Rapping Granny
Banned
SantaC said:yeah agreed. And can you imagine the asslicking if crosby wins Conn Smythe also?
TSN.ca will have dedicated page just for him.
SantaC said:yeah agreed. And can you imagine the asslicking if crosby wins Conn Smythe also?
The Red Wings have 11 players with Stanley Cup rings, totaling 24 championships between them -- Nicklas Lidstrom (3), Kris Draper (3), Tomas Holmstrom (3), Kirk Maltby (3), Darren McCarty (3), Chris Chelios (2), Chris Osgood (2), Brian Rafalski (2), Pavel Datsyuk (1), Dominik Hasek (1) and Mark Hartigan (1).
Rapping Granny said:TSN.ca will have dedicated page just for him.
DETROIT RED WINGS vs. PITTSBURGH PENGUINS
2008 Playoff MVP
Detroit Henrik Zetterberg. Aside from the fact he leads the Red Wings in scoring with 21 points in 16 games, Zetterberg is as proficient a defensive contributor as he is on offense.
Pittsburgh Sidney Crosby. Sure, hed probably like to have more than four goals in 14 games, but his skill and vision are key factors in elevating the play of those around him.
Why Theyre Here
Detroit Depth remains the Red Wings calling card. Imagine a team losing its top scorer (Johan Franzen, 12 goals) through the first two rounds and barely skipping a beat. It also helps to have experience and the Red Wings have plenty of that to go around, too.
Pittsburgh Not enough credit is given to coach Michel Therrien, who has instilled in his offense-oriented team the value of two-way hockey. The Penguins dont have the same marquee value on its blueline as Detroit, but the Penguins team defense is solid.
Special Teams
The Penguins rank second on the power play after three rounds with a 24.6 percent success rate, while the Red Wings are fifth at 21 percent. Both teams have an 87.3 percent penalty-killing efficiency rate, but the Red Wings have five shorthanded goals compared to one for the Penguins. Edge: Pittsburgh
Forwards
At first blush, one is tempted to suggest no team in the NHL has as potent a 1-2 punch as Crosby and Malkin, but the reality is, through the playoffs, Zetterberg and Datsyuk have been every bit as lethal; and they have more experience. Hossa has proven himself to be a valuable trade deadline addition, but Franzen can counter Hossas effectiveness if he is able to return to health. Although 19-year-old Jordan Staal of the Pens is a horse, Kris Draper and Kirk Maltby have the edge in checking experience. Edge: Even
Defense
There is no question the Red Wings have a deeper and more experienced blueline beginning with soon-to-be-named Norris Trophy winner Nicklas Lidstrom. Brian Rafalski is a two-time Stanley Cup winner with New Jersey and a solid two-way performer, while Niklas Kronwall, finally healthy at this time of year, is another two-way threat who likes to hit. Brad Stuart has re-emerged as a dependable D-man with the Wings. On the other side, Sergei Gonchar is unquestionably Pittsburghs best defender and certainly worthy of praise. After that, defense is done by committee. Edge: Detroit
Goaltending
When Dominik Hasek went down, the Red Wings were very fortunate to have a backup goalie many teams would love to have as their No. 1 Chris Osgood. Given the fact he has two Stanley Cup rings already and was the starter when Detroit won its second straight Cup in 1998, Osgood has lots of experience, so there are no surprises for him. Marc-Andre Fleury, meanwhile, is new to all of this. He was 1-4 coming into this years playoffs, but has been nothing short of sensational through the first three rounds. Edge: Detroit
Coaching
Once again, if experience counts, the Wings are standing tall with Mike Babcock who guided the Mighty Ducks to the final in 2002-03. Babcocks teams are fast, play a solid puck possession game and are very disciplined. It would have been easy for Michel Therrien to assess his talent and go with a strictly run-and-gun style, but he understands the value of defense and has managed to get that message through to his players. Edge: Detroit
X-Factor
Based on previous playoff experiences, we pretty much know what to expect from the Red Wings stars. But what about the Penguins top guns? This is, after all, just the second year of post-season action for Crosby, Malkin and Staal. Have we seen their best yet? If I was the Red Wings, Id be concerned Crosby only has four goals to this point. He could be on the verge of exploding. Edge: Pittsburgh
Prediction
This has the potential to be one of the best Stanley Cup finals in years. Or, if Detroits experience is the deciding factor, it could be over in four games. Given the fact the Penguins have not lost at home in this years playoffs, we dont see that happening. And when you have the best player in the world on your team Crosby - that can also be a deciding factor. Pittsburgh in six.
... McKenzie's from Pittsburgh? What?SantaC said:Bob McKenzie will never shut up about it. Worst homer ever.
SleazyC said:THN just put up their prediction!
I agree with a lot of their assessments except for the Goalie one (and who will win the series but yea...) as I think both ave played very good but Fluery doesn't have such a deep defensive unit to back him up.
King_Slender said:Even forwards, better defense, better goaltending, and 5 short-handed goals for the Wings - Pens in 6? :lol
Oh fuck, not another one. Can we stop with this bullshit already?King_Slender said:Also, Zetterberg > Crosby, just no Canadian wants to admit it.
fallout said:Oh fuck, not another one. Can we stop with this bullshit already?
purg3 said:Don't worry, it will pass once the bandwagon "Johnny come lately" fans leave after the finals.
At this juncture in our discourse, I should probably clarify the following:purg3 said:Don't worry, it will pass once the bandwagon "Johnny come lately" fans leave after the finals.
fallout said:Oh fuck, not another one. Can we stop with this bullshit already?
Barrage said:Due to unforeseen circumstances, both teams are eliminated.
Fraudsby unexpectedly goes on Maternity Leave. Lemieux mysteriously dissapears the next day
Malkin accidently kills himself when trying to slewfoot a lightpole he believed was Nicholas Lidstrom.
Datsyuk's circuitry malfunctions, relegating him to the Isle Of Effeminate Machines along with C-3PO and The Tin Man.
Zetterberg believes he is on a short-handed breakaway, only to realize too late that the game is in Intermission. He is consumed by the Zamboni.
After mourning these tragic events. Bettman will award the Cup to the most deserving team-Your Dallas Stars. Modano will then use the Cup as a condom to fuck Willa Ford.
Stars in 1.
Damn too bad I joined this board last year.FightyF said:Are you talking about the Penguins fans who were non existent on this board before Crosby was drafted?
kassatsu said:Damn too bad I joined this board last year.
Brian Rafalski (Wings) 30 - 1
Chris Osgood (Wings) 5 - 2
Evgeni Malkin (Penguins) 7 - 2
Henrik Zetterberg (Wings) 4 - 1
Johan Franzen (Wings) 12 - 1
Marc-Andre Fleury (Penguins) 5 - 1
Marian Hossa (Penguins) 20 - 1
Nicklas Lidstrom (Wings) 5 - 1
Pavel Datsyuk (Wings) 8 - 1
Ryan Malone (Penguins) 25 - 1
Sidney Crosby (Penguins) 3 - 1
SantaC said:Bob McKenzie will never shut up about it. Worst homer ever.
:lol awesomeGiard said:Marc-André Fleury is actually one of my cousins, although pretty far in the family tree (I never met him, haha).
purg3 said:After mourning these tragic events. Bettman will award the Cup to the most deserving team-Your Dallas Stars. Modano will then use the Cup as a condom to fuck Willa Ford.
Solo said:Ever hear Pierre Maguire verbally suck off Mike Richards?
Solo said:Ever hear Pierre Maguire verbally suck off Mike Richards?
that's Drapes next to him, too :lolMaximilian E. said:haha.. chelios.. wtf..![]()
purg3 said:Yeah I joined in '06. Makes me feel bad for Kingpen and Alucard :lol
And holy shit at the new ticket prices for games 3 and 4, wow.
US $125.00(min.) - US $350.00
SA-X said:I'm pumped. Best final in years, go Wings!
You can argue who has the better offense/goaltending, but there's no arguing that the Wings D is superior to the Pens and every team the Pens have faced so far, and that will be the difference.
FightyF said:Actually I find your ticket prices comment funny too...I think there were some Pens fans here making fun of how Detroit can't sell out with their sky high prices.
Big-E said:Richards is worthy of praise.
:lol i saw the bryz one but never this oneKarakand said:
bishoptl said:This article on hockey goons is absolutely glorious. :lol
Three seats to my right is an elderly woman. Her face is wet with tears. She has never seen a hockey fight before.
She is Mirasty's grandmother.
Two seats over is a blonde with a ponytail, wearing a Mirasty jersey and Ugg boots. She's standing on her chair, screaming and whistling and waving her index finger in the air.
She is Mirasty's mom.
Alucard said:MIGHT be going to Game 2 or 5 in Detroit. $230? Why not? This series could really go either way.
I've heard Pierre verbally suck off everyone in the league.Solo said:Ever hear Pierre Maguire verbally suck off Mike Richards?
Magical.bishoptl said:This article on hockey goons is absolutely glorious. :lol