The Penguins true enemy
Mike Wilson | Pittsburgh Penguins
Jun 3, 11:15 PM | Hype this story!
The Penguins have faced a number of enemies so far in the playoffs. But who among the Senators, Rangers, Flyers, and Red Wings proved more threatening to Pittsburgh?
Surprisingly, the answer is none of the above. And no, it’s not the officials (who most might think would be my next pick).
Instead, it’s the media.
That’s right, the very people who are called upon to provide us with insight to the games we watch night in and night out have shown more bitterness toward the Penguins than any one on ice level.
It all started, of course, with the VERSUS escapade with Comcast owning both the network and the Flyers. But that has come and gone and a new, unsuspecting contender has jumped in the ring to take on the Pens.
NBC appears to be carrying on the torch from where VERSUS left off. I, along with many others I’m sure, was relieved to get to the Stanley Cup and avoid the team of Beninati and Elliot, but have only been met with bitterness. And after game five’s antics, there seems to be no end in sight.
Not everyone, though, has a hateful heart toward Pittsburgh.
Some say Mike Emrick gets more excited calling Detroit goals and disappointed calling Pittsburgh goals, which might be true but who can say for sure…he does have a reputation for getting very excited.
Now I’d like to issue a statement regarding Mr. Olczyk. Edzo was a very talented player who certainly helped his team win on the ice. However, he was one of the worst coaches in NHL history.
With a team brimming with talent in front of him, it still took almost 15 games before the Penguins recorded a win with Olczyk behind the bench at the start of the ’05-’06 season. And, for some reason, NBC decides that a man with no strategic coaching capability whatsoever would make a great addition to their analyst crew to help describe coaching decisions.
But to the game five antics mentioned above…Olczyk and Mike Milbury were quick to point out that neither of the two first-period goals scored by Pittsburgh were Osgood’s fault, which was partly true. Whether they were or not, however, isn’t the point.
Commentators can’t go out there during game five of a possible championship concluding game and say that those goals scored had nothing to do with offensive talent, but instead just a faulty mistake by the goaltender, especially when the trailing team is producing the offense.
To make matters worse, when Helm scored the first Detroit goal after the shot deflected off of Rob Scuderi’s leg, complements were flown to the Red Wings and Fleury was treated like a beaten puppy (something they would regret some 50 saves later).
Criticism continued when Brooks Orpik (or as Pierre McGuire says “Orpek”) drew an interference penalty on Maltby in the second period. Edzo immediately pointed out that there was also embellishment on Orpik’s behalf.
Right on Eddie! We all know how easy it is to embellish an interference call when your back is turned to the man about to hit you and have no idea what’s coming. I wish I had his knowledge!
When Sykora gave Pierre the word that he would score the game-winning goal then took a penalty minutes later, everyone treated him like a fool implying that maybe he meant he would take a penalty to provide the Red Wings with the game-winning goal. We all know what happened two overtimes later. Who looked like fools then?
But the icing on the cake occurred at the end of the first overtime. Pierre McGuire, who I thought to be the only true objective one in the bunch, along with Mike Milbury and Eddie Olczyk, were up in arms over the Zetterberg goaltender interference penalty.
All three agreed that it was a “horrible call” and was something the league “should seriously consider looking into.” Pierre even went as far as saying, “Thank goodness no one scored [on the power play]!” Does that sound right to anyone?
Marc-Andre Fleury was in the process of covering the puck and freezing play when Henrik Zetterberg came into the crease and knocked Fleury off the puck, thus impeding his ability to do his job. This is the number one qualification for goaltender interference.
End of story. Find something else to complain about.
As for Mike Milbury and Bob Neumeier, they just seem like dead weight to NBC who always fight with each other like a married couple on intermissions. Maybe that’s all they’re good for.
Fortunately, these happenings don’t seem to phase either team in their cup quests and I want to make it clear that neither team is responsible for these network actions.
So, with that being said, I now realize that it truly is Pittsburgh vs. the World. And I can only hope that this Penguin team can do something to get these guys to stop treating Pittsburgh like Hockeydump, USA.
Comments
Patrcia
Jun 3, 11:27 PM
Wow! You really brought out alot of key facts that are very interesting and true. And at the same time you made it funny.
Your a very creative journalist!
Eric
Jun 4, 12:31 AM
Sounds like sour grapes to me.
I don’t get the opinion that the media is against the Penguins. In fact I feel quite the opposite. I think they favor the Pens. They always want to interview Crosby and get his take on this and that. I think what some of this could stem from is that in the playoffs we’re not looking at the situation from an FSN standpoint. We haven’t had the hometown coverage for sometime now, and I think that gets mistaken an objective view.
Mike Emrick calling the Detroit goals with more enthusiasm… Gotta be kidding me. Emrick, is one of the few broadcasters I can stomach and I think he does a pretty good job. He’s not perfect, but I have no problem listening to him. I know he lived for sometime in Pittsburgh, and I recall that he has fond memories for the city and Penguins.
Edzo is there because of his color commentating skills. He was a big bust as a coach, but as a color commentator I can understand why he’s NBC’s guy. He’s good in front of the camera, he had an established NHL career and knows a lot of what about he says. Only bad things I can say about him are his repetitive sayings I’ve heard since he was on FSN and the general complaints I have with color commentary. But, overall, I have no problem with him. In fact, on a broadcaster stand point, I don’t think I have a problem with anyone on NBC. Personally, I don’t have the time and energy to get into Mad Mike but he’s just a regular in front of the camera.
I really can’t believe what I’ve read above. But, I guess that’s the price you pay when you’re being objective.
Mike Wilson
Jun 4, 08:23 AM
Eric,
I don’t believe the Emrick angle either, it’s merely there for observation.
As for Edzo, maybe it is just sour grapes but no one can deny the way he and Milbury reacted to situations mentioned above.
When it comes to objectivity, these are, as I mentioned above, observations. As also mentioned, I have no problem with Emrick and McGuire. I guess my only problem with Olczyk was he won’t let Pittsburgh make a good play. And, in the Stanley Cup finals, that is not objective.
Call it going too far, but that’s what I’ve heard.
Dabich
Jun 4, 08:41 AM
I have to agree a bit with Mike on this one. Just seems to me that Detroit is favored in everything. And hey, I’ve readily admitted they are my second favorite team.
Deb Wilson
Jun 4, 10:31 AM
Being a Pittsburgh sports fan for nearly 50 years, I must add that nothing’s new, here. The ‘Burgh’s nationwide perception as a small market city in all professional sports has garnered many criticisms and bad wishes. (Does anyone out there remember Curt Gowdy’s loathing for the Pirates?) Regardless, the Pens have proven themselves as an “up & coming” team and will continue to impact the league. No doubt, the players will prove themselves on the ice. And we fans must persevere in our support…even when the rest of the sports world (or at least the media) won’t.
Partial? Yes. Sour grapes? Maybe. But Pittsburgh fans can identify!
Nice article, Mike.
Pens1967
Jun 4, 10:45 AM
I have to echo Eric’s post. Emrick is hands down the best play-by-play man in hockey. That’s why he was just inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame. Many also don’t know, but “Doc” is a huge Pirates fan. He threw out the first pitch at last night’s game. He spent a couple of years reporting on the Pens for the Beaver County Times as well as teaching at Geneva College in the early 70s. Clearly, he can’t root for one team or the other on a national broadcast, but I have no doubt “Doc” is a closet Penguins fan.
I think Edzo still resents some of what went on in the locker room when he coached here and tried to treat his players like men. That comes out sometimes on the broadcasts. I know he never has anything but good things to say about Crosby.
McGuire has a championship ring courtesy of his stint as a Penguins’ assistant coach. Haven’t you ever heard him refer to the team as “my Penguins” when he and Milbury take coaching sides at the second intermission show?
I don’t think Pens fans can really complain about NBC’s broadcast crew.
Mike Wilson
Jun 4, 11:58 AM
All great and diverse comments. But I think the point of what was written is being sorely missed. This wasn’t meant to be directly aimed at any individual on NBC, but instead how the events in game five were portrayed (all of which are listed above).
There is no mention above of Emrick or McGuire not being great broadcasters, but simply theories heard among generic Penguin fans. Besides, many Penguin fans know the service both Emrick and McGuire provided to Pittsburgh. But that doesn’t mean we have to agree with everything said, everyone has an opinion (I’m referring to the goaltender interference call in the first overtime and the supposed Orpik embellishment).
The statement regarding Olczyk was simply that. In no way was that disclaimer associated with how game five was broadcasted. No where was it ever said that Olczyk’s past endevors with the Penguins had an effect on his broadcasting today.
Thanks all for you comments, information, and opinions!
Bobby
Jun 4, 12:22 PM
Does anybody happen to remember all the goaltender interference calls Osgood drew in games one and two. Why is it after game five that the league needs to look at this?
Dabich
Jun 4, 01:41 PM
Bobby ~ I agree. Seems it’s ok when the Wings do it, but it’s not ok when the Pens do it!
Chris
Jun 4, 03:06 PM
I have been saying the league needed to look into this since the first round. But that would require the league to “grow a set”...and that I haven’t seen happen yet.
Brad
Jun 13, 11:46 AM
Wow, someone has an inferiority complex. “It’s Pittsburgh vs. The World”-Get over yourself.
Those interference calls in OT were bush league calls. A player is taught to drive to the net and in both of those instances the d-man pinched him off and he had nowhere to go. Pierre McGuire was just saying that he was glad no one scored on a pp (that’s powerplay for the hockey illiterate) that came from a terrible call.
McGuire if anything should be biased TOWARDS the Pens. You see that shiny ring he likes to wear when he broadcasts the Stanley Cup Playoffs? Well guess what team he won that with? That’s right, your “persecuted” Pens.
How about the non-call with 10 seconds left in game 6? Zetterberg has the puck at center ice and an empty net to shoot at and is clearly hauled down (again, look at it objectively and not from your Pens’ slant) and there’s no call, thus leading to the Penguins’ chance with time running out. THAT was a blown call.
You’re just looking at the game from a Pens fan perspective. Try looking at it objectively and then you’ll stop sounding like Michel Therrien.
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