How to Continue Ruining An Organization

To continue the downfall of your team:

+ Trade Dany Sabourin and Ryan Stone for Mathieu Garon.

Garon's stats for the year: 15 GP, 3.17 GAA, .895 SV%.
Sabourin's stats for the year: 19 GP, 2.85 GAA, .898 SV%

Not only did they make an unnecessary goaltending trade, but they also shipped out Ryan Stone. I'm not Stone's biggest fan or anything, and I don't know where exactly his future lies. But I do know he is a guy who has discovered and accepted his role as an agitator who works hard and chips in points now and then. His work ethic had been called into question in the past, but I do think he had changed recently. I'm not sure it was time to get rid of him yet.

My favorite part is the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette's lead-in:

In a move apparently designed to give starting goaltender Marc-Andre Fleury a little more competition, the Penguins today acquired goaltender Mathieu Garon from Edmonton in a trade for backup goaltender Dany Sabourin, minor-league forward Ryan Stone and a fourth-round pick in the 2011 NHL draft.

Judging by their almost even stats (in which Garon's are slightly worse), I'm not sure how this gives Fleury any more competition.

+ Call up Bill Thomas ahead of Jeff Taffe.
I understand how Pittsburgh wants to see their little hometown boy up in the show, but to skip over Jeff Taffe first is ridiculous in my opinion. Taffe has 44 points in 36 games (17+27) compared to Thomas' 14 points in 33 games (5+9). I can understand wanting to give different guys chances, but it's not like Taffe has been called up a lot this year. Thomas looked good over the last month, but he still hasn't looked as good as Taffe. Calling up Taffe would have given them the option to reunite him with Janne Pesonen and Chris Minard.

Hey - whatever Pittsburgh. It's your future. Right now you look awfully desperate.

Call Up Janne Pesonen. Now. No, seriously. Right now.

Janne Pesonen. Before the season started, everyone knew him as the Finnish guy Pittsburgh signed who was going to be really good. Then he became the Finnish guy who was going to start the year in the minors to get acclimated to North American hockey. Now he's the Finnish guy who got called up once or twice and didn't do much.

It's time for him to become the Finnish guy who got called up, was given a fair chance and is now setting up plays for Sidney Crosby.

I'm serious. Enough is enough.

I've only seen Pesonen play in a handful of games now with Wilkes-Barre/Scranton, and frankly, that's all I've needed. The guy has set up plays and scored beautiful goals. He has 40 points (13 + 27) in 34 games. Maybe you have to see him to fully understand, but I think the points speak for themselves. The one reason he has not excelled in the NHL is because he hasn't been given a fair shot. Giving the guy limited ice time is not going to do much for him. Get him on the first or second line, let him do his thing, and he will make things happen. I don't just think that, I know it. I've watched minor league hockey for many years now, and this guy is better than the A. He's ready for the show. Let him have a fair shot at it.

Heck, why doesn't Pittsburgh call up Pesonen and Jeff Taffe and reunite them with Chris Minard? That line is lethal, and I bet they could surprise some people in the NHL too. Honestly at this point, what does Pittsburgh have to lose? Another game? Oh man. That'd be a shocker. The big Pens need a jolt.

Go ahead Pittsburgh. I dare you.

In Other News ...

The Pittsburgh Penguins recalled Jeff Taffe and Tim Wallace from Wilkes-Barre. That means there is now zero offense in the WB (I lied. They did get Janne Pesonen back), and they also lost the one guy on the team who seemed to actually check his opponents.

We'll see what happens.

Congrats to Ben Lovejoy who made his NHL debut last night with the Pens. I didn't get to see it, but apparently he had a solid game. I'd love for him to stay up there as long as he can; you can tell he's a guy who just genuinely loves playing hockey.