The Official NHL Thread

[Alex Mogilny]

Why is Sydney Crosby an alternate captain?

Isn't that rushing things a bit?

[Va Beach VH Fan]

IMO, it's not necessarily an indication of Crosby's leadership qualities, which certainly are admirable for an 18 year old....

Rather, I think it was Thierren's attempt at lighting a fire under some of these veterans' collective buttocks...

Obviously, it didn't work....

[Take 'Em]

Originally posted by Alex Mogilny
Why is Sydney Crosby an alternate captain?

Isn't that rushing things a bit?

Probably a scam they put together with CCM to sell more NHL licensed jerseys. Stores can sell a whole lot more Crosby with the "A" sweaters.

[Va Beach VH Fan]

They're not selling them with an "A" in Pittsburgh yet, I just bought one for my son at XMAS time...

[Take 'Em]

Hang on to it, as it might be a collectors item in a few years when he is hoisting the Cup in a Redwings sweater.....

[Romeo Delight]

Just watched Canucks v. Pittsburgh.

Gotta give Crosby credit. He challenges everyone. Got smacked around all night and kept coming back for more.

But, if he does that he can't embellish when he gets hit back. Saw a bit of that tonight but not that bad.

They should call up someone to play on his line who can play smart and hit. Kid can't take 40 more games of this and not get hurt.

Ouellet looked really good.

[Romeo Delight]

Originally posted by DavidFlamma

But, if he does that he can't embellish when he gets hit back. Saw a bit of that tonight but not that bad.

I'm not the only one who thinks this:


"He got frustrated out there," said the Canucks' Brendan Morrison, who scored a goal and set up Bertuzzi's goal. "When you play against a guy like that who's a good competitor and wants to win, plays with an edge, sometimes that is to your advantage.

"If you're going to give a hit you have to expect to be hit."

[Va Beach VH Fan]

Yeah, that's a fair assessment...

But he's getting hacked every night, to the point of drawing blood...

What's he supposed to do ??

But I agree, they have to get a linemate that's not afraid to light people up....

And Ouellet, he's just a born sniper....

He's the NHL version of Cris Carter, "all he does is score goals"....

[Romeo Delight]

I give him huge props because he's trying to do SOMETHING to help his team.

Those who critisize decision to give him A are on glue. Who else is trying to get team out of funk?

I just don't want to see him act tough and then dive for sake of helping team get a power play. Team needs to help him and back him up, right now.

[Va Beach VH Fan]

Well, the way things are going now, they may be looking at a #2 draft pick, depending on the lottery selections...

So, with Malkin as the #2 center next year, and if I were GM, I'd grab Erik Johnson with the draft pick for another good young Dman (no, I would not draft Kessel ahead of him), and some "new NHL" free agents, things will start looking up....

[Romeo Delight]

Pens trade for Eric Cairns...he is sure to kick the shit out of people who dare touch Crosby.

Palfy is gone...that can only help.

[Va Beach VH Fan]

Originally posted by DavidFlamma
Pens trade for Eric Cairns...he is sure to kick the shit out of people who dare touch Crosby.

Palfy is gone...that can only help.

Some of the people on the various hockey boards don't like it, mainly because they already have Roy and Vandenbussche, but Cairns is plain fucking nasty....

As for Ziggy's retirement, he had really slowed down after a good start... He's saying his shoulder is the main reason, but I've also heard his father is ailing in Slovakia as well.....

[Va Beach VH Fan]

Excellent article on the Cairns trade and Crosby by Bob McKenzie, really hits the nail on the head....

http://www.tsn.ca/columnists/bob_mckenzie.asp

Open season on Crosby

TSN.ca Staff

1/18/2006

It's obvious why the Pittsburgh Penguins traded for tough guy Eric Cairns, because the word on the street was out there, loud and clear all over the NHL: it's open season on Sidney Crosby.

Forget for a moment what you think of Sid the kid. You may be among those who thinks Crosby is a precocious, petulant prima dona with a bad temper, or you may be in the group who believes he's an ultra-competitive superstar franchise player with dynamic qualities.

What matters right now, though, is what happened on Monday night when the Vancouver Canucks ran roughshod over Crosby every chance they got and what happened was nothing.

For reasons only the Pittsburgh penguins ownership, management and players can explain, the Penguins' best player -- there's no debating that point, by the way -- was offered no protection from Bryan Allen and the other Canucks who targeted him for extra physical abuse.

The Penguins might as well have slapped one of those homemade "hit me" signs on Crosby's back as he took to the ice.

Now, did Crosby handle the abuse well? No, he didn't and -- ding, ding, ding, ding -- isn't that the point?

Rival NHL players, coaches and GMs have been talking non-stop for the past couple of days about what happened to Crosby. Some noted that he was lucky Canuck defenceman Kevin Bieksa didn't punch out his lights.

Others expressed concern that Crosby could have been seriously hurt. Opposing players duly noted Crosby's composure was totally shot, but to a man, they were all absolutely astonished that an NHL team would leave an 18-year-old franchise player to fend for himself.

Enter Eric Cairns, whose job is to ride shotgun for Crosby, it's about time, too.

There's no mystery to the game plan that was being employed against Pittsburgh. Beat up Crosby, watch him snap and neutralize the Pens' best player. The Vancouver game wasn't the exception, it's been the rule.

From Derian Hatcher high-sticking Crosby to Ilya Kovalchuk running him, and mocking him, to the Canuck gauntlet Crosby had to run on Monday night, the Penguins have shown what they're made of.

Not much.

If this pattern of abuse was perpetrated on Jason Spezza, Eric Staal or Alexander Ovechkin, there would be a response of some sort and it sure as heck wouldn't be "the meek shall inherit the earth."

Aside from the long overdue addition of a guy like Cairns, all this really illustrates is how dysfunctional this Penguin franchise is, from owner Mario Lemieux to general manager Craig Patrick to head coach Michel Therrien to the players in the dressing room.

Whatever errors in judgment the precocious Crosby may have made, on or off the ice, and no doubt he has made some, they pale in comparison to the systemic pattern of neglect the Penguins' organization has demonstrated with their prodigy.

For TSN.ca, I'm Bob McKenzie

[Va Beach VH Fan]

Ovechkin: Goal of the Year ??

Check this shit out....

http://www.rh71.com/Projects/Ovechkin/

Click on the 32nd Goal to download it....

[Nickdfresh]

Originally posted by DavidFlamma
Pens trade for Eric Cairns...he is sure to kick the shit out of people who dare touch Crosby.

Palfy is gone...that can only help.

I hear the trade-rumor winds are a swirlin' in Western Canada this evening with the SABRES on their extended road trip. RICK JENNERET, the SABRES combustible, legendary play-by-play man, was called by a couple of papers in VANCOUVER regarding a deal for BIRON.

But the SABRES claim the best they've been offered is only a 2nd-round pick for him. We'll see...