On the one hand I want to write more about hockey and the Penguins, because I'm very invested and there's so much going on and playoffs are starting soon!!! But somehow DW doesn't seem like the right place for it, I spend much more time being fannish about the Pens elsewhere. Whatever. Playoffs are starting soon! I realized that when I've finished my thesis I can stay up and watch all the games live, that's motivational. (Sometimes I think it's silly, that I need playoff hockey as a motivation. But who cares as long as it works.)
There's an article about Five times Geno was brilliant with the media and didn't get enough credit (I wish it had featured ten times or more, but not a bad start) that links to Sid and Geno's joint press conference last year before game 7 against the Rangers. I didn't have time to watch it before that game, and after the game I didn't want to, for a surprisingly long time because I was still disappointed about that series. But yesterday I realized that it's fine now, apparently I'm over it. New team, new season, new try!
I actually thought our chances weren't so bad this year, because the Pens were unlucky but playing pretty well, but now that Ehrhoff and Letang are both out possibly long-term… How the fuck do we have so much bad luck with injuries. Three of our four top D are out, including a Norris trophy candidate! (I really wanted Tanger to get it, dammit.) And because it's too late in the season for LTIR and we have no cap space we can't even call someone up, meaning we have to play with 5 D, meaning they'll all be exhausted come playoff time. Fantastic. AND we have to play the Flyers twice, and they're out of the playoffs so they don't give a shit, this has the potential to be really bad… (Fuck Rinaldo.) Silver lining, Pouliot is getting a lot of opportunities, and so is Ian Cole. So far I like him, I hope we keep him. I like Winnik too, but he'll be UFA, so we'll see.
Playoff expectations: we make it to the second round if we get Letang back at full health, third round if we get Ehrhoff back too and there no further injuries, SCF would need a lot of luck. Yes we generally were bad against Metro teams but that doesn't mean anything in the playoffs, I'm mostly optimistic that we can beat any of them in a seven game series.
In the West I'm rooting for the Blues, especially against Chicago.
Only two more weeks!
There's an article about Five times Geno was brilliant with the media and didn't get enough credit (I wish it had featured ten times or more, but not a bad start) that links to Sid and Geno's joint press conference last year before game 7 against the Rangers. I didn't have time to watch it before that game, and after the game I didn't want to, for a surprisingly long time because I was still disappointed about that series. But yesterday I realized that it's fine now, apparently I'm over it. New team, new season, new try!
I actually thought our chances weren't so bad this year, because the Pens were unlucky but playing pretty well, but now that Ehrhoff and Letang are both out possibly long-term… How the fuck do we have so much bad luck with injuries. Three of our four top D are out, including a Norris trophy candidate! (I really wanted Tanger to get it, dammit.) And because it's too late in the season for LTIR and we have no cap space we can't even call someone up, meaning we have to play with 5 D, meaning they'll all be exhausted come playoff time. Fantastic. AND we have to play the Flyers twice, and they're out of the playoffs so they don't give a shit, this has the potential to be really bad… (Fuck Rinaldo.) Silver lining, Pouliot is getting a lot of opportunities, and so is Ian Cole. So far I like him, I hope we keep him. I like Winnik too, but he'll be UFA, so we'll see.
Playoff expectations: we make it to the second round if we get Letang back at full health, third round if we get Ehrhoff back too and there no further injuries, SCF would need a lot of luck. Yes we generally were bad against Metro teams but that doesn't mean anything in the playoffs, I'm mostly optimistic that we can beat any of them in a seven game series.
In the West I'm rooting for the Blues, especially against Chicago.
Only two more weeks!