There is not enough hate for the pens. Yet.

That is what I have learned here today

Goodnight and good hockey boys.

Playoffs are afoot!

The Flyers need to play hard within the context of the game. If they make it a "circus" and get involved in too many extracarricular activities, it will lead to PP's. There is a limit to that.
- MJL

Act, and let guys like Malkin react. "Protection" extended to star players can only keep him out of the box so many times, and not everybody on their team has that benefit methinks.

Look how close the Penguins were to having Ovechkin and Crosby. Though at the moment Malkin is better. Still, can you imagine those two on a line together?
- MBFlyerfan

I have said, in the past, that I'd take Malkin over Ovechkin. I have always felt that Malkin was a far more complete player.

Tavares was no where near as sure a thing as Crosby.

Wayne Gretzky never said that if anyone could break his records it would be Tavares. He did say that of Crosby when he was 15 years old.

Tavares was obviously seen as a top prospect, as was Nash and the others I listed. But none of them were as highly rated as Crosby. Not even close.
- Jsaquella

You, me, and everyone on here could of made the Malkin, Crosby picks. They were no brainers.

There is not enough hate for the pens. Yet.

That is what I have learned here today

Goodnight and good hockey boys.

Playoffs are afoot!
- flyer_nutter

We're just doing our best not to use up the vinegar before the war begins. No need to waste hate before it can be made useful.

You, me, and everyone on here could of made the Malkin, Crosby picks. They were no brainers.
- MJL

Absolutely.

Greztky said that Crosby could break all his records when Sid was 15 years old. There was no way anyone was not taking him first.

In the 2004 draft, the hype was all about the two Russians. One was going first and the other was going second, no matter if it was Craig Patrick or Don Cherry doing the picking.

Act, and let guys like Malkin react. "Protection" extended to star players can only keep him out of the box so many times, and not everybody on their team has that benefit methinks.
- BulliesPhan87

If you take Malkin physically enough times, he has shown that he will retaliate. And like you said, he'll only get away with it so many times. However the flip side is that if you do it illegally, and in between whistles, the odds of a Flyers going to the box for it are greater.

Absolutely.

Greztky said that Crosby could break all his records when Sid was 15 years old. There was no way anyone was not taking him first.

In the 2004 draft, the hype was all about the two Russians. One was going first and the other was going second, no matter if it was Craig Patrick or Don Cherry doing the picking.
- Jsaquella

Yep, and that's how the Pens were fortunate. To have that available. When the Flyers picked 2nd, there was no Ovechkin or Malkin.

This year fits that bill. It's an overall weak draft class at the top.
- LordStanley88

That's the impression I get. I'm no buff on draft prospects like some here, but from it's what I'm made to understand.

I have said, in the past, that I'd take Malkin over Ovechkin. I have always felt that Malkin was a far more complete player.
- Jsaquella

Good topic.

I prefer Ovechkin.

As dominant as Malkin can be I dont buy that he is better than OV.

As good as Backstrom is, I think they need to use Ovechkin better.

Give him a center that is less of a fancy player, and can hold on to the puck better, and put a speedy grinder on his line.

Look at what St. Louis has done for Stamkos.

So Eberle, Hall, RNH, and now Yakupov. That is a hell of a core of young forwards. Oilers get their backend organized, they could be scary in a few years.

Good topic.

I prefer Ovechkin.

As dominant as Malkin can be I dont buy that he is better than OV.

As good as Backstrom is, I think they need to use Ovechkin better.

Give him a center that is less of a fancy player, and can hold on to the puck better, and put a speedy grinder on his line.

Look at what St. Louis has done for Stamkos.
- flyer_nutter

Malkin is the far more complete player. It's not even close. He's a better playmaker and makes his wingers better. He's an above average defensive player, and he's more than willing to be physical. He also is usually a very good playoff performer.

So Eberle, Hall, RNH, and now Yakupov. That is a hell of a core of young forwards. Oilers get their backend organized, they could be scary in a few years.
- PLindbergh31

I think they will trade down, stay in the top 5, and draft a defenseman. They have a ton of top offensive prospects

I think they will trade down, stay in the top 5, and draft a defenseman. They have a ton of top offensive prospects
- Jsaquella

Certainly an option. Especially with Yakupov coming off a severe injury. They desperately need help on the blueline.

You, me, and everyone on here could of made the Malkin, Crosby picks. They were no brainers.
- MJL

How often does that come around? The Pens were handed a horseshoe during those years were they sucked.

If you take Malkin physically enough times, he has shown that he will retaliate. And like you said, he'll only get away with it so many times. However the flip side is that if you do it illegally, and in between whistles, the odds of a Flyers going to the box for it are greater.
- MJL

They don't even need to take him to the box, they just need to keep his focus off of goal scoring as often as possible, and without taking a penalty on it.

Certainly an option. Especially with Yakupov coming off a severe injury. They desperately need help on the blueline.
- PLindbergh31

Grigorenko could have been the top pick, had he not missed the whole year. Yakupov had a great year and is top guy, but a healthy Grigorenko make it a two horse race.

Edmonton is far more likely to keep the pick than Columbus would have been, IMO.

Yakupov is the highest rated, but it's not that wide a margin. The top of the 1st round features a lot of guys that were hurt this year and there could be a lot of sleepers.
- Jsaquella

source??

The gap is huge per everything that's been said and written..

I think they will trade down, stay in the top 5, and draft a defenseman. They have a ton of top offensive prospects
- Jsaquella

Was going to post this

Was going to post this
- BulliesPhan87

Just sign Matt Carle.

Grigorenko could have been the top pick, had he not missed the whole year. Yakupov had a great year and is top guy, but a healthy Grigorenko make it a two horse race.

Edmonton is far more likely to keep the pick than Columbus would have been, IMO.
- Jsaquella

ur mixed up - Grigorenko has not been hurt and put up 85 pts in Q for Quebec this season. Alex Galchenyuk - Sarnia - Nail's centre missed all but 2 games this season!
Played in playoffs though..

Grigorenko could have been the top pick, had he not missed the whole year. Yakupov had a great year and is top guy, but a healthy Grigorenko make it a two horse race.

Edmonton is far more likely to keep the pick than Columbus would have been, IMO.
- Jsaquella

I would agree. Supposedly it's a deep draft for d-men. I have seen mocks that have as many as 16 dmen being taken in the first round. Maybe the Flyers hit paydirt late in round 1 and find a gem.

How often does that come around? The Pens were handed a horseshoe during those years were they sucked.
- stveshdy

That is sort of the point that others were making. Being in a position to be able to draft those guys reduced the need to rely on the role players really panning out.

Of course, it was Max Talbot, who scored both goals in the game 7 that the Penguins won to defeat Detroit to win their Stanley Cup,

To me it is the "core" that wins games.

That core of Malkin, Crosby, Fleury and Staal was all due to high picks.

It's the core of a team that will usually win a series, not the complementary players. The guys Shero has assembled around them werent exactly moves no other GM would have thought of.

They are where they are because of tanking. Their fans forget it too often.
- flyer_nutter

I guess it's how you define tanking. The organization had good to great players they had to sell off for spare parts because they couldn't afford to pay them before they were "tanking". Try being a fan and seeing your entire contending team dismantled in 2 years because they have no money, only to become the laughing stock of the league for the next 4 years. Was that fair that they had to start over? I guess it depends who you ask.

As a fan that stayed loyal through that I make no apologies that they happened to be bad at the right time. They weren't going to battle with Koltsov and Kraft and actually thinking they had a chance to win.Too many non Pens fans forget that all too often.

ur mixed up - Grigorenko has not been hurt and put up 85 pts in Q for Quebec this season. Alex Galchenyuk - Sarnia - Nail's centre missed all but 2 games this season!
Played in playoffs though..
- Feeling_Glucky

That's right, I got my Russians confused.