NHL 2021/22 Season Thread - Page 9

catdaddy · #**121** 01-02-2022, 11:13 AM

My Pens resume play today at 1 PM. They haven't played since December 19th, and since that time they've had 8 players go into Covid protocol, and have even had one forward (Jason Zucker) be placed on Long-term Injured Reserve and one center (Brian Boyle) take time off for personal leave. They will start today without their 2nd, 3rd and 4th line centers and their No. 1 goaltender. Sidney Crosby is the only regular center that will skate in the game. Taking the places of Malkin, Carter and Blueger today will be guys named O'Conner, Lafferty and Zahorna, I think! On a positive note: both Jake Guentzel and Bryan Rust will play today, coming back from injuries that the layoff apparently allowed them sufficient time to have heal. With all of the lineup changes and so much time off, it looks to be an "interesting" game to watch, and I'm soooo ready to watch some hockey!!!!

Go Pens!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

roberts · #**122** 01-02-2022, 11:48 AM

If I recall last time you bemoaned the Pens depth they went out and handed the Lightning their worst loss of the year

catdaddy · #**123** 01-02-2022, 04:16 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by roberts

If I recall last time you bemoaned the Pens depth they went out and handed the Lightning their worst loss of the year

You are correct, sir! And, the Pens just beat the Sharks 8-5, so I'm not likely to stop telling my Penguin tales of woe any time soon. A reverse jinx is a powerful thing!

Neil K Walk · #**124** 01-03-2022, 06:49 AM

Yes, that Pens game was a pleasant surprise; I wasn't expecting them to start back up until next Friday.

That 8-5 victory was also not as lopsided as it appeared at the beginning of the 3rd period.

catdaddy · #**125** 01-06-2022, 07:55 AM

Pens beat the Blues 5-3 last night. Pens were down 3-1 in the second period, and then one of the Blues defensemen picked a fight with Sidney Crosby-BIG MISTAKE! After getting stitched up Sid came back to the game to lead the Pens to their win with a goal and an assist, and was a force all over the ice. As head coach Mike Sullivan said after the game "Sid went into beast mode." It's been a while since I've seen Sid take over a game like that, and it was a beautiful thing to behold.

Neil K Walk · #**126** 01-06-2022, 10:28 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by catdaddy

Pens beat the Blues 5-3 last night. Pens were down 3-1 in the second period, and then one of the Blues defensemen picked a fight with Sidney Crosby-BIG MISTAKE! After getting stitched up Sid came back to the game to lead the Pens to their win with a goal and an assist, and was a force all over the ice. As head coach Mike Sullivan said after the game "Sid went into beast mode." It's been a while since I've seen Sid take over a game like that, and it was a beautiful thing to behold.

LOL. It reminds me of when Max Talbot got in a fight (before he went on to play for Philadelphia) and put his fingers to the lips of the jeering Flyers fans. WE all know how that ended!

Last night the game was aired on TBS and they cut to a graphic of Crosby's face superimposed on Sylvester Stallone from a screenshot from Rocky 1; the caption read "cut me, Mick."

catdaddy · #**127** 01-07-2022, 07:17 AM

Pens won their 10th straight last night in Philly. Having been a Pens fan since before the days that "The Broad Street Bullies" dominated the Pens (and the NHL), I found the Pens 6-2 win supremely satisfying.

Bryan Rust added another pair of goals in the win which gives him 7 goals and 11 points to start the new year. He joins only two other players in modern NHL history to accomplish that feat: Wayne Gretsky and Mario Lemieux. Pretty nice company for him to be keeping.

Danno · #**128** 01-07-2022, 09:45 AM

Really nice to see Boldy score the winning goal in his NHL debut against the Bruins last night. That he did it in his hometown in front of friends and family made it even more special. I got to watch him play here in Des Moines while he was playing for the Wild's AHL affiliate team. He's got a bright future.

Dru Edwards · #**129** 01-07-2022, 03:35 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by catdaddy

Pens won their 10th straight last night in Philly. Having been a Pens fan since before the days that "The Broad Street Bullies" dominated the Pens (and the NHL), I found the Pens 6-2 win supremely satisfying.

Bryan Rust added another pair of goals in the win which gives him 7 goals and 11 points to start the new year. He joins only two other players in modern NHL history to accomplish that feat: Wayne Gretsky and Mario Lemieux. Pretty nice company for him to be keeping.

Anytime you're mentioned in the same as Wayne and Mario you're doing something special. I hadn't heard of Rust's performance.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Danno

Really nice to see Boldy score the winning goal in his NHL debut against the Bruins last night. That he did it in his hometown in front of friends and family made it even more special. I got to watch him play here in Des Moines while he was playing for the Wild's AHL affiliate team. He's got a bright future.

Great story for Boldy. Last year he played at Boston College. Sad for my Bruins but they climbed into a wild card spot the game before.

Neil K Walk · #**130** 01-08-2022, 10:33 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Dru Edwards

Anytime you're mentioned in the same as Wayne and Mario you're doing something special. I hadn't heard of Rust's performance.

There are a lot of young players on the squad who are carrying the torch just fine. Add to that Sid’s “Beast Mode” performance the other night and the impending return of Malkin and I’m thinking the Pens’ glory years will continue even after those last two join Ben Roethlisberger in their second careers.

PS: I’m kicking myself for missing Thursday’s game. Any “Battle on the PA Turnpike” is an event NOT to be missed. I guess I was hung over from Monday night’s emotions. Mea culpa.

Dru Edwards · #**131** 01-14-2022, 03:18 PM

Your thoughts on the All Star nominations and snubs? I think the four captains make sense: McDavid, Matthews, MacKinnon, and Ovechkin.

catdaddy · #**132** 01-14-2022, 04:45 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Dru Edwards

Your thoughts on the All Star nominations and snubs? I think the four captains make sense: McDavid, Matthews, MacKinnon, and Ovechkin.

The captains look good to me. I have a hard time understanding how Crosby and Marchand not only weren't selected, but weren't even listed on the 'Last Men In' ballot.

Other snubs that could possibly be rectified by their election on 'Last Men In' ballot are Kadri, Stamkos and Jossi. Personally, given the 3 on 3 format of the All-Star game I'd love to see Mathew Barzal and Troy Terry play, so I'll be voting for them to be included. Those two would be worth the price of admission!

Dru Edwards · #**133** 01-15-2022, 06:32 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by catdaddy

The captains look good to me. I have a hard time understanding how Crosby and Marchand not only weren't selected, but weren't even listed on the 'Last Men In' ballot.

Other snubs that could possibly be rectified by their election on 'Last Men In' ballot are Kadri, Stamkos and Jossi. Personally, given the 3 on 3 format of the All-Star game I'd love to see Mathew Barzal and Troy Terry play, so I'll be voting for them to be included. Those two would be worth the price of admission!

Surprised that Marchand wasn't listed as a "last men in".. he spoke out about the Olympics and that may have cost him that chance but it shouldn't have. Crosby missed much of the season so I can understand why there.

I think the All Star game is a joke now but it's still an honor to be selected to the team. I prefer the skills competition over these 3-3 games.

catdaddy · #**134** 01-15-2022, 09:10 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Dru Edwards

Surprised that Marchand wasn't listed as a "last men in".. he spoke out about the Olympics and that may have cost him that chance but it shouldn't have. Crosby missed much of the season so I can understand why there.

I think the All Star game is a joke now but it's still an honor to be selected to the team. I prefer the skills competition over these 3-3 games.

Sid has missed 1/3 of the season, but is still averaging a point per game. Given his status and popularity (outside of Philadelphia anyway

), I would've thought the NHL would've wanted him on the team for promotional reasons alone.

Dru Edwards · #**135** 01-15-2022, 06:16 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by catdaddy

Sid has missed 1/3 of the season, but is still averaging a point per game. Given his status and popularity (outside of Philadelphia anyway

), I would've thought the NHL would've wanted him on the team for promotional reasons alone.

I'm reading an interesting article on Sportsnet. Because every team needs to send someone to the All Star game it creates a situation where players who are nowhere near all-star quality making the team and players having all-star seasons stay home.

Example, Montreal’s Nick Suzuki is tied for 159th in scoring and he's going to the All Star game and is essentially taking up a spot that could, or should, be someone more deserving. He's nowhere near all-star quality. Suzuki is a center and he may have taken Crosby's spot.