If you can’t win one out of three games in the playoffs against a team you just beat three out of four games…. its pretty hard to not call it a choke. I’m a Rangers fan, and I have no problem admitting that the Rangers choked two years ago against Washington (and the Rangers were clearly the weaker team). Sure its happened a few times in the past, but that does not change the fact that those teams who lost when leading 3-1 did in fact choke.

One thing I can’t condemn is Jordan Staal’s work ethic. If only Jared Staal worked half as hard as his brothers…what a waste.

You don’t really have to matchup on Staal. The only “matching up” there is for Staal is keeping your top 6 away from him if possible. If Crosby and Malkin switched wingers Crosby would still put up 115+ points. Staal got his chance to play with Crosby’s wingers and continued his .5ppg (approximated, it’s a little higher) career production.

Considering the fact that it was impossible to be wrong on Crosby and Malkin (even Ottawa would have gotten that right) Staal is really the only pick this current regime had where they had to make a decision. Letang is a solid player, but no all-star. WIthout Crosby and Malkin he was exposed as a second pairing defenseman. With Malkin and Crosby he looks like Gonchar on the powerplay. I feel like he had less than 5 goals from Jan 1 on, and his secondary assists completely disappeared. Again, I’d love to have him, but he gets way too much credit. He’s better than Phaneuf though haha

Backstrom: hes good, but he also plays with ovechkin and sometimes semin, who are equally as talented. Staal plays with matt cooke and tyler kennedy. And james neal? many dallas fans thought he benefited from richards and eriksson more than most people thought. Granted he was just snake bit in the pens sweater

Toews: Ill give you that, but its hard to say one was the “right pick” when they both arnt even 24 yet

Kessel: *gun* *mouth* are you serious? i know youre a toronto fan, but what makes you think pittsburgh would put up with his lazy two-way play and horrible attitude. every member of the pens system is a high energy two way player with the exception of kovy, who i dont see them keeping

Giroux: i like giroux alot, even tho hes on philly. but yea i agree, i dont think he wouldve been a better fit necessarily.

Foligno: no

Hindsight is 20/20. Staal has had some HUGE moments in a pens jersey. i do think youre right in that he isnt a true #1 center. he just doesnt have the hands, and that was exposed this year. but thats OK! not every player drafted in the top5 needs to fit the same mold. Look at the year perry had, alot of people didnt think hed break 40 goals, let alone 50. After drafting two of the premeir talent in the NHL in the two previous drafts, they had the luxury of being able to address the need for a shutdown center. and staal is most definitely a shut down center. his game changes when he doesnt have to focus on generating goals. hard to matchup against 2 centers like crosby and staal, precisely because of the different skillsets they bring

I’m impressed with the Pens. I love the way this team fought all year, even if they gamed the system and relied on Fleury to win shootouts for them. This team is clearly a veteran team that knew how to minimize the bad breaks, they took advantage of every break they got, they played hard all year. A lot of teams could have rolled over, but the Pens went out at the trade deadline and tried to improve their team. Next year this experience is going to make them an even better team than they were this year.

That being said, can we stop with the Jordan Staal love now?

He’s certainly a solid player, but saying he’s a #1 or even a good #2 center is just wrong. He’s a 1/2 ppg player at this level with a great defensive game. Playing as the top offensive threat with Neal on his line he managed 1G and 2A and a -2. He’s the NHL’s answer to Eli Manning…a good player, but overrated due to his last name and the market he plays in with a championship ring due to his teammates more than him.

Don’t get me wrong, I’d love to see him on my team (hey Jordan come to Toronto and I’ll become a homer!) But imagine how fearsome Pittsburgh would be had they drafted one of these players instead of Staal:

-Nicklas Backstrom (and there is a legit argument here that the Pens figured they didn’t need another great playmaking center as much as a solid two way center.

-Toews. if you want to make the argument that Staal was drafted for his two way play, then Jonathon Toews would have been the better pick.

-Phil Kessel would have solved the “top three winger for Crosby” issue and made this team a lot more formidable than a third center, and the Pens wouldn’t have had to trade so many assets for rental wingers for Crosby each year. A third center who focuses on the PK is a lot easier to find than a top 6 winger…just ask the Kings.

-Claude Giroux would have also been a great pick. He has much more offensive skill than Staal, though he lacks the size to ever truly be a #1 center. He is a wizard with the puck, at times he looks like a young Forsberg. He kills penalties, he plays on the pp, he wins faceoffs and plays both wing and center. Though Staal’s size makes him a more ideal defensive center.

-Nick Foligno on Ottawa would also look great on the Crosby or Malkin’s wing.

All that said, obviously the Pens weren’t going to take Giroux or Foligno at #2 overall or they wouldn’t have fallen to the middle/end of round 1, but I don’t think Staal is even close to being the second or even 5th best player in his draft class.

I’m sure I’ll get a lot of Pittsburgh hate for this, but I’m just trying to spark some conversation…as today is the NFL draft, but I am more interested in the NHL draft.