone could win this tournament.
Also, the truth is betting against Crosby on such a stage comes at your own peril. But on paper, I think Team USA has the best and deepest roster.
Who are the five Penguins you have covered that you would sit down with and have a beer in a non-hockey setting for whatever reason? — @Cmupensfan
I’ve had the pleasure of covering some very likable, entertaining people over the years. I’d probably go with Ben Lovejoy, Ian Cole, Marc-Andre Fleury, Mike Rupp and Erik Gudbranson. Lots of good hockey talk in that group. All Hall of Fame interviews and some of my favorite people in the sport.
But I’ve disliked very few of them over the years. There have been so many great people in that locker room. Crosby, Evgeni Malkin, Letang, Olli Määttä, Matt Murray, Matt Niskanen, Matt Cullen, Sergei Gonchar, Pettersson, Jake Guentzel, Bryan Rust … all personal favorites of mine.
How high does your focus level have to be each game that you cover? And do you take notes during games? Assuming you do for your postgame 10 observations column. — @FF_PNut
Thank you for assuming I take notes! Ha ha.
Sometimes I take notes. If something happens in the first period that I notice, sure, I write it down so I don’t forget. But I don’t like to write the 10 observations during the game or too early. You never know what stories the locker room will tell you, or what mood you can detect in speaking with the players. So I typically throw them together after the game to keep things fresh.
I like to think my focus level is pretty high during games. I’m not a high-energy person in the least, but I take my job seriously. That said, I’m human. We all get distracted. I’ve got Rob Rossi on my right and Mark Madden on my left in the press box, so there’s always someone talking my ear off. Granted, I’m an extrovert, so I actually like it that way. I love writing articles while surrounded by people, like in the food court at the mall or whatever, because I’m weird like that.
Thoughts on the importance of having pets and the positive impact they make on your life? — @WatchPGHSports
It’s one of the most important things you can do, so long as you’re equipped for the job. We went with a Cuban revolutionary theme with our kittens — born on Aug. 7, hello Sid — and named them Fidel and Che. The looks I get at the vet when their names are called is absolutely priceless. I giggle every time. It’s always good to have revolutionary kittens. They brighten our day.
What’s your favorite holiday? — @stefdin
I’m a sucker for Christmas and the Christmas season. It seems like everyone answers this question by saying Thanksgiving or Halloween, and while I very much enjoy both of those holidays, I still love traditional Christmas activities and this time of year. There’s a little bit of magic in the air, you know?
Speaking of which, may your holiday shopping be going splendidly. Another mailbag is on the way soon. Hang in there, Penguins fans.
(Top photo of Sidney Crosby: Bruce Bennett / Getty Images)
