The Montreal Canadiens/Washington Capitals series should have been a much shorter series. We go back to Game 2 of that series. The Canadiens are beating the PISS out of the Capitals 4-1 when the comeback begins. With the Capitals fully in control of the momentum, rather than try to stay the rabid crowd and try to quiet them, Scott Gomez does this during a scrum after a play.
Gomez has two career fights, and prior to this his last one was a decade ago. Those stats come as absolutely no surprise what so ever in terms of EVERYTHING that has to do with fighting. While not nearly as bad as Carcillo dropping the gloves with Max Talbot last season, this has got to rank up there. In terms of timing it could have not been a worse time to fight.
I don't know who is going to protect the Canadiens if push comes to shove in this series. We've all seen what the Penguins can do to hot goalies in order to get them off their game. It ain't just peppering them with shots and goals either:
Ouch. Game Two though, huh? Wonder what happened the rest of that series...
The Penguins are not the Washington Capitals. They are nasty, they have bastards on their forecheck, and their star Russian doesn't choke. The Canadiens are going to need more than Scott fucking Gomez to protect their on fire goaltender.
The Montreal Canadiens only had 32 fights during the regular season. Ryan O'Byrne (who only played in 4 of the 7 games in Round 1), leads the Canadiens with 6 fights. He is followed by Montreal's response to Fuck Yeah! Craig Adams! in Travis Moen (5) and then Georges Laraque (4) whom I still sometimes forget actually played hockey this season.
I'm going to go boldly out on a limb and know my boys can step up for me: the Montreal Canadiens cannot match the toughness that the Pittsburgh Penguins will bring to the table. Who is going to drop the gloves when the Penguins run Jaroslav Halak? Jaroslav Spacek? Andrei Markov? Hal Gill? Those boys will be too busy crumbling from hard checks from Kunitz, Cooke, and Adams, as well as others, to be too ready to throw themselves on the sword for Halak as is. And when they DO fight? Well...
Oh...Hal. Montreal clearly doesn't know when is a good time to fight, as evidenced by Scott Gomez, and when they DO fight, who is going to strike terror into your heart in that lineup? Seriously, who are YOU more afraid of? Mike Rupp or Ryan O'Byrne?
So, with this TERROR of a team facing off against us, I'm sure Mike Rupp, Chris Kunitz, Max Talbot, Matt Cooke, and all our other bastards will be SHAKING in their skates when considering getting a little rough with Jaroslav Halak.
Or, they won't, at all.
April 30, 2010
April 22, 2010
Chris Neil: Possible Undercover Agent for the Pens?
The frustration that the Ottawa Senators have shown over the past two games has been an absolute joy to behold. Watching the Penguins beat them in a slow dump and chase AND the run and gun styles has been almost too easy for Penguins fans to watch and almost too much for Senators fans to. The players on the ice seem to be having the same reaction, with Game 3 and 4 being full of Senators just going crazy pants.
This began with, in my mind, Daniel Alfredsson losing his cool on Brooks Orpik. I know what you're thinking and I'm in total agreement with you as well: I had no idea that Alfredsson was playing in this series either.
What are you even thinking in this situation? "That guy is on the ice, I'm going to give him a knee drop," just absolute insanity. Brooks Orpik gets up laughing after this though so I can't say I'm too upset. I also like Tyler Kennedy laughing the entire time he is involved too. A bit of a pest sometimes, that TK.
Unsurprisingly, the Senators were just getting started and it was then that Chris Neil decided to rear his ugly head. Chris Neil's actions in Game 4 were absolutely ridiculous of a person who wants to win hockey games.
Honestly, what the fuck do people expect here? Hockey goalies are quite possibly the most protected individuals in the world of sports. Breathing on them wrong results in a shit storm. Remember what happened to Darcy Hordichuk when he jumped on the baby Russian, Alex Pechurski?
And remember that's just some kid who is playing his first career game in the NHL and no one knows a thing about. This is our franchise goaltender, in the playoffs, against the biggest douche the Senators have to offer, so the reaction is delicious:
[Reuters]
Brilliant, Neil. Brilliant. No small wonder you have 20 minutes of penalties in only 4 games played. Five minutes a game? And you're not fighting? You fucking suck.
Neil did pocket his second goal of the playoffs to get the Senators back in the game, but IMMEDIATELY took away any possible momentum that could have come from it by hitting Kris Letang in the back after scoring:
[Reuters]
What a fucking idiot. The Senators just got back in the game, let's take them right back out of it.
Neil, however, STILL wasn't done, as he attempted, like he did earlier this season, to start shit at the end of the game when there was no heavy protection on the ice in the form of Eric Godard or Mike Rupp. Between he and Jarkko Ruutu, however, all it resulted in was Matt Cooke taking a sucker punch and everyone else hugging it out. Neil having anything to say to the bench as he skates by is nothing short of ridiculous:
[AP]
Clearly though, this is all just part of Chris Neil's undercover work to keep Ottawa and its fans trusting him as he slowly undermines their attempts at getting to the second round of the Stanley Cup playoffs.
Keep up the good work, Agent Neil.
This began with, in my mind, Daniel Alfredsson losing his cool on Brooks Orpik. I know what you're thinking and I'm in total agreement with you as well: I had no idea that Alfredsson was playing in this series either.
What are you even thinking in this situation? "That guy is on the ice, I'm going to give him a knee drop," just absolute insanity. Brooks Orpik gets up laughing after this though so I can't say I'm too upset. I also like Tyler Kennedy laughing the entire time he is involved too. A bit of a pest sometimes, that TK.
Unsurprisingly, the Senators were just getting started and it was then that Chris Neil decided to rear his ugly head. Chris Neil's actions in Game 4 were absolutely ridiculous of a person who wants to win hockey games.
Honestly, what the fuck do people expect here? Hockey goalies are quite possibly the most protected individuals in the world of sports. Breathing on them wrong results in a shit storm. Remember what happened to Darcy Hordichuk when he jumped on the baby Russian, Alex Pechurski?
And remember that's just some kid who is playing his first career game in the NHL and no one knows a thing about. This is our franchise goaltender, in the playoffs, against the biggest douche the Senators have to offer, so the reaction is delicious:
[Reuters]
Brilliant, Neil. Brilliant. No small wonder you have 20 minutes of penalties in only 4 games played. Five minutes a game? And you're not fighting? You fucking suck.
Neil did pocket his second goal of the playoffs to get the Senators back in the game, but IMMEDIATELY took away any possible momentum that could have come from it by hitting Kris Letang in the back after scoring:
[Reuters]
What a fucking idiot. The Senators just got back in the game, let's take them right back out of it.
Neil, however, STILL wasn't done, as he attempted, like he did earlier this season, to start shit at the end of the game when there was no heavy protection on the ice in the form of Eric Godard or Mike Rupp. Between he and Jarkko Ruutu, however, all it resulted in was Matt Cooke taking a sucker punch and everyone else hugging it out. Neil having anything to say to the bench as he skates by is nothing short of ridiculous:
[AP]
Clearly though, this is all just part of Chris Neil's undercover work to keep Ottawa and its fans trusting him as he slowly undermines their attempts at getting to the second round of the Stanley Cup playoffs.
Keep up the good work, Agent Neil.
April 18, 2010
Marked For Death
I think the title is pretty fitting, don't you readers? People were joking about Bill Guerin's use of "Out For Justice," as a slogan for the team going forward in the playoffs. Many joked that if the Penguins lost Game 2 (in their wild over analysis of the Senators Game 1 win), that the Penguins should change it to "Under Siege," or "Marked For Death." After Game 2, I think "Marked for Death," needs to remain, if only for Andy Sutton:
Disgusting hit. I don't care what anyone else says, this is what the NHL is trying to get out of the league. Head shot to an unsuspecting player, this is what this hit is, this is what the NHL has been bitching about. Yet, it happens, and nothing comes from it? The NHL discipline is an absolute joke, and the defenses for Sutton are even bigger jokes.
My favorite first: that Sutton is just a tall dude and Leopold was bent over. Absolutely ridiculous. Apparently, Zdeno Chara should never be penalized because he's too tall, or Hal Gill for that matter. It is irrelevant that Andy Sutton is 6'6". Sutton, like any other athlete, has complete control over his body, where it moves, where he puts it, everything. He's not some chubby jackass writing a blog about dudes fighting, let's be serious here. Sutton hit Leopold in the head because that's what he targeted, not because he's too tall to hit anything else.
The other major defense for Sutton is that Leopold should have somehow seen the hit coming. Since Andy Sutton didn't technically come from directly behind Leopold, it isn't a blindside hit? What a crock of shit. Sutton comes laterally and up to connect with Leopold from the side. To believe that the scope of a human's vision is somehow 180 degrees and he can see EVERYTHING in front of him is absolutely ridiculous. It is not a north-south hit like Andrew Ladd laid on Matt D'Agostini earlier this season, it is a hit from the side on a player who never saw it coming. Furthermore, Leopold has another player in between him and Sutton's hit. It reminds me of Darius Kasparaitis' hit on Eric Lindros in the long years gone. As a quick aside, happy trails to the Penguin legend who announced his retirement this week.
The only difference between these hits? Kasparaitis hits body on body and has no intention of going after Lindros' head. Shoulder to chest, all the way. THAT is a good hockey hit, not what Sutton did to Leopold.
The response by the Penguins was great. Immediately players are getting in Sutton's face and the end of the period was one of the greatest showings of badassery I have ever seen by Mikey Rupp and Mad Max Talbot, who is playing his best hockey of the season, right when we need it most.
Hilarious. I don't even care that it ends up being Max Talbot that fights Zack Smith. Rupp is doing what he was. Shoving a dude through the zamboni doors is probably the funniest thing I have seen since Jamie Langenbrunner chasing Chris Kunitz through the players benches. Rupp is after bigger fish than Zack Smith, who wouldn't even be playing if it wasn't for half of Ottawa being injured. Rupp does this through out the game, throwing Smith and Justin Winchester about and then not caring when they get up and try to get in his face. What are these clowns going to do to Mike Rupp, anyway? If Rupp is going to fight, it's got to be against Andy Sutton. Maxime Talbot stepping up in a big way, throwing them at the end of the period. You throw 'em at the end of the period, you know there's something that needs to be responded to because it rarely happens.
The other outcome scares me a lot more. In not punishing Sutton the league has opened the door for more head shots in this "gray" area. When Jason Spezza is laying at center ice, not moving, after Matt Cooke takes his head off, you won't find me crying about it. In fact, my reaction will probably be more akin to this:
The worst part about all of this? The NHL can stop this, but they'd rather continue to be a Garage League. There needs to be NO gray area. NO hits where the head is the primary point of impact. The NFL took away leading with the crown of your helmet to hit another place in the head. The follow through can hit the helmet as long as that isn't the primary point of contact. This can be the same in hockey.
Will it make the league a "pussy" league? Well, ask Eric Lindros how hard hits are when they aren't to the head...
Disgusting hit. I don't care what anyone else says, this is what the NHL is trying to get out of the league. Head shot to an unsuspecting player, this is what this hit is, this is what the NHL has been bitching about. Yet, it happens, and nothing comes from it? The NHL discipline is an absolute joke, and the defenses for Sutton are even bigger jokes.
My favorite first: that Sutton is just a tall dude and Leopold was bent over. Absolutely ridiculous. Apparently, Zdeno Chara should never be penalized because he's too tall, or Hal Gill for that matter. It is irrelevant that Andy Sutton is 6'6". Sutton, like any other athlete, has complete control over his body, where it moves, where he puts it, everything. He's not some chubby jackass writing a blog about dudes fighting, let's be serious here. Sutton hit Leopold in the head because that's what he targeted, not because he's too tall to hit anything else.
The other major defense for Sutton is that Leopold should have somehow seen the hit coming. Since Andy Sutton didn't technically come from directly behind Leopold, it isn't a blindside hit? What a crock of shit. Sutton comes laterally and up to connect with Leopold from the side. To believe that the scope of a human's vision is somehow 180 degrees and he can see EVERYTHING in front of him is absolutely ridiculous. It is not a north-south hit like Andrew Ladd laid on Matt D'Agostini earlier this season, it is a hit from the side on a player who never saw it coming. Furthermore, Leopold has another player in between him and Sutton's hit. It reminds me of Darius Kasparaitis' hit on Eric Lindros in the long years gone. As a quick aside, happy trails to the Penguin legend who announced his retirement this week.
The only difference between these hits? Kasparaitis hits body on body and has no intention of going after Lindros' head. Shoulder to chest, all the way. THAT is a good hockey hit, not what Sutton did to Leopold.
The response by the Penguins was great. Immediately players are getting in Sutton's face and the end of the period was one of the greatest showings of badassery I have ever seen by Mikey Rupp and Mad Max Talbot, who is playing his best hockey of the season, right when we need it most.
Hilarious. I don't even care that it ends up being Max Talbot that fights Zack Smith. Rupp is doing what he was. Shoving a dude through the zamboni doors is probably the funniest thing I have seen since Jamie Langenbrunner chasing Chris Kunitz through the players benches. Rupp is after bigger fish than Zack Smith, who wouldn't even be playing if it wasn't for half of Ottawa being injured. Rupp does this through out the game, throwing Smith and Justin Winchester about and then not caring when they get up and try to get in his face. What are these clowns going to do to Mike Rupp, anyway? If Rupp is going to fight, it's got to be against Andy Sutton. Maxime Talbot stepping up in a big way, throwing them at the end of the period. You throw 'em at the end of the period, you know there's something that needs to be responded to because it rarely happens.
The other outcome scares me a lot more. In not punishing Sutton the league has opened the door for more head shots in this "gray" area. When Jason Spezza is laying at center ice, not moving, after Matt Cooke takes his head off, you won't find me crying about it. In fact, my reaction will probably be more akin to this:
The worst part about all of this? The NHL can stop this, but they'd rather continue to be a Garage League. There needs to be NO gray area. NO hits where the head is the primary point of impact. The NFL took away leading with the crown of your helmet to hit another place in the head. The follow through can hit the helmet as long as that isn't the primary point of contact. This can be the same in hockey.
Will it make the league a "pussy" league? Well, ask Eric Lindros how hard hits are when they aren't to the head...
April 16, 2010
Sandpaper
How terrible is it to have the two guys you just spent a good number of minutes berating and other wise hating on win the game? Jarkko Ruutu and Chris Neil took my blog and laughed at it long and hard. I don't think it was a lack of toughness on the Penguins part. Chris Kunitz, Pascal Dupuis, even Jordan Staal and Ruslan Fedotenko, were laying the lumber in the corners and drilling Ottawa defensemen into the boards at every pass. Yet, through this toughness, Chris Neil sucked the life outta the building with a goon goal:
[AP]
Vomit. It was like a vacuum in the Mellon Arena the fans literally went from shouting and carrying on, "Let's Go Pens! Let's Go Pens! Let's Go P-," Silence. There is nothing that kills a crowd more than a goal from someone that shouldn't be scoring or a goal that shouldn't have been allowed. BOTH happened on this goal. Neil looked like he was Valery Kharlamov because of Fleury's awful positioning. Neil should be busy hitting in the corners and getting hit, not putting on sniper shows like he's some dude in the Battle of Stalingrad.
Underrated flick.
Anyway, I was surprised by the resiliency the Penguins showed despite the third line of the Senators running roughshod over them with EACH of the players on the line pocketing a goal, Neil, Kelly, and Ruutu. Ruutu's goal stung for the same reason Neil's did: a goal that shouldn't have gone in from a player who shouldn't have scored it. This would be like Mike Rupp and Matt Cooke scoring in the same game. It's just not something that happens often. It's BACK BREAKING.
The Penguins had their own unexpected goal as well, at least outside of Pittsburgh. Within the Steel City, I think everyone knows that a guy like Craig Adams is going to do amazing things in the playoffs. Him scoring that goal, I felt like the goal counted for two. A goal from Craig Adams was sadly wasted, but, it being the playoffs, you know more are going to be scored:
[Lifted from tPB from cblog poster "27th Heaven"]
Un-fucking-real.
I'm just here to talk about the goons and pests and discuss what I think happens because of them. You know whatever other site for why the Penguins lost 5-4: Fleury, the defense, Crosby's jersey not sitting right, whatever. It ain't my place.
What is my place is the rumor that Mike Rupp will be returning to the lineup. I am all for this, but not for who is expecting to be sitting out. As I said in the opening paragraph, Ruslan Fedotenko was tied for the team lead in terms of hits in Game 1. Yet he seems to be the odd man out in favor of Rupp. Personally, I would match the sand paper of the Senators third line having Neil and Ruutu flanking Chris Kelly with Matt Cooke and Rupp flanking Jordan Staal. I think, at the very least, bump Tyler Kennedy down to the 4th line and move Rupp up. The 4th line of Talbot, Adams, and Kennedy would stay a great energy line and Anton Volchenkov and Chris Phillips have to deal with Rupp AND Cooke coming in on the forecheck, if Dan Bylsma matches up the lines correctly.
No need to worry, I will be absolutely stunned if we see this more often then we did in Game 1:
[Reuters]
Regardless of who is out for the Penguins tonight, you cannot deny that Mike Rupp is going to light someone up on his first shift, because that is the game he plays. Toughness, grit, hard checking. Obviously, Mike Rupp also brings a little bit of protection to the rest of the lineup. I don't care who you are, you see a big son of a bitch like Rupp in the lineup with you, you're going to be a little more aggressive knowing that guy is going to have a "talk," with anyone who gives you shit for your aggressive play. I expect Mike Rupp to start scrums anytime he is in front of the net and get his money's worth of face washes and pushes and shoves. Let 'em know you're in the game, Rupper.
Bring the pain.
[AP]
Vomit. It was like a vacuum in the Mellon Arena the fans literally went from shouting and carrying on, "Let's Go Pens! Let's Go Pens! Let's Go P-," Silence. There is nothing that kills a crowd more than a goal from someone that shouldn't be scoring or a goal that shouldn't have been allowed. BOTH happened on this goal. Neil looked like he was Valery Kharlamov because of Fleury's awful positioning. Neil should be busy hitting in the corners and getting hit, not putting on sniper shows like he's some dude in the Battle of Stalingrad.
Underrated flick.
Anyway, I was surprised by the resiliency the Penguins showed despite the third line of the Senators running roughshod over them with EACH of the players on the line pocketing a goal, Neil, Kelly, and Ruutu. Ruutu's goal stung for the same reason Neil's did: a goal that shouldn't have gone in from a player who shouldn't have scored it. This would be like Mike Rupp and Matt Cooke scoring in the same game. It's just not something that happens often. It's BACK BREAKING.
The Penguins had their own unexpected goal as well, at least outside of Pittsburgh. Within the Steel City, I think everyone knows that a guy like Craig Adams is going to do amazing things in the playoffs. Him scoring that goal, I felt like the goal counted for two. A goal from Craig Adams was sadly wasted, but, it being the playoffs, you know more are going to be scored:
[Lifted from tPB from cblog poster "27th Heaven"]
Un-fucking-real.
I'm just here to talk about the goons and pests and discuss what I think happens because of them. You know whatever other site for why the Penguins lost 5-4: Fleury, the defense, Crosby's jersey not sitting right, whatever. It ain't my place.
What is my place is the rumor that Mike Rupp will be returning to the lineup. I am all for this, but not for who is expecting to be sitting out. As I said in the opening paragraph, Ruslan Fedotenko was tied for the team lead in terms of hits in Game 1. Yet he seems to be the odd man out in favor of Rupp. Personally, I would match the sand paper of the Senators third line having Neil and Ruutu flanking Chris Kelly with Matt Cooke and Rupp flanking Jordan Staal. I think, at the very least, bump Tyler Kennedy down to the 4th line and move Rupp up. The 4th line of Talbot, Adams, and Kennedy would stay a great energy line and Anton Volchenkov and Chris Phillips have to deal with Rupp AND Cooke coming in on the forecheck, if Dan Bylsma matches up the lines correctly.
No need to worry, I will be absolutely stunned if we see this more often then we did in Game 1:
[Reuters]
Regardless of who is out for the Penguins tonight, you cannot deny that Mike Rupp is going to light someone up on his first shift, because that is the game he plays. Toughness, grit, hard checking. Obviously, Mike Rupp also brings a little bit of protection to the rest of the lineup. I don't care who you are, you see a big son of a bitch like Rupp in the lineup with you, you're going to be a little more aggressive knowing that guy is going to have a "talk," with anyone who gives you shit for your aggressive play. I expect Mike Rupp to start scrums anytime he is in front of the net and get his money's worth of face washes and pushes and shoves. Let 'em know you're in the game, Rupper.
Bring the pain.
April 13, 2010
The Goon Quotient
The playoffs bring a harder style of play to the ice: bigger checks, more pushing and shoving after a whistle, and more facewashes than you can shake a sweat soaked glove at. There is very little in terms of a fight drop off, however. In 83 playoff games last season, there were 41 fights. One every 2 games, essentially. During this regular season that just ended there were 1366 fights in 2460 games. A little under 2 games between every fight, 1.8 games, rounding off. Those statistics were grabbed from www.hockeyfights.com. There is no reason to believe that the intensity of the NHL playoffs will cause a lack of fighting in the games. I think the slight discrepancy is due to the length of an 82 game regular season vs. an, at most, 28 game post season. Eric Godard players during the regular season because people are more likely to do something stupid during the regular season. In the post season, people are afraid to do something that might result in a power play when that can change a game and largely a series. One game out of 82, though? Not so big a deal.
That said, there are going to be fights in the post season. Pittsburgh lead playoff teams last season with 7. Maybe that's due to the number of games they played, maybe it's just due to the fact that they're badasses. Personally, I lean towards the latter but one never does know. Anyway, I figured either way we should be checking out the pests and goons of the Ottawa Senators and how they match up against the Penguins:
Jarkko Ruutu
[AP]
Allow me a moment to compose myself. This is troubling for me. Jarkko Ruutu used to wear the black and gold, as I'm sure you all are aware. I also own a Ruutu Penguins jersey. As a fan who loves pests and goons, the schadenfreude Jarkko Ruutu takes in a lot of his fights, laughing like a crazy person while he punches someone in the faces or trips someone like this:
Classic! When he does those things, it's just so god damn hard to hate him. It's probably why I liked him before he was on the Penguins and continue to now. It comes as no surprise that the SportsArgumentWiki calls Ruutu "the heartbreak kid."
Terrible. But, I know the first time Ruutu pulls something on the Penguins, none of that is going to matter. It will be pure hate going forth, frothing at the mouth for Rupp or Kunitz or Orpik or ANYONE to light him up. It's been a long time (the beginning of last season when the Penguins opened overseas) since this happened, but this makes my blood boil a little bit already.
He doesn't fight often, but he's still going to be a jerk and get under someone's skin. Ruutu does know how to through them, however, when he needs to. This is something he seems to have over our pest, Mattie Cooke. Coincidentally, in that same video is the other public enemy of the Ottawa Senators...
Chris Neil
[AP]
What a fucking toolbox.
I don't think anyone doesn't know how I feel about Chris Neil. However, in the case you don't, here's a nice taste: http://www.thegoonblog.blogspot.com/2009/10/chris-douche-bag-neil.html. I suppose that Chris Neil is incredibly good at his job, though, judging by how angry I am at him after every time the Penguins have faced off against him and the Senators. However, most like than not, Eric Godard will not be in the lineup for the Pittsburgh Penguins. That, sadly, means we probably won't see this face on Neil's face:
I never get tired of that picture. If I could have it on a t-shirt, I'd wear it for every game.
With Godard more than likely out of the lineup, that leaves Mike Rupp (who himself might be out of the lineup), and guys like Bill Guerin and Craig Adams left to keep Chris Neil in check. Rupp has thrown 'em with Neil before this season.
I'd call this one a draw if you're not counting Neil's punches after the linesmen step in. Again, what a fucking toolbox. Regardless of the outcome of the fight, getting Neil off the ice to keep him from getting after Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin may be just as key as how well Crosby or Malkin matches up against Anton Volchenkov because I've got two words for you otherwise:
Adam. Graves.
Matt Carkner
[Getty Images]
Carkner doesn't seem to me to be the dick that Ruutu and Neil are, but he is most definitely the clean up crew for the Ottawa Senators. Carkner has cracked the NHL finally and found a niche as the enforcer for the Senators while playing some decent defense for them as well. At 6'4", 231 lbs, Carkner leads the Sens with 24 fights (Mike Rupp has half as many as the Pens leader with 12). Carkner will step up for Neil or Ruutu when Rupp or Guerin or whomever tries to get after them. More than likely, Rupp will have to go after Neil when Carkner isn't on the ice, or the fight simply isn't going to happen. Every punch or check will hurt a little bit more from Carkner in my opinon as he used to be part of Pittsburgh's organization, spending the entirety 06-07 season at Wilkes-Barre/Scranton. Aren't we missing a big fuck off defensemen now a days? However, just because Carkner fights a lot, doesn't mean he knows HOW to fight.
Ouch.
However, despite this, from the pure position of who's willing to drop the gloves on the team, the Penguins take it. 12 different Penguins have dropped the gloves for the team this season compared to Ottawa's nine. The Penguins also have players who have dropped the gloves in the past that haven't thus far this season including Brooks Orpik and Max Talbot. From a standpoint of being pests and enforcing, I have no doubt that the Penguins can match the Senators fist for fist, facewash for facewash.
Come get a taste.
That said, there are going to be fights in the post season. Pittsburgh lead playoff teams last season with 7. Maybe that's due to the number of games they played, maybe it's just due to the fact that they're badasses. Personally, I lean towards the latter but one never does know. Anyway, I figured either way we should be checking out the pests and goons of the Ottawa Senators and how they match up against the Penguins:
Jarkko Ruutu
[AP]
Allow me a moment to compose myself. This is troubling for me. Jarkko Ruutu used to wear the black and gold, as I'm sure you all are aware. I also own a Ruutu Penguins jersey. As a fan who loves pests and goons, the schadenfreude Jarkko Ruutu takes in a lot of his fights, laughing like a crazy person while he punches someone in the faces or trips someone like this:
Classic! When he does those things, it's just so god damn hard to hate him. It's probably why I liked him before he was on the Penguins and continue to now. It comes as no surprise that the SportsArgumentWiki calls Ruutu "the heartbreak kid."
Terrible. But, I know the first time Ruutu pulls something on the Penguins, none of that is going to matter. It will be pure hate going forth, frothing at the mouth for Rupp or Kunitz or Orpik or ANYONE to light him up. It's been a long time (the beginning of last season when the Penguins opened overseas) since this happened, but this makes my blood boil a little bit already.
He doesn't fight often, but he's still going to be a jerk and get under someone's skin. Ruutu does know how to through them, however, when he needs to. This is something he seems to have over our pest, Mattie Cooke. Coincidentally, in that same video is the other public enemy of the Ottawa Senators...
Chris Neil
[AP]
What a fucking toolbox.
I don't think anyone doesn't know how I feel about Chris Neil. However, in the case you don't, here's a nice taste: http://www.thegoonblog.blogspot.com/2009/10/chris-douche-bag-neil.html. I suppose that Chris Neil is incredibly good at his job, though, judging by how angry I am at him after every time the Penguins have faced off against him and the Senators. However, most like than not, Eric Godard will not be in the lineup for the Pittsburgh Penguins. That, sadly, means we probably won't see this face on Neil's face:
I never get tired of that picture. If I could have it on a t-shirt, I'd wear it for every game.
With Godard more than likely out of the lineup, that leaves Mike Rupp (who himself might be out of the lineup), and guys like Bill Guerin and Craig Adams left to keep Chris Neil in check. Rupp has thrown 'em with Neil before this season.
I'd call this one a draw if you're not counting Neil's punches after the linesmen step in. Again, what a fucking toolbox. Regardless of the outcome of the fight, getting Neil off the ice to keep him from getting after Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin may be just as key as how well Crosby or Malkin matches up against Anton Volchenkov because I've got two words for you otherwise:
Adam. Graves.
Matt Carkner
[Getty Images]
Carkner doesn't seem to me to be the dick that Ruutu and Neil are, but he is most definitely the clean up crew for the Ottawa Senators. Carkner has cracked the NHL finally and found a niche as the enforcer for the Senators while playing some decent defense for them as well. At 6'4", 231 lbs, Carkner leads the Sens with 24 fights (Mike Rupp has half as many as the Pens leader with 12). Carkner will step up for Neil or Ruutu when Rupp or Guerin or whomever tries to get after them. More than likely, Rupp will have to go after Neil when Carkner isn't on the ice, or the fight simply isn't going to happen. Every punch or check will hurt a little bit more from Carkner in my opinon as he used to be part of Pittsburgh's organization, spending the entirety 06-07 season at Wilkes-Barre/Scranton. Aren't we missing a big fuck off defensemen now a days? However, just because Carkner fights a lot, doesn't mean he knows HOW to fight.
Ouch.
However, despite this, from the pure position of who's willing to drop the gloves on the team, the Penguins take it. 12 different Penguins have dropped the gloves for the team this season compared to Ottawa's nine. The Penguins also have players who have dropped the gloves in the past that haven't thus far this season including Brooks Orpik and Max Talbot. From a standpoint of being pests and enforcing, I have no doubt that the Penguins can match the Senators fist for fist, facewash for facewash.
Come get a taste.
April 11, 2010
Riding Into the Best Fucking Sunset Ever
Eric Godard isn't going to play in the playoffs as it stands now. You know this, I know this, Eric Godard knows this. This is one of the reasons that makes Eric Godard so good at his job. He never complains about not getting ice time, and when he does get ice time, he does his job perfectly. He fights, he sticks his neck out, he yells at people who look at Crosby and Malkin funny, everything. Eric Godard is the best enforcer in the NHL right now, period. You don't see him bitching like Georges Laraque did earlier in the season or being booed on his home ice like Donald Brashear was earlier in the season. You see him being hailed by his teammates and fans a like. Godard got the "Player's Player," award last season for a reason.
So, to see him skating these last two games and skating well has been an absolute joy. Saturday night he threw down with Eric Boulton of the Atlanta Thrashers in order to calm the arena down. Evander Kane is one of the baddest dudes around after this game. In addition to getting under Sidney Crosby's skin multiple times and Mike Rupp's, he WALLOPED. FLAT. OUT. WALLOPED, Matt Cooke.
[Getty Images]
Sick. This is what people in Boston wanted. They wanted Cooke wrecked, absolutely destroyed, and he was by Evander Kane. Maybe Kane should start enforcing for the Bruins since Thornton didn't seem to do the trick? You can see it a little in the picture, but we need to go to the video.
Kane saves Cooke from further injury by having a hold of his jersey so he doesn't bash his head off the ice. You see this once in a blue moon and everyone who is Anti-Fighting wants to jump on the bandwagon to get fighting out of the league. But, guess what? People are going to get hurt, legally, in hockey even if you take fists out of the league. There's really no reason to explain where I stand in what place fisticuffs have in hockey and if you honestly don't know, first of all you're an idiot, but also you can just look the other posts on this website.
Kane popping Cooke didn't calm down the players on the opposing sides, however, and the chippy play continued to pick up, culminating in Godard and Boulton dropping the gloves:
[Getty Images]
[Getty Images]
This is why I like hockey and enforcing. In no other sport does this happen. A fight calms everyone down. In baseball beaning someone begets more beaning begets bench clearing brawl begets ejections and that is how it is fixed. In football pushing and shoving begets more shoving begets some flags begets me being bored for longer than I should be. In hockey a fight calms everyone down and I absolutely love it. To keep with the theme of my last post, it's like two champions of their respective houses drawing arms for everyone in their house to fight for their honor. Afterward it is almost always done with. This is what Godard does, he fights some big dude so Sidney Crosby can continue to do what they do and the Atlanta Thrashers aren't shaking in their skates that they might have to fight Eric Godard. Everyone calms down and refocuses.
The following evening Godard was back at it against the Islanders. BUT, in this game Godard did more than just fight. Roughly thirty seconds after Mike Rupp fought Eddy Gordo from the Tekken series:
[Getty Images]
Seriously, I had no idea capoeira had become a fighting style of NHL enforcers. Ridiculous. Anyway, 30 seconds after that, the unthinkable happen. Screw Sidney Crosby's 50th goal, screw Sidney Crosby's 51st goal, this happened:
[Getty Images]
It's all there are Craig Adams face (and you KNOW Fuck Yeah! Craig Adams! is going to bury a huge goal in the playoffs). Adams has that smile that you had when you were 7 and were unwrapping the big present on Christmas. You saw the unmistakable green and blue flash of this underneath the wrapping paper:
And suddenly Christmas just got that much better. There are numerous ways to describe an Eric Godard goal: Your own personal pinata full of your favorite candy, a case of beer that you thought held 16 ounce bottles that turned out to hold 22 ounce bottles, your classes canceled due to snow, copious amounts of sweet love making, or even that terrible (awesome) movie that you watch over and over again but still fucking rules:
Fuck yeah.
The man...the legend, however, was not finished yet. Godard gave Joel Rechlicz a chance to redeem himself for the sillyness that ensued between him and Rupp earlier in the game. Godard most likely wanted to go after him for the way he didn't let Rupp set up, as how the rules of heavyweight fights have seemed to change to favor over the years.
Nice scrap by the kid, I have to say. Godard seems to be pissed at him for only tying Godard's hands up the entire fight, but when you're going up against one of the better goons in the league, can you really blame him? Godard does get in a few shots so I guess it is a slight victory for him. Two thirds of the Gordie Howe hat trick, not too bad, Eric.
I, however, have a bone to pick with the New York Islander broadcast team of Howie Rose and Billy Jaffe. They make their jokes in the final game of the season, saying the fight is meaningless and that it's dancing with the fourth liners. Granted, neither of these clowns have played a shift in the NHL, so how could they possibly understand why the fight is going on? Though, then again, I DO know why the fight is going on and I can't even skate that well, let alone play a shift in the National Hockey League. Rechlicz is a 22 year old kid looking for his place in the NHL. He has less than thirty career games played in the NHL and is looking for his niche. You don't think, just maybe, with budding superstar John Tavares, and other young stars Matt Moulson and Kyle Okposo that MAYBE, just MAYBE the Islanders are looking for someone to protect them from stuff like this?
No, not at all, couldn't be. Scott Gordon couldn't possibly want something like that on his mind all summer when he wonders who is going to protect his superstar talent. What a bunch of fucking jokes. Like a preseason game, Rechlicz makes people take notice him by fighting not one but TWO heavyweight enforcers in the same game. Gordon will remember Rechlicz fighting for the entire offseason. I wouldn't be surprised if I saw him again.
But, that's all irrelevant now. With the playoffs coming around the corner, it seems Eric Godard will be walking into the sunset unless something heinous happens that requires the Hand of Godard to come down. Otherwise, Eric Godard will be walking into the postseason sunset, and he'll be doing it in fucking style.
So, to see him skating these last two games and skating well has been an absolute joy. Saturday night he threw down with Eric Boulton of the Atlanta Thrashers in order to calm the arena down. Evander Kane is one of the baddest dudes around after this game. In addition to getting under Sidney Crosby's skin multiple times and Mike Rupp's, he WALLOPED. FLAT. OUT. WALLOPED, Matt Cooke.
[Getty Images]
Sick. This is what people in Boston wanted. They wanted Cooke wrecked, absolutely destroyed, and he was by Evander Kane. Maybe Kane should start enforcing for the Bruins since Thornton didn't seem to do the trick? You can see it a little in the picture, but we need to go to the video.
Kane saves Cooke from further injury by having a hold of his jersey so he doesn't bash his head off the ice. You see this once in a blue moon and everyone who is Anti-Fighting wants to jump on the bandwagon to get fighting out of the league. But, guess what? People are going to get hurt, legally, in hockey even if you take fists out of the league. There's really no reason to explain where I stand in what place fisticuffs have in hockey and if you honestly don't know, first of all you're an idiot, but also you can just look the other posts on this website.
Kane popping Cooke didn't calm down the players on the opposing sides, however, and the chippy play continued to pick up, culminating in Godard and Boulton dropping the gloves:
[Getty Images]
[Getty Images]
This is why I like hockey and enforcing. In no other sport does this happen. A fight calms everyone down. In baseball beaning someone begets more beaning begets bench clearing brawl begets ejections and that is how it is fixed. In football pushing and shoving begets more shoving begets some flags begets me being bored for longer than I should be. In hockey a fight calms everyone down and I absolutely love it. To keep with the theme of my last post, it's like two champions of their respective houses drawing arms for everyone in their house to fight for their honor. Afterward it is almost always done with. This is what Godard does, he fights some big dude so Sidney Crosby can continue to do what they do and the Atlanta Thrashers aren't shaking in their skates that they might have to fight Eric Godard. Everyone calms down and refocuses.
The following evening Godard was back at it against the Islanders. BUT, in this game Godard did more than just fight. Roughly thirty seconds after Mike Rupp fought Eddy Gordo from the Tekken series:
[Getty Images]
Seriously, I had no idea capoeira had become a fighting style of NHL enforcers. Ridiculous. Anyway, 30 seconds after that, the unthinkable happen. Screw Sidney Crosby's 50th goal, screw Sidney Crosby's 51st goal, this happened:
[Getty Images]
It's all there are Craig Adams face (and you KNOW Fuck Yeah! Craig Adams! is going to bury a huge goal in the playoffs). Adams has that smile that you had when you were 7 and were unwrapping the big present on Christmas. You saw the unmistakable green and blue flash of this underneath the wrapping paper:
And suddenly Christmas just got that much better. There are numerous ways to describe an Eric Godard goal: Your own personal pinata full of your favorite candy, a case of beer that you thought held 16 ounce bottles that turned out to hold 22 ounce bottles, your classes canceled due to snow, copious amounts of sweet love making, or even that terrible (awesome) movie that you watch over and over again but still fucking rules:
Fuck yeah.
The man...the legend, however, was not finished yet. Godard gave Joel Rechlicz a chance to redeem himself for the sillyness that ensued between him and Rupp earlier in the game. Godard most likely wanted to go after him for the way he didn't let Rupp set up, as how the rules of heavyweight fights have seemed to change to favor over the years.
Nice scrap by the kid, I have to say. Godard seems to be pissed at him for only tying Godard's hands up the entire fight, but when you're going up against one of the better goons in the league, can you really blame him? Godard does get in a few shots so I guess it is a slight victory for him. Two thirds of the Gordie Howe hat trick, not too bad, Eric.
I, however, have a bone to pick with the New York Islander broadcast team of Howie Rose and Billy Jaffe. They make their jokes in the final game of the season, saying the fight is meaningless and that it's dancing with the fourth liners. Granted, neither of these clowns have played a shift in the NHL, so how could they possibly understand why the fight is going on? Though, then again, I DO know why the fight is going on and I can't even skate that well, let alone play a shift in the National Hockey League. Rechlicz is a 22 year old kid looking for his place in the NHL. He has less than thirty career games played in the NHL and is looking for his niche. You don't think, just maybe, with budding superstar John Tavares, and other young stars Matt Moulson and Kyle Okposo that MAYBE, just MAYBE the Islanders are looking for someone to protect them from stuff like this?
No, not at all, couldn't be. Scott Gordon couldn't possibly want something like that on his mind all summer when he wonders who is going to protect his superstar talent. What a bunch of fucking jokes. Like a preseason game, Rechlicz makes people take notice him by fighting not one but TWO heavyweight enforcers in the same game. Gordon will remember Rechlicz fighting for the entire offseason. I wouldn't be surprised if I saw him again.
But, that's all irrelevant now. With the playoffs coming around the corner, it seems Eric Godard will be walking into the sunset unless something heinous happens that requires the Hand of Godard to come down. Otherwise, Eric Godard will be walking into the postseason sunset, and he'll be doing it in fucking style.
April 10, 2010
And the Mists Cleared to Show Legends
Readers, I won't lie: I'm a bit of a fantasy nut. Badass knights, damsels in distress, wizard on the top of a mountain with lightning pumping out of his hands? Yeah, that stuff is awesome. That is what the closing ceremony was like for me; it was like T.A. Barron, J.R.R. Tolkien, or George R. R. Martin (what's with Fantasy authors and initials?), were writing about hockey. The legends of old were coming to the House that Lemieux built, clad in their House's colors, with the Penguin crest emblazoned on their chests. It. Was. Epic.
Personally, I expected to be disappointed from a standpoint of my true love in hockey: goons and pests. I was pleasantly surprised many times over by the number of old warriors that were brought out by the Penguin brass on the final regular season show to grace the Igloo. In one fell swoop, I was blown off my feet as Mark Kachowski, Jay Caufield, and Francois fucking Leroux trotted out onto that big carpet. I would be remiss to not give them all some love:
Both Kachowski and Caufield are involved in this video, but I have to give Caulfield a little more so I'll focus on Kachowski. Kachowski is the very definition of what it means to be a WHL player. Everyone talks about how players who come from the Western Hockey League are tough sons of bitches, and they are absolutely right. At 5'11" Kachowski isn't exactly one of the guys you'd expect to see being a goon in the NHL when today you see goons like Eric Godard or Jody Shelley who are towering behemoths, but Kachowski still did his job. 64 games played in the NHL over 3 seasons. 209 PIMs. Ri-fucking-diculous. Kachowski was Matt Barnaby or Tie Domi before Matt Barnaby or Tie Domi, a shorter guy that would still go toe to toe with absolutely anyone. Those are my favorite kind of players. With only 11 career points it's quite obvious Kachowski didn't have the talent to make it at the NHL. He found a niche for a while though with his heart and passion for the game. He knew how to stir the pot, he knew how to send messages, he never backed down. The Caps may have been giving the Penguins a beating there, but this was just one year before the beginning of the playoff dominance that the Penguins have over the Capitals began. I like to think Kachowski had a hand in that.
What is there to say about Jay Caulfield? At 6'4" he is what you think of when you think about a goon. When you consider that in that video, (and I apologize for the audio), Caufield is throwing with Bob Probert, considered the greatest fighter in NHL history, you have to merely stand in awe. It comes as no surprise to me that a lot of the slashing, whacking, and grabbing that was one of the reasons Mario Lemieux walked away from the game, started heavily after Jay Caufield was no longer in the Penguin lineup. You have to protect your superstars, and with a fight card that includes Joey Kocur, Tony Twist, Dale Hunter, and the previously mentioned Bob Probert, it's obvious Caufield did his job for Lemieux well just like Eric Godard and Mike Rupp do for Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin. Caufield has gone on to remain a stoic no nonsense badass for the Penguins on the FSN Postgame shows, offering black and white opinion on how the boys are playing.
Francois Leroux is an enigma. Here he plays stout defense and gives Pat Lafontaine the Scott Stevens treatment with a devastating shoulder check that could've been avoided if Lafontaine wasn't staring at the ice. Leroux immediately answers for his action by beating the snot out of Rob Ray, of ESPN commercial fame. Following The Code, good stuff right there, other than Lafontaine getting hurt, of course.
Classic.
By the same token Leroux pulled crap like this. Wearing something on your fist when you're going to fight? Everyone in the NHL knows you're not supposed to to even ask to fight someone when their hand is messed up. Beyond that, you're allowed to turn down the fight for another time without losing any respect. Leroux fights with a bust hand and breaks Twist open with it. On top of that, Leroux slew foots Twist in attempt to bring him to the ice. I'd be pissed as Twist, too.
Of course, there was some guy named Gary Roberts in the building as well.
Allow me to bask in the glory for a moment: Gary! Gary! Gary! What an absolute legend. What he did for the young Penguin team when he came to Pittsburgh from Florida cannot be sold short. Without him I'm not sure that the Penguins would have gone as far as they did as quick as they did. He was a true veteran presence, not the babies Ziggy Palffy, Mark Recchi, and John Leclair were. He KNEW why he was there. He brought grit, toughness, and above all else, this:
[PPG]
Pure. Badass.
However, the King still walked in last:
One day, when I'm an old joke, and the Penguins are getting their third arena, I hope to see the likes of Mike Rupp, Eric Godard, and Georges Laraque walking on the red carpet in the CEC along with the obvious Sidney Crosby, Evgeni Malkin, and Sergei Gonchar. Of course, I hope they don't show Rupp's fight from the last Regular Season game at the Mellon.
Yeah...um....well...at least Gillies has a sweet mustache? Thankfully though, the collective goon badassery that was already brewed in that building that night was all the Penguins needed.
Personally, I expected to be disappointed from a standpoint of my true love in hockey: goons and pests. I was pleasantly surprised many times over by the number of old warriors that were brought out by the Penguin brass on the final regular season show to grace the Igloo. In one fell swoop, I was blown off my feet as Mark Kachowski, Jay Caufield, and Francois fucking Leroux trotted out onto that big carpet. I would be remiss to not give them all some love:
Both Kachowski and Caufield are involved in this video, but I have to give Caulfield a little more so I'll focus on Kachowski. Kachowski is the very definition of what it means to be a WHL player. Everyone talks about how players who come from the Western Hockey League are tough sons of bitches, and they are absolutely right. At 5'11" Kachowski isn't exactly one of the guys you'd expect to see being a goon in the NHL when today you see goons like Eric Godard or Jody Shelley who are towering behemoths, but Kachowski still did his job. 64 games played in the NHL over 3 seasons. 209 PIMs. Ri-fucking-diculous. Kachowski was Matt Barnaby or Tie Domi before Matt Barnaby or Tie Domi, a shorter guy that would still go toe to toe with absolutely anyone. Those are my favorite kind of players. With only 11 career points it's quite obvious Kachowski didn't have the talent to make it at the NHL. He found a niche for a while though with his heart and passion for the game. He knew how to stir the pot, he knew how to send messages, he never backed down. The Caps may have been giving the Penguins a beating there, but this was just one year before the beginning of the playoff dominance that the Penguins have over the Capitals began. I like to think Kachowski had a hand in that.
What is there to say about Jay Caulfield? At 6'4" he is what you think of when you think about a goon. When you consider that in that video, (and I apologize for the audio), Caufield is throwing with Bob Probert, considered the greatest fighter in NHL history, you have to merely stand in awe. It comes as no surprise to me that a lot of the slashing, whacking, and grabbing that was one of the reasons Mario Lemieux walked away from the game, started heavily after Jay Caufield was no longer in the Penguin lineup. You have to protect your superstars, and with a fight card that includes Joey Kocur, Tony Twist, Dale Hunter, and the previously mentioned Bob Probert, it's obvious Caufield did his job for Lemieux well just like Eric Godard and Mike Rupp do for Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin. Caufield has gone on to remain a stoic no nonsense badass for the Penguins on the FSN Postgame shows, offering black and white opinion on how the boys are playing.
Francois Leroux is an enigma. Here he plays stout defense and gives Pat Lafontaine the Scott Stevens treatment with a devastating shoulder check that could've been avoided if Lafontaine wasn't staring at the ice. Leroux immediately answers for his action by beating the snot out of Rob Ray, of ESPN commercial fame. Following The Code, good stuff right there, other than Lafontaine getting hurt, of course.
Classic.
By the same token Leroux pulled crap like this. Wearing something on your fist when you're going to fight? Everyone in the NHL knows you're not supposed to to even ask to fight someone when their hand is messed up. Beyond that, you're allowed to turn down the fight for another time without losing any respect. Leroux fights with a bust hand and breaks Twist open with it. On top of that, Leroux slew foots Twist in attempt to bring him to the ice. I'd be pissed as Twist, too.
Of course, there was some guy named Gary Roberts in the building as well.
Allow me to bask in the glory for a moment: Gary! Gary! Gary! What an absolute legend. What he did for the young Penguin team when he came to Pittsburgh from Florida cannot be sold short. Without him I'm not sure that the Penguins would have gone as far as they did as quick as they did. He was a true veteran presence, not the babies Ziggy Palffy, Mark Recchi, and John Leclair were. He KNEW why he was there. He brought grit, toughness, and above all else, this:
[PPG]
Pure. Badass.
However, the King still walked in last:
One day, when I'm an old joke, and the Penguins are getting their third arena, I hope to see the likes of Mike Rupp, Eric Godard, and Georges Laraque walking on the red carpet in the CEC along with the obvious Sidney Crosby, Evgeni Malkin, and Sergei Gonchar. Of course, I hope they don't show Rupp's fight from the last Regular Season game at the Mellon.
Yeah...um....well...at least Gillies has a sweet mustache? Thankfully though, the collective goon badassery that was already brewed in that building that night was all the Penguins needed.
April 6, 2010
Get Off My Lawn
Bill Guerin is taking tGB by force. In a game without Mike Rupp and Eric Godard I was a little bit worried. The Atlanta Thrashers were a team on the bubble, fighting for the playoff lives. Who's to say an extra shot after the whistle isn't needed? A little slash? It's nothing that big, right? Besides, it's not like Rupp or Godard are in the lineup to punish people who would do anything to the Atlanta pl-OH MY GOD BILL GUERIN!
The old man is tearing it up right now for the Penguins. Messing with the Old Man's teammates?
You better believe that's a paddlin'.
When we can get this kind of protection for the Penguins when our biggest heavyweights are out of the lineup it really makes me happy. Honestly, Jim Slater kind of pushes Alexei Ponikarovsky...sorta? A little push with his elbow. Maybe he doesn't even do it but regardless Bill Guerin takes offense to Slater being in Ponikarovsky business and shows him what happens when you do that. This is what needs to happen with the Penguins going forward. Ponikarovsky hasn't been with this team long and yet players are stepping up to his defense over the smallest of infractions. That's team chemistry.
Going forward towards the playoffs, that chemistry is going to be important. Eric Godard didn't play one game for the Penguins during their run to the Stanley Cup Championship last season. That requires other people to step up and fight whether it be the likes of Ryan Whitney beaten the piss out of Wade Redden, Tyler Kenndey throwing down with Scottie Upshall, or Max Talbot throwing himself on the sword against Dan Carcillo and his scumustache. Eric Godard and, perhaps, not even Mike Rupp (if this game was any indication) are going to play as much as they did during the regular season during the playoffs. Someone's gotta step up. Bill Guerin is, are you?
Bill Guerin wasn't even finished protecting the Slavs in this game, however. In a scrum that seemed to start out of thin air, Bil Guerin was in the middle of it, leading Chris Chelios away from Evgeni Malkin. I have no idea how this started. Most likely Malkin was pushing and shoving, much to the surprise of North American players. Evgeni Malkin isn't afraid to get his hands dirty sometimes.
[AP]
How fucking old is Chelios anyway? The guy made a fucking cameo in Mighty Ducks 2 for crying out loud. Mighty Ducks 2 came out in 1994 when Chelios was THIRTY-TWO. Ri-fucking-diculous. Personally, though, I just hope Evgeni Malkin was pulling a Crank 2 as he was getting pulled away from Chelios:
Delicious. Fuck you Chelios.
The old man is tearing it up right now for the Penguins. Messing with the Old Man's teammates?
You better believe that's a paddlin'.
When we can get this kind of protection for the Penguins when our biggest heavyweights are out of the lineup it really makes me happy. Honestly, Jim Slater kind of pushes Alexei Ponikarovsky...sorta? A little push with his elbow. Maybe he doesn't even do it but regardless Bill Guerin takes offense to Slater being in Ponikarovsky business and shows him what happens when you do that. This is what needs to happen with the Penguins going forward. Ponikarovsky hasn't been with this team long and yet players are stepping up to his defense over the smallest of infractions. That's team chemistry.
Going forward towards the playoffs, that chemistry is going to be important. Eric Godard didn't play one game for the Penguins during their run to the Stanley Cup Championship last season. That requires other people to step up and fight whether it be the likes of Ryan Whitney beaten the piss out of Wade Redden, Tyler Kenndey throwing down with Scottie Upshall, or Max Talbot throwing himself on the sword against Dan Carcillo and his scumustache. Eric Godard and, perhaps, not even Mike Rupp (if this game was any indication) are going to play as much as they did during the regular season during the playoffs. Someone's gotta step up. Bill Guerin is, are you?
Bill Guerin wasn't even finished protecting the Slavs in this game, however. In a scrum that seemed to start out of thin air, Bil Guerin was in the middle of it, leading Chris Chelios away from Evgeni Malkin. I have no idea how this started. Most likely Malkin was pushing and shoving, much to the surprise of North American players. Evgeni Malkin isn't afraid to get his hands dirty sometimes.
[AP]
How fucking old is Chelios anyway? The guy made a fucking cameo in Mighty Ducks 2 for crying out loud. Mighty Ducks 2 came out in 1994 when Chelios was THIRTY-TWO. Ri-fucking-diculous. Personally, though, I just hope Evgeni Malkin was pulling a Crank 2 as he was getting pulled away from Chelios:
Delicious. Fuck you Chelios.
April 2, 2010
How Does This Keep Happening?
Greetings, readers, it's been a while hasn't it? I'm sure you're wondering why I chose not to write about the Grand Revenge Extravaganza (GRE) that took place in Boston upon Matt Cooke's person. Well, if Boston didn't care to show up for the GRE, I don't know why I should either. EVERYONE shot their mouth off about this hit, including players that weren't even on either team! Yet, Boston did nothing beyond trotting out their big time goon and having Cooke fight him. Good on Cooke for stepping up and taking his medicine. Otherwise? Nothing. What? You were afraid to take some extra penalties Boston? Wanted to stay in the game? Judging by what you did on the scoreboard, you cared about as much as that as you did about extracting vengeance from Cooke. Shit, I don't even think Eric Godard and Mike Rupp are THAT intimidating. So, if Boston didn't care? Why the fuck should I?
Moving right along, it's been some slow going for tGB and I've been parched. No throw down against the FLYERS? You're killing me boys, KILLING me. Thankfully, our apparent new big time goon rival, the Tampa Bay Lightning were very happy to get my blood boiling. It started early in the game with an absolutely indefensible hit on Ruslan Fedotenko by Matt Lashoff.
Absolutely disgusting. Lashoff is a guy up from Tampa's AHL affiliate trying to make a name for himself. Well, guess what Matt? You did, you're that guy that threw one of the most obvious boarding calls of the season in a year FULL of reprehensible hits. Tampa Bay is a joke, period. It's a damn shame that this season you seem to be seeing more pictures like this instead of ones of guys celebrating a great goal or a clean, hard, check:
[AP]
Terrible.
Toronto Maple Leaf GM Brian Burke had an interesting point about how to cut back on these kind of hits. A sort of bear hug would be allowed by the defenseman, momentarily, in order to pin the player with the puck against the boards. Personally, I like the idea. Obviously if you're doing anything other then driving the player into the boards to pin him I think a holding penalty would be called; however, I otherwise think this would be a very good rule. This, combined with whatever headshot legislation is going to come during the off season, would be some very good additions to the NHL Rulebook.
Vincent Lecavalier wants to talk about how Matt Cooke has no respect for the game or players playing it. This may be true, but Lecavalier has NO place to talk because of his teammates. Even members of the Penguins uttered disagreement with what Cooke did to Marc Savard. Was there a PEEP about Downie's shot on Crosby? No. Lecavalier is also a bit of a cheap shot artist himself, go fucking figure:
So, what's that make you, Vinny?
Precisely.
You're an absolute clown if you're going to go around looking down on players for not respecting the game when you do it yourself. Hell, Vinny, judging by your dwindling stats, you're using the stick as much to try to injure someone as you are to put the puck in the net, joke.
Unfortunately, my hatred for the Tampa Bay Lightning and their overrated captain wasn't enough to sustain the Penguins and get them a win...or even a goal for that matter. Not even Bill Guerin putting on his dancing shoes for the first time in almost two months doesn't get the Penguins bench going:
Dude goes up against the guy leading the league in fights and the Penguins can't even take notice. Total insanity. It's good to see this from Bill Guerin though, he hasn't been scoring at a regular pace lately, but he's still working hard and getting his nose dirty. Some want to say Bill Guerin has gone the way of Zigmund Palffy, John LeClair, and Mark Recchi. I remain unconvinced. Also, Mark Recchi sucks.
Apologies for the late posting, I know at least a few read this so I do have at least a bit of a commitment. Guess it sucks I can't just say "No one cares," anymore. Barf. Anyway, trying to catch back up and get into playoff mode.
Moving right along, it's been some slow going for tGB and I've been parched. No throw down against the FLYERS? You're killing me boys, KILLING me. Thankfully, our apparent new big time goon rival, the Tampa Bay Lightning were very happy to get my blood boiling. It started early in the game with an absolutely indefensible hit on Ruslan Fedotenko by Matt Lashoff.
Absolutely disgusting. Lashoff is a guy up from Tampa's AHL affiliate trying to make a name for himself. Well, guess what Matt? You did, you're that guy that threw one of the most obvious boarding calls of the season in a year FULL of reprehensible hits. Tampa Bay is a joke, period. It's a damn shame that this season you seem to be seeing more pictures like this instead of ones of guys celebrating a great goal or a clean, hard, check:
[AP]
Terrible.
Toronto Maple Leaf GM Brian Burke had an interesting point about how to cut back on these kind of hits. A sort of bear hug would be allowed by the defenseman, momentarily, in order to pin the player with the puck against the boards. Personally, I like the idea. Obviously if you're doing anything other then driving the player into the boards to pin him I think a holding penalty would be called; however, I otherwise think this would be a very good rule. This, combined with whatever headshot legislation is going to come during the off season, would be some very good additions to the NHL Rulebook.
Vincent Lecavalier wants to talk about how Matt Cooke has no respect for the game or players playing it. This may be true, but Lecavalier has NO place to talk because of his teammates. Even members of the Penguins uttered disagreement with what Cooke did to Marc Savard. Was there a PEEP about Downie's shot on Crosby? No. Lecavalier is also a bit of a cheap shot artist himself, go fucking figure:
So, what's that make you, Vinny?
Precisely.
You're an absolute clown if you're going to go around looking down on players for not respecting the game when you do it yourself. Hell, Vinny, judging by your dwindling stats, you're using the stick as much to try to injure someone as you are to put the puck in the net, joke.
Unfortunately, my hatred for the Tampa Bay Lightning and their overrated captain wasn't enough to sustain the Penguins and get them a win...or even a goal for that matter. Not even Bill Guerin putting on his dancing shoes for the first time in almost two months doesn't get the Penguins bench going:
Dude goes up against the guy leading the league in fights and the Penguins can't even take notice. Total insanity. It's good to see this from Bill Guerin though, he hasn't been scoring at a regular pace lately, but he's still working hard and getting his nose dirty. Some want to say Bill Guerin has gone the way of Zigmund Palffy, John LeClair, and Mark Recchi. I remain unconvinced. Also, Mark Recchi sucks.
Apologies for the late posting, I know at least a few read this so I do have at least a bit of a commitment. Guess it sucks I can't just say "No one cares," anymore. Barf. Anyway, trying to catch back up and get into playoff mode.
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