Lets GO Pens!

[schminksbro]

You are just full of clever responses. You have absolutely no clue what you are talking about when it comes to hockey or anything else obviously as you have made quite clear with such an absurd statement. The shrinking of the unions is what has led Michigan to it's troubles not the other way around. Oh and that Pens team that you support so fervantly...UNION. Boy am I glad the American people spoke in the election and pushed people like you right to the back of the room where the tiny minority belongs. Evidentily the majority doesn't care what you have to say. Sports is about bragging rights. Wings fans have those rights because the Wings crushed the Pens in the Stanley Cup finals. If you are too weak to take a little ribbing maybe you should cheer for a better team.

No thanks... I hate that state and the unions that sucked it dry. It should be our new waste disposal state.

 

[schminksbro]

What you seem to forget is that the Wings are still the Stanley Cup Champions and will remain so until they get beaten. The Pens are merely runner-ups. 2nd place. Bragging right belong to the fans of the team that wins. My team won and your team lost. Why would I be jealous of Crosby? Because he lost? No...I think I will continue to cheer for the Wings. They won. Enjoy the playoffs.

Not really sure why I would be nervous. The Pens including Crosby are playing great. Touchy, not really just amazed at your continued predictions that never seem to materialize. FYI, Crosby took less than he could have so that blows that theory out of the water. The only tone I can take from your posts is jealousy of Crosby. You would think you actually knew him or something. You seem to have an obsession with the kid. I have seen lidstrom's career it's been a long one and we'll see what he does to Sid if he can stay with him. Again you bring up last years finals and the fight. Lets talk about the here and now, but I understand why you would want to dwell in the past.

No, I'm pretty sure you listed ice time as a reason for the lack of Pavel's production:

"Datsyuk has played 6. Another huge factor is ice time. The Wings are one of the most balanced teams in the NHL. I recently saw comparisons between the ice time of the Wing's to players vs the other top players around the league. They showed these stats during a game and I couldn't find them online but the Wing's stars Franzen, Hossa, Zetterberg, Datsyuk, and Lidstrom all play fewer minutes than their counterparts around the league. If a player like Datsyuk is playing 17-19 minutes and a player like Malkin is playing 22-25 minutes then Malkin is likely to have more points even if his play is equal or inferior."

Just because you repeat yourself over and over doesn't make it so. You are starting to sound like a broken record just leaving out what you get wrong each time. At that rate, the only thing you will be able to repeat is "The wings won the cup last year"...:snicker:

 

[Paul_N]

Why would I be jealous of Crosby? Because he lost?

Just stating the obvious as you like to say. It always seems to go back to Crosby and and name calling. I kinda understand the name calling though since you can't knock the way he is playing.

 

[cloakerpoked]

Wow, I just can't believe that you guys have been trash talking for 15 pages now. Glad I haven't taken the time to read all of it...but then again, I'm a baseball/football guy, and admittedly a playoff (when the Pens are in it) hockey fan, so I don't really have anything to contribute other than that I hope it's fun for all you guys to keep beating your heads against the wall....since I can't see anything else getting done

 

[schminksbro]

Your right I can't knock the way he is playing. The reason myself and many others hate Crosby is because he is the poster boy for Gary Bettman"s destruction of the sport we love. The game is being watered down and the rules are being changed to make it more marketable in non hockey cities like Atlanta, Nashville, Phoenix, Dallas, San Jose, and Pittsburgh. Let's not forget that before Sid the Kid the Penguins were a team that was in financial ruin. The league talked about moving them. Now that there is a salary cap the league is heading towards parity. That way every team can play mediocre hockey with their one line of stars instead of the great franchises like Colorado, Jersey, and Detroit among others playing the sport at it's pinnacle. So I don't hate the Pens, and I don't hate Crosby personally. He is a good player. I do not think he is the best player and he certainly isn't Mario but he is good. What I hate it what he and Gary Bettman represent which is ticking on 100 years of history tradition so they can market the game to those who could care less. I don't think the Pens will win the cup this year but mark my words, Bettman will make it happen soon. The NHL hates that the Wings are dominant. They want everyone to be the same. The Wings are lucky because everyone wants to play for them. The ownership is strong and players consistently stay for way below market price. Hossa for example signed a 1 year deal and has stated repeatedly that he wants to stay and will take less money to do so. However if Bettman has to make the refs put the opposing team in the box for a whole series so that the Crosby wins the cup, he will. He is a good looking, well spoken, Canadian kid that will look good on a wheaties box. Malkin, Datsyuk, and Ovechkin are not. All 3 are nominated for a Hart trophy this year. Crosby isn't but he is Bettmans horse and he intends on riding him until the NHL becomes the NBA. Rest assured your team will get it's cup whether they are the best or not. Just not this year.:wink:

Win or lose Crosby will likely get the Conn Smythe this year and he probably deserves it.

Just stating the obvious as you like to say. It always seems to go back to Crosby and and name calling. I kinda understand the name calling though since you can't knock the way he is playing.

 

[Paul_N]

Here is the thing; for every you, there are at least one or two that like Crosby and what he represents. Do I think he received way to many accolades before he even played the game? Yes. Do I think so far he has lived up to the accolades? Yes. Has he went trough a growing process? Yes. As far as being the best player, well he has a ways to go but so does Pavel, Ovechkin and Malkin. You simply can't make that claim for anyone this early in their career. No he isn't Mario, but then again Mario started somewhere. IMO Sid will get there. Notice I said In my opinion, I didn't state it like it was fact. You make some intelligent comments and then throw you credibility out the window by then making statements like "I don't think the Pens will win the cup this year but mark my words, Bettman will make it happen soon." Like they can't do it based on talent. When you make comments like that you may as well stop and go back to your Michigan forum and get them to blindly agree with such ignorant statements. To say that Pittsburgh is not a hockey town is also silly and shows you don't know much about what goes on outside the boundaries of Michigan. We can't help it if the Pens happen to be in the same city as THE greatest football franchise and Michigan has, well the Wings and nothing else. Pittsburgh is also a hockey town and has been for some time. The reason some of us take offense to what what you post is the fact that this is a Pens thread in a Pittsburgh forum and we really don't need hockey 101 especially from you when make some of the just plain silly statements. We could care less about what the Wings have done or are doing until well, they play the Pens. If Detroit is such a great hockey town, why isn't the Michigan forum just buzzing with "Wing Fever"?

 

[schminksbro]

Starting with the original 6 towns where the history and tradition of hockey actually matters I don't think you will find that many Crosby supporters. Of course thats just my opinion. It is also my opinion that the rule changes that are aimed at turning the game into an end to end basketball like scoring bonanza harm the game. Those who support Crosby are complicit in Bettman's destruction of a great game. Mario started somewhere yes. He started where Crosby is now and by the 4th year of his career he put up 199 points. Of course it's just my opinion but I would venture to guess that most Crosby fans who think he is somehow comparable to the all time greats were not hockey fans before Crosby. This was Bettman's goal. To increase the fan base of the NHL but in doing so he has alienated the true hockey fan in order to capture the bandwagon Crosby fan. And yes, no matter how much it cheapens the the accomplishment Bettman wants to put Crosby's name on the Stanley Cup. It is representative of the achievement of his "master plan". The Redwings have been selling out every game for many years. Both in the good years and bad. In booming economic times and now in poor economic times. The Pens were on the relocation block before Mario and then again before Crosby. You make the argument that Detroit has nothing but the Wings. In fact the Pistons have been to the conference finals or finals every year since 2003 until this year. They won the Championship in 2005. The Tigers were in the World Series in 2006 and are having a pretty good season so far this year. The Lions in spite of their abysmal history have set attendance records in the past and this year was the first time since Ford Field was built that they had non-sellout games. The Michigan Wolverines are one the the top college football programs in history. In spite of their recent down years they continue to sell out the "Big House" and it's 100,000+ seat capacity. So maybe it is you that needs to look outside of Pennsylvania to see what is happening elsewhere. Enjoy the playoffs safely inside your little Pittsburgh cocoon where the Pens are the greatest team in history and Crosby is the next Great One. I will not return until after the trouncing from the outside world occurs and then only for a little gloating.

Here is the thing; for every you, there are at least one or two that like Crosby and what he represents. Do I think he received way to many accolades before he even played the game? Yes. Do I think so far he has lived up to the accolades? Yes. Has he went trough a growing process? Yes. As far as being the best player, well he has a ways to go but so does Pavel, Ovechkin and Malkin. You simply can't make that claim for anyone this early in their career. No he isn't Mario, but then again Mario started somewhere. IMO Sid will get there. Notice I said In my opinion, I didn't state it like it was fact. You make some intelligent comments and then throw you credibility out the window by then making statements like "I don't think the Pens will win the cup this year but mark my words, Bettman will make it happen soon." Like they can't do it based on talent. When you make comments like that you may as well stop and go back to your Michigan forum and get them to blindly agree with such ignorant statements. To say that Pittsburgh is not a hockey town is also silly and shows you don't know much about what goes on outside the boundaries of Michigan. We can't help it if the Pens happen to be in the same city as THE greatest football franchise and Michigan has, well the Wings and nothing else. Pittsburgh is also a hockey town and has been for some time. The reason some of us take offense to what what you post is the fact that this is a Pens thread in a Pittsburgh forum and we really don't need hockey 101 especially from you when make some of the just plain silly statements. We could care less about what the Wings have done or are doing until well, they play the Pens. If Detroit is such a great hockey town, why isn't the Michigan forum just buzzing with "Wing Fever"?

 

[Paul_N]

I can see your infatuation with Crosby is stronger than ever....:snicker:
You'll be back before then. You love to hear yourself talk and think somehow everyone has something to learn from you...

 

[Viva'sReef]

Grats guys!!! That was a heck of a whoopin! Look forward to meeting them in the Finals!!

 

[bigmatt1992]

the finals are going to be sweet. and thank god that guy is gone i was geting sick of reading his radical red wings are freakin gods and everyone else are pesents.

 

[Paul_N]

Grats guys!!! That was a heck of a whoopin! Look forward to meeting them in the Finals!!

Should be a great finals. I'll be rooting for the Wings and a rematch. Not sure if the Hawks have any more goalies left.:bigsmile:

 

[bheld1]

You don't need to root too hard, I think its pretty much guaranteed for a rematch. I can't wait for the finals...It's going to be a 7 game series

 

[nellahtes]

correct me if i am wrong, but i thought all of the rule changes were designed to get more interest in the game after the strike. the strike cost the NHL a lot of fans and the had to go after new fans in order to get the revenue needed. otherwise the whole league would be in the tank. i know after the strike i quit watching and have just started again this year. just my thought.

 

[Paul_N]

correct me if i am wrong, but i thought all of the rule changes were designed to get more interest in the game after the strike. the strike cost the NHL a lot of fans and the had to go after new fans in order to get the revenue needed. otherwise the whole league would be in the tank. i know after the strike i quit watching and have just started again this year. just my thought.

I think this is one of those topics that you will find people on both sides of the aisle. I never stopped watching. It is a different game now but I'll watch either way.

 

[cloakerpoked]

correct me if i am wrong, but i thought all of the rule changes were designed to get more interest in the game after the strike. the strike cost the NHL a lot of fans and the had to go after new fans in order to get the revenue needed. otherwise the whole league would be in the tank. i know after the strike i quit watching and have just started again this year. just my thought.

The strike killed hockey in a lot of ways. The sport was becoming so popular that ESPN had actually picked up the games. Then the strike hit, and so began ESPN's infatuation with the NBA instead.

I disagree with the point made earlier by our Redwing loving friend that the salary cap is a bad thing for hockey though. For that, we need to look at the most popular and lucrative professional sports organizations in the country...the NFL. For years, the salary cap has guaranteed that any team in any market can field a competitive team at any time. Then you look at MLB, and you can see how the lack of a salary cap is ruining the game. Small market teams (not just the Pirates) are getting killed. Even the Rays, that seemed to rise from the ashes of a ruined franchise are looking more like a one year wonder now, and just imagine what they'll be when their superstars start getting to free agency. The franchise just doesn't have the money to keep them. Allowing the league to restore and maintain the competitive balance for ALL teams is in every league and team's best interest, not just the smaller market teams.

 

[Paul_N]

I agree 100% that the salary cap is good for hockey and any sport for that matter. The Owner/GM will actually have to think instead of just throwing money at people. At this point, I'm not sure anything can help the Pirates though...:sad: except maybe an ownerectomy.

 

[cloakerpoked]

I just keep hoping that we'll get that elusive .500 season for the Pirates

 

[Paul_N]

Here is another take on rule changes in hockey...:xd:

http://www.hulu.com/watch/74041/oni...-bigger-nets-3-point-line#x-4,c24-Hour News,1

 

[stunreefer]

grats guys!!! That was a heck of a whoopin! Look forward to meeting them in the finals!!

+1...

... Go wings!!! :tongue:

 

[buck50bmg]

You are just full of clever responses. You have absolutely no clue what you are talking about when it comes to hockey or anything else obviously as you have made quite clear with such an absurd statement. The shrinking of the unions is what has led Michigan to it's troubles not the other way around. Oh and that Pens team that you support so fervantly...UNION. Boy am I glad the American people spoke in the election and pushed people like you right to the back of the room where the tiny minority belongs. Evidentily the majority doesn't care what you have to say. Sports is about bragging rights. Wings fans have those rights because the Wings crushed the Pens in the Stanley Cup finals. If you are too weak to take a little ribbing maybe you should cheer for a better team.

I guess some of the jerks from RC made it over here..... do you go by the name beerguy on RC?