Posted on 09/09/2005 11:33:57 AM PDT by airborne
PENGUINS BUILDING STANLEY CUP CONTENDER by Joe Sager pittsburghpenguins.com 09/09/2005
Are you ready for some hockey?
The Pittsburgh Penguins hit the ice Wednesday in the most-anticipated training camp in recent memory. Following a 310-day work stoppage that wiped out the 2003-04 season, the NHL and the Penguins are back and better than ever.
“Everywhere we go, it’s very exciting. People can’t wait for the season to start,” said Penguins captain Mario Lemieux. “It’s a very exciting time for Pittsburgh and the fans.”
The mere fact that hockey is back is enough to fire up Penguins fans. Add in an unprecedented star-studded free-agent bounty that brought Mark Recchi, Sergei Gonchar, Ziggy Palffy, John LeClair, Ryan VandenBussche, Steve Poapst, Andre Roy and Lyle Odelein to Pittsburgh as well as a trade for goalie Jocelyn Thibault and the selection of super prospect Sidney Crosby in the NHL Entry Draft, and Pittsburgh is the place to be in the hockey world again.
“It’s very exciting for the organization to be able to bring in all these great players and put a great team on the ice so we have a chance to compete,” Lemieux said. “It’s great for the city and our fans.”
(Excerpt) Read more at pittsburghpenguins.com ...
Yeah, I know. But it's nice to look at the roster and see a real possibility, and not just wishful thinking.
I'm confident that Bobby Clarke will screw something up.
2. Sidney Crosby may become a star someday, but I think he may be the most overrated NHL prospect in years. He's been described as the next Gretzky/Lemieux/etc., but his junior record doesn't give that indication at all.
3. Most of the players listed in this article are aging NHL stars who are long past their primes.
Let's look at what you've said:
Rules changes may help Lemieux more than anything else. Having said that, he'll probably play 60-65 games.
As for Sid, I think you're way off base. Overrated? Sounds like sour grapes to me. His junior stats look fine to me. What are you looking at?
"Most" are past their prime? Recchi can still play, LeClair, yeah, maybe, Odelein can still be effective, the rest of these guys are right around 30. Is that the cutoff age for "washed up" these days?
All in all, though, I agree that this talk of a Stanley Cup for Pittsburgh is, shall we say, premature. What Patrick wants to do is put a very competitive team team on the ice and wait for the many prospects in the system to come along in the next year or two (does the name"Malkin" mean anything to you?), and then we'll see.
As for the Flyers, I can think of no other team that may (may, mind you) be hurt by the new rules.
This was on the Phoenix Coyotes web site. Dov Grumet-Morris was a Harvard goalie drafted by Philadelphia but now a free agent:
http://www.phoenixcoyotes.com/news/story_details.php?op=details&ID=4261
Inside traxx
Not only is goalie Dov Grumet-Morris trying to earn a contract with the Coyotes, but he’s got a lot of government assistance in his corner. Former Vice President Al Gore was in attendance to cheer on Grumet-Morris. Grumet-Morris and Vice President Gore's son (Albert), became friends during their time at Harvard. Even though, the Coyotes fell, Gore still came down to locker room and passed on some words of encouragement to Dov and the rest of the team.
Tim Horton, too, though not at a young (for a pro athlete) age:
http://www.nationmaster.com/encyclopedia/Tim-Horton
that Orton guy got killed in trafic too. BOB Clarke still has my respect 4 2cups. He still works his butt off. I'm concerned about rule changes too - Flyers went big, will speedier game negate size?time will tell. Phantoms promotions COULD really b a pleasant surprise. I'm looking forward to sumthin on tv!
Yeah and I guess Gore was in town (San Fran) to bash Pres Bush.
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1481344/posts
I saw a TV clip of Gore at the airport (triage center) in New Orleans. He truly looked like Vince McMahon.
Your favorite Crosby picture is up with the TSN story (can't show here, Getty image):
http://www.tsn.ca/nhl/news_story.asp?ID=135704&hubName=nhl
What will Bobby Clarke's excuse be this year? So far when Philly has been THE Cup favorite, he's blamed Eric Lindros, Roger Neilsen, injuries, Roman Chechmanek, under achieving players, bad team chemisrty... when will the losing be Bobby Clarke's fault?
What Patrick is trying to do is build the best team possible in the shortest time possible to win the cup. The Penguins future in Pittsburgh is contingent on a new arena. A new Stanley Cup banner to hang in the rafters would do well to bring some new interest and dollars into the team and for a new arena.
And on the other end of the scale, heeerrrre's the SL Blues.
Not to put too fine a point on it, but DUH! Every GM is trying to do precisely the same thing. Does Patrick think this group can win it all? Maybe he does. I don't happen to believe they can. Difference of opinion? Hey, fine. We'll see, won't we?
But I'll tell you this: if a gaming license, hence a new arena, hence the future of the Pens in Pittsburgh is contingent on whether or not they win a cup this year, well that's a pretty big matzo ball hangin' out there, wouldn't you agree?
I don't necessarily think they think Cup = gaming license = new arena, but with the stir of excitement around the new CBA, Sidney Crosby, and Lemieux stating he intends to play possibly 3 more years this is their window of opportunity to get their arena. A Cup to go along with it can only add to their chances.
...And no, not every GM is trying to win the Cup right now. As much as it is the ultimate goal in the sport, not evey GM is approaching it with the same urgency as Craig Patrick seems to be. The Penguins have as good a chance as anyone else to win it this year, based on the moves they made, the team they have and the way the rules have changed and will be enforced. but as you say we will see.
Yeah....this is a cupcake all right!! hehehe
Don't worry about insulting Ranger fans.There aren't any!!
LET'S GO F L Y E R S !!!
Did I miss something??? When were the Rangers considered a contender???
LET'S GO F L Y E R S !!!
Definitely. 4 years ago I took my kid to a hockey camp in Hershey in the summer. The Bob Hartley Hockey Camp since he used to coach the Hershey Bears AHL team he continued coming back to run a camp for kids. (Class guy) Anyway, when he welcomed all the kids to the camp on the first day he said,
"We want you all to become real good, one day you can maybe make it to the NHL. And if you do, you might even get on the Flyers, which will be good for you because you get extra time off, you don't have to play very long in spring"
B-dump Chink!
Nice pennant.............dream on!!!
LET'S GO F L Y E R S !!!
Do I sense jealousy??? Or, is it envy??
:-)
Seriously, it's great to have the greatest sport back again!!
LET'S GO F L Y E R S !!!
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