Is anyone watching the Caps and Pens

[TheOwl 77]

It's not necessarily Crosby that's wrong with the NHL (I'll agree some of the stuff he does we could do without...the over-exaggerated dives and the punches to the back of the ass namely), but what's wrong is the absurd amount of hype the NHL, Versus, and NBC give. You can't watch ANY hockey game on NBC/Versus without hearing what Sidney Crosby is up to, what magazines he has in his bathroom, what he ate for breakfast, what his farts smell like, etc.

Remember during the European openers? I watched one of the Panthers/Hawks games and during the first two intermissions, they showed different Sidney Crosby interviews.

Let's also not forget the NBC Crosbycams. And all the times they show him on the bench. And all the times they show him Crosby. There's a reason NHL on NBC has a drinking game.

I agree. He's not even the most exciting player to watch. The problem I have is, Crosby is not Gretzky, yet their promoting him as if he is. The second "Great One". And guess what, the promotion isn't working. If Crosby was so great, then how come the NHL isn't becoming more popular and growing? The NHL is still a "niche" sport. People love it, or know nothing about it in the US.

Crosby isn't helping build the league. He might be helping sell Penguins tickets, but other then that, he's not the savor of the NHL Bettman thinks he will. Where's the ESPN deal? Why's the salary cap decrease every year? This Crosby fever isn't helping the league. Promote more then one damn player.

No one is going to see Crosby highlights and think "Wow hockey is amazing, I should go to more Nashville Predator games." Crosby helps promote the Penguins. Promote some other damn people for once. Not everyone are Washington and Pittsburgh fans.

[edicius 3,269]

Crysby injured

Did he hurt himself diving after getting touched by a Caps player's discarded eyelash?

[gcom007 1,465]

Damn, talk about blowing a great opportunity...

[BuckeyeWingsfan80 209]

Chimera had a WIDE open net and the puck on his stick :pissed:

[Guest Lidstromboli]

chimera and filppula must practice together

[Yzermania 156]

And guess what, the promotion isn't working. If Crosby was so great, then how come the NHL isn't becoming more popular and growing?

for the most part, pittsburgh already has their fans so crosby isn't gonna change anything. not only in the city of pittsburgh but in the east coast. When Gretz came to Los Angeles, it was a big deal because he kind of changed the market for west coast hockey and all of the sudden all these little california kids wanted to play hockey. Nothing is really gonna have an impact like that at this point, nothing can make that big of a change for the NHL. They've been on a downward fall for a while, the Winter Classic was a cool idea but even that is gonna get stale now.

[BuckeyeWingsfan80 209]

from seeing Chimera's play in Columbus, I'm certain he would have missed the empty net anyway

[gcom007 1,465]

chimera and filppula must practice together

[StevieY'sguy 1]

The NHL would be better without Crosby. I would feel joy if he got injured for a long long period of time. He is what's wrong with the NHL. Get Crosby and his stroking partner Bettman out of here.

If it wasn't Crosby it would be somebody else..the NHL is trying to raise it's profile in society and they need to push a face that the public can identify with their league, it happens to be Crosby. It is no different with the NBA ( LeBron and Kobe) or the NFL ( Manning and Brady); of course once that player has been "chosen" everything they do is under a microscope which leads to more intense criticism....Crosby is not the biggest complainer in the NHL, not by a longshot but because the Pens are always on national TV people see him complaining the most, which leads to that assumption. Also every time Crosby talks to the refs, the anti-Crosby crowd brands it as whining, and don't get me wrong sometimes it is... but he does have a C on his chest and he's proven to be a pretty good captain so far and part of that is interacting with the officials.

I'm sure i'll get a ton of criticism for this post because many people on this site are so quick to pigeonhole Crosby but if you can't at least let yourself see that he and Ovechkin are hands down the 2 best hockey players on the planet then i truly feel sorry for you because these 2 guys have been putting on one hell of a show the last few years and it only figures to get better! I think the true hockey fans will understand and appreciate that.

[Shaman 713]

from seeing Chimera's play in Columbus, I'm certain he would have missed the empty net anyway

The only times he can hit the back of the net is when its totally inconsequential to the games outcome. Its too bad that the Wings are showing how good they are doing that this season

[Whoabot 0]

No one is going to see Crosby highlights and think "Wow hockey is amazing, I should go to more Nashville Predator games." Crosby helps promote the Penguins. Promote some other damn people for once.

Couldn't agree more. Promote Pavel Datsyuk. Show his moves...he HAS them. Stop showing Crosby's "amazing goals", 99% of which are tip-ins from the side of the crease. He isn't exciting and he has no moves. And comparing him to Gretzky is an absolute travesty and it helps to show how much disrespect/ignorance NBC has for hockey.

And having one player as a "savior" will never help a league. That's an obvious statement. You're not promoting HOCKEY, you're promoting CROSBY. Pretty much every non-hockey fan wants to see goals. Pretty goals. Show Kovalchuk, Ovechkin, Heatley, Kessel, Sedins...I don't think I've ever seen Crosby with a goal that made me go "Wow."

Did he hurt himself diving after getting touched by a Caps player's discarded eyelash?

Hey man, those things are pointy.

[BuckeyeWingsfan80 209]

damn that was pretty by Ovie.

Queue up the Crosby replays

[Detroit # 1 Fan 2,204]

Easy to see in this game that Crosby and Ovechkin are the best players in hockey.

[gcom007 1,465]

Man, Penguins are about to pull a Red Wings special...

[Guest Lidstromboli]

CROSBY VS OVECHKIN THE GREATESET RIVALRY

[Shaman 713]

Just wow, Ovie is just a force.

[Rufio 29]

The Caps are obscenely talented.

[Guest Lidstromboli]

why are they playing music during play

[cjm502 165]

He's not injured he just pussed out for that shift. When he didn't get a call he pretended to be hurt for a bit to justify coming straight off and then played the next shift.

In his own defensive zone too....

Remember when Stevie tore his oblique when he was playing D along the boards? As I remember he grabbed it, and went back to playing D....

Did he hurt himself diving after getting touched by a Caps player's discarded eyelash?

Yeah, Crosby is still "the kid". Puss.

[BuckeyeWingsfan80 209]

NBC's camera work today is horrific...

[Shaman 713]

Yeah, Crosby is still "the kid". Puss.

But But But Ref he was looking at me, that is so interference!

[RedWingsFanatic 4]

This has been a fantastic game to watch. I wish the league had, like, half the teams that it does so we could get more match-ups like this.

[Whoabot 0]

but he does have a C on his chest and he's proven to be a pretty good captain so far

Oh, c'mon. He was given his letters because of who he was and the hype he got, not due to leadership. He was given the "A" halfway through his rookie campaign. That should never happen. He probably would've gotten the C as a rookie if not for MARIO F'N LEMIEUX already having it.

[BuckeyeWingsfan80 209]

and there's that damned dryer commercial again

[Guest Lidstromboli]

that was pretty cool