Apr 22, 2007 By Commentary John Mehno 3 min read

PITTSBURGH – Hockey season in Pittsburgh was six amazing months and one disappointing week. It’s time for Penguins general manager Ray Shero to tackle these priorities:

1. The Penguins need two big-time defensemen who can move people.

2. They need at least two scoring wingers.

As much as the Penguins can use more toughness, they don’t need Georges Laraque. Gary Roberts was more of a physical presence than Laraque because he hit.

Mark Recchi faded in the last quarter of the season. If he comes back, it should be as a role player.

The Penguins had a charmed season that included very few significant injuries.

The biggest loss was defenseman Mark Eaton for 47 games with wrist and knee injuries.

Shero doesn’t have time to dwell on the playoff loss because he has a lot to do, and he doesn’t have a lottery draft pick.

The Penguins will head into next season guaranteed to have something they didn’t have this season: Expectations.

Silliest aspect of the postseason was the guys at Fox Sports Pittsburgh growing playoff beards.

Maybe they’ll also shower with the team to show fake solidarity.

Look out, Loretta, the last playoff game may have been Mike Lange’s final Penguins broadcast.

He’s looking for a TV job after being abruptly dropped by FSP last summer. That was a jolt to his pride, but the switch to radio meant a significant pay cut, too.

Lange got his game back by working radio and he’ll shop around.

What’s the deal at KDKA-TV?

They lead cheers for the Penguins all season. When the playoffs came, they were the only local station that didn’t send a reporter to the games in Ottawa.

It was a budget issue. Guess they’d rather pay Steelers players to come in and spout cliches five nights a week during football season.

Spies report there is much more honest analysis being done on Pirates’ broadcasts this year.

That would have everything to do with the departure of Tim Schuldt, who resigned as Vice President of Marketing just before the season.

Schuldt had instituted a strict “speak no evil” policy, which is why you kept hearing about what a wonderful group of young men the Pirates were as they were losing 95 games last season.

Franchises get paranoid about criticism from team-employed announcers, but honesty is ultimately the best policy.

It adds credibility when the announcers say good things about the team.

If you watch the 10:35 p.m. call-in show on The CW (every prank caller has it on speed dial), you may have noticed the newspaper guys are looking a little spiffier.

After someone showed up in a t-shirt, management at the paper made a coat or tie mandatory.

At least they didn’t make them grow playoff beards.

John Mehno can be reached at johnmehno@lycos.com