Why you'll watch - February and March - 7-24-09
Something we've done the past two offseasons is examine the recently revealed schedule, and just in case you needed a little bit more enticement to watch a team like the Penguins, come up with reasons to watch all 82 games on the slate.
So without any further delay, here's why you'll be watching in February and March (February's schedule is short due to the Olympics).
Feb. 1 - vs. Sabres - Because we'll have to find a way to incorporate this picture of a Patrick Lalime Starting Lineup figure into our game preview:
Feb. 6 - at Canadiens - He may be inconsistent, but there are times when Carey Price looks like the best goaltender in the world:
Feb. 7 - at Capitals - We don't care if you "hate" him. Alex Ovechkin is amazing to watch:
Feb 10 - vs. Islanders - Maybe BIll Guerin can have a dog-washing party with his old teammates:
Feb. 12 - vs. Rangers - Oh yeah... Those Staals are brothers too:
Feb. 14 - vs. Predators - If FSN Pittsburgh has any sense, they'll bust out this pregame promo with Paul Steigerwald again:
March 2 - vs. Sabres - What better way to come off the Olympics than with a game between two teams that like to fly up and down the ice:
March 4 - vs. Rangers - Brandon Dubinsky might be one of the more underrated players in the Atlantic Division:
March 6 - vs. Stars - Because Mike Modano still makes his shirt tail flap in the wind:
March 7 - vs. Bruins - Milan Lucic could probably destroy the planet:
March 11 - at Hurricanes - Hopefully Cam Ward had that hole in his glove stitched up:
March 12 - at Devils - Even though Jacques Lemaire will find a way to turn him into a 50-point guy, Zach Parise is always worth watching:
March 18 - at Bruins - Tim Thomas might be the closest thing we have to a late 1990s version of Dominik Hasek:
March 20 - vs. Hurricanes - Tuomo Ruutu abuses children with Snickers bars:
March 22 - at Red Wings - Things went well the last time the Penguins were in Detroit:
March 24 - at Capitals - It might've happened two seasons ago, but we still love seeing Nicklas Backstrom "score:"
March 27 - vs. Flyers - Pierre McGuire might like him waaaaay too much, but Mike Richards is the real deal:
March 28 - vs. Maple Leafs - Have the Penguins ever re-paid Jason Blake for this little bit of nastiness?
March 31 - vs. Lightning - He might have all the money in the world and he might be on a team with scant hopes for the playoffs, but Ryan Malone still plays like he's trying to feed his family and like it's Game 7 of the Stanley Cup final:
Tomorrow - April
(Photos: Lalime-ioffer.com; Staals-Bruce Bennett/Getty Images; Crosby-Matt Freed/Post-Gazette)