EC Playoffs Round 2: Pittsburgh Penguins vs NY Rangers (Rangers win series 4-3).

[habernac]

Originally Posted by M*A*S*H 4077

Crosby looks to be more interested in playing chippy and spearing guys than scoring goals at the moment

If he had teammates who looked after him this crap wouldn't happen. the Penguins are embarrassing in their lack of protection for the games best player.

[Erick Estrada]

Originally Posted by Huntingwhale

I'm not a fan of the Rangers or their team, but Henrik sure deserves a cup. What a great player.

I can't stand that team but Henrik really is a special goaltender and it's such a shame he's spent his career on mediocre Rangers teams as he's one of the best goaltenders to come along in some time.

Originally Posted by habernac

If he had teammates who looked after him this crap wouldn't happen. the Penguins are embarrassing in their lack of protection for the games best player.

He's definitely the game's best regular season player but there are at least 10 or more guys I'd rather have in the playoffs. He doesn't seem able to fight through the closer checking in the playoffs that some other players are able to when needed and it's not like in Anaheim where teams can focus solely in Perry and Getzlaf as teams also have to factor in Malkin's line which makes Crosby's poor playoff showings that much more disappointing.

[bubbsy]

not a pens fan or anything, but shero/bylsma both ought to be fired soon.

Every team in the NHL facing the pens come playoff time have it figured out. rustle crosby's feathers a bit and he'll be COMPLETELY off his game.

shero has gone out and got skill for him to play with, which doesn't seem like it helps.

Shero tried to add grit to his lineup but got guys who are about 5 years past their prime in playing that role (iginla, morrow, murray).

pens have absolutely zero mechanism of applying resistance to a team playing crosby this way. He's arguably the best player in the league, has health issues, yet it's open season on him come playoff time. need to add guys who are willing to step in and just drop the gloves, instigator or not, on anyone who leans on crosby.

ideally, these are guys who can play at least shift or two every period with crosby and police the situation, who don't care about fighting just about anyone and you don't miss them sitting in the box for lengthy periods of time for fighting. Just some guys who we've seen come thru CGY like this, jackman, westgarth.

what happened to that philosophy of "if you rough up our skill guys, expect the same for your skill guys".

i feel bad for crosby. he is having to defend himself and show some push back, which unfortunately puts him in a pretty negative light, considering he's supposed to be the league's golden boy

[SuperMatt18]

Crazy stat from Twitter:

The 20 players expected to be in the Rangers' lineup Tuesday are a combined 63-6 in Game 7s, including 6-0 for Brad Richards- Dan Rosen

[hurtin_albertan]

Originally Posted by bubbsy

i feel bad for crosby. he is having to defend himself and show some push back, which unfortunately puts him in a pretty negative light, considering he's supposed to be the league's golden boy

I don't think it's the fact that he's having to show some pushback that's centering negativity on him, but rather the way that he chooses to go about it.

Spearing Dom Moore in the balls, skating away and refusing to stand up for the action, then choosing to get involved in the scrum by raking his stick down Boyle's spine, then not addressing that until the refs are involved and taking shots at Boyle...slew footing Girardi...etc. etc.

My rec team recently played a women's team made up mostly of NCAA players, and we learned every filthy trick in the book from these girls. They did all the sorts of things you see Crosby doing - cheap, gutless, indefensible little shots that leave you thinking, "if only you were a man..."

Honestly I thought the days of Crosby being an embarrassing little puke were behind him but I'm having an easy time cheering for the Rangers the more I watch.

[habernac]

It's a last resort for Crosby. He's fighting dirty with dirty.

[bubbsy]

Originally Posted by hurtin_albertan

I don't think it's the fact that he's having to show some pushback that's centering negativity on him, but rather the way that he chooses to go about it.

Spearing Dom Moore in the balls, skating away and refusing to stand up for the action, then choosing to get involved in the scrum by raking his stick down Boyle's spine, then not addressing that until the refs are involved and taking shots at Boyle...slew footing Girardi...etc. etc.

My rec team recently played a women's team made up mostly of NCAA players, and we learned every filthy trick in the book from these girls. They did all the sorts of things you see Crosby doing - cheap, gutless, indefensible little shots that leave you thinking, "if only you were a man..."

Honestly I thought the days of Crosby being an embarrassing little puke were behind him but I'm having an easy time cheering for the Rangers the more I watch.

i dunno, i consider this is the same lines as putting a goon in the shootout and complaining when they not only can't score, but look stupid doing so.

Crosby shouldn't be the guy policing this stuff, his teammates should be doing so. He should be skating away from the scrums, instead he's had no choice but to handle himself. I totally agree with you, he has NO idea how to do this in an "appropriate" manner, and looks stupid (just thinking back to him pushing a flyers glove on the ice a few years back).

[puckedoff]

Originally Posted by bubbsy

.....
I totally agree with you, he has NO idea how to do this in an "appropriate" manner, and looks stupid (just thinking back to him pushing a flyers glove on the ice a few years back).

The pushing of the Flyers' glove was funny though, I liked it. If it were a Flyers player pushing Crosby's glove you'd chuckle too.

[bubbsy]

haha, i thought it was ridiculous. the formula to beat the pens is to piss crosby off by tight checking and getting him involved post-whistle.

[19Yzerman19]

Originally Posted by SuperMatt18

Crazy stat from Twitter:

63-6 "combined". So, ~19 of those 63 came in the first round against the flyers, and maybe what, another ~15 last year in the first round against Washington? The rest being mostly the 2 game 7's the Rags won in 2012?

I dunno man, it's sort of a useful stat but the degree to which it's lopsided is a bit misleading; essentially you've just got a team that's won a few series in 7 games recently.

[MissTeeks]

“@NHLPlayerSafety: New York Rangers goaltender Henrik Lundqvist has been fined $5,000 for unsportsmanlike conduct during Game 6.”

[Jacks]

Originally Posted by MissTeeks

“@NHLPlayerSafety: New York Rangers goaltender Henrik Lundqvist has been fined $5,000 for unsportsmanlike conduct during Game 6.”

Worth every penny.

[wooohooo]

Is there a reason why his was more than Thornton's? I would think squirting during the play is worthy of more punishment than after.

[MissTeeks]

“@TGfireandice: Fines are based on player's daily salary, which is why Lundqvist's fine was more than Thornton's. (Lundqvist has a much higher salary)”

[MissTeeks]

Already 1-0 Rangers

[AC]

Lose Pens lose!

[AC]

Crosby just fanned on an empty net (albeit a bouncing puck).

[Nufy]

Originally Posted by AC

Lose Pens lose!

My bracket pool disagrees with you.

I have no personal interest in this series.

Just need a Pens win for my pool.

[trackercowe]

Very little intensity to this game, especially for a game seven. Boyle has brought it tonight though, he would make a really good addition to the Flames via free agency.

[hwy19man]

Nice goal by Doyle to get the Rangers ahead.
http://www.cbc.ca/sports-content/hockey/nhl/game/1422456/preview/
http://www.nhl.com/gamecenter/en/preview?id=2013030227