Official Hockey Discussion Thread

[TheNewNeko]

2008: Giants win Super Bowl, Flyers lose in playoffs to the team that loses in the finals, Phillies win World Series.

2012: Giants win Super Bowl, Flyers lose in playoffs to the team that loses in the finals, Phillies win only on Friday. Hmmm, something ain't kosher here.

Just be glad that several curses were broken this year:

1. The "Flyers Curse", that the team that beat the Flyers went on to win the Stanley Cup, was busted this year.
2. The "Jersey Curse", that every team for which I have a jersey did not win the Cup. (Jerseys bought: Kings, 1995, Flyers, 1997, 1999 and 2010, Red Wings, 2009 and Sharks, 1997)
3. And the big one, the "Prediction Curse". The Prediction Curse was that the team I wanted to win the Stanley Cup final when there were two teams left lost.

So yes, I'm pretty content right now. Plus, one of the greatest human beings in the world of hockey, Ron Hextall, finally got his name on the Cup. This man really deserved the honor, after being short-changed on multiple occasions.

[M2nFarisFan]

"Bucs" is short for Buccaneers, which is what Pirates fans call them for a nickname. Mostly because "Let's Go Bucs" works better than "Let's Go Pirates" for a three-note cheer.

[racingchick1020]

The Prediction Curse was that the team I wanted to win the Stanley Cup final when there were two teams left lost.

I picked Kings in six. EA Sports picked Kings in six.

[TheNewNeko]

I picked Kings in six. EA Sports picked Kings in six.

Yeah but in 2009 I wanted the Wings to win because the Pens were the team that the puck bunnies and bandwagon jumpers kissed the rear end of 800 trillion times over.

In 2010, I wanted the Flyers to win for obvious reasons, not the least of which was to make all the haters eat a massive pile of shiitake. And make no mistake about it, the Flyers day will come and shiitake will be served in copious amounts.

And in 2011, I wanted the Canucks to win because the sports reporters had the biggest manboy crush on the Bruins aside from the Pens. Pierre McGuire and the hot air vents that were labelled as "NBC Sports" did everything but break down and cry when the Flyers came back to beat the Bruins in '10 after being down 3 - nil (you can thank Jeremy for bringing that to my attention, I had completely forgotten about it). Besides that, given a choice of my 6th team or my 13th team winning...

So yes, this was a good year for me. Once the Flyers got eliminated, I picked the Kings and stayed with it. So it was a pretty good run.

[Melyssa56]

This day in Flyers' history:

Birthday: Doug Crossman (1960)

Transactions:
1987: Flyers acquire goalie Mark "Trees" Laforest from Detroit for a second round draft pick (Bob Wilkie, who would play 10 games for the Flyers in 1993-94).

Games:

Playoffs:
1995: Flyers lose to New Jersey 4-2 (game and series), in the latest game the Flyers ever played.

The next game report will be in October, the earliest they have ever played a regular season game.

[Melyssa56]

Yeah but in 2009 I wanted the Wings to win because the Pens were the team that the puck bunnies and bandwagon jumpers kissed the rear end of 800 trillion times over.

In 2010, I wanted the Flyers to win for obvious reasons, not the least of which was to make all the haters eat a massive pile of shiitake. And make no mistake about it, the Flyers day will come and shiitake will be served in copious amounts.

And in 2011, I wanted the Canucks to win because the sports reporters had the biggest manboy crush on the Bruins aside from the Pens. Pierre McGuire and the hot air vents that were labelled as "NBC Sports" did everything but break down and cry when the Flyers came back to beat the Bruins in '10 after being down 3 - nil (you can thank Jeremy for bringing that to my attention, I had completely forgotten about it). Besides that, given a choice of my 6th team or my 13th team winning...

So yes, this was a good year for me. Once the Flyers got eliminated, I picked the Kings and stayed with it. So it was a pretty good run.

1. Anytime the P.N. Gwynns lose in the playoffs, except to the Islanders (can't forget the 1980 Great Cup Robbery), I'm happy.
2. Anytime the Nutty Broadcasting Corporation's favorite teams lose, I'm happy.
3. When the Flyers won Game 7 in Boston, I was bowling a 600+ series, and the game was televised at the bowling alley on CSN with the local commentators, and they showed cut-ins at the then-Wachovia Center each time the Flyers scored and at the end of the game. I have that game on DVD.

[Melyssa56]

Edit to above #1:

Had Jaromir Jagr not won Game 6 of the 1999 playoff series with the Devils, he said that they would have moved to Kansas City. So that makes him the Czech That Saved Pittsburgh. The Penguins then won Game 7 in New Jersey.

[TheNewNeko]

Edit to above #1:

Had Jaromir Jagr not won Game 6 of the 1999 playoff series with the Devils, he said that they would have moved to Kansas City. So that makes him the Czech That Saved Pittsburgh. The Penguins then won Game 7 in New Jersey.

And if Cindy "Crybaby" Crosby ever gets traded to another team, I can guarantee you attendance will go back down to where it was before the lockout (11,300 attendance per game). In a way, I kinda hoped the Pengwhines had gotten traded to Kansas City. Pittsburgh just has too much hot air from all the "lifetime fans" who until 2007 had no clue what the difference was between a blue line and a line change.

Don't get me wrong, between chomping down Pierogies and looking at steel mills that have been closed for three and a half decades or longer, they'd go to Steelers games to the death, but when attendance goes up nearly 50% in two years (one of which had a lockout), you have to raise a flag and say "Whoa, that's a lot of bandwagoners". One reason that could never happen with the Flyers is because you'd need to expand the capacity of the Wells Fargo Arena by 50% to accomodate that kind of increase.

[Melyssa56]

This day in Flyers' history:

Birthday: Eric Desjardins (1969), Sami Kapanen (1973), Matt Read (1986)

Transactions:
1978: Flyers trade Tom Bladon, Orest Kindrachuk, and Ross Lonsberry to Pittsburgh for the 6th-overall draft pick, selecting Behn Wilson.

2004: R.J. Umberger signed as a free agent, and Keith Primeau signed a 4-year extension, for which he played just 3 weeks in October of 2005 before suffering a career-ending cheap shot from Alexander Perestroika (sp?).

[Melyssa56]

And if Cindy "Crybaby" Crosby ever gets traded to another team, I can guarantee you attendance will go back down to where it was before the lockout (11,300 attendance per game).

Was that the weekend attendance, or the attendance for the Flyers and Rangers' games?

[billycw]

And if Cindy "Crybaby" Crosby ever gets traded to another team, I can guarantee you attendance will go back down to where it was before the lockout (11,300 attendance per game). In a way, I kinda hoped the Pengwhines had gotten traded to Kansas City. Pittsburgh just has too much hot air from all the "lifetime fans" who until 2007 had no clue what the difference was between a blue line and a line change.

You know, I grew up loving the Flyers. Still love those guys. Like I said before, met a few of them over last 20 years. Great, great guys. But when you make comments like this, you give proof to the stereotype that brands Philly fans.
If Crosby was traded...or if the same concussion fate took him out like it did Lindros....attendance in Pittsburgh wouldn't plummet. At least not for a few years because of the youth of the Pens core.Furthermore, if the Flyers ran their team like the Pens did before Crosby, I seriously doubt the team would sellout if it became as lousy as the Pens were.
Even the Eagles didn't sell out in the mid 80's Post-Vermeil Pre-Buddy. The Sixers lack of attendance during the early 80's playoff games are legendary. But I doubt the Flyers would fall apart over a 5 year period like the Pens did, so we'll never know.
You also should know that Pittsburgh has a longer tradition than Philly when it comes to Hockey. When the NHL doubled in 68, Philly only got a franchise because Baltimore couldn't scrape up the two ...yes, 2....million. Pittsburgh and Minnesota were the 2 primary targets by the NHL when it wanted to expand. The AHL Hornets drew quite well. They even won their last AHL year before the Pens were born. The Flyers struggled with attendance for various reasons( lack of fan awareness, roof blown off Spectrum, POOR TEAMS, ETC) UNTIL the Bullies came along. IN FACT, the BOSTON BRAVES of the AHL drew ALMOST as well as the Flyers pre-Bullies.
Look, I love those early teams and I get sick of hearing people blast Philly fans, too. But , Pittsburgh has a longer tradition when it comes to Hockey. They have good fans.Take a trip to Western Pa in February.....all they talk about are the Pens.Put on WIP or other stations when the Flyers are struggling.....they talk about the Phillies and the Eagles.Same with other cities.

[M2nFarisFan]

...or billy, you can look at the "bandwagon tendencies" of Steelers fans in Pittsburgh. Read about the '80s and how the team really didn't have success....but they still sold out Three Rivers Stadium every game. Or look at how the Flyers fans mimic each other on how they are the greatest fan base when they've made the playoffs every year except one out of the past 15 or so. Or how when they were getting blown out in the second round in the elimination game, the WF Arena was 2/3 empty with 10 minutes left in the game. Contrast that to the Penguins, who in the first year or so after not making the playoffs, were still holding up attendance. Or how when the Cup was lifted for the only time at the Igloo, all the fans stayed to watch Nick Lidstrom lift it and respectfully applauded.

Plus billy, I never understood Neko's demeanor about how he's following the greatest team with the greatest fans, and then criticizes me for offering undying praise in my sig, even when the team was eliminated. Or why he's been on my case for being a Steeler fan essentially by naturalization and thinking I'm automatically bandwagon even though the first time I ever followed sports was watching football. Or how I'm essentially the 99% of Pens fans who don't know the difference between the blue line and line change when I actually played hockey and went to a game almost every year between Lemieux's first retirement and Crosby being drafted. He admitted he has Asperger's, which means he's set in his ways and obsessively takes things as black and white, good and bad, and not in between, all the time. And I think it is the reason why he so vehemently hates everything Pittsburgh, and no measure of my trying to prove otherwise has helped him change his mind.

So I've given up arguing with him because I work full time and do video production, in addition to working on graduate school at a private university which is costing me dearly.

[racingchick1020]

Seems like the Kings organization (coupled with the city of LA) kind of half-arsed the parade. "Yes, let's make this route about five minutes long if you drive the speed limit!" And was it just me, or did the crowd look a little weak?

[Melyssa56]

This day in Flyers' history:

Birthday: Zac Rinaldo (1990)

Transactions:
1994: Flyers sign Bobby Clarke as VP/GM from Florida, giving the Panthers a 2nd-round draft pick (Ryan Johnson). I guess that was a decent trade.

[Melyssa56]

This day in Flyers' history:

Birthday: Antero Niittymaki (1980)

Transactions:
2007: Flyers acquire and sign Kimmo Timonen and Scott Hartnell (6 years each) from Nashville for the first-round pick obtained in the Peter Forsberg trade 4 months earlier.