Intentionally Hurt Crosby

If Ottawa really want's to eliminate Sidney Crosby, Peter Sykora, Evgeni Malkin, and Sergei Gonchar, why not just give Dany Heatley a bottle of Jack and the keys to the team bus.

That guy is a piece of $hit who should still be in jail for drunk driving and killing his own teammate. Go ahead and take your shots at the Penguins Stars.

Ottawa is already without Fisher and Alfredson. Take a shot at Sid and see if Laraque doesn't put Heatley or Spezza in a coma. Those two are the only chance Ottawa has in this series. It would be worse for Ottawa to lose Heatley or Spezza than it would be for the Pens to lose Sid. If I remember correctly we didn't really miss a beat with Malkin running the team.

Second, it was an accident. The family of Dan Snyder forgave Heatley for the incident. He simply lost control of his car. You have no idea what you are talking about, and I am glad most Penguin fans have more class than you.

I'm sure driving 80 in a 35 in your Ferrari, with a little booze in your system also had nothing to do with it either.

Let me guess, O.J. is innocent as well.

If you want to talk class, look at your own Newspapers in Ottawa. You're sports columnist is suggesting that the Penguins top players all have targets on them, and we should see if Crosby's ankle can stand up to a "Two-Hander."

Knowing that you don't have the talent to win, then suggesting intentional injury to tilt the balance in your favor is not a classy move either. So what's the difference? I don't get paid to post on these boards, that idiot in Ottawa gets paid to write articles. I don't need to exemplify class here, because I am only representing myself and not my entire city. Classlessness is a writer speaking on behalf of an entire city suggesting that their team try to hurt someone on purpose.

Classlessness is whining (with a retarded Speech Impediment) about how the Pens tanked the last game so they could play you, instead of stepping up and admitting you're a garbage coach that is only good at crying into a microphone after losses.

Why wouldn't they want to play you and most likely the Capitals instead of the Flyers and Rangers/Devils winner?

Not all Pens fans are this classless! No mater what you're opinion is of Heatley, this just shows no class to bring it up in that way. Heatley didn't tell that idiot sports writer to write that blather! With that being said, I do agree with the sports writer to a point. The only chance for the Sens to beat the Pens is to be a lot more physical then they are. Mario and Jags had targets on their backs so why shouldn't these guys. As long as it's not dirty so what. It's called playoff hockey and it worked last year!!<o:p> </o:p>

Laraque is way overrated when it comes to sticking up for his teammates. What did he do against the Isles a few games ago when they cheap shotted Hosa several times. Laraque didn't do a darn thing! Sykora and Staal had to jump in. If I were the Sens I would be shaking in my boots! <o:p> </o:p>

Pens in 5!

Being physical and becoming a "modern day Bobby Clarke" (exact quote from Don Brennan of the Ottawa Sun) are two different things.

This a$$hole is not suggesting that they be physical with the Pens, he is suggesting that someone "Two-Handed" slash Sid's ankle just like Bobby Clarke did to Valeri Kharlamov in 1972.

Anyone remember Adam Graves slash to Mario's wrist back in '92? That type of stuff is horse $hit and has no place in the game.

Besides, we don't need Laraque to stick up for our Stars. Scary Gary Roberts is back in action.

Regarding class rvdjr - I see your also a fan of some Philthy-delphia sports teams. I can smell all the class oozing out of that city all the way over here in Pittsburgh.

Oh wait, they cheered for Michael Irvin when they though he was laying paralyzed on the field...that's classy.

Ok, this whole page is terrible.  We are all sports fans wanting to talk sports, not have someone injured (in the case of the Ottawa reporter) or bringing up a very poor decision that happend 3 years ago that caused a teammate and good friend of Heatley's to be killed.

We all know that the playoffs are a little more intense then the regular season, and I agree with IronCity27 that intent to injure has no place in the game.  That being said, they are going to take every chance they can to get those little shots in on Sidney Crosby, Evgeni Malkin and Marian Hossa...But I promise you that Maxime Talbot, Jarkko Ruutu and Georges Larques are going to be doing the same thing to Jason Spezza and Dany Heatley...that is how it is.  This is the playoffs and anything you can do (within the rules) to win is what you do...

All I want is a hard fought series that show cases the talent these teams have...but with that being said I would also be ok with the Penguins taking the Senators out in 4!

Second, yes, we DO have the talent to win. We easily have the talent to win this series. The problem is that the talent is sucking right now and has been for a while. Were the Sens playing to their potential, they would be the favorites to win the series.

That brings me to point #3, your last question, and the answer is that the Penguins should understand that talent can come back in the blink of an eye. If both teams were playing at full strength, any coach in the NHL who would rather face the Senators than the Flyers is not going to be a coach in the NHL much longer. When both are playing at full strength, the Senators are easily the stronger team. You said as much yourself when you picked Washington to beat Philly.

At their best, the Senators and Penguins would go at least 6 and likely 7, with Ottawa having a slight edge. At their best, the Flyers would likely take Pittsburgh 6, but no further. Luckily for the Penguins, it appeared the talent is still not going to show up. That being the case, Pittsburgh will likely win in 4 or 5.

But enough with this "if" crap and time to deal with reality. The Senators best is now. Not three months ago or last year.

I did not do that. I said that the teams were even, but one team is playing with desire and the other is not. That gives a clear advantage to Pittsburgh. Two players are what everyone thinks the Sens have, but it isn't so. The difference is heart, not talent.

But I wouldn't expect Maple Leaf Nation to understand that. Toronto doesn't have either one, and that's why the Leafs don't recognize talent, they've forgotten what having it feels like.

On another note, congratulations to the Penguins for their two wins so far. You have a heck of a team.

Thanx SkyHawk09.

The last time TML had talent was Mats Sundin, and he's looking to retire after this season.

Is it just a divisional rivalry in Ottawa with Toronto, or does it go deeper than that? Just curious.

As for the other comment, I'm not saying that the Penguins aren't a good team. They are, they're a very good team. But most hockey people know that the Senators are what they have become, a talented team who has no desire to show that talent. As anyone can see, the Penguins clearly have that desire along with similar talent. You can argue that even when both are at full strength, the Penguins are the more talented team, and nobody would think you're crazy. I happen to disagree with that notion, partially because I know how good we are when we play well, and partially because the results back me up, Ottawa was unbeaten in regulation against Pittsburgh in the regular season this year. But you can certainly make the claim. What is crazy to claim is that when healthy and playing with heart, the Senators are not a talented team. They are, on a level of the Penguins.

But what this series is becoming is a classic example of desire trumping talent, with a twist. You've heard the saying that hard work beats talent when talent doesn't work hard? This series is hard work, desire and talent (Pittsburgh) sweeps talent alone (Ottawa).