Well Thought Out Yet Completely Random Penguin Card of the Week

This time, I felt like going backward featuring a 1970-71 Jim Morrison card.  Is it just me or did guys in the old days just look older than they do now?  At any rate...

Jim Morrison only played for the Pens for two seasons, joining the team in their third season of existence.  He was an offensive defenseman for most of his hockey playing career...which, by the way, spanned from 1949-50 through 1972-73. 

Rather than go on about his playing career, legendsofhockey.net already did a nice write up on his four decade spanning career.  You can check it out here.

Another reason I picked a 1971 Jim Morrison...today in 1971 the more famous Jim Morrison of the Doors died in his Paris apartment bathtub.  Nobody knows why and no one ever will.  But, whether you are a Doors fan or not is irrelevant to the fact that there is no denying the talent of Jim and his song writing abilities. 

R.I.P. Lizard King.

Well Thought Out Yet Completely Random Penguin Card of the Week

2008-09 O-Pee-Chee Retro Mario Lemieux

So it is pretty easy to throw up a Mario Lemieux card and call it quits.  Most of his stuff speaks for itself as it should.  But this one is different.  There are a lot of posts about cards that never were.  This one is like a fantasy card that actually came true, but many years after the fact.

The Retro parallel set in 2008-09 OPC is designed exactly after the 1979-80 set.  Yes, the same set the featured the rookie card of the top player of the last 30 years that finishes ahead of Super Mario in many categories.  The Wayne Gretzky rookie is one of the most sought after cards in the hockey card world, especially in decent condition.  Graded version of it sell in the thousands of dollars and I would be happy with even a "3" just to say I own one.

But, alas, I don't.  Instead, I have my favorite player of all time in a mock up of one of the best hockey sets.  This is what it might have looked like, had he actually been a rookie in the 1978-79 season.  Although we would have to change the uniform to the white, tri-colored collar, with the Columbian and navy blue and black accent stripes.  1980 was the first year for the Black & Gold but this would be a shot from 78-79.  And the logo would have to go back to the skating penguin over the triangle instead of that "corporate created" crap they had after the cups.

As for the card design, I think Upper Deck did a great job with this Retro set by duplicating the back and front of the cards almost perfectly.  This would be an awesome set to chase if not for the fact that it is near 500 cards.  But with this addition to my collection, I now have all the Pens retro base parallels (I said base because there is a Rainbow version as well).

Well Thought Out Yet Completely Random Penguin Cards of the Week: Game 7 Edition

With the unofficial self-proclaimed theme of the Pens being "Out For Justice", it is fitting that it all comes down to one game. 

WIN OR GO HOME!!!! 

With that being said, I wanted to present not one random Pens card but a multitude in the hopes that it may bring some luck.  These are the guys that need to play on some kind of Zen level tonight if the Pens are going to make it out alive.  I am not superstitious or anything but I did notice myself sidestepping all the sidewalk cracks on the way to work this morning.  I'm just saying...

2007-08 OPC Micromotion Brooks Orpik

Orpik was quoted as saying, "When you play a best of 7, usually the best team wins.  So, I think we're pretty confident going into it."  Let's just hope not TOOO confident.  Brooksy can be a game breaker and he is going to have to bring it.  Out For Justice!!

2008-09 Upper Deck Winter Classic Kris Letang. 

Tanger must play the game of his life tonight.  No more random shots AT the goal.  We need shots ON the goal.  Experimental gameplay time is over.  Out for Justice, indeed.

2009-10 Upper Deck Bill Guerin. 

When asked about game 7, Guerin said, "It's obviously not what we were looking for."  Yeah?  Well, you got it.  Now do what you do best and make it happen.  Your leadership is unparalleled in that locker room and whatever is left in that tank needs to be emptied tonight.  Out For Justice!!

And last, but certainly not least are the three key elements to tonights game.  If either of these three gentleman is having an off night, tee times will be early tomorrow for sure.  The time to show what we are made of is now.  There can't be another game 6 performance.  Out For Justice!!!

2009-10 Collector's Choice 3 Star Selections Crosby/Fleury/Malkin

Well Thought Out Yet Completely Random Penguin Card of the Week

 

One of my favorite cards and favorite Pens of the early 90s, Mark Recchi's Upper Deck rookie from 1990-91 (although he started his NHL career in 1988).  This card is epic in so many ways.  It was the first hockey card that I remember buying on my own and I still have it.  I have quite a few of these in fact.  I remember that it cost me $.75 back then and I picked it up at a card show in the Ramada Inn in Somerset, PA.  I thought it was a bargain because some how I knew that he was going to be a Penguin for a long time.

Recchi helped win the Cup for the Pens in 90-91 but was traded the following year to Philly for Kjell Samuelsson, Rich Tocchet, and Ken Wregget.  Not a bad trade considering each of them played a part in the Cup win the following season.  I believe Recchi still holds the Philly single season point record to this day and probably will for a long time.

Fast forward two decades...and I was right about one thing.  He would be playing for a long time.  Just not with the Penguins.  Here we are in the midst of the 2010 Stanley Cup playoffs and Mark is 42 years old.  Done?  Washed up?  Career over?  Heck no!!  Although this may be his last season, the Recchin' Ball is currently leading his Boston Bruins in round 2 against the Philadelphia Flyers.  Here's hoping we can see a few more years out of him.

So why did I like this card so much?  I always liked how the colors of the border matched so well with the uniforms.  I guess it also always made me wonder:  Why is he sitting on the ice?  Isn't it cold down there?  Did he just get checked and his helmet almost got knocked off?  It's funny how it looks like the word "Ow" is coming out of his mouth because of the dasher board in the background.  Kind of like the skit from the Electric Company.  What's he doing down there?  Checking his stick to see if it is ok?  He looks like a little kid sitting on the floor of his playroom admiring one of his toys. 

Well Thought Out Yet Completely Random Penguin Card of the Week

1971-72 Topps Syl Apps

Syl Apps Jr. played 10 years in the NHL, most of them with the Pittsburgh Penguins.  He was actually drafted by the Rangers back in 1964 but didn't play a single game until 1970.  That same season he was traded to the Penguins along with Sheldon Kannegiesser in exchange for Glen Sather.


Syl racked up 25 points in the final 31 games of the season for the Pens and more than doubled that the following year, scoring 59.  His third year with the Pens is where he became one of their first stars, going on to play on the famed "Century Line" along with Lowell MacDonald and Jean Pronovost.  The name is due to the scoring of 100 goals and 200 points for four years in a row.


In the 74-75 season, he was awarded with his first and only All Star Game appearance and didn't fail to live up to expectations.  He scored 2 goals and was named the game MVP.  Syl scored 79 points in 79 games that season.  He followed that up with a 99 point season in 75-76.

During the 1978 season, the Pens traded him for Dave Schultz and a draft pick to the Kings where he would finish his career with some solid seasons.

How is this for a hockey bloodline?  Syl Jr. is, of course, the son of legendary Hockey Hall of Famer Syl Apps.  He is also the father of former Princeton star Syl Apps III, who had a short career in the ECHL.  His daughter Gillian Apps won gold at the Torino Olympics in 1996 for Team Canada as well as this year in Vancouver.