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

[RyZ]

Big win for the Rangers, but this basically tips the excitement level backwards for the playoffs going forward. More Rangers games..... meh..

[Vinny01]

Tampa fans are happy they get the rangers 1st this year due to the rangers making the ECF. 2 1sts and Callahan rental is a great return for the bolts. Having said that St.Louis seems to be a big reason the rangers came back from 3-1 to win

[Frank MetaMusil]

Crosby 1 goal in 13 playoff games. That's terrible. If not for Malkin's game 6 hat trick vs. Columbus, the Pens might have been punted in 7 during round 1.

[Frequitude]

Originally Posted by FlamesAddiction

At the beginning of the season, Bodog had NYR at 20:1 odds to win the Cup, which I thought out of all the teams with low odds, they were most likely to be a dark horse. I placed $200 on them to win, which now puts it at a 1 in 4 chance for me to win $4,000.... so yay! Things just got interesting.

If it were me I'd be hedging my way out of that for a guaranteed win.

[Flash Walken]

As much as Nash isn't producing, and he isn't, if you think he isn't contributing to wins you should watch the game closer.

He's essential out there. Instead of going onto the offensive side of a loose puck, he's going to the defensive side. Instead of trying to carry the puck on a line change he's putting into a corner and going for the change.

He buys his linemates time out there and spends most of his time focusing on not being a negative. That's huge when you have a player like Nash playing that way.

I think he's playing exactly how Vigneault is telling him to.

Edit: If you contrast his game to Crosby, who is also not producing, Nash is playing a much more impressive game of hockey.

[Northendzone]

Seems shocking that a team with two guys like Crosby and Maliki only have one Stanley cup

[KootenayFlamesFan]

Gotta think there's going to be some big shake ups this summer in Pittsburgh. Wouldn't be surprised at all to see Malkin moved, among others.

[Scoreface]

Yeah, I've noticed Nash contributing in other ways too, but at the end of the day he's getting nice Sather bucks to put the puck in the net. As well as the rest of the team had been playing, he isn't a support player if they are going to win the cup.

[Dx54]

Originally Posted by northendzone

seems shocking that a team with marc-andre fleury has a stanley cup

fyp

[indes]

I think Pitts has a similar problem to us in the fact that they don't have any "beef" around their best guys. Sure Crosby and Malkin can hold their own but they need some gritty wingers ala Lucic and Perry to do the banging and crashing. Obviously there's more problems with that roster but I feel that would make a huge difference

[4oh3]

Does anyone else have a deep, unexplainable hate for Marty St. Louis?

[VladtheImpaler]

Originally Posted by KootenayFlamesFan

Gotta think there's going to be some big shake ups this summer in Pittsburgh. Wouldn't be surprised at all to see Malkin moved, among others.

Why would you move Malkin? He is a better playoff player that Crosby. Helps that he is much bigger. I think they need more Lee Stempniak.

[Camronius]

Originally Posted by 4oh3

Does anyone else have a deep, unexplainable hate for Marty St. Louis?

Quite the opposite, guy is amazing should have been on team canada all day every day over Kunitz... top 20 in scoring every year since 2007. Has a cup. Does everything right despite not having the stature. Love the guy.

[SHOGUN]

What a coach AV is.

[AcGold]

Their defence is the big issue, when you have bad d-men it makes it way harder to produce offence and work as a unit. They don't need superstars but solid contributors that can ease the pressure off Fleury and Crosby.

[KootenayFlamesFan]

Originally Posted by VladtheImpaler

Why would you move Malkin? He is a better playoff player that Crosby. Helps that he is much bigger. I think they need more Lee Stempniak.

Because I think Malkin has good trade value, you need to move out something valuable to get something valuable back. Wonder if there's a deal to made around a Malkin/Weber centerpiece?

[Hockey_Ninja]

[4oh3]

Originally Posted by KootenayFlamesFan

Because I think Malkin has good trade value, you need to move out something valuable to get something valuable back. Wonder if there's a deal to made around a Malkin/Weber centerpiece?

The KHL has ruined Russians for me. I know I'm probably wrong on some players, I just feel like you could spend a lot on a Russian and hr just jumps ship to russia.

[KootenayFlamesFan]

Originally Posted by 4oh3

The KHL has ruined Russians for me. I know I'm probably wrong on some players, I just feel like you could spend a lot on a Russian and hr just jumps ship to russia.

Not sure about that, Malkin was getting in the dirty areas late in the game tonight to try to tie it up, seems like a guy that is still pretty inspired to win in the NHL. I think he's still a solid player and certainly it's not his fault the Pens lost, just wondering aloud if he's the big piece the team moves out to shake it up and go with a different look next season?

[Textcritic]

Originally Posted by 4oh3

The KHL has ruined Russians for me. I know I'm probably wrong on some players, I just feel like you could spend a lot on a Russian and hr just jumps ship to russia.

Why would Malkin go play in the KHL? He is already one of the highest paid hockey players in the world, and playing and dominating with regularity in the best league in the world. He has lived his entire adult life in North America, and if I'm not mistaken, close members of his family also now live in the US.

Being Russian does not on its own make him a flight risk. Being Russian does not also somehow disqualify him from being one of the best players in the world that EVERY team in the NHL would pay a king's ransom to acquire.