Alcona, ON
mesz, I didn't know that but am not surprised. Hockey community is tight knit., good points
(Topic ID: 214403)
Vegas definitely had lots of advantages. The league wanted/needed them to draw an uneducated fan base in quick. Mission accomplished.
I was in Vegas a few weeks back for a company meeting at Paris. Vancouver was in town that night. Being a hockey fan. I really enjoyed seeing lots of Cancucks sweaters walking around the casino. Good for Vegas. Now NFL and the Raiders??? I might be able to do without that! Lol
Quoted from ImNotNorm:I get what you're saying but throwing together a team like that and them clicking the way they are is, in my mind, truly remarkable. Usually chemistry between team mates needs to develop and takes time. It looks like this team has been playing together for years.
And I don't see them making it to the finals and winning the cup.....but who knows?
Thanks and I get what you're saying I mean look at the CAPS ... they have a good team and have had one for several years now and they just cant make it click in the playoffs!
One thing to keep in mind with the Knight as well ..... 4 players (Neal, Fleury, England and Perron) all played together for the Penguins with Perron having the shortest tenure (2 years)! So its not as if they all have never played together!
The crappy entertainment I was referring to was some fiasco outside or the 1st Flyers/Pens game. That was not music. The Preds thing got old quick too. Nobody cares about that shit. Oh yeah, the 2 dumb asses fighting at mid ice before the LA/LV game was a joke too. The game is the entertainment, lose the crap. The outdoor games suck too while we are at it.
Quoted from pinkid:The crappy entertainment I was referring to was some fiasco outside or the 1st Flyers/Pens game. That was not music. The Preds thing got old quick too. Nobody cares about that shit. Oh yeah, the 2 dumb asses fighting at mid ice before the LA/LV game was a joke too. The game is the entertainment, lose the crap.
I agree with ya .... save the money that goes into that stuff and take it off the ticket price as that's where the money comes from to pay for all of it!
Quoted from pinkid:The outdoor games suck too while we are at it.
I actually liked the outdoor game when it was just the Winter Classic! Now it's the Winter, Heritage and Stadium Series ..... they over saturated it and they use the same teams over and over. I went to the games the Penguins played in but wouldn't travel to see them in another!
I give Bettman credit for the Classic but where they screwed up is moving the Winter Classic last year. He had people who weren't big hockey fans knowing that the Winter Classic was always January 1st but them last year moved the date! Dumb move in my opinion!
Unknown City, CA
RIP to my beloved Kings. Made the playoffs twice in the last three years and only won one playoff game. Only scored three goals this year against the Knights. Ugh, time to make some moves....and re-sign Doughty. Once the Ducks are out tonight, I can enjoy the rest of the playoffs!
The reason, I think, the caps fail every post season is because they expect Ovechkin to carry the team. He isn't capable of doing so.
He is a great player....but he fails to make others around him better. He will score, get assists and hit and shoot, but won't back check.
Crosby, on the other hand, can carry a team and make other players around him amazing. He does it all...on both ends of the ice.
When history judges Crosby and Ovie....Ovie will be remembered as a talented goal scoarer...and Crosby will be remembered as a franchise player who carried the Pens to numerous cups.
Quoted from ImNotNorm:The reason, I think, the caps fail every post season is because they expect Ovechkin to carry the team. He isn't capable of doing so.
I disagree. That may have been true 10 years ago but no now. When I think of the Caps I think of mediocre coaches and
Holtby
Vokoun
Varmarlov
Theaodre
Huet
Kolzig
Quoted from ImNotNorm:When history judges Crosby and Ovie....Ovie will be remembered as a talented goal scoarer...
Histoy will judge Ovechken for what he is, one of the greatest goal scorers of all time, and a top 10 goal scorer all time. Someone whom will have more goals than Lemuix, Yzerman, Messier etc etc.
And in case no one bothered to check, they aint out yet. I'm not starting to throw dirt over them being down 2-1 to the historic Bluejackets 
Quoted from TheLaw:historic Bluejackets
I think the only historic thing about the blue jackets is the cannon that they fire in the rink. Lol
Quoted from TheLaw:Histoy will judge Ovechken for what he is, one of the greatest goal scorers of all time, and a top 10 goal scorer all time. Someone whom will have more goals than Lemuix, Yzerman, Messier etc etc.
I agree with you 100% on that.
Quoted from TheLaw:And Tortorella melting down
That's not historic ..... that's every loss!
Quoted from TheLaw:Histoy will judge Ovechken for what he is, one of the greatest goal scorers of all time, and a top 10 goal scorer all time.
Completely agree and actually love watching him play but Ove just misses the mark in every other category and that's what holds him back from being a great all around player! He will be one of, if not the best goal scorer of all time but it will also be without a Championship Ring.
Quoted from TheLaw:mediocre coaches
Valid point as you look at the Caps coaches back to 1980 ... the best a coach winning % has been over their career is .513 which goes to Trotz. Pretty amazing when you think about it as the Caps had some decent years but having an average just over 500 among 10 different coaches is pretty poor!
As a pens fan.....there are two players that make me nervous when they are on the ice, and on edge until they change shift.
1. Ovechkin. That dude has a rocket of a shot and I’m always worried about him either scoring a goal or hurting one of the defenseman trying to block
His shot
2. Kris Letang. I like my defenseman who play defense, hence the name “defense”’man. He a winger by skill and size. He plays with his stick, not his body. Always out of position, but has the speed to make up for many mistakes. Last years playoff run showed the pens don’t need him. I didn’t like the contract they signed him to when they did, and soon after he had all kinds of health problems. He plays fast and loose, and firmly believe that he was a huge part of fleury becoming a headcase a few years back. Defensemen are supposed to settle the back end down, not turn the puck over and get out of position to let other team score. His plus/minus is horrible, and he’s usually in the ice when there are some talented goal scorers in front of him. He was a big part of the pens losing their marbles against Flyers a few years back. He spears people all the time and slashes them. People called crosby a cry baby, but Letang was big part of people viewing the penguins as whiners. I’d rather have Ian Cole, Hainsey, Dailey,etc than Letang. He has an “A” on his sweater. If the pens fall short of winning the cup, Letang will be a big part of it. Look for him when pens have a goal scored against them and you will see him with a stick flailing, or skating through the crease a few seconds late, like the third tow truck driver arriving on the scene of a two car accident. His contract cost them Bonino and Daley and more over the years. Shultz handles the power play point better than he does. Much calmer. I root for Letang to prove me wrong everytime he’s on the ice, but he never fails to piss me off at least a few times every game.
Quoted from ImNotNorm:Thumbs down for a Crosby story?
Haha! The thumbs down was for teasing everyone with the “story for later” part...we called girls in college Richard-Teases for doing that stuff.. haha!
great pic! Would love to hear the rest of the story. I will flip that thumb to the up position now...Wish I could give it 2 thumbs up!
Quoted from TheLaw:Agree with everything you say but he at least helps my Wife watch the games sometimes.
Letang’s wife is no slouch....but I want my defensemen to play defense!
My Ducks are getting absolutely clobbered. After putting forth such an effort to make it in the playoffs in the last few weeks, it's really disheartening to see them choke like this.
All I can hope for at this point is that Vegas puts the Sharks in their place if Anaheim gets eliminated tonight.
Quoted from SpecialK-33:RIP to my beloved Kings. Made the playoffs twice in the last three years and only won one playoff game. Only scored three goals this year against the Knights. Ugh, time to make some moves....and re-sign Doughty. Once the Ducks are out tonight, I can enjoy the rest of the playoffs!
Quoted from Blitzburgh99:Haha! The thumbs down was for teasing everyone with the “story for later” part...we called girls in college Richard-Teases for doing that stuff.. haha!
great pic! Would love to hear the rest of the story. I will flip that thumb to the up position now...Wish I could give it 2 thumbs up!
Haha you're right...was a cocktease move. I was away from the house and figured the story is too long winded & would require a keyboard for me to type it out.
Anyways, to put this story into context you'll need to understand that in 1998-1999 there was wind coming out of Nova Scotia about some kid who was going to be the next Gretzky, Lemieux. etc. He was a phenom and people from all over the Maritimes (PEI,NB & NS) began traveling to go see this alleged kid phenom play. Sometimes they would drive 7+ hours one way just to see him play. All this for a kid playing Peewee...around 11-12 years old. People who would travel to see him would then come back and gush about his skills. It was almost mythical like descriptions of what he did with the puck and how many points he scored in a PERIOD!
So the picture above is when my grandfather (Ted) first met him in 2000 when traveled to see him play somewhere in the Maritimes. Sidney is only 12 years old in that picture. (turns 13 later that year I believe)
Anyways, when they would travel he would get billeted with families across the Maritimes. My grandfather's brother (Armand) was a billet host and took in kids playing midget/junior hockey and when big tournaments we're in town. When Sidney started playing for the Rimouski Oceanic in the QMJHL (2003), they would swing by Bathurst, NB to play the Titans. That's where Armand lived. (Side note: Rimouski Oceanic jerseys are the coolest hockey jerseys in my opinion)
Armand ended up billeting Sidney about a dozen times. So when Armand was billeting Sidney he would drive him to where he needed to go (rink/subway restaurant/whatever). People would ask to drop by and see him but he was very protective of him and kept people at bay. For the most part people we're very respectful and understood that if you wanted to see Sidney........go to the rink when he's in town.
When my grandfather (pictured) wasn't working he would go to the games with Armand. So a few times he shared a car ride with Sidney and on one of those times he made sure to have the picture taken from 2000 with him. He asked for a signature and Sidney was of course gracious enough to sign it.
Fast forward two years later and my grandfather passes away. Armand shares the news with Sidney because they kept in touch via email. Sidney offers his condolences to Armand and the entire family. He actually wrote something out for the family to read and sent flowers.
I remember getting hold of the email Armand had printed and noticed he blacked out Sidney's email with a black marker. But I held it up to the light at the funeral home (because I'm a nosy 23 year old hockey fan) and could make it out. It was a hotmail account...lol. I didn't have the gall to keep it or email him. It crossed my mind for half a second but I then knew that it would have been disrespectful considering the kind gestures he just showed our family.
Anyways, that's the story....just felt like sharing.
Quoted from TheLaw:Agree with everything you say but he at least helps my Wife watch the games sometimes.
Still pissed Ann Arbor's own Ian Cole is gone....and possible revenge in the next round.
I'm a big fan of Ann Arbor. Been there many times on business. Great Irish pub not far from stadium, with a great Japanese chop shop down the street from the bar. Michigan won the final four one night we were out on the town...great times! Been to a few piston games as well...I like the Arena spot right off the highway.
Thank you for that great story Hue.
Maritime folk are the most down to earth, nicest people you could ever meet from Canada.
I cracked open a beer, looked up and said this ones for you Ted!
Quoted from cdnpinbacon:I cracked open a beer, looked up and said this ones for you Ted!
That's downright decent of you bacon! I'll do the same tonight.
Cheers buddy!
Ok here in the States the Devils Lightning game is on the (wait for it) Golf Channel and the broadcast has a shuttering effect to it. Annoying as scheib
ImNotNormQuoted from Jackontherocks:Watching end of Ducks game and maybe series.
Man the Duck's laid an egg!!! Outscored 16-4 
Quoted from Blitzburgh99:Mrs Malkin
I wish that I could give this another thumbs up.
Quoted from Blitzburgh99:As a pens fan.....there are two players that make me nervous when they are on the ice, and on edge until they change shift.
1. Ovechkin. That dude has a rocket of a shot and I’m always worried about him either scoring a goal or hurting one of the defenseman trying to block
His shot
2. Kris Letang. I like my defenseman who play defense, hence the name “defense”’man. He a winger by skill and size. He plays with his stick, not his body. Always out of position, but has the speed to make up for many mistakes. Last years playoff run showed the pens don’t need him. I didn’t like the contract they signed him to when they did, and soon after he had all kinds of health problems. He plays fast and loose, and firmly believe that he was a huge part of fleury becoming a headcase a few years back. Defensemen are supposed to settle the back end down, not turn the puck over and get out of position to let other team score. His plus/minus is horrible, and he’s usually in the ice when there are some talented goal scorers in front of him. He was a big part of the pens losing their marbles against Flyers a few years back. He spears people all the time and slashes them. People called crosby a cry baby, but Letang was big part of people viewing the penguins as whiners. I’d rather have Ian Cole, Hainsey, Dailey,etc than Letang. He has an “A” on his sweater. If the pens fall short of winning the cup, Letang will be a big part of it. Look for him when pens have a goal scored against them and you will see him with a stick flailing, or skating through the crease a few seconds late, like the third tow truck driver arriving on the scene of a two car accident. His contract cost them Bonino and Daley and more over the years. Shultz handles the power play point better than he does. Much calmer. I root for Letang to prove me wrong everytime he’s on the ice, but he never fails to piss me off at least a few times every game.
Letang doesn't scare me half as much as Ollie Matta!!
Quoted from cdnpinbacon:Vintage bacon going chedda-slap upstairs! Can't wait for the Leaf game
Top shelf.....where Grandma keeps the cookies!!!
Quoted from TheLaw:Maata is actually much improved. Once dubbed "the slowest player I have ever seen...ever," he doesn;t look it anymore.
He's still slow but he has improved a great deal with how he moves the puck and has himself better positioned. First half of the season he was hard to watch but halfway through the season he started looking better and by end of Feb just looked so much better. Certainly the most improved player on the Pens team this year!
Hindsight is 20/20, ducks have had a decent season, and same as the Kings, who are veterans and playoff performers. (Just NOT this year)
Quoted from cdnpinbacon:Taking the ducks was just plain dumb. Sorta like taking LA.
I picked both of those teams in my bracket....doh!!
Quoted from ImNotNorm:Is it a boat? Is it a shark? I dunno but I like it...lol
What number was Crosby with Océanic? I’m thinking about getting one of those Océanic sweaters with Crosby name and number on it. Then I’ll be able to flush out the TRUE Pittsburgh hockey fans!! Haha!
Quoted from Blitzburgh99:What number was Crosby with Océanic? I’m thinking about getting one of those Océanic sweaters with Crosby name and number on it. Then I’ll be able to flush out the TRUE Pittsburgh hockey fans!! Haha!
#87 as usual.
Thats Sidney in the picture I posted. I may get a jersey too.
Edit: confirmed with pic
Quoted from ImNotNorm:#87 as usual.
Thats Sidney in the picture I posted. I may get a jersey too.
Edit: confirmed with pic
I kinda figured it was 87 but needed confirmation.
More trivia (I don’t know the answer)..who was the C when he was the A?
Quoted from Blitzburgh99:I kinda figured it was 87 but needed confirmation.
More trivia (I don’t know the answer)..who was the C when he was the A?
Rimouski team captain during the Crosby era was Marc-Antoine Pouliot.
(3) Game 5 games scheduled for Friday evening/night Apr 20th.
None of these three round 1 series match ups are tied at 2 to 2.
Penguins are up 3 to 1 over the Flyers, and game 5 is at Pittsburgh
Jets are up 3 to 1 over the Wild, and game 5 is at Winnipeg.
Predators are up 3 to 1 over the Avalanche, and game 5 is at Nashville.
Speaking of round 1 series currently sitting at 3 to 1, the Tor Maple Leafs lost at home to the Bruins on Thur night. 
Ouch for Maple Leafs and their fans. 
Game 5 Sat night will be in Boston, and on natl tv on NBC.
Will the Leafs wilt Sat night? 
They need to win to stay alive in this series.
Do any of you guys think the Bruins lost game 3 on purpose so they could try to win the series on home ice?
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