Look, I know Mario and his crew live a life of champagne wishes and caviar dreams, but an eight freaking percent increase? Seriously? You know, I got a raise this year. It was 2.1%.

I do not know how much longer the Pens can keep these yearly astronomical and out of line with the rest of the nation price increases up. But at the rate things are going soon my pair of seats are going to be close to $10k.

Looks like as a season ticket holder I will be going to even fewer games next year. Maybe 10 at most. The rest will have to be sold just so I can do that and afford to see some games in the playoffs too.

Hey Mario, just a suggestion. You know, from the little people. Next time before you stick it to the season ticket holders how about a little warning and at least offer up some lube?

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.

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.

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.

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?

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.

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

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

Officially of course.

That means one of two things.

The first thing it could mean is that he is having symptoms. I doubt this because I’ve seen the videos of him working out on the ice and he looks happy and healthy. Also, people whom I have talked to who have seen him skate say he looks healthy.

Second it could mean Crosby is getting checked out to see if he is ready for contact. According to two doctors I spoke with and relayed this information to, both who deal with sports related head traumas, they said this would be standard practice where they would bring in the athlete and subject him to controlled, rigorous workouts to test their ability to take a hit.

Just my observations.