the Penguins are STILL gonna suck

Originally posted by pip:
Do the Pens still give out the $16 Student Rush tickets? I used to love that when I was still in college in Pittsburgh. It was one of the best deals around and I scored seats in the first five rows on more than one occasion. I'd love to see it continued and even expanded to other teams. It would be great way to bring at least some of the fans back to hockey.

I think that may have been a joint promo with a radio station - 105.9 the "alternative rock" station perhaps? Not sure if that's still on yet.

But these tickets I got are 46% less cost than they were during the last season. Definitely a sweet deal. Hockey actually feels affordable again.

Originally posted by sonickteam4:
oh, thats Vansmacks job isnt it ;)

Sorry, I'm currently on a baseball tour of the West Coast. In my abscence, I defer all hockey fact checking to Sonick.

And yes Pip, I'm still bitter about 2003, but didn't like the Devils long before then.

thanks smackie.

ok then. Andrew Cassells joins the Washington Capitals.

and Brendan Witt wants to be traded.


linky

pens get Thibault from Chicago.


for a 4th round pick.

wasnt Thibault traded in that Lindros trade years back?

anyway, now Pittsburgh is looking almost as good as any team.


though, someone still has to finish last!

Originally posted by sonickteam4:
pens get Thibault from Chicago.


for a 4th round pick.

wasnt Thibault traded in that Lindros trade years back?

anyway, now Pittsburgh is looking almost as good as any team.


though, someone still has to finish last!

Fortunately, the Rangers play in the same division.

Free Agency's WINNER & LOSERS

Boston Bruins
GM Mike O'Connell started with nothing and within a matter of days built a team that has the makings of a Cup contender. Yes, O'Connell got jobbed when Mike Modano went back to Dallas at the last minute, but he still has a lineup that includes new faces Brian Leetch, Dave Scatchard, Alexei Zhamnov, Glen Murray, Shawn McEachern and Brad Isbister. Whether these players can be molded into a true team will be the challenge for sophomore coach Mike Sullivan. And, of course, there's the small matter of his unhappy captain, Joe Thornton.

Colorado Avalanche
Give up Peter Forsberg and Adam Foote and replace them with Pierre Turgeon and Patrice Brisebois? Yikes. Yes, there's still Joe Sakic, Rob Blake, Alex Tanguay and Milan Hejduk, but who's going to play net? How the mighty will fall.

New York Rangers
The Rangers are trapped between being a big-market power and building from the ground up, which explains the signings of injury-prone Martin Straka, mercurial Ville Nieminen and aging Martin Rucinsky, among other second-tier free agents. Kevin Weekes better get used to a ton of rubber being tossed his way in the Rangers' net.

Philadelphia Flyers
Let's see. Best player in the world? Check. Two tough, towering defensemen? Check. Check. GM Bob Clarke outdid himself by signing Peter Forsberg, Derian Hatcher and Mike Rathje to complement a well-rounded, talented cast. No other team has adjusted to the new system better or more quickly.

Pittsburgh Penguins
GM Craig Patrick can't take credit for the luck of the draw that landed Sidney Crosby in his lap, but he certainly took advantage of that good fortune to woo top free agents Sergei Gonchar and Ziggy Palffy. His signing of Mark Recchi before the lockout was another shrewd move as the Penguins have quickly remade themselves into a playoff-ready team. If, as expected, they add a veteran netminder such as Sean Burke or Curtis Joseph, the sky is the limit.

Washington Capitals
You still here? Hello? Hello? Anyone in there?

Originally posted by The Artist Formerly Known As grotty:
Free Agency's WINNER & LOSERS


Pittsburgh Penguins
GM Craig Patrick can't take credit for the luck of the draw that landed Sidney Crosby in his lap, but he certainly took advantage of that good fortune to woo top free agents Sergei Gonchar and Ziggy Palffy. His signing of Mark Recchi before the lockout was another shrewd move as the Penguins have quickly remade themselves into a playoff-ready team. If, as expected, they add a veteran netminder such as Sean Burke or Curtis Joseph, the sky is the limit.

The Pens just signed Jocelyn Thibault. Assuming he comes back from his hip operations of a few years ago, then I think he'll be a perfect mentor for Marc-Andre Fleury. No, he's not Sean Burke or Cujo but I think he's as good as Burke and Cujo would have been way to expensive for the Pens. Another good move by the Pens.

Philly scares me. They will just run over anyone they play. They still have yet to sign Esche, though, and their payroll is darn near the $39 million mark.

ESPNs hockey commentary is the worst of all.


declaring winners and losers of free agency, 8 days in, is kinda like , stupid.

but leave it to ESPN to be stupid. here's to hoping NHL wont be on ESPN this year!!!

buccigross on the caps: This is obviously the worst team in the NHL. But that is good. This is the team that drafted American-born Bobby Carpenter and they will be rewarded for that by winning the NHL draft lottery next May for the right to draft Kessel. That should be the Caps' plan this season. Be as bad as possible. Alexander Ovechkin is the real deal and will be reason enough to buy a ticket in D.C. Everyone can't become instant contenders via free agency. The Caps need to stink, draft, stink, draft for a couple of more years, and then they can see where they are. Otherwise, they are just wasting money. The NHL will come to resemble the NFL in terms of parity. The NHL will also become very young. In some respects that is good, because the game is going to become much faster. We already know the NHL is a much better game than the NFL's six-seconds-of-action, 30-seconds-of-walking-around show. Relax, Capital fans. You could be raising a Cup in 3-5 years. There is hope.

Originally posted by Venerable Bede:
buccigross on the caps: This is obviously the worst team in the NHL. But that is good.

damn straight it's good, it means i'll be able to walk up to scalpers outside MCI at 7:05pm and pay $40/ticket for $90 face lower level tix … the end of last year (two years ago) when they were dumping the team and no-one was showing up was beautiful, went to so many games for soooo cheap

Originally posted by xcanuck:
The Pens just signed Jocelyn Thibault… he's not Sean Burke or Cujo but I think he's as good as Burke and Cujo would have been way to expensive for the Pens. Another good move by the Pens.

I was a little disappointed at first, but after you dig in this looks like a great pickup:

Jocelyn Thibault
Career Wins: 227
Career Save %: .905
Career Goals Against Average: 2.6
Age: 30


Sean Burke
Career Wins: 304
Career Save %: .902
Career Goals Against Average: 2.96
Age: 38

JT IS better and younger.

if he can stay healthy.

so i was just checking out the caps website at my boss's persistence and lo and behold he's right there on the first page in the picture about Aulin resigning. now if only he'd get his employees tickets that were that damn close. For those curious, the guy in the black jacket, blue shirt. Apparently the law firm of Jones Day holds those tickets. must go work there!

Originally posted by Venerable Bede:
We already know the NHL is a much better game than the NFL's six-seconds-of-action, 30-seconds-of-walking-around show. [/QB]

Yeah, you keep thinkin' that.

Originally posted by Rob_Gee:

Originally posted by Venerable Bede:
We already know the NHL is a much better game than the NFL's six-seconds-of-action, 30-seconds-of-walking-around show.

Yeah, you keep thinkin' that. [/QB]

nothing wrong with the NFL , its a great league for the dull minded!

Originally posted by sonickteam4:
nothing wrong with the NFL , its a great league for the dull minded! [/QB]

You could say the same with baseball, a sport we both love.

Originally posted by Rob_Gee:

Originally posted by Venerable Bede:
We already know the NHL is a much better game than the NFL's six-seconds-of-action, 30-seconds-of-walking-around show.

Yeah, you keep thinkin' that. [/QB]

what are you doubting? for every 60 seconds, there is maybe 10 seconds (at the most) of anything happening. after that, it's walking around, getting up, going to the huddle, walking back to the line. . .5 second play. . repeat.

Originally posted by sonickteam4:
nothing wrong with the NFL , its a great league for the dull minded!

what a joke.

i don't want to get into debating the merits of various sports on here, but if you understand football you'll know that it's one of the most fascinating strategic sports out there … much like how if you know baseball you could appreciate the little defensive strategies that take place on every play

soccer, rugby, hockey? not even close to as strategic/smart … but certainly fun to watch

Originally posted by HoyaParanoia:
but if you understand football you'll know that it's one of the most fascinating strategic sports out there…

…yet still is simple enough to be played by 11 guys, only one of which might have an IQ over 90.

Originally posted by Julian, faux celeb-porn CONNOISSEUR:

Originally posted by HoyaParanoia:
but if you understand football you'll know that it's one of the most fascinating strategic sports out there…

…yet still is simple enough to be played by 11 guys, only one of which might have an IQ over 90.

just because they're not sociologists or math wizards doesn't mean they're playing a "simple" game

have you seen an NFL playbook? do you realize that on any of hundreds of plays in the book, an offensive or defensive lineman – which may seem to an idiot like you to just be smacking into the guy in front of him – has to know which of dozens of different responsibilities is correct for that particular play? not to mention the routes a wide receiver runs or the enormous and diverse responsibilities linebackers or safeties have on each play

a "stupid" right guard does more brain work in one game than you do in a week at work.