Just to correct you there. Yes, they did tank in order to get Lemieux. That is well documented, and it was a brilliant. I'm sure if teams could turn back time, they would do the exact same thing. BUT, in terms of Crosby, Pittsburgh did not tank in order to get Sid. They were just bad. Terrible would be the more apt descriptor. I remember those years. We lost Jagr, Straka, and Kovalev because the team could no longer afford them, and got players like Rico Fata, Milan Kraft, and Kostantin Koltsov. A cast of characters that no respectable team would want, unless you were dead broke. Which Pittsburgh was at that time. They were hard years, and it was hard to be a paying fan. The Great Richard Tarnstrom and Ryan Malone were the only things to be excited about (which was sad in retrospect). But I honestly do not believe they tanked on purpose to get Crosby. They just sucked enough to get the right #1 pick at the right time.
- simethos

The apparently highly talented 1983-84 Penguins deviously lost their last 6 games in a row and secured the #1 slot in the 1984 draft.

Lost down the memory hole somewhere is the fact that the 1983-84 Devils lost their last EIGHT games in a row and won exactly once in their last 13 games, but I'm sure they were losing on merit alone and by no means "tanking".

The Devils' big mistake came in their 14th-to-last game of that season, when they beat the Penguins by the score of 6-5, and that made all the difference in the end -- had the outcome been reversed and the rest of the season gone the way it did, NJD would have had 39 points to Pittsburgh's 40 and would have had Mario. They just didn't quite tank well enough.

I agree. They are run by clowns. We'd be here all day if we had to list all the reasons.
- Buffalo--Sabres

But you're a fan of the NHL. What would you rather the NHL be run like? The NFL? NBA? Or, god forbid, MLB?

I'm not ragging on you, it is an honest question. I look at the other leagues and they all have their problems. I don't believe the NHL is horribly run. They have their issues to fix, but overall, I think the league's standing is in pretty decent shape.

But you're a fan of the NHL. What would you rather the NHL be run like? The NFL? NBA? Or, god forbid, MLB?

I'm not ragging on you, it is an honest question. I look at the other leagues and they all have their problems. I don't believe the NHL is horribly run. They have their issues to fix, but overall, I think the league's standing is in pretty decent shape.
- simethos

Hell, even yes leonsis doesn't trust the league. What separates the NHL from the others is vision. The NHL doesn't know how to create the best product like the NFL and NBA. They both realized that fans like scoring. Beyond that, they're all shady.

Right. My point is it wasn't some savvy strategy, they were just plain awful.

I wouldn't say Colorado was intentionally tanking this year
- sbroads24

you're talking about the same franchise that openly tanked to get Mario Lemieux...and Lemieux was the owner of the pens at the time they drafted Crosby...

the nhl knew for years that Crosby was a once in a generation player, so did the pens, so did lemieux

[quote=Sabresfan-365]
they were lucky in successfully defending the title?

lucky because they didn't win the advanced stats battle?

I agree. They are run by clowns. We'd be here all day if we had to list all the reasons.
- Buffalo--Sabres

[quote=Sabresfan-365]
why are you eliminating the quotes you're responding to?

just curious

I think his point was the intent was not the same, and he's right.

Pitt just had awful management/organization when they landed Sid.
- sbroads24

Even if you accept their intent, (which I dont), I don't see a material difference between selling off underperforming Vets to be terrible and keeping underperforming Vets to be terrible

The apparently highly talented 1983-84 Penguins deviously lost their last 6 games in a row and secured the #1 slot in the 1984 draft.

Lost down the memory hole somewhere is the fact that the 1983-84 Devils lost their last EIGHT games in a row and won exactly once in their last 13 games, but I'm sure they were losing on merit alone and by no means "tanking".

The Devils' big mistake came in their 14th-to-last game of that season, when they beat the Penguins by the score of 6-5, and that made all the difference in the end -- had the outcome been reversed and the rest of the season gone the way it did, NJD would have had 39 points to Pittsburgh's 40 and would have had Mario. They just didn't quite tank well enough.
- ab1

just stop

TSN PLAYING TO LOSE from Devon Burns on Vimeo.

you're talking about the same franchise that openly tanked to get Mario Lemieux...and Lemieux was the owner of the pens at the time they drafted Crosby...

the nhl knew for years that Crosby was a once in a generation player, so did the pens, so did lemieux
- Michael Pachla

it was funny when penguin fans ripped us for tanking in the mcdavid eichel draft

Trading the 8th overall for Brodin is foolish.

[quote=Michael Pachla]


its not me deleting this its the site


no not because of the advanced stats battle just from watching some of the games the results really could have gone the other way.

I honestly thought they were lucky to get past washington


Edit: also to clarify, getting outshot isnt losing the advanced stats battle. shots are just a regular stat lol

Trading the 8th overall for Brodin is foolish.
- SABRES 89

Agreed. 8th overall should be a D man on this team in under 3 years. And from the sounds of it, he would be better than Brodin.

it was funny when penguin fans ripped us for tanking in the mcdavid eichel draft
- homiedclown

the pens tanking has been either forgotten, or is being re-written...just look at some of the responses here

Trading the 8th overall for Brodin is foolish.
- SABRES 89

the 8th in this draft is like pick 20 or 21 in most drafts


pretend your trading lehner for brodin

the 8th in this draft is like pick 20 or 21 in most drafts


pretend your trading lehner for brodin
- homiedclown

yourlogicalfallacyis.com/allofthem


just cause some idiot moved a first for him doesnt make him worth that and it doesnt make trading a top 10 pick in any draft for a glorified 2nd pairing guy worth it

the pens tanking has been either forgotten, or is being re-written...just look at some of the responses here
- Michael Pachla

I never liked them when they had mario and jagr


I sure don't like them now


I respect them, and would respect them more if Crosby acted more like a captain than a POS

He needs to lead by example and skate to the bench instead of the cheap shots

I sure hope Eichel is taking notes on what not to do

the 8th in this draft is like pick 20 or 21 in most drafts


pretend your trading lehner for brodin
- homiedclown

Another over hyped player

Agreed. 8th overall should be a D man on this team in under 3 years. And from the sounds of it, he would be better than Brodin.
- Lilroot9

Brodin, another over hyped player

its not me deleting this its the site


no not because of the advanced stats battle just from watching some of the games the results really could have gone the other way.

I honestly thought they were lucky to get past washington


Edit: also to clarify, getting outshot isnt losing the advanced stats battle. shots are just a regular stat lol
- Sabresfan-365

they won because they have the best player in the game, one of the best players in the game (and vastly underrated) and got great, timely goaltending...luck had very little to do with it

Bring on the draft(s)

I never liked them when they had mario and jagr


I sure don't like them now


I respect them, and would respect them more if Crosby acted more like a captain than a POS

He needs to lead by example and skate to the bench instead of the cheap shots

I sure hope Eichel is taking notes on what not to do
- homiedclown

I was hoping jack would take notes on what Crosby did...dude was all-in, all the time

good points...but i'm still of the opinion that they tanked...don't forget, everyone knew sid would be the next 'great one' years before he was drafted...it was the only way they could save the franchise in Pittsburgh...and I didn't even bring up the behind closed doors draft lottery
- Michael Pachla

There wasn't even an NHL season before Sid was drafted, so they didn't even have the chance to tank the season because of the NHL lockout... so there's that...

There wasn't even an NHL season before Sid was drafted, so they didn't even have the chance to tank the season because of the NHL lockout... so there's that...
- j.boyd919

correct, but pens had the worst record in the league 2003-04 and second-worst the year prior...they knew sid was coming and you can bet your bottom dollar that they would have finished last in 2004-05 if there was a season

they won because they have the best player in the game, one of the best players in the game (and vastly underrated) and got great, timely goaltending...luck had very little to do with it
- Michael Pachla

this is the nhl, of the major sports it leans the most towards the luck end of the scale.

All cup winners have had some kind of luck during there run, its just part of the equation. my point was pittsburgh was a bit above the norm.