Ryan Wilson: March to the Cup: Mario Lemieux Division semi-finals RESULTS March to the Cup: Mario Lemieux Division semi-finals RESULTS

loved the Rats

Surprise the Pens beat the Blues in a landslide.

Suprised that there was a landslide but in my mental simulation, Guentzel returned like a risen Messiah and made Binnington his bit€h. HAHAHAHA

Yeah… So it is going to be an uphill battle to beat the Penguins in this thing.

The moment Ryan realized how pointless it is to hold a vote in a blog primarily read by one team's fans lol.

I feel the same way about that Florida- Pittsburgh series in 96. Such a disappointment and a Colorado-Pittsburgh series would have been ten times better. But then I also remember that it was the FLORIDA PANTHERS and even with Francis hurt they should have beaten them but couldn’t adapt and score enough. So Oens deserve some blame too. Plus EJ for some stupid reason started Barrasso instead of Wregget who was the better goaltender at that point. Such a frustrating series.

I feel the same way about that Florida- Pittsburgh series in 96. Such a disappointment and a Colorado-Pittsburgh series would have been ten times better. But then I also remember that it was the FLORIDA PANTHERS and even with Francis hurt they should have beaten them but couldn’t adapt and score enough. So Oens deserve some blame too. Plus EJ for some stupid reason started Barrasso instead of Wregget who was the better goaltender at that point. Such a frustrating series.
- Sams_Dog

How do you compete with the dynamic offensive force that was Johann Garpenlov?

The Florida team that beat the Pens was the ultimate clutch and grab team. IMHO, it led to many revisions in the refs calling in future games and improved the sport overall.

The Florida team that beat the Pens was the ultimate clutch and grab team. IMHO, it led to many revisions in the refs calling in future games and improved the sport overall.
- powerhouse

I always felt the NHL viewed it as an opportunity to "build" a fanbase for the Panthers. I've never seen a series called that poorly....which is saying something. Panthers just hooked, grabbed, mugged their way into the finals. Then for whatever reason, they called a somewhat normal series with the Avs and they got swept like the group of plugs they were. Really a shame the world didn't get to watch the Avs/Pens. It would have been an incredible series.

I feel the same way about that Florida- Pittsburgh series in 96. Such a disappointment and a Colorado-Pittsburgh series would have been ten times better. But then I also remember that it was the FLORIDA PANTHERS and even with Francis hurt they should have beaten them but couldn’t adapt and score enough. So Oens deserve some blame too. Plus EJ for some stupid reason started Barrasso instead of Wregget who was the better goaltender at that point. Such a frustrating series.
- Sams_Dog

In no way was Wregget the better goaltender. Barrasso always was. However, Barrasso did give up an indefensible goal from the red line in game 7. You know wed have been all over Fleury for that, so to be fair Im blasting Tommy for that one. It was the worst goal he ever gave up. But for the total picture, Barrasso was by far the better puck handling goaltender, which is exactly what was needed in that series.
Flash back to your other point, which was spot on. Francis was hurt, and the Penguins inability to figure out how to score--whether because of the injury or because of the awful boring trap--was the reason they lost that series.

Its a real shame the NHL couldnt get out of its own way in the 90's. We lost 2 golden opportunities to see marquee players go head to head in a Stanley Cup Finals...In 1993 it could have been Mario vs Gretzky (instead we got Montreal vs 99) and in 96 it could have been Avs vs Pens... No matter who would have won those series, hockey fans in general would have been the winners...instead they lost...