2009 STANLEY CUP PLAYOFFS: PITTSBURGH PENGUINS VS. DETROIT RED WINGS

caissie_1 wrote:
You smart man... I was hoping you would mess up and post your pick. Im going crazy trying to read your mind.

You think that would help me in FaceBook poker, eh? Not today, though.

As for my picks, I think you can almost infer that I'm picking someone in seven. Almost.

I still amazes me how someone can have an emergency appendectomy on Wednesday and play on Saturday (I'm not sure if that's Ericsson's timeline but that's what happened to another player earlier in the year). It used to be that an appendectomy would have you in hospital 2-3 days, followed by at home in-bed another week or more. And after that you'd be in no condition for physical contact for quite a while.

Even more recently, though, my father-in-law had an appendectomy about 2-3 years ago, and he was recovering from that for months. That incision just would not heal for the longest time. Of course he's in his nineties.

Anyone else think Datsyuk has a crack in his foot, somewhere? He was hurt taking a shot, right? He's missed two games already and was finally skating but not hard. That's too long for a bruise and there was no indication he'd hurt his ankle.

Just read on a Yahoo message board a rumour that Lidstrom may have a broken wrist from a slash. You know how they said "lower body" -- that fits. If that's true (even if it's not a break but a bad bruise), that's not good news for the Wings.

Oh, and another post suggests that Datsyuk has a cracked rib.

TSN's experts picks:
http://www.tsn.ca/nhl/feature/?fid=11809

So far McKenzie, Duthie and Pang all picked has picked Detroit. Ferraro and Maggie haven't made their picks yet.

Bylsma should print this out *now* (just in case Ferraro breaks ranks) to pin up in the dressing room.

As always, I'm waiting for Maggie before I make my picks.

wprager wrote:TSN's experts picks:
http://www.tsn.ca/nhl/feature/?fid=11809

So far McKenzie, Duthie and Pang all picked has picked Detroit. Ferraro and Maggie haven't made their picks yet.

Bylsma should print this out *now* (just in case Ferraro breaks ranks) to pin up in the dressing room.

As always, I'm waiting for Maggie before I make my picks.

this is Maggie's last ever pick, I wonder who will be picking next year for animal representation?

SensFan71 wrote:

wprager wrote:TSN's experts picks:
http://www.tsn.ca/nhl/feature/?fid=11809

So far McKenzie, Duthie and Pang all picked has picked Detroit. Ferraro and Maggie haven't made their picks yet.

Bylsma should print this out *now* (just in case Ferraro breaks ranks) to pin up in the dressing room.

As always, I'm waiting for Maggie before I make my picks.

this is Maggie's last ever pick, I wonder who will be picking next year for animal representation?

Well, you know McGuire's a monster -- does that qualify?

wprager wrote:

SensFan71 wrote:

wprager wrote:TSN's experts picks:
http://www.tsn.ca/nhl/feature/?fid=11809

So far McKenzie, Duthie and Pang all picked has picked Detroit. Ferraro and Maggie haven't made their picks yet.

Bylsma should print this out *now* (just in case Ferraro breaks ranks) to pin up in the dressing room.

As always, I'm waiting for Maggie before I make my picks.

this is Maggie's last ever pick, I wonder who will be picking next year for animal representation?

Well, you know McGuire's a monster -- does that qualify?

well I suppose that would count, but if he jumps the TSN ship for a GM job, what shall they do then? I know holly horton is a fox, but that is a different type of animal :drooling:

Maggie has picked the Penguins to win...

http://www.tsn.ca/nhl/story/?id=280317

Note: she's 0-5 in SCF predictions...

shabbs wrote:Maggie has picked the Penguins to win...

http://www.tsn.ca/nhl/story/?id=280317

Note: she's 0-5 in SCF predictions...

What's holding up Ferraro's pick?

I have made my pick!!! Let's hope it's enough to bring me to victory...

From the Detroit Free Press today:

PENGUINS' TALBOT SAYS IT IN FRENCH: I'D LIKE TO TELL HOSSA HE CHOSE THE WRONG TEAM

Steve Schrader, Detroit Free Press, May 29 2008

Listen up, Penguins: You can’t escape the long arm of the octopus. And it has eight of ’em, n’est-ce pas? Like, don’t give an interview in French in Montreal and think it won’t get down here.

Brian Lipson, a Wings fan from West Bloomfield who now lives in Montreal, happening to be listening to Maxime Talbot being interviewed on a sports radio station there the other day. Brian sent along his translation of a couple of Talbot quotes:

On playing against Marian Hossa: “There’s nothing I’d like more than to be able to shake Marian’s hand at the end of this series, look him in the eye and say, ‘You chose the wrong team.’”

On whether the quick start to the finals will help the Pens: “We hope so and think so. We’re a bit younger and with less injuries, so we hope that gives us an edge.”

The quotes made their way onto a French site -- corussports.com -- too.

Now, compare those to the more diplomatic remarks Talbot made on those subjects down here (from video at the Penguins’ Web site):

On Hossa: “He made a decision last summer, and he’s in the finals. He didn’t go for money or anything, so you gotta respect that. But he’s in our way right now, so we’ll have to play him hard.”


On the quick start: “The sooner we can play, the better it is for us because I think we’re anxious. We’re ready. I think they’re going to be ready, too. It’s the Stanley Cup finals. It’s not that they’re going to be tired or anything."

---

Surprising how a supposed media professional like Schrader relies on third party information.

Talbot never says what Schrader claims.

And here's the actual Talbot quote about Hossa, Schrader said the fan referred to:

«Il y aurait rien de plus valorisant que le regarder dans les yeux, lui serrer la main et lui dire : 'tu as choisi la mauvaise équipe'. (Mais) il faut que tu respectes le gars parce que il n'y a pas pris une décision monétaire. Il s'est dit 'Je pense j'ai une meilleure chance de gagner avec Détroit.'»

Not exactly what is purported in the translation, and mischievous Max's statement is quoted out of its original context.

But, in the interests of fair and balanced discussion, here's the article from Corus Sports:
http://www.corussports.com/hockey/marian_hossa_vengeance-20090528-1579681.html

...and or those who want to listen to the Maxime Talbot interview, and decide for yourselves...here's the link to the audio:

http://www.corussports.com/radio/audioplayer.php?file=1579681.mp3&mode=cn&id=1579681&date=20090528

Maybe Steve Schrader will take some French courses.

davetherave wrote:Maybe Steve Schrader will take some French courses.

Where's the misquote? There are two different sets of quotes. The first two are attributed to the interview, the second two are attributed to a video interview done earlier. In the first two, only one seems to be in the French article, the other seems to come from nowhere.

shabbs wrote:Where's the misquote? There are two different sets of quotes. The first two are attributed to the interview, the second two are attributed to a video interview done earlier. In the first two, only one seems to be in the French article, the other seems to come from nowhere.

Listen to the interview...the audio link is provided. According to Schrader, he himself never has.

davetherave wrote:

shabbs wrote:Where's the misquote? There are two different sets of quotes. The first two are attributed to the interview, the second two are attributed to a video interview done earlier. In the first two, only one seems to be in the French article, the other seems to come from nowhere.

Listen to the interview...the audio link is provided. According to Schrader, he himself never has.

I was just comparing the french quotes to the english ones, which seemed to match up ok. Have not listened to the interview.

The Finals as viewed by The Windsor Star:

Penguins won't be fooled

Red Wings host Game 1 tonight

Dave Waddell, The Windsor Star/May 30, 2009

The Pittsburgh Penguins were staking a lot of claims Friday.

They claimed they're better prepared, know what to expect and are just plain better than they were heading into last year's Stanley Cup final.

Most importantly, they claim to know how to fix the problems that led to their loss in six games to the Detroit Red Wings.

Whether all that's enough to change the the Stanley Cup Finals series outcome this time will begin to unfold tonight when the teams meet in Game 1 at Joe Louis Arena (8 p.m., CBC, NBC, live blog at windsorstar.com).

"I don't think they're much different and that's going to be the biggest issue for us," said Pittsburgh's Rob Scuderi, who has evolved into a shutdown defenceman this season. "They were champions last year and they're back again and they've played well through the entire playoffs even with all the injuries they've had. We didn't play them last year and you hop into the playoffs and you don't respect how good they were as a team. I don't think that'll be the disadvantage for us this year."

That was a common theme among the Penguins, that they were ill-prepared.

That wasn't exactly a ringing endorsement of former coach Michel Therrien.

"We know what to expect," Pittsburgh captain Sidney Crosby said. "There shouldn't be any surprises. This year, we know our opponent. Last year, that wasn't the case."

This year's Penguins are clearly a happier group under coach Dan Bylsma.

The 38-year-old native of Grand Haven, Mich., has employed a system that allows the Penguins to play a faster, more aggressive style that better exploits their talents.

The result was an 18-3-4 surge to secure a playoff berth followed by an impressive march to their second straight final.

"When you get to this point, you obviously believe in your game," Crosby said.
"We've definitely tried to play more aggressive with a lot of speed and I definitely think that's too our advantage.

"I don't think that's something we did as well last year."

However, for Pittsburgh, the challenge that remains is to get the Wings playing their style.

Last year, the Wings controlled the puck and the Penguins were frequently hemmed in their own end, cutting off service to their skilled forwards.

"Both teams are trying to dictate their style to the other team," Scuderi said.
"The amount of time we got caught in our zone last year, over the first period you're OK, but over the course of the game eventually you wear down and they create chances. That's what happened last year."

Scuderi said the style of hockey played in the west is a tough adjustment. It allows far less freedom for players.

"From all the west teams we've played, there is definitely a pretty big chasm the way the game is played between the conferences," Scuderi said. "They don't give up much and they always have good support through the neutral zone and chip pucks deep. The biggest difference is all four lines do it. It's tough to defend when you know it's going to happen."

Detroit winger Johan Franzen said from what he'd seen this spring, the Penguins have learned their lessons well from a year ago.

"They have a better all-around game from their top players," Franzen said. "They have a better understanding of what it takes, the little things whether it's faceoffs, backchecks everything matters in the finals. They're a bit smarter and from what I've seen, they're playing more solid hockey. That's probably why they're back in the finals."

All the experts are predicting a heavy Detroit win, and given the evidence, I tend to agree.

I am going for Pittsburg though, get hossa turncoat!