GameDay Poop: Game 3 – Pittsburgh Penguins vs Carolina Hurricanes – preview

The Penguins are up 2 games to none and are heading into the eye of the hurricane at the RBC Center and unfortunately for the Canes the eye is the calm part of the storm. The Hurricanes are 4-2 on home ice in the playoffs and lost their last game at home 4-2 to the Bruins. How calm is Carolina home ice? So calm that that they haven’t sold out all of their playoff games.

Evgeni Malkin and Sidney Crosby are providing the one-two punch for which Carolina has no counter. Carolina should have stayed down for the 10 count instead got up and tried some old schoolyard kindergarten variety bullying which was more like Semin’s slap fest than what we faced in our first two series. The Cardiac in “Cardiac Canes” was diagnosed as a mild case of indigestion and all they have to show for it is the $2500 fine Ray Bayda received for cross checking Chris Letang in the face at 18:41 of the third period and Patrick Eaves getting the tar beat out of him by Miroslav Satan who is garnering a cult following here in the ‘burgh this post season.

Do I even need to mention the Swiss cheese that is Cam Ward?  What is Carolina’s game plan?  Throw people to the net, if that doesn’t work then throw more people to the net.  That’s why we have a Hal Gill.

Alright, time for me to spout off a bit:

Cancel your subscriptions! What could have been more appropriate than “Sporting News” announcing Ovechkin as winner of their player of the year award in between periods of a VERSUS game in which Malkin got hat trick while Ovechkin is at home practicing his next dance move. Seriously if those people actually watched the hockey games instead of voting on the post play theatrics they see in highlights, this would never happen. I would normally post a link to the article, but I don’t want those idiots getting a cent of advertising money.

Bill Cowher is officially an idiot. Unless Bill Cowher pulls off his shirt and has a Penguin shirt underneath while he is sounding the horn tonight, he is a waste of life in my book. Cowher more than anyone should know from the “Steeler Nation” of displaced Pittsburghers who went out to cheer him on in other cities what it means to be a Pittsburgher. How does he show his thanks to the members of the Steeler Nation? By screwing over Pittsburgh first chance he gets.  A big L in the middle of the forhead for William L. (is for loser) Cowher.

Speaking of Steeler Nation. I mentioned I hate the idiot “Hockeytahn” ripoff of Detroit’s “Hockeytown” (BTW Detroit lost last night in OT) How about think bigger and we copy the great “Steeler Nation” and have the “Penguin Nation” in honor of all the displaced Penguin fans across the country and the Penguin fans that make the long trips to cheer on the team in other arenas. I’m sure many of these people who would join the “Penguin Nation” are all ready part of the “Steeler Nation”.

No suspension again for Carolina. ex Penguin – Colin Campbell the Director of Hockey operations for the NHL for the second time in two series overturned an automatic suspension for the Carolina Hurricanes, this time for the Match Penalty given to Ray Bayda for cross checking Chris Letang in the mouth. “I’m not the guy who gives the suspension,” Letang said “There are people hired for that and they have to make the decision”

Pierre McGuire loses out again: Pierre Mcguire who was pining for the Minnesota Wilds GM spot lost out to Pittsburgh Penguins assistant GM Chuck Fletcher. To fill in Chuck Fletcher’s spot on the Penguins have promoted Jason Botterill to assistant general manager.

Moving on up! Malkin & Crosby are #1 & #2 in scoring so far this playoff season, here is where they rank on the all-time Penguin list: Most Points by a Penguin player in a playoff season

Mario Lemieux       1991     44
Mark Recchi           1991     34
Mario Lemieux       1992     34
Kevin Stevens       1991     33
Kevin Stevens       1992     28
Ron Francis           1992     27
Mario Lemieux       1996     27
Sidney Crosby       2008     27
Marian Hossa        2008     26
Evgeni Malkin      2009    25
Jaromir Jagr          1992     24
Sidney Crosby     2009    24
Larry Murphy        1991     23
Jaromir Jagr          1996     23
Evgeni Malkin        2008     22

“Mad Max” Talbot: “Carolina is a tough building to play in and they are a tough team to play”

Puck drops at 7:38pm and can be seen in high definition at the RBC Center or on VERSUS, CBC & RDS