9 replies to this topic

[Derek21]

http://www.nysportsd...1125967640.html

[bruins4777]

OK I'M SICK OF THIS
pens are gonna suck again, unless the NHL turns into a league completely based on offense with defense a thing of the past and thibault for the first time in his career is able to withstand a full season with the same dominance he shows the first half and penguins get about 20 powerplays a game and they stay completely injury free and make a bunch of amazing trades, they won't make the playoffs. notice the incredible numer of ifs.

palffy-lemieux-recchi
malone-crosby-leclair
roy-fata-koltsov
surovy-bitch-pirejta

gonchar-tarnstrom
jackman-odelein
Whitney-Melichar

thibault
caron
fleury

thats their lineup.

ok notice anything, DEFENSE IS NON EXISTENT.
I was hesitant to put lemieux at center, because i think he's going to have a future on the wing, but with malkin in russia lemieux will probably be forced into it until he gets injured. His skating isn't good enough any more to be a center. It was shown last time hockey was played. When he was 100 percent for the 20th time in his career.

yes a palffy, lemieux, recchi line is absolutely amazing offensively, but i'd love to see how that works out for them when they are getting scored on over and over as tarnstrom and gonchar commit turnover after turnover and are inable to clear their crease.

And their amazing grindlines? Yes the amazing minus 46 rico fata will do a lot, koltsov and his dirty clutch and grab style of skating will do a lot also won't it? and i'm sure AHL dirty prick kris bitch will do a lot as well with his crap for skating and propensity to hack everybody in his way if they as much as look at him. O what about their amazing prospect system? Let's take a look at guys who have a modest chance of moving up.

Oulett, ya when this guy learns what consistency is come talk to me.
Welch, ya he's great, but i'm sure its going to be fun to be yet another offensive defensmen.
talbot, ya he has a quality name(shares it with crazy horse bassist bill talbot) but i don't see what's so great about him. i mean what he has this nice shot, but i honestly didn't notice him much other than when he did some punk thing, i can't see him being more than a third liner, let alone immedietly jumping in.
armstrong, ya i like this guy, he has a modest chance of moving up, but name how many times a guy is able to jump right up from being a 2nd liner in the AHL to the sole real defensive forward on the pens in the NHL.

o and then lets look at the incredible defense.
Tarnstrom, offensively brilliant and a top pp qb for years now, but as everybody will soon see now that the pens have a bigger spotlight on them, he's the new ozonlish.
Gonchar, i'm a fair defender of him taht he's a MUCH better defensively than people give him credit for, but he's only truely great with a stable defensive partner he'll put up huge numbers like he did with the caps, but defensivly that plus minus will go down and down as he will have trouble deciding whether to play defense or push everything into offense you watch.
Jackman, he had that dominant 25 game stretch, thats less proven than freaking kipprusoft the guy is 27. Lets crown every guy who has one great stretch some outstanding dman.
Odelein...ok odelein may as well be swedish for sucking at hockey.
Whitney, i love the guy, but he still has a way to go at the AHL level. I mean he's great offensively, his passing is already dominant, and probably better than at least 70 percent of NHL dman, but he still too often doesn't realitate or show any grit and over skates or plays the puck instead of the man. I like him and he has all the tools to be a no.1 all star kind of guy, He has the potential to be a complete guy, but i don' see it happening even remotely immedietly. Give him 3 or so years before he becomes even a top 2 guy.
Melichar....god should i even have to start?

i don't see what hte damn hype is about. I doubt they'll even do better than the freaking islanders. They may be fun to watch, and i think olcyzk is a decent coach, but they aren't going to do a whole lot.

Final note, if the pens management is smart they'll send fleury back to the AHL. After he blew it in the AHL AGAIN, showed incredible inconsistency, and just really sucked as a whole he REALLY should go back.. But it is pens management....

------------
The Buffalo Sabres- With the exception of a few (Afinogenov, Drury, Briere, Connolly), look at these names- Numminen, Hecht, Lydman, Dumont, Jillson, Kotalik, Peters, Mair, Tallinder, Grier, Pyatt, Bartovic, Noronen, Taylor, Fitzpatrick. Is this an AHL team or an ECHL team? I’m shocked to discover it’s neither- it’s an NHL team. Buffalo’s only move was signing expired defenseman Teppo Numminen.

Nummimen-great dman and he played a fantastic game at the world cup and is the kind of defensemen who lasts for years and has something the sabres haven't had for a while. heart
hecht-how in the hell is he even remotely compared to an AHL or ECHL player? Does this guy watch hockey?
Jillson? wtf? This guy's development may have been damanged, but offensivly his shot is still great and he may be inconsistent but the potential is still there and right now he's a decent no.5 with PP ability.
dumont-this guy has some issues, but his hands are sick and is hardly an AHL guy
Kotalik-the guy scored 20 goals his rookie year and has great potential all around
Tallinder-i think he's underrated, nice offensive potential and is already a no.4 to me
noronen-he has a broken head, but has no.1 potential and showed flashes of it. hardly even remotely an AHL guy

this guy is an idiot. he excludes connolly but includes pyatt...wow, Its also not hard to chastize a team if you include all their goons.

I don't think the sabres are great by anymeans, but come on, that is a stupid comparison.

also its not like the sabres have any prospects right? Who the hell is vanek, roy, stafford, paille, macarthur or pomville?

Edited by bruins4777, 05 September 2005 - 06:20 PM.

[Giuseppe]

I find it intriguing how the columnist exalts the Flyers for signing the oft-injured Forsberg to a ~$12-million contract, yet nearly decries the Devils for signing Mogilny.

[Voros19]

Bruins, what about Orpik?

[insanity_gallops]

Bruins, while I agree with you that the Pens are being a bit overhyped, you have to admit that they'll be placing a far, far better team on the ice than the Pittsburgh squad that played in 2003-2004. The Pens actually have hope of getting into the playoffs this year. And while it's clear that defense will still be important in the "new NHL," then Pens seem to be banking that they can score their way out of trouble -- which sounds a bit like the Avalanche's plan for the 2003-2004 season.

And a note on the Pens' defense -- you overlooked Brooks Orpik. The saviour of their defense he is not, but he's sure to improve if given the ice time... and on a team that believes it may actually win games. Granted, that's if they get him signed in time.


And calling the Sabres an AHL/ECHL team is a bit harsh. They've got a lot of questions to answer this season -- but I'm not about to analyze them. Refer to LOTCB for that


You went and confused me at one point though, Bruins. You ranted and raved that you couldn't see how Pens' prospects could move from the AHL to the NHL and have instant success, yet you criticized the writer for failing to mention the Sabres' prospects. Are you expecting the Buffalo prospects you named to have a great impact on the Sabres this season?

[Triumph]

I couldn't really sort through your post, bruins, but I think I agree. The Penguins will be much improved on offense but their defense will still stink. They'll be out of the cellar, but I can't see them finishing higher than 10th.

We'll get to that, when I do my Eastern Conference predictions.

Which reminds me, I have to do my Central Division prediction tonight.

[bruins4777]

i think i was ranting and mistyped something so i confused people...that happens a lot.

Ya i totally forgot orpik, i was looking off of hockeysfuture and the tracker as a reference and orpik isn't signed yet so i overlooked him. Personally i hate the guy, he's good for a youngster, but you're right he's not a savior of a defense and he takes some awful penalties. Plus he's really dirty, he's a mini hatcher, which could very well be his end potential. And even with him, they still suck, but at least they probably won't have the big amazing melichar there.

about the AHL to the NHL thing, well that was more so saying something like. The sabres aren't THAT bad, they have some great AHL guys who will make the sabres a lot better. They shouldn't be in the category of "the ugly", he made it seem like they will be this year's pens which they most certainlly are not. And he freaking called the pens "serious contenders" which they are far far far far far far from. Which is why i chastized their prospects and their inability to find something called defense. So thats what i ment by that.

Plus, i just freaking hate the pens

[Derek21]

I find it intriguing how the columnist exalts the Flyers for signing the oft-injured Forsberg to a ~$12-million contract, yet nearly decries the Devils for signing Mogilny.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Fyi...the writer is a Devil fan.

[eldon]

I find it intriguing how the columnist exalts the Flyers for signing the oft-injured Forsberg to a ~$12-million contract, yet nearly decries the Devils for signing Mogilny.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Fyi...the writer is a Devil fan.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Then that's OK then, like family, we're allowed to criticize our own, but if someone else does (like you Derek), look out.

[Derek21]

Then that's OK then, like family, we're allowed to criticize our own, but if someone else does (like you Derek), look out.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Well eldon, my standards don't exactly measure up to those here. But I didn't say it. You did.