It is being deemed “radical” what the NHL has done in terms of realignment for the 2012 season.  I personally don’t think anything “radical” needed to be done.  The NHL could have just moved Winnipeg to the Western Conference’s Central Division and Columbus to the East, maybe, and I emphasize the maybe, shifting around some of the East’s teams so that Columbus wasn’t in the South East, which would have been a little silly.

But instead they decided to be “radical”.  Starting in 2012, the NHL will play with four yet to be named conferences as follows:

Conference D:
New Jersey, Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, New York Rangers, New York Islanders, Washington and Carolina

Conference C:
Boston, Montreal, Toronto, Ottawa, Buffalo, Florida and Tampa Bay

Conference B:
Detroit, Columbus, Nashville, St. Louis, Chicago, Minnesota, Dallas and Winnipeg

Conference A:
Los Angeles, Anaheim, Phoenix, San Jose, Vancouver, Calgary, Edmonton, Colorado

Each conference will send its top four teams into the playoffs with the playoffs starting out with games among the top four teams in each conference.  After that the teams will be reseeded leading to the very real potential for an all Western or all Eastern Stanley Cup Final.  It think that is bad but hey, what do I know right?  I thought this could have been solved by moving just two teams.

Anyway, the Penguins are now in what I would call potentially the toughest of all the conferences based on the teams as they currently are.  They will have to contend with Washington, New Jersey, Philadelphia and Carolina for one of the top four places in that conference.  And let us not forget the New York Rangers too.  Year in and year out that is six quality teams vying for four spots and you know the Penguins are going to get shut out at least once in the near future from the playoffs based on that.

Once good thing about this realignment is that the regular season now means a lot more than it has in the past.  You don’t have 15 teams competing for eight spots.  You have seven or eight teams competing for just four.  You don’t have to just be better than the bottom half of the Eastern or Western Conference but better than the bottom half of your, essentially, division.  Yes, I know they are calling them conferences, but they are more like divisions to me.

Really, ok, that is fine.  No more coasting in to eighth place on the last day of the season.  Now play hard all season or be left behind.  Although the loser in this could be the teams that are not perennially good and the New York Islanders look to not be making any playoff appearances any time soon based on their lot in “Conference D”.  I think that hurts the game if you ask me.  I mean, we are not talking about a conference with only one or two perennial powers but, again, a conference with the Penguins, Flyers, Rangers, Captials, Hurricanes and Devils in in.  Seriously?  If I were an Islanders fan, and I am not because I actually know a thing or two about hockey, I would be screaming bloody murder.

It is what it is though.  I liked the current set up and didn’t think, again other than two moves, that it needed changing.  But hockey seems to be a sport with fickle women in charge of it.  They realign more that a car with a bad front end.

Looks like Brooks Orpik will be in the lineup for the Penguins tonight when they take on Montreal.  Two days after the Penguins put forth a spirited effort with a depleted line-up to defeat the Minnesota Wild, Orpik’s return certainly helps.  Especially with Kris Letang serving the second game of his two game suspension for a boarding penalty that the rules clearly dictated should not have been called.

According to the rules, if a player puts himself in a vulnerable position, such as turning his back on a checking player, there is no penalty for boarding.  But the refs apparently forgot this and the NHL’s new “Dean of Discipline”, Brendan Shanahan, felt compelled to release a Zapruder like film to explain the suspension he levied because it was so much of a stretch.

Orpik as much needed stability in Letang’s absence.

Montreal is struggling early this season at 1-3-1 but always seem to play the Penguins rough.  We will see if they can win and improve their 4-2-2 record.

A lot is being made about Asham’s actions following his fight with Beagle during the Capital’s game.  Beagle had roughed fellow Penguins Kris Letang a few moments earlier.  Asham did not go looking fora a fight.  But Beagle pushed the issues when Asham was near him on the ice and decided to drop the gloves.  Asham’s responded.

What happened next was that Beagle started wailing on Asham.  After a few wild blows Asham got his hands free.  He punched Beagle once and then landed a blow under his visor, square on his jaw and put Beagle down like a sick dog.  Asham held on to Beagle as he fell rather than letting him flop directly to the ice.  Asham then skated promptly away to let the medical personnel attend to the downed Capital.

Then the stupid controversy began.  As he skated away, Asham made two gestures.  The first was to put his hands together and then pull them apart like a boxing referee would signaling a knockout.  The next gesture was him putting his hands together and laying his head down on them signifying sleep.

Nothing he did was unwarranted considering how the situation unfolded.  After all, Beagle was the one who started the fight.

But Ove-rated barked as Asham.  After the game the Capital’s man-child of a captain called Asham’s acts unsporting.  Please, give me a break.  This coming from a man who for years has taken marginally legal hits at players all over the ice?  This coming from Mr. Where Is A Player’s Knee A Can Try And Take Out?  Spare me the faux outrage.

Asham himself even got in on the act quickly apologizing for what he did after the game.  He said it wasn’t right.

I say grow a pair!  The man came after you.  You defended yourself and did what was right.  Afterwards you made sure that anyone watching knew that you had bested the little punk.  No apology was warranted.  None should have been given.  When you drop the gloves, you take your chances.

Asham did not disrespect Beagle.  He did not stand over him and keep hitting him like some people in the NHL have done.  He did not run off and find someone else to beat on, again as some others in the NHL have done.  Asham merely celebrated his successful bout with a punk who should have looked before he leapt.

If that is so wrong then the NHL is going to go down hill fast.

Jaromir Jagr has signed … with the Flyers! WTF?

As if Pens fans didn’t have enough reasons to think Jagr was a total dick, some justified while others are made up, he goes and hands them a huge new one?

Well, there goes his chance at having his jersey hung in the rafters here in Hockeyburgh. I hope Brooks lines him up into the boards and gives him a couple good reminders during the course of the season as to why playing this sort of silly game that he has apparently been playing was a bad idea.

Jagr is officially dead to Pittsburgh. Fans were willing to give him a chance to make amends. We’ve heard rumors that he had grown up. Now we see is is as childish as ever.

The freaking Flyers? Are you shitting me?

The Penguins have announced their 2011-12 schedule. As a full season ticket holder I have already started looking at which games I will be attending.

But I noticed something odd. When I went to the page on the Penguin’s website about ticket info for next season they state that half season plan holders will get their normal ticket to one preseason game. But it also says that they are only getting tickets to only 19 regular season games.

If I remember correctly, when I was a half season ticket holder we got 20 games and I am pretty sure that last year my buddy who sits next to me got 20 regular season games too.

This year the Penguins are cutting back? That seams a little cheap to me. This now gives the Penguins a bunch of tickets to three home games to sell since half season holders only account for 38 of the 41 home games to be played.

Their choice to do this of course. Just seems sort of scummy to me though. Unless I am mistaken about the number of home games half season packages got in the past.

This NHL is really pumping out its “History will be made” commercials and promos right now. Fleury’s “History Stops Everything” after his shutout in game 1 against the Bolts was good. But James Neal has now gotten one just because he finally scored a goal. What a reward! Come on, not that I am not happy for Neal for salvaging game 4 in double OT, but has Double AA, Arron Asham, aka The Chief, who has already scored 3 goals and tallied an assist gotten a commercial yet? How about Tyler, that’s Mister Kennedy to you, Kennedy who has 2 goals and help carry the team down the stretch? What about these guys?

Anyway, congrats to Neal. Take a look at his commercial. Now here’s hoping he fills the net a little more in coming games.