Jonesi

Was Jordan Staal the right pick?

The players picked right after him..
Toews
Backstrom
Kessel
Brassard
even Okposo

The Dougler

iTrader: (1)

WOW the wings gave a clinic last night! Pittsburgh should take a page out of their book.















on choking

dom

Yes he was. All your centers can't be point producers. And good luck signing Crosby, Malkin and Toews. He fills other needs. That short handed goal could be a series changer.

97BlackAckCL

iTrader: (6)

I agreed a few pages back, Pittsburgh is a huge bandwagon city. It happened with the Steelers back in 05 and worse every year since, especially this year when they won again, and it has gotten progressively worse with the pens all 3 years that they went to the playoffs. I laugh now, working downtown seeing everyone wearing pens gear. When I spent a decade going to games in a less than half full arena, watching the pens fail grow year after year, while we were getting our draft lotteries. Only real pens fans cared when Lemieux came back, that hardly had an affect on ticket sales either, except for like the first game or 2, then it was right back to the same old. Now we're at 119 sellouts or something like that Glad we've had our season tickets for so long, especially since the waiting list is so f'ing long now

Rounder

NO

I hate jordan staal. I did not want to draft him. He was only picked that early because of his brother Eric. I wanted Toews, because he was labeled as a winger/center. You don't waste a 2nd overall pick taking a friggin 3rd line defensive center, ESPECIALLY since you had Malkin and Crosby.

Toews is a more complete player and better leader.
Backstrom is a much better passer.
All the other players mentioned are better than Staal. Only other guy I'm not high on is Kessel, but even he is panning out to be better than Staal. Think about it, if you were a GM of one of those other guys, would you trade them for Staal? I highly highly doubt it.

Only thing Staal has is size, but he doesn't use it, skates like he has cement skates and is Eric Daze V 2.0 without the back problems.

If he scores the OT winner of Game 7 of the Stanley Cup Finals....

I will still hate him.

Rounder

See that's the thing. The pens didn't NEED another center. Put Talbot as your 3rd line center, he's perfect for that. I wanted a winger (Toews), and I really wanted Erik Johnson but we couldn't swing a deal.

97BlackAckCL

iTrader: (6)

I haven't been much of a fan of staal, he can never get his stick on the puck in the OZ. However, we drafted him to be a 3rd line shut down center, and he does that VERY well

dom

Good points. I think what I'm getting at is that he fits in better with Pitt today than I think any of the other players mentioned would. You NEED a good defensive 3rd line center who can kill penalties, every team does. You couldn't have kept Toews, although he would have demanded high value in a trade.

Teams are built up the middle. Crosby, Malkin and Staal is as good as it gets.

Having said that, Is Stall really a 3rd line center? He's 21 so has a lot of growing up to do and is stuck behind the 2 best players in the game. Give the guy a break.

dom

I think we can all be guilty of this but you really need to start watching the way players move without the puck.

Rounder

He looks like he's lost out there 50% of the time.

Jonesi

Or otherwise known as... defense..

Yumcha

It'd be interesting who'd be the captain of the Pens if Toews was drafted to the Pens instead...


Oh, well...Pittsburgh oversight is Chicago's gain.

97BlackAckCL

iTrader: (6)

Junior Lemieux would be the captain no matter what

Yumcha

Steven Bell

iTrader: (2)

The Pens are playing well in Detroit, but it's obvious that the Red Wings play their best when they're at home.

dom

Anything else on TV tonight?

me1abPSU

I take comfort in knowing detroit and michigan for that matter are desolate. Now that Yucca mountain might not get used, maybe we can just dump nuclear waste in michigan.

97BlackAckCL

iTrader: (6)

i've never seen penalties called so unevenly, not saying that's why we're losing, but these refs are ridiculous. Crosby needs to keep his composure and stop being a bitch, but jesus christ so many penalties by the wings not called. This sucks, looks like the NHL really wants this series to go to 7 games like most all of the playoff series before this

jupitersolo

They're playing like the punks and spoiled brats they're truly are. Being outplayed and out classed by the Redwings.

jupitersolo

Gwens are intentionally going after the RedWings with the penalties being called, there no oneside in this game.

wstevens

Are you kidding? The last 3 penalties have been bush league fouls. The Pens have completely lost it in this game. Crosby needs to calm down so that the rest of the team can follow.

edit: and if Zetterberg wasn't letting me move or even breathe, I'd probably lose it after a while too.

97BlackAckCL

iTrader: (6)

I agree there's been frustration, as I said it's not the reason they're losing, but i've seen plenty of trips and elbows by detroit, yet penalties are 6-0, all I said, the last few penalties were just stupid by the pens, add on a couple soft goals let in by fleury.

Steven Bell

iTrader: (2)

The only good thing about this game is the Beatles music they play during the breaks.

Yumcha

How can a stacked team like the Pens be losing this badly to the Wings...? Wow, I don't feel so bad for Chicago getting beat like that in Game 4 now.

Yumcha

And oh, Detroit still sucks. Balls.

Steven Bell

iTrader: (2)

+1

wstevens

This is a little flukey. The Wings have some kind of mojo going on tonight. Their passing has been spot on all night and they look like they shot up some crystal meth before the game.

97BlackAckCL

iTrader: (6)

I def can't blame the loss on the refs, nor was I, was just venting frustration. I didn't even realize the pens had a pp until they got the second one for hossa running over the goalie. Man, wings def dominated this game, first game they've outplayed the pens to this level all series. Pens just sucked hard most of the game, couldn't get anything going. Oh well, it's not over yet

wstevens

I think the Pens will pull it together at home for the next game. Feels like this one is going to 7.

Steven Bell

iTrader: (2)

I hope so! The Penguins will have to steal Game 7 in Detroit if the come through on Tuesday.

underdog

Well, #3 was a squeaker, but the 'Wings managed to edge them out!!

Go 'Wings GO!!!!

Steven Bell

iTrader: (2)

Thank God that's over with. Focus on Game 6 in Pitt, then steal Game 7 in Detroit.

Can somebody PLEASE make Mike Milbury SHUT UP !!! What an idiot.....

Jonesi

Datsyk

Hell of a game Osgood

imj0257

iTrader: (1)

omfg sad...

The Dougler

iTrader: (1)

Welcome back Dats

97BlackAckCL

iTrader: (6)

dats def brought another level to their game, with passing, and play making.

Steven, I can't stand any of the VS or NBC announcers, I stream the radio, even with a 5 second delay, just because I can't stand those idiots

Fibonacci

Wow, if you get that jacked up over the outcome of sporting events and relish the jobless plight of hardworking Americans, you have some serious growing up to do. In the meantime, feel free to roll back beneath that rock you crawled out from. And stay classy.

Yumcha

That, or Pittsburgh is in a world of trouble...Is it just me or is this the first time in the Cup Series that the real Detroit team has shown up and are just on another planet compared to the Pens...?

Honestly, the Red Wings I've seen on TV the first few games didn't seem to me like the one that played my Hawks.









...then again, we all know the Hawks are harder to beat.

Yumcha

And for the conspiracy theorists, if we were to suppose Gary Bettman wanted the Pens to be the new NHL darlings as it appears, then you'd want these four things to happen in the Cup Finals:

1. Schedule the Cup Finals to start as soon as possible after the Western Conference series ended.

2. Schedule the first four games in the series to be played in six days.

3. Tell the officials to seldom blow their whistles. Aim would be to average only about three penalties called on the Penguins per game. Something like 13 in four games would be good.

4. Lastly, make sure that none of the star players on Pittsburgh would be subject to a suspension for any on-ice altercations.





All four of these things have happened in this series already. And the stupid Wings are still up 3 games to 2. Hell, if my Hawks got this kind of assistance from Gary, they'd be in the Cup Finals slapping the Pens up and down the ice.

It's too bad Toews and Kane are not as sexy as Malkin and Crosby to Gary and his brass *sighs*.

Yumcha

And oh, here's the thing...for quick transition teams like Chicago and Detroit, by letting a lot of the hooking and interference go, it hurts them...So, give a few beers to the officials for letting the game flow to the Pens' favor.


Hey, I'm not complaining because I want the Wings to lose...but, it's borderline hilarious.






:ibdomJonesiand97Ackbitesmyheadoff: