Pre-Game Talk: The Rangers Have a Rivalry with an AHL Team?

[Waffle Fries]

Pittsburgh Penguins ‏@penguins
#Pens morning skate lines: Kunitz-Crosby-Dupuis Zolnierczyk-Jokinen-Gibbons Conner-Sutter-Vitale Adams-Sill-Kobasew
https://twitter.com/penguins/status/413347377366327297

Pittsburgh Penguins ‏@penguins
#Pens D-pairs: Niskanen-Maatta Dumoulin-Bortuzzo Samuelsson-Despres (Scuderi-Engelland)
https://twitter.com/penguins/status/413347684368392192

Click to read more...

 

[Winger for Hire]

Pittsburgh Penguins ‏@penguins
#Pens morning skate lines: Kunitz-Crosby-Dupuis Zolnierczyk-Jokinen-Gibbons Conner-Sutter-Vitale Adams-Sill-Kobasew
https://twitter.com/penguins/status/413347377366327297

Pittsburgh Penguins ‏@penguins
#Pens D-pairs: Niskanen-Maatta Dumoulin-Bortuzzo Samuelsson-Despres (Scuderi-Engelland)
https://twitter.com/penguins/status/413347684368392192

I love that title so much... I hope the (Baby) Pens play like they did against Toronto. Another gem to watch!

 

[Shrimper]

Said this in the pre-game thread for predictions but I'll say it here too.

Will have the GDT up around 4 ET.

 

[deakka]

Ok, we have said this before.. but this HAS to be the worst 2nd line in the NHL? it just has to be

 

[Ragnarok14]

Haha!
Well, at least the AHL flavored Penguins will be playing with heart and have something to prove...
The Rangers automatons will be playing like farts thru bowels unmoved.
Seriously , as a Ranger fan of over 25 years, this current inception of ineptitude is like nothing I've seen since before the lockout when they floated about waiting for the final buzzer.
Good luck, and if you have a third string goalie in the wings it would be a great game for his first NHL shutout

 

[madinsomniac]

How I would rank our Rivals:

1a The Flyers
1b Philidelphia
1c The Philidelphia Flyers
Long gap....
2. The Capitals (AO plus the long playoff traditions
3. The Islanders(recent events plus playoffs)
4. The Rangers (Fell below the Isles on my current hate list, still above Bruins)
5. The Bruins ( may move higher due to recent events)
6. The Devils (cooled off somewhat lately)
7. The Sens
8. Detroit (which has potential now that they are in the east)

Buffalo is off the radar these days... Florida has been dead for over a deacade more or less. carolina has never really had one with us. Montreal and Toronto really have never been rivals per se. Columbus has potential, and I think Tampa has at least a foundation for one. None of the west teams really has much potential outside of maybe chicago due to past history and current success....

So yeah, we are having a #3 or #4 rivalry night... hooooraah!

 

[ColePens]

Epic title.

 

[Big McLargehuge]

Zolnierczyk-Jokinen-Gibbons is a 2nd line in the NHL right now, people.

Good lord

 

[madinsomniac]

Ok, we have said this before.. but this HAS to be the worst 2nd line in the NHL? it just has to be

I bet they score, lol... probably twice... thats a lot of speed on the wings there... #FeartheahlPens

 

[Shrimper]

Is this the last game that Neal misses through suspension?

 

[Speaking Moistly]

At what point do the Sidney Crosby - AHL player jokes start being acceptable and reality? I just feel sorry for most of the players right now. At least the team will be fast, and we'll get to watch them try and take out Dupuis because they care about their captain.

Apparently Jokinen was just under 82% on FO's in the last game, I expect him not to take any tonight. Gibbons will do it, we'll literally get to see someone thrown out of a faceoff.

 

[Jag68Sid87]

I understand the notion of not breaking up a winning combination, but when bodies keep dropping, wouldn't it make sense to rework those lines to at least, you know, put guys in their natural positions?

 

[Waffle Fries]

Zolnierczyk-Jokinen-Gibbons is a 2nd line in the NHL right now, people.

Good lord

Amazing isn't it?

Is this the last game that Neal misses through suspension?

I believe so.

 

[Le Magnifique 66]

Could it really be worse then the last time we were at MSG in that embarrassing 5-1 loss?

 

[Speaking Moistly]

What are the odds of this team making it out of this game in one piece?

I believe so.

Yes, he's back tomorrow. Reinforcements are on the way, Sutter.

 

[Waffle Fries]

What are the odds of this team making it out of this game in one piece?

Not good, I'd say. Especially because we're getting a player back tomorrow.

Yes, he's back tomorrow. Reinforcements are on the way, Sutter.

I do have to say, I feel pretty bad for Sutter in all of this. We complain about Sid and Geno's linemates, but Sutter may have had it worst of all this year.

 

[#66]

I hate the Rangers more than anyone. For years all they've done is be NY's team. They have an putrid history.

 

[Jaded-Fan]

Epic title.

I have it on the best authority that winning with so many call ups in the lineup means that you are cocky.

The humble thing to do would be to lose.

 

[Fordy]

I miss Megna

 

[cheesedanish87]

Hopefully the bottom 2 pairings hold up tonight, you know AV will have Nash out there against them.

I would think the Sutter line is the real 2nd line, i think they would get more minutes then the Jokinen line, people hate on Conner but that line has been really good since hes been on it.

 

[Le Magnifique 66]

I miss Megna

But Gibbons is backkkk

 

[Le Magnifique 66]

Hopefully the bottom 2 pairings hold up tonight, you know AV will have Nash out there against them.

I would think the Sutter line is the real 2nd line, i think they would get more minutes then the Jokinen line, people hate on Conner but that line has been really good since hes been on it.

If Maatta plays the way he played against Kessel on Nash, we should be fine

 

[PensBandwagonerNo272*]

Leafs game was fun. Let's see if they can do it again.

 

[Crafton]

team owes me a win. last time they played I was out with a rags fan.

 

[Speaking Moistly]

There's something liberating about the team being this injured.

Not good, I'd say. Especially because we're getting a player back tomorrow.

So that means we're losing more than one.

I do have to say, I feel pretty bad for Sutter in all of this. We complain about Sid and Geno's linemates, but Sutter may have had it worst of all this year.

Yeah, Sutter has been the unseen victim in all of this; credit to him for handling it. He's had the cycle of AHL players and the top lines taking anyone he might be getting familiar with, or they got injured.

Although at this point Crosby would probably kill for Vitale over Dupuis.