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Abel to Yzerman

How’s The Hate? Want Some More?

by IwoCPO on 06/19/09 at 08:11 AM ET
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I’m not sure the Gore could handle it, but George Malik points us to a Pittsburgh Tribune-Review ditty that focuses on the joys of a Wings/Pens trifecta.

The loathing between these teams and their cities has only begun to boil, so, no, it cannot end now.

Loathing?  I can dig that.  And here’s the thing.  As this rivalry gets meaner and even more intense, that’s a good thing for the league.  There are is no middle ground with any hockey fan anywhere.  You hate the Wings, or you love the Wings.  You genuflect in front of a Sidney Crosby poster every morning, or you admit he’s a pathetic example of what a captain should be.  Not much neutrality there.

The fans of each team are getting there.  We’ve seen what a rivalry looks like, before Denver tanked.  And Pittsburgh’s in the midst of a few of their own with Philly and Washington.  We have Chicago yapping a bit and I suppose Columbus could eventually evolve into a hate-fest. 

But this one has awesome potential.  All the ingredients are there:  exceptional skill, playoff history, rabid contingents of fans rapidly developing a healthy level of hate, dislike between superstars, and the very real possibility that each team could be very good for years to come.  There’s also respect.  We point to players like Talbot, Orpik and Malkin as examples of clutch play, grit and huge talent.  Pens fans can admit there are players on the Wings that scare and impress them at the same time.

Rivalries between Eastern and Western Conference teams are tough to sustain, mainly because they’ll probably play just twice, if that, during the regular season.  If Gary.Ass had any marketing instincts at all (what an idiotic “if” that is) then he’d make sure Wings/Pens happened twice every year until this thing has run its course. 

Another SCF between the two is statistically unlikely, but Detroit is as close to a guarantee as you can find in the West while Pittsburgh might be able to avoid Boston again and find their way to the Final, as well.  There is that gnawing feeling, though, that things are a bit unsettled.  Pens fans, misguided as they may be, point to last year and claim their team was all nervous and shell shocked for Games 1 and 2, and had they not been so uneasy, they would have won the series.  Naturally, they’re forgetting that the Wings owned much of Game 5 and all of Game 6.

And Wing fans, at least those of us here, will not back down from our view that injuries, officiating and even a little help from Sidney’s Daddy contributed to a Pens Cup win. 

So a third one could potentially settle that.  A home-and-home in January would help set the stage.  And don’t forget the Olympics in February.  If Canada and Sweden meet for the gold?  Who do you think is going to be all over Crosby…again? 

All the ingredients of a traditional rivalry, plus a few added bonus hate points.  Awesome.

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Welcome to Abel to Yzerman, a Red Wing blog since 1977.  No other site on the internet has better-researched, fact-laden and better prepared discussions than A2Y.  Re-phrase: we do little research, find facts and stats highly overrated and claim little to no preparation.  There are 19 readers of A2Y. No more, no less. All of them, except maybe one, are juvenile in nature.  Reminding them of that in the comment section will only encourage them to prove that. Your suggestions and critiques are welcome: .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address)

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