Faceoff Factor

Comments

1. Dan

   Mar 10, 01:05 PM

   Couldn’t agree more Jesse. I was sitting in the upper level in Washington on Sunday thinking “Haven’t these people seen how well this type of crap has worked out for Philly lately?” Sid has a tendency to “rise to the occasion” time and time again.

2. Nick

   Mar 10, 01:13 PM

   Great story! Very well done.

3. Matt Bodenschatz

   Mar 10, 01:21 PM

   Awesome read! Must have been great to be there!

4. TheOneAndOnlySurge

   Mar 10, 01:25 PM

   This would be an entertaining playoff series. Could you imagine what Ovie and Semin would say if they were beat in a 7 game series by Sid the Kid and Malkin the Great?

5. Jesse Marshall

   Mar 10, 01:30 PM

   Thanks guys.

   With our history against the Capitals in the playoffs, could you see it happening any other way?

6. Luce

   Mar 10, 01:39 PM

   Great Scotty Bowman quote! I would love to see the Caps in the playoffs..I feel liek the Pens would rise up and lay the beatdown!

7. Andrew Rothey

   Mar 10, 02:55 PM

   You have to wonder what all these fans would say if their team ever tried to trade for or sign Sidney (god forbid he ever pull on a sweater without the skating penguin of course). If Sidney ever gets to the open market or trading block, every single fanbase in the league would be salivating at the possibility of adding him to their squad. Think the Lacavlier rumors on steroids.

   I have a sneaking suspicion their supposed enormous distaste for him would quickly evaporate into a euphoria of having not only one of the very best players in the game, but a player who cares deeply, on a strikingly personal level, about the success of his team.

   Does his passion to win, coupled with the constant runs and liberties taken at his expense, sometimes lead him to excessive chatter on the ice? Perhaps so. But few players are without their faults, and I would contend that Crosby’s are decidedly minor and inconsequential. Certainly not big enough to stop any of his detractors from happily adding him to their roster.

8. bag o' pucks

   Mar 10, 04:05 PM

   Indeed, Andrew. There would be plenty of false bravado like, “Man, I can’t believe we got this guy, I always hated him.” That would quickly morph into, “I still don’t like him, but I’m glad he plays for us.” And again into, “Crosby’s amazing!! I don’t know how I ever disliked this guy!!”

   I kind of understand those feelings, though. I remember when the Pens acquired Darius Kasparaitis. I hated this guy like no other player, largely because of ’93. But, I root for the crest on the sweater, not so much for individual players. So, after a while — quite a while — I rooted for Kaspar. And when he knocked out Lindros, well, Kaspar was a beloved Penguin, all right…

   Or like the fear I had when the Pens dealt Ulffy and he said, referring to Mario’s bad back, “I know exactly where to hit him.” I was dumbfounded they’d trade that guy, of all guys, to the Rags.

   Business is business. I’m not into hero-worship, but I certainly do appreciate having guys like Mario, Jags, Sid & Geno wearing the skating penguin. Most franchises don’t have that kind of identity. Sure could be worse. Could be Thrashers or Islanders fans.

9. Jon

   Mar 10, 04:17 PM

   I think most fans of other teams hate Crosby because of the “hype.” Coming into the league the media dubbed him the next Gretzky. Of course, Crosby himself never game himself such lofty goals. But the media overblew it so much, and covered him so much, and pretty much just jammed him down the public’s throat that I think people got sick of him. Now this is clearly not Crosby’s fault. But I think the hate for Crosby is mostly due to over coverage of his every little step in the media. People say why are we focusing on Crosby, there are other players! Crosby sucks! Well Crosby didn’t ask for this. He just goes out and plays.

10. Zack Dawson

    Mar 10, 04:33 PM

    Great points by all. I attended the game with Jesse and I ate up the booing and jeering. Jesse and I said to each other, “Just keep it up. Crosby eats this stuff up. And true to form he capped a one goal, two point night with the GWG in the shoot-out.

    I believe that Ovechkin will be the next star of the league to be on the most hated by other teams’ fans’ list. His showboating and taunting will get him in trouble. It’s magnified by the presence of Crosby and Malkin for the Pens’ games, but I’m sure Pittsburgh is not the only team that has dealt with this from him.

    Crosby is the face of the game, but as Jon said, it was not his choice. Yet he has tried to embrace it with maturity and professionalism beyond his years, and is a true role model in the game. As Pucks said, when you get to the heart of it, there isn’t a team or its fans that wouldn’t take Sid with open arms.

11. bag o' pucks

    Mar 10, 05:04 PM

    I think the Caps are currently figuring out that maybe not everyone considers them the darlings of the NHL, anymore.

    It was Saturday, Feb 28th, that Don Cherry took OV to task for his celebrations, gloating, taunting, etc. It was the first time someone had cast a negative light on OV and the Caps. OV laughed it off like it was no big deal.

    But the Caps haven’t won since.
    0-3-1, all at home, including two blowout losses to division rivals.

    Regardless of bravado, everyone is affected by criticism. Takes a while to thicken the skin to it. Crosby is used to it, he just keeps chugging along. Maybe it’s coincidence, maybe not, but seems to me that maybe the Caps are struggling to adjust to their “free ride” being over.

12. DaBich

    Mar 10, 05:43 PM

    Absolutely great article. And you and Matt both suck making me miss Mike Lang more! :)

13. RYANS

    Mar 10, 06:34 PM

    First off, whos brilliant idea was it to take Mike Lange off of FSN anyway? Second, for anyone who went to Sunday’s game/has been to a Pens-Caps game in DC: How about whenever the Pens win about 60-80 Pens fans gather on the steps across 7th to cheer lets go Pens for about 30 minutes straight. Hilarious.

    We travel well, eh?

    Great article.

14. Barbie

    Mar 10, 06:42 PM

    This article is spot on. I was at that game. As they were showing all the baby binkies and derogatory signs on the jumbotron, I said to my sister beside me, “Don’t they know that just fires him up? I wouldn’t be surprised if he ends up the first star tonight.” Like you said, we’ve seen it too many times before. I hope the other teams’ fans never learn cause I love watching Sid’s fireworks!

15. Ashley Gallant

    Mar 10, 08:46 PM

    Andrew, I’ve said the same thing many times.

    Many of my friends are Habs fans who cannot stand Crosby. They say that they would be ashamed to have him dress in the bleu, blanc et rouge, but I have a feeling that they would be happy as pigs in mud if Crosby was traded to Montreal.

    I’ll say this – on occasion, I may not care for OV, but I would be thrilled to have him on my team. I don’t see why others can’t admit the same about Crosby, because I’m sure they are all thinking it.

16. LGP8771

    Mar 11, 01:21 AM

    Very well written article about the game’s greatest player.

17. Zack Dawson

    Mar 11, 12:57 PM

    We do travel very well Ryans. I was on those steps. It’s a sight to behold, and a fun experience to be a part of.

    Nice prediction by the way, Barbie. We all had that feeling I think that he would do something special that afternoon, and he sure did.

    What’s funny was that I was at the game where Crosby torched Theodore in the shoot-out against the Habs, and I think his goal Sunday was just as impressive. Seems to have his number, and that makes me smile for sure.

18. jason

    Mar 11, 06:38 PM

    actually, i’m pretty sure getting into a battle of words is all crosby likes to do. ovechkins goal celebrations are a show of passion that gets that fans into the game, something dc definitely needed. whats wrong with that?

19. rob

    Mar 11, 06:41 PM

    Are you serious Sid doesn’t get into the battle of words? He was the one that called out AO on his own celebrations, before Don Cherry did it. He has plenty of his own crap to say. Semin called him out last fall and he waits 3 games to get his revenge. He showed Semin!!! You won in a shoot out, the Caps took 7/8 points on the season series. Where was he on the 5-2 loss? Were Caps fans not booing that day? Crosby gets booed everywhere he goes, by your logic he should be taking over every game. He’s a good player and he’ll win some games, getting booed has nothing to do with it.

20. Zack Dawson

    Mar 11, 07:28 PM

    I’m assuming that Jason and Rob are not Pens’ fans. The article refers to the teams that are the most focused on Crosby, such as Washington and Philadelphia. There are a few other places that boo Crosby, but from watching every game this year, I can tell you that most places really don’t. The extent to which Caps’ and Flyers’ fans target Crosby far exceeds anything by other clubs around the league.

    In regards to his celebrating Jason, it’s not that he celebrates that draws criticism. It’s the way in which he does. It’s thought of as over the top by many, to the point that some feel it’s in a taunting manner. In a game that we all hold sacred, there isn’t room for overt taunting of other teams and their fans. I believe that is the general argument for the most part. Whether he is truly over the top is up for debate, but I will agree that his success has breathed life into DC hockey.

    With regards to Ovechkin being “called out” by Crosby, let’s not forget that Ovechkin was just as vocal in the media after that game, one in which he was seen taunting Crosby and the Pens’ bench. His comments were far more insulting than Crosby’s and perhaps less professional. Again, does that cross a line? There are players that do things just like that. One happens to be Sean Avery. It’s an ugly comparison to make for the league’s top goal-scorer, but applicable just the same. He taunts and says things in the media that are unflattering to say the least. The NHL gave Avery a suspension for his conduct this year, so is it impossible to think that another such incident could receive the same result? Hard to say, but something to chew on I guess…

    And yeah, the Caps took 7/8 points in the regular season, but that doesn’t get them anything in the post-season. That’s a whole different season. The roster is not that different from the one that was knocked out of the opening round last year. They have yet to prove they can go the distance.

21. Sanjeev Dev

    Mar 11, 08:27 PM

    Great article. It’s amazing but not really surprising that people can’t get past how Sid acted as an 18 yr old rookie playing under intense scrutiny that has NEVER ceased. I guess it comes with the territory…

22. lake

    Mar 11, 10:44 PM

    OV will never become the face of the league or the player Crosby is. Crosby does the little things that make him great. After the Caps beat up on the Pens Crosby sat and answered every question that was asked of him. When the Pens won on Sunday OV refused to talk to the media. And people want to call Crosby a baby? Give me a break. Crosby does everything that is asked of him and he does so with grace and integrity. When it comes down to it I think that Sid wants to win more than anything in the world. He may not fist pump or run around but you can see the fire in his eyes. I don’t see that fire in Ovechkin. At the end of the day in game 7 of the Stanley Cup final I’ll take Crosby over OV anyday.

23. Langer

    Mar 11, 11:51 PM

    Crosby may be the best player in the game, but your take on his professionalism is shortsighted. He has a lot to learn, still, and it starts with the end of his constant whining. And don’t give me the “well, Gretzky whined, too…”.

24. James P. O'Shanahan

    Mar 12, 12:07 AM

    This just goes to show why Sidney Crosby is the FACE of the NHL. His poise and professionalism on and off the ice is nothing but that; professional. Sure, there was the scrum with AO on the ice, but that was that. It never overflowed to the media, it was the media themselves that blew it up to where it is today. The fact of the matter is this, Sidney Crosby would’ve done a fantastic job no matter what team would’ve won the lottery for him. It’s just sad that the other fans of the 29 other teams in the NHL are that jealous of one player, that it consumes their lives.

25. OustedSoul

    Mar 12, 12:27 AM

    Sid is the epitome of professionalism. When not pulling the jersey over the head of a surprised face-off rival, he is showing great poise by punching players in the jewels from behind.
    Like it or Lump it, most fans, Caps, Flyers, the rest of the NHL doesnt see things with the biased eye of a Peguins fan.
    [edited for content]

26. Crosby fan...NOT!

    Mar 12, 05:19 AM

    Until, I saw the last comment by Oustedsoul I thought this was a Crosby love-fest being censored to keep out the true hockey fans. I admit that Crosby is a good hockey player but is a long way from The Greatest! I know a veteren player from last years Penguins and was told that Sid is not even captain material. Not surprising given his whining and tantrums on the ice. Any other player trying some of his cheap/dirty tricks would be suspended by now. If he is the face of the new NHL give me soccer. FYI I have 2 boys in minor hockey and both would take Alexander The Great over Sid the Squid in a heartbeat. Crosby is not the greatest player in the NHL... he’s not even the best player in the Penguins lineup! I’m embarassed to say he’s Canadian. As far as meeting Washington in the playoffs, you have to MAKE the playoffs. Something that Washington doesn’t have to worry about.

27. James P. O'Shanahan

    Mar 12, 06:20 AM

    Dear Mr. Crosby Fan…Not; I’m sure you have a ton of friends that play professional hockey in the NHL and I bet you have ties to high ranking people in the NHL....You = JOKE and LIAR. If you’re going to try and lie to people with your ‘inside’ knowledge, go somewhere else and do it. You did have one thing that you were actually correct about, Sid is not the best player on the Pens lineup, Evgeni Malkin fills that spot. You’re embaressed to say he’s Canadian? You should be embaressed to be a hockey fan….You = JOKE. Oh, try looking at the standings, the Pens are in the Playoffs. I guess it also helps that your beloved CRAPS play in the Southeast Division. If they weren’t, they’d be on the outside looking in.

    [edited for content]

28. Matt Bodenschatz

    Mar 12, 08:43 AM

    Gang, both sides of the story are fine. But please keep it clean and free of personal attacks.

29. Zen

    Mar 12, 05:55 PM

    James – You mean the weak Southeast division that would have 3 of it’s 5 members in the playoffs if they started today? You do realize of those teams, the only one the Pens have more points than RIGHT NOW has only one less point with a game in hand, right? I also think you should know that the Pens record against the Southeast is worse than their record against the Atlantic, and the Caps have a better winning percentage against the other conferences as well. You might want to look at current data rather than going back to the groundless “SouthLeast” argument.

30. DaBich

    Mar 13, 05:42 AM

    Wow, such passion. It’s amazing Crosby and Ovechkin can generate all this heat. But then, that’s a good thing. Maybe the NHL DOES know what it’s doing.

    Anyone who says Crosby isn’t a good player is in denial. Same for anyone who says Ovechkin isn’t a good player. They are both too young to be “great ones.” Only time will tell that tale.

31. Zack Dawson

    Mar 13, 11:56 AM

    Zen, in terms of fact checking, going into last night the Pens had a better record than every team in the Southeast except Washington. Might want to back back over your numbers again.

    As for the Southeast Division’s quality, it’s certainly up for debate. The Panthers and Hurricanes are not locks to make the post-season. With the Rangers and Sabres in pursuit, the field is wide open right now. But two of the Conference’s worst teams are in the Southeast, Atlanta and Tampa Bay. And I have heard many say that the Southeast is the weakest division in the league (and not just among local fans).

    The Pens, however, are playing in the same division that produced four playoff teams two straight seasons, something the Southeast has never done. If the Pens and Rangers make it, it will be three consecutive years. It’s a more competitive division because of the quality of the teams. Last year, two Atlantic Division teams were in the Conference Finals, and three of the four teams in the Atlantic made it out of the first round (New Jersey was knocked out by New York).

    I know that last year is not this year, and that’s valid. But the Atlantic may yet provide four playoff teams, with two in the top four. The Southeast can’t say the same.

32. "Craps" fan

    Mar 13, 04:15 PM

    Let’s settle some things: First off the Hulk Defense, ie: you wouldn’t like Sid when he’s angry. I have heard this about several players, from Jagr to Ovechkin, and the evidence are the games the prove the point. But what is missing is every game you forget because it DIDN’T happen. I could point to last years Montreal game when Ovechkin broke his nose and required stitches in the first period after a hit on the boards then had a four goal game. But I also know that he’s been hit in games in which he shows nothing. It’s simply impossible to back this claim of “the angrier the better” without a LOT of evidence.

    For my part I confess that from what I’ve seen of Sid he’s an exciting young player with a great deal of skill but a completely different player than Ovie. Both are young and have much to learn. Both of them make their teams better.

    To compare Sid’s rapport with the media against Ovie’s is unfair. Sid was groomed amongst the Candian and hockey press, Ovie is STILL learning how to speak english.

    As far as the celebrations are concerned, I can not begin to understand what anyone has against them. What some may not know is the Ovie had a brother who died in a car accident and when he points up after a goal it’s to that brother. What Pens fans might not understand is that during practices when Ovie scores a goal he reacts the same way. Remember, he is payed a great deal of money to score goals (NOT pass, NOT play defense but score goals)and his method of shooting the puck ALOT has yielded a great return on the investment. His passing and defense have improved, just as I know Sid’s ability to interact with the refs will improve so that detractors won’t have THAT to play against him.

    Ovechkin, Semin, Crosby, Malkin are four of the top ten players in the league and they play great games against each other. Right now, it is hard to make a case that the Pens are the better team based on records, THIS year, or based on Division. If you look at the top teams in the Conference the Caps have a winning or even record against them, except the Flyers against who they have 3 of 5 points. Sure they play in a division that is weaker this year, but they DOMINATE that division, as a good team should.

    I have know idea why Caps fans continue to do silly and stupid things to mock Crosby, but I’ve seen the same stuff in Pittsburgh and Philly in regards to Ovie. It’s inane not to have respect for any of these players (for the record I’ve only booed one player: Jagr after he returned to D.C. with the Rangers). I’ll be honest, when Sid made the comments about Ovie after the third game they’d played I defended him because I defended Semin’s right to express his opinion about Sid. And now I say to those Pens fans who complain about Ovechkin’s natural and heartfelt reactions to scoring goals: after watching the gloating celebration of Pens fans after a shoot out win you have no legitimate beef with Ovechkin. Ovie celebrates spontaneously, your fans here celebrated (what to many on this comment board is a meaningless regular season game, if your contention that only the playoffs matter) with over the top gloating. I’m not going to say you shouldn’t or that it was wrong, I don’t judge it either way, but you can’t have your cake and it eat it too. Overt and joyous celebration in hockey is either right or it is wrong.

33. Matt Bodenschatz

    Mar 13, 04:23 PM

    Very nice, well thought-out response, “Craps” Fan.

    I would love to have you back if/when the Penguins and Capitals play in the playoffs!

34. Zen

    Mar 13, 06:17 PM

    Zack
    I don’t see how that refutes anything I said. I guess the “RIGHT NOW” which I capitalized for emphasis threw you off. Take one point from the Pens and two points from the Rangers and then you’ll get to the ‘right now’ of March 12th, 5 pm. The Pens and Canes were tied in points (although the Pens had 2 games in hand).

    FTR, I’m not saying the Atlantic is a bad conference. I’m saying the Southeast isn’t as bad people seem to want to believe. And I think you can find the data to support that, given that 3 of the 5 teams in the SE have winning records vs both of the other two conferences. Northeast only has one that qualifies (Bruins, although Buffalo’s at .500), and the Atlantic 2 (NJ and Philly).

    Please note that this is referring to March 13th at 6:15 EST and there’s no need to tell me how wrong I am when it all changes tomorrow or Saturday.

35. Zack Dawson

    Mar 14, 12:35 PM

    Zen, to clarify, the fact that the Pens were higher in the standings at the time of your post (not after the results of the game that evening) than all but the Caps in the Southeast refutes it…the number of points for Carolina still had them a position below Pittsburgh because the Pens’ record was better overall at the time of your post, which is what I said. As far as my mention of the Pens and the Rangers, I was making a hypothetical for this season. The previous two years saw four teams in the Atlantic in the playoffs, and this year could be the same. That was the point. But I suppose there’s no need to belabor the point. I’ll just leave it at that.

    I will agree with you, the Southeast has improved considerably from last year, and the Capitals are easily the best them in that division. They still boast two of the bottom teams in the Conference, though that is better than the three last year. The Northeast has seen some drop off, and it could be argued that they are the weakest division this year. We’ll see after the second week in April.

    I’m aware that you didn’t say the Atlantic is a poor division, I was only offering the strength of it on the whole and the level of competition within it compared to that of the Southeast. I think a little more was read into that than I had intended. I apologize if it came across as more than that directed at you.

    I appreciate the debate and discourse. It’s excellent to get a host of opinions on here and allow for discussion. It’s about being a loyal fan to your respective club for sure.

    @ Craps Fan: Very nice comment. As Matt said, I hope to see you on the boards should we meet in the post-season (or otherwise really). You make a ton of valid points that are great to have amidst the discussion. Oh, and we booed Jagr here too, so I guess we have a common ground there as well, which I think is awesome and funny all in one shot.

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