Detroit Red Wings & the NHL

[Prime2]

Analytics (Corsi & Fenwick) say Pittsburgh's puck possession but the naked eye has to be impressed with San Jose.

SCF will be about pace and I think the Pens have it, if they play with the speed they showed against Tampa in games 6 & 7 I don't think San Jose can match it.

LA & St. Louis were plodding teams whereas the Washington Capitals were the best in the NHL regular season for good reason, edge Pens.

Thorton, Pavelski, Burns, Vlasic and Jones scare the hell out of me but yet Vegas (Bovada) has backed the Pens...you should too, Series goes 7.

[Prime2]

Speaking of Speed:

Ferrari driver Sebastian Vettel of Germany, steers his car during the second free practice at the Monaco racetrack, in Monaco, Thursday, May 26th, 2016. The Formula one race will be held on Sunday.

[Prime2]

Pens take game 1 of the SCF 3-2, San Jose couldn't match the blistering pace.

Crosby takes his game up a notch, 3 wins away.

41 shots on Jones, Pittsburgh's relentless transition game is leathal.

[WingsFan]

Didn't see the game live, was at my sisters BBQ. Great weather for a change, Ryan Kesler was there we talked for a while. Good times.


Doesn't take much now to target the head when a player has already passed the puck. Patrick Marleau should probably have been suspended a game.

[ame]https://youtu.be/AAB_I3HOKUE[/ame]

[Prime2]

Kesler was pure money, they came within game 7 of winning the Cup in Van.

This is all you need to know Packy.

[WingsFan]

I like this one, so much for a good series

[Ghengis Jon]

Ugh. Pens up two games to zip. Unfortunately, it looks like Cindy is showing up for the finals on both sides of the ice.

[Prime2]

Packy you must be kidding, as badly as San Jose has been outplayed they still could have stolen either game.

Pens just 2 games away from the Stanley Cup. Only 5 teams in the history of the League have come back from down 0-2.

Joe Thorton should be blaming his 36-year old legs, not Crosby's speed game.

OT, set play: Pens Captian (winning 71% of faceoffs in playoffs) instructs Letang not shoot from the point because if it is blocked, it's likely a 2 on 1 going the other way but rather a soft pass to Conor Sheary in the seam, between coverage. Oh yeah, Sid has his D-men Letang and Dumoulin switch points before the clean draw.

Martin is screened, right corner, roof daddy!

Conn Smythe Moment.
[youtube]dH4w8dhN1AE[/youtube]

Russian floater Evgeni Malkin is likely playing his last series as a Pittsburgh Penguin, his days are done. Always injured, plays with little passion these days, Pens will trade him for a TON of excellent players in exchange over the summer.

Rumor, heading to Florida Panthers.

[Mike]

For the first time since the Bad Boy era Pistons I'm more interested in the NBA Finals than the Cup Final. I haven't watched a minute yet and don't plan on it unless SJ can somehow stretch this to 6 or 7 games. A sad state of affairs.

[Prime2]

What? Try a Shasta Cola Smoothie to get your mind right.

Well, watch Ovechkin drain the "Trey" in a Russian Charity Basketball game instead.

https://cdn.streamable.com/video/mp4-mobile/3bmi.mp4

http://www.sportsnet.ca/hockey/nhl/alex-ovechkin-stars-russian-charity-basketball-game/

[WingsFan]

For the first time since the Bad Boy era Pistons I'm more interested in the NBA Finals than the Cup Final. I haven't watched a minute yet and don't plan on it unless SJ can somehow stretch this to 6 or 7 games. A sad state of affairs.

Same here, SJ had a must win and lost. They have been down 0-2 ten times in their miserable history and lost all 10 series. It's over. On the other hand, the Frisco Bay other team is quite entertaining.

[Prime2]

Do or die for Sharks, they hold on in OT and win 3-2. Outshot by a 2-1 margin during the game, a lucky goal late wins. Murray lets two softies in-a-row, in. Best effort in stretches for San Jose but still not enough to win 3 of the next 4 games.

Pens will take game #4, ice was horrible, bad bounces everywhere, Sharks were lucky.

60 footer floater that Murray sees all the way, was a routine save.

Pens just need the split.

[WingsFan]

That second goal was really soft to let SJ tie the game. Normally I would say that could be something to look back at, but this is the Sharks (happy to win a game)

[Prime2]

Stanley Cup Final Game 4 tonight in San Jose. 8pm ET

Expect the Pens to amp it up a notch, while I agree with "Let them Play" in the Final, for the most part, serious penalties MUST be called.

Tackling the Greatest Player in the World while on a breakaway is, well, a penalty.

https://twitter.com/cjzero/status/739269960254382082/photo/1

[Prime2]

Wayner & I expect a big night from Crosby on the Road in Game 4.

Gretzky praises Crosby: 'I think he's the best player in the game'

by Sean O'Leary Jun 06, 1:16 PM

Kind words from one generational talent to another.

Before he was drafted, many deemed Sidney Crosby the next "Great One" in comparison to Wayne Gretzky, and though many of No. 99's records are safe from Crosby's reach, Gretzky lauds what "Sid the Kid" has accomplished, and what he's doing this postseason.

"I watch him play a lot because I admire the way he plays," Gretzky told Sportsnet, according to Chris Johnston. "It's not a big secret: I think he's the best player in the game. He just sees the game the right way, he always has.

"He's on a different level when he's playing like he is right now."

Gretzky went on to compare him to additional hockey immortals.

"What Sid has is a little bit of an extra gear as far as his passing ability, his playmaking ability, the ability to make players around him on his team that much better," Gretzky said. "Guys like Bobby Orr did it and Mario (Lemieux) did it and obviously Crosby's doing it. He's just making his team better."

Through his 11-year career, Crosby has averaged 1.33 points per game, which is fifth all-time behind Gretzky, the aforementioned Orr and Lemieux, and Hall of Famer Mike Bossy.

The generation's best player - and a Hall of Fame lock at the age of 28 - has done nothing but meet the expectations of an incredibly hyped career, according to Gretzky.

"He came into the NHL under the microscope and with a great deal of pressure on him, and he's answered pretty much every question there is," Gretzky said. "He's made a franchise really strong, he's won a Cup, he's won two (Olympic) gold medals and it just seems like the bigger the game the better he plays and that's always the sign of a true superstar."