Dabura

Getzlaf and Perry would've eaten the Pens for lunch. The Wings are the best defensive team in the league and Getzlaf still torched them. I'm done. Good lord you're a dope.

My point was that you scored that much against EC teams. Try putting up those kinds of numbers against the Ducks.

Bookmarked for posterity.

In the Eastern Conference.

Also worth remembering: the Pens weren't getting talked up a whole lot a few weeks ago. That's because the East was looking like a four-way free-for-all. That is to say, the Pens weren't even necessarily the favorites to come out of the East until they went up on the 'canes 2-0. So, what, you expect people to buy the argument that the Pens are "TTLY THE BEST IN THE LEAGUE!"? I know Pens fans who weren't even sure their guys could beat the Bruins, let alone the Red Wings.

Seriously? What the s***?

You've worn out your welcome, troll. For the record, though, I'm from PA. So when I rant about the EC, it's because I see it. A lot.

You have shown us all The Light. Thank you, my friend. Truly. Now kindly GTFO.

That's rough, man.

I've said it before, but no team in the league can begin to compete with the Wings in terms of pure skill. If you're going to beat the Wings in a best of seven, you need to be built like the Ducks and play like them.

To answer the topic question: Buy him a couple drinks.

The 'hawks have to win three straight against the Wings. I don't mind superstition, but I don't see any harm in talking about what basically is an inevitable matchup.

He's right, though. The Pens have the luxury of playing in the defense-starved and generally pathetic Eastern Conference. They're about offense first and second -- and maybe third, if they can be bothered to put forth the effort needed to actually play solid team D (and even then, we're talking about the EC. That's borderline posturing compared to the kind of defensive battles you get with a series like the one the Wings just won against the Ducks). The Pens ride three players. Fleury, who has done nothing to prove he's a legitimate elite goalie in this league, is counted on to compensate for weak team D. It works against EC teams. It won't work against the Wings. The two star forwards, both of which were thoroughly frustrated in last year's SFC, shouldn't scare the Wings. Despite what the pundits want the general hockey fan population to think, these two guys are not significantly improved from last season. The heartbreak of losing in the SCF doesn't somehow magically make someone leaps and bounds better one season later. They may be more reliable scorers (in the EC), and Crosby may have finally emerged from puberty. But that's not enough. Lest we forget, Malkin completely disappeared in the last SCF. Crosby scored a few times, but spent most of his time looking utterly frustrated. Hossa was the Pens' biggest scoring threat against the Wings. And now he's a Wing. If I'm a Pens fan, I'm rooting my heart out for the 'hawks.

Shocking.

I've noticed you really like this angle. The refs weren't stellar today; they made some soft calls, let some stuff go. Overall, not so bad. They did do a good job of keeping things under control.

*wimpification I laughed when Mike said that.

I think the general opinion is that this is one of the best Wings games ever.

I agree that it was a soft call, but he's just being bush league right now. Send him to the green on Wednesday, Wings.

He can't see beyond his 'stache. Like, it literally blocks his vision.

Hope this hasn't already been posted: http://www.nhl.tv/team/console.jsp?id=42560 Interviewer sounds like PC from the Mac commercials.

(^^^ = basking)

Oh no you didn't.

"I think we witnessed probably the worst call in the history of sports there."- Joel on the Walker penalty I think we're witnessing some of the worst coaching in the history of sports. ...there

He was terrible in the last series. He's in his eleventh hour. By not playing him regularly, Babs is doing what's best for the team. That's just the way it goes. /story

I'm assuming "He was dehydrated" is a euphemism for "We were being careful."