Bylsma Impressive

If you listened to ESPN'S 1250 Joe Starkey's interview with the father [Jay] of Dan Bylsma this morning you came away impressed with Jay and his son. The elder Bylsma spoke of his son as a smart, multi-sport athlete, driven to succeed. Dan played baseball. golf, and hockey in Grand Haven, MI. Here are a few highlights:

• Despite having never played outfield, he turned himself into an outfielder and started as a freshman.
• He stole 91 of 92 stolen bases in his high school career.
• At Bowling Green he once blocked a shot with his face that according to Jay left him "looking like the Elephant Man."
• With the Falcons he onced scored a shorthanded 3 on 5 goal.
  
• Bylsma was so valued for his knowledge of other players that his coach with Los Angeles Andy Murray used to take him aside to ask his advice.

The Pens have a shot at repeating what they did last year, and the key reason is the attitude change that came along with Bylsma's hiring. This guy deserves for the tag "interim" to be dropped next to his name. Ray Shero did a great job bringing him into the system and needs to reward him for getting the Pens to the post season.