It's all in the game: Pens lose 6-3 to Caps
by Hooks Orpik on Apr 7, 2010 12:08 AM EDT
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Sometimes, it's not how you lose, it's if you lose. But sometimes just losing is enough to feel bad. It'll be tough for the Pittsburgh Penguins to put a bow on this one, they lost tonight at home 6-3 to the Washington Capitals, a team that played the night before. Their defense was inadequate, goaltending wasn't there and no forward other than Sidney Crosby scored a goal.
It's bad news all-around: Marc-Andre Fleury got the hook after 26:42; it's clear the Pens will go as far as he takes them, but where is that at this point? The first goal was scored when Alex Goligoski either, at best fell, or at worst, got his ankles broken by Alex Semin. Semin easily skated in unobstructed and picked a corner for the games opening goal. The second goal allowed was weak, Mike Knuble took a slapper from right near the wall. It's the type of shot a goalie has to stop (and control) 10 times out of 10. Fleury failed to and it slipped under him. Fleury's last red-lighter was when Tomas Fleischmann got a fortunate bounce of off Max Talbot's skate and he buried it.
Even though Crosby had scored in the interim to make the game 3-1 at that point, the Pens were floundering. Brent Johnson entered the game (made a nice save on Alex Ovechkin for his first feel of the rubber) and then Jordan Leopold scored later to bring Pittsburgh back to 3-2. Matt Bradley would tip in a Quintin Laing shot before the end of the 2nd to make it 4-2 Caps. Terrible effort by the "shutdown" unit of Brooks Orpik and Kris Letang to allow body positioing, fail to tie up sticks and let the Caps 4th line score, but what can you do.
Less than a minute into the 3rd, Leopold struck again for Pittsburgh when he took a nice pass from Pascal Dupuis and buried a slapper by Simeon Varlamov. A couple minutes later, Alex Ovechkin got a fortunate bounce off a ref's skate when Jordan Staal won a faceoff and AO buried it by Johnson. To rub salt in the wounds, Ovechkin would tie Crosby in the race for the Maurice Richard Trophy by scoring an empty netter with 0.2 seconds left in the game.
If that doesn't leave a bad taste in one's mouth, nothing will. However, in the large scheme of things it doesn't mean too much except a chance not to "hold serve" and follow wins by the Buffalo Sabres and New Jersey Devils who both picked up W's in their games.
- Evgeni Malkin was a late scratch, he was sick and couldn't go, and his absence was felt. The Caps played without important players too (like Mike Green, Brendan Morrison, John Carlson) but the Pens had to alter their lineup to have 11 forwards and 7 defensemen. They never seemed in sync or could recover. You never know this time of year if being "sick" is being ill or an actual injury (like the sore/swollen foot that's kept Malkin off the ice for most of the last 3 weeks) but hopefully this is the former.
- Without Malkin, Crosby had to carry a heavy load. Sid played a game high 27:01 and took almost 53% of the faceoffs for Pittsburgh (winning 57% of them). He showed jump and played with almost every forward in the lineup.
- Sergei Gonchar only played 14:36 on the night, and only 9:36 at even strength. That's much, much below his averages. Is the Sarge hurting too or is that a result of dressing 7D? And if it's the latter, why's the most experienced and thought of best defensemen seeing his minutes cut when three other defensemen played 20+ minutes. That's a real question right now for this team.
- The Pens got a couple of bad bounces -- on the Fleischmann goal, on Ovechkin's first, on an apparent goal for that whistled dead because the ref lost track of it. But a team makes their own fortunes and you can't really say the Pens made too many for themselves on this night.
- Caps defensemen Jeff Schultz was a +5 (meaning he was on ice for all the goals Washington scored, and none against) which tells two things: 1) he played very well and 2) he didn't match up that much against Crosby (3 points). The Caps tend to not worry about matchups, and with nothing to play for there's no reason for them to do so. In the broader scheme of things how Crosby -- or Malkin -- fares when Schultz is out there at even strength if these teams meet again (as most expect they will) might go a long way to determining the outcome.
As stated, there's nothing but a bad taste in fans and player's mouths alike right now. Pittsburgh is behind the 8-ball for getting a #2 or #3 seed, owing a lot to how Buffalo and NJ faes down their stretch run. But that's out of anyone's concern now. The big question, with about a week until the playoffs is about bouncing back. The Pens have had an inconsistent regular season defending their Stanley Cup, but they haven't had anything to prove.
That's about to change, and real soon. Hey, it's all in the game, yo.
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Well crap.
And also, I was astonished to get home and find that Gogo was a +1.
Leafs fan living large in the Pitt and pretending like the drought is over. Go Pens!
I’m still mad about that empty netter at the end. I conceded defeat when down 5-3 with a minute to go. Admirable as it may be for db to pull Johnson, it wasn’t going to do much. Now the race is going to get interesting
Follow the Penguins on SBN @ Pensburgh.com and twitter.
by FrankD on Apr 7, 2010 12:19 AM EDT via mobile reply actions
I’m still mad about it too. If more time had been left, I could understand the decision — there’s something to be said for never giving up, and for sending that message to the team. But it was clearly over at that point. Sid deserved better. And the fans did too — it’s bad enough to watch us lose to our hated rivals AGAIN, but to let Ovechkin score in the last few seconds, when it might cost Crosby the title, left me with a really bad feeling about the game.
I see why DB pulled Johnson and thought it was the right move. If it wasn’t OV that scored the EN no one would be talking about it. The fact that Staal tried a horrible east-west pass instead of dumping the puck in the Caps zone with 10 seconds left is troubling…Hell, what really makes me mad was that we were in an EN situation in the first place.
I've told [a 9 months pregnant] Nathalie that she can't have the baby on a game night. I'm not missing a playoff game. -Mario Lemieux in 1993
I agree, now that we’re not in the heat of the moment. He would have been blasted if he didn’t pull the goalie and go all out.
CapsAreMyDaddy
by PensAreYourDaddy on Apr 7, 2010 12:49 AM EDT up reply actions
100% agree
I don’t mind him pulling Johnson with 1:40 left. But once they got down to the :40 mark, and we hadn’t made it 5-4, AND the Caps put Ovechkin back on the ice there was absolutely NO reason to pull Johnson. Everyone in that entire building knew who the Caps were going to get the puck to if they got possession. Let’s not put it all on Bylsma either. Shame on Jordan Staal for 6 weeks for throwing a blind pass out into the middle of the ice on the center face off dot. He was on the red line, there was about 10 seconds left. Why on Earth would you not dump the puck and concede the game? Terrible
Very frustrating
So, the Pens go 0-10 against the Caps & Devils. Not exactly the kind of momentum you’d like to have going into the playoffs.
Again the power-play is frustrating. Despite Crosby’s goal, it seems the PP spends have the time getting the puck out of their end after it’s been cleared.
I sure as hell hope Ovechkin doesn’t win the Richard by one goal.
Even if they tie, I’ll be pissed….OV has 5 EN goals on the year, to Sid’s one…ugghhh that just makes me mad,
I've told [a 9 months pregnant] Nathalie that she can't have the baby on a game night. I'm not missing a playoff game. -Mario Lemieux in 1993
It makes me mad that Sid has had chances for empty netters, though maybe not as many, and either hasn’t hit them, or passes up the chance. Now I get that he’s being a good team guy and maybe trying to dish the puck to Matt Cooke or something, but I think a team with their head on straight would have been trying to get Sid the easy goals, not the other way around.
Having said that, like you, I cringe every time I have tuned into a Caps game and see the opposition pull the goalie at the end. As he has done to us twice this season, Ovie has a knack for sniffing out that empty net.
CapsAreMyDaddy
by PensAreYourDaddy on Apr 7, 2010 12:46 AM EDT up reply actions
OV has a knack for cherry picking period…I love his intensity and drive with the puck on his stick; no one is more entertaining to watch rush up the ice, but man is he bad without the puck. If I had to watch him loaf in his own zone half the time, waiting at the blue line for the puck, I’d be pretty frustrated….Hence, I’m a Pens fan where I can watch more balanced players.
I've told [a 9 months pregnant] Nathalie that she can't have the baby on a game night. I'm not missing a playoff game. -Mario Lemieux in 1993
AO has ENGs, but that’s because he’s trustworthy in his own end in those situations. Contrary to what some people may think, he’s not a cherrypicker and he doesn’t abandon his team for an ENG. He’s one of the best wingers in the game at winning a battle at the point and getting the puck clear. And when he has a chance to put the nail in the coffin, he does. Isn’t that what it’s all about? I’ve never seen AO cost his team by trying to score an ENG in an ill-advised manner. If anyone watched Russia v. Slovakia you saw AO out-duel two Slovaks for the puck near the blueline and get the clear in the final minutes. Datsyuk got the ENG but AO’s defensive play made it happen. I understand the frustration from Pens fans, but AO also missed 10 games so it evens out. Goalie or no goalie AO is the best goal scorer in the game.
A pretty girl is like a violent crime.
by Rob Parker on Apr 7, 2010 1:07 AM EDT up reply actions 6 recs
In all the games I’ve watched the Caps play (which is a lot lately), about 50% of the time it seems AO is very passive in his own zone (hanging around the blue line, waiting for the puck to come to him, not really moving his feet, ect.). Once, I even saw him past the blue line, while the other team had the puck in his own zone, waiting for the puck. I’m not going to base anything off of one incident, but I’m willing to bet that 3 out of 5 times, OV is the last player to enter his own zone on a rush. To me, that’s not what constitutes the best player in the world. To be the best player, you have to be good in numerous aspects and that’s one part of his game that I absolutely loathe. He may be somewhat defensively responsible, but by no means is he all that dependable.
No doubt he’s the most exciting player and best goal scorer though.
I've told [a 9 months pregnant] Nathalie that she can't have the baby on a game night. I'm not missing a playoff game. -Mario Lemieux in 1993
He’s better defensively than he ever gets credit for. He’s a wing, so you aren’t going to see him flying around the D zone. He wins battles on the point to clear the zone, and he doesn’t let his point man get open cutting toward the net. That’s basically 90% of what you need a wing to do in his own zone. He almost always backchecks hard, though he definitely has moments where he just goes through the motions. Part of that is BB keeping him out for 2 minutes on the PP, but it’s not ok. He’s not on the ice for many goals against. For “best player in the world” comparison, AO has been on for 32 ES goals against this year and Sid has been on for 61.
A pretty girl is like a violent crime.
by Rob Parker on Apr 7, 2010 1:25 AM EDT up reply actions 3 recs
AO has been on for 32 ES goals against this year and Sid has been on for 61.
Good stat, but maybe a bit misleading? Sid takes almost all of the critical faceoffs in our end, but if I remember correctly, AO is very rarely on the ice for an “in-zone” faceoff. I wonder how many of the ES GAA were in this scenario.
This has been one of my critiques of the Pens this year. Sid should not have to take all of the critical defensive draws. We need a guy who is a solid 55-60% on draws for defensive purposes.
The world is a dangerous place to live - not because of the people who are evil but because of the people who don't do anything about it. - Albert Einstein
Goals allowed is really a team stat too. Not to say Crosby isn’t responsible for some, but the Penguins allow more goals than the Caps. Crosby plays more at even strength + shorthanded time than Ovechkin, so it’s natural he’s been on the ice for more goals against.
"Don't matter who did what to who at this point. Fact is, we went to war and there ain't no turnin' back. I mean, s---, it's what war is, you know? Once you in it, you in it. If it's a lie, then we fight on that lie. But we gotta fight."
What you just said made me start thinking...
We score less goals than the Caps.
We allow more goals than the Caps.
We score more goals than NJ, just not when we play them
We allow ALOT more goals than NJ, especially when we play them.
Playoff Prognostication: UH OH. Hold on tight and hope we get hot.
The world is a dangerous place to live - not because of the people who are evil but because of the people who don't do anything about it. - Albert Einstein
Come on, do you really think the league is going to let the Pens lose?
CapsAreNotMyDaddy
by PensAreYourDaddy on Apr 7, 2010 10:39 AM EDT up reply actions
Well the stat I just provided is ES only. PK is another story but I don’t think either guy counts as a real PK stud. Query friend, if J. Staal is a Selke candidate, why isn’t he the guy taking the D zone draws on the critical face offs?
Yeah, GA is a team stat, but I’m trying to bring something that allows us to have a rational conversation besides “I saw AO play bad D so he stinks” or “I saw Sid tip goals into his own net so he stinks.” They both get tons of TOI at ES, and if AO was a real defensive liability or didn’t backcheck it wouldn’t matter where he started his shifts. And ultimately 61-32 is such a huge gap that there has to be more going on than just Sid taking D zone draws.
A pretty girl is like a violent crime.
by Rob Parker on Apr 7, 2010 12:02 PM EDT up reply actions 1 recs
Because Staal isn’t any good at faceoffs (seriously, if it wasn’t for Malkin being bad on a truly historical level, we’d be making fun of him for it). It has nothing to do with the rest of his defensive skills, which are legion.
Yeah, his D skills are formidable, no doubt. But you know I can’t resist a shot at a Staal brother. Still, if you’re not THE guy to go out on the ice for a late D zone draw, how are you a Selke winner?
A pretty girl is like a violent crime.
Agreed. (to the second part)
The world is a dangerous place to live - not because of the people who are evil but because of the people who don't do anything about it. - Albert Einstein
I with you. Sure if Staals faceoff percentage was a little higher it would certainly help his resume for a Selke. But to say hes not a candidate because of faceoffs alone is crazy. Watch the guy place, and try to convince me hes not one of if not the top defensive forwards in the league. F&B.
what are you using for Criteria for a Selke? FO% thats it?
by genomachine-O on Apr 7, 2010 1:55 PM EDT up reply actions
Just to be clear, I’m not saying Staal isn’t a candidate. I’m not saying he’s bad defensively. I’m just saying not being trustworthy in the dot is a knock against a guy. I’d look at the whole package. D positioning, PK, ability to score against the opposition’s top lines, FO, etc. I should really have just brought this to the Staal for Selke post you guys had the other day. My bad. Really, it was just a chance to take a shot at one of the Staal brothers.
A pretty girl is like a violent crime.
That's kind of funny
because that’s exactly the point I was about OV not being the league’s best player; best offensive player? Yes, but Crosby’s all around skills put him ahead of Ovechkin (albeit slightly). MVP stands for most valuable player, not most valuable offensive player. It’s just my opinion, but Crosby does so much besides offense for his team that he more than likely will be in the running for MVP every year (barring injury).
I guess you and I do have the same criteria for what qualifies a major award winner.
For the record, I think Staal is good enough and deserves to be nominated but I don’t think he should win just yet. I think within the next two years he will though. I also agree with you about the faceoffs, by the way.
I've told [a 9 months pregnant] Nathalie that she can't have the baby on a game night. I'm not missing a playoff game. -Mario Lemieux in 1993
Well if you believe that FO% is a defensive skill then it’s tough to parse. But even if you consider them separate skill sets there is a problem. When Staal goes out for a D zone draw, he has to play wing. That means you take a more defensively responsible wing off the ice in favor of a less defensively responsible center. I don’t think Crosby is one of the Pens’ three best defensive forwards so it does make the unit less defensively sound. If you think that Crosby is one of your 3 best defensive forwards, then maybe there is no harm. But the fact that coaches always put out their best FO guy for a D zone draw seems to suggest that winning a FO is a defensive skill.
A pretty girl is like a violent crime.
But the fact that coaches always put out their best FO guy for a D zone draw seems to suggest that winning a FO is a defensive skill.
I agree with that statement. Crosby doesn’t spend the most time on the PK, but if he was used in a defensive role, it’s hard to imagine him not being the Pens best (or second best forward). If he had to set his mind to buckling down.
As it is, with guys like Staal, Adams, Cooke, Dupuis and Fedotenko the Pens have plenty of good positional, D playing forwards.
"Don't matter who did what to who at this point. Fact is, we went to war and there ain't no turnin' back. I mean, s---, it's what war is, you know? Once you in it, you in it. If it's a lie, then we fight on that lie. But we gotta fight."
I think the D zone will be Crosby’s summer project this year. And I hope he gets plenty of time to work on it. The sooner the better.
If I were PIT and I had a one goal lead in the final minute and a D zone draw, I don’t think I’d pick Crosby to go out except for his FO ability. I’d put Staal in the middle and then use a combination of Adams/Cooke/Dupuis on the wing. Dupuis has impressed me in his own end since his days in MIN.
A pretty girl is like a violent crime.
If I had to pick three forwards to lock down a defensive zone, I’d pick Staal, Cooke, and Crosby in that order.
by JustinM on Apr 7, 2010 2:16 PM EDT up reply actions 1 recs
I’m not discrediting the fact that faceoffs are a defensive skill. I just dont think you can take Staal out of the running for a Selke purely based on that.
by genomachine-O on Apr 7, 2010 2:16 PM EDT up reply actions
Nah, I’m not really taking him out of the running on that alone. It’s just a knock on him. I’d take him out of the running based on the fact that Mikko Koivu is a freaking stud, especially this year.
A pretty girl is like a violent crime.
yea but Koivu is a 3. Im not a real believer in the +/ stat, but for a Selke Candidate a -3 just isnt good enough.
by genomachine-O on Apr 9, 2010 1:47 PM EDT up reply actions
That’s why I said he’s emerging as a candidate, not necessarily a winner yet. Faceoffs are the one piece of the puzzle he’s missing, IMO.
"Don't matter who did what to who at this point. Fact is, we went to war and there ain't no turnin' back. I mean, s---, it's what war is, you know? Once you in it, you in it. If it's a lie, then we fight on that lie. But we gotta fight."
I agree, I dont think Staal will win it this year. I think he deserves to be a candiate though.
by genomachine-O on Apr 7, 2010 2:17 PM EDT up reply actions
Add in the fact that the Selke is one of those “career achievement” awards. You have to develop your reputation before you are going to win. I think guys like Kessler, Koivu, and Richards (even with his down year) are ahead in the voters’ minds. But Staal already has a nice reputation and will be a fixture in the Selke voting for years.
A pretty girl is like a violent crime.
Yeah, Chara definitely won a lifetime achievement award last year. No chance in hell he deserved that award. I would have given it to Lidstrom again, but Green, Keith, and probably a couple others are also above Chara.
Anyone who doesn’t read Alan Ryder’s analysis should start doing it. You’ll see just how overrated (and overpaid) guys like Chara and JBo are.
A pretty girl is like a violent crime.
Goals allowed is really a team stat too. Not to say Crosby isn’t responsible for some, but the Penguins allow more goals than the Caps.
It really is, and I realize it will sound like I’m trying to make excuses for Sid but we don’t always have him out there with great guys. DB occasionally will double shift him with the 4th line, and in the beginning of the year Sid’s line was paired with Skoula’s defensive pairing.
It definitely helps AO’s case that Backstrom is pretty good on the backcheck as well as Knuble. But what probably helps most is that when AO is out there, his line spends a good portion of their time in the opposing teams zone. Ov-Backstrom-Knuble/Semin (earlier in the year) is a pretty dominate group of guys. Guerin/Dupuis-Crosby-Kunitz obviously isn’t nearly as talented as AO’s line, and as a result they spend more time in their own zone.
I’d be willing to bet that if you put AO on a line with the talent of the guys Sid plays with, or Sid on a line with the caliber of guys AO plays with their ES goals allowed would be pretty similar.
by packallday555 on Apr 7, 2010 12:39 PM EDT up reply actions
Goals allowedStanley Cups is really a team stat too.
I’d be willing to bet that if you put AO on alinewith the talent of the guys Sid has played with their championship success would be pretty similar.
A pretty girl is like a violent crime.
by Rob Parker on Apr 7, 2010 1:33 PM EDT up reply actions 1 recs
You should be opening act for a comedian, funny guy
"Don't matter who did what to who at this point. Fact is, we went to war and there ain't no turnin' back. I mean, s---, it's what war is, you know? Once you in it, you in it. If it's a lie, then we fight on that lie. But we gotta fight."
by Hooks Orpik on Apr 7, 2010 1:55 PM EDT up reply actions 1 recs
dont start this. AO’s teams have had better reg season records this year and last year.
by genomachine-O on Apr 7, 2010 2:00 PM EDT up reply actions
Your teams record has nothing to do with the talent on your team, thats an individual stat.
by JasonGoPens on Apr 7, 2010 4:10 PM EDT up reply actions 1 recs
And PIT slept-walked through the season. We both know their regular season record wasn’t indicative of their talent. So does Ray Shero, that’s why he fired the coach. The Pens were a better team last year. Team Canada was a much better team this year. You trade AO for Sid on either of those teams and it doesn’t change the ultimate result, that’s my point.
A pretty girl is like a violent crime.
Haha I see what you’ve done here! Can’t necessarily say I disagree either! Though I think he has more then enough talent this year to get his first cup.
by packallday555 on Apr 7, 2010 5:22 PM EDT up reply actions
Yeah this year will be telling. The Caps have as much talent as anyone in the league. It’ll be fun to watch how it all plays out. I just hope our PK doesn’t sink us.
A pretty girl is like a violent crime.
I think our PP woes are more of a problem than your PK ones. At least you guys can just tally up a bunch of goals.
"Half the game is mental, the other half is being mental." - Jim McKenny
I still dont think the Pens have an answer for Ovies 1 timer. It seems like he scores the same exact goal like 20 times a season. Theres just not much you can do to stop it on the PK. Just hope it gets blocked or misses the net. We’ll see hopefully
by genomachine-O on Apr 8, 2010 7:23 AM EDT up reply actions
i miss zigomanis.
Leafs fan living large in the Pitt and pretending like the drought is over. Go Pens!
I agree i see him hanging out on the blue line alot, but he does have less D responsibility than Crosby does as a Center. If we’re comparing a center and winger for best player then it’s going to be tough because they do slightly different things and have different responsibilities. But that empty netter with .2 seconds pissed me off, how shitty would that be if that was the difference maker in the race.
Phil Bourque
I guess Ovechkin puts out more effort on defense when there’s an empty net on the other end of the ice. I sure didn’t that hustle for the puck on Shea Weber’s goal in the Olympics.
Way to cherry pick one example. I have no idea how I could ever respond to such a robust argument.
A pretty girl is like a violent crime.
OK, I got more
Same game, way to hustle and prevent Getzlaf from scoring on a rebound.
Also, Crosby’s coup de grace in game 7 last year. I recall him stripping the puck from a certain forward near the blue line, but he was never in the same picture as Sid after that.
Also, caught a Caps game last week against Atlanta. Atlanta’s lone goal came after the first Caps D-man committed to a check on the near boards; his partner slid over to the middle to cover for him. Unfortunately, a man on the far side was left open and converted Atlantas lone goal. I’ll let you guess the forward that passively coasted a few feet behind him.
No one here is going to deny that Ovechkin is a great player. Let’s just not delude ourselves into thinking he’s a great defensive player.
I think most people have their minds already made up that Ovie is not a great defensive player. True, at times, he deserves more credit than he gets . Im not going to call him a good defensive player by any stretch though…..he doesnt need to be. The same thing goes with Sid at the beginning of his career a lot of people already made up their minds that hes a whiner and a diver. That will probably stick with him forever thats just the way it is. Just dont think your going to change anyones mind about Ovie in that regard at this point. Especially not Pens fans.
by genomachine-O on Apr 8, 2010 11:53 AM EDT up reply actions
Empty Net Goal situation when down 6 on 5. The team defending should have out there their top PK unit and one of their top scorers. The PKers to play defense along with the scorer, and the scorer to make sure that once the puck is taken away that it gets buried into the empty net. The Caps had out there four guys who regularly kill penalties and Ovechkin. Ovechkin’s job in that situation is to defend and make sure that the puck ends up in the empty net.
The reason Ovechkin has more ENGs than Sid is simple. The Caps have had more opportunities to score ENGs because they’re ahead more and win more games, and they’ve won more games. The most important formula to remember is ENG=WIN
Let's go Caps!
by MikeL-Pivonka on Apr 7, 2010 10:06 AM EDT up reply actions
MikeL, both you and F&B have replied to my post in a way that indicates I criticized Ovie, the Caps, or both. I think I mentioned that the Caps have had more empty net chances, but the Pens are notorious this season and last for failing to hit the empty net when they have had the opportunity. If Sid loses the Richard due to Ovie’s ENGs, then we have only ourselves to blame considering that he got 2 ENG against us.
I will say when it comes to the empty net that Sid’s first instinct is to feed the puck to a teammate that maybe needs one for a hat trick, or hasn’t scored one in a while, or just a guy having a bad game. This drives me NUTS. I know it might benefit the team in some ways, but I also think that a team should be interested in seeing their star win as many awards as he can, not to mention the obvious point that it is better to score the ENG and put the game away than to try to make a pass, not score, and give the other team a chance to come back on you.
Anyway, who’d have thought so much time would be spent discussing empty netters? Yes, in our game thread we were quite upset. Losing to the Caps is bad enough, but giving Ovie a freebie just added insult to injury.
In the end, it seemed obvious the Pens were looking ahead to the game against the Isles.
CapsAreNotMyDaddy
by PensAreYourDaddy on Apr 7, 2010 10:18 AM EDT up reply actions
0-10
I am an Islander fan but this has got to be making the Pen fans really nervous.
by Rickfansince76 on Apr 7, 2010 9:33 AM EDT up reply actions
reply fail. whatever. it’s been a fail kind of night because my name is not sidney crosby or jordan “best decision” leopold.
STAAL FOR SELKE. SIDNEY FOR EVERY OTHER ONE.
by katielynn906 on Apr 7, 2010 12:22 AM EDT up reply actions
Malkin’s sudden illness seems strange to me. In the interview, Bylsma said he was “surprised” because Malkin had participated in the morning skate and in the afternoon, and then suddenly he was too sick to play. And Bylsma seemed slightly annoyed that it was a last minute surprise. Unless Geno had an undercooked filet-o-fish at lunch and suddenly had major stomach problems, it sounds like something else is going on — possibly foot related. I really hope that I’m wrong and that his foot is fine.
Interesting…I had that same question about him participating fully in the morning skate, then deciding not to play at the last minute in the game thread tonight.
I've told [a 9 months pregnant] Nathalie that she can't have the baby on a game night. I'm not missing a playoff game. -Mario Lemieux in 1993
As much as Sid talks about how the individual awards don’t really matter to him, all you had to do was watch his posture as OV put in the EN. That EN goal had to be a slap in the face for Sid. He’s the best player (sorry Leopold) on the ice for 27 consistent minutes, while OV is invisible all night except he rips a nicely placed shot, on a screened goaltender, off a lucky face off win. Every one of OV’s teammates set up that EN goal for him by getting their team in that position. If OV beats Sid or even if they tie, that EN will be looked upon and I hope the Pens feel bad for the way they played.
The Pens lacked heart tonight. I hope their Captain told them that. Did we have a few bad breaks? Yes, but that’s no excuse for not playing like they still could win the division. The Caps looked like they were battling for their division tonight.
Do I think Sid wins the Richard? Yes. The Caps play their last game on Saturday and the Pens is on Sunday. If Sid needs anymore goals, the divisional race will most likely be done, I think he gets him there. My prediction: Sid gets 2 on Thursday and one on one of the road games….whether that’s enough to win it or not, time will tell.
I've told [a 9 months pregnant] Nathalie that she can't have the baby on a game night. I'm not missing a playoff game. -Mario Lemieux in 1993
Keep in mind Thursday is a giveaway night, and there is a history of hat tricks on giveaway night. Granted, I don’t want to see aluminum tickets raining down on the ice, and my head, but let’s hope Sid gets three.
CapsAreMyDaddy
by PensAreYourDaddy on Apr 7, 2010 12:36 AM EDT up reply actions
thank goodness, you’re going. more superstitious than sid? me? nah.
STAAL FOR SELKE. SIDNEY FOR EVERY OTHER ONE.
by katielynn906 on Apr 7, 2010 12:41 AM EDT via mobile up reply actions
When I was in college in Rochester, NY, the Amerks had a puck giveaway night, and that night two different Amerks had hat tricks. I never saw that many pucks on the ice at one time before. The players were all covered up as pucks came out of the crowd…
Let's go Caps!
by MikeL-Pivonka on Apr 7, 2010 10:08 AM EDT up reply actions
Geez, I’ve been hit by so many hats, messenger bags and tote bags this year, I don’t want to think about pucks flying down from the cheap seats!
The commemorative tickets, on the other hand, wouldn’t be too bad. I know a lot of people who would pay decent money for those.
CapsAreNotMyDaddy
by PensAreYourDaddy on Apr 7, 2010 10:20 AM EDT up reply actions
Before I went to college my school used to have a group of students that would die tennis balls red and pelt the opposing goalie with them after a goal. For some reason the NCAA deemed that unacceptable and made us stop. I wish I could have been in on that fun.
A pretty girl is like a violent crime.
Having flashbacks of Tommy Barrasso hiding in his net to avoid being pelted by rats.
CapsAreNotMyDaddy
by PensAreYourDaddy on Apr 7, 2010 12:40 PM EDT up reply actions
Sadly thats one of my most vivid memories of the Pens as a kid.
by genomachine-O on Apr 7, 2010 1:59 PM EDT up reply actions
Mine as well. Being too young to really remember the in’s and out’s of the earlier Cups I was so excited in ’96 to be a part of what surely would have been a Cup run.
Pittsburgh/Colorado that season would have been absolutely epic. Oh well.
"Don't matter who did what to who at this point. Fact is, we went to war and there ain't no turnin' back. I mean, s---, it's what war is, you know? Once you in it, you in it. If it's a lie, then we fight on that lie. But we gotta fight."
haha yup. I remember watching the early cups but I was only like 5 or 6 then I dont remember anything specific about them at the time, Against the Odds was a great movie though. I probably watched that and the other movie I cant think of the name about the Pensfirst two cups honestly like 1,000 times when I was younger.
by genomachine-O on Apr 7, 2010 2:21 PM EDT up reply actions
I think I speak for all of us “old timers” (sheesh, only 38!) when I say no more comments about how young you were when something happened, unless it was a really, really, really long time ago, like the 70s or something.
Thanks for your support.
CapsAreNotMyDaddy
by PensAreYourDaddy on Apr 7, 2010 4:12 PM EDT up reply actions
Oh boy
That’s probably because my age as a measure of maturity is probably more like, I don’t know, 21…on a good day.
I’m still younger than Billy Guerin!
CapsAreNotMyDaddy
by PensAreYourDaddy on Apr 7, 2010 4:47 PM EDT up reply actions
Pittsburgh/Colorado that season would have been absolutely epic.
Almost as much so as Pittsburgh/LA – Mario/Wayne would/should have been in ’93.
Fu**ing David Volek!
CapsAreNotMyDaddy
by PensAreYourDaddy on Apr 7, 2010 4:13 PM EDT up reply actions
LAK shouldn’t have even made that Cup! That was Doug Gilmour’s time to shine!
A pretty girl is like a violent crime.
Agreed. That Leafs team was stacked.
Gilmour and Andreychuck were magic that year. Feix the Cat in net. (as a rookie, I think)
More reason to hate Kerry Frazier, he of the hair helmet.
The world is a dangerous place to live - not because of the people who are evil but because of the people who don't do anything about it. - Albert Einstein
Gretz, Lucky Luc, Kurri, Blake, Sandstrom, Sydor, Zhitnik, Tony G. The Kings weren’t too bad either. I played this series many times on Sega and the Leafs went down every time.
CapsAreNotMyDaddy
by PensAreYourDaddy on Apr 7, 2010 10:48 PM EDT up reply actions
To get to the cup, you had to be good. I am not discountign the Kings, by any means. I was a huge Doug Gilmour fan and I clearly (or maybe in my biased view) remember the non-call on Gretzky’s high stick in Game 6. Kerry Frazier was looking right at Gretzky when he hit Gilmour in the face. Kerry made no call and shortly thereafter, Gretzky scored to tie in Game 6. (Leafs up 3 games to 2 in series) Kings went on to win the game and the series. If that penalty was called, and it should have been, the Leafs most likely win that game and the series.
Considering his unbridled penchant for calling every possible penalty on Mario, that series gave me even more reason to hate Frazier.
The world is a dangerous place to live - not because of the people who are evil but because of the people who don't do anything about it. - Albert Einstein
Geez so many errors…
“except when he”
“If OV beats Sid for the Rocket or even if they tie, that EN will be looked upon and I hope the Pens feel bad for it.”
“I think he gets them.”
That is what happens when you’re angry and you type too fast =]
I've told [a 9 months pregnant] Nathalie that she can't have the baby on a game night. I'm not missing a playoff game. -Mario Lemieux in 1993
The caps’ last game is Sunday!
To be or not to be. That's not really a question.
Follow me on Twitter! I even say some relevant stuff sometimes!
Founding member of the Tyler Sloan Fan Club
For a couple seconds I was pretty confused, I have tickets to the game Sunday and for a few seconds thought maybe I had it wrong.
To be or not to be. That's not really a question.
Follow me on Twitter! I even say some relevant stuff sometimes!
Founding member of the Tyler Sloan Fan Club
Seriously? Last time I trust NHL Network…maybe they meant last home game. Oh well.
I've told [a 9 months pregnant] Nathalie that she can't have the baby on a game night. I'm not missing a playoff game. -Mario Lemieux in 1993
They just have two home games left, Friday and Sunday!
To be or not to be. That's not really a question.
Follow me on Twitter! I even say some relevant stuff sometimes!
Founding member of the Tyler Sloan Fan Club
Dude wtf?…NHL Network had it down as Saturday! Seriously, unless I’m seeing things or had the wrong team or something. I’m pretty sure I heard correctly.
I've told [a 9 months pregnant] Nathalie that she can't have the baby on a game night. I'm not missing a playoff game. -Mario Lemieux in 1993
NHL network is wrong then!
To be or not to be. That's not really a question.
Follow me on Twitter! I even say some relevant stuff sometimes!
Founding member of the Tyler Sloan Fan Club
Hooks, you had me with the title, but this was a solid recap.
I’m really shocked about Gooch. He’s lost a step but I can’t believe he’s fallen so far. I think it’s more likely that Bylsma is just resting guys because no matter what the seeding ends up these games are irrelevant for PIT. They can turn it on and win the Cup from any seed. Orpik only had 18 and change so it doesn’t look like Bylsma was riding his horses (but he probably should have given McKee a few more minutes to tune up if that’s the case, no?).
Can’t fault you for pointing out some bounces that went against PIT, but the same can be said the other way. Semin made that bounce off Talbot’s skate happen by hustling to win that battle, good on him. Shamo kicked Leopold’s first goal back through Varlamov’s legs. (That should be a familiar site for you guys.)
Schultz was awesome and I think his loss last year was bigger than anyone is acknowledging. He did face Crosby some today but you’re right that he wasn’t strictly matched against Sid. I wouldn’t expect Pens fans to notice, but noted Caps whipping boy Tyler Sloan had a very strong game against Sid today, especially in the first period. I don’t know where that came from. Sid had an amazing game again. I find myself wondering why the hell the Caps keep turning the puck over to him in the neutral zone, but a lot of the credit goes to him for his ability to read the play and pounce on Tom Poti’s spastic passes. Say what you want about their respective careers, but Theo is vastly outplaying MAF at this time of the year. If this keeps up the Caps will be almost impossible to beat in a best of 7, no matter what Mario D says.
A pretty girl is like a violent crime.
Sometimes I think Poti is actually one of the Penguins better players, or any opposing team’s player for that matter :).
by packallday555 on Apr 7, 2010 12:51 PM EDT up reply actions
If anyone here is interested...
After looking at all of the comments about Caps fans complaining about the number of penalties called on the Caps vs Pens in the series – check out this link -
http://www.russianmachineneverbreaks.com/2010/04/06/caps-vs-pens-the-fix-is-in/
RMNB did a purely statistical analysis of both the Caps and Pens penalties vs each other and the rest of the league. If you can get past the title, the numbers are really pretty astonishing.
I'm the first to admit when I'm wrong.... except when someone else beats me to it.
by Backhanded Complement on Apr 7, 2010 1:05 AM EDT reply actions
Many, many assumptions go into that analysis. Even accepting the results as they are, while it’s possible that the referees deliberately allow the Penguins to get away with more against the Capitals, the data presented do not allow us to rule out alternative explanations (as the author of the analysis acknowledges). It’s certainly not enough for me to conclude that the referees are biased in favor of Pittsburgh.
Tonight, Caps fans are mad that they didn’t get enough power plays, and Pens fans are mad about the early whistle that cost us a goal. This is one of those things where it’s so subjective that fans will always have very different opinions about what was deserved.
So i guess it’s out of the question to think that they actually DO commit more penalties?
by JasonGoPens on Apr 7, 2010 9:37 AM EDT up reply actions 2 recs
Of course not, didn’t you read the fix is in.
Which is why the refs allowed that TK goal to count after the whistle blew.
"Don't matter who did what to who at this point. Fact is, we went to war and there ain't no turnin' back. I mean, s---, it's what war is, you know? Once you in it, you in it. If it's a lie, then we fight on that lie. But we gotta fight."
If the Pens got any kind of average goaltending last night they probably could have won that game. To me it looked like the caps were going at about 80%. I dont think the Pens played awful last night. The third line played pretty well. Especially Staal, if TK could make a decent pass Staal would have had a ton of good looks. I think Talbot played like the Superstar of old. Leopold played very good and Sid was awsome.
You can look at it the other way very easily, but the Pens had a lot of o-zone time with the third and fourth lines. Not a completely disheartening game last night.
Ovies empty net goal made me sick though. I know Sid will always say that personal awards dont mean anything to him. That had to irk him some, to say the least. He was by far the best player on the ice last night. His reward for 27 mins of busting his ass all night, was to pointlessly pull the goalie for an easy EN for Ovie. That pissed me off it had to piss Sid off. With 20 seconds left, its not going to happen, that was just stupid on DB part.
Not much to say about this one. Caps got a bounce or two, and capitalized on our mistakes (That Gogo one was horrible) Pretty much it.
Oh yeah, no use complaining about the no goal call. We’ve been on the other end of that one at least twice this year.
Gogo is a bum and he fell down, i think my dislike of him is well documented on this blog.
As for the no goal that whistle was a little quick, but like you said, we’ve been on the better end of that stick more times this year.
I generally feel okay about #3, but last night’s game seemed exceptionally bad to me. Falling down aside, he seemed hesitant and uncomfortable with the puck, unwilling to shoot, unwilling/unable to put himself in a position where he had a shooting/passing lane open, holding onto the puck when he should probably have gotten rid of it, and getting rid of the puck when he probably should have kept it. When I say I’m surprised he was a +1, what I mean is that I’m having a hard time believing the stats are accurate. I actually kind of felt bad for him by the end of the game — but not so much that I am particularly happy with him the morning after.
Leafs fan living large in the Pitt and pretending like the drought is over. Go Pens!
Signs
So where are all the PENSBURGH signs behind the bench? Not allowed to do some free advertising anymore? Anyone else notice that the signs weren’t there?
CHUEY
by Christopher Lawrence Huey on Apr 7, 2010 8:32 AM EDT reply actions
Dude, I live near DC. I can’t go to every game. ;-)
I’ll try my best to be at every Caps game when we face them in the ECF.
by PensAreYourDaddy on Apr 7, 2010 9:24 AM EDT up reply actions
It’s a good sign though when people notice the signs AREN’T there.
"Don't matter who did what to who at this point. Fact is, we went to war and there ain't no turnin' back. I mean, s---, it's what war is, you know? Once you in it, you in it. If it's a lie, then we fight on that lie. But we gotta fight."
This is horribly off topic, but...
I have to celebrate….I JUST GOT TICKETS TO GAME 2!!!
WOOHOO!
CapsAreNotMyDaddy
by PensAreYourDaddy on Apr 7, 2010 10:04 AM EDT up reply actions
I just got tickets to the same game. I’ll be in B17 though.
"Don't matter who did what to who at this point. Fact is, we went to war and there ain't no turnin' back. I mean, s---, it's what war is, you know? Once you in it, you in it. If it's a lie, then we fight on that lie. But we gotta fight."
The bomber section....nice
I’ll be in A28, so I’ll get to harass the Sens (or whoever) on their way to the locker room.
CapsAreNotMyDaddy
by PensAreYourDaddy on Apr 7, 2010 11:14 AM EDT up reply actions
I did notice a lovely lady in a “I love Hockey” shirt. Musta been the shirt…
A pretty girl is like a violent crime.
I think Bylsma needs to learn how to adjust. He needs to stop shuffling lines so much, and he needs to give someone a cookie whenever they shoot the puck instead of passing for a pretty goal. If you notice the Caps they shoot more and get rewarded more because they get the dirty goals. Except against the Pens, because usually our defense just lets them walk in.
I think Bylsma needs to learn how to adjust. He needs to stop shuffling lines so much,
I think that’s a function of only having 11 forwards and finding out about it at the last moment. Hard to keep things cohesive and units the same when you only have 11.
"Don't matter who did what to who at this point. Fact is, we went to war and there ain't no turnin' back. I mean, s---, it's what war is, you know? Once you in it, you in it. If it's a lie, then we fight on that lie. But we gotta fight."
48 each
Sid and Alex both net #48…Stamkos 47th. This is a nice race to watch at the en dof the season
The game itself probably did not mean that much to the players, in the sense that they are both in the playoffs. Sid and ovie obviously for the scoring race. MAF a horrible performance that we had not seen since his early days. The rest as described in the story by Hooks. My guess is that given the previous hx. oh Ovie and Malkin, and his recent foot injury , Blysma gave him a night off, also he rested Serge. (only played 7 mins.). It does not make me happy, but I’m not panicking we’ve seen talented Penguin teams in the past turn the switch on when it mattered.
Place the blame solely on Fleury. He looked horrible — another bad game for him. Both the Semin and Fleischmann goals were well placed, but he was out of position on both and the Knuble goal was atrocious.
I think the Pens looked good other than the goaltending, though. They creamed the Capitals hit-wise (I’m not going to bother looking at the stats, because hit numbers are a joke), and put a lot of pressure on them. Crosby looked terrific and Fedotenko had his best game in a long time.
Hell, I think every forward line played well.
McKee looked flat-footed every situation and Gonchar, while effective on the power play, looked bad otherwise.
This is a team in trouble for the playoffs.
While I agree that MAF played horribly, the D left him out to dry. Semin got a wide open shot because Letang was caught in the offensive zone and did not catch back up to the play. Fleischmann’s wide open look at the net was a result of Eaton leaving his position to support the play along the boards only to have the puck find its way to the spot he left open. Fleury had a good look at all three goals and let the team down big time, but the Defense let Fleury down too.
I don’t know if I’m comfortable fulling blaming it on Fleury. Semin’s goal, where GoGo forgot how to skate all of a sudden? Not necessarily his fault, thats leaving your goalie out to dry. (side note, what on video keeps GoGo in the line-up? He still wouldn’t shoot last night on the PP, and obviously had one big disaster defensively) Yes, the 2nd goal you CANT give up, and yeah, he was really out of position on the Fleishman’s goal, but that was a heck of a shot. I think this was again, a team meltdown. You could FEEL the momentum rising continually and continually after each positive Pens move, be it a goal or PP, but for some reason, it didn’t seem to click with the players-the momentum that is.
Except for a couple of guys on each team, last night’s game felt nothing like the usual Pens-Caps battle. It certainly didn’t have the same intensity as the Feb 7 or March 24 games.
CapsAreNotMyDaddy
by PensAreYourDaddy on Apr 7, 2010 10:21 AM EDT up reply actions
It had very little value to both teams, I know the caps are pretty much cruising into the post season. The Pens still have a division to play for, but do you think they really want to play Philly or Montreal, I would think Ottawa is the best match up for the pens. Game last night was play at 75% last night by both teams but still was a better game then most.
Completely agree. It was still a close game but it didn’t have that same spark that these games usually have. I don’t know what to attribute it to, though. It should have been because the Caps didn’t show up because it didn’t matter, but the Caps clearly showed up and cared. They played harder today than they have since maybe the last time we played the Pens. Still an entertaining game, but not the same.
A pretty girl is like a violent crime.
It was Goligoski on the Semin goal.
Letang didn’t play a few well that ended up in his own net (Bradley one stands out in my mind).
Sadly, it’s hard to keep them all straight.
"Don't matter who did what to who at this point. Fact is, we went to war and there ain't no turnin' back. I mean, s---, it's what war is, you know? Once you in it, you in it. If it's a lie, then we fight on that lie. But we gotta fight."
I thought it was Leo and MAF out to dry on that one.
CapsAreNotMyDaddy
by PensAreYourDaddy on Apr 7, 2010 11:15 AM EDT up reply actions
still Semin didnt change his shooting angle, which wasnt very good. didnt deke, didnt look for a pass. Fleurys got to make that save.
by genomachine-O on Apr 7, 2010 11:43 AM EDT up reply actions
Your right, and even more so because Semin pretty much ALWAYS goes top right. It killed me to see Fluery give that one up. He had to have known where he was going with it because even I did!!
by packallday555 on Apr 7, 2010 12:45 PM EDT up reply actions
Yeah, I don’t know why every goalie in the league doesn’t cheat high glove on Semin. He almost refuses to shoot anywhere else.
A pretty girl is like a violent crime.
Refuses really is the right word haha. I watch a pretty good amount of the Caps games with one of my buddies and we always joke about how the only place he can shoot is top right.
by packallday555 on Apr 7, 2010 5:24 PM EDT up reply actions
You see him wind up for a shot and he’ll even wait an extra beat just to make sure he can go top shelf instead of just firing it on net. I’d rather he just shoot more and get pucks on net but he always wants the beautiful goals. He’s like a Brazilian soccer player.
A pretty girl is like a violent crime.
Still scores a ton of goals. Its either a goal or high and wide. I think he could challenge Ovie for the Richard one of these years. If hes could play close to 82gms.
by genomachine-O on Apr 8, 2010 7:27 AM EDT up reply actions
It was Leo paired with GoGo, who couldn’t get back. But Leo shouldn’t have to worry about covering the other side of the ice he wasn’t obligated to roam.
Though, Oprik and Tanger both got beat on the Bradley breakaway, both particularly out of position.
Just disappointing. Too start, Fluery picked a bad game too not show up. When our goalie isn’t playing well, we’re going to be in trouble, especially against a team with a high-caliber offense. Our defense just isn’t good enough. It seems like they always have lapses at the worst moments.
Another thing was we constantly killed any momentum we had built up. Crosby scores on the PP and then just 21 seconds we give up a goal, which puts us down by 2. Then Leopold scores to pull us within one. The 1st line is flying around out there, spending all of their shift in the Caps zone and then Guerin takes a stupid penalty in our own zone!! UGH!! You just knew the Caps would capitalize on that PP, and sure enough, AO scores 5 seconds after the PP starts.
All our games this year against the Caps have been really disappointing. All of them have been high intensity games, and you get the feel when watching them that the two teams are really well matched. The Pens just always seem to always make costly mental mistakes, and against the Caps offense that just isn’t going to fly.
Right there with you on your momentum comments. As an aside: when Crosby scored his 100th point there was a great crowd response, and a long standing ovation. But any momentum he &/or the Pens may have picked up from that was lost while the ice crew replaced a broken pane of glass.
Leafs fan living large in the Pitt and pretending like the drought is over. Go Pens!
The Pens seriously miss someone like Scott Stevens on defense. Someone who would step up and flatten an oncoming forward, rather than skate backwards all the way to his goal and block his goalies sight of an easy, rocketing shot like the Pens defense seems to do all the time. If the Pens defense doesn’t stop allowing the opposing forwards to skate unobstructed all the way to the goal, they wont be going far in the playoffs this year.
I think everyone misses a guy like Scott Stevens. That said, the Pens won the Cup without a guy like that so I wouldn’t get too worked up.
A pretty girl is like a violent crime.
Ugh. No one misses Scott Stevens more than myself and my fellow Devils fans. The guy could completely change the momentum of a playoff series with one well placed body check. While no one could ever dispute the large role Martin Brodeur played in bringing three Stanley Cups to New Jersey, I honestly do not know if the Devils would have one of those championships let alone all three without Scott Stevens there to lead the charge. He wasn’t just one of the best defensive defensemen and greatest leaders ever to play in the NHL, he was the heart and soul of the Devils, and even now, five seasons into his retirement, there are times when his absence is acutely felt. Players like Scott Stevens are one in a million. It’s what makes them that much more special.
The first goal was scored when Alex Goligoski either, at best fell, or at worst, got his ankles broken by Alex Semin.
I thought his ankles have been broken for the past 3 months?
"Half the game is mental, the other half is being mental." - Jim McKenny
Saw a few people mention it, but I saw Tenks have a bit of jump on Sid’s line. He and Sid hooked up for some solid chances in the 1st and early in the 2nd, I really thought Tenks was going to score on a couple that Varly robbed him on.
Also, was Duper on the other wing when Tenks got moved up? He looked lost out there for a few shifts and HCDB took him down and moved Guerin up I think…If I remember right.
Pensburgh.com
Hockey belongs to the Cartoon Network, where a person can be pancaked by
an ACME anvil, then expanded – accordion-style – back to full stature, without
any lasting side effect.
- Steve Rushin
by Hockey Beard in SLC on Apr 7, 2010 3:31 PM EDT reply actions
Yeah, Duper was on the other side. I thought Feds looked really good last night. Maybe DB should continue to play him along side Crosby.
by packallday555 on Apr 7, 2010 5:26 PM EDT up reply actions
So, has anyone else read this article on NHL.com in which Brendan Shanahan compares the goal scoring prowess of Sidney Crosby and Alexander Ovechkin? This has to be my favorite hockey related quote ever:
[A]ny coach will tell you, if you want to score goals (the area around the net) is the area to go to. It’s great to have the ability to score from the perimeter, but if you want to do it for 20 years you have to get down there. It’s like the little black dress; it never goes out of style.
Sounds like someone has been dipping into Sean Avery’s not-so-secret stash of fashion rags. As a self-proclaimed fashion aficionado, I don’t know if I entirely agree with this statement, though. I mean, just what kind of LBD (little black dress) are we talking about here, Shanny? Is it a Givenchy inspired frock a la Audrey Hepburn in Breakfast at Tiffany’s or some trashy little D&G number? We need specifics, darling!
(Please excuse me if this post comes across as totally off topic and not just a little bit random. I’m off my meds.)
I don’t know about that. Seems like the guys in there get pretty beat up, although less so as rules are in place to prevent that. Sid had it right—try and stay a little to the perimeter in the regular season, but go hard to the net in the playoffs/Olympics. That’s how you save your body the beat-up guys like Holmstrom and Smyth get.
Cидни Kросби: Александр Oвечкин, он твой папа теперь
Capitals Coming: for Capitals fans no more intelligent than myself
by red army line on Apr 8, 2010 9:09 AM EDT up reply actions
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