Not sure what makes Detroit a cut above Pittsburgh since the lockout. Both have won and lost a Cup Final and both have lost a conference finals matchup.


Both franchises do a very nice job.
- Ryan_Wilson

Something alot of people can't comprehend

Penguins Management, made a number of personnel moves that made it possible for the Penguins to slip past New Jersey and into last place in the overall standings as the season was winding down.
The most striking was trading one of the Penguins' few significant talents, defenseman Randy Carlyle, to Winnipeg for absolutely nothing -- right away, at least. Oh, the Penguins got a pretty fair return in that deal -- a first-round draft choice that became Doug Bodger, along with defenseman Moe Mantha -- but Bodger wasn't drafted until a few months after the season and Mantha was a player-to-be-named, which means he wasn't officially identified as part of the trade until the Jets' season was over.
Also, there was an instance when goalie Roberto Romano had the temerity to string together a couple of strong starts late in the season, at which point general manager Ed Johnston sent him to the Penguins' farm team in Baltimore and brought up goalie Vincent Tremblay because "we want to see what he can do." What the front office almost certainly realized was that the list of things that Tremblay could do -- or at least, that he could do well -- at that point in his career did not include stopping hockey pucks with any regularity.
Tremblay, it should be noted, didn't disappoint. He went 0-4, with a 6.00 goals-against average, in what proved to be his final four appearances in the NHL.
- SGTrader

Don't forget they also "sat" their only star and goal scorer Mike Bullard at the end of the season, Mike only had 51 goals and 92 points that year, yet was sent to the press box with a few games to go so he wouldn't score anymore and possibly string together a win or 2

Yes , they did it on purpose, but if a flyers player hits someone in the face and knows its illegal but thinks he can get away with it to help him win you won't complain. So the pens lost games to try and draft Mario , it worked and anyone else could've done it too, it was even legal. Too much sour grapes here I think

Yes , they did it on purpose, but if a flyers player hits someone in the face and knows its illegal but thinks he can get away with it to help him win you won't complain. So the pens lost games to try and draft Mario , it worked and anyone else could've done it too, it was even legal. Too much sour grapes here I think
- Bradlee3

Teams always do it, so what the hell is the problem?

I am thankful for Joseph Roger Mario Lemieux. Also known as Super Mario, Mr. 66, The Greatest One and Mr Hockey. Nobody like him and I doubt there ever will be. Guy got me hooked on the Pens. Also a great owner who is not afraid to spend to the cap to make the team very competitive. Thanks Mario.

The fact is when you're tanking, you make roster moves with no regret because you know you are statistically out of it. Teams ALWAYS make roster moves to see "what other guys could do" when they are statistically out of contention or near last place. Why do you assume this is only with the penguins?
- drummer829

wrong......and Elvis has just left the building!!!!

http://old.post-gazette.c.../292486.stm#ixzz1rYUEuuKK

Great to be a Penguins fan.

Yet not even 10 years ago, they were almost the HAMILTON Penguins because NO ONE thought it was great to be a Penguins fan.

Funny how winning a draft lottery manages to bring fans back to the team.

Let's see how many of you are left when they become a last place team again. Might take another 10 years, but when you don't get lay up draft picks like Malkin and Crosby, it's a lot harder to build a team.

Can't wait to watch the wheels fall off this bandwagon.

Great to be a Penguins fan.

Yet not even 10 years ago, they were almost the HAMILTON Penguins because NO ONE thought it was great to be a Penguins fan.

Funny how winning a draft lottery manages to bring fans back to the team.

Let's see how many of you are left when they become a last place team again. Might take another 10 years, but when you don't get lay up draft picks like Malkin and Crosby, it's a lot harder to build a team.

Can't wait to watch the wheels fall off this bandwagon.
- the_terror

to your point they had to practically give tickets away to the college kids so the beer vendors weren't the only people in the building before the great rebuild...

Not sure what makes Detroit a cut above Pittsburgh since the lockout. Both have won and lost a Cup Final and both have lost a conference finals matchup.


Both franchises do a very nice job.
- Ryan_Wilson

Detroit did it the right way. They developed their own players in house through strong scouting, drafting, and player development. They added key components at the right time and managed to pull out 20+ years of consistency.

Pittsburgh won the lottery. Imagine for a second, that Anaheim won that year and drafted Crosby, and Pittsburgh ended up with Bobby Ryan. And then imagine, the year they picked Malkin, that they wound up picking third and ended up with Cam Barker.

How different would the Penguins be if you traded Crosby and Malkin for Ryan and Barker?

The main difference, would be that they would be playing their home games in a different city, and you wouldn't even be a hockey fan.

Luck is the difference. Detroit won through hard work and a game plan. Pittsburgh won because they were lucky enough to get Crosby and Malkin.

Why it is Bad to be a bandwagoner

Biggest bandwagon team in the nhl 1.Calitals
2.Penguins

Biggest bandwagon team in the nhl 1.Calitals
2.Penguins
- Oilers42

must be a new team!

Yes, nevermind the fact that I called your franchise one of the best ran, lets just focus on the clearly indicated joke about how you guys tanked games to draft Mario. And some of you wonder why other fans dislike Pens fans?

Detroit did it the right way. They developed their own players in house through strong scouting, drafting, and player development. They added key components at the right time and managed to pull out 20+ years of consistency.

Pittsburgh won the lottery. Imagine for a second, that Anaheim won that year and drafted Crosby, and Pittsburgh ended up with Bobby Ryan. And then imagine, the year they picked Malkin, that they wound up picking third and ended up with Cam Barker.

How different would the Penguins be if you traded Crosby and Malkin for Ryan and Barker?

The main difference, would be that they would be playing their home games in a different city, and you wouldn't even be a hockey fan.

Luck is the difference. Detroit won through hard work and a game plan. Pittsburgh won because they were lucky enough to get Crosby and Malkin.


- the_terror

I work hard and patent the newest, greatest thing since sliced bread. Or I hit the powerball. Either way, Im on a tropical island staring at hot women in bikinis. Its good to be a Pens fan regardless of how they got there. It doesn't diminish them in my eyes one bit.

Maybe more of you guys should stop hating and go appreciate your team in your own blogs. As the saying goes, "I'd rather be lucky than good".

says the fan of a franchise that lost alot of games to select a Russian named OV
- Oneonta Penguin

Another great point from Oneonto Penguin, guys.

Kind of like when a team purposely loses to draft Ovechkin.
- Ben37

oh, good point. I guess I should take that compliment back?

Time will tell how many cups Sid and Malkin win with the Pens' but I have a hard time agreeing any team (besides Detroit) is considered a properly run franchise for the past "x" amount of years.

Pens' GM traded for a bunch of guys that were supposed to make them a shoe in for the cup but ended up choking big time against Boston.

thats only one example

Detroit has been a legit contender for as long as i can remember pretty much.

Hope the Blackhawks can be there (looking close, but too soon to tell)
- BlazinMike

How about NJ? They were a legitimate contender for the cup year after year for about 15 Martin Brodeur filled years. Rarely ever missed the playoffs.

How about NJ? They were a legitimate contender for the cup year after year for about 15 Martin Brodeur filled years. Rarely ever missed the playoffs.
- thickman1178

In a sucky style.

Detroit did it the right way. They developed their own players in house through strong scouting, drafting, and player development. They added key components at the right time and managed to pull out 20+ years of consistency.

Pittsburgh won the lottery. Imagine for a second, that Anaheim won that year and drafted Crosby, and Pittsburgh ended up with Bobby Ryan. And then imagine, the year they picked Malkin, that they wound up picking third and ended up with Cam Barker.

How different would the Penguins be if you traded Crosby and Malkin for Ryan and Barker?

The main difference, would be that they would be playing their home games in a different city, and you wouldn't even be a hockey fan.

Luck is the difference. Detroit won through hard work and a game plan. Pittsburgh won because they were lucky enough to get Crosby and Malkin.


- the_terror

nothing like that post lockout closed door "lottery" for the top overall draft pick....

Great to be a Penguins fan.

Yet not even 10 years ago, they were almost the HAMILTON Penguins because NO ONE thought it was great to be a Penguins fan.

Funny how winning a draft lottery manages to bring fans back to the team.

Let's see how many of you are left when they become a last place team again. Might take another 10 years, but when you don't get lay up draft picks like Malkin and Crosby, it's a lot harder to build a team.

Can't wait to watch the wheels fall off this bandwagon.
- the_terror

Gunner, I think you should do a blog explaining exactly how the Pens ended up in bankruptcy so morons like this guy can educate himself on just how dumb they are to come trolling about a subject they know nothing about.

Briefly... The Pens fielded a minor league team in 03-04 and still drew 70% capacity. Why did they field a minor league team that year? Because the previous ownership sold off major revenue streams (parking, concessions and such) for one time cash payments. Eventually the team had to sell off players just to be able to keep the lights on. Those contracts stayed in effect 'til the Pens moved to the Consol. It put the team in a financial death spiral at a time when teams like the Rangers were paying players like Bobby Holik 9 mil a year. The previous ownership was a case study on how to drive a pro sports team to bankruptcy.

In 03-04 the Pens leading scorer was Richard Tarnstrom. They still got 12,000 through the gate to see that pitiful team. The Pens bankruptcy had nothing to do with fan support. You know nothing so (frank) off.

Incidentally... After Mario brought the team out of bankruptcy, he paid all the outstanding creditors in full which is usually the reason you go through bankruptcy (to shed your debts).

nothing like that post lockout closed door "lottery" for the top overall draft pick....

- Pyzik

Nothing like the flyers missing the playoffs last year! Wooo!

Gunner, I think you should do a blog explaining exactly how the Pens ended up in bankruptcy so morons like this guy can educate himself on just how dumb they are to come trolling about a subject they know nothing about.

Briefly... The Pens fielded a minor league team in 03-04 and still drew 70% capacity. Why did they field a minor league team that year? Because the previous ownership sold off major revenue streams (parking, concessions and such) for one time cash payments. Eventually the team had to sell off players just to be able to keep the lights on. Those contracts stayed in effect 'til the Pens moved to the Consol. It put the team in a financial death spiral at a time when teams like the Rangers were paying players like Bobby Holik 9 mil a year. The previous ownership was a case study on how to drive a pro sports team to bankruptcy.

In 03-04 the Pens leading scorer was Richard Tarnstrom. They still got 12,000 through the gate to see that pitiful team. The Pens bankruptcy had nothing to do with fan support. You know nothing so (frank) off.

Incidentally... After Mario brought the team out of bankruptcy, he paid all the outstanding creditors in full which is usually the reason you go through bankruptcy (to shed your debts).
- madmike71

Moron, yes, yes, you're entitled to your opinion.

Answer this, if the Penguins had Ryan and Barker instead of Crosby and Malkin, would they still be in Pittsburgh?

Ownership made mistakes, of course. But seriously, don't try to act like drafting two of the best three players in the entire world in consecutive years didn't have anything to do with the survival of the Penguins. You seriously think that Milan Kraft and Richard Tarnstrom would have been enough to help the Penguins survive???

Wrong.

If Crosby and Malkin hadn't been drafted by Pittsburgh, in two of the biggest no-brainer draft picks in NHL history, then the Penguins WOULD be playing elsewhere. Hamilton, KC, take your pick, but people in Pittsburgh aren't interested in following a loser. And why would they? I don't think fans anywhere except Toronto and Montreal are prepared to follow their NHL team religiously no matter how good or bad they might be.

It's not the point any of the contrarians are trying to make. 'Morons' like me are simply pointing out that the subject of the blog, as in why it's good to be a fan of a team that got good because it lucked out in the draft lottery, is a source of mockery and ridicule among fans of the other 29 NHL teams. Not because the Penguins aren't good, because they undoubtedly are, but because of how they got good. Every other team in the NHL had to earn it. Pittsburgh won the lottery.

Don't tell me you don't resent drunk hillbillies that win the powerball and end up blowing their newfound wealth on rusted out muscle cars and crystal meth. That's what the Penguins are to every other fanbase in the league. Call it jealousy if you will, not sure anyone really cares. Just sayin' that respect isn't given to success that isn't earned.

Should be a very short blog....why do you need two parts to say nothing???
- Iggysbff

He never said it was going to be two parts

Moron, yes, yes, you're entitled to your opinion.

Answer this, if the Penguins had Ryan and Barker instead of Crosby and Malkin, would they still be in Pittsburgh?

.
- the_terror

The Penguins had the worst record in the NHL and lost the lottery for Ovechkin. They could draft no lower than second that year. By losing that lottery it allowed the Penguins to receive a third lottery ball in the Crosby sweepstakes the following year

Differing opinions are welcomed, but sensationalizing your point with factually incorrect information doesn't add to the conversation.

Moron, yes, yes, you're entitled to your opinion.

Answer this, if the Penguins had Ryan and Barker instead of Crosby and Malkin, would they still be in Pittsburgh?

Ownership made mistakes, of course. But seriously, don't try to act like drafting two of the best three players in the entire world in consecutive years didn't have anything to do with the survival of the Penguins. You seriously think that Milan Kraft and Richard Tarnstrom would have been enough to help the Penguins survive???

Wrong.

If Crosby and Malkin hadn't been drafted by Pittsburgh, in two of the biggest no-brainer draft picks in NHL history, then the Penguins WOULD be playing elsewhere. Hamilton, KC, take your pick, but people in Pittsburgh aren't interested in following a loser. And why would they? I don't think fans anywhere except Toronto and Montreal are prepared to follow their NHL team religiously no matter how good or bad they might be.

It's not the point any of the contrarians are trying to make. 'Morons' like me are simply pointing out that the subject of the blog, as in why it's good to be a fan of a team that got good because it lucked out in the draft lottery, is a source of mockery and ridicule among fans of the other 29 NHL teams. Not because the Penguins aren't good, because they undoubtedly are, but because of how they got good. Every other team in the NHL had to earn it. Pittsburgh won the lottery.

Don't tell me you don't resent drunk hillbillies that win the powerball and end up blowing their newfound wealth on rusted out muscle cars and crystal meth. That's what the Penguins are to every other fanbase in the league. Call it jealousy if you will, not sure anyone really cares. Just sayin' that respect isn't given to success that isn't earned.
- the_terror

Year after year Pirates fans stay faithful. Even before these past three nice looking seasons. PIttsburgh is a great sports city and loves all of their teams.