*The Crosby Effect* A Penguins Dynasty 2.0

[SabresKings3623]

Re: *The Crosby Effect* A Penguins Dynasty 2.0

That'd be cool, it would make this awesome dynasty that much better

[highheatkingsb]

Re: *The Crosby Effect* A Penguins Dynasty 2.0

thanks dude I feel loved

I need your opinion on whether I should make the games more detailed?

No, I like it how it is. I think you could space out the paragraphs a little though. It's a little clumped together. Just a suggestion though.

[gtm]

Re: *The Crosby Effect* A Penguins Dynasty 2.0

GoldenJet, this is really nice. I haven't seen anyone play an International dynasty. Great job.

[SabresKings3623]

Re: *The Crosby Effect* A Penguins Dynasty 2.0

Yeah, incredible job Jason, doing the International Dynasty within the Penguins one, this is easily one of my favorite dynasties to follow.


Also, I've started my first BAP dynasty with the Sabres on NHL '09, check it out.

[thrashman]

Re: *The Crosby Effect* A Penguins Dynasty 2.0

Nice comeback to avoid the Ukrainian upset bid.

[GoldenJet]

Re: *The Crosby Effect* A Penguins Dynasty 2.0

heads for you guys, the next post is Canada's first lost, and it's kind of ironic. well you'll see.

[GoldenJet]

Re: *The Crosby Effect* A Penguins Dynasty 2.0

In the last three seasons, Sergei Gonchar's shorthanded ice time has jumped two full minutes, to 3:52 per game last season, and he still played more than 5:30 on the power play. WATCH Sergei Gonchar in action

In today's NHL, some defensemen have earned roles as specialists. They'll only play the power play, or only see the ice in shorthanded situations.

The best ones, though, have earned the trust of their coaches to see ice time in all situations.

These five Atlantic Division defensemen earned all the minutes they played last season.

1. Sergei Gonchar, Pittsburgh -- Regarded throughout his career as an offensive defenseman, Gonchar has rounded out his game under coach Michel Therrien. In the last three seasons, Gonchar's shorthanded ice time has jumped two full minutes, to 3:52 per game last season, and he still played more than 5:30 on the power play.

Gonchar played the most total minutes among any defenseman in the division, but all the work was good for him -- he finished with 65 points, second among NHL blueliners and two shy of his career high.

2. Michal Rozsival, New York Rangers -- On a mostly inexperienced Rangers blue line, Rozsival was needed to play in all situations, and he never let down his team.

Rozsival jumped over the boards a team-high 29.5 times per game, and it didn't matter if the team was a man down -- he played a team-high 2:58 per game shorthanded -- or a man up -- he saw 3:47 of ice time per game on the power play.

The 24:33 Rozsival played was a career high and the culmination of four straight seasons of increased ice time. Offseason hip surgery and the addition of Wade Redden could cut into some of that time, but it also could leave Rozsival fresher for the playoffs.

3. Paul Martin, New Jersey -- As one veteran defenseman leaves New Jersey, another seems to emerge. First Brian Rafalski stepped into Scott Niedermayer's shoes; when Rafalski left last summer, it was Martin's turn, and he was well-suited for the extra ice time.

While Martin's 23:53 was down from the 25:13 he averaged in 2006-07, he picked up more than two minutes in shorthanded ice time, going from 1:13 to 3:18.

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2008-2009 SEASON PREVIEWS East Previews Atlanta Thrashers Boston Bruins Buffalo Sabres Carolina Hurricanes Florida Panthers Montreal Canadiens New Jersey Devils New York Islanders New York Rangers Ottawa Senators Philadelphia Flyers Pittsburgh Penguins Tampa Bay Lightning Toronto Maple Leafs Washington Capitals West Previews Anaheim Ducks Calgary Flames Chicago Blackhawks Colorado Avalanche Columbus Blue Jackets Dallas Stars Detroit Red Wings Edmonton Oilers Los Angeles Kings Minnesota Wild Nashville Predators Phoenix Coyotes San Jose Sharks St. Louis Blues Vancouver Canucks

2008-09 Season Preview Index (Features, comings & goings, stats, plus more)

Sabres hope to build off strong finish Free agency and health concerns contributed to the Sabres missing the playoffs after two straight conference finals appearances, but the team is poised to bounce back. ...more New faces abound in Vancouver After missing the playoffs, the Canucks did some retooling during the offseason and, led by world-class goalie Roberto Luongo, are poised for a bounce-back campaign. ...more

The Devils' defense core returns intact from the end of last season, so with a season's experience under coach Brent Sutter, expect Martin's ice time to, at minimum, stay the same, and likely rise.

4. Kimmo Timonen, Philadelphia -- After finishing 2006-07 a distant last in the League, the Flyers believed their biggest need was a confident, competent defenseman. They targeted Timonen, and hit the bull's-eye with him.

Playing 23:34 per game, Timonen anchored a defense that cut 70 goals last season from 2006-07, and he helped Braydon Coburn progress into a potential star. He also played 4:56 per game on a power play that finished second in the NHL.

Where Timonen really proved his value was in the Stanley Cup Playoffs, when he averaged 24:40 per game over 13 games. But without him for the first four games of the Eastern Conference Finals, the Flyers fell into a 3-1 hole they were unable to overcome.

5. Radek Martinek, New York Islanders -- Nothing Martinek does is going to jump off the stat sheet, but he provides a reliable presence in his own zone.

At 22:52 per game, Martinek led all Islanders defenseman in ice time, including a team-best 4:29 shorthanded. A great amount of his ice time was spent doing all the little things a team needs. He led the club's blueliners with 134 blocked shots and 66 takeaways.

[GoldenJet]

Re: *The Crosby Effect* A Penguins Dynasty 2.0

Sidney Crosby Highlights

The forwards who play the most minutes are the ones who excel at every phase of the game. They're not just offensive talents, but they can kill penalties and produce at both ends of the ice in the final minutes of games.

The top five minutemen among Atlantic Division forwards certainly fit that bill.

1. Mike Richards, Philadelphia -- Richards was a major reason for the Flyers' recovery from the League's worst record in 2006-07 to the Eastern Conference Finals in 2008.

Given more responsibility by coach John Stevens, Richards played 21:30 per game. He was the team's top penalty-killing forward, playing 3:17, and he also played the point on the top power-play unit. Richards led the Flyers with 75 points and eight power-play goals, and his five shorthanded goals were tied for third in the League. He also has two 3-on-5 shorthanded goals during his short career.

2. Evgeni Malkin, Pittsburgh -- Malkin needed to carry the load in Sidney Crosby's absence, and he came up huge for the Penguins, leading the team in most offensive categories.

Malkin played 21:19, more than 2 minutes per game more than his rookie season. More than 5 minutes of that came on the power play, where he tied for fourth in the League with 17 goals. He didn't kill many penalties, but he scored a big shorthanded goal in Game 1 of the Eastern Conference Finals against Philadelphia, moments after being crushed into the end boards by Mike Richards.

2008-2009 SEASON PREVIEWS East Previews Atlanta Thrashers Boston Bruins Buffalo Sabres Carolina Hurricanes Florida Panthers Montreal Canadiens New Jersey Devils New York Islanders New York Rangers Ottawa Senators Philadelphia Flyers Pittsburgh Penguins Tampa Bay Lightning Toronto Maple Leafs Washington Capitals West Previews Anaheim Ducks Calgary Flames Chicago Blackhawks Colorado Avalanche Columbus Blue Jackets Dallas Stars Detroit Red Wings Edmonton Oilers Los Angeles Kings Minnesota Wild Nashville Predators Phoenix Coyotes San Jose Sharks St. Louis Blues Vancouver Canucks

2008-09 Season Preview Index (Features, comings & goings, stats, plus more)

Sabres hope to build off strong finish Free agency and health concerns contributed to the Sabres missing the playoffs after two straight conference finals appearances, but the team is poised to bounce back. ...more New faces abound in Vancouver After missing the playoffs, the Canucks did some retooling during the offseason and, led by world-class goalie Roberto Luongo, are poised for a bounce-back campaign. ...more

3. Sidney Crosby, Pittsburgh -- It stands to reason that if you have a player the caliber of Sidney Crosby on your roster, you're going to send him over the boards a lot. And that's just what the Pens did when their captain was healthy.

Crosby played just 53 games, but he skated an average of 20:50 per contest, third among the club's forwards last season after the departed Marian Hossa and Evgeni Malkin. A full quarter of his ice time -- 5:12 -- came on the power play. And he made the most of those minutes, scoring 24 goals and 72 points.

Had Crosby been fully healthy last season, it's likely he would have played more per game than he did. As Crosby matures -- and if he stays healthy -- there's no reason to think he can't play more, and possibly be used to kill penalties.

4. Brian Rolston, New Jersey -- The Devils didn't just bring Rolston on board because he's coming off three straight 30-goal seasons. The center has averaged more than 20 minutes per game the last three seasons and has played at least 78 games, including all 82 last season with Minnesota.

Rolston played 20:04 per game for the Wild, including a team-best 3:47 on the power play. He also averaged 28.1 shifts per game, meaning Minnesota coach Jacques Lemaire had the utmost trust in Rolston.

5. Scott Gomez, New York Rangers -- Gomez had 70 points last season, second on the Rangers. He also was second in ice time at 19:53 per game.

He trailed Jaromir Jagr in both categories, but with Jagr's departure -- along with a number of other veteran forwards -- Gomez should see his playing time rise.

[GoldenJet]

Re: *The Crosby Effect* A Penguins Dynasty 2.0

Pens Excited About Unlikely Hero

The Pittsburgh Penguins and even retired NHLer Jason Skyland find a great becoming player in Tyler Kennedy. Tyler Kennedy last year had an average season of 19 points in 55 games.

"The Penguins are very, very lucky to have a kid like Tyler Kennedy on our team" said Sidney Crosby when asked about the 22 year old Tyler Kennedy.

"This kid is going to have such a great career if he keeps this up" said NHLer Jason Skyland. "He reminds me of Alexei Kovalev kind of, he just wouldn't give up, I hope this kid stays in Pittsburgh for a long time".

[GoldenJet]

Re: *The Crosby Effect* A Penguins Dynasty 2.0

Over his career, Vincent Lecavalier has racked up 602 points and 507 penalty minutes, and average of 0.84 points and 0.71 penalty minutes per game. CHECK out Lecavalier's off-ice hobbies

Players need two things to survive and flourish in the NHL -- talent and toughness. Lots of players have great amounts of one or the other, but which players have found an equal amount of both?
NHL.com asked former Tampa Bay Lightning General Manager Jay Feaster – the man who built the 2004 Stanley Cup champions – for his opinion on who the most talented tough guys in the Eastern Conference are:
Vincent Lecavalier, Tampa Bay Lightning -- Feaster watched first-hand as Lecavalier grew – literally and physically – into one of the best all-round players in the League.
Lecavalier had 112 hits each of the last two seasons, which has helped him clear his path to 92 goals and 200 points, while missing just one game in that span. He’s also not afraid to get his nose dirty doing the physical stuff, picking up 89 penalty minutes, including three majors, last season. And one of the most memorable playoff moments of recent history is Lecavalier and Calgary’s Jarome Iginla dropping the gloves in the 2004 Stanley Cup Final.
“With Vinny there’s no question, he understands (the physical) part of the game,” Feaster said. “He understands very well the need to be able to take care of himself. Guys aren’t going to take liberties with him.”
Mike Fisher, Ottawa Senators -- Much of the attention in Ottawa is focused on the big three of Dany Heatley, Daniel Alfredsson and Jason Spezza, but it’s Fisher who supplies goals and hits in equal measure.
Fisher has been a model of consistency, with three straight 20-goal, 40-point seasons. He’s the team’s top defensive center, and he dished out 234 hits, blocked 73 shots and picked up 82 penalty minutes, second on the team.
“That’s a real talented guy,” Feaster said. “He’s going to play you hard all the time. Not a guy prone to fight, but not a guy who’s going to shirk from it, either. … He’s a tough enough kid that he’s not going to turn away from it. Plus he’s incredibly talented. The attention is on other guys, but he was one of the most dangerous guys against us. Because of his speed and his talent, he was tough to find an answer to.”
Mike Richards, Philadelphia Flyers -- There wasn’t a team statistic in which Richards wasn’t near the top for the Flyers last season. He scored a team-high 75 points, was fifth with 28 goals, fourth with 76 penalty minutes, tied for the second with 110 hits and second with 21:30 of ice time per game.

2008-2009 SEASON PREVIEWS East Previews Atlanta Thrashers Boston Bruins Buffalo Sabres Carolina Hurricanes Florida Panthers Montreal Canadiens New Jersey Devils New York Islanders New York Rangers Ottawa Senators Philadelphia Flyers Pittsburgh Penguins Tampa Bay Lightning Toronto Maple Leafs Washington Capitals West Previews Anaheim Ducks Calgary Flames Chicago Blackhawks Colorado Avalanche Columbus Blue Jackets Dallas Stars Detroit Red Wings Edmonton Oilers Los Angeles Kings Minnesota Wild Nashville Predators Phoenix Coyotes San Jose Sharks St. Louis Blues Vancouver Canucks

2008-09 Season Preview Index (Features, comings & goings, stats, plus more)

Sabres hope to build off strong finish Free agency and health concerns contributed to the Sabres missing the playoffs after two straight conference finals appearances, but the team is poised to bounce back. ...more New faces abound in Vancouver After missing the playoffs, the Canucks did some retooling during the offseason and, led by world-class goalie Roberto Luongo, are poised for a bounce-back campaign. ...more

“I think that he’s a big reason for the resurgence there,” Feaster said of the Flyers’ one-season rise from worst in the League to the Eastern Conference Finals. “The kind of season they had (in 2007-08) was because of him. He’s a hard-nosed player, going to compete every shift. He’s a guy that is willing to hit, take a hit to make a play, and he’s not going to back down.”
Zdeno Chara, Boston Bruins -- Big, mean, nasty and highly skilled – those are the terms most commonly associated with the Bruins captain.
Chara tied for second among all defensemen with 17 goals, and his 223 hits was third among blueliners. His 114 penalty minutes led the Bruins and his plus-14 rating – after being a minus-21 in 2006-07 – was one of the biggest reasons Boston made the 2008 playoffs.
“He’s not going to go around looking for (trouble),” said Feaster, “but if you want a piece of him he’s going to gladly oblige.”
Alexander Ovechkin, Washington Capitals -- The only thing Ovechkin might enjoy more than scoring a goal is landing a big hit. And last season, he did each in equal amounts. Ovechkin led the world with 65 goals, and his 220 hits was the ninth-highest total in the League.
“He’s not afraid to hit,” Feaster said. “He’s a hard-nosed guy. The thing about Ovechkin is he loves it. … You see the passion when he scores a goal, but it’s the same passion when he gives a big hit.”
Milan Lucic, Boston Bruins -- Lucic was a surprise addition to the Bruins’ roster last season, but he more than showed he deserved his spot. Four of Lucic’s eight goals were game-winners, and he also showed no hesitation to stick up for his teammates. He had 89 penalty minutes, including 13 majors, and his 181 hits was second among first-year players.
“I would put him in the category of those types of players to watch in the future because he’s not going to back down,” Feaster said.

[SabresKings3623]

Re: *The Crosby Effect* A Penguins Dynasty 2.0

great updates

[GoldenJet]

Re: *The Crosby Effect* A Penguins Dynasty 2.0

Alexei Kovalev and Alexei Yashin Take Down 1st Place Canada

Team Canada @ Team Russia

1st Period

No Scoring

2nd Period

CAN: Todd Bertuzzi (Vincent Lecavalier, Ed Jovanovski) 4:08

RUS: Alexander Frolov (Sergei Fedorov, Darius Kasparitis) 9:45

CAN: Vincent Lecavalier (Ed Jovanovski) 17:10

3rd Period

RUS: Alexei Kovalev (Dmitri Kalinin) 1:01

RUS: Maxim Afinogenov (Pavel Datsyuk) 3:22

RUS: Alexei Yashin (Alexander Ovechkin, Alexei Kovalev) 5:02

CAN: Chris Pronger (Scott Niedermayer, Joe Sakic) 7:30

RUS: Ilya Kovalchuk (Pavel Datsyuk) 19:44

CAN: Chris Pronger (Joe Sakic) 19:50

3 Stars

3. Vincent Lecavalier

2. Chris Pronger

1. Alexei Kovalev

[GoldenJet]

Re: *The Crosby Effect* A Penguins Dynasty 2.0

Crosby Leads Canada over Germany

Team Germany @ Team Canada

1st Period

CAN: Bryan McCabe (Wade Redden, Joe Thornton) 5:24

GER: Sven Felski (Unassisted) 8:56

CAN: Sidney Crosby (Jarome Iginla, Joe Sakic) 13:49

GER: Urstoff (Leask) 14:03

2nd Period

GER: Marco Sturm (Kreuter, Jochen Hecht) 16:18

3rd Period

CAN: Sidney Crosby (Ed Jovanovski) 3:46

CAN: Joe Thornton (Ryan Smyth) 4:25

CAN: Dany Heatley (Vincent Lecavalier, Scott Niedermayer) 12:42

GER: Sven Felski (Abstrieter, Marco Sturm) 19:54

3 Stars

3. Sven Felski

2. Joe Thornton

1. Sidney Crosby

[SabresKings3623]

Re: *The Crosby Effect* A Penguins Dynasty 2.0

nice dude, good win.

[GoldenJet]

Re: *The Crosby Effect* A Penguins Dynasty 2.0

1st Playoff Game

Pronger Leads Canada to a 1st Round Triumph Over Italy

Team Italy @ Team Canada

1st Period

CAN: Chris Pronger (Scott Niedermayer, Joe Sakic) 8:30

CAN: Joe Thornton (Shane Doan) 12:56

2nd Period

ITA Alberci (Cacciaguerra) 6:30

3rd Period

ITA: Tammara (Banzi) 7:56

CAN: Scott Niedermayer (Chris Pronger, Joe Sakic) 17:25

CAN: Sidney Crosby (EN) (Joe Sakic, Chris Pronger) 19:33

CAN: Sidney Crosby (EN) (Unassisted) 19:57

3 Stars

3. Scott Niedermayer

2. Sidney Crosby

1. Chris Pronger