Penguins vs Islanders Open Thread 3-27-08

by FrankD on Mar 27, 2008 5:49 PM EDT in News Comment 43 comments

Pittsburgh Penguins (44-26-7) vs New York Islanders (34-36-7)
In Pittsburgh at 7:30 PM
Watch on FSN/Center Ice or listen at WXDX.com

NOTES
Sid's back tonight and hopefully for good. The much anticipated Hossa/Crosby combo will finally come to fruition. You can speculate lines all you want, but I don't have a doubt in my mind that Michel Therrien is going to mix it up through the course of the night.

Pascal Dupuis is also due back after taking the last two games off to welcome in the new addition to his family. Dupuis/Crosby/Hossa line??

In either case, keep your eyes open tonight. This is what the playoffs will look like.

Malone/Sykora/Malkin
Hossa/Crosby/Dupuis

Mix it up any way you want - it's still a deadly batch of players.

Expect MAF in net coming off the shutout. Depending on Therrien's approach to tonight's game (ie: priorities since already claiming a playoff spot) we may see Conklin. However, something tells me Therrien is shooting for the conference and won't risk the chance of losing it. Add in Conklin's poor performance against the Isles earlier this week and Fleury may just be the better option.

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Comments

Sid

starts the game on the bench - good to see Therrien isn't breaking up the morale of that first line.

by FrankD on Mar 27, 2008 7:41 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs

I agree.

I think they've proven their right to be there.

by Dayna on Mar 27, 2008 7:44 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

The PP

looks supreme

by FrankD on Mar 27, 2008 7:46 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs

Poor Kyle Okposo. Ouch.

by Dayna on Mar 27, 2008 7:47 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

WOW

the place is blowing up

by FrankD on Mar 27, 2008 7:49 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs

The NYI feed

is saying Laraque should've been called for interference

by FrankD on Mar 27, 2008 7:50 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

The Pitt. feed was

kind of saying that, but they also talked about a play that was a little iffy on a Isles player that wasn't called, so they thought maybe the ref just settled the score.

by Dayna on Mar 27, 2008 7:52 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

oh yeah`

they wanted a penalty on that Isles call - the goal was dubbed "poetic justice."

by FrankD on Mar 27, 2008 7:58 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

Things are looking

really good so far - a lot of time in the Isles zone. I don't want to jinx anything though...

by FrankD on Mar 27, 2008 8:00 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs

Yeah,

right after you said that the Pens were looking good on Monday they fell apart. Knock on wood or something.

by Dayna on Mar 27, 2008 8:03 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

I hit my head

that's the closest I can get to wood at the moment

by FrankD on Mar 27, 2008 8:05 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

That looked like a pretty weak goal.

by Dayna on Mar 27, 2008 8:11 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs

sure did

and it all happened while I was on the phone with the alumni foundation from my alma mater. these guys should just stop calling and asking for money - it ruins everything.

by FrankD on Mar 27, 2008 8:15 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

My university actually sent me money this week

I didn't even know it was possible, I thought the point of universities was to just take more and more money from students. A small miracle.

by Dayna on Mar 27, 2008 8:18 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

yeah

my school used to pay me occasionally too - but I was a director at their radio station and an editor at their newspaper. So as small as it was, it was still nice to think you were getting something in return for your free time.

by FrankD on Mar 27, 2008 8:20 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

Mine sent me money

for taking ridiculously easy classes last semester and raising my gpa. There are benefits from being in the worlds easiest (but ridiculously time consuming) program.

by Dayna on Mar 27, 2008 8:23 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

sounds like a sweet deal

And here i was thinking comm/journalism was the easiest one...

by FrankD on Mar 27, 2008 8:33 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

I know this is nothing new

but Sid can skate. Really, really skate.

by Dayna on Mar 27, 2008 8:39 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs

totally

and if he could have nailed that shot before it would've been insane - he even tried for shooting between the legs.

by FrankD on Mar 27, 2008 8:40 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

oh come

Let Sykora fight - toss the helmets and go.

Honestly though - all I was thinking was, "Please don't break your hand."

by FrankD on Mar 27, 2008 8:48 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs

Exactly

No more injuries this season.

by Dayna on Mar 27, 2008 8:50 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

Ugh

they should really use Letang in Whitney's slot on the PP like that; especially on the give and go. He has the right-handed shot, he can one-time them right in. Whitney has to set up every time and that slight seconds hesitation let's the goalie react.

by FrankD on Mar 27, 2008 8:54 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs

Yeah he's a bad fit there

because he's a lefty. I don't really understand that decision.

by Dayna on Mar 27, 2008 8:55 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

Ryan Whitney

has been looking pretty tonight, granted he's playing on the wing, which is not a good sign for him. Still, I he's playing ok.

by Dayna on Mar 27, 2008 8:54 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs

No turnovers with him on the wing

by Dayna on Mar 27, 2008 8:54 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

Whit

is looking better, no doubt. Especially since he's notched something like 5 assists in 7 games. It'd be nice to see him kick it into gear come playoff time.

by FrankD on Mar 27, 2008 8:59 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

My brain has died from essay writing,

he's looking pretty good tonight, and I don't know where that extra "I" came from.

by Dayna on Mar 27, 2008 8:57 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

It's all good

I caught it. Finals and final projects coming up this time of year?

by FrankD on Mar 27, 2008 9:00 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

Yeah

Essays about poetry, HTML coding that makes me want to cry, lesson planning and a ton of reading. Ugh.

by Dayna on Mar 27, 2008 9:03 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

I always found it funny

that they ask people to write essays about a poem. More often than not, the essay is 10 times longer than the poem and requires so much abstract thought that you can easily lose course while writing.

I can comfortably work with HTML, but I'm far from a pro.

And reading for school has always and will always suck. I read a lot now that I'm out of school, anywhere from 4-6 books a month. But while in school I hardly even read the crap they gave me...

by FrankD on Mar 27, 2008 9:18 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs