Every dumbass commentator is calling this 09-oh10, so what the f*ck. I may as well.

I'm suggesting a different focus this year for our all-year hockey thread. The tone (for those of you new to Mudcat-style hockey threads) has always been to respect one another's teams while still calling it as we see it for our own teams. We don't usually go much for the trash-talk of denigrating each other's teams. We DO bemoan our OWN teams' foibles.

And that is why I feel perfectly comfortable focusing this year on the many ways in which our Penguins SUCK. Yes, there is all the skill, talent, great coaching, great organization, etc. But I still see the places where they need to grow.

And THAT is why I can easily say, after seeing two RS games, that there is NO WAY they could have beaten the Wings last year if the Wings had been equally healthy (or the Pens equally banged up). Because the Pens I'm seeing in THIS game (we're a few behind on our DVR due to MIL visit) are more in love with having lucked into the Cup last year than with being able to win the Cup. They are not as focused as they SAY they are, on winning it again. They're still coasting too much (as individual players) on the heady magic of their talent. They don't yet see it as a JOB.

[rant off]

So there! How does YOUR team suck this year (or habitually)?

~Susan