Submitted for comparison purposes. This game demostrated the Caps' superiority over the Pens in many ways.

First off, the rookie stars. Draper completely shut Crosby down aside from ammeaningless assist with 30 seconds remaining. On the contrary, Ovechkin had several chances and never appeared frustrated by the Wings D.

Hitting wise the games were completely opposite. The Caps took the game to the Wings and were even commended for it by the Wings' players. The Penguins ....didn't.

I had a third point but I lost it.

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Crying is bad.

How bad has it gotten for the Penguins. Games have been pushed off the front page for stories about whether the team is moving; then, the team gets beat -- shutout -- by the worst team in the league and a goalie who hadn't started a game in two weeks.

And, Sergei Gonchar probably doesn't have a fan club in those parts these days.

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Play hard, shake hands, drink beer.

"LA needs two hockey teams like Switzerland needs two navies" -- Norman Chad (from "My 10-Point Plan to Save Gary Bettman from Himself")


If you've read this far, you probably could use a hobby

The Wings were talking down to the Pens (at least to/about Crosby), even before the game started. Is St. Louis as low as they can get?

There's a good thread on official, where people pointed out that many of the Pens seem to be turning a deaf ear to SC's coaching tactics- the bit on the bench where he was telling Gonchar to "pick up his game" against the Wings was just classic: Gonch just stared off into space..... and promptly turned the puck over his next shift.

It gets even weirder in Pittsburgh. The arena financing issue makes the DC baseball stadium one look calm and ordered by comparison. One thing that has lurked in the background for a few years there is whether Dallas Mavericks (NBA) owner Mark Cuban -- who is a PA native -- would swoop in and buy the club and perhaps finance a new arena himself. He was rumored to be interested in 1999 before Lemieux and his investment group eventually took it over. Well, billionaire Cuban has more important investment opportunities these days . . .

http://www.dallasnews.com/s/dws/dn/latestnews/stories/DN-cuban_13bus.ART.State.Edition2.e209a71.html

You can't make stuff like this up.

___________
Play hard, shake hands, drink beer.

"LA needs two hockey teams like Switzerland needs two navies" -- Norman Chad (from "My 10-Point Plan to Save Gary Bettman from Himself")


If you've read this far, you probably could use a hobby

"I had a third point but I lost it."

Three, the Pens got outshot 39-17 in that game (and 42-21 the day after against the Blues). The shots were even 30 apiece in the Wings-Caps game.

Four, the Caps were in the game from the first minute to the last.

Five, the Caps were expected to suck big time and they're rather good. They're a nice surprise. They're competitive, despite their current ranking. The Pens thought they were Stanley Cup contenders. Their fans are very disappointed.

In both games, though, the Wings won thanks to two powerplay goals by Zetterberg.

 

If the Caps win tonight (game 29), they overtake the Pens (31 games played) in the standings. I'll go to bed now, and try to get up in time for the game. See you.

Heck, let's make it 6!

I was mentioning elsewhere about a comment I think I saw from Crosby in which he said MAF was amazing and even moreso when you consider he's only 23. As an 18 year old I find him making that comment to be extremely odd. I'll make that 6.

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Crying is bad.

Olczyk fired.

7's the magic number!

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Crying is bad.

If I am a Penguin this morning, there were some comments from the new coach I'd be very concerned about. Michel Therrien said after the game . . .

"There's a lot of work to be done, conditioning-wise. I don't think we're right there. I think we're behind. When that team is in good shape, I think we're going to play a lot better. When you're in good shape, you're capable of thinking better. You make better decisions. When you're not in good shape, it's the opposite. A few times tonight, we didn't make the right decisions."

Therrien was the opposite of Olczyk at WBS; he was very much a task master. I wonder if he'll resort to Herbies. They're going to be skating their backsides off.

And he is not beyond specifically calling out individual players in the press. He cited Shane Endicott specifically for taking two bad minors.

It'll be a new world for this bunch.

___________
Play hard, shake hands, drink beer.

"LA needs two hockey teams like Switzerland needs two navies" -- Norman Chad (from "My 10-Point Plan to Save Gary Bettman from Himself")


If you've read this far, you probably could use a hobby