The Detroit Red Wings are the classiest team in the NHL. Just ask them. They are so overflowing with class, in fact, that they have some to spare. And they want to share it with the Pittsburgh Penguins! How classy of them!
When Sidney Crosby and his fellow Stanley Cup Champions were busy committing the unimaginable act of celebrating their 1st Stanley Cup since 1992, the veteran Red Wings were quick to point out just how un-classy the Penguins are.
As Kris Draper stated: “Nick (Lidstrom) was waiting and waiting and (Sidney) Crosby didn’t come over to shake his hand. That’s ridiculous, especially as their captain, and make sure you write that I said that.”
Now, as we all understand, Draper is a 4-time Cup winner, so he knows all about the ins and outs of proper celebration etiquette. He was probably just recalling back to last year’s victory when the Red Wings shook the hands of their vanquished opponents before they even dared to touch Lord Stanley’s Mug. If we took a stop-watch to each team’s celebration, we would surely see that the Detroit players respected their opponent so much, that they hurried over to the hand-shake line before the celebration. If only I had a stop-watch.
What’s this? A STOP-WATCH! How convenient. Now, so as to not be unreasonable, we’ll give them some time to enjoy their victory before they grace the loser Penguins at centre ice with their collective winning presence. Ready? Set? CELEBRATE!
From the final whistle to the first handshake, the ever considerate Red Wings celebrated for a mere 2 minutes and 10 seconds.
Now, let’s see how long the rude and provincial Penguins celebrated for. Judging by Draper’s comments, I could probably use a sundial to measure this celebration, but for accuracy’s sake, I’ll stick with the stop-watch.
Hmmm. I must have blacked out during at least 75% of their celebration, because by my measurements indicate that they celebrated for 2 minutes and 15 seconds. Well, either way – those are the 5 unclassiest seconds in the history of time.
As Henrik Zetterberg points out, it’s important for the captain to lead his team into the handshakes, as a symbolic gesture of respect. "I think that's one thing you should do. I don't know why he didn't do it, it's disrespectful."
Absolutely – this is why 21-year-olds lack the leadership to be captain in this league. They certainly don’t follow the example of veteran captains like Lidstrom. Let’s rewind to last year’s handshakes. Of course he will be the 1st Red Wing to congratulate the Penguins on their being the most recent team to fall to Detroit in the finals; what a privilege!
Uh oh. It seems my argument about how classy the Red Wings are is falling apart. Lidstrom did not lead the Wings into the handshake following their Cup-clinching victory in 2008.
Certainly Pavel Datsuyk, the reigning 3-time Lady Byng winner - the trophy awarded to none other than the classiest player in the league - has some tips in the press on how the Penguins could be better winners next time: no comment. It's strange for a player as gentlemanly as Datsuyk to not admonish the Penguins on their faux-pas.
What about the snubbed Lidstrom? He can help Crosby out with some correcting words, no doubt! “Sidney was probably caught up in the emotions and everything," said Lidstrom. He also speculated that Crosby would learn from his mistake. Not nearly stern enough for such a slight as the one Crosby granted him after this year’s Game 7.
It seems that, after all these etiquette lessons, the Penguins WERE following in the Red Wings’ ultra-classy footsteps, rather than being the snot-nosed poor sports that Draper and Zetterberg accused them of being.
The Red Wings have shown that they know all about being classy winners, but maybe it's time they learn something about being gracious losers.
***all quotes from the Associated Press.
Showing posts with label Sidney Crosby. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Sidney Crosby. Show all posts
Thursday, June 18, 2009
Monday, May 5, 2008
Pennsylvania, Puberty, and PLAYOFFS!
In the Conference Semifinals, I went 2/4. Not the best, but if you’re in a Canadian public school, it’s still a passing mark. I’ll take a D-. Because it won’t happen again. I promise, Mom. HOWEVER, if you take my prediction of the Audrina-Lauren Conrad/Lo fallout into account, it bumps me up to 60%. Because the groundwork for that has taken place. Justin-Bobby has a haircut and the chickens are coming home to roost. I don't know what that means. Moving on...
I would also like to take this time to sit down with Sidney Crosby and have a chat. His nickname needs an upgrade in regards to some changes... that, er... have taken place of late:
Sid the Kid is not longer a kid. He's growing into a man. And when boys turn into men... their bodies begin to change. And when this change takes place, we need to do certain things to keep our bodies healthy and appealing. I know, Sid, this is uncomfortable for me too.
But one of these new things we need to do is shaving. Once our facial hair starts to grow, we need to take care of that so we don't look like we have a scraggly chocolate-milk mustache growing under our nose and on our necks. He has a terrible neckbeard (worse than my friend Byron's and that IS a statement). Perhaps Gillette and Sidney can come up with a promotion of 50% off Mach-12 razors for those who are just now going through puberty.
You agree? I'm sure glad we got that out of the way! I feel so much better, Sidney. So do your chances of, er, scoring.
ON TO THE PREDICTIONS!
EASTERN CONFERENCE FINAL –
(2) Pittsburgh Penguins vs. (6) Philadelphia Flyers
The Battle of Pennsylvania. As much as I love historical hockey meetings, where a genuine dislike of the team on the opposite side of the ice boils just under the surface, the NHL needs to market its high-intensity meetings better. NCAA football has the Red River Shootout, The Civil War and the Iron Bowl. When compared to the pageantry and classic titles of those historic match-ups, the Battle of Alberta, the Battle of Ontario and the Battle of Pennsylvania seem wanting for effort. This will become more evident when we discuss the sun-baked hatred of the Battle of Florida and the players surf their way into the Battle of California in years to come.
Several short weeks ago, one wouldn’t expect much of this series; however, with the strength with which the Flyers played against the Canadiens, they have shown that they are capable of not only building a lead, but they show the killer-instinct to deal the fatal blow to a team’s Stanley Cup hopes. Montreal, on the other hand, could not do this against Boston as that series dragged to 7 games. Philadelphia’s success in this series depends largely on one man. If Martin Biron plays against Pittsburgh the way he did against Montreal, the Flyers will have a chance of winning this series. He has a .914 save percentage through 12 games in these playoffs and will need to continue at that level against a significantly more potent Penguins offense. In comparison, Marc-Andre Fleury boasts a .938 save percentage, but his Penguins faced a Senators crew who had no will to live and an inconsistent Rangers team.
The Penguins, much like the Canadiens and the Capitals, are a skill-based team whose playoff success depends largely on their ability to score goals. Unlike these teams, they have more significant scoring threats whom the Flyers will have to guard closely. Evgeni Malkin and Sidney Crosby have demonstrated their ability to overcome playoff adversity with unanticipated maturity. They have, at times, shown their youth such as when they both lost their heads against the Rangers and wound up in the penalty box together – which may never happen again. But overall, they kept it together when the Penguins were down by large margins – when they were down 3-0 in Game 1, Crosby had 2 assists and Malkin scored 1 goal and 1 assist. These are the necessary contributions from a team’s most talented players when they are facing serious adversity. These contributions are the hallmarks of leadership.
The Flyers have had contributions from some unlikely candidates this spring. RJ Umberger has turned into a juggernaut who was a large contributing factor to the demise of the Habs. He scored 8 goals in 5 games against them, after scoring 13 goals in 74 games this season. The only possible explanation for his emergence is that in the playoffs, grit accounts for so much more than it does in the regular season. Often, the only way to score goals after April is by going to the net hard and taking your lumps – something that Umberger does better than the average bear. He will continue to be a factor in this series, along with the Usual Suspects of Danny Briere, Mike Richards, Jeff Carter and Joffrey Lupul. Philadelphia NEEDS their secondary players to keep scoring in order for them to stay in this series. If the scoring is left to Briere and Richards, the Flyers won't last long against the high-flying Penguins.
One thing Philadelphia needs to be aware of is the Pens' ability to blow a team out. If they continue to take penalties the way they did in the first two rounds, this will be a very short series. Pittsburgh has firepower that rarely find its way into the same Division, let alone the same team. The Flyers were the most suspended team in hockey during the regular season, and are the most penalized team in the playoffs. This might get some players looking over their shoulders, while others will be licking their chops. If they allow Crosby and Malkin to frequently have a man advantage, Biron will not likely be speaking to his teammates, as his save percentage will drop faster than booty in a Lil' John video.
The Penguins’ mental health will be a factor in this series as well. They have had it easy compared to the physical play that the Flyers are going to bring their way. If Pittsburgh lets it get to them – and we saw the Rangers get in the heads of Crosby and Malkin, especially in the game New York won – it could be their own downfall. They need to expect the Flyers to be a nasty, dirty, unpleasant team to play against if they are going to make it to The Finals. On the other hand, if the Flyers' grit leads them into penalty trouble, this could be an extremely short series because Pittsburgh will bury Philly if they get many multiple chances on the PP every game.
Bottom Line: When I see this Flyers team, I think of a rat. And not in the way that they have rabies and eat dog-poo. They find a way to survive and keep surviving against all odds. They are tough and have made the most of what their team can do. But Pittsburgh’s skill will be too much for Philadelphia to handle. The Penguins will be the last team standing in the Battle of Pennsylvania.
Pittsburgh in 6.
I would also like to take this time to sit down with Sidney Crosby and have a chat. His nickname needs an upgrade in regards to some changes... that, er... have taken place of late:
Sid the Kid is not longer a kid. He's growing into a man. And when boys turn into men... their bodies begin to change. And when this change takes place, we need to do certain things to keep our bodies healthy and appealing. I know, Sid, this is uncomfortable for me too.
But one of these new things we need to do is shaving. Once our facial hair starts to grow, we need to take care of that so we don't look like we have a scraggly chocolate-milk mustache growing under our nose and on our necks. He has a terrible neckbeard (worse than my friend Byron's and that IS a statement). Perhaps Gillette and Sidney can come up with a promotion of 50% off Mach-12 razors for those who are just now going through puberty.
You agree? I'm sure glad we got that out of the way! I feel so much better, Sidney. So do your chances of, er, scoring.
ON TO THE PREDICTIONS!
EASTERN CONFERENCE FINAL –
(2) Pittsburgh Penguins vs. (6) Philadelphia Flyers
The Battle of Pennsylvania. As much as I love historical hockey meetings, where a genuine dislike of the team on the opposite side of the ice boils just under the surface, the NHL needs to market its high-intensity meetings better. NCAA football has the Red River Shootout, The Civil War and the Iron Bowl. When compared to the pageantry and classic titles of those historic match-ups, the Battle of Alberta, the Battle of Ontario and the Battle of Pennsylvania seem wanting for effort. This will become more evident when we discuss the sun-baked hatred of the Battle of Florida and the players surf their way into the Battle of California in years to come.
Several short weeks ago, one wouldn’t expect much of this series; however, with the strength with which the Flyers played against the Canadiens, they have shown that they are capable of not only building a lead, but they show the killer-instinct to deal the fatal blow to a team’s Stanley Cup hopes. Montreal, on the other hand, could not do this against Boston as that series dragged to 7 games. Philadelphia’s success in this series depends largely on one man. If Martin Biron plays against Pittsburgh the way he did against Montreal, the Flyers will have a chance of winning this series. He has a .914 save percentage through 12 games in these playoffs and will need to continue at that level against a significantly more potent Penguins offense. In comparison, Marc-Andre Fleury boasts a .938 save percentage, but his Penguins faced a Senators crew who had no will to live and an inconsistent Rangers team.
The Penguins, much like the Canadiens and the Capitals, are a skill-based team whose playoff success depends largely on their ability to score goals. Unlike these teams, they have more significant scoring threats whom the Flyers will have to guard closely. Evgeni Malkin and Sidney Crosby have demonstrated their ability to overcome playoff adversity with unanticipated maturity. They have, at times, shown their youth such as when they both lost their heads against the Rangers and wound up in the penalty box together – which may never happen again. But overall, they kept it together when the Penguins were down by large margins – when they were down 3-0 in Game 1, Crosby had 2 assists and Malkin scored 1 goal and 1 assist. These are the necessary contributions from a team’s most talented players when they are facing serious adversity. These contributions are the hallmarks of leadership.
The Flyers have had contributions from some unlikely candidates this spring. RJ Umberger has turned into a juggernaut who was a large contributing factor to the demise of the Habs. He scored 8 goals in 5 games against them, after scoring 13 goals in 74 games this season. The only possible explanation for his emergence is that in the playoffs, grit accounts for so much more than it does in the regular season. Often, the only way to score goals after April is by going to the net hard and taking your lumps – something that Umberger does better than the average bear. He will continue to be a factor in this series, along with the Usual Suspects of Danny Briere, Mike Richards, Jeff Carter and Joffrey Lupul. Philadelphia NEEDS their secondary players to keep scoring in order for them to stay in this series. If the scoring is left to Briere and Richards, the Flyers won't last long against the high-flying Penguins.
One thing Philadelphia needs to be aware of is the Pens' ability to blow a team out. If they continue to take penalties the way they did in the first two rounds, this will be a very short series. Pittsburgh has firepower that rarely find its way into the same Division, let alone the same team. The Flyers were the most suspended team in hockey during the regular season, and are the most penalized team in the playoffs. This might get some players looking over their shoulders, while others will be licking their chops. If they allow Crosby and Malkin to frequently have a man advantage, Biron will not likely be speaking to his teammates, as his save percentage will drop faster than booty in a Lil' John video.
The Penguins’ mental health will be a factor in this series as well. They have had it easy compared to the physical play that the Flyers are going to bring their way. If Pittsburgh lets it get to them – and we saw the Rangers get in the heads of Crosby and Malkin, especially in the game New York won – it could be their own downfall. They need to expect the Flyers to be a nasty, dirty, unpleasant team to play against if they are going to make it to The Finals. On the other hand, if the Flyers' grit leads them into penalty trouble, this could be an extremely short series because Pittsburgh will bury Philly if they get many multiple chances on the PP every game.
Bottom Line: When I see this Flyers team, I think of a rat. And not in the way that they have rabies and eat dog-poo. They find a way to survive and keep surviving against all odds. They are tough and have made the most of what their team can do. But Pittsburgh’s skill will be too much for Philadelphia to handle. The Penguins will be the last team standing in the Battle of Pennsylvania.
Pittsburgh in 6.
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