What's so ludicrous about it?

[MarkQuinn]

Mark Madden has a small mind. He doesn't think outside the box. He has his little world view and he stubbornly sticks to it and nobody can say otherwise because he'll bulldoze you either with his loud microphone or his massive Twitter account.

Rossi went over the top in his column when he accused the Capitals of deciding at a players-only team meeting to hurt Crosby. That’s ludicrous.

http://1059thex.iheart.com/onair/mark-madden-25939/rob-rossi-vs-barry-trotz-15794022/

Ludicrous? Really? How does he know one way or the other?

Madden has a real knack for broadcasting his OPINION and making everything think it's fact. Sheer volume and a deep voice tends to do that. Yet it's still just OPINION.

Maybe it's ludicrous to think it was explicitly stated and planned at that meeting, but how do we know it wasn't said in code or innuendo? All sorts of things can be communicated without actually speaking the words.

"Anyone gets near the crease, we make them pay."

Something like that. Something even directed at Sid.

All I'm saying is it's not ludicrous to think the unthinkable was discussed at that meeting. And Madden himself knows that when everything is at stake, hockey teams and players can be vicious. He himself referenced Clarke and Kharlamov in an earlier tweet.

But since Madden has chimed in on the issude, I guess that makes it official Pittsburgh sports canon, doesn't it? Now there's no questioning it. The Super Genius has said his peace. It's a non-issue. Hurting Sid or any other player was NOT discussed at that meeting. Purely LUDICROUS.

Bull.

Madden doesn't know one way or the other.

And while I'm at it, I want to know why Rob Rossi got 20 thumbs down and only 2 thumbs up (one of the ups is from me) on this video:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kvp7SwQaFhs

That's a worse thumbs-up-to-thumbs-down ratio than the average Justin Bieber video. Obviously some of those are from Caps fans, but the comments tell us at least a few Pens fans have chimed in negatively as well.

Pens fans don't want to hear the truth now? Pens fans are too afraid to let out a little righteous indignation? You mean we've all become freaking snowflakes?

So sad.

Click to read more...

 

[Gurglesons]

It is ludicrous because regardless of intent or whatever this is a play that happens in every hockey game. It sucks that it happened to Crosby. We got the opportunity to make the Capitals pay when we were given a five minute major and Niskanen was thrown out.

Complaining about it like babies just plays into exactly how everyone wants to view Penguins fans.

Also, giving Madden and Rossi any amount of views for these "hot takes" is exactly what they want.

 

[Dread Pirate Roberts]

It is ludicrous because regardless of intent or whatever this is a play that happens in every hockey game.

So a guy hits another guy in the head with a two-handed baseball swing in every hockey game?

 

[VoluntaryDom]

That was not a play that belongs in hockey. Should be a suspension.

 

[Gurglesons]

So a guy hits another guy in the head with a two-handed baseball swing in every hockey game?

Yes. We've seen it happen to Crosby literally every playoffs. I don't know if I consider it a "hockey play", but one of my favorite pictures from the last couple of years was Malkin cross checking the **** out of Tavares while he was curled up in a ball on the ice.

 

[Al Smith]

I haven't lived in town for many years, so I don't listen to Madden (I think I remember him having a newspaper column in one of the rags) and I don't think I've ever read Rossi's columns. So I don't pay attention to what either of them say.

But it seems pretty apparent that the Caps decided before the game (whether in their team meeting or not) to double down on whatever it took to "be physical" or whatever the wording was. And when Ovie and Nisky had chances to take cheap shots at Sid, they took them. I don't know how you can look at Nisky leave Guentzel turn to Crosby (when the puck is well behind him) and say he didn't intend to cross check him high (hint he admitted he meant to cross check him). The Caps were desperate because they had just gotten embarrassed at home by a team missing two of its key players. Again.

This reminded me of an interview with Rodney Harrison (I think) last year:

“If I was playing against Cam Newton, I would try to take him out. I would try to take him out. [Dan Patrick: What do you mean?] I would try to hurt him. I would go right at his knees. That’s the goal. That’s the goal: you want to knock him out. That might be the difference between winning and losing the Super Bowl.” http://deadspin.com/rodney-harrison-on-how-hed-stop-cam-newton-hurt-him-1757159933

Different sport, but same mentality. Some people resort to hurting someone when they constantly get in the way of your perceived success.

 

[66-30-33]

Did Nisky mean to do that hit? sure. He had time to not hit him but he choose to hit him and he said he was wanting to crosscheck him.

Did Nisky mean to take him out of the game/series on purpose? probably not.

Did they talk about some type of gameplan for game 3? of course, what else did they talk about? they needed game 3 at all costs, they probably all wanted to run Crosby from behind or something and hope he would leave the game or be so bruised up he would not help them.

Crosby got hurt for the rest of the series just after they had that players only meeting and became so desperate to get a cup at a last ditch effort with the best roster they have ever had in the Ovy era. Whatever it takes, no matter the cost...

 

[Terrapin]

It is ludicrous because regardless of intent or whatever this is a play that happens in every hockey game. It sucks that it happened to Crosby. We got the opportunity to make the Capitals pay when we were given a five minute major and Niskanen was thrown out.

Complaining about it like babies just plays into exactly how everyone wants to view Penguins fans.

Also, giving Madden and Rossi any amount of views for these "hot takes" is exactly what they want.

Please, for the love of God, please explain to me why you (or anyone else) gives a flying **** what any other fanbase thinks of you? Are you really concerned by what some 15 year old dork in Nova Scotia thinks about you?

 

[Tender Rip]

Hi Mark.
Rob Rossi is undiluted filth. Your post is too. Not you, I don't know you, just your post.

As for Madden, he is mostly thrash, but in this instance he obviously comes out on top by inserting just a bit of sanity.

 

[BlindWillyMcHurt]

Please, for the love of God, please explain to me why you (or anyone else) gives a flying **** what any other fanbase thinks of you? Are you really concerned by what some 15 year old dork in Nova Scotia thinks about you?

Nobody is changing anyone's mind about the Penguins, anyway. This team has been playing clean, skilled, fast, entertaining hockey for a while. But they are "dirty thugs" who employed Matt Cooke, remember. Years ago. Crosby is one of the class acts of the league and plays the game the right way but is still a "whiny diver." People just regurgitate the same ********* from a decade ago. They don't actually watch the games. They don't actually bother interacting with any of us as fans aside from drive-by insults. So yeah... who cares what they think? They're irrelevant. Why shouldn't we be furious? This isn't some isolated incident.

 

[turd]

I don't understand the point of this thread. Just to **** on Madden?

 

[Coastal Kev]

It is ludicrous because regardless of intent or whatever this is a play that happens in every hockey game. It sucks that it happened to Crosby. We got the opportunity to make the Capitals pay when we were given a five minute major and Niskanen was thrown out.

Complaining about it like babies just plays into exactly how everyone wants to view Penguins fans.

Also, giving Madden and Rossi any amount of views for these "hot takes" is exactly what they want.

LOL.. you don't get it. They don't hate us because we whine, they hate us because they ooze of JELLY. You don't want to be hated any longer, let the Pens go back to the team they had before Mario. Trust me, no hated the Pens back then.

 

[BlindWillyMcHurt]

LOL.. you don't get it. They don't hate us because we whine, they hate us because they ooze of JELLY. You don't want to be hated any longer, let the Pens go back to the team they had before Mario. Trust me, no hated the Pens back then.

HA! Yup.

The Penguins and their spunky, self-depreciating board were universally one of the most loved teams and fanbases here on HF boards right around 2001-2005. Go look up the Penguins record for those years if you need a refresher. And tell me if you think it's a coincidence.

 

[Gurglesons]

LOL.. you don't get it. They don't hate us because we whine, they hate us because they ooze of JELLY. You don't want to be hated any longer, let the Pens go back to the team they had before Mario. Trust me, no hated the Pens back then.

I could see Kris Letang, Ian Cole, and Trevor Daley all making the same exact play that Niskanen did to Crosby.

Does it make it a hockey play? No, but acting like Ovechkin and Niskanen both specifically decided to team up against Crosby to take him out of the game is just silly black and yellow tinted glass BS. Did they mean to hit him with their sticks? Sure.

 

[Coastal Kev]

I could see Kris Letang, Ian Cole, and Trevor Daley all making the same exact play that Niskanen did to Crosby.

Does it make it a hockey play? No, but acting like Ovechkin and Niskanen both specifically decided to team up against Crosby to take him out of the game is just silly black and yellow tinted glass BS. Did they mean to hit him with their sticks? Sure.

You may need to back and watch the entire play at full speed again. For someone who has watched 1000's of hockey games, that play looked very violent from start to finish.

To write it off as typical run of mill hockey play is very false narrative. I knew before they even went back to Sid he was hurt and hurt bad. The slow mo actually makes the violent action lessened, amazing because the slow looks terrible as well.

 

[Tender Rip]

Please, for the love of God, please explain to me why you (or anyone else) gives a flying **** what any other fanbase thinks of you? Are you really concerned by what some 15 year old dork in Nova Scotia thinks about you?

I personally don't care what other "fan bases" think at all. I don't care what Pens fans think as a group either, or what any individual on our forum thinks to be honest.

But its less appealing hanging out on the Pens forum if there is a large group of people losing their god damn minds.

 

[Terrapin]

I could see Kris Letang, Ian Cole, and Trevor Daley all making the same exact play that Niskanen did to Crosby.

Does it make it a hockey play? No, but acting like Ovechkin and Niskanen both specifically decided to team up against Crosby to take him out of the game is just silly black and yellow tinted glass BS. Did they mean to hit him with their sticks? Sure.

I really couldn't see Trevor Daley hitting anybody. But if the other two did, not only would Wilson or Oshie beat the **** out of them, but Sid and Geno would be run all game long (even more than usual).

Now, aside from it not being 'our game', why didn't a single player on our team even breathe on Ovy (or any Caps, save the Kuni/Oshie hit) the entire game? Now think back to when Ovy routinely took runs at Geno, when he took out Gonchar, whacked Letangs skate, and the multitude of other cheap **** he's pulled over the years. Our 'response' to him was exactly the same, nothing. It's sad. It really is sad. Ovy knows the league ain't doing **** to him, and he really knows that nobody on our team will ever do anything to him. Can't say I blame him for continuing his cheap shots.

 

[Gurglesons]

You may need to back and watch the entire play at full speed again. For someone who has watched 1000's of hockey games, that play looked very violent from start to finish.

To write it off as typical run of mill hockey play is very false narrative. I knew before they even went back to Sid he was hurt and hurt bad. The slow mo actually makes the violent action lessened, amazing because the slow looks terrible as well.

I'm not assuming it as a "typical run of the mill" hockey play. I'm just saying complaining about it when you have two defensemen that throw those exact types of cross checks every game is a joke. It really sucks Crosby got hurt, yet again because of a stupid play almost identical to the same way he got hurt against the Capitals last time he was seriously injured in terms of a concussion. I guess, I'm just not going to join the culture of outrage around here and realize hockey is a rough game where people consistently do things like this.

 

[Terrapin]

I personally don't care what other "fan bases" think at all. I don't care what Pens fans think as a group either, or what any individual on our forum thinks to be honest.

But its less appealing hanging out on the Pens forum if there is a large group of people losing their god damn minds.[/QUOTE]

That's not the topic though. Some people here actually seem legitimately concerned about what other fans think of them. Like, if Senators fans think we're 'cool', they'll in turn root for the Pens, which in turn will somehow help the Pens win games. I just don't get it. Ovechkin has been one of the dirtiest players in the league for years. I hope somebody breaks his leg. I couldn't care less if Caps fans like me for that or not.

 

[Dread Pirate Roberts]

I'm not assuming it as a "typical run of the mill" hockey play. I'm just saying complaining about it when you have two defensemen that throw those exact types of cross checks every game is a joke. It really sucks Crosby got hurt, yet again because of a stupid play almost identical to the same way he got hurt against the Capitals last time he was seriously injured in terms of a concussion. I guess, I'm just not going to join the culture of outrage around here and realize hockey is a rough game where people consistently do things like this.

You're only talking about half the play, though. What about Ovechkin's half of the play? Is that routine? (Spoiler alert: it's not.) When you put them together in sequence, is the entire play routine? (Spoiler: again, no.)

I'm not sure if I buy into the theory that this was some vast conspiracy by the coach or a consensus of the players, because I have no access to the Capitals' facilities. But I know that it wasn't a "hockey play," because I watch hockey.

 

[BlindWillyMcHurt]

Hockey is indeed a rough sport. You can expect to sustain plenty of injuries.

But a professional sports league that allows it's best players to be constantly put in harm's way without repercussion is a joke and should be discussed as a joke. It's really, really amazing to me that there are Penguins fans that are turning this around as something to be stoic about. I'm personally not trying to discuss this strictly as an isolated incident but as a long pattern. This is just kind of the last straw for me.

I've watched the replay dozens of times, now. I don't care that Niskanen didn't intend on mashing Crosby in the earhole. He surely intended on delivering a vicious, full-extension crosscheck. That's bad enough (and, by the way... an illegal play, lest we forget -- I know it's easy to). Ovechkin absolutely was doing the things Ovechkin is known to do leading right up to that.

Did they put their heads together on the bench and like... diagram the whole thing out? Of course not! But are you telling me that makes it better? I just... don't get it. I get wanting to be the cool kids all the time that play the "lol - chicken littles" card. But there is a time to be pissed, too. We're not actually out there on the ice playing. It's fine to be fans, sometimes.

 

[Gurglesons]

I really couldn't see Trevor Daley hitting anybody. But if the other two did, not only would Wilson or Oshie beat the **** out of them, but Sid and Geno would be run all game long (even more than usual).

Now, aside from it not being 'our game', why didn't a single player on our team even breathe on Ovy (or any Caps, save the Kuni/Oshie hit) the entire game? Now think back to when Ovy routinely took runs at Geno, when he took out Gonchar, whacked Letangs skate, and the multitude of other cheap **** he's pulled over the years. Our 'response' to him was exactly the same, nothing. It's sad. It really is sad. Ovy knows the league ain't doing **** to him, and he really knows that nobody on our team will ever do anything to him. Can't say I blame him for continuing his cheap shots.

Nobody did anything to Kadri after he threw Ovechkin over his shoulder aside from Ovechkin the next game.

Two cups in ten years versus a team that has never made it out of the second round and we are the sad franchise? I could careless about what cheap **** teams do to our players. Overcome it and be real champions.

 

[Gurglesons]

Hockey is indeed a rough sport. You can expect to sustain plenty of injuries.

But a professional sports league that allows it's best players to be constantly put in harm's way without repercussion is a joke and should be discussed as a joke. It's really, really amazing to me that there are Penguins fans that are turning this around as something to be stoic about. I'm personally not trying to discuss this strictly as an isolated incident but as a long pattern. This is just kind of the last straw for me.

I've watched the replay dozens of times, now. I don't care that Niskanen didn't intend on mashing Crosby in the earhole. He surely intended on delivering a vicious, full-extension crosscheck. That's bad enough (and, by the way... an illegal play, lest we forget -- I know it's easy to). Ovechkin absolutely was doing the things Ovechkin is known to do leading right up to that.

Did they put their heads together on the bench and like... diagram the whole thing out? Of course not! But are you telling me that makes it better? I just... don't get it. I get wanting to be the cool kids all the time that play the "lol - chicken littles" card. But there is a time to be pissed, too. We're not actually out there on the ice playing. It's fine to be fans, sometimes.

I'm pissed. Anyone that is a hockey fan should be pissed. At the same time, this is the game. These are the moments that make a championship. If you don't want to live and die in the bad moments, how can you appreciate the good ones. If the Pens storm back and win this series and Crosby is back for the ECF who cares what happened?

Ovechkin threw his stick exactly how Crosby and Malkin throw their sticks. Do I think the crosschecking should be thrown out of the game? Of course, but it is hard to look in the mirror on this one and blame one star player for getting frisky with his stick when that is what our two players are specifically known and that isn't even including Letang who is probably one of the dirtiest stick players in the league.

 

[BlindWillyMcHurt]

I'm pissed. Anyone that is a hockey fan should be pissed. At the same time, this is the game. These are the moments that make a championship. If you don't want to live and die in the bad moments, how can you appreciate the good ones. If the Pens storm back and win this series and Crosby is back for the ECF who cares what happened?

And if it works for the Capitals and the Penguins (pretty understandably) falter?

What's the takeaway, there?

 

[Gurglesons]

And if it works for the Capitals and the Penguins (pretty understandably) falter?

What's the takeaway, there?

The same takeaway as in 2013. Teams have different ways of winning Cups.

Were you this distraught when Boston cleaned the floor with Vancouver physically and won that series?