Pittsburgh Penguins clinch 1st overall!

[Legionnaire]

You can see Kovalchuk hopes Ovechkin will not challenge him as #1. Kovy is a real character. Proabably the most interesting player in the league. Funny, outrageously arrogant, rebellious against rules and discipline. He's not the exactly kind of complete franchise player you'd want. Single-minded approach to the game. Great fun to watch though.

What are you talking about?

 

[stardog]

The 'Hawks play Phoenix (without Doan) today, so I think they have a great chance to win that game. After all, if Phoenix wins, they risk moving out of contention for the first overall pick cuz they'd move ahead of the Rangers, temporarily.

Gee, that Chicago-Phoenix game might be interesting. I wish I could watch it so as to count the number of turnovers that lead to opposition goals. Hey, maybe somebody may even pull a Steve Smith and score on their own goal.

Anything for better draft position, I say!

No offense to fans of either teams, cuz Lord knows the Pens have had thier share, but that Chi-Pho game was UGLY. Both teams looked out of sync and just plain bad! It didn't look like guys who were fighting for jobs next year (though Ruutu and Munro looked real good).

 

[stardog]

one of the double-edged swords for the hawks is that they still give 100% every night. which may cost them ovechkin...

Same thing with the Pens....and it almost did cost them.

 

[stardog]

Can you honestly say they've given 100% all season?

Not one, or two, or three games, an entire season.

Pittsburgh has worked their asses off in 80 of 81 games thus far. I mean we only gained 22 points on you guys in a 5 week span...

Unless you have seen Washington play every game I don't think we should make THAT much of a judgement.
They made a very questionable move with the whole goaltender thing (which became more questionable that he stopped playing once they were out of the race for last) but I think you may be exxagerating a little. I have seen more than one game where the Pens haven't really seemed to try.

And I have seen about 15 games of Washingtons tis season and I don't really remembering questioning thier effort. Just there defensemen.

 

[stardog]

The Penguins tanked one game.

The Capitals have tanked how many?

Relax Handsome...there is a HUGE difference between playing badly, or lacking effort and intensity and tanking. Tanking means that they deliberatley lost. What game did the Pens (or Caps) do that? I mean lose on purpose?

 

[stardog]

ROFL Can you tell me the games that the Caps tanked please?

Whocares really, the Pens tanked the most important game of the season so yeah, good game hypocrite.

And Swoosh, if you are going to come out and criticize someone for suggesting the Caps tanked a game, perhaps you shouldn't suggest it from another team...and then have the audacity to call HIM a hypocrite....

 

[stardog]

What are you talking about?

Dude, your avatar is hillarious....
Anyways, I know this is going to sound real stupid, but when I read that article I also got the feeling that Kovalchuk didnt seem real interested in talking about AO either. Maybe I sensed a little jealousy.
Of course we could be reading it wrong or it could have been printed wrong or whatever.

 

[Foppa_Rules]

Everybody knows about Kovy's ego. "We'll see." He says. He has to be #1 to survive and he doesn't even want to think about not being #1.

 

[SwOOsh*]

And Swoosh, if you are going to come out and criticize someone for suggesting the Caps tanked a game, perhaps you shouldn't suggest it from another team...and then have the audacity to call HIM a hypocrite....

Like I said in this post

Don't worry bud, I understand. It's just that this hypocrite tells me to stop bringing it up yet it has been him everytime, and he still keeps bringing it up.

 

[Chimaera]

The Penguins tanked one game.

The Capitals have tanked how many?

You're a Hypocrite, and a homer.

Plain and simple.


If you want to get into tanking, what is to say the Penguins haven't been tanking for 2-3 years now in a row?

They were losing just about as much money as the Caps have lost. 20+ million a year. If you want to argue about 'not being able to afford players'.


Where is your "goalie of the future"?

Kris Beech and a few other prospects spend time in the Minors, and sure, that's just because Pittsburgh isn't tanking. They must be letting them get conditioned, seasoning, and playing time. And the team they're putting out every night in the Igloo is their best possible team. Night in, night out.


I'm not one to say that the Caps are blameless. Starting Yeats 3 nights in a row is questionable, but not out of the realm of being completely indefensible. Giving a guy time at the pro level, so he can hopefully latch on somewhere is charitable, especially when Olie's job is not hurt or helped by playing any more games this season. Especially when he's already played more than his share so far.

And for the dumping salary, that had to be done. Why waste money on a team that isn't trying, doesn't care, and would take a good 10 million or more to make better? If you're already losing 20 million plus a year?!?!

It doesn't make sense. You blow it up and start over.


Underachieving and playing poorly does not = tanking.

Tell me Jeff Halpern tanked. Tell me Matt Pettinger tanked. Tell me Brendan Witt tanked. Tell me players like Boumedienne, Verot, Peat, and all the other nameless, less talented players tanked it. And I'll call you a liar.


neither team is in the clear on this. Both teams have been questionable in their callups, send downs and personnel moves.

But, if you want to go just by a pure precident. Pittsburgh has some history in this type of thing.

You understand you're the pot calling the kettle black?

 

[EroCaps]

You're a Hypocrite, and a homer.

Plain and simple.


If you want to get into tanking, what is to say the Penguins haven't been tanking for 2-3 years now in a row?

They were losing just about as much money as the Caps have lost. 20+ million a year. If you want to argue about 'not being able to afford players'.


Where is your "goalie of the future"?

Kris Beech and a few other prospects spend time in the Minors, and sure, that's just because Pittsburgh isn't tanking. They must be letting them get conditioned, seasoning, and playing time. And the team they're putting out every night in the Igloo is their best possible team. Night in, night out.


I'm not one to say that the Caps are blameless. Starting Yeats 3 nights in a row is questionable, but not out of the realm of being completely indefensible. Giving a guy time at the pro level, so he can hopefully latch on somewhere is charitable, especially when Olie's job is not hurt or helped by playing any more games this season. Especially when he's already played more than his share so far.

And for the dumping salary, that had to be done. Why waste money on a team that isn't trying, doesn't care, and would take a good 10 million or more to make better? If you're already losing 20 million plus a year?!?!

It doesn't make sense. You blow it up and start over.


Underachieving and playing poorly does not = tanking.

Tell me Jeff Halpern tanked. Tell me Matt Pettinger tanked. Tell me Brendan Witt tanked. Tell me players like Boumedienne, Verot, Peat, and all the other nameless, less talented players tanked it. And I'll call you a liar.


neither team is in the clear on this. Both teams have been questionable in their callups, send downs and personnel moves.

But, if you want to go just by a pure precident. Pittsburgh has some history in this type of thing.

You understand you're the pot calling the kettle black?

 

[Chimaera]

yes, I understand. But I'm tired of people having a 'free run' of sorts.

 

[roast]

Why aren't the caps playing Olluet? Blah,blah, blah. This has run its course as it is now down to a bunch of homers saying wheres Fleury / why play Yeats, etc. its over!

 

[roast]

Where is your "goalie of the future"?

Kris Beech and a few other prospects spend time in the Minors, and sure, that's just because Pittsburgh isn't tanking. They must be letting them get conditioned, seasoning, and playing time. And the team they're putting out every night in the Igloo is their best possible team. Night in, night out.

Just to clear a few things up, and i'm NOT saying caps should have called up X, etc. When the pens made call-ups from earlier in the season to now, it been one of the most productive players. Kostopolous was their leading scorer for a bit, Surovy was also once T.K. left. Both have spent a considerable amount of time with the big pens this season. Boileau did well on defense there, and preformed OK on defense in pittsburgh. Caron and Aubin both spent time there, and once Fleury was sent back to juniors because he had no denfense in front of him, both Aubin and Caron were in PGH for the rest of the season. Beech has spent most of the season on IR, only recently returning. If you saw him play here during training camp and / or pre-season, he was getting knocked off the puck left and right and pretty much played like ****. During his short 4 game stint during the regular season, he played like crap again. He has since turned it around and has produced very well for the WBS pens. In my opinion, each team has had 1 questionable callup. Pens - Hussey + Caps - Yeats.

 

[Chimaera]

Just to clear a few things up, and i'm NOT saying caps should have called up X, etc. When the pens made call-ups from earlier in the season to now, it been one of the most productive players. Kostopolous was their leading scorer for a bit, Surovy was also once T.K. left. Both have spent a considerable amount of time with the big pens this season. Boileau did well on defense there, and preformed OK on defense in pittsburgh. Caron and Aubin both spent time there, and once Fleury was sent back to juniors because he had no denfense in front of him, both Aubin and Caron were in PGH for the rest of the season. Beech has spent most of the season on IR, only recently returning. If you saw him play here during training camp and / or pre-season, he was getting knocked off the puck left and right and pretty much played like ****. During his short 4 game stint during the regular season, he played like crap again. He has since turned it around and has produced very well for the WBS pens. In my opinion, each team has had 1 questionable callup. Pens - Hussey + Caps - Yeats.

There have been more than one questionable callups for each team. The Caps have been calling up all different players with no real chance at making the NHL (long term) for much of the year.

Watching today's game, part of my point has been made for me, Caron's numbers are awful. Why is he still playing?


It really doesn't matter. Season's pretty much over. Lottery will fall as it will. Pens will have 'earned the first pick' the old fashioned way, and the Caps will get one of the top 5. So... all works out.

 

[roast]

Caron is strange, becuase some nights hes extremely soild, while others he flops around all over the place. I think he is NHL caliber if he becomes consistant. Also, for curiosity, who do you think have been questionable callups for the pens (asides from Hussey)?

 

[SwOOsh*]

OK Stop saying the Pens aren't trying to tank:

The Penguins used their allotted practice time yesterday morning at Southpointe to perform a grueling series of conditioning tests. Two skaters simultaneously skated three laps before taking a breather and doing it again. The times they recorded will be measured against those in the next training camp to determine fitness levels. Some players, such as LW Konstantin Koltsov, went full-bore with the first lap and clearly wore down by the end. Others, such as D Dick Tarnstrom, paced themselves evenly for all three. All were exhausted upon completion. "I couldn't walk," D Martin Strbak said. "I couldn't even feel my legs for 10 minutes."

That is rediculous, SHAMELESS.

 

[Til the End of Time]

This has been covered over and

over and

over

again.

 

[roast]

Swoosh, i'm not arguing that, if you'd have read my previous post, i stated what i thought were justifiable callups. I did not even reference the skating drills.

 

[Ol' Dirty Chinaman*]

Man, its gonna be great if Ovechkin turns out to be a dud at the NHL level.

Everybody's making a huge deal out of Crosby and Ovechkin. I think its a crime to the fans of the lower end teams that they have to feel to tank a season to get in a better position to draft Ovechkin.

That being said, I'm not racist or xenophobic -- but I hope that the "next one" is not going to be Crosby or Ovechkin, but some other kid in the draft who is going largely unnoticed.

 

[XX]

That being said, I'm not racist or xenophobic -- but I hope that the "next one" is not going to be Crosby or Ovechkin, but some other kid in the draft who is going largely unnoticed.

Entirely possible, Datsyuk is a good example.

It really doesnt matter to the bottom 5 if Ovechkin is a dud or not, they have other young players who can develop regardless. That being said, it would be quite funny if a team like the Rags or Detroit traded up with a bunch of good players/picks and he was a dud.

The teams at the bottom are there for a reason, that is because they are rebuilding. I say allow Columbus, Phoenix and Pittsburg their 2 years of fame, because every franchise (except a few money loaded ones) have to rebuild sometime or another.

 

[SwOOsh*]

Swoosh, i'm not arguing that, if you'd have read my previous post, i stated what i thought were justifiable callups. I did not even reference the skating drills.

I understand bud, I enjoy hearing your opinion along with other Pens fans such as stardog, macabre, etc. but Handsome B. Wonderful just frustrates me to no end.

 

[Big McLargehuge]

I understand bud, I enjoy hearing your opinion along with other Pens fans such as stardog, macabre, etc. but Handsome B. Wonderful just frustrates me to no end.

That's Mr. Wonderful to you.

 

[Legionnaire]

Everybody knows about Kovy's ego. "We'll see." He says. He has to be #1 to survive and he doesn't even want to think about not being #1.

I don't know if that's fair. Kovy is not the first player that I have heard say things like that about a young kid.....don't ask me who because I can remember

 

[Legionnaire]

Dude, your avatar is hillarious....
Anyways, I know this is going to sound real stupid, but when I read that article I also got the feeling that Kovalchuk didnt seem real interested in talking about AO either. Maybe I sensed a little jealousy.
Of course we could be reading it wrong or it could have been printed wrong or whatever.

Thanks man The funny thing about it is that the Kings have Cartman doing things on the jumbotron during games.