Official 2008-2009 NHL thread.

[KK]

Originally posted by: Squisher

Originally posted by: Paratus
The Pens are going to take this one.

1) Crosby is hot.
2) Malkin is hot.
3) Wings are banged up.
4) The Pens are forechecking and aggressive in their opponents end.
5) Pens have been averaging 30-40 shots per game.
6) The Pens are playing disciplined hockey with few penalties.
7) Bylsma and the team have adapted well in each series so far.

While the Wings are an experienced team, they are playing an experienced, talented, healthier team in the Penguins.

Pens take the series.

posted via Palm Life Drive

Crosby was hot when he came into the series last year.

The strength of the Wings is playing team defense. The pens won't be getting 40 shots a night. When your best players play well at both ends of the ice you have your best players on the ice the bulk of the game. The biggest question mark is Datsyuk. The Wings need him. Even without scoring. I'd feel a lot more comfortable with him.

Wings in six.

Last year the pens had trouble getting the puck into their zone with detriot applying pressure. I noticed watching the last series detriot played with chicago, that the pens may have trouble with that this year too. If the pens can figure out how to get the puck in, then I think the pens will come out on top. If they can't, then lets hope the pens gets some lucky breaks and fluery can take onslaught of shots.

 

[uclaLabrat]

The wings faced the ducks, who play a grinding, dig it out of the corners and keep it low style, and pulled it out. Barely. (Bastards!) They faced Chicago and a much more offense-oriented team with more end-to-end play and it wasn't even close. Detroit put the big shutdown on their offense. Crosby and malkin may exploit a few holes in the defense when they appear, which is rare, and when they do Ozzie is in for some trouble. But they won't get enough chances to keep up with the wings. Wings in 5.

 

[Squisher]

Originally posted by: Train
Lidstrom is the only other "old" guy, yet at 38(or is it 39 now?) he put on a defensive clinic in shutting down Crosby last year. And he's still running circles around younger guys these playoffs.

39. Isn't it amazing how well he is playing for an old guy?

Name another 39 year old in any sport that isn't on the juice and is not only playing, but excelling at it and being maybe the best player at his position? Boy, not too many.




EDIT: Lidstrom, Datsyuk, and Draper all skated today.

 

[meltdown75]

i second the "team defense" point re: Red Wings dominance.

i think they're just too deep and committed to their game plan to falter. they are supremely well-coached and disciplined.

they're a machine right now... as close to hockey perfection as you could hope for.

IMHO

 

[Feldenak]

Well shit guys, why even play the series. Hand Detroit the Cup and everyone can go home.

I'm pretty much indifferent towards the Red Wings but the majority of their fans can go lick sweaty goat balls.

 

[NoCreativity]

Originally posted by: Feldenak
Well shit guys, why even play the series. Hand Detroit the Cup and everyone can go home.

I'm pretty much indifferent towards the Red Wings but the majority of their fans can go lick sweaty goat balls.

Yummmm, sweaty goat balls.

 

[JDub02]

this series is going to be fun. the guy 1 cube over from me is a detroit native and a huge red wings fan. i get to be juvenile and put penguins signs over his red wing paraphanalia when he's not around.

 

[Casawi]

Originally posted by: KMFJD
Helm!

Indeed

 

[Casawi]

Originally posted by: allies
Pens in 4. They're playing on a different level right now.

Are you out of your mind ? you must not have watched a single Red Wings game.

 

[Train]

Originally posted by: Feldenak
Well shit guys, why even play the series. Hand Detroit the Cup and everyone can go home.

I'm pretty much indifferent towards the Red Wings but the majority of their fans can go lick sweaty goat balls.

See, this is why the Red Wings win so much... because everyone else gives up too easy.

 

[Quiksilver]

Originally posted by: Squisher

Originally posted by: Train
Lidstrom is the only other "old" guy, yet at 38(or is it 39 now?) he put on a defensive clinic in shutting down Crosby last year. And he's still running circles around younger guys these playoffs.

39. Isn't it amazing how well he is playing for an old guy?

Name another 39 year old in any sport that isn't on the juice and is not only playing, but excelling at it and being maybe the best player at his position? Boy, not too many.




EDIT: Lidstrom, Datsyuk, and Draper all skated today.

http://www.nhl.com/ice/news.htm?id=424244

Ericsson and Lidstrom will play.
Only TBA's are Draper and Datysuk.

 

[Feldenak]

Originally posted by: Train

Originally posted by: Feldenak
Well shit guys, why even play the series. Hand Detroit the Cup and everyone can go home.

I'm pretty much indifferent towards the Red Wings but the majority of their fans can go lick sweaty goat balls.

See, this is why the Red Wings win so much... because everyone else gives up too easy.

I'm just tired of Wings fans talking about how nobody else really deserves to even be on the ice with Detroit.

 

[Train]

Originally posted by: Feldenak

Originally posted by: Train

Originally posted by: Feldenak
Well shit guys, why even play the series. Hand Detroit the Cup and everyone can go home.

I'm pretty much indifferent towards the Red Wings but the majority of their fans can go lick sweaty goat balls.

See, this is why the Red Wings win so much... because everyone else gives up too easy.

I'm just tired of Wings fans talking about how nobody else really deserves to even be on the ice with Detroit.

Who said that? The pens won the east.. so they DESERVE to be there. Someones gotta do it, right?

If you want to talk about tired, can we get the NHL off of Crosby's nuts already?

Stuff like this makes me sick

Lidstrom told Wojnowski that he didn't watch the game as a result of his suspension, and Chris Osgood plain old ripped into the league for its stupid, arbitrary policy being used to "set an example" by suspending two of the league's greatest players while making sure that the Golden Boy wasn't affected by the rule:

"In the salary-cap era, the league is built for different teams to win every year, so it wouldn't be good if we won again, would it?" goalie Chris Osgood said. "You see a lot of commercials with us in it? Most of it is Pittsburgh scoring on us (in the Finals) and we're the team that won. I think we're the New York Yankees of the NHL. People dislike us. We have our fans, but there probably are a lot of people that love to see us lose and love to see us get guys suspended. We look at that as a nice challenge."

I saw my first NHL billboard advertisement on the way back from Cincinnati last November, and what did it show? Golden Boy leveling Brad Stuart. I believe in the conspiracy theory.

http://blog.mlive.com/snapshot...yuk_the_lidstromc.html

 

[sao123]

all i can say is, this isnt the same pens team detroit humbled last year...

there will be no sit back and play trap, they are aggressive, have a disruptive forecheck, and they finally learned to play the physical game. this series could easily go 7.

 

[allies]

Originally posted by: Casawi

Originally posted by: allies
Pens in 4. They're playing on a different level right now.

Are you out of your mind ? you must not have watched a single Red Wings game.

I saw that they didn't steamroll their conference finals opposition near the level the Pens did.

 

[KK]

Originally posted by: allies

Originally posted by: Casawi

Originally posted by: allies
Pens in 4. They're playing on a different level right now.

Are you out of your mind ? you must not have watched a single Red Wings game.

I saw that they didn't steamroll their conference finals opposition near the level the Pens did.

To be fair, the only one they dominated was carolina. Even a kids hockey team could have beaten them.

 

[allies]

Originally posted by: KK

Originally posted by: allies

Originally posted by: Casawi

Originally posted by: allies
Pens in 4. They're playing on a different level right now.

Are you out of your mind ? you must not have watched a single Red Wings game.

I saw that they didn't steamroll their conference finals opposition near the level the Pens did.

To be fair, the only one they dominated was carolina. Even a kids hockey team could have beaten them.

Carolina beat Boston, and IIRC Boston had the best record in the NHL.

 

[Paratus]

Originally posted by: Train

Originally posted by: Feldenak

Originally posted by: Train

Originally posted by: Feldenak
Well shit guys, why even play the series. Hand Detroit the Cup and everyone can go home.

I'm pretty much indifferent towards the Red Wings but the majority of their fans can go lick sweaty goat balls.

See, this is why the Red Wings win so much... because everyone else gives up too easy.

I'm just tired of Wings fans talking about how nobody else really deserves to even be on the ice with Detroit.

Who said that? The pens won the east.. so they DESERVE to be there. Someones gotta do it, right?

If you want to talk about tired, can we get the NHL off of Crosby's nuts already?

Stuff like this makes me sick

Lidstrom told Wojnowski that he didn't watch the game as a result of his suspension, and Chris Osgood plain old ripped into the league for its stupid, arbitrary policy being used to "set an example" by suspending two of the league's greatest players while making sure that the Golden Boy wasn't affected by the rule:

"In the salary-cap era, the league is built for different teams to win every year, so it wouldn't be good if we won again, would it?" goalie Chris Osgood said. "You see a lot of commercials with us in it? Most of it is Pittsburgh scoring on us (in the Finals) and we're the team that won. I think we're the New York Yankees of the NHL. People dislike us. We have our fans, but there probably are a lot of people that love to see us lose and love to see us get guys suspended. We look at that as a nice challenge."

I saw my first NHL billboard advertisement on the way back from Cincinnati last November, and what did it show? Golden Boy leveling Brad Stuart. I believe in the conspiracy theory.

http://blog.mlive.com/snapshot...yuk_the_lidstromc.html

I'm sensing a little Sydney Crosby Derangement Syndrome from you. You may want get that checked out.

 

[mallik]

Originally posted by: Train

Originally posted by: JDub02

Originally posted by: Train
I realize my post was a little on the bold side, but I added some oomph to spur up an otherwise dead discussion. And it seemed to have worked

Overall I have to admit I think the Pens are going to do one of two things: 1) Fold WORSE than they did last year due to early frustration compiled with lingering frustration from last year. or 2) Turn this into a 7 game nail biter kinda like the Ducks did except not as dirty as the ducks.

So either the Wings breeze through in 5, or squeek by in 7. But in the end, Expirience is too lopsided. Crosby was just turning 2 when the wings drafted Lidstrom.

I'm not sure how much that experience is going to count when half the team is eligible for social security. How are they going to handle 3 games in 4 days?

Thats a bit of a stretch, dont you think? Chelios is the only "old" guy and he only dresses when theres 3 or more guys on the disabled list. Yet he almost scored the other night on Chicago... and he's a defenseman.

Lidstrom is the only other "old" guy, yet at 38(or is it 39 now?) he put on a defensive clinic in shutting down Crosby last year. And he's still running circles around younger guys these playoffs.

The wings have shown repeatedly they are the best conditioned team in the league. The Pens certainly won't win by wearing them down.

The pens on the other hand put way too much stock in two guys. Those are the ones likely to get fatigued. The wings could rotate fresh defensemen on Cindy and Malkin all night. And the scary part is... they are all scoring defensemen. What happens when a worn out Crosby turns it over, then the Wings defense takes it end to end? You'll have odd man rushes all night.

Pens might overcome an expirience deficit, and they might overcome a depth deficit, but theres no way in hell they will do both.

Crosby scored more points in the finals than any player on either team, except for Zetterberg (whom he tied). If that is putting on a defensive clinic then I hope Lidstrom "shuts down" both Crosby and Malkin at the same time, since he's so awesomely amazing like that.

The Ducks really only had one guy at that level, and he wasn't even 100% the whole series, yet the Ducks managed to stretch the Wings to the limit. Yes the Ducks had a better defense with veteran leadership, but I think it's comparable to the level of competition the Pens are going to provide.

Goaltending is a wash between Hiller and Fleury, the Ducks had better defense while the Pens have better offense.

Anyways, we'll see what happens but I don't think it will be a cakewalk for either team. Can't wait for tonight.

 

[Paratus]

20 minutes to game 1 guess the score:

Pens 4 Wings 2

 

[sunzt]

LETS GO FU*ING PENSS!!! OOOOHHHH YEEEAAAHHHHHH!!!!

 

[Cuda1447]

WHAT THE FUCK?!?!? WHAT CHANNEL IS THE GAME ON? VERSUS HAS BULL RIDING AND NBC HAS SOME F'N CARTOON. ESPN says its on NBC. Where the fuck is it? Some bullshit childrens hospital is on.

 

[sunzt]

Its on NBC

 

[Cuda1447]

Its not on NBC Fucking Tampa bay is playing some bullshit childrens hospital crap. Sunsports (local channel) picked it up, but unfortunately its not HD Oh well, at least I can watch the game. (Although its hard to tell the players apart in standard definition)

 

[Squisher]

20 minutes and I don't see Crosby and Malkin skating skating circles around anybody. How much holding and interference are they going to let go by both teams? I thought there should have been one penalty that should have been called, when the one of the wings went around the defenseman without the puck and he reached with both hands over his shoulder to hold him back.

As a wings fan I feel good.