2013 NHL Playoff Thread: BITCH WE MIGHT BE

[Richybear]

Clearly they have more imagination than me.

[Bregor]

leaving nothing but the refreshing scent of pine behind them

Late but I really hope that was an MST3K reference!

Bruins in 5
Blackhawks in 7

[Brill Weave]

Since Sep is on vacation and probably hasn't had a chance to see this, let alone post it, I will step up.

Ladies and Gentlemen! May I present to you, Playoff Hero Mark Eaton!

http://sports.yahoo.com/blogs/nhl-pu...GlvbnM-;_ylv=3

Unsung Hero: Mark Eaton’s long road back to Penguins, playoffs

Mark Eaton didn’t have a contract after last season, when he played 62 games with the New York Islanders and was a minus-17. He didn’t find any takers during the summer free-agent frenzy. Then the lockout arrived, and was settled four months later – and Eaton still didn’t have a contract for 2012-13.

So he did what many people do when their prospects have dried up: He went home again.

Eaton signed a professional tryout agreement with the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins, AHL affiliate of the Pittsburgh Penguins, with whom he played four seasons between 2006-10. There were no guarantees he’d return to the big club – just the chance for the then-35-year-old defenseman to play pro hockey.

"Making the Penguins team was my ultimate goal, but I just tried to keep it short-sighted and short-term, going to Wilkes-Barre to try and get my game going, but, obviously, the lockout and everything else didn't allow that to happen," said Eaton to the Post Gazette back in March.

"I just tried to work hard, keep getting better every day, and eventually end up here. And fortunately that's what happened."

He played in six AHL games before his call-up to the Penguins, and hasn’t looked back. He averaged 17:58 time on ice per game during 23 regular-season games, including some on the penalty kill.

In the playoffs, Eaton is averaging 17:38 in seven games. He’s been a scratch here and there, bit has been effective when paired with Norris Trophy nominee and offensive dynamo Kris Letang. In Pittsburgh’s emphatic Game 5 win over the Ottawa Senators, Eater played 16:37, had an assist and was a plus-2.

He’s been paired with Letang in practice, as the team readies for Game 1 of the Eastern Conference Final against the Boston Bruins on Saturday. What’s the key to beating the B’s? Said Eaton on Pittsburgh’s 93.7 The Fan:

“They like to get pucks behind the defense and grind them down in their offensive zone. As ‘D,’ we want to spend as little time in our zone as possible and get the pucks up to our forwards and let them do their thing.”

Eaton won the Cup with Pittsburgh in 2009, but he doesn’t see himself as a role model for the team’s younger players. “Our D-men are world class as it is. I don’t think they need to look at me to learn how to play, that’s for sure,” he said.

Maybe they should simply take inspiration from his long road back to Pittsburgh and the playoffs.

[isladar]

Late but I really hope that was an MST3K reference!

Bruins in 5
Blackhawks in 7

keep those postin' fingers at ten and two, mister

[isladar]

Clearly they have more imagination than me.

also I want to be mad at that but it evidently made me so mad it circled right back around to "laffo"

[BadKarma]

Today I learned that Raffi Torres was the fifth overall pick in 2000. By the New York Isladars.

They drafted Dipietro number 1.

And torres number 5.

OH GOD.

Coincidentally the same draft that Hank was drafted in. Huehuehuehue

[Xajii]

i hate that the thread title is still accurate btw

[Brill Weave]

I was laughing about that yesterday.

[Bregor]

http://assets.sbnation.com/assets/26...bergdenies.gif

Needs to be Ishi's sig, lol

[Brill Weave]

I saw it yesterday. It was fucking beautiful. What the hell was Pierre thinking even trying to interview a Red Wing player after they just had their collective hearts torn from their chests.

[Callisto]

i hate that the thread title is still accurate btw

look it's been well-established that I am a professional thread-titler

[NynJa]

I saw it yesterday. It was fucking beautiful. What the hell was Pierre thinking even trying to interview a Red Wing player after they just had their collective hearts torn from their chests.

That was after the third period
BACK INTO THE DOGHOUSE YOU GO

[Callisto]

http://sports.yahoo.com/blogs/nhl-pu...163745542.html

[Ishido]

Good eulogy, should piss off fans who take shit too seriously and believe the Wings are the greatest team ever

[Deader2818]

They aren't?

[Selamis]

I enjoyed it, but I wonder why they had a Nashville fan of all teams write it. I thought they were supposed to be done by a team's major rival like in years past. Which also reminds me, they had the Sharks eulogy up a day ago or maybe two, and it wasn't really all that great.

[bluefan]

I realize just how empty I feel with such little hockey.

Literally bored out of my mind.

[Callisto]

Good eulogy, should piss off fans who take shit too seriously and believe the Wings are the greatest team ever

homerism aside(is it even homerism since it's a Preds writer?), that was honestly one of the best-written one of these I've seen

I enjoyed it, but I wonder why they had a Nashville fan of all teams write it. I thought they were supposed to be done by a team's major rival like in years past. Which also reminds me, they had the Sharks eulogy up a day ago or maybe two, and it wasn't really all that great.

Preds fans consider the Wings a rival the last few years; Wings fans were lucky to not confuse them with the Thrashers

[isladar]

homerism aside(is it even homerism since it's a Preds writer?), that was honestly one of the best-written one of these I've seen

No it was definitely well done. For one team they let a blogger for that team write it. And it wasn't DGB for the Leafs and to the shock of absolutely no one it sucked something awful.

[Aksannyi]

I started to read that eulogy but I got distracted by the badly shopped picture and then lost interest in the eulogy.