[NHL] Let's get this discussion started.

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Matth3w

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Crosby has a ring, Ovechkin has an ugly face and no ring. /discussion
 
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Matth3w

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I don't know crap about football nor do I care to.
 

jnd121

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Am I the only Islanders fan in this forum?

Oh well... at least you know I'm not a frontrunner! :)

LET'S GO ISLANDERS!!!
 
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Matth3w

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Hey you guys have a nice future. Just not this year.
 

jnd121

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We have a young team. Hopefully next year will be a good year for us...
 

Backnblack

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Pens to Repeat!!!!!!!
 

Martin030908

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Pens will not repeat. Mark my words. They won't make the final in the east this year.

The east has gotten a lot stronger this year.
 
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Matth3w

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By Tim Panaccio
CSNPhilly.com

The way Marty Biron sees it, Sidney Crosby is the most misunderstood lad on the planet and doesn’t deserve all those boos the Penguin center expects to hear Tuesday night in Philly.

“The competitive nature of a guy like Sidney Crosby, sooner or later, he is going to want to bring that team out of whatever funk they’re in,” Biron said. “You’ve got to be ready for those big guys to step it up. Especially, the rivalry and the emotion it’s going to bring up.”

It’s always emotional for Crosby, who still gets heckled by fans, even though this is his fourth season in the NHL. It should be worse tomorrow given the Penguins have fallen out the playoff seedings.

When the Flyers last played Pittsburgh on Dec. 13, both teams were battling for second place in the Atlantic Division. Since then, the Penguins have plummeted to fourth and 10th overall in the Eastern Conference. And it all falls on the 21-year-old shoulders of Crosby, their captain.

“The thing is, you play against him a little bit and the first, few times, you think he is whining around and complaining a lot and then you realize, he is always involved in the physical part of the game,” Biron said of Crosby.

“His nose is always in the crease, trying to dig at the puck, he’s always going to get involved in pushing matches and cross checks and all that. He doesn’t shy away from it.


“And because of that, because he is one of the faces of the NHL and always a competitor, fans are going to have a tendency to try and get him off his game more. You can the same type of player, but if he stays away from the dirty stuff, fans won’t notice.”

Fans don’t go out of their way to hassle Evgeni Malkin or even Alex Ovechkin. Razzing Crosby, however, has become a “Philly Favorite.”

“Malkin, is not as marketable as Crosby,” Biron said. “A guy like Ovechkin does his own thing. Crosby is one guy I’ve gotten into pushing matches with. Just a war of words. That’s because he is always in my face and you get sick of it after a while.”

These days, the Penguins, according to sources around the league, aren’t getting along very well with coach Michel Therrien, who may be on his way out of the Igloo.

Nothing has gone right for the Pens, lately. They’ve lost five of their last six games; are 2-8 in their last 10; they’ve had an 0-for-33 power play slump; their penalty killing (ranked 23rd) is brutal; and the goaltending duo of Marc-Andre Fleury and Danny Sabourin has been bad, hence a 3.01 team goals against average and a mediocre .898 save percentage.

“It’s obviously tough it you’re not believing what the coach is trying to sell you, but I have no idea what is going on over there, so I don’t want to say things,” said Mike Richards. “But it’s tough if coaches and players are on different pages.”

Richards and Crosby have developed a pretty good rivalry between themselves – some would say dislike – as former Team Canada teammates. It dates back to the Flyers' 40th Anniversary disaster, err season, when the Penguins swept the eight-game season series – a franchise first.

On Dec. 13, 2006 during an 8-4 rout in Pittsburgh Sid the Kid came within one point of tying the Flyers’ opponent record held by Red Berenson for most points in a game, as he amassed six points.

Twice that season, the Flyers held Crosby scoreless but Pittsburgh still won, including a game where Crosby had the deciding goal in the shootout.

On Nov. 10 of last season, the Flyers finally beat the Penguins, 5-4 as they got four power play goals while Crosby and Richards went at it after Jason Smith whacked Crosby across his hands without a call and chippiness erupted.

“Do I enjoy playing against him? It’s a nice challenge, obviously, he’s a good player but I don’t know if I would say I ‘enjoy’ playing against him because he’s too good a player to enjoy,” Richards said. “You always have fun playing against the best in the world.”

Richards says he hears the abuse Crosby takes on the ice and admires how the center handles it.

“To tell you the truth, he does a great job blocking it out,” Richards said. “If I had that many people yelling at me and saying some of the things he hears, it would be a little distracting. But he does a good job at blocking things out and being mentally strong.”

Flyers coach John Stevens says he sees how Crosby and Richards seem to have a developing on-ice rivalry.

“They seem to really get up for these games,” Stevens said. “They get up for each other … To see young guys play hard with that much passion, it’s enjoyable to watch.”

Stevens also backed what Biron said – that Crosby is misunderstood.

“I’ve heard about Crosby and how hard he works on his game and sometimes, when he is frustrated, it’s a reflection of how much passion he has to play the game,” Stevens said.

“He’s not just one of the best players in the league because of his skill level, [it’s how ] he competes and how hard he works and the passion he has for the game.”
 
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Matth3w

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Pens will not repeat. Mark my words. They won't make the final in the east this year.

The east has gotten a lot stronger this year.
Most likely not, but not because of any of the other teams, but rather because the Penguins have gotten worse on the power play and on defense. They just aren't playing at the top of their game. Now if the Pens come out and start playing like they did the first couple months of the season, there isn't anyone in the league that can beat them.
 
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Matth3w

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I tried to find a Stanley Cup tribute for the Capitals but I couldn't find one...hrmmm....then I realized in their entire history they've only even made it to the conference finals twice, and to the Stanley Cup finals once, where they were swept. :lol:
 
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