Got a chance to see a hockey game last night, because it was actually on a television network (NBC) that lots of people get.
In case you didn't know, I don't get Versus ... oh, never mind.
It was great to see Sydney Crosby and the Pens make a series of it last night. Let's hope for more of the same now that the country can actually see the goings-on.
Note to Sandy, Islander505, Black N Gold and anyone else who needs a makeshift chatroom to discuss hockey, feel free to comment below. Enjoy the banter.
Comments (16)
And you saw a damn fine game Bob....
It was a fun game to watch..
Let's hope for more of the same.
Where's Malkin?
Malkin is still pouting over that penalty shot he took vs. the Rangers.
Did he really take that shot?
Looked to me like he was passing ......to Henrik.
C'mon....where's Black and Gold to defend his boy!!!
Hungover on Iron City beer??
No, I'm still here, savoring the moment.
There's a big story in Pittsburgh which quotes Malkin as saying he's tired. As saying he's not comfortable on the point in the power play.
Some of that is due to the fact that Geno is granting interviews in English and English isn't his first language so he's having trouble expressing himself.
But the other issue is that He's never played a season anywhere near this long before. Also, as a left-handed shot, he's somewhat handicapped shooting from the left side and would probably be more comfortable on the right dot.
"Tired" is very understandable and most likely.
He should be very careful granting interviews in any language right now....See the Willie Randolph file.
If the Pen's lose the series, he'll be run out of town with a great big pair of goat horns on his head.... (but wait.....it's Pittsburgh, not NY---not as likely to happen).
He's had an OUTSTANDING and MOST VALUABLE year.
A shame to see him run out of gas here.
He literally carried that team for 29 games. It's not like Detroit is chopped liver, they have the hottest goalie, the better defense and 2 really good lines. Pittsburgh is the future. Pittsburgh, Washington and maybe Blackhawks
Sandy,
"Pittsburgh is the future. Pittsburgh, Washington and maybe Blackhawks"
First off, let me get my obligatory Yogiism out of the way.
The Islanders are a lock to win the Stanley Cup next year until they lose it.
With that said..BIG Yes on Pittsburgh, eh I don't think so on Washington and, I agree with a maybe on the Hawks.
Don't discount some of the other teams in the West....The Avalanche, despite the presence of a number of long in the tooth stars (Sakic, Forsberg, Smyth), have a very young squad with some outstanding talent.
Dallas is also relatively young, and I am not sure why San Jose crapped out this year (and now Coach Wilson is gone).
The Kings have got some potential to surprise some people next year.
Additionally, Tampa Bay is another force to be reckoned with, once they draft Stamkos with their Nbr 1 pick and figure out what to do in goal.
The big thing that the NHL has going for it right now....There are A LOT of up and coming stars in the Junior pipeline right now. The draft on June 20th is said to be the deepest EVER. And there are more on the way after this year. John Tavares (eligible to be drafted in 2009) is said to be the guy who will make everyone forget GRETZKY.
We could be looking at a Renaissance of Hockey over the next 5-10 years.
Let's hope Glauber has the opportunity to see it.
Whoops...last entry was me....I was having fun on Baumbach's blog as "ranger212".....(they won't let me comment there as Islander505.....funny thing)
As long as Tortorella is coaching Tampa, no way--he's lost the team. Washington and Philly were the two most improved teams this season, Ovechkin and Semin and Cristobal Huet plus some defencemen (Yo! Canada). I see Washington getting better and Philly not doing much better than this year. I give Colorado some credit, no one picked them to do anything this year. Forsberg's probably gone for good. San Jose is a batch of gutless losers. Dallas will probably be Ok as long as Turco is there but they don't score much.
Less said about the Islanders the better. Whatever happened to Wang's plan to remodel the Coliseum and build some kind of complex around it?? That was big news in 2005 and now its 2008 and nothing?
Go to Logan's (Islanders) blog Sandy.
The Lighthouse is coming......politics ya' know....
But it's gonna happen....There are a couple of frequent posters on that blog (Nick and KH) who are putting in a lot of personal time at their own expense to help guide Wang's project through the political morass.
There is very little organized opposition to the project.
And I thought the Brooklyn yards project was moving along slowly.. I always used to say that the Islanders were going to move into that arena once it got built. And, possibly, the only thing that has saved LI from losing them is that Ratner can't get his arena built. Now, I'm saying the Nets will soon join the Devils in Newark (where they really should have gone in the first place.)
Sandy, what has saved the Islanders was the extremely long term nature of the TV contract that they signed with Cablevision in the early 80's.
What was it? A 30 year contract or something? Unheard of for those times.
On the Pens dynasty. I'm a little hesitant to use that word. I'm not sure that ANY team can be as dominant as the 70's Habs, 80's Isles or 80's Oilers under the new CBA.
Detroit has the secret recipe as far as I'm concerned. They mix the leagues best scouting department (by a long shot) with an ability to attract guys who will take a bit of a discount to play for a team that is perennially in the Playoffs and has a chance at winning the 'Cup year in and year out.
The Pens have started off OK by getting Sid locked up in a long term deal at 8.7 mil a year when his market value is much higher than that. If they can get Geno to agree to something similar, they might be onto something. Last year they attracted Sydor and Sykora as UFA's and got Gary Roberts and BGL (Big Georges Laraque) to waive no trade clauses because Pittsburgh was gaining the same reputation in the East.
Pens fans can only hope that Ray Shero can weave the charm of playing for a team owned by #66 into negotiations for the leagues best UFA's.
The farm system is still pretty good with the Pens AHL franchise in WB Scranton making it to the Calder Cup finals this year.
Pens fans can only hope.
B N G:
You are a word machine today.
B N G if the Islanders moved from LI to Brooklyn Cablevision would still televise them, and technically if you look at a map, Brooklyn Queens and all of LI are on the same piece of land anyway. I doubt Wang would ever move them out of the area, and I doubt the NHL would let him.
Pittsburgh built the franchise the same way Ottawa did. Finish last every year, get the #1 draft pick, declare bankruptcy, watch the draft picks grow into stars, make the playoffs, draw big crowds, come out of bankruptcy. The only difference here is Ottawa never won and Pittsburgh eventually will. And, right now, Ottawa has their new arena, Pittsburgh is waiting to start building.
BG,
Hope to see a post today about how, now that your beloved hockey is on broadcast TV, you stayed up to watch an all-time classic last night! Don't even tell us you went to bed before the Pens eeked out a thrilling Game 5 victory early this morning. 'Cause if you did, you owe Versus some apologies since you aren't really a "true" fan. I can barely hold my head up at the office today due to a lackof sleep but damn if it wasn't worth it. Go Pens!