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Ash Wednesday

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Ash Wednesday

Well, if the flyers lose would you bring good juju for the Pens? :) I mean they're *kinda local.*

My juju in the u.k. can only go so far. :hehe:

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JP2Iloveyou

Sounds like the Pens played well tonight. I saw they had 54 shots on goal. That is generating some serious offense. I think one of our most underrated players is Ryan Malone. He definitely gets a lot of scoring opportunities playing on the same line as Malkin and Sykora, but he makes the most of them. Everybody talks about Crosby, Malkin, Hossa, Fleury, Gonchar, and, to a lesser extent Staal and Whitney, but I actually think that Ryan Malone is a big key to making our offense go. He also is one of our more physical forwards and is not afraid to mix it up a little. Not to mention, he a Pittsburgh native.

On a side note, the Pirates actually managed to win today. I'm not sure how that accident happened, but I hope they have another one tomorrow.

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Ash Wednesday

[quote name='JP2Iloveyou' post='1497749' date='Apr 12 2008, 02:07 AM']Sounds like the Pens played well tonight. I saw they had 54 shots on goal. That is generating some serious offense. I think one of our most underrated players is Ryan Malone. He definitely gets a lot of scoring opportunities playing on the same line as Malkin and Sykora, but he makes the most of them. Everybody talks about Crosby, Malkin, Hossa, Fleury, Gonchar, and, to a lesser extent Staal and Whitney, but I actually think that Ryan Malone is a big key to making our offense go. He also is one of our more physical forwards and is not afraid to mix it up a little. Not to mention, he a Pittsburgh native.

On a side note, the Pirates actually managed to win today. I'm not sure how that accident happened, but I hope they have another one tomorrow.[/quote]

I love hearing your analysis! Keep them coming!

I called my brother but we were chatting during the...*ahem* Mariners game he was at (sorry, no other baseball team has my allegiance, that's for another thread.. tee hee)

Yes, the fans or anybody else can't just make this about one or two players, i.e. Crosby, Malkin, Hossa, MAF. It's the TEAM. I felt a bit nervous about the eroding lead but hey it's a TEAM effort. I don't care WHO scores or who does the job... God bless em, whatever works, I'm rooting for them! 2-0 is fine with me. Whoever does the job.

The score could have been MUCH worse had it not been for Gerber. Most of that game was all black and gold. Yes the shots on goal were *insane.*

Here's to hoping they stay hungry on the road. Crosby *did* apparently have four points today. :ninja: So if that's not his best.....welll.... jeeez man just keep it coming anyway! I say there are great things to come. Hype or not I can't help but love that kid.


(okay, and this whole team but still.) Go Pens.

Edited by Ash Wednesday
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Ash Wednesday

P.S. I'm pretty sure Crosby is Catholic. :cool: It might explain why he's such a good kid. All the more reason to root for Pittsburgh. I'll stop blabbing now. Someone has to help me, I'm hopelessly hockey obsessed. :wacko: :crazy:

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JP2Iloveyou

Honestly, I was never a big hockey fan until a couple years ago. When I was a little kid, I said I was a Pens fan, but that was just because they were good and I liked Lemieux and Jagr. I really didn't know much about the game. Then, when I was working in Washington, I went to a Capitals game and had great seats, about 15 rows up, right on the blue line. I couldn't believe how fast those guys moved on the ice! It took awhile for the game to really grow on me, but I started to follow the Pens more and more, starting when they drafted Crosby.

Some of the recent rules changes in the NHL have done a good job, I think, in drawing in more fans. For example, essentially taking away the red line and allowing passes through the neutral zone without it being a two-line pass have really opened up the game and allowed more scoring. I personally think that this is a big reason why players like Crosby are so good. I once was talking with another Pens fan who paid Crosby a great compliment. He said, "You wanna know how fast Crosby is? He makes Mario look slow." This of course was during the one year Crosby and Lemieux played together. Anyway, opening up the neutral zone unclogs the smaller ice in the North American game. If you've never done it, compare Olympic hockey to the NHL sometime. I think that part of the reason the European teams tend to do well over there is not because they have more talent, but because European hockey is all about speed, skating, and stick-handling. The North American game tends to be more about hard hits and defense. Carry this over to the huge ice surfaces in the Olympics, and who has the obvious advantage? Of course it's the teams built for speed. So, opening up the NZ has a huge advantage for players whose games are all about speed (i.e. Sid Crosby).

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Ash Wednesday

Thank you for being someone else but me trying to keep this thread alive. We need more Canadians around here or something.

Like I said earlier I became sold as a Pens fan in 1992. I first discovered hockey in 1991, I was about 15 at the time. The North Stars were actually my favorite team (partly because my brother was rooting for them) but after they were moved to Dallas it wasn't the same for me. I still like Dallas but to me it's just not the same. In the 92 Stanley Cup finals it was the Pens vs. the Blackhawks and the Pens had my heart, because they were the only other team I really knew. I was completely mesmerized by Jagr, his smile, that mullet and that goal where he tricked 3 defensemen.

Ever since then, the Pens have been my number 1 team. I do like the Red Wings and Canadiens but I'll only root for them if the Pens are out. And I really loathe the Islanders and Florida Panthers because of bad 90s elimination flashbacks.

When Mario came back from early retirement I about peed my pants.

I was busy getting my master's when we won the Crosby sweepstakes, I barely had time to get sleep when I wasn't studying or working. But now I am able to follow it more and I haven't been this excited since Mario came back.


I really enjoyed watching the Ducks get murdered again tonight. :evil:

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God Conquers

[quote name='Ash Wednesday' post='1498027' date='Apr 12 2008, 01:21 PM']P.S. I'm pretty sure Crosby is Catholic. :cool: It might explain why he's such a good kid. All the more reason to root for Pittsburgh. I'll stop blabbing now. Someone has to help me, I'm hopelessly hockey obsessed. :wacko: :crazy:[/quote]

I'm not sure... he grew up in Cole Harbor NS, and my friends knew him... him and his family didn't go to any Catholic Church around there.

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Ash Wednesday

Ah, I don't know for sure. It had been mentioned a couple of times online that he was -- his official myspace page listed him as Catholic and someone had a video where he made the sign of the cross before a game. But I know one can only know so much as far as how that goes as it is common among other athletes. (And I know that just because someone is Catholic it doesn't make them a saint -- I always feel an incentive to pray for them particularly when they are of that background, I guess for the sake of souls and to build up the Church. I lit a candle for Phil Esposito once after reading his book because I felt he needed prayers...)

I can't say enough about Pat LaFontaine in that regard though. In many ways he is a saint with a heart of gold. On and off the ice.

2008 Feels a Little Like 93? I thought you were rooting for the Senators. :P

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God Conquers

hahaha.... I am.

If it were Habs Sens... I'd be all for the Sens.

I'm old school Habitant though, before the Sens came to Ottawa.

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I've been a Red Wings fan since I was like 1... though I've always really enjoyed just watching the game, especially the home games on Canadian soil. Canadians really know how to spectate a hockey game, and the atmosphere is amazing.

I've always loved Mike Modano, he seems like a real class act, shows a lot of character on the ice and is very talented. Plus he grew up like 2 miles from my house, and I've played drop-in at Modano Ice Arena in Westland. Good times, keep the hockey thread alive!

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Rangers are looking great in round number one. they are getting goals past Brodeur, Avery is trash talking, Lundqvist is stepping up his game as he ofter does in the big spots, and IMO he might be the best goalie in these playoffs.

The Habs and the Pens are also looking strong. I don't have as much confidence in Price, but Kovalev is always a good one to have in net. Fleury--I dunno, I still think he and the Pens are a year away from getting to the Finals.

I still think the West is all about the Wings and the Sharks. But I'm sure one of them will probably lose before the West Finals.

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The wings are choke artisans the last few years, 2 games up on Nashville and I wouldn't be shocked if they drop the series.

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How in the heck is three Cups since 1997 "choke artisans?" That has been the rap on the Wings lately, and I just don't get it.

Since 2003, they ran into white-hot goaltenders in the early rounds. 2003 was Giguere. 2004 was Kipprusoff. 2006 was Roloson. 2007 they just got beat by a better Ducks team. That's only four playoff losses since their last Cup. That's a really short leash for a franchise that wins games every year. The Wings were favored each year, but this is hockey. It's not basketbounce where the best team is going to win. In hockey, you really only need a bad bounce or two to lose a game you should have won. Nobody is going to win 4 Cups in a row anymore.

Now watch the Wings drop their next four and make me look dumb. :))

The thing that bothers me about the Wings, especially since the lockout, is that they have a soft regular season schedule. The teams in their division are not good, and they face each of those teams 8 times per year. That's 32 soft games right off the bat. then you get a few against the other bottom teams in your conference, and they have a cupcake schedule. Not to mention, they are an old team. Not to mention they play in the Eastern time zone but have to travel out west for all of their road games. That's a lot of jetlag for an old team.

Jetlag + old guys = not playing best hockey in May and June.

That's why I have more confidence in the Sharks.

Anyways, I you are absolutely right about the Canadian fans making for a tremendous atmosphere. :)

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Ash Wednesday

I have confidence that the Pens will do better this year in the playoffs than last year. I absolutely adore this team. I find it so funny that we have a core nucleus of young talented players, cute as buttons... and then there's Scary Gary. :evil:

After the altercation in game one, the TV commentator said as Roberts was leaving the ice "There he goes, back to his cage" :lol:

I looked up Penguins tickets at their exhibition in Stockholm, fiance and I were thinking of going.....but what's left is SO EXPENSIVE!!!! :weep:

P.S. You know what would be awesome? If Trogdor played hockey. That would be awesome.

P.P.S. Man, I h.a.t.e. the Sharks. Almost as much as I h.a.t.e. the Ducks.

P.P.P.S. I find this "don't h.a.t.e. appreciate" business to be REALLY ANNOYING. <_<

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