Non-Pens NHL Games Thread

[Idoit40fans]

I dont think hate is too strong a word. Perplexing would be another descriptor of the situation.

[Big Easy Pens Fan]

A great, I mean GREAT pass by Williams to start the Kings 2nd goal. An off the boards drop pass. WOW.

http://video.nhl.com/videocenter/consol ... 46&lang=en" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

BEPF

[duke66]

Can't wait to buy that LA Kings swag.

not a criticism, but why would u buy another teams championship swag??

[Malkamaniac]

Can't wait to buy that LA Kings swag.

not a criticism, but why would u buy another teams championship swag??

I've been a hardcore Kings fan for the past 7-10 years. I've adopted them as my West Conference team and Dustin Brown is probably my biggest non Pens man crush in I don't know how long.

Not only that, it makes the sports purists jelly when I tell them this.

[duke66]

Can't wait to buy that LA Kings swag.

not a criticism, but why would u buy another teams championship swag??

I've been a hardcore Kings fan for the past 7-10 years. I've adopted them as my West Conference team and Dustin Brown is probably my biggest non Pens man crush in I don't know how long.

Not only that, it makes the sports purists jelly when I tell them this.

haha. yes i can see how it would p*** people off!! i have two teams in baseball (one for each league), but not in hockey. i guess if i had to pick a second fav nhl team, it would b the avs. i used to root for the nords back when i was like 6-7 years old. always liked sakic too.

[Malkamaniac]

Yea, I couldn't even tell you why I'm so attracted to that team. There's just something about that old school silver and black with the old school kings logo that I go bonkers for.

Plus, it's a team that nobody gave a chance for the longest time so I've always kind of paid attention and hung with them. I think my love for Dustin Brown on this board goes back a few years since I clamor for that man to be on the Pens every single trade deadline lol.

[newarenanow]

haha. yes i can see how it would p*** people off!! i have two teams in baseball (one for each league), but not in hockey. i guess if i had to pick a second fav nhl team, it would b the avs. i used to root for the nords back when i was like 6-7 years old. always liked sakic too.

I'm a big time Cubs fan for baseball along with the Buccos. If the Cubs won the WS, it would be just as great for me as if the Pirates won, maybe one step below, but still great.

I don't have that with any other team though in any other sport. I have teams I like, but not to the points of the Cubs in MLB (outside of teh Pgh teams).

[columbia]

I have a Mets sweater....deal with it.

[Sarcastic]

For those who follow Kings more. Is Quick as good as he looks in these finals? Fast and good positionally. I can't believe Devils, with all their weapons, can't seem to score on him. I know it's always a combination of goalie and team play, but how much is it Quick and how much the guys in front of him?

[Malkamaniac]

For those who follow Kings more. Is Quick as good as he looks in these finals? Fast and good positionally. I can't believe Devils, with all their weapons, can't seem to score on him. I know it's always a combination of goalie and team play, but how much is it Quick and how much the guys in front of him?

He's progressed insanely over the past two years. This was on the horizon but it was always felt that Bernier was the better of the two. So more than likely, the Kings are ridiculous stupid if they get rid of Quick now so Bernier is getting moved this year.

[mikey287]

What Malk said basically. I never thought too much of Quick, been a big Bernier fan for years...thought Quick was just a stopgap until Bernier is ready. Bernier won't be a starter for the LA Kings, ever. Quick has been unbelieveable, his team doesn't score for him (at least it didn't during the regular year - he lost 10 games when allowing 1 goal this year!) and he's been a rock. Quickest legs in the league, terrific puck tracker...

Now, no goalie is independent of his team in this league. The Kings play a well-structured game. Unlike Boston, who allows a ton of shots from the outside and then try to clear the rebounds before the attackers can penetrate...it seems like the Kings like to try to close the gap higher in the offensive zone, low in the neutral zone...this means less the forwards have to come back. And that's part of what Sutter did differently from Murray...there was more attack time for the opposition under Murray and the forwards got so tired from defending for 35 seconds of a shift that it led to a lot of dumping but limited forechecking because it was the best time to change (on the dump in). Sutter seems to want to apply pressure near the blueline, force that lateral step for an offside or for a Kopitar or a Richards (two excellent two-way centermen) to pick their pocket and you get that read from the weak side winger and he takes off and boom - transition hockey. The former attackers are moving forward, that one stretch transition pass causes all hell to break loose.

Count it out in the last game of the season tomorrow. Watch how many times the Kings come in 3 on 2 or 2 on 2...2 on 2 is ok too if executed right and sometimes you can pick up a trailer, they have two d-men that really love to join the fray (Doughty and Voynov). Sutter likes the transition aspect, he wants guys to make more anticipation plays and kind of loosened the structure a tiny bit. The only part that the players need to realize, is that stretch pass, that pickpocket, that step at the blueline won't work every time. One time or another an Ilya Kovalchuk will dance past you, a Zach Parise will chip and beat you on the hip turn/transition step...the forwards can't jump the gun, they must defend first until it's clear that we have a better chance to move the other way. And they do a good job usually (well, duh, they're 15-2).

Quick is just plain excellent. He's given up 24 goals in these entire playoffs...the record (since this format was introduced) is 34 by Brodeur in 1995. And just for contemporary comparison, Thomas was lauded as having one of the best playoffs ever last year...he gave up more than twice as many goals (51) as Quick has so far (probably because Quick doesn't really give up 40-foot shots along the ice from Vincent Lecavalier or dive out of the net for no reason in an overtime in the Finals, but that's another story all together, a tired one at that...). Special player, having a special season.

[DudeMan2766]

But Quick is 0-3 lifetime against the Wheeling Nailers and in 2 of those losses got yanked in the 2nd period.

Why do I feel like if Quick was in Pittsburgh that stat would be used on this board as an argument of how he hasnt been that great these playoffs.

Spoiler:

Bet then again if he was in Pittsburgh he most likely would have played FOR Wheeling

[Idoit40fans]

People who think you can only root for one team should be flayed.

[Idoit40fans]

For those who follow Kings more. Is Quick as good as he looks in these finals? Fast and good positionally. I can't believe Devils, with all their weapons, can't seem to score on him. I know it's always a combination of goalie and team play, but how much is it Quick and how much the guys in front of him?

He's progressed insanely over the past two years. This was on the horizon but it was always felt that Bernier was the better of the two. So more than likely, the Kings are ridiculous stupid if they get rid of Quick now so Bernier is getting moved this year.

He's not much different than he has been the last two years. The defense is about 7.3 times better then they have been though.

[meecrofilm]

People who think you can only root for one team should be flayed.

Hm. Seems a bit drastic.

[shmenguin]

eesh, 2.9 million viewers. i thought round 1 created the most hockey buzz with casual fans that i can remember in the post lockout era. all the violence was good business for the league. these 2 teams are just too damn polite.

http://www.sbnation.com/2012/6/5/306576 ... ts-another" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

[duke66]

I have a Mets sweater....deal with it.

mets and blue jays for me.

[Kovy27]

[Kovy27]

I have a Mets sweater....deal with it.

mets and blue jays for me.

Rockies and Blue Jays for me. Neal with it.

[MRandall25]

People who think you can only root for one team should be flayed.

It's only bad if they're in the same division/rivals (I know someone who is a Pens and Caps fan. It makes no sense).

EDIT: Also, had a Starter Stars jersey for hockey and Elway, Davis, McNair, Manning, and Moss jerseys for football.

[Rylan]

I am a Pens/Caps fan. I was a fan of the Pens my whole life and while growing up I watched a lot of Caps games when Bondra and company were rocking the DC area and I started to enjoy the Caps.

[MRandall25]

I am a Pens/Caps fan. I was a fan of the Pens my whole life and while growing up I watched a lot of Caps games when Bondra and company were rocking the DC area and I started to enjoy the Caps.

I mean, I understand that, but this is a more recent (read: ROCK THE RED FSDJFLAJKAHAAHH) development. Wouldn;'t be surprised if she didn;t know what hockey was before 2006

[mikey287]

I personally never understood the "two favorite teams" thing, but maybe I wasn't predisposed to that type of fandom - though I'm an out-of-market fan for both my teams (Penguins and Colts) I didn't have a ton of parental influence for Philadelphia teams (they cheered for them, but not at any sort of fan level - "yay" if they did well [they didn't.], who cares otherwise), one of my best friends growing up (and maybe my biggest hockey influence in my formative years) liked an out of market team (well, the New Jersey Devils are out of market in South Jersey, technically - go figure) and I have what is probably an unhealthy emotional attachment with both the Colts and the Penguins (especially the latter)...as nuts as it sounds, there are few things in the world I care about more than the Penguins and their success...I can't develop that type of passion for any other team, it feels kind of weird just to think about it really haha...

Apparently this liking two teams thing is not only a potent bet hedger, but is also a more common practice than I first realized before I went to college and discovered things like Jets fans having "NFC teams that they root for" or Rangers fans having a Western Conference team they like...things that once brought upon a slack-jawed gaze of bewilderment from me is now met indifferently with cynic undertones...still don't quite get it, but am willing to cautiously accept that others do this...

As for liking a rival team as your second team, that just makes my brain explode. I grew up defending the Penguins against ravenous, unruly and above all, stupid, Flyers fans...no way I could like them. Come playoff time, I scowl at them often wishing bad things about them in my head, things that occasionally end up being muttered aloud...I remember during the 2008 run that I promised (in rage) my one friend that I would get into the NHL, take one shift just to take a flying leap at Tomas Holmstrom in attempt to decapitate him, I swore I'd get him if I had one chance and whatever the consequences were, it would be well worth it...I mean, I hate the Flyers and Capitals and Red Wings...hate. Noticeable hatred.

#checkingin #becauseitsthecup #straightjacketplease

[Big Easy Pens Fan]

People who think you can only root for one team should be flayed.

I agree. But on the other hand it doesn't seem to matter how many teams you root AGAINST.

BEPF

[littlemoonboot]

I am just a Pens fan though I do "like" other teams.

If my home city (Seattle) ever got a team I'd probably pee my pants, though. They wouldn't take the place of the PENS as MY TEAM but at the same time, I'd support them among the West.

That being said, I like the Kings in general and a Cup win for them will be great for hockey.