Who's scared of the Pens?

All of a sudden, we look up and the Pens are getting pretty close to challenging us for the division title. My view is they can make some noise in the playoffs with a balanced scoring attack, and particularly if Fleury gets hot, but they won't go deep into the playoffs because of lack of D. How do others feel about the threat they pose in the East?

All of a sudden, we look up and the Pens are getting pretty close to challenging us for the division title. My view is they can make some noise in the playoffs with a balanced scoring attack, and particularly if Fleury gets hot, but they won't go deep into the playoffs because of lack of D. How do others feel about the threat they pose in the East?

No, I don't get scared by the Penguins, not a bit.

No, I don't get scared by the Penguins, not a bit.

http://www.fortunecity.com/meltingpot/oltorf/165/penqbot.gif

While the Pens are due for a loss, the Devils better take them seriously. A lot of talk about the Devs 16-3-3 record since Christmas, the Pens are 15-4-3 during the same period and have beaten some good teams.

The will make the playoffs and might steal a series, but I agree their D is not strong enough to get any further. But who knows what they do before the trade deadline.

They're hot right now, but then again they are starting to run into those situations that happen when a hot team gets cold: they're winning games in which they have made mistakes and played not-so-well. That's usually a sure sign a streak is nearing it's end.

Hopefully it's end was last night.

Doobe doobe doo! :D

http://www.resnet.trinity.edu/jkrause/funstuff/bud_ice_penguin_phoning_home.jpg

Scared of them? Nah. Respect them? Sure.

Shut down Crosby, shut down the Penguins.

Shut down Crosby, shut down the Penguins.


which is why it's especially important for Madden to be back for Friday.

All of a sudden, we look up and the Pens are getting pretty close to challenging us for the division title. My view is they can make some noise in the playoffs with a balanced scoring attack, and particularly if Fleury gets hot, but they won't go deep into the playoffs because of lack of D. How do others feel about the threat they pose in the East?

No D, No protection for their star players and a streaky goalie = early round exit.

In a few years.. watch out.

which is why it's especially important for Madden to be back for Friday.

he'll be back

Shut down Crosby, shut down the Penguins.

Not necessarily. The Penguins have won their first 2 games without Sidney scoring a point in the streak and he has only 10 points in his past 8 games. This streak is coinciding with Crosby's worst (I use the term very loosely) play of the season.


The Penguins are due for a loss and I expect it to come friday, but the Devils are in for a big surprise if they think this is the same team they saw the last time these teams met. The Penguins are winning because they're rolling 4 lines and getting production out of each of them. Ronald Petrovicky has as much with this team winning as Sidney Crosby does right now. Not to mention Fleury is playing like an All Star.

Were the Devils ever afraid of the Flyers? Or the Rangers? Somebody had to step up to the plate eventually. It would be a pretty boring one horse race if it didn't.

and those of us that have to watch the agony of a devils game a few times a year know what boring means!

and those of us that have to watch the agony of a devils game a few times a year know what boring means!

yin's feel the playoffs are boring?

enjoy your teams turnout and dont talk trash. ;)

especially when its dumb b.s.

and those of us that have to watch the agony of a devils game a few times a year know what boring means!

oh great, yet another Pens bandwagon hopper, who forgot about their team over the last 5 years, and is now jumping back on and being very annoying about it too.

go post here to your heart's content:

http://hfboards.com/showthread.php?t=28265

and those of us that have to watch the agony of a devils game a few times a year know what boring means!

I'm sure everyone in your SpEd classes thinks you're a riot. And original to boot.

Not necessarily. The Penguins have won their first 2 games without Sidney scoring a point in the streak and he has only 10 points in his past 8 games. This streak is coinciding with Crosby's worst (I use the term very loosely) play of the season.


The Penguins are due for a loss and I expect it to come friday, but the Devils are in for a big surprise if they think this is the same team they saw the last time these teams met. The Penguins are winning because they're rolling 4 lines and getting production out of each of them. Ronald Petrovicky has as much with this team winning as Sidney Crosby does right now. Not to mention Fleury is playing like an All Star.
Sounds like a pretty good case for Marty winning the Hart over Crosby. :sarcasm:

Sounds like a pretty good case for Marty winning the Hart over Crosby. :sarcasm:

Yep, I'd say so. The Pens are NOT a one man team, they could probably be 8th with Malkin, Staal, Fleury, Whitney, Orpik, Malone, and others. Devils would be 10th-12th without Marty. Give that man the Hart.

yes, they finally have two solid lines with the 3rd and 4th chipping in. they are still lacking on D and fleury although excellent gives up juicy rebounds.

on their streak, they beat buffalo, nashville and carolina, everyone else was marginal.

i do feel that with our current key injuries, the pens could take this game.

Yep, I'd say so. The Pens are NOT a one man team, they could probably be 8th with Malkin, Staal, Fleury, Whitney, Orpik, Malone, and others. Devils would be 10th-12th without Marty. Give that man the Hart.
i dont want to turn this into a crosby vs. brodeur thread as they'd both be deserving of the award, but has brodeur really been stealing that many games where the devils would be 10th-12th if they had say, marty biron in net instead?

i dont want to turn this into a crosby vs. brodeur thread as they'd both be deserving of the award, but has brodeur really been stealing that many games where the devils would be 10th-12th if they had say, marty biron in net instead?

yes.

yes, they finally have two solid lines with the 3rd and 4th chipping in. they are still lacking on D and fleury although excellent gives up juicy rebounds.

on their streak, they beat buffalo, nashville and carolina, everyone else was marginal.

i do feel that with out current key injuries, the pens could take this game.
dallas as well

i dont want to turn this into a crosby vs. brodeur thread as they'd both be deserving of the award, but has brodeur really been stealing that many games where the devils would be 10th-12th if they had say, marty biron in net instead?

A little more than half way through the season I would say without a doubt. The team has picked up its play of late though and has been giving Marty some help.

i dont want to turn this into a crosby vs. brodeur thread as they'd both be deserving of the award, but has brodeur really been stealing that many games where the devils would be 10th-12th if they had say, marty biron in net instead?


No offense dude, but for the last 12 years, we've been dealing with statements exactly like, "but has brodeur really been stealing that many games where the devils would be 10th-12th if they had say, (insert name of goalie here) in net instead?

Asside from his GAA, save %, etc. just look at his amount of shutouts compared to Biron, or any other NHL goalie rignt now for that matter. There's quite a difference.

but has brodeur really been stealing that many games where the devils would be 10th-12th if they had say, marty biron in net instead?

That's a ridiculous hypothetical. The pertinent question is whether the Devils would be 10th-12th if Scott Clemmenson was in net. And the answer is yes.

dallas as well

they have been having turco issues.

No offense dude, but for the last 12 years, we've been dealing with statements exactly like, "but has brodeur really been stealing that many games where the devils would be 10th-12th if they had say, (insert name of goalie here) in net instead?

Asside from his GAA, save %, etc. just look at his amount of shutouts compared to Biron, or any other NHL goalie rignt now for that matter. There's quite a difference.
not disrespecting marty..i think he's the best goalie in the league. just wondering what the quality of the devils squad is this year outside marty.

pens are playing over there heads right now.. they will settle down. they arn't as consistant as the devils are.

That's a ridiculous hypothetical. The pertinent question is whether the Devils would be 10th-12th if Scott Clemmenson was in net. And the answer is yes.
i only said biron because i figured if brodeur was injured for the year or something, they'd try to go out and get a halfway decent starter. i know clemmenson isn't one so i didn't mention him.

not disrespecting marty..i think he's the best goalie in the league. just wondering what the quality of the devils squad is this year outside marty.

well look at their D, lokuwich, white, rafalski, oduya (rookie), hale, martin, insert call-up here.

not disrespecting marty..i think he's the best goalie in the league. just wondering what the quality of the devils squad is this year outside marty.

I know it's not disrespect. It's just that most people have been brainwashed to believe that Brodeur was only as good as the "All-Star" defense in front of him and tuly believe that the Devils would still have won their 3 Stanley Cups with "any" goalie. People really still and do believe this.

Despite being an excellent unit, this is the probably the least talented defensive corps we've ever had in the Brodeur era, yet he's having his best season ever thus far. Add to the fact the our forwards have been underperforming as goals are at a premium, there is little room for error and goaltending is the key to this teams drive for 1st place in the Conference.

oh great, yet another Pens bandwagon hopper, who forgot about their team over the last 5 years, and is now jumping back on and being very annoying about it too.

go post here to your heart's content:

http://hfboards.com/showthread.php?t=28265

Just to clarify. No bandwagon here. I support through good and bad and yes in person as well. In fact I saw more games live last year than this year and I'm a ticket holder and have been for some time (pre lock-out). so who's annoying, oh your teams style of hockey and your wild assumptions about band wagon jumpers.
We'll see ya on the end of a 5-2 score tomorrow night. The russian nightmare is coming, and it's not morozov!

No bandwagon here.

Regardless...no offense, but you sure act like one.

cool. well good luck on friday. should be a great game. i'm making the trip to CAA.:hyper:

cool. well good luck on friday. should be a great game. i'm making the trip to CAA.:hyper:

cool

first time there?

Just to clarify. No bandwagon here. I support through good and bad and yes in person as well. In fact I saw more games live last year than this year and I'm a ticket holder and have been for some time (pre lock-out). so who's annoying, oh your teams style of hockey and your wild assumptions about band wagon jumpers.
We'll see ya on the end of a 5-2 score tomorrow night. The russian nightmare is coming, and it's not morozov!

you do a diservice to pens fans.

cool. well good luck on friday. should be a great game. i'm making the trip to CAA.:hyper:

me too, let me know where you are sitting, i'll throw a beer or something at you. :D

just kidding. :)

cool

first time there?
nah my parents live nearby. went there quite a few times as a kid before moving to PA.

Regardless...no offense, but you sure act like one.

none taken. I stick with it baby, good and bad. I'm not a leafs fan.
still not sure how 1 statement claiming that the trap is boring turned me into a bandwagoner. We tried the trap with herb & Edzo it just doesnt' work here. Maybe instead of saying it's boring, we'll say it takes a tremedous amount of patients to operate the trap effectively & that can only be done with a team willing to play patient, steady hockey. Kudos NJ!

Just to clarify. No bandwagon here. I support through good and bad and yes in person as well. In fact I saw more games live last year than this year and I'm a ticket holder and have been for some time (pre lock-out). so who's annoying, oh your teams style of hockey and your wild assumptions about band wagon jumpers.
We'll see ya on the end of a 5-2 score tomorrow night. The russian nightmare is coming, and it's not morozov!I wouldn't be so cocky, it could bite you in the ass.

I wouldn't be so cocky, it could bite you in the ass.

as long as they bite hard i'm in!

I wouldn't be so cocky, it could bite you in the ass.

Damn right, being a top 10 lottery team for the last 10 years will make them a better team in time. Now that they are starting to win, here they come. Similar to the Rangers, no?

i dont want to turn this into a crosby vs. brodeur thread as they'd both be deserving of the award, but has brodeur really been stealing that many games where the devils would be 10th-12th if they had say, marty biron in net instead?

Absolutely, Brodeur's a special type of goalie, he's suited for the Devils style where he can go a long time without seeing a shot, most goalies who go through that will let in a floater from half.

nah my parents live nearby. went there quite a few times as a kid before moving to PA.

oh, O.K. then you'll probably be going to the new arena as well.

none taken. I stick with it baby, good and bad. I'm not a leafs fan.
still not sure how 1 statement claiming that the trap is boring turned me into a bandwagoner. We tried the trap with herb & Edzo it just doesnt' work here. Maybe instead of saying it's boring, we'll say it takes a tremedous amount of patients to operate the trap effectively & that can only be done with a team willing to play patient, steady hockey. Kudos NJ!

Scotty Bowman deployed his left wing lock (same principle) but nobody complained because the Pens were winning in the mid-90's. It's funny how things change and are remebered.

Just to clarify. No bandwagon here. I support through good and bad and yes in person as well. In fact I saw more games live last year than this year and I'm a ticket holder and have been for some time (pre lock-out). so who's annoying, oh your teams style of hockey and your wild assumptions about band wagon jumpers.
We'll see ya on the end of a 5-2 score tomorrow night. The russian nightmare is coming, and it's not morozov!

Gonchar's bad defensively...but I wouldn't call him a nightmare..

Gonchar's bad defensively...but I wouldn't call him a nightmare..

I believe he meant Malkin.

Scotty Bowman deployed his left wing lock (same principle) but nobody complained because the Pens were winning in the mid-90's. It's funny how things change and are remebered.

much to mario's disliking, you can see how long scotty stuck around.

Yinz Jersey fans are to serious, step back take a deep breath, and......release.
I can't wait to play tomorrow night. I love playing against jersey for 2 reasons:
There is a rivalry here, it should be embraced & you have to love trying to beat the best goalie in the league, the pillar of your franchise. We have to measure our selves against the division leader. There's a reason why your winning the division, do we have it? How long until we can lead the division? Tomorrow is a huge game!

I believe he meant Malkin.

Really???? Sarcasm gets lost on some people.

I believe he meant Malkin.

(Shhhhh....I really meant Koltsov)

I believe he meant Malkin.

I thought he meant Sarge bringing the pain on the third line!:sarcasm:

Damn right, being a top 10 lottery team for the last 10 years will make them a better team in time. Now that they are starting to win, here they come. Similar to the Rangers, no?

mm-hmm.

... except, now that they're finally reaping the benefits of all those horrid years, along comes the CAP and deprives them of a dynasty.

Too bad. The real Russian nightmare is going to be figuring out how to keep Malkin and Crosby together for the long haul.

we'll stick with Lou, eh?

mm-hmm.

we'll stick with Lou, eh?

and maybe he will blow the cap for you next year. Mogilny who?

and maybe he will blow the cap for you next year. Mogilny who?

lol, now you're espousing the fallacy of a supposed cap "problem" that never existed?

and maybe he will blow the cap for you next year. Mogilny who?

exactly, mogilny who? where is he? cap penalty? you dont even talk trash properly.

swept that trash under the rug,eh. It wasn't only mogilny! Do I need trash talk lessons or something? Your bent, I'm not.

much to mario's disliking, you can see how long scotty stuck around.

Yinz Jersey fans are to serious, step back take a deep breath, and......release.
I can't wait to play tomorrow night. I love playing against jersey for 2 reasons:
There is a rivalry here, it should be embraced & you have to love trying to beat the best goalie in the league, the pillar of your franchise. We have to measure our selves against the division leader. There's a reason why your winning the division, do we have it? How long until we can lead the division? Tomorrow is a huge game!

lol, too serious?

As opposed to Pens fans perhaps becoming the most annoying fans on the HF Forums? (according to the some threads on the Main Forum)

I think a lot of the Pens recent struggles have come from playing teams they feel they "should" beat.. When they played Nashville and Buffalo, they looked like a better team than both of them.. The last couple games against the likes of Philly and Chicago, they played like they were on even par with them, if not a little worse. They still managed to win, which is most important, but it seems their intensity wasn't as high.(Perhaps Nashville and Buffalo took us lightly, therefore didn't play as well) :dunno:

That being said, I believe they will come out strong against you guys. They are going to look at you guys as the Top Dog, and try and prove they belong. One thing about this Pens team, they have a work ethic like no other I've seen since I've followed the Pens the last 20 years.. When they come out to play, and are playing they way they did against Buffalo and Nashville, and with the pure talent they have, they are dangerous..

Neither of those qualities alone will make you a great team, but when you combine the two, like they have shown they can, it's fun to watch.

Here's to a great game! And for the record, you guys may not have the most exciting games, but I'm the type of person who thinks you do what it takes to win.. Fans just complain about your style of play because you have a better team are pissed and/or jealous, just like people complain about Crosby. We hate to hear fans ***** about him, when he doesn't deserve it..:shakehead

lol, now you're espousing the fallacy of a supposed cap "problem" that never existed?


and your exposing the phallacy of jersey folk not knowing about the spell checker. and again, 5-2 pens, 4 points for the russian nightmare (whoever you guys want that to be)! PITTSBURGH OUT!

I think a lot of the Pens recent struggles have come from playing teams they feel they "should" beat.. When they played Nashville and Buffalo, they looked like a better team than both of them.. The last couple games against the likes of Philly and Chicago, they played like they were on even par with them, if not a little worse. They still managed to win, which is most important, but it seems their intensity wasn't as high.(Perhaps Nashville and Buffalo took us lightly, therefore didn't play as well) :dunno:

That being said, I believe they will come out strong against you guys. They are going to look at you guys as the Top Dog, and try and prove they belong. One thing about this Pens team, they have a work ethic like no other I've seen since I've followed the Pens the last 20 years.. When they come out to play, and are playing they way they did against Buffalo and Nashville, and with the pure talent they have, they are dangerous..

Neither of those qualities alone will make you a great team, but when you combine the two, like they have shown they can, it's fun to watch.

Here's to a great game! And for the record, you guys may not have the most exciting games, but I'm the type of person who thinks you do what it takes to win.. Fans just complain about your style of play because you have a better team are pissed and/or jealous, just like people complain about Crosby. We hate to hear fans ***** about him, when he doesn't deserve it..:shakehead

I would also agree that their just jealous. Crosby is a phenomenal talent.

swept that trash under the rug,eh. It wasn't only mogilny! Do I need trash talk lessons or something? Your bent, I'm not.

i know lou is great at fixing problems. im not "bent" i feel bad for you. im sure next you'll be asking us tauntingly when the last time we won the cup was.

just go grab an ic light and a papa johns and enjoy the game. with our injuries this could be the second time you guys can beat us to make the season series more respectable.

lol, too serious?

As opposed to Pens fans perhaps becoming the most annoying fans on the HF Forums? (according to the some threads on the Main Forum)

No way will they be worse than some of those Sabre fans.

I would also agree that their just jealous. Crosby is a phenomenal talent.

i feel last year people had every right to complain about him. this year he is much improved, attitude wise. my theory was that the hype around him gave him a sense of entitlement which is why he had troubles last year. this year he is a better all around player.

and your exposing the phallacy of jersey folk not knowing about the spell checker. and again, 5-2 pens, 4 points for the russian nightmare (whoever you guys want that to be)! PITTSBURGH OUT!

wow, walked right into that one. I forgive you

:biglaugh: :biglaugh: :biglaugh: :biglaugh: :biglaugh: :biglaugh:

i feel last year people had every right to complain about him. this year he is much improved, attitude wise. my theory was that the hype around him gave him a sense of entitlement which is why he had troubles last year. this year he is a better all around player.

I actually agree, he seemed to be a littly whiny last year. I don't understand some of the things he did. I remember last year at the end of a game, he was in front of the net and Rafalski gave him a little hip to move him out of the way. This was exactly as time expired and it just seemed wierd that Crosby had that look on his face and shoved Rafalski.

and your exposing the phallacy of jersey folk not knowing about the spell checker.

i gotta say, it takes balls (http://www.comedycentral.com/motherload/?ml_video=82151) to pick a word you don't know, spell it wrong, then call the other guy's proper spelling a mistake.

Gonchar's bad defensively...but I wouldn't call him a nightmare..

LOL 0wned

an unfortunate side effect to having a prolonged winning streak is all of the idiots who sign up in "Feb 2007" just to insult the intelligence of other fanbases.

apologies to you guys for having to put up with that... very much looking forward to tomorrow's game. these could be some spectacular nj-pit games down the stretch since there are so many left. who knows, might go a long way to determining the hart trophy and not just the division title. good luck to you.

an unfortunate side effect to having a prolonged winning streak is all of the idiots who sign up in "Feb 2007" just to insult the intelligence of other fanbases.

apologies to you guys for having to put up with that... very much looking forward to tomorrow's game. these could be some spectacular nj-pit games down the stretch since there are so many left. who knows, might go a long way to determining the hart trophy and not just the division title. good luck to you.

Thank you for brining some class to the thread. I was about to start ranting on a certain pens fan, thereby insulting the entire fanbase, but your post diffused it.. so i'll be good now.

Best of luck on friday, you'll need it :D

i feel last year people had every right to complain about him. this year he is much improved, attitude wise. my theory was that the hype around him gave him a sense of entitlement which is why he had troubles last year. this year he is a better all around player.

I agree as well.. Though I don't think it was/is indicative of his personality, I think he let his emotions get the best of him. It's something that will subside over time. I know when I played hockey at 18, I would get extremely frustrated, and I would be seen by NHL fans to be whiny.. B/C I was... It's just when you see it at a college or highschool level, it's normal and no one thinks twice.. The NHL is a mans game, and he wasn't emotionally a man yet.. He is getting there, and he is a man off the ice to the press, but he still has some growing up to do on the ice IMO.. But, you're right, this year has been TONS better.

I think Lemieux must have put him on the naughty step a couple times last year.. :sarcasm:

I think Lemieux must have put him on the naughty step a couple times last year.. :sarcasm:

There's a disturbing mental image guaranteed to make me lose sleep tonight. :help:

4 points for the russian nightmare (whoever you guys want that to be)!

i didnt know you were such a Brylin fan.

I'm not scared of the Penguins, but then I'm not playing them - the Devils are.

I don't believe the Devils are scared of them either. They have beaten elite teams like the Sabres, shown they can "hang" with elite teams like the Sharks and the Ducks, they lost a whopping 9 games at home all season, and they're coming off a big win against Montreal.

If any team can pound the Penguins where there are weak (I belive it's their defense: Gonchar on D, Scuderi, Melichar, and co. aren't that strong in their own end if I recall correctly) whilst getting in the faces of the top scorers (Crosby, Malkin, Recchi, Gonchar on the point) - it's NJ. They've done it to Buffalo, they've done to TB earlier (the game before last Sunday's), and they can do it.

Will they do it? Who knows, that's why they play the games. As far as the Penguin Streak goes: it'll have to end sometime. Impressive form from a good team, but no one is unbeatable and nothing lasts forever.

Here are the Devils remaining games by oppent (home, away and total) with the Devils' record against those teams thus far.

TEAM|H|A|TOT|Record
Bruins|2|0|2|1-1-0
Sabres|0|2|2|1-1-0
Hurricanes|1|1|2|2-0-0
Panthers|0|1|1|2-1-0
Islanders|1|2|3|4-1-0
Rangers|1|1|2|3-2-1
Senators|1|0|1|2-1-0
Flyers|1|2|3|5-0-0
Penguins|2|2|4|3-1-0
Lightning|0|1|1|1-1-1
Maple Leafs|1|1|2|2-0-0
Captials|1|1|2|2-0-0
TOTAL|11|14|25|28-9-2

Here are the Devils remaining games by oppent (home, away and total) with the Devils' record against those teams thus far.


Nice table. I like the team's chances with those kind of season records.

Scared of the Pens? Never.

Will they beat us Friday? If they do, its going to be their hardest win yet.

Simple breakdown of the two teams:

The Devils missing Gionta can still win... but missing Madden puts a real crunch on our shutdown line. Pando and Madden can put a cinch on Crosby's game and close em up fast.

Without Madden, we see a tougher game ahead where Crosby is allowed to roam free and attack.

This has a cascade effect on our D and Marty. Our D works best against other teams' top lines when the 3rd O line helps shut down the other teams 1st O line. Adding an extra layer of defense to grind them down. Without this 3rd line, we suffer.

I say Friday goes 50/50 at this point. The Devils really need to step it up if they want to beat these Penguins, and need to do it in regulation time and deny them ANY points whatsoever.

The Devils did it last time we met the Pens, and can do it again. We'll be at home on our turf.

The thread should be called "Are the Pens afraid of the Devils?". I seriously think we can beat the Pens without a doubt. All streaks come to an end.

an unfortunate side effect to having a prolonged winning streak is all of the idiots who sign up in "Feb 2007" just to insult the intelligence of other fanbases.

apologies to you guys for having to put up with that... very much looking forward to tomorrow's game. these could be some spectacular nj-pit games down the stretch since there are so many left. who knows, might go a long way to determining the hart trophy and not just the division title. good luck to you.

It's actually refreshing to see the Devils-Penguins rivalry starting to heat up again. I remember how much I dispised that team in the late 80's / early 90's since Lemieux & company just owned us (not to mention that the Pens threw a game to get him over us...but 3 Cups has since eased that pain). These two teams should battle it out for the division over the next few seasons and it's good to get a bit of hatred going for a division rival that I've been neutral towards for a while now.

Also seems like the rivalry with the Islanders has been increasing this season as well - maybe b/c they whupped on us so bad last season and DiPietro seems to raise his play when he goes against Marty...plus you have Ted Nolan's comments to spice. Still, it's a bit tough to hate the Islanders...especially knowing how much Ranger fans hate their team.

It's actually refreshing to see the Devils-Penguins rivalry starting to heat up again. I remember how much I dispised that team in the late 80's / early 90's since Lemieux & company just owned us (not to mention that the Pens threw a game to get him over us...but 3 Cups has since eased that pain). These two teams should battle it out for the division over the next few seasons and it's good to get a bit of hatred going for a division rival that I've been neutral towards for a while now.

Also seems like the rivalry with the Islanders has been increasing this season as well - maybe b/c they whupped on us so bad last season and DiPietro seems to raise his play when he goes against Marty...plus you have Ted Nolan's comments to spice. Still, it's a bit tough to hate the Islanders...especially knowing how much Ranger fans hate their team.

And while these rivalries have been heating up, the rivalry with Philly has lessened a bit.(obviously due to positions in the standings)

the igloo will melt in the playoffs.. the carriers of the team are way too young.

Damn right, being a top 10 lottery team for the last 10 years will make them a better team in time. Now that they are starting to win, here they come. Similar to the Rangers, no?

10 years?

2 Stanley Cups and 11 straight playoff appearances through 2001.

Penguins had 4 bad seasons.

Gonchar's bad defensively

Gonchar been very good defensively since February 2006, soild for a year now, not to mention 3rd in NHL in scoring.

10 years?

2 Stanley Cups and 11 straight playoff appearances through 2001.

Penguins had 4 bad seasons.



Gonchar been very good defensively since February 2006, soild for a year now, not to mention 3rd in NHL in scoring.
A lot of Devils fans (me) are still a little bitter about losing out on Lemieux way back when. Though I suppose the cups make up for it, now.

Pittsburgh sure has chosen the right seasons to tank over the years.

i gotta say, it takes balls (http://www.comedycentral.com/motherload/?ml_video=82151) to pick a word you don't know, spell it wrong, then call the other guy's proper spelling a mistake.

thank you, you noticed....

and he embarassed the whole state.

If there was 1 team i knew, without a doubt we would lose on this streak to it was the Devils. This wont even go to OT. While it is true what someone said we play better against tougher teams and weak against weaker teams but like you guys said, the streak can't last forever. this will be a game to remember for the season. Since january these 2 teams are going after eachother with these records 15-4-3, 16-3-3.


To the guy who said Brodeur gets labelled the guy who's good because of allstar defense (and still labeled that which i'm not sure why, it's obvious he's that good and goodluck on the Roy win record, and sawchuck shutout record, if anyone can do it Broduer can), we can say the same well not really but people still call Crosby a whiner/diver and don't even watch him but he's in the spotlight so anything that happens to him people react in a negative way.

We understand what Brodeur goes through, as Crosby has his own thing he goes through and Lemieux went through alot aswell. The guys in the spotlight the most for their actions, or skill get a bashing of a lifetime even if they cleaned up their act like whinning/diving constantly (Crosby) or being dominant their whole career and people say they are only good because of allstar defense (Brodeur) but people need something to talk about, even if they are stupid in the way they say things and never think about it.

Once the skill players retire they will be missed and you see alot of people saying how much they miss not seeing them around anymore, but always took shots at them when they were around. Like i said, they need something to talk about...anyway with that said goodluck tomorrow (hope Pens win of course :P) this is a huge game for both teams and the 2 best records since January are going head to head.

10 years?

2 Stanley Cups and 11 straight playoff appearances through 2001.

Penguins had 4 bad seasons.



Gonchar been very good defensively since February 2006, soild for a year now, not to mention 3rd in NHL in scoring.
I gotta agree with Classic Devil on this one. Pittsburgh knows the right years to completely stink. I have more respect for teams that build through the draft after stinking legitimately (The Sens come to mind) than teams that hold firesales after one bad season only to walk away with five straight years of top five picks (4 of top two picks).

By the way you left out a digit on Gonchar's scoring...he's 63rd in the NHL. I'm sure you meant defensemen but you gotta be more careful when you make statements like that.

No D, No protection for their star players and a streaky goalie = early round exit.

In a few years.. watch out.

If they can keep all their young players. This summer, Crosby can start to negotiate a new contract for when his present contract expires in 2008 (Fleury's also expires after the 07-08 season). After the 08-09 season Malkin and Staal's contracts expire. I figure $25-$30 million between the 4 of them. This summer the Pens have 6 RFA to "try" to resign.

Providing they can keep all their young guns, ya, this team could be a constant contender for a few years.

Anyone who isn't wary of the Penguins could find themselves out in 6. But, they aren't there yet.

I hope my Sabres win it this year because the Pens will be the class of the league for a few years coming up.

Oh yeah and for the record. IMO Broduer is THAT good.

10 years?

2 Stanley Cups and 11 straight playoff appearances through 2001.

Penguins had 4 bad seasons.



Gonchar been very good defensively since February 2006, soild for a year now, not to mention 3rd in NHL in scoring.

Did you actually read my post?? I didn't think so...go back- reread the post and what it was in response to..then get back to me with an apology..

nope

Oh yeah and for the record. IMO Broduer is THAT good.

For the record, neither are the Sabres, how about that?

For the record, neither are the Sabres, how about that?

His quote said Brodeur IS that good?? I think it was complimentary

His quote said Brodeur IS that good?? I think it was complimentary

Jeez, maybe I should work on my reading comprehension...

Is it bad that I'm an English major?

10 years?

2 Stanley Cups and 11 straight playoff appearances through 2001.

Penguins had 4 bad seasons.



Gonchar been very good defensively since February 2006, soild for a year now, not to mention 3rd in NHL in scoring.


So I exaggerated a little. Big deal. ;)

Jeez, maybe I should work on my reading comprehension...

Is it bad that I'm an English major?
Congratulations on that. I have my English degree as well. Welcome to a life full of odd jobs, manual labor and constant mental correcting of everybody's spoken sentences. :)

And by the way, the Penguins scare the poop out of me. Sure they are cute at the zoo, but don't you guys remember Batman? 6-foot tall, coniving little ******** bent on world domination -- gives me the creeps.

And by the way, the Penguins scare the poop out of me. Sure they are cute at the zoo, but don't you guys remember Batman? 6-foot tall, coniving little ******** bent on world domination -- gives me the creeps.

http://www.moviepoopshoot.com/comics101/images/2004/mar24/penguin.jpg

Yes, terrifying.

Jeez, maybe I should work on my reading comprehension...

Is it bad that I'm an English major?

So is that code for you drank alot in college?

So is that code for you drank alot in college?

Not really "drank" more like present tense. I drink a lot in college.:)

Not really "drank" more like present tense. I drink a lot in college.:)

See, this is why people hate books. :D

As A devils fan, I'm excitined for this game. It's probably the most improtant one of the season thus far and it's gonna be intense.

i feel last year people had every right to complain about him. this year he is much improved, attitude wise. my theory was that the hype around him gave him a sense of entitlement which is why he had troubles last year. this year he is a better all around player.


Thank you, nni. TSN blew up a story about Downie and Crosby and all of a sudden he's a whiner this year too.

The thread should be called "Are the Pens afraid of the Devils?". I seriously think we can beat the Pens without a doubt. All streaks come to an end.

Agree wholeheartedly.

You have to beat the best to be the best, right now, the Devils are the best.

Respect!

don't want to clutter up more than one thread on your board with pens fans, so i'll just ask this here.

any idea who's going to be taking gionta's place on the top line tonight?

don't want to clutter up more than one thread on your board with pens fans, so i'll just ask this here.

any idea who's going to be taking gionta's place on the top line tonight?
Probably Mike Rupp. Depends on Madden's status, though.

Also, to answer the question posed by this thread - Aleksey Morozov is gone, and honestly, he always scared me more than Crosby. With Crosby, you might be able to hold him pointless. But Morozov was going to score on Marty. Every time.

I didn't even hate him for it. I just shook my head and moved on...

i didnt know you were such a Brylin fan.

as long as one russian scores tonight I'll be happy. good luck.

as long as one russian scores tonight I'll be happy. good luck.
Hey, Elias played in Russia back in the lockout . . . then again, see my tag line.

Also, to answer the question posed by this thread - Aleksey Morozov is gone, and honestly, he always scared me more than Crosby. With Crosby, you might be able to hold him pointless. But Morozov was going to score on Marty. Every time.


I'm glad someone else remembered, he only scored against new jersey and in buckets.

Shut down Crosby, shut down the Penguins.

Actually, it may not be that easy now. We've been getting scoring from all four of our lines recently, so it's not just Sid that you can focus on. Our 3rd and 4th lines are as lethal as our top line, even more so the past few games.

Oh man... Morozov. Don't make me puke(this coming from a Pens fan).

There were a couple seasons when every one of his points seemed to come against the Devils. EVERY ONE.

So a HT against New Jersey to be followed by a 30 game pointless streak. That was fun stuff.

Oh man... Morozov. Don't make me puke(this coming from a Pens fan).

There were a couple seasons when every one of his points seemed to come against the Devils. EVERY ONE.

So a HT against New Jersey to be followed by a 30 game pointless streak. That was fun stuff.
I'm sure it was horrible for you, but trust me, we hated it. ;)

Just stopping by to apologize for any trollish behavior that you might get (usually from people with less than 200 posts who have joined finally just when Pittsburgh is showing signs of winning again). I know you must all get very tired of the Devils' style being touted as 'boring' but bottom line is its all about winning the Cup, and it takes a team effort to win, not one superman.

The Devils are the epitomy of team play, and all play hard, play defensively sound, and strike enough times to win the majority of their games. People will claim they prefer to lose but scoring a lot of goals but in reality, I am sure they'd much rather have the Cups your style has won you.

So here's to a good, fun game featuring two of the hottest teams in the NHL. I am hoping games like this continue our maturation process, as the road to any future success in the East tends to usually go through Brodeur and the Devils.

I am curious to see what happens tonight. Crosby's line is actually not our hottest line right now since we split Malkin and Crosby up to center their own lines. So..do you shut down Crosby and challenge Malkin's line to try to beat you, or do you try to shut down the form line, and see what Crosby can do? I think this is the first time the Devils have faced these changed Pens lines (I seem to recall Malkin and Crosby were on the same line against you which irked me as your best checking line could neutralize both our best weapons at the time as well. It was also before Staal emerged as a top line threat).

It promises to be a fascinating tactical battle and am just hoping we emerge from it with respect, belief, and ideally from my standpoint, another win. But good luck.

Also, to answer the question posed by this thread - Aleksey Morozov is gone, and honestly, he always scared me more than Crosby. With Crosby, you might be able to hold him pointless. But Morozov was going to score on Marty. Every time.

I didn't even hate him for it. I just shook my head and moved on...


If it helps, I think I'm more afraid of Jay Pandolfo than anyone else. He just seems to score far too often against us, certainly not at a 'Pandolfo-esque' rate.

If it helps, I think I'm more afraid of Jay Pandolfo than anyone else. He just seems to score far too often against us, certainly not at a 'Pandolfo-esque' rate.
That might be a first. Pando is feared for something other than his shut-down ability. I hope you are right though. ;)

That might be a first. Pando is feared for something other than his shut-down ability. I hope you are right though. ;)

When Jagr roams the streets of New York, he looks over his shoulder and sees Pandolfo lurking in his shadows.

Probably Mike Rupp. Depends on Madden's status, though.

Also, to answer the question posed by this thread - Aleksey Morozov is gone, and honestly, he always scared me more than Crosby. With Crosby, you might be able to hold him pointless. But Morozov was going to score on Marty. Every time.

I didn't even hate him for it. I just shook my head and moved on...
Hell, if there's was someone who can proudly say "I OWN MARTY BROUDEUR" it was Morozov; and to that I say GOOD RIDDANCE!!! :yo: :yo: :yo:

That might be a first. Pando is feared for something other than his shut-down ability. I hope you are right though. ;)

And that is where you and I differ.

Good luck tonight, should be a fun game. Apologies once more for the illiterate Pens fans trolling here.

Penguins fans have really cute avatars. I like em':darth:

After years of marginal teams, I am just glad to see a thread that even asks if the Devils are afraid of the Pens. If you want to be considered one of the best teams, you have to beat the best teams. Looking forward to a good competitive game.

Just want to point out that if the Pens win today, they will be within 3 points of catching us. And both teams will have played 59 games.

Just want to point out that if the Pens win today, they will be within 3 points of catching us. And both teams will have played 59 games.
Yeah, they played yesterday and won. They're really on a roll.

WEIRD timing of the game today, all because it's President's Day.:dunno:

Marc-Andre Bergeron is in the lineup for the Isles.

I was scared of the pens months ago and got lashed by trottier for thinking with a vetren defensmen they were a cup contender...that was before their streak.

Let's go Isles :yo:

Isles will do it.

A good part of the Pens point streak is shear luck... and luck eventually runs out, and breaks stop going your way.

I've been listening to the game at work on my XM. Isles score with 0:26 left to make it 6-5.

:yo: