DraperFan MN

Yeah, if I had the option...it would be CBC...no doubt.

If true, further proof that the marketing decisions in the NHL from the top down are THE reason the NHL isn't one of the more successful leagues in sport. One of the more beautiful games played on the planet, and the morons in Toronto and New York cannot get it right.

Ha! I'm glad someone could have a little fun with this.

Defense. I've said it all along. The Pens have not faced a blueline this deep, playing this well, yet this year. They beat the Flyers and Caps, two teams with arguably no commitment to defense. Then the Canes, who played way above their heads and took out the two best defensive teams in the East before the Pens got to 'em, and they were absolutely spent from the two previous seven game series.

Okay, I was giving you the benefit of the doubt in other threads...but now you're officially a troll.

Meh, and Mario himself almost moved them to the Sprint Center in Kansas City. He took a trip there himself to meet with city officials. Mario wasn't as loyal about keeping the Pens in town as many people would like to think he is. Was that always his number one goal? Absolutely, but he wasn't opposed to packing up and leaving town either.

Really? You think that team loses Gretzky or Messier, and they are just as successful? I dunno about that.....

Heh, if you looked at my join date, you'd say I was only since the '02 cup run, which is the furthest thing from the truth.

You're the first Pens fan I have seen admit to that. The Wings had a young captain once upon a time that had many things to work on, and once upon a time, the organization wasn't so sure he was going to overcome some of those challenges to become the player he did. Same with Crosby. He WILL be a great player, a Hall of Famer when it is all said done, I believe. However, I think it is going to take a bit more time.

You just told another poster he/she didn't have any clue about the quality of the Pens organization...so I was looking for some evidence. I'm not saying you won't have the evidence.....eventually, but they have a ways to go. The rest of my response is directed towards the initial post of this thread (which I didn't think you were responsible for, but I'll go back and look.)

Well, I wouldn't call Crosby/Malkin two trick ponies. They are far from that. They are great players who are indeed superstars in this league. Also, don't forget this is a team that follows up those two with a pretty good two way forward in Staal. Now, as far as your comments about defense. I would agree. The Pens have Gonchar (a better offensive defenseman than anything), Scuderi, and Gill. The latter two, Melrose recently called top-flight defenseman. If those two are top-flight defensemen, than I don't know what we would call Lids, Rafalski, Stuart, and Kronwall.

Enlighten me Psychlone. Tell me how the Pens have drafted well, year after year for almost two decades to have this team. Tell me how this GM has carefully groomed these players into regular season and playoff superstars for you and the rest of Penguinland year after year. You can't you say? Well that is right, you can't. This team has fallen into your lap. Previous ownership drove this once proud franchise into the ground so badly, it had no where to go but up, choosing sure fire superstars like cherries off trees. (As a fan of Detroit teams in general, we have one of these as an example, they call themselves Lions.) So Pens fans need to cheer for their team, and have fun doing it. However, don't come to the boards demanding respect for something that hasn't even happened yet. If the Pens win, it will be a feat and worthy of respect for this year, but damnit, Pens fans and the league in general need to show some respect to what IS a modern day dynasty.

I agree with the initial poster's title, but I don't agree with the evidence. Comparing stats from two completely different eras in hockey just doesn't do it. And this comparison many are drawing is very, very presumptuous. If the Pens beat Detroit and Crosby/Malkin go on to win a few cups despite who their supporting cast is, then yeah, maybe you could make that comparison, but even that is a stretch. The Oil made their accomplishments with a core grouping of players who were consistently there, and if there is a current team that could be compared with Edmonton, I would say its Detroit, not Pittsburgh. Detroit IS a modern day dynasty. People shouldn't look any further than that.

Talbot and Campbell have both lost playoff series at the hands of Detroit.

Here is the thing. Pens fans act as if their team is some great model organization, blah blah blah. Pittsburgh's management isn't some group of greek gods pulling hockey genius moves out of their ass to form the teams they have for the last two seasons. Let me remind Pens fans, that your team sucked so bad, for so long, they had no choice but to draft Crosby, Malkin, and Fleury. These were top rated players and Maggie the monkey could have made those picks. Will I give props to the Penguins if they win? Absolutely, because beating the Wings in a playoff series can and does happen, and beating this particular team would be quite a feat. However, I won't give props because they have some great organization that breeds a consistent winner year after year. That just isn't fact. Which begs me to ask Pens fans a question, can you tell us how many years in a row the Red Wings have been to the Stanley Cup playoffs? If you can, think about that and show some respect already. So good luck Pens fans, seriously. If they win this series, I'll come to this board and say congratulations, because you will deserve it. Until then, shut the $&%! up because these Penquins haven't won anything yet.

I am another person who eats too much black bird because of this guy. The last two seasons, especially. I curse the day this guy was born all throughout the regular season, only to watch him come up so big in the playoffs. He was critical last year, and he is critical this year.

Alright LGW'ers, there have ben many of us to take advantage of the chat feature on LGW...and I'm here to invite new and old to jump in to the chat room with me today during game 2. I enjoy the in game chat more than the forums, so I hope to see a bunch of you there! http://www.letsgowings.com/chat/index.php

Can a moderator please pin this?

Players in this league are going to quickly realize that you don't F&$K with Big E.

I've said it many times, (on this board as well as other places), I would rather let paint dry on my eyeballs than watch an entire Minnesota Wild hockey game. I've lived in the Twin Cities and watched as they have filled that building EVERY night during the season, and the ownership and D.R. continued to take advantage of the loyalty by continually icing an inferior product. Ridonkulus.

I just think Huds' numbers speak for themselves: Season GP G A P +/- PIM PP SH GW S S% 2008-2009 82 23 34 57 7 16 6 0 2 155 14.8 Then look at Flips numbers: Season GP G A P +/- PIM PP SH GW S S% 2008-2009 80 12 28 40 9 42 1 0 1 129 9.3 Considering where Huds get his minutes, I think it is hard to let him go....although it will probably happen, and he likely won't have the same success elsewhere that he does here. Shame really.

There, fixed that for ya.

MAKEUP! MAKEUP!

That is exactly what I was thinking when the whole thing broke out. That was a legal f'n hit by Flip the Sabres got all bent about. ....and wow, is Ericsson a beast or what?

I wish it was an April Fool's joke...but it doesn't look like it :-(