Alaska Darin

Let me know when they win their first playoff series, will you? Until that moment, they have nothing more than POTENTIAL. POTENTIAL means you aren't worth a damn yet. I guess it's some kind of societal thing to need to build something up before it actually does anything. Which is why American Karoeke is so successful, I guess. Uh, because there was no salary cap and that allowed the big money teams to keep their stars and steal yours the second they hit free agency. But don't let that get in the way of how great the Penguins are right now. A little bit of Mullen, Stevens and Murphy? Are you kidding me? 1991 playoffs: Mullen: 17 points in 22 games. (averaged nearly a point a game in his FIVE YEAR Penguins' career) (Hall of Famer) Stevens: 33 points in 24 games. (86 points in the regular season or 29 more than JAGR) (SEVEN seasons in Pittsburgh, where he averaged OVER a point per game in BOTH the regular season AND playoffs) Murphy: 23 points in 23 games. (averaged over a point a postseason game in his FIVE YEAR Penguins' career) (Hall of Famer) Lookout Larry. Here comes Ryan Whitney. Coffey: 11 points in 12 games. (After scoring NINETY THREE points in the regular season and averaging over 1.16 PPG in FIVE apparently brief seasons in Pittsburgh). (Hall of Famer). You're right. Brooks Orkpik is gonna crush Coffey's achievements. I'm sure each of these players appreciates your supposedly "die hard" fandom of minimizing their HALF A DECADE EACH of accomplishment during the ONLY glory days of the franchise. You're a real fan. Your statement was that the current Penguins are more talented than the Cup winning teams. Why the hell would I mention a role player and a guy who had one amazing NHL season? You do understand bringing up Rob Brown torpedoes YOUR argument, right? You're right, it's pure folly for teams to bring in proven veterans with Cup winning experience, as it has no effect on postseason. I'm sure that's why the current Pens leadership didn't bother with Gary Roberts this year. [/dumbass] Sure. Just like Ryan Miller. The fact that the Pens were a completely unresponsible defensive team in that era is the goalies fault. The reason you idiots think you were justified in calling for Wregget is the team reigned themselves in when the backup took the ice - BECAUSE THEY KNEW THEY HAD TO. It's nice that you think in the salary cap era that teams are going to be able to not only hold on to multiple stars, but also sign Hall of Famers from other teams to compliment them. Try reality. It tastes a little like chicken. Watch what happens to the Sabres this offseason, when they have to start choosing which stars they keep. I don't care what other revenue sources are generated. THERE IS A CAP. That means guys like Crosby will get MAX contracts or close to, leaving only 80% or so to the other 19 guys on the roster. Arbitration alone will kill teams that draft well. You better hope the NHL management changes their views, because the amount of punishment Crosby has taken to date will add up in a big hurry, as it did with Lemieux. And three years from now, you'll be lucky to have one of them still on the roster. As for how good they are going to be, they've got a long way to go to approach the success of the players you wannabees are comparing them to. Ask Eric Staal how much fun THIS season has been for him. I'm pretty sure he was REALLY good last season. It's amazing that people don't understand how hard it is to win a Stanley Cup. Detroit had the best regular season team in the NHL for the better part of a decade, winning the President's Trophy SIX times, with over half a roster of proven veteran guys on their way to the Hall of Fame and struggled to match what the Penguins did despite spending as much money as anyone in the league (and double and triple nearly half the teams). But some group of young guys in the salary cap era is gonna win MORE because they make pretty plays in the regular season. Sure they are.

From "I saw a license plate" to "anal ice cubes" within 10 posts. Welcome to TBD.

Don't forget risking Hodgkins disease by dining on your "world class" catch. Don't worry Buffalo, at the pace the "government" is getting deals done, the waterfront will be teeming with new business by 2780.

That's not what I meant and you know it. The fact of the matter is, the liberal movement of "enpowering" children is the key point that led to this disaster and it hasn't lost one bit of steam.

There's a lot more to it than that. No one should be surprised that these behaviors keep escalating. It's a product of the "self esteem is SUPER" parenting/societal endeavor that has been going on for 25 years. Spare the rod, spoil the mother friggin' child. Congrats liberals, the brats have all the power now.

Drury... In the third period, it was pretty obvious the Devils wanted no part of DZ because even when he had the puck he was burying guys. There was one instance where 3 Devils literally backed away from him along the far boards WHEN HE HAD THE PUCK. Paille has been very good all year but he's been snakebit finishing. He was solid all night, whcih was amazing considering his layoff. I'm not sure what game Robie was watching the first two periods. It was almost like he expected the Devils to roll and kept trying to find reasons why they would. I thought they were looking past the Leafs this past weekend because Jersey was on the other side. I'm far more concerned about being healthy for game one without rusty players playing big minutes. I'd have absolute wood if our healthy scratches were Mair, Peters and Paetch. That'd be a nice problem to have. I'd also like to see Connelly play at least one regular season game. That dude is a witch on the PP and if he was able to play effectively in just that role, he'd be worth a playoff roster spot.

Snopes: True

Wouldn't be any different. MB benefits as much from the Devils' style of play as Miller is stricken by the Sabres. Miller sees more opposing quality scoring chances in an evening than MB sees in a week.

You're on friggin' crack. That team with Cullen, Recchi, Lemiux, Jagr, Coffey, Mullen, Murphy, Roberts, Stevens, Young, Trottier, Barrasso and Francis would beat the living crap outta the current Penguins - especially if they played under today's rules. Try counting the HoFers in that group. Then compare them to Crosby and company. The current group only has to continue to evolve for another decade (actually more) to even sniff the jocks of the aformentioned. More talented? No way. More hyped? Definitely.

You're wrong. It doesn't matter how many ways you spin it. Still wrong. Why would I have to? The only people in this thread who think there is a winner/loser are YOU and Joey Balls. Try and figure out how funny that is to anyone with a clue. Nah, wimpy is spelling the word "diick" and then trying to justify it as being "for the children". But thanks for leaving out the name calling, especially since you suck as much at it as you do at getting a cognizant point across. I've backed up plenty - with links, scientific papers, etc. You choose to ignore them, instead posting an IPCC link that shows "Global Warming based on Human Interaction". You consider that good science, as if the conclusion of a UN sponsored body being a load of schit could possibly mean the rest of the data is gospel. Nah, he's probably off studying Global Warming further. You know, because he's a scientist.

My position is the same as it's always been: No one actually knows enough about the variables and the "accepted" method of calculation is incredibly flawed by the human factor. I guess all the stuff I've put out there is confusing. It should be, it's a huge topic, and our "scientists" are barely able to scratch the surface. Which makes the conclusions and resulting fear mongering that much more ridiculous. Wrong again. It's the conclusions I have a problem with. There are certainly some studies that are flawed and biased, which is very obvious when the data is interpreted. You mean putting two unbiased groups together, not allowing them to ever meet one another, with the data available and seeing what they come out with is a tough concept for you? You're in no position to make demands. No, you have the balls of a gnat because you're a wishy-washy guy when called out. It's cool that you're declaring yourself the victor. That's new and pretty novel. I care why?

Which, of course, ignores the fact that Gore is NOT A SCIENTIST in any way, shape, form, or fashion. There's your gnat balls trying to show themselves. You either respect Mr. Gore or you don't. Why be wishy-washy about it? There's plenty of evidence out there in science, from respected and published Climatologists. Of course, the media doesn't report their views. I wonder why that is. Couldn't be "if it bleeds, it leads", could it?

Really? You mean because there's no one out there questioning the gathering of the temperature data or the biases in allowance for "Urban heating"? Because you'd be wrong on both counts. Oh, but 90% of the science "community" whose increased funding pretty much depends on this being serious business, all agree that it's getting warmer (as long as the charts don't go back a whole lot further) and now have made the leap to "humans are causing it" (which you linked but aren't apparently now behind). Again, I ask: Where are the double blind studies on "Global Warming"? And you've got the balls of a gnat. Since no one has refuted that statement, it's also now law. I can live with being a "diick" and a "dick". Especially considering the source. None of the things I've posted are term papers. They are each from accepted scientific research in the field, including papers from the same entity you used, that only 5 years ago said pretty much the opposite of what they're now saying.

There are always factors. Trying looking at health care with an eye on Public Education. We spend more per student than ANY industrialized nation in the world but the results aren't pretty. It's not a money thing. Shoot, we spend TWELVE PERCENT of every healthcare dollar on Type II Diabetes. TWELVE PERCENT! The same will be true with "Nationalized" health care. The rich will continue to receive care and the poor will still be left behind. The only difference will be the system will cost even more than it does today, with an enormous bureaucracy on top of all of it. Can't you just see it now? "No Patient Left Behind".

The bottom 50% of ALL American taxpayers pay 3.3% of income tax collected. They earn 13.3% of the income.

Apparently we have a judicial system to weed out people who can't control themselves.

What didn't you understand? 40% of adults in this country pay little or no federal income tax. There is no debate. A ridiculous percentage of Americans only care about their health (and their fat ass kids) when it comes to paying for it. They eat crap, don't exercise at all, then are apparently surprised when that leads to preventable (and expensive) diseases like Type II diabetes. But really, I understand the solution of "All the compassion of the IRS, all the competence of the DMV", as if somehow "single payer" health care won't end up in a Walter Reed situation. Because I believe in dreams, too.

The number is over 40%, actually. More "free lunches" on the backs of the middle class. Health care is really important, as long as you don't have to pay for it, all the while stuffing your face and not exercising. You know, because it's criminal not to treat people who won't spend a single minute taking care of themselves.

Tell me, is that somehow different than the perceptions from the partisan apologists from the other side saying "the radikal (sic) Religious Right" has taken over the Republican Party? "Political Fear Mongering! Catch it!"

Republicans moved in and property taxes shot up.

Antarticaaaugh! This link requires a login. Most of you won't bother, so here's the "interesting part" - most of which doesn't contain the fear mongering of the article. Highlights: "Now, two new research efforts have tackled the subject -- producing new insights into the systems that control and change Antarctica, as well into the worrisome limits to our knowledge about the suddenly crucial continent." "The first project revealed that a previously unknown system of seemingly connected lakes lies under the massive streams of ice that move Antarctica's frozen water from the center of the continent to its coasts. It is a system that might work to moderate climate change, the researchers said, or alternatively might speed it up if a tipping point is reached." "Yet at this point, we know very little about the physics of how it works," "The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change has specifically asked researchers to speed their studies of the dynamics of Antarctic climate and how its ice is formed, moved and melted." - this is just after they release their most current study that says Global Warming is definitely happening and is definitely man made. Ever had your boss ask you to speed something up that can't be sped up? Is that usually sound management or the result of some kind of political manuevering? Followed by: "Disappearance of the west Antarctic ice sheet, for instance, could raise worldwide sea levels by about 20 feet." Fear mongering? "David Bromwich has been recording Antarctic temperatures and snowfall for some time, and his newest results do not conform to the predictions of most climate models." Gee, computer modeling based on our "knowledge" of climatology isn't conforming? That's not news, it's actually the trend. "The best we can say right now is that the climate models are somewhat inconsistent with the evidence that we have for the last 50 years from continental Antarctica," Shocking. "That finding is itself a cause for concern, he said, because it means that scientists' ability to understand the Antarctic climate, and so to predict how it may change, appears limited." But Global Warming is coming damnit! And it's man made! "We thought these changes took place over years and decades, but we are seeing large changes over months". Which means they now have so many years of study, both forwards and backwards before they have any actual idea of what is really going on. "In addition, he said, the loss of ozone is believed by some researchers to cause the intensifying westerly winds." Don't worry, it won't be long until "90% of scientists" agree with this hypothesis and it directly correlates to "Global Warming". It's called "results via expectation." "Every time we think we understand something, we find that conditions are more complicated, more dynamic than we appreciated. Things are changing fast, and probably a whole lot faster than we know." But the IPCC can now directly attribute "Global Warming" to human action.

That was just a terrific play by Vanek.

I really liked the guy because he played with a chip on his shoulder without being a dick about it. Played hard, played tough, did what was asked and never embarrassed the game. Did as much for Bruce as Bruce did for him.

Honestly, it looked like the first time this season that all the weight he lost was an advantage for his opponent. Brashear is a real heavyweight, obviously.

Peters clearly gets his ass kicked for the first time in awhile.