Mood:
You know what really grinds my gears? Everything going on with the Pittsburgh Penguins right now. Right now they are 11-26-9, with the worst goals against in the league, which I could take much easier had they not had such high expectations from most people starting the season. I didn't think they'd be challenging for top spot, but I thought they would slip into the playoffs. Anyways, that's not what makes me mad, because they finished last in 2003-04, second last in 2002-03, and 26th in 2001-02, so I've been used to watching them lose games. It's not even that they signed Thibault to a multi-million dollar deal, who just happened to be the worst goalie in the league this year.
What makes me mad is the entire Sidney Crosby situation. Specifically, Crosby getting ripped in the media. People are saying that he yaps too much, he dives, etc. Let's role play. At any point during the day, I get to take my stick and nail you in the face with it. If your head cocks back, you've just dove. After you get the high stick/cross check/slash/general punch in the face, you're bleeding, beat up, and there's no penalty. There's really three options you have:
- fight back
- tell the referee it's much easier to see the game with his head removed from his anus
- do nothing
Option 1 gets you a penalty for roughing. Media and opposing fans will label you a loose cannon. Option 2 gets you a penalty for unsportsmanlike conduct. You get the "loud mouth" label. Option 3 gets you more abuse from the other players who now know that you and the referee aren't going to do a thing.
They brought in Vandenbussche and Roy in the off-season to help Crosby out in these situations, and so far they've either done nothing or not been in the lineup because they aren't that great. They have Maxime Talbot, who is 5'11" 191 lbs., coming across the rink to fight a guy who has his own website where he posts videos of his fights. Talbot is fucking awesome.
The other classic line I hear all the time is "Ovechkin has to do it all himself in Washington. Crosby has so much help". Wow. Pittsburgh starts 9 rookies at one time, the most in the NHL. Rookies on the team are Ouellet, Christensen, Whitney, Armstrong, Murley, Hussey, Endicott, Fleury, and Crosby. After Crosby's 51 points, they have Palffy (Retired today, 42 pts.), Recchi (31 pts.), Lemieux (out with an injury, 22 points), Gonchar (20 pts.), and Leclair (18 pts.)Then add Scuderi, Koltsov, Vandenbussche, Roy, Melichar, Boguniecki, Tarnstrom, Odelein, Pirjeta, Orpik, Surovy, Jackman, and Malone. Only Palffy and Recchi have more points than Washington's second most point getter, who has played 10 less games. And Palffy just retired. I like the guys on the Penguins - they'll be really good in a couple years - but where's all this help people are talking about?