Penguins Not Worried about Avery

It seems as though a year of maturity and play-off experience for the New York Rangers and Pittsburgh Penguins alike, has made worlds of difference. Last year the Penguins earned a play-off berth, but quickly learned that the play-offs mean you need to bring a whole new level to the ice and were quickly disposed of by the Ottawa Senators. The Rangers on the other hand had enough veteran leadership to earn a sweep against a younger Atlanta Thrashers line up, but didn't really have enough when they came up short against the Buffalo Sabers. This year the Penguins got their revenge against the Sens and look poised for the cup, while the Rangers won another play-off series in their long history with the Devils and are back in the second round. Players like Crosby and Malkin for the Pens are now in their second play-offs and now know what it takes. For the Rangers youngsters such as Brandon Dubinsky, Henrik Lundqvist, and Sean Avery are also now in their second and third play-offs still looking for a crack at the cup. One thing that’s changed this year with Avery is level of play on the ice along with his level off. Avery gave the press a lot to work with last year, which many believe took away from his mental preparation for games. This year he has been smarter and is letting his game speak for himself. It’s no secret that Avery is a skilled hockey player, that knows how to agitate, and it seems as though teams around the league are just trying to ignore him. The Penguins have set out to try and accomplish this goal, but Avery did tally 5 points in 8 games against them this year. Along with a 0-3-1 record at the Garden, those stats are just a little hard to ignore.

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