All photos : Getty Images
Well THAT went quickly. The 2012-13 regular season is in the books, and let's face it, it was the most enjoyable season for Pens fans since 1992-93. And we all know how THAT turned out. So, while we all try to temper our expectations for the playoffs - while simultaneously telling ourselves that it is ridiculous and superstitious to think that something that happened twenty years ago (exactly) has any bearing on this season - let's look back on an extremely memorable season.
The Fan Favorite Power Rankings are meant to be a barometer for the attitude of the fan base at large for the individuals on the team. I judged each player in six categories, giving a score from 1-5 based not just on how I felt, but (and this is important) based on public opinion in and around Pittsburgh - as perceived by me. My criteria are:
Quality of Play: This metric is meant to be relative to the player's expected level of play; for instance, giving Brandon Sutter a rating of 4 and Evgeni Malkin a 3.5 does not mean I think Sutter outplayed Geno. He didn't. But he performed better than expected, while Geno didn't play at his usual MVP level.
Personality: Basically, is the guy a beloved character, a badass, or a cardboard cutout? Most hockey players are pretty boring, so I'm giving some a boost for on-ice personality (read: fist-pumps).
Toughness: This skews the scales unfairly in favor of defensemen and grinders, but the peoples loves their smash-ems.
Intangibles: COULD BE ANYTHING!!!
Nickname: Fans will have a hard time liking you if there isn't something affectionate that they can scream at you. The cuter the better.
Jersey-buyability: A real word that measures how cool I think a player's jersey is, based on completely biased aesthetic convictions.
Agree? Disagree? Tell me what you think in the comments!
