GAMEDAY 73 - RED WINGS
7:00 PM
Joe Louis Arena
Listen to the game at [WXDX]
Know the Enemy:
Remember this place?
The last time the Penguins played a game of consequence in Joe Louis Arena they walked out of the building with the Stanley Cup.
Obviously tonight's game does not have as much on the line.
Tonight, the team the loses will live to see another day.
The team that wins will leave without a trophy, but instead with two points.
But that doesn't mean this game is meaningless.
Far from it.
This is not a September preseason game.
The two points that the winner will receive tonight definitely mean something.
The Pittsburgh Penguins are two points ahead of the New Jersey Devils, who have played one less game, for top spot in the Atlantic division.
Each win from now on out inches the Penguins closer to a division title and home ice advantage.
For Detroit the stakes are even higher.
The Red Wings are two points ahead of Calgary for the eighth and final playoff spot in the Western Conference.
Calgary has played one more game
This is the playoffs for Babcock's team.
The Red Wings cannot afford to give up any more points if they hope to make the postseason.
Of course, that's just one of the many things that the citizens of Detroit cannot afford.
The 6-Day Hate
Much is being said in Pens-fans circles about the Pens' inconsistency.
Dan Bylsma nodded to it recently.
Pens need to hit their stride right about now.
Only fitting that it's hate week. Wings, Caps, and Flyers.
Arguably their three biggest rivals.
Shames us to say it, but we kind of lost the big picture during the playoffs last year.
--The Pens played their three biggest rivals.
--Twice, they started a series on the road.
--Twice, they had to dig out of a 0-2 hole.
--Twice, they won Game 7 on enemy ice.
--Talk about earning a Cup. Jesus.
Tonight the Pens head to the Joe.
It's a playoff game for the Red Wings.
Gonna be an intense affair, to say the least.
That's the hard-hitting analysis we bring to the table.
From the YouTube in the post below.
Is that Tom Barrasso in the background?
6
Atlanta refuses to lose.
A Pens win tonight knocks this number down to 3.
An Atlanta loss Tuesday night against Boston shimmies this number down to 1.
We keep track of this magic number because we refuse to be spoiled. This magic number is for those of us who acted like the Pens won the Cup when Morozov scored that OT goal against the Rangers.
Once this number reaches 0, we will be at peace with the world.
And all we'll be thinking about is that first playoff game at Mellon Arena.
Mid-April. The broadcast switches on at 7:30. The excitement in Lange's and Steiggy's voice.
Sun shining through your curtains. Some jobber neighbor is mowing his grass outside.
Those white towels waving. Can't fuckin wait.
A Return To Scene Of The Triumph
Just found this video documenting Wings fans during game 7.
"Ozzie, Ozzie , Ozzie."
Huge question to ask. Why are there fans watching the game outside?
Thought that was illegal, no?
Suck it.
Add a comment
Super Mario
From NHL.com
Part of the NHL's new playoff ad campaign.
A week of huge opponents coming up.
Go Pens.
Add a comment
McBain. PENS LOSE.
If this is some run-of-the-mill 1:00 game in January, who even cares.
But the implications alone made a game like this huge.
And it didn't disappoint.
The Pens at least got a point. In a month, we won't be able to use that as a crutch.
In fact, if the Pens lose a game like that in the playoffs, people commit suicide.
The Canes are on a magical mystery tour right now.
Their last three games have all been OT wins, twice against the Pens, once against the Caps.
They are like 6 points out of a playoff spot.
They'd have to get lucky, but teams like that are why having a high seed doesn't matter.
Playing a hot team like the Canes in the first round is bad news.
But on the other hand, Montreal, who is red hot, can go into fifth place tonight with a win.
Bottom line on all of this is, no matter what, there are no good matchups in the first round.
The key is just to be playing good hockey.
And the Pens will have that chance to get rolling this week.
All hate, all the time: Monday till next Saturday.
Buckle up.
GAMEDAY 72 - HURRICANES
1:00 PM
Mellon Arena
Listen to the game at [WXDX]
The road trip is over.
The hype has died down.
The streets of Boston have not been stained red with blood.
We're back at Lady Mellon and it feels good, even if it's only for one game.
Only seven regular season games left for the old girl, including today.
After this game the Pens head back on the road for games against two big opponents: Detroit and Washington.
Then they'll settle into a nice six game homestand.
Is today a trap?
An afternoon game against the Hurricanes sandwiched in between games against New Jersey, Boston, Detroit, Washington and Philadelphia.
If any game was going to be overlooked, it would be this one.
The Canes defeated the Capitals in overtime on Thursday.
They defeated the Penguins in the last meeting between the two teams.
They're 10-4-1 in their last 15 games.
The playoffs are just around the corner.
It's time to bring that killer instinct back and crush the Canes.
Do what needs to be done.
The Night They Turned The Lights Out In Boston. PENS WIN.
The Boston fans went from booing Cooke to booing their own team.
The Penguins whipped out their balls, and they whipped them all over the Bruins, their fans, and their building. Other than the X morning show with Tim Benz, it's hard to imagine a bigger, more disappointing three hours for people.
There appears to be a giant rat in the background. And that dude with his hand in his pocket?
[thanks to whoever sent this in]
If we were Bruins fans, we'd probably light ourselves on fire.
What a gutless, uninspired effort. Thank God Marc Savard isn't alive to see it.
But that doesn't surprise us.
No one even came to Savard's defense two weeks ago when it happened.
The next time anyone hears anything from the Bruins, it will be at the draft. For all their crowing, the Boston media looks even dumber than it normally does. Some guy actually found a way to make the Cooke/Savard hit about Crosby.
Want to know where the Boston media's minds are?
They gave Shawn Thoronto the number-3 star in this game...for fighting Cooke.
So now the Boston faithful can pull out their pics of Larry Bird and rub themselves down in fading memories.
As for the Pens, looks like we read our Mayan calendar wrong. One day off.
A great recovery game for MAF. Only made 17 saves.
But if one goes in during the first ten minutes, it's a whole different game.
And the game brought us a new nickname:
7
This could be 6, but first tiebreaker is wins.
Pens have 42 wins. Atlanta has 30 with 12 games left.
Tiebreakers are wins, then points earned head-to-head, then goal differential head-to-head.
GAMEDAY 71 - BRUINS
7:00 PM
TD Garden
Listen to the game at [WXDX]
Know the Enemy:
They're really angry over there.
We can't possibly figure out why.
Gameday 71 and no Geno.
"By Gawd! This is gonna be a slobberknocker!"
And the cell is lowered....
We've already mentioned it earlier, but the Boston Herald, one of the oldest daily papers in America and winner of four Pulitzer Prizes, unleashed this piece of fine quality journalism this morning:
"Take Sidney Crosby down every chance they get. He, not Cooke, is the Penguins’ heart and soul. Make him bleed for the sins of his teammate.
Take him into the boards. Knock him down every chance you get. Bounce a puck off his nose if you can. If you get a blind side shot at him, put your body through his chest."
The Bruins may want to focus on winning a hockey game instead.
Making Crosby bleed won't widen the gap between the Bruins and the Rangers for the eighth and final playoff spot.
The NHL has brought in veteran officials for tonight's game.
Colin Campbell and directory of officiating Terry Gregson will be in attendance.
Vince McMahon will be there to order Earl Hebner to ring the bell.
Maybe not.
"Wait.... oh my gawd! That's Eric Godard's music!"
