Pre-Game Talk: Pens are playing a game tonight, pregame talk

[billybudd]

Ah, the Canucks. The other franchise that's maligned as a bunch of dirtbags and singled out by referees for reasons I've never remotely understood.

 

[Addison Rae]

Ah, the Canucks. The other franchise that's maligned as a bunch of dirtbags and singled out by referees for reasons I've never remotely understood.

Yup, pretty much

 

[Speaking Moistly]

So if Letang is out for 2 weeks does that mean we might see Pouliot? I could see Harrington and Dumoulin getting some games but I'm not sure about DP.

 

[wej20]

So if Letang is out for 2 weeks does that mean we might see Pouliot? I could see Harrington and Dumoulin getting some games but I'm not sure about DP.

Unlikely, unless Dumoulin/Harrington struggle. The PP has slowed down but Ehrhoff deserves a shot on the top unit.

 

[Freeptop]

Ah, the Canucks. The other franchise that's maligned as a bunch of dirtbags and singled out by referees for reasons I've never remotely understood.

Well, they were the franchise of both Jarkko Ruutu and Matt Cooke before they each went to the Pens, plus there's that whole Bertuzzi incident...

Which was all several years ago now, but as with Crosby's "whiner" reputation, once it's taken hold, it's hard to shake.

 

[Michael8771*]

Ah, the Canucks. The other franchise that's maligned as a bunch of dirtbags and singled out by referees for reasons I've never remotely understood.

Really?

 

[Michael8771*]

I'm excited to see how Dumoulin does tonight, he has played extremely well in WBS and I think he'll make an excellent partner for Ehrhoff.

I'm happy for the guy and not necessarily his biggest fan. By all accounts he's played extraordinarily well in WB. Him playing tonight is well deserved.

 

[sf expat71]

megna showed a lot of promise in the third period last night. hopefully he picks up right where he left off instead of building to it

Maybe he needed a few games to get up to speed, or maybe playing a couple shifts with Geno helped, but I thought he looked OK when he played last year for a spell as well. Hopefully he's turned the corner and can be a contributor.

 

[bambamcam4ever]

Ah, the Canucks. The other franchise that's maligned as a bunch of dirtbags and singled out by referees for reasons I've never remotely understood.

I'm still mystified as to how the Canucks were considered the "bad guys" in the 2011 SCF.

 

[SaintLouHaintBlue]

I'm still mystified as to how the Canucks were considered the "bad guys" in the 2011 SCF.

LaPierre

 

[Sidney BrOSSby*]

As an American, I'll be damned before I let the Canucks make Gumby's horse!

 

[Dying Alive]

Something I am curious about: I saw on the Canucks board that the opinion is that if their players hit Geno a lot he will shrink away. Where does this idea come from? Aside from Bortuzzo and maybe Downie, Geno probably has the biggest mean streak on the team on the ice. I've seen this opinion in a lot of other places too and I just wonder where it comes from, because spending even a short amount of time watching his game would tell you it's exactly the opposite. If anything I wish he'd mix it up less because one of these days he's going to break a hand or get otherwise injured. Also when you make him mad that's usually when he goes into "**** you, watch me take over the game" mode.

 

[Frederick Stanley]

I'm still mystified as to how the Canucks were considered the "bad guys" in the 2011 SCF.

 

[Malkin112*]

Something I am curious about: I saw on the Canucks board that the opinion is that if their players hit Geno a lot he will shrink away. Where does this idea come from? Aside from Bortuzzo and maybe Downie, Geno probably has the biggest mean streak on the team on the ice. I've seen this opinion in a lot of other places too and I just wonder where it comes from, because spending even a short amount of time watching his game would tell you it's exactly the opposite. If anything I wish he'd mix it up less because one of these days he's going to break a hand or get otherwise injured. Also when you make him mad that's usually when he goes into "**** you, watch me take over the game" mode.

 

[Captain Hook]

Something I am curious about: I saw on the Canucks board that the opinion is that if their players hit Geno a lot he will shrink away. Where does this idea come from? Aside from Bortuzzo and maybe Downie, Geno probably has the biggest mean streak on the team on the ice. I've seen this opinion in a lot of other places too and I just wonder where it comes from, because spending even a short amount of time watching his game would tell you it's exactly the opposite. If anything I wish he'd mix it up less because one of these days he's going to break a hand or get otherwise injured. Also when you make him mad that's usually when he goes into "**** you, watch me take over the game" mode.

Yeah, Malkin is not some soft player that will disappear if the physicality picks up. The only good thing you can get out of playing him physical is he's a hot head and will take some retaliatory penalties here and there.

 

[BlindWillyMcHurt]

I guess the logic there is he maybe takes a stupid retaliatory penalty.

But he's been doing a better job of maintaining his focus when it comes to that, I think.

 

[Frederick Stanley]

Don't we have a fanmance with the Canucks fanbase?

 

[billybudd]

Something I am curious about: I saw on the Canucks board that the opinion is that if their players hit Geno a lot he will shrink away. Where does this idea come from? Aside from Bortuzzo and maybe Downie, Geno probably has the biggest mean streak on the team on the ice. I've seen this opinion in a lot of other places too and I just wonder where it comes from, because spending even a short amount of time watching his game would tell you it's exactly the opposite. If anything I wish he'd mix it up less because one of these days he's going to break a hand or get otherwise injured. Also when you make him mad that's usually when he goes into "**** you, watch me take over the game" mode.

He's in another conference. They're getting the reputation a little mixed up. If you hit Geno, he might take a stupid penalty (or 5). But he doesn't play worse. Easy mistake to make.

 

[Dying Alive]

Yeah, that I actually buy because you can goad Malkin into retaliatory penalties sometimes. But it's not because he's soft, more like the opposite.

Yeah, Malkin is not some soft player that will disappear if the physicality picks up. The only good thing you can get out of playing him physical is he's a hot head and will take some retaliatory penalties here and there.

Pretty much. Malkin shying away from physicality is one of those little persistent HF myths that I've never really understood where they come from. Kind of like when they say hitting Crosby and getting under his skin will take him off of his game, when that has pretty much never happened. Nobody gets under his skin more than the Flyers and he usually torches them.

 

[ProgOg]

Yeah, I think this is mostly fans of a team who don't play the Penguins often mixing up assumed facts that they picked up here and there.

 

[BlindWillyMcHurt]

Don't we have a fanmance with the Canucks fanbase?

Yeah. They are one of the (maybe only?) fanbases that we seem to consistently be able to get rational, level-headed dialogue out of.

Probably because we both root for such dirty, despicable, underhanded, low down cheater teams that have a rich and (according to everyone... so it must be true) ongoing history of ultra-violence.

 

[Dying Alive]

He's in another conference. They're getting the reputation a little mixed up. If you hit Geno, he might take a stupid penalty (or 5). But he doesn't play worse. Easy mistake to make.

That's entirely possible. I see it regularly enough though that it almost seems like it's become an HF truth. It doesn't bother me or anything, more like I find it mystifying because I get the feeling that Malkin loves hitting people and he certainly doesn't shy away from being hit.

 

[Ragamuffin Gunner]

Nice to see Greiss get the start, but i hate how Greiss always seem to get the tougher opponents, most coaches would of had the backup against the Devils or Sens and the starter against Vancouver.

A win over NJ is much more important to the Pens than over VAN.

 

[Speaking Moistly]

Yeah. They are one of the (maybe only?) fanbases that we seem to consistently be able to get rational, level-headed dialogue out of.

Probably because we both root for such dirty, despicable, underhanded, low down cheater teams that have a rich and (according to everyone... so it must be true) ongoing history of ultra-violence.

Yet also soft cry babies.

 

[BlindWillyMcHurt]

Right. Of course. How could I forget how wickedly both teams are somehow able to balance on that knife's edge.