Blue Hockey Pucks

Pittsburgh Penguins 2007–08 Preseason Thoughts (part 2)

Ok, I’ve thought a little harder about what has to happen for the Pittsburgh Penguins to have a more successful season in 07-08 than they did in 06-07 since part 1 of this series. Yeah, making the playoffs is great, but getting bounced in the first round because you weren’t ready is not fun.

What players have to step it up and continue to improve or play at the of their game? How about:

Mark Recchi: The Wrecking Ball looks to have at least one more good season in him. He has a ton of experience in all the mileage that that body of his. He is a great influence for Crosby, Malking and lots of the other players but his time is, sadly, running out. He wants another ring and a chance to hoist the cup one last time. That drive could make him perhaps the most dangerous player on the team. In fact, it better.

Georges Laraque: This is the one guy, above all else, that I see the most potential in for this season. But only if he is given a role beyond just using his fists. Don’t get me wrong, having him on the bench ready to knock opponents on their keister if they misbehave is a plus, but this man has hands and skills that he needs to be given the chance to use. The only question is whether or not if given that chance he will make the most of it. He can score 15 -20 goals without being on a line with Sid or Geno. And I would love to see him do it. Staying on the roster this season may very well depend on it.

Jarkko Ruutu: He is the key to the fourth line being as formidable as it was last year. He’s another guy like Laroque who can put the puck in the net and grind but being a fourth liner sees limited playing time. He’s disruptive and annoying when on the ice and needs to keep up that sort of play when he gets ice time and he needs to make the most of every second he is on the ice.

Sergei Gonchar: Yes, I admit it, I’m one of the few people who actually owns a Penguins Gonchar jersey and I bought it BEFORE I bought a Sidney Crosby one because when the Penguins signed him I was ecstatic. I watched him for years in Washington, drafted him every year in my fantasy hockey leagues if I could and always wanted to see him in a Penguins sweater. That’s how big of a fan of him I am. Yeah, his legs have some miles on them but last year he proved he still had a spark after a less than spectacular start to his first season with the team. He needs another one of those classic Gonchar years causing havoc from the blue line in the other team’s zone.

Ryan Whitney: Whitney could perhaps be the next Sergei Gonchar. He was +9, with 14 goals & 45 assists (only 8 points less that Gonchar) and needs another season like that. But most importantly, when Gonchar is no longer in Pittsburgh at some point in the future he needs to be developed enough that he can play that way without the opposition having to worry about perhaps the most prolific scoring defenseman in the league as well. But for this year, at least, he’ll be able to learn from one of the best offensive defensemen to ever take to the ice.

Find Open Ice: The Penguins have a ton of shooters that can either blow or finesse pucks by opposing net minders. They have to find those guys in open ice and let them do what they do best. Not everyone can be a Sidney Crosby and dance around four opposition players and flick the puck into the goal while falling down, doing their taxes, solving for x, and giving a dissertation on Einstein’s Theory of General Relativity.

About the Author

Jeff Jackson is the owner of A Great Day for Hockey, a fan site dedicated to the Pittsburgh Penguins. He is also the owner of Funny When Wet T-shirts and UberGamerTshirts.com.

Game Play On Competitive Air Hockey Tables

I remember playing air hockey as a kid, and having a lot of fun, though I do not remember having any specific guidelines that we played by, we just went at it in fierce (but fun) competition. Air hockey tables had been around for less than eight years when air hockey became a competitive sport. Rules and game play are governed by the USAA (United States Air-Table-Hockey Association). For tournament play, only the 8 foot air hockey tables manufactured by Dynamo are sanctioned. Approved tables include the Photon, Pro-Style, older Blue Top, Brown Top, Purple Top or Black Top with unpainted rails.

Besides a table, the only other equipment needed are two mallets (one for each player) and a puck. The most common mallet looks like a sombrero, and as a kid, I would grip the top part tightly as I chased the puck around the table. But this is not how the professionals do it. In competitive play, the mallet is gripped behind the knob using just your fingertips. This allows for more wrist action so that the mallet can be moved around the table faster.

I learned that this mallet grip, and a few other things sets competitive play apart from us recreational users. I also discovered a few other helpful tips to improve my game, things that professional players do on their air hockey tables.

For basic defense, competitive players often use the triangle defense. The mallet is kept centered about 8 inches front of the goal. This means only slight movements are needed to protect the goal from straight shots, and bank shots can be prevented by quickly pulling the mallet back towards the corners of the goal.

The top air hockey players are very good on the offense with drifting. Drifting is when you control the puck on your side of the table by moving the puck in a set pattern, which allows you to knock the puck down the table in a variety of attacks. This can throw off your opponent since they do not know how you will deliver the final blow on the puck. Very slight differences in wrist movement can affect which way the puck will go. Some of the more popular drifts are the center, diamond (or circle), "L", and diagonal drifts.

As an example, on the diamond drift the puck is moved clockwise in a diamond shape, being contacted by the mallet twice, once at the top and once at the bottom. The reverse diamond moves the puck in the same pattern, but counter-clockwise. Both of these drifts encourage shots from several points on the table, and with only minor adjustments can utilize time delays, change-ups, and other techniques.

A final strategy used by top players on air hockey tables are shots that are organized into "combos". This means a group of shots which appear to be hit with the same delivery but in opposite directions. This is caused by hitting the puck at slightly different locations on the mallet. Now, I hadn't thought of this before but it makes sense that where the puck is struck on the mallet (since it is curved) would affect the direction of the puck.

Though there are probably a lot more tips, these are enough to get started to improve my game. The next time I am around some air hockey tables, I will try the looser grip, and some drifting techniques to see if I can confuse my opponent!

About the Author

MJ writes for ClickShops Inc. where you can find a great selection of air hockey tables at www.airhockeytables.us.com.