Canes done

[solarte1969]

The heart and mind are willing, but the body is unable. THis team is gassed from playing so late last season, and now they have the longest of shots to make the playoffs.

3 for their season. Nice try fellas.

[Wp28]

I said this back in January and the homers jumped all over my shit! they just cannot maintain momentum.

still hope we're wrong and they make a final week stand, but doubting it big time.

[Playa]

http://www.pittsburghpenguins.com/graphics/playoffs_splash.jpg

[Franchise]

FWIW Play, my playoff team will be Pittsburgh. I'd like to see a new team win the Cup again, and I like the chemistry for Pittsburgh.

[Playa]

It is a shame about the Canes, I just kept thinking at some point they would put a streak together. Last Friday's game was the first Canes game I had seen in a while, I thought they played pretty well but .... How about that Tanabe fight, you could tell he didn't really want to go. He had a shitty night.
i was talking to my sis and she is glad the Canes won't make the playoffs b/c she didn't want all the Buffalo fans down here while they Sabres kicked the Canes' asses.


FWIW Play, my playoff team will be Pittsburgh. I'd like to see a new team win the Cup again, and I like the chemistry for Pittsburgh.
Here is some important info if you plan to root for the Pens this spring:

A playoff beard will be a hairy situation for some players


There were times during the past few months when the Penguins made qualifying for the playoffs look almost easy.

Actually, looking the part of a playoff team might be considerably tougher for at least some of them.

With the large number of young players -- a list headlined by teenagers, Sidney Crosby and Jordan Staal -- on the roster, it's unlikely that many guys will be sporting the traditional playoff beard, for example. Several couldn't have grown one by mid-April if they'd started at Halloween.

"I'd love to have one," Crosby said, "but I think that'd be wishful thinking."

Crosby's teammates, who are accustomed to seeing him pull off the near-impossible, agree.

He was mentioned prominently in a locker-room survey about playoff beards -- who will have the best, who will have the worst and how the player's own beard will look and/or rank -- and not because teammates expect to see him with a face full of fur anytime soon.

A sampling of the responses:


Ryan Whitney


Best: Probably [Brooks Opik]. Or [Mark Recchi], he was pretty good last year.

Worst: Sid or [Marc-Andre] Fleury or [Evgeni] Malkin or Staal. Our best four players.

Own: It gets pretty bushy if we go far enough.


Colby Armstrong


Best: [Recchi] or [Orpik]. I've seen [Orpik] before. He has a nice one.

Worst: Me, or [Malkin]. I haven't seen him with anything going on [with facial hair]. I think [Staal] has a few billy goat hairs growing on his chin. Sid's got a couple of little sideburns. I can't even get that.

Own: It will be a 'throatee,' pretty much a goatee on my throat. That's all I've got. Or the 'neard,' the neck beard. We'll have to see what it looks like. I don't know if I'll let it sprout or not.


Marc-Andre Fleury


Best: I've seen [Maxime] Talbot's beard in junior. He was only 19 or 20, and it looked pretty good.

Worst: Me, Sidney, [Malkin] and [Staal]. We'll have a tough time growing something.

Own: Maybe a little moustache, and a little (hair on the cheeks). That's about it.


Josef Melichar


Best: [Recchi], if he keeps a full beard, because usually he just has a moustache.

Worst: [Armstrong] or [Staal]. I can't see those two guys [growing one].

Own: I'll be up there. Middle-class.


Michel Ouellet


Best: [Talbot] is going to have a good one.

Worst: Three guys: [Fleury], Sid and [Armstrong].

Own: I don't know what I'm going to do, but if I have to shave [my goatee], I'll do it.


Erik Christensen


Best: [Talbot].

Worst: [Fleury].

Own: Pretty good. I just can't grow anything [in the middle of the upper lip]. ... It looks like a reverse Hitler.


Jordan Staal


Best: Probably Max [Talbot]. He's probably one of the hairiest men on the team.

Worst: [Armstrong].

Own: I can't grow much from the cheekbone up, so it's going to be pretty pathetic.


Maxime Talbot


Best: After myself? I'd say, maybe [Ryan Malone] or [Orpik].

Worst: Sid. Like little patchy ... he's going to think he's cool, but it will be just little patches.

Own: Right at the top. Usually, it's pretty good.

[MikeNinerHunt]

Solarte, did you really just write that shit about "playing late into the season"? How about the Ilslander winning four in a row? Did they run out of gas in 81, 82 , 83? How about the OIlers going back to back? Or the Pens?

You're right, that must be why the Celtics lost in 1967. After playing late eight years in a row, the Sixers were not the better team, they just "ran out of gas".

News 14 for life!!

[CunningRunt]

The heart and mind are willing, but the body is unable. THis team is gassed from playing so late last season, and now they have the longest of shots to make the playoffs.

3 for their season. Nice try fellas.

This is the dumbest shit I've ever heard. Except for that "lug nut challenge" on news 14. I can't believe I've ever paid attention when your mug was on my t.v.

[49erpi]

The heart and mind are willing, but the body is unable. THis team is gassed from playing so late last season, and now they have the longest of shots to make the playoffs.

3 for their season. Nice try fellas.

This is the worst thing I've ever read.

How about the Celtics winning the championship 10 out of 12 years at one point?

You should be driving the satelite truck asshole.

[Playa]

It's official. Isn't their recent history...
Finals
Miss playoffs
Win Cup
Miss playoffs

Could be good for next year.

[Wp28]

It's official. Isn't their recent history...
Finals
Miss playoffs
Win Cup
Miss playoffs

Could be good for next year.


See also Panthers, Carolina.

[solarte1969]

Canes had a good run, but as I said originally, after all the hockey they played a year ago, they just hit the wall at the wrong time.

Comparing NBA titles is dumb. The Islander run in the 80's (and then the Oilers too) were amazing in the fact that just about half of the Oiler lineup, and a good chunk of the Isles were HOF players. Who from Carolina NOW is heading to Toronto?

49erpi, go back to shitting on someone else, somewhere else. Your act hasn't changed. It's still tired and old.

Mikeniner--LOL.

Cunning--whatever dipshit.

The 3 of you never laced up a pair of skates to know what the game is all about. Come talk to me when you do.

[Wp28]

The Islander run in the 80's



Billy Smith - Chico Resch!!!!!

also, having played (summer league) with several players from the Islanders during that era, Bobby Nystrom was one of the best conditioned athletes ever in Sports, and his work ethic rubbed off on a lot of those younger guy's. Bossy etc...

Ironic that lots of players in the lague then, particularly the Canadien players smoke in the locker room between periods.

[Franchise]

The 3 of you never laced up a pair of skates to know what the game is all about. Come talk to me when you do.


OWNED :tank:

[Franchise]

for the record, my academy starts in October, so I'll be a pig, go ahead and make fun of that. But yes, right now I work for a bedding company that I've been at since I was 15. Also, I like Soltare because he's intelligent and post worth while shit to read, I didn't "sell" anything to him. He paid cost for a product my company carries. Like I bought a blowjob from your wife for her cost, I'm sure you know how much that is.

Take this message board more seriously, I can't wait.

[49erpi]

naa, it's ok. where are you from? Ballsy comment about the "real hockey town" Especially since when I google it, all I see is Detriot.


Detroit stole "Hockey Town USA" from Boston. It refers to the red wings only. Boston amateur hockey is the best in the country. The high school level is as good as anywhere and the college level is heads above the rest with too many power schools to list...not to mention the history behind the Bruins franchise.

[Franchise]

Detroit stole "Hockey Town USA" from Boston. It refers to the red wings only. Boston amateur hockey is the best in the country. The high school level is as good as anywhere and the college level is heads above the rest with too many power schools to list...not to mention the history behind the Bruins franchise.

agree mostly. Especially College hockey. When was the last time the Bruins won the cup?

[gridfaniker]

the northeast may have been king of hockey at one time, but hockey is biggest in the upper midwest, from the amateur level on up through Division I.

JUdging by attendance at DI games, it's not even close. Most recent attendance figures provided by the NCAA show the top five as Wisconsin, North Dakota, Minnesota, Nebraska-Omaha, Michigan. Boston College is eighth, with about half as many fans per game as Wisconsin. there are no other Boston schools in the top 25.

[solarte1969]

agree mostly. Especially College hockey. When was the last time the Bruins won the cup?
I like how you turned the conversation civil, Franchise.

I also like how 49er feels the need to throw the homophobic shots at me as well.

49er, you go your way, and I'll go mine. Maybe, just maybe, you will be a happier individual for it. Lord knows my life is great knowing you aren't a part of it.

[49erpi]

the northeast may have been king of hockey at one time, but hockey is biggest in the upper midwest, from the amateur level on up through Division I.

JUdging by attendance at DI games, it's not even close. Most recent attendance figures provided by the NCAA show the top five as Wisconsin, North Dakota, Minnesota, Nebraska-Omaha, Michigan. Boston College is eighth, with about half as many fans per game as Wisconsin. there are no other Boston schools in the top 25.

I'm not talking about attendance. Northeast is king in Hockey, period. Those attendance numbers don't mean shit because, in case you weren't aware, there are just a few more entertainment options in Boston than there are in Wisconsin, Omaha and North Dakota. The fact that any college hockey team in the Boston area is in the top 25 in attendance is amazing....but my point is about quality of hockey from high school through college and in that respect the Northeast is king.

Havard, BC, BU, UNH and Maine are stud programs, just to name a few.

[gridfaniker]

I'm not talking about attendance. Northeast is king in Hockey, period. Those attendance numbers don't mean shit because, in case you weren't aware, there are just a few more entertainment options in Boston than there are in Wisconsin, Omaha and North Dakota. The fact that any college hockey team in the Boston area is in the top 25 in attendance is amazing....but my point is about quality of hockey from high school through college and in that respect the Northeast is king.

Havard, BC, BU, UNH and Maine are stud programs, just to name a few.

well, you're wrong.

I'm sure there are good programs in Boston and to a larger extent, New England. But if the rosters of the last Olympic team and the last couple US Under 17 teams are any indication, most of the talent is coming from the midwest, Michigan and Minnesota in particular. You'll see a few teams from the northeast, but most of the top high school programs are in the Upper Midwest. It's not even close.

[49erpi]

well, you're wrong.


No, I'm not.

[49erpi]

...abd, BTW, when did this become a debate involving the entire mid west against NE. I simply stated Boston was the real Hockey Town USA and it is.

They by far have the best college hockey of any town (not entire region of the country grid) in the country. What other town can boast as many top level programs? BC, BU and Umass all ranked in the top 12. The HS hockey is very good, the college is the best and they have one of the original 6 NHL teams. Hockey Town.

[CunningRunt]

Canes had a good run, but as I said originally, after all the hockey they played a year ago, they just hit the wall at the wrong time.

Comparing NBA titles is dumb. The Islander run in the 80's (and then the Oilers too) were amazing in the fact that just about half of the Oiler lineup, and a good chunk of the Isles were HOF players. Who from Carolina NOW is heading to Toronto?

49erpi, go back to shitting on someone else, somewhere else. Your act hasn't changed. It's still tired and old.

Mikeniner--LOL.

Cunning--whatever dipshit.

The 3 of you never laced up a pair of skates to know what the game is all about. Come talk to me when you do.

I've snapped on some roller blades and gotten bruised and scraped on the mean cul-de-sacs of Charlotte. I think that should count for something.

[MikeNinerHunt]

The Islander run in the 80's (and then the Oilers too) were amazing in the fact that just about half of the Oiler lineup, and a good chunk of the Isles were HOF players. Who from Carolina NOW is heading to Toronto?



We won't know until the hall of Fame votes come out five years after 2006 Hurricanes retire. All the guys in their early twenties, who knows?

You know why there were more HOF players on those teams? Expansion. 21 teams until the NHL expanded with the San Jose Sharks, am I right? So now you have about 200 extra players divided up among other teams. And in 83, the Isles beat the OIlers.

Why can't you compare NBA titles to hockey titles? It's a pro sports season?

[solarte1969]

We won't know until the hall of Fame votes come out five years after 2006 Hurricanes retire. All the guys in their early twenties, who knows?

You know why there were more HOF players on those teams? Expansion. 21 teams until the NHL expanded with the San Jose Sharks, am I right? So now you have about 200 extra players divided up among other teams. And in 83, the Isles beat the OIlers.

Why can't you compare NBA titles to hockey titles? It's a pro sports season?

I just don't think comparing NBA to NHL is fair, based on the physical nature of hockey. Not taking anything away from NBA dynasties, just two completely different animals.

Right now, the only HOF lock on the Canes (IMO) is Brind'Amour, and I agree, it is too soon to tell about the young guys.

As for the Isles and Oilers, they both had, at the time, a roster full of the league's best at virtually everything.
NYI: Bossy, Potvin, Trottier, Smith, Nystrom, Gillies, Goring (PK specialist), Morrow...there are others, but that's a solid core.

EDM: Gretzky, Messier, Kurri, Anderson, Krushelnyski, MacTavish, Huddy, Lowe, an aging Lee Fogolin, Fuhr and Moog in the nets. Again, a loaded core that made them nails every night.

Your point on expansion is also very valid. Talent is spread over more teams now, plus free agency moving guys around (away from teams they played for a year ago--see Matt Cullen and Aaron Ward for starters), makes repeat titles very tough.

[MikeNinerHunt]

Uh, Mactavish and Moog were solid hockey players, but I'd be willing to bet they are not in the Hall of Fame. I may be wrong, but I doubt it.

[Playa]

Nice way to end the season tonight, another comeback vs Florida- OT win on a Brind'amour break. There was a guy at the game holding a sign that said, 'Silver lining- no more Buffalo fans this year'. WHy is it that Jokkinen was booed every time he touched the puck?

[solarte1969]

Uh, Mactavish and Moog were solid hockey players, but I'd be willing to bet they are not in the Hall of Fame. I may be wrong, but I doubt it.
I wasn't pointing out all the HOF guys (I don't think Goring is in for the Ielse either), just saying they were all vital parts of the core group. MacT might get in one day, but he is borderline HOF, and Moog is no HOF goalie. Agreed.