Bold predictions for 2010-2011 Penguins

By Jeff

The NHL season kicks off in eight days. Eight days until we have hockey again! All you people with successful, or at least competitive, baseball teams probably don't understand what I'm talking about, but this is a big deal for Pittsburgh sports fans.

Steelers season is great and all, but we only get the Steelers one day a week once the season starts. Hockey season brings two to three Pens games a week. And recently, as many sports fans know, the Pens, like the Steelers, are consistent playoff and championship contenders.  Once again car horns will be blaring in the city, honking at every person they see with a Pens jersey or shirt. To put it very simply, it's an exciting time in the Burgh.

The league better get used
to this picture

The Pens offseason was an exciting one. The team lost Sergei Gonchar and Bill Guerin, but they picked up Paul Martin, Zbynek Michalek, Mike Comrie and Aaron Asham to fill the voids. Fans will never have to worry about Ruslan Fedotenko costing the team a game, either. Once again, the Stanley Cup is the goal, and the Pens have to be one of the favorites to achieve

With all the excitement surrounding the team, I can't help but get caught up in. Here are some bold predictions for the Pens season. They could be really wrong when April rolls around. Actually, they could be really wrong come November, but I think they are all possible.

• Sidney Crosby will win the Art Ross and Hart Memorial Trophies

• Evgeni Malkin will return to being a 100-point player

• Paul Martin will score 10 goals and 50 points this season

• Max Talbot, Asham and Matt Cooke will be the best third line in hockey

• Eric Tangradi will score 20 goals

• The Pens will sweep the season series against the Philadelphia Flyers

• Marc-Andre Fleury will start the All-Star Game

• Someone will tackle the dancing "Cotton-Eyed Joe" ginger

• Mike's siblings will get tickets to games when Mike should have gotten them

• The Pens will beat the Washington Capitals 4-2 in the Conference Finals

• The Pens will beat the Vancouver Canucks 4-2 in the Stanley Cup Finals

• Fleury will win the Conn Smyth to avenge last year's playoffs debacle

Blur - Song 2