As the Deadline Approaches

The NHL trade deadline is quickly approaching. The deadline ends at 3 pm tomorrow. Many teams are contacting each other to get deals completed before the deadline. I think there will be a lot of deals completed tonight and tomorrow. Let me know what you think.
Remember to keep checking TSN, The Fourth Period, and NHL.com for updates on all of the deals completed around the league. 

Two Words: Ray Shero

Ray Shero was named the General Manager of the Pittsburgh Penguins in 2006.  Since being named the general manager, the pens have been one of the most successful teams in the NHL.  I mean with stars like Crosby and Malkin there is no excuse not to be one of the most talented teams in the NHL.  However, most of the success is because of Ray Shero.
Shero keeps making the team better every year.  By way of trades, free agents, and draft picks, Shero is constantly expanding the organizations talent.  Recently Shero has just acquired a new talent in a deal sending Alex Goligoski to Dallas for James Neal and Matt Niskanen.  Just today, Shero acquired a former Pittsburgh Penguin, Alexei Kovalev.  Sure Kovy is a little old, but Shero only gave up a 7th round draft pick.  This is what makes Shero amazing, he finds talent young and old and finds a way to get the most out of a deal to help improve is organization.

Should They Stay or Should They Have Gone?

The University of Pittsburgh is one of the most well known campuses in the US. Pitt has its teams compete in Division 1 sports and are consistent performers.  The University just spent millions of dollars on a new sport complex right on campus. The sport complex is going to be home to baseball, softball, and men's and women's soccer. I think since they built this new complex they should have built a football stadium too. The University had enough property to build one, and I feel it would bring a whole lot more school spirit to the team. The football team plays at Heinz Field which is in Downtown Pittsburgh not too far from campus. However, when going to Pitt games I don't think they are that fun. I miss the Old Pitt Stadium back when they played games on campus. Let me know what you think?

Contenders At the End of March?

The Pittsburgh Panthers basketball team has had a very successful season yet again. With a record of 24-2 (12-1 Conference) the Panthers are looking like they can be a top contender come March Madness. Pitt is currently ranked 4th in the nation, and could be looking at one of the top seeds in the tournament.  So my question is, "How far will they go?"

It's a Bird? It's a Plane? No it's a Goalie??

The NHL is a sport well known for it's hard hits and fantastic fights. Mainly team's have a few people on the team that have the responsibility to stand up for their teammates and drop the gloves at any given moment in the game. However, sometimes games get to out of hand and stars even drop the gloves. Rarely, fans even get to see the goalies get into the mix. Many goalies have decided to drop the gloves to stand up for their teammates. Some of the best goalie fights are Patrick Roy vs Chris Osgood, Ron Hextall vs Felix Potvin, and Ray Emery vs Martin Biron.

As of recently, the NHL comes across a goalie fight every couple of seasons. However, this season there has been 2 goalie fights in a span of only two weeks. The first was Brent Johnson of the Penguins vs Rick DiPietro of the New York Islanders. The result was an orbital injury to DiPietro sidelining him for 4-6 weeks. Another goalie fight occurred yesterday in the Boston Bruins and Montreal Canadiens game. In which both teams managed to combine with a total of 187 penalty minutes. As a result of all the big hits and fights, the two goalies decided to get in on the action. The fight which was more like a wrestling match between Tim Thomas and Carey Price was not the best, however it fired up the fans watching the game.
Goalie fights may not be the best idea, however fans love it. I think the league should be more lenient with goalies fighting because fans love it and it proves that goalies are emotional about the game and their teammates.

Trouble in Paradise?

The Pittsburgh Penguins have become an NHL powerhouse over the past few years.  With stars like Sidney Crosby, Evgeni Malkin, Marc Andre Fleury, Jordan Staal and, Kris Letang, the Pens are mentioned every year by NHL analysts as a team to contend for the cup.  However, the Pens have only played 1 game this season with their power 3 (Sid, Geno, Staal) in the lineup.  Staal missed half of the season with injuries, and recently Sid and Geno have been suffering from injuries.Crosby has missed 13 games with a concussion and there is no time set for his return.  Crosby is the team's leading scorer in all categories.  Malkin added to the cause with his injury during Friday night's win vs the Buffalo Sabres.  Malkin was hit and the opposing player fell awkwardly onto Malkin's leg.  The result was a torn ACL and MCL which will sideline the Russian superstar for the rest of the season.

With Malkin out for the year and Crosby still awaiting his return, does this mean trouble for the Pens? Or will they be able to contend for the Stanley Cup with the talent they have now?

Coming to an Area Near You

After researching many new technologies in sports I have found one that is pretty interesting.  This new technology is Team Mobile Applications.  Many sport teams all over the country already have or are working on creating this feature.  The new features allow fans to follow their teams on their mobile devices.  Fans can get access to player stats, standings, real-time news, highlights, rumors, and even videos.  With the creation of this new technology fans can follow their teams whenever they want no matter where they are or what they are doing. In addition to these features teams are also adding mobile access when fans are in the arena or stadiums.  The new access allows fans to locate restrooms, restaurant, and merchandise stores all over the arena or stadium.  It won't be long until every organization gives fans access to these new features.