As Sidney Crosby and company raised the cup on the ice in Nashville, celebrating fans took to the streets of Steel City and.... began biting into raw catfish. That's sport. Like I said, this team never gave up. It is sacrilegious, I know, but I don't care.
Olczyk: "The Penguins win without their best defenseman, and all of the injuries that they had, and all teams have injuries over the course of seven or eight weeks". "I think we gained a ton of experience from this run".
You need a coach who is not afraid to order a player to walk on water and have the persuasive power to make the player believe he can. "They're different players, but they're both elite in their own way". Instead, it will go on permanent display at the Hockey Hall of Fame in Toronto.
Jay Bouwmeester said pure numbers didn't do justice to his greatness and Matt Duchene said Crosby's competitive level inspired him. He averaged 1.89 points per game to Crosby's 1.31 in the regular season and 1.61 in the playoffs (Crosby, 1.13). The Predators went 0 of 4 with the man advantage, including 32 seconds of a 5-on-3 in the third. Lemieux played primarily in an era that was higher scoring and more wide open. The way that they spread out the minutes was reminiscent of the 2006 Carolina Hurricanes, a team that had Rutherford as GM.
They have outstanding talent. The Detroit Red Wings in 1997 and '98 were the last champion to defend their title. It was beginning to look like they might have missed their window for further championship success.
Sanders says Senate's sanctions on Iran could jeopardize nuclear deal
There are also sanctions against Russian citizens suspected of cyber attacks on the political institutions of the United States. Putin seems content to sit back and watch as America tears itself apart with partisan witch hunts and hatred of the president.
Crosby would not allow this team to lose.
"He really is the best player in the world", said Couture glowingly. But if Pittsburgh could repeat this season with a banged-up roster and one of the hardest paths to the final series, the Penguins have earned the right to be considered favorites again next season, when the team could cement its status as one of the NHL's great dynasties. He knows how to adjust, which is a big part of us winning the Stanley Cup. He is the toughest mentally, the toughest physically and the greatest victor in the game right now. But Crosby has brought a consistency and determination to the rink that it took Lemieux a long time to develop. It is nearly like the rules are different for defending Crosby, that referees allow players to do whatever it takes to stop him. Oddsmakers made them the early favorite for a three-peat, something that hasn't been done since the New York Islanders won four straight from 1980-83, a full year before Lemieux made his National Hockey League debut and almost a half decade before Malkin and Crosby were born. Uncertainty runs from the Vegas Golden Knights' expansion draft next week through the New Jersey Devils' decision with the top pick in the entry draft to a free agent market that hinges significantly on how much the salary cap goes up - if at all. It was his goal to get under Crosby's skin.
Nashville wrested momentum from the Penguins, rallying from a 0-2 series deficit to tie it 2-2, and appeared to be taking control. He isn't afraid to mix it up with anyone and then he tears their heart out with an unbelievable assist or goal that changes the game. "I think there will be more Stanley Cups in their future".
Crosby has been a championship catalyst and it will be intriguing to see where the next decade takes him.
Comments