Forgot to say ... Sorry Sharks fans. One month has passed by since I started this thread and all but 4 teams have been eliminated. I love this game.
[strike] 6 to 0 Pens over the Flyers with 13 min to go in the 3rd period. I'd say they've got their ticket punched for the Stanley Cup Finals. Detroit? Dallas? Anyone care to join us? [/strike] Philadelphia 0 Pittsburgh 6 Final 2007-2008 Eastern Conference Champions: Pittsburgh Penguins 4 more wins for the Stanley Cup!
2 shut outs, no wins, no offense, no defense, what happend to wonderboy Crockby :whistle: You have been pretty damn quiet lately :sly::dancinlock: Red Wings will win the cup baby :worthy::worthy::worthy: At least your not a Crapalanche fan..Hehehehe :cry2:
:Yawn: Love the name calling. It shows class. I fail to understand why me being quiet matters. I haven't really been able to update this thread as much as I used to do to things changing on my end. Yes, I was happy the Pens put away Philly so dominantly at the end of the ECF. However, if Philly would have taken that series, I'd still be watching, because I love the sport. Crap talking doesn't do anything for me. The game itself takes precedence over any player or single team. I could care less who is in the Cup final, as long as it's good hockey. Thankfully the Pens made it - but this isn't the way it was supposed to be. Yes, the Pens have been outplayed. I was hoping for a split in Detroit, but it didn't happen. They've (Pittsburgh) been solid at home, which is where they prefer to play. I'm sure they'll take Game 3. If they tank it out in Game 4, then the Cup goes to Detroit. Needless to say, everyone I have read in the media and talked to in other media circuits (and blogs) is completely at a loss. The neutral zone trap that Detroit employs is nothing new. Hell, the Penguins play nearly the same 1-2-2 setup. However, Detroit's execution is phenomenal. It appears as though the forwards cycle backwards into the defensive positions while the D-men step up into the zone. What I love about it is how Red Wings Head Coach Mike Babcock adjusted their trap to include a 3 man triangle pressure setup. The Penguins tend to do D to D to Center break outs from their own zone. The puck carrier ends up running into a pressure 3 triangle and turns the puck over in the neutral zone. It has completely turned the high flying, high power offense of the Penguins into nothing more than a high caliber turn over machine. I know how to break their zone. But I'm not the Penguins head coach. Therrien's gotta make the adjustments and the Penguins need to execute some "ugly" plays, something they're not used to doing. It's the same epic failure the Penguins had when they played against the New York Rangers in the regular season. The Rangers had a strong, high pressure 2 forecheck system that completely baffled the Penguins in every season matchup. They adjusted and overcame the Rangers in the post season. However, they're much slower to adjust to the Red Wings style. It needs to happen soon, or it will be too little, too late. Player Analysis, through 2 games: Marc-Andre Fleury Poor guy fell out of the gate in game 1. :lol: The solid defense that was around him has hung him out to dry. He's faced more shots in the first two games than he did a majority of the last series. Yes, he let in a softy to open game 2, but he's been solid. Oh, and can't forget that lovely stick handling blunder in game 1. Grade: C Evgeni Malkin This isn't the Russian Super League, Geno. Here, you play up to 115 games (give or take) to finish out the season as the champ. I know you're tired, everyone else is too. For God's sake, step it up and look like the superstar you are and WERE 2 weeks ago. Grade: F Sidney Crosby Sid, I'm sorry the rest of your team isn't playing as hard as you are. You're leading the team in shots on goal, which are few, and doesn't say much. You are a pass first, shoot as a last resort player. You are the captain. You are the leader. You need to tell your coach that the line changes didn't work and that you need to go back to what worked to get you here. You also need to get your wingers to chip/saucer the puck across the blue line, just as you have done. Grade: B Chris Osgood Chris Osgood has had an easy time in net, facing few shots. But the saves he has made have been phenomenal. My only issue was his gigantic acting job in game 2. Ryan Malone bumped him a little and he began sprawling in net. Petr Sykora slowed up and slightly shouldered him and he flopped like a fish. I've heard a lot of accusations of Sidney Crosby being a "diver," but no one has said a word about Osgood's Academy Award performance in game 2. Again, his play was phenomenal, but those were my only issues of contention. Grade: A, with an Oscar award Niklas Kronwall Kronwall is notorious for huge hits. However, it's about time that the referees notice that he's been leaping/jumping for the majority of those hits. That's a 2-minute penalty for charging. It's always been called, but all of a sudden, it's OK. Even though I'm a craptacular skater, I play by the rules. They tell us we can't "leave our feet" in the "beer leagues" because it's in the NHL rule book. Well, someone remind the referees this during the Stanley Cup Final. Grade: D Gary Roberts Gary Roberts pissed me off. They sat Georges Laraque because he's basically a goon-ish pylon on the ice that only wants to fight and do nothing more. Scary Gary did get a few hits but he did some bonehead stuff. Hitting Franzen in the head from behind was low class. Franzen sure took his time going down. But knowing that he's got a bad noggin, I was pretty pissed off to say the least. Grade: F Zetterberg / Datsyuk Output has been slowed, but the Red Wings still win. That's a TERRIBLE sign for Pittsburgh. Grade: C+ Ryan Malone Game 2 = *face palm*. Grade: D Petr Sykora The Sniper that can't find a shot. Grade: D Johan Franzen The Franzen was stopped by an injury. Then gets cleared for game 2. He's risking becoming the next Eric Lindros if he's not careful. Still, commendable for playing. Grade: B Here's hoping the Pens can find a way to at least put a puck past Osgood. Here's hoping Malkin remembers these games count and are meaningful. Here's hoping for some sort of decent hockey being played by TWO teams to make for an interesting Final for the good of the SPORT. Oh, and I forgot one thing - I do call Philadelphia "Filthadelphia" - one of the worst experiences I ever had was visiting Philly. :shakes head:
Hate to say it baby but ... he's right! Wings in 6. (it's ok tho cause the Pistons are going down at the hands of the Celts)
LETS GO DEVILRAYS!!!!!!!! oh wait....what sport are we talking about?!?!.... i want the red team to win case they are red and they are COOLER!
HEY NOW, can't we all just get along?!?!? Bad pohos, bad, behave!! :bottom: Lol! (gonna have to side with Stevo on the "red" thing Kymmie, sorry babe, I own 2 red cars, lol!)
