Abel to Yzerman
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Sunday Issues: Draper, Belts, Scumbags And Hossa
by IwoCPO on 06/14/09 at 09:06 AM ET
Comments (321)
Interesting. Can anyone recall a single time Kris Draper’s said anything to the media that could be construed as controversial or critical of another player? Even after his face was ravaged by one of the more cowardly hits in NHL history, Draper said little to nothing.
Draper, who’s never shirked his responsibilities after Wing losses, who’s never said an ill thing about an opponent, who’s respected league wide…is now just making stuff up. Right?
“Nick was waiting and waiting, and Crosby didn’t come over to shake his hand” in the traditional handshake line. He added that, “that’s ridiculous, especially as their captain, and make sure you write that I said that.”
Pens fans, and we’ll get to them soon, like to point out that Gary’s Baby Boy was being interviewed, distracted, roadblocked from leading his team through the handshake line. Got it.
“There’s nobody who respects the traditions of hockey more than Sidney Crosby. It was a young team celebrating its first Cup and some of the guys might have been a little late getting into the handshake line.”
That’s the Pens VP of comms. “Some of the guys…” Really? One of the guys, actually. The rest of “the guys” were looking behind them, wondering where their “captain” was.
Rosby’s a joke of a captain and we all know it, have known it. We saw it as neutral observers then became more aware of it during last year’s Final. We saw him refuse to give Hank Zetterberg credit for stifling him, for his play on the 5-3..but that was after he chased him across the ice squealing at him. Then we saw the real Crosby after Games 1 and 2 this year, playing the bitch role to perfection again.
Bitter the Wings lost? Sure. Bitter that they lost to Maxime Talbot? No. He owns the Wings and I’ll have nightmares about him for months. To Dan Bylsma? Definitely not. Hell, when Mike Babcock moves on in five or six years, and he will because that’s the nature of the business, we’ll take Bylsma. No problem. Michigan boy. Class act.
But Crosby? If he’s been looking forward to this his entire life, as the Pens organization is now saying, to include Mario Lemieux…if he’s so in tune with the “traditions of hockey”...how does that happen? How does little Thid the boy captain not get his ass to the front of that line?
Got a couple emails this morning. Here’s one from a Pens fan and I won’t put the whole thing here….just a few sentences to give you a feel for the tone.
How sweet it really is to shove this right back in your face for being a disrespectful writer whinning about everything possible and being the cockiest fanbase in the NHL. I hope the sight of crosby skating with the cup is printed in your mind forever and i hope you have a HORRIBLE day sobbing and crying over this.
That’s from Kevin, an A2Y fan. Kevin, instead of celebrating his team’s Stanley Cup, chose to write a heartfelt email to yours truly and whine for four paragraphs about how “disrespected” he felt as a Pens fan that I didn’t give his team the necessary credit for their victory.
Also got an email from the PensBlog guys today, asking where their Blogger’s Championship Belt is.
There you go boys. Congratulations.
And here’s something else…we’ve received some decent comments from good Pens fans here the last few days, a good number of them in fact. Good people and good fans who have come here to congratulate the Wings, Wing fans, the organ-I-zation, for a great Final and a great series. Thanks.
And then there have been many more who said things like this…
“What a joke of a town that is nothing but a pariah to the US. Can we vote to exclude them and their worthless beings from the U.S.. Get a f*cking job and stop asking for handouts and bailouts you f*cking losers.
Posted by Pensssss on 06/13/09 at 03:52 AM ET”
And that’s tame. But it’s one of literally hundreds since the Final began. Hundreds of comments almost identical to that.
I have exactly zero doubt where that “fan” came from or which blog he’s a product of. And because I’m certain of that I can say this: I’d be humiliated if any of you had gone over there to say things like that after the Wings won last year. It would be an embarrassment and an indictment of us all. The Pens “fans” who have come here spewing that or something like it are the definition of scum. The very definition of it.
Going after the team and me for the way I write is one thing, and it’s expected. But to those PensBlog readers who have come here before, during and after the Final to use it as a means to rub Michigan’s economic tragedy in the faces of those who have been devastated….you are despicable. And if the PensBlog operators are aware of it and not doing something about it, you’re no better and that’s a fact.
But, thankfully, there is humor to be found here. Humor in the fact that the tone is shifting from the disgusting to the bizarre. In the span of the last fifteen or sixteen hours the Pens “fans” are now coming here to whine that we haven’t given them the necessary “credit.” One ended their comment with this, “We have a damn good team.” Awww. We know you do. You won the Cup didn’t you?
You could almost hear the sobs. It’s been less than 48 hours since their team won the Cup and here they are…whining because I haven’t written something like, “the Wings lost to the better team.” That will never be written here. Ever. Not about this series. Injuries and officiating. Injuries and officiating. Those who have been here long enough recognize that and who said it first.
Hossa. I believe he’s staying because he’s said he’d take less to do so. He’s a character guy, despite the wire brushing he’s taking here and will all summer. And he’s completely embarrassed right now.
No. I don’t know how Tick Tock is going to make it happen, but I believe he will. And I’ll say this, I don’t have to analyze numbers or charts. I don’t have to because I never have. I’m going on gut and if you guys want to crunch numbers go ahead.
I believe Sammy is gone and wouldn’t be surprised if Hudler was too. I also think Kirk Maltby is gone, bought out if possible. One way or another Ken Holland is going to keep Marian Hossa in the fold and it’s going to be around 5 million/year for at least 7…if not 7 on the dot.
Holland will keep him because Hossa is a character guy and it will give the Wings a group of forwards unmatched by any team in the league, a mixture of speed, talent, grit and firepower no one can touch. Ken Holland is not going to keep Hudler and Samuelsson if it means re-signing one of the top ten forwards in the world for five million or less/year.
Hossa’s staying. And he’s going to be a madman next year. He’s going to be Verlander.
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I really didn’t like the third jersey for Tampa the bolts??? umm ok go with that
and poor buffalo
infact I think they should do away with the third jersey all together .. I am a woman with 2 daugthers but what the hell is the deal with the pink and white sh(i)t ??
who came up with that if oyu are a fan wear the damn color or get off the wagon you should be tarred and featherd for wearin that crap and paraded through the streets to be mocked
sorry had to get that out 
Posted by M71 from Pretty Pittsburgh on 06/14/09 at 01:32 PM ET
You seem quite anxious to get rid of us. Are those mean old Pens fans making you upset and irate?
Nah, you’re just illiterate and boring.
Posted by TeamDub from The gratch. on 06/14/09 at 01:33 PM ET
Don’t let that bandwagon run over you AJ. Pens fans, the poorest winners in the history of sports. It isn’t enough to win, you have to run to big brother for approval because you all know the better team didn’t win, so you want our reassurance, and when you don’t get it, you hang around and bitch and moan. Well you ain’t ever getting it, you can waste your pathetic little lives on Wings blogs until next fall, and you’ll never get it. Your team had the perfect storm of circumstances to win ONE Cup, get over yourselves.
In the spirit of AJ, the Pens didn’t so much win the Cup as it was given to them, just like Malkin was given to you when your team purposefully tanked to get him, and just like your franchise was saved by the league because you couldn’t generate enough revenue. Some fans and team you got there.
Buh bye now.
Posted by John W. from a bubble wrap cocoon on 06/14/09 at 01:36 PM ET
I’ve had German pizza—that was bad enough
I made the mistake of ordering a pizza with everything on it the first weekend i was stationed in Germany. Imagine my surprise when my pizza shows up with a sunny side up egg in the middle of it…lol
Posted by barnburner13 from Fort Drum, NY on 06/14/09 at 01:38 PM ET
but see my previous comments re: Cottage Inn, Anthony’s, Pizza House, NYPD, etc.
No argument there, at all. I had Cottege Inn last time I was in Michigan. Good good stuff.
Posted by Alan from Atlanta on 06/14/09 at 01:39 PM ET
I wouldn’t trade Helm for Crosby even if they made the same amount of money.
LOL…...and I thought Wings fans were supposed to have at least a basic amount of hockey sense!
Post Season Stats:
Crosby: 15 Goals - 16 Assists - 31 Points - #2 ranking
Helm: 4 Goals - 1 Assist - 5 Points - #81 ranking
Posted by AJ on 06/14/09 at 01:40 PM ET
You seem quite anxious to get rid of us. Are those mean old Pens fans making you upset and irate?
Nah, it is just kinda sad to see you tarnishing the Cup.
Posted by HockeyTownTodd on 06/14/09 at 01:40 PM ET
John W…. You are a true moron.. you would cream your panties if Crosby came to the Wings.
Red Winger…so your top notch Red Wings lost 4 of 5 games to the fat kid in gym class?? That doesn’t say much for them, does it??
I’ll ask a few of the 250,000 or so at the parade Monday if they’re bothered that Red Winger doesn’t validate the Pens Cup win… What a tool.
Your classy captain Lidstrom and piece of garbage Draper scurried off the ice like gutless cowards.. A group hug, a good cry and I’m sure they were fine again.
Posted by Pensin6 on 06/14/09 at 01:42 PM ET
Aj seriously WTF are you doing I get it you are excited our pittsburgh pens are the stanly cup champions but you are giving all of us fans a bad name .. when you come here and act like a dick you make every single pens fan a dick
and all I can do is shake my head and wonder why ?
talk hockey ask question but don’t be a douche when you do this you represent the Pens and the fans to the fans of the opposing team and I am telling you that you are giving us all a bad name please stop it
Posted by M71 from Pretty Pittsburgh on 06/14/09 at 01:43 PM ET
@ M71-
Staal really grew up in this playoff run. PIT would be foolish to let him go in the next 4 or 5 years. Right now he could play on the 2nd line for many teams. In PIT he brings a nice balance of size and skill to their 3rd line that is hard for other teams to match up with. Personally, I think DET was a lot better off with Abdelkader centering the 3rd/4th lines instead of Draper. I thought Kader had the physical tools to cause more problems for Staal. Draper may be better on faceoffs, but other than that he is past it.
@ Baroque-
Buffalo’s schizo uniforms are a symptom of the fact that BUF is not likely to be a major sports market much longer. The Bills will probably move to Toronto in the next 4 or 5 years. If the Sabres keep doing poorly, they might just get snatched up by Balsillie. BUF is not one of Bettman’s pet franchises, so I don’t see him putting up much resistance to a move.
As for Hossa, I will give another reason why I want him gone. Anyone else catch any of his on ice interviews? Anyone else notice he stared at his feet instead of the interviewer or looking into the camera? Notice how softly he spoke? I’m sorry, but if a guy is that hesitant and tentative in a simple interview he’s not going to find the gumption to crash the next anytime soon. Don’t roll out the “His English isn’t great” excuse either…several of our Scandinavian players have weak English skills and they manage to hold their heads up and look the interviewer or the camera in the eye.
Posted by thethirdcoast from Rottenchester on 06/14/09 at 01:45 PM ET
infact I think they should do away with the third jersey all together .. I am a woman with 2 daugthers but what the hell is the deal with the pink and white sh(i)t ??
who came up with that if oyu are a fan wear the damn color or get off the wagon you should be tarred and featherd for wearin that crap and paraded through the streets to be mockedsorry had to get that out
Posted by M71 from Pretty Pittsburgh on 06/14/09 at 02:32 PM ET
I like how you think. 
I totally agree with you on the pink and white - it’s cute and all ... if you are about eight years old! For a sport with so many female fans, they have NO CLUE that a woman wants to wear her team’s colors, just in a size that fits. Just because I have boobs doesn’t mean I automatically like pink! (Or baby blue, either.) (Or those horrible sequined purses for $325 each. Blech.)
I showed my mom a picture of the pink things (the Blackhawks one - she was a fan when they won the Cup when she was in high school) and she could not believe that was intended to be for grownups. Clue. Less. 
Anyway, I’m out - thanks for stopping by and saying hello, and enjoy the Cup this summer. Remember to take sunscreen and water to the parade (tomorrow, probably?). Have fun and take plenty of pictures!
Bye, M71!
Posted by Baroque from Michigan on 06/14/09 at 01:45 PM ET
HockeyTown Retodd….The Cup is where it belongs. Not in the hands of a whiny owner who throws a kid tantrum when he loses…Classless.
John W…must stand for whhhhhiiiinnnnnnneeeerrrrrr… It really doesn’t matter much how the Pens got here…But they sure looked DAMNED fine skating around the Joe with the Cup, eh?????
Posted by Pensin6 on 06/14/09 at 01:45 PM ET
Nah, it is just kinda sad to see you tarnishing the Cup.
If I remember correctly, the Wings damaged and dented the Cup. And any tarnishing to what it represents is being handled quite well by the Wings fans who can’t seem to come to grips with losing it while keeping their own self-respect intact.
But it’s not yours to worry about and we’ll do as we please with it.
Posted by AJ on 06/14/09 at 01:46 PM ET
I think DET was a lot better off with Abdelkader centering the 3rd/4th lines
yeah why did they sit him after game 5 was he injured? and did we get injury reports for either/both teams ?
Posted by M71 from Pretty Pittsburgh on 06/14/09 at 01:47 PM ET
Handhsake line lateness? We we onto that already?
Look, I posted last night as a congratulations to your team. I think your fans were extremely classy in game 2 last year when I was in the Joe and we were getting out asses kicked.
But - and I know by making a political analogy I’m getting myself into trouble - this handshake line thing sounds like the fake controversies the Republicans have been pushing since Obama cleaned their clocks in November. He didn’t put ketchup on his burger! His wife wore a sleeveless dress in the Senate chambers!
Your team played great. Our team played great. Even as this thing has ended, I look back and can see a dozen times it could have gone the other way.
Crosby’s a great player and, for his age, a great captain. That the NHL has over-marketed him is not his fault, and this is starting to sound like sour grapes about marketing. And I know what they taste like - there was a lot of this going around in the Washington series against Ovechkin.
Crosby didn’t pee on the ice at the Joe after we won. He didn’t call Lidstrom a washed up old joke, or tell Zetterberg that his playoff beard makes his face look like a bushy vagina. He was late to the handshake line.
Let’s just leave it at that. It was a great series, but the Wings lost it. That’s all.
Posted by Eric Sipple from Pittsburgh, PA on 06/14/09 at 01:48 PM ET
if I remember correctly when it was in pittsburgh after the 91 cup win it got broken while in beaver county yes I was around for those years too
Posted by M71 from Pretty Pittsburgh on 06/14/09 at 01:51 PM ET
Well let’s see, Crosby has more points (he only had 3 in the SCF btw) as a First Line center, while Helm is a 3rd/4th line center. Shocking!
You know what’s really sad, if you like stats here:
Crosby 31 points and only a +9
Malkin 36 points and only +3. Holy hell how is that possible?
Jordan Staal, your shutdown checking center 9 points and a -5.
Helm 5 points and +1
Zetterberg who always plays against the other teams top line 24 points and +13
Penguin minus players = 9
Detroit minus players = 2 with the worst being a -2
Yeah, the better team won alright. Almost said that with a straight face.
Posted by John W. from a bubble wrap cocoon on 06/14/09 at 01:52 PM ET
M71,
I tried talking hockey here to no avail.
I got ONE reasonable reply.
The majority would much rather act like kids by the look of things.
Posted by AJ on 06/14/09 at 01:55 PM ET
I hate that pink stuff too. So weird. Being from WI I am also a Packers fan (don’t hit me) and there is nothing weirder than seeing the Green and Gold in pink and white. Icks me out.
Wasn’t it reported that Abdelkader had the flu? Has that been confirmed? It’s neither here nor there. What’s done is done.
Let’s just leave it at that. It was a great series, but the Wings lost it. That’s all.
Yeah we know. And if you’d all go back from whence you came maybe we could calm down and get over it. Perhaps move on to what we really want to talk about - where our team is headed next season.
Posted by jennyquarx on 06/14/09 at 01:56 PM ET
you would cream your panties if Crosby came to the Wings.
Uhh no, one of the few players I’d take from Pitt is Staal. He’s a hard worker, actually has some class, and would fit well on the Wings. Prima donnas like just about the rest of your team aren’t welcome in Detroit. You guys just don’t get it’s not all about talent, it’s about integrity and honor. But I wouldn’t expect you guys to understand that.
Posted by John W. from a bubble wrap cocoon on 06/14/09 at 01:56 PM ET
Honestly, I don’t even understand why you guys are making this such a big deal. If anything, it was just as much Lidstrom’s fault for not waiting up for Crosby as it is Crosby’s fault for celebrating too long. I watched the game, and just as the handshake line begins to disperse, it shows Lidstrom/Draper waiting there for all of 10 seconds, and then retreating to the locker room. Right after he leaves, Crosby comes out of his celebratory group and starts shaking Wings’ hands. You could see him shake many of the remaining Wings’ hands, including Babcock, who was all like “congratulations, that was great leadership out there”. Which was a bit odd to hear.
Crosby and company waited quite a bit for the Wings last year, only fair for the Wings to return the favor. Guess they’re just too high and mighty for that (or at least Draper/Lidstrom are).
On a sidenote, why was Draper even playing? Abdelkader (awesome name) brought so much more energy and offense even. How do you play Draper instead of Abdelkader? I mean come on, really?
Posted by Mike from Denver on 06/14/09 at 01:57 PM ET
yeah why did they sit him after game 5 was he injured? and did we get injury reports for either/both teams ?
Posted by M71 from Pretty Pittsburgh on 06/14/09 at 02:47 PM ET
Just very, very inexperienced - he was in the minors all year, and Draper (who came back from injury) is much better on faceoffs. During the season they tried putting Abdelkader at wing, but he is much more comfortable at center. That is where he played all during his three years in college.
I only know Detroit. Fortunately no one will need surgery from playoff injuries.
Lidstrom had an injured testicle from a spearing during the Chicago series - in fact, he had to have surgery on it. (ouch) He was also bothered by a sore elbow all season, but that wasn’t anything new in the playoffs. He may need offseason surgery for that.
Brian Rafalski had a herniated disk in his back, and would have been out for a couple more weeks in the regular season.
Pavel Datsyuk had a sore foot from getting hit with a puck twice in the same spot, but what really slowed him down was a charley horse. He had the same injury in the playoffs in 2006 and it REALLY slowed him down. In the regular season he would have missed at least another couple weeks.
Kris Draper had a sore groin and injured throat cartilage - that was why he was wearing something like a goaltender’s neck guard.
Dan Cleary had a significant groin injury and battled through that.
Tomas Holmstrom and Samuelsson both were very beat up, and Henrik Zetterberg was as about 70% - one of the writers (who actually knows something about hockey) noticed that he was wearing different gloves starting in the Chicago series, which he noticed because he is very particular about his gloves, and his left one had some extra plastic support or braces, so something was wrong with his wrist or his forearm.
About the Penguins, beyond the normal bruises and bumps, I don’t know - although Gonchar’s knee bothered him, I remember.
A team needs talent, luck, and health to win the Stanley Cup - last year Detroit had all three in their favor, this year Pittsburgh did. Go three-for-three and the chances are pretty good your team will be celebrating.
Posted by Baroque from Michigan on 06/14/09 at 01:59 PM ET
I can tell you exactly where your team is headed next season right where it was this season this is a great team no doubt .. that is why all other teams try to do the things the wings do
enjoy your off season and good luck
thank you 19 for your time and your thoughts
is it pre season yet ??
Posted by M71 from Pretty Pittsburgh on 06/14/09 at 02:00 PM ET
sounds like the fake controversies the Republicans have been pushing since Obama cleaned their clocks in November.
Oh, you’re right, comrade!
I, for one, welcome our new Marxist overlords.
See, it’s that same complete lack of any sort of unbiased intellectual curiosity coupled with a dumbed-down “American Idol” mindset that got bammy selected.
There should be a basic civics/intelligence test required to vote.
Posted by TeamDub from The gratch. on 06/14/09 at 02:01 PM ET
I tried talking hockey here to no avail.
No, you really didn’t. I started getting back to actual hockey related material, like the salary cap among other things, then you threw the line in about how the Pens gave the Wings Game 5. You’ve been looking for a fight since you got here. What’s more pathetic is you stir the pot and then act like you’re the innocent one just trying to talk hockey. All we want to do is talk hockey, but when every other post is one of you trolls talking smack it’s kinda tuff. How about we talk Wings hockey here, and here’s a novel idea, you talk about Pens hockey at a Pens blog? Of course I know you won’t because that’s not why you’re here, is it? Just admit it.
I’m done with you pathetic little losers, it takes a special breed to be this dishonorable after your team wins. Congrats of being the biggest bunch of douches in all of sports fandom.
Posted by John W. from a bubble wrap cocoon on 06/14/09 at 02:02 PM ET
yeah why did they sit him after game 5 was he injured? and did we get injury reports for either/both teams ?
No idea…I do not remember seeing any injury reports after Game 5. The vague ‘flu’ reports are probably code for, “we want more experienced guys on the ice.” I adamantly believe the younger, fresher Kader may have been able to help in Games 6 & 7. Draper and Maltby both looked like they had hit a wall.
Posted by thethirdcoast from Rottenchester on 06/14/09 at 02:02 PM ET
John W,
So in your mind, you’d rather have a guy that scores less points than one who scores more based on a plus/minus rating which doesn’t consider how often they kill penalties?
That +/- also proves to you who’s the better team?
Gee….excuse me for being so dumb as to think that the player who puts more pucks in the net and the team that wins the series isn’t the better player/team.
That’s OK by me if that’s what is keeping you from suicide, but I’ll take the WINNERS any day of the week.
Posted by AJ on 06/14/09 at 02:03 PM ET
And regards the pink and white -
The Boston Bruins and Montreal Canadiens look so, so strange. It’s kind of creepy.
Yes, Abdelkader was sick for a few games - and I think it would have been pretty tough to toss a rookie (and not a Helm-level experience rookie, either) right into the end of the final when the games were more high-pressure, especially on the road where he could more easily be taken advantage of.
Posted by Baroque from Michigan on 06/14/09 at 02:04 PM ET
Post Season Stats:
Crosby: 15 Goals - 16 Assists - 31 Points - #2 ranking
Helm: 4 Goals - 1 Assist - 5 Points - #81 ranking
AJ, you picked the wrong site to start cherry-pickin’ stats.
Crosby-31 pts, +9, team leader in +/-
Malkin-22 pts, +3
The Wings had 5 players +9 and above.
2009 playoffs:
Pittsburgh +42
Detroit +117
You won the cup, because you were the best team in G#6 & G#7.
Congratulations for that, nothing more.
There is no disgrace to running out of gas when your tank has been
punctured with injuries and questionable early round officiating.
And speaking of officiating, the Wings needed no OTPP’s to get to the finals.
An OTPP wasn’t good enough against the Flyers.
Pittsburgh needed an OT 5 on 3 to win that series.
Posted by HockeyTownTodd on 06/14/09 at 02:05 PM ET
enjoy your off season and good luck
thank you 19 for your time and your thoughts
is it pre season yet ??
Posted by M71 from Pretty Pittsburgh on 06/14/09 at 03:00 PM ET
Thank you - you too!
(No, but preseason will happen before you know it - then we will be right back to fretting over our teams and waiting to see who does well in training camp, and how the team looks, and all the rest of it.)
Enjoy your summer as well M71.
Posted by Baroque from Michigan on 06/14/09 at 02:07 PM ET
one of the few players I’d take from Pitt is Staal.
he is a grinder he does look as if he would fit nicely into your squad here ( don’t get any idea’s) ...
wow I had no idea there were so many injuries to your team well I mean I knew about the testicle ( ouch ) how that doesn’t affect your walking , sitting standin let alone playin and I knew about the foot , but all the rest I didn’t know , but I also think you gotta go with who is hot and Abdelkader seemd to be
the only thing I have heard from pitt is normal bumps and brusies
on to the cap we don’t have many free agents left to sign but one of your guys I wouldn’t mind having is Helm is a beast
and wouldn’t you mind having max talbot on your team ?
Posted by M71 from Pretty Pittsburgh on 06/14/09 at 02:10 PM ET
Barrel Monster creator arrested.
Posted by VooX from Behind the Bar in the Hasek Club Car on 06/14/09 at 02:11 PM ET
Sorry to shatter your little world there John W, but the fact is that the immaturity level here ( pen(i)s, handshake wines, excuses, Bettman conspiracies, etc ) combined with the sore loserness exhibited, shows who the biggest douchenozzles in Hockey are.
When I brought up actual hockey, my words were purposely misconstrued to say I was blaming the officials when I specifically said the Pens themselves were to blame.
It’s too bad you have forgotten how many Wings fans ranted for MONTHS after last season on Penguins blogs…...but that would make you a hypocrite wouldn’t it?
Posted by AJ on 06/14/09 at 02:12 PM ET
wow I had no idea there were so many injuries to your team well I mean I knew about the testicle ( ouch ) how that doesn’t affect your walking , sitting standin let alone playin and I knew about the foot , but all the rest I didn’t know , but I also think you gotta go with who is hot and Abdelkader seemd to be
the only thing I have heard from pitt is normal bumps and brusies
on to the cap we don’t have many free agents left to sign but one of your guys I wouldn’t mind having is Helm is a beastand wouldn’t you mind having max talbot on your team ?
Posted by M71 from Pretty Pittsburgh on 06/14/09 at 03:10 PM ET
Yes, our guys were beat up very badly - Part of that is because of the Anaheim Ducks. I’ve never seen a team that wanted to start so many stupid fights after the whistle, even after they won. Like dogs trying to get in a pissing contest. Last year there were only a couple injuries - Franzen was out for a bit, and Filppula wasn’t practicing although he could play because of a sore knee, but that was about it. Big difference. As you saw.
And you keep your mitts off Darren Helm.
Max Talbot would be better on any team Detroit wasn’t playing. Which one is immaterial.
Posted by Baroque from Michigan on 06/14/09 at 02:17 PM ET
and wouldn’t you mind having max talbot on your team ?
I’d rather pluck Steve Maltais out of blissful retirement than have that cheap-shotting prick anywhere near Hockeytown.
Posted by TeamDub from The gratch. on 06/14/09 at 02:18 PM ET
Since Sid is Gary’s Baby Boy, how about we refer to the Penguins as Gary’s Kids?
Posted by monkey from here to Timbuktu on 06/14/09 at 02:19 PM ET
And you keep your mitts off Darren Helm.
Max Talbot would be better on any team Detroit wasn’t playing. Which one is immaterial.
I loled .. Helm is scary , your rookies are lookin real good this year no doubt there will be another SC run for you guys next season
and Now Heatley asked to be traded out of Ottawa ?
and ray Emery one year with Philly WTF?
So what is Conks doing this yr .. ? I am kidding
Posted by M71 from Pretty Pittsburgh on 06/14/09 at 02:23 PM ET
AJ, you picked the wrong site to start cherry-pickin’ stats.
LOL….so stating the post season stats and comparing those stats is now “cherry-picking”?
You won the cup, because you were the best team in G#6 & G#7.
Congratulations for that, nothing more.
Do you think it’s remotely POSSIBLE that winning games 2 & 3 might have played any factor at all?
Using your logic, a win is only a win when a team outscores the other by a large margin. One goal games really aren’t worthy of being called wins…right?
Winning the final game on hostile ice with all the advantages on your opponent’s side is meaningless…right?
So had the Wings won Game 7 by one goal, you’d probably prefer to give the Cup to Pittsburgh.
We should ask Mr Bettman if there’s a trophy for the team with the best +/- ranking or just award the Stanley Cup to them and forget about that silly scoreboard.
Posted by AJ on 06/14/09 at 02:27 PM ET
and Now Heatley asked to be traded out of Ottawa ?
and ray Emery one year with Philly WTF?
So what is Conks doing this yr .. ? I am kiddingPosted by M71 from Pretty Pittsburgh on 06/14/09 at 03:23 PM ET
Conklin has to go to Boston - I think they are having the outdoor game this year.
Ray Emery and Philadelphia are made for each other - I have to see the first game where they play against the Rangers (because of Sean Avery).
I have heard that Heatley is not exactly the sharpest crayon in the box. He’d be better off just keeping his mouth shut and playing for the new coach. Jason Spezza gets way more criticism than he does, and deals with it much better.
Posted by Baroque from Michigan on 06/14/09 at 02:29 PM ET
Ok Avery / Emery remacth will be classic who do you think will snap first ??
and heatly was never smart .. but who would take him and his contract
well maybe edmonton will take him in pkace of Staal wait heatly is a winger?
and Poor Conks always stuck outside in the cold but then how will tim the sieve thomas get hurt so he can go in ?
Posted by M71 from Pretty Pittsburgh on 06/14/09 at 02:34 PM ET
Well I’m off.
Thanks for the discussion, M71.
Have a nice summer.
Posted by Baroque from Michigan on 06/14/09 at 02:35 PM ET
Ok Avery / Emery remacth will be classic who do you think will snap first ??
Depends on if someone wants Emery to wear a hat.
I think it will be an instant classic on YouTube.
Thanks for the discussion, girl - I gotta go. (You might not want to stick around - it looks like some of the boys are having a pissing contest. You know how that goes.)
Have a nice summer.
Posted by Baroque from Michigan on 06/14/09 at 02:38 PM ET
you too Baroque
Have a great summer
damn this A2Y is addicting
Posted by M71 from Pretty Pittsburgh on 06/14/09 at 02:39 PM ET
As a Wings fan, I’m far from unbiased. But—although it’s not something I’d normally advertise on a Wings blog—I really like the Pens. They’re the team I follow in the Eastern Conference. I want the Wings to kick the Pens’ asses every time they play, of course, but against any other team, I’ll side with the Pens.
So right now I’m kinda sick of the commentary on both sides. It’s gotten as bad as politics in terms of blind extremism. My take on some of the sh*t that’s been going on:
-Crosby’s a tool, but he does tend to try to do the right thing, even if it’s clear that he has no idea what that is half the time. He made a huge mistake with the handshake line, and if he hasn’t already, he needs to step up and apologize for the unintended disrespect. In fact, this entire mess could’ve been avoided if he’d done this before Draper talked to the press.
-If some Wings fans chanted “Geno sucks” and/or booed the Pens after they won, they’re classless and deserve the criticism of both sides. That doesn’t mean that Pens fans have reason to condemn the entire Wings fanbase, most of whom find that type of sh*t disgusting. I was watching in a bar so I couldn’t hear, but I did see that most fans stayed and clapped as the Pens took turns lifting the Cup. I know that in the bar I was in, which was full of Wings fans who could’ve been as rude as they wanted, most people who had been trash talking the Pens all night stopped and gave the Penguins credit when they won.
-Some Pens fans have made unbelievably inappropriate comments about Detroit’s economy; they’re classless and deserve the criticism of both sides. Although some commenters on PensBlog have said that they find the comments inappropriate, most seem to think it’s all a big joke and egg them on. The guys who run PensBlog could’ve nipped this in the bud, but they continue to act like it’s no big deal and that there’s nothing they could do about it.
-The Pens deserved to win the Cup. I haven’t seen many people say otherwise. But it doesn’t follow that Wings fans must suddenly bow down before Pens fans and admit the error of their ways, or whatever it is that the Pens fans clearly expect. The teams were very evenly matched this year. Most of the games could have gone either way. Saying that the Wings could’ve won if this-or-that had happened differently isn’t whining. Likewise, the Pens could’ve won in fewer games if things had gone differently.
-Bettman dislikes the Wings and likes the Pens. I don’t think this had any effect at all on the officiating. I do think that Wings fans have good reason to complain that even when the Wings win the Cup, we’re forced to watch Crosby commercials ten times a game.
Ok, this post is far too long already, so I’ll leave it at that. Not that anyone cares what I think, but I’m so sick of this crap. From start to finish and across the league, this year’s playoffs were the best I’ve seen. I don’t know how it devolved into this petty sh*t.
Posted by Sadie from Ann Arbor, MI on 06/14/09 at 02:39 PM ET
I made the mistake of ordering a pizza with everything on it the first weekend i was stationed in Germany.
Oh man, BB, I’d wager you could probably get a better pizza where you are right now, even if the sausage does turn out to be camel meat. I’ve had pizza twice in Germany—once in Cologne, where it was literally WET, I’m pretty certain that they hadn’t actually cooked the mushrooms or spinach so they’d leaked water into the crust, and hence the cheese wasn’t melted, and I couldn’t taste the sauce at all, which in hindsight may have been a blessing. The second (and last) time was in Hamburg—rye flour makes great bread to have with mustard, but makes terrible pizza dough. Fun, really. And yet, the best pizza I’ve ever had in my life was not, strangely, in Italy, it was…
No argument there, at all. I had Cottege Inn last time I was in Michigan. Good good stuff.
Damn straight. The taste that takes you back.
I’ll ask a few of the 250,000 or so at the parade Monday if they’re bothered that Red Winger doesn’t validate the Pens Cup win… What a tool.
Oh, we don’t care about them. I’m sure they’re already among friends commiserating. It’s just pretty obvious that YOU care, and honey, that’s enough for us.
When even your fellow fans are calling you out for being a douchebag, you know you’ve missed the clue train.
Posted by AndrewFromAnnArbor from Fortress Europe on 06/14/09 at 02:47 PM ET
I know that everyone hates gary ass but can someone tell me why he doesn’t like the wings?
Posted by M71 from Pretty Pittsburgh on 06/14/09 at 02:47 PM ET
The only thing that matters now is that the Penguins are now the Stanley Cup Champions, and the Red Wings are not. No more lame and idle talk about injuries or officiating or anything else you guys could have played through. Nobody stopped your team from claiming the cup on home ice in game 7 except the Pittsburgh Penguins. You lost. It’s okay. You won last year. We got the better of you this year. You enjoyed your summer with Lord Stanley. We’re about to enjoy ours. Just try not to whine so much if you care about how you’re perceived. We can hear you 285 miles away and it’s eliciting some chuckles.
Posted by Ignignot on 06/14/09 at 02:55 PM ET
I’m not going to rehash my opinion. It is made up, and I’m not going to hear anything that’s going to cause me to say “Oh golly gee! I’ve just seen the light.” I’m here to hang out and read Red Wing fan’s opinions on matters, and not to hear sore winners whine. From now on, I’m just skipping over your ignorance.
It really is mighty hypocritical for the Pens radicals here to call Wings fans “weak”, or “jokes” or “whiners” or what-have-you. As I recall, after game 2 of this particular 7 game series there was great wailing and gnashing of teeth in Pittsburgh about all the “interference” and no-calls that went the Wings way. I’m just saying.
And to anyone who would call HockeyTownTodd “HockeyTown Retodd”... know and understand that he watches more hockey in one season than you ever will in your lifetime, and may understand the game about as well as Scotty Bowman. You show your extreme ignorance if you think that’s gonna fly around here.
To offset all the negativity around here, some of which I’ve been guilty of spewing, I want to say that I’m a proud member of the 19, and a proud fan of the Red Wings, and A2Y has been daily reading for me the past 1 and a half years. I love and respect you all (in a manly sort of way, of course).
Posted by ludmeister from Kentucky on 06/14/09 at 03:29 PM ET
BARF. I’ve been forced to live in a suburb of “hockeytown” for ten months now, and I can honestly say that Detroit fans are as obnoxious as they come; second only to Philly, where fans make a habit of pouring beer and popcorn on pens fans and players. We may boo players who choose to leave our teams for money or perceived glory (jagr, hossa) , but we don’t boo injuries.
Witnessing the 7-6 OT win in November in person was the sole highlight of living in this disaster of a state this year. I agree wholeheartedly with the pens fans the author attempted to insult. The pompous, entitled attitude that permeates everything related to the Wings gets old, FAST. Pittsburgh was falling apart in the 70’s and it figured out how to turn it around. Get a job. I’ll tell you what’s cutesy. The damn midwest and its embrace and promotion of flagrant mediocrity. Maybe if your people didn’t accept borderline retarded as passably intelligent, tell-e-tubby-shaped humans as acceptably fit, and the welfare line as gainfully employed, the rest of us wouldn’t have to be supporting your fat, stupid, entitled asses.
If Draper and Lidstrom were ACTUALLY classy, they would have waited to offer their congratulations to the winning team instead of bitching about it to the media. Who’s the whiner now?
Cheers to those who bleed black and gold - the real City of Champions - the one who didn’t need a marketing campaign to tell them they were a hockeytahn at heart.
Posted by pensfangirl from detroit, hell on 06/14/09 at 03:29 PM ET
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So
Crosby wasn’t available when Lidstrom was.
Lidstrom wasn’t available when Crosby was.
There is a simple solution to that discussion….
Go mow the lawn.
Posted by HockeyTownTodd on 06/14/09 at 01:32 PM ET