There is an old saying. Something along the style of: “If you see a good idea, then steal it.” Or at least appropriate and bend it to your needs. Give a full credit to Day Kinger by Phn and his recent article entitled, 5 Most undervalued players of the Crosby eraI decided to mention the five players from the Crosby era, all retired, I wish we still had it. (Okay, make those six … I couldn’t help it, but add an extra.)
You will undoubtedly notice that my favorites have a lot in common. Everything, for one, are ahead. And they were all alpha competitors who used a style with a loud nose. Without further preamble is my list here, in random order.
Patric Hornqvist, right wing (2014-20)
Of all players who have worn the Skating Penguins logo, if he was safe to say Patric Hörnqvist. With a style that is best described as the Tasmanian devil on skating, the rugged Swede stood up for modest hockey start (230th general choice in 2005) to settle as the prototype that shoots forward.
You could argue, and fairly successful, that is acquisition (together with Phil Kessel), served as the catalyst for our most recent cups. “Horny” was such a rabbit, almost violent competitor. Play after the game, he would plant himself in the fold and a lot of beating of opposite defenders in the form of oblique stripes, elbows, high sticks and cross checks without coming back.
Equal parts fearless and ruthless, he was virtually impossible to discourage. I can’t imagine how difficult he was to play against.
However, there was more in his game than just the physical aspect. With the possible exception of Jake GuentzelHörnqvist was the best on tip-ins and deflections I have ever seen.
Link too. During the Cup-Run of ’16 he scores, the second only for Kessel among Zwart-Gouden Scorers, including the clincher against San Jose. The next spring He scored the cup-winning goal Against its original team, the predators, who passed the puck Pekka Rinne From the side of the net in his characteristic swarm style.
“Scary” Gary Roberts, left wing (2007-08)
The nickname says it all. Gary Roberts Was a wild competitor and one of the last of a dying breed of Old-school Power Forwards who could hit, fight and score.
By the time the Pens acquired Roberts in the spring of 2007, he was 40 years old and far beyond his Prime. But thanks to his excellent conditioning and gray determination, he kept more than pace, with seven goals in 19 games in the play … about a pace of 30 goals for a full season.
However, it was his leadership and toughness, legendary in this phase of his career, making Roberts one of my favorites of all time. After missing almost the entire second half of the ’07 -08 campaign with a high ankle sprain, he returned with a revenge for the opening match of the Play -Offs. The old Battleer hit two goals against Ottawa, the team that had surpassed us the season before, then went in search of a search and destruction mission in the final finances, challenging Cody Bass And literally the entire Sens team.
His characteristic “Scary Gary” moment came, fitting enough, a few months earlier on the road against Philly. He had left with Ben EgerA brutal of 240 pounds about 18 years his junior and went to the tar from him.
Rarely I am more proud of a penguin.
Chris Kunitz, Left wing (2009-17)
From the moment he arrived from Anaheim in an exchange for Ryan Whitney In February 2009 I became a huge Chris Kunitz fan. They just didn’t come on a gamer, more difficult or grim. Or classier by the way.
Night after night Kunitz squeezed every us effort from his compact frame, almost always on physical fashion. Regardless of the size or reputation of his enemy, he ended his checks. Difficult. I complained for a long time that if he had weighed 210 pounds instead of a Buck-Ninetia that was so wet, would not have come across.
Yet Kunitz was still enough good. A first team of NHL All-Star in 2013, he was at the top six times the 20-target plateau-included a career-best 35 in 2013-14, while he served as a valued operator for four Stanley Cup champions.
Not too poor for a unguomed free agent from Ferris State who was once waived twice within a wingspan of two weeks in October 2005.
However, it was his work at the end of his black-golden term of office that made the most impression on me. While his scoring touch began to decrease, Kunitz willingly embraced a bottom-six role with verve. Although always Edgy, he raised his physical game to even greater impact and delivered 691 hits during his last three seasons in the ‘Burgh.
The hard -driving veteran enjoyed his moment in the sun during game 7 of the Eastern Conference Final 2017 against the senators. Back on a line with Sidney Crosby“Kuni” drifted in the open space in the left circle and immediately drilled Sid’s photo-perfect feed over the shoulder of keeper Craig Anderson For the Clinching series, Double-Overtime winner.
Max Talbot, Vooruit (2005-11)
Although he called himself ‘superstar’, nobody would confuse Max Talbot With High-Pigigree teammates Crosby and Evgeni Malkin. The son of a plumber, however, was a spicy, heart-and-soul player with an underrated scoring touch and a preference for large in clutch situations.
How big do you ask? During the Cup Final Series of ’09 against Detroit, the former eighth round pick recorded a team-best four goals. More than Sid. More than Geno. During the decisive game 7, “Mad Max” struck for both black-gold goals to cinch the cup.
Maybe my favorite Max moment, apart from his thorough kitschy star who in one A&L Motors CommercialCome earlier in the late season ’09, the first round that was exactly. The flyers had taken a 3-0 lead in game 6 and threatened to blow the pens from the Wachovia Center. Talbot, whose blunder had led directly to one of those goals, responded through the very tough ex-pens farmer in Leiden Daniel Carcillo In a fight. With a separate shoulder.
Eye Zwart The pens scored 14 seconds later and got a run of five goals to conquer the series.
Brooks Orpik, Defense (2002-14)
Long before Jacob Trouba Started by delivering elbow -misses and borderline -hits as a member of the hated Rangers, the pens had their own predatory defender. Arranged 18one Generally in 2000, Brooks Orpik represented a seismic shift in the organizational approach to the pens in more than one way. The heir clearly for the equally hard heating Darius KasparitisThe pens immediately became more difficult to play against with Orpik who patrol the blue line.
Bristling controls flowed freely from the tough 217 pound Achterguard as perspiration on the beach. Opposite forward learned quickly to keep their heads up … or else. I remember a game in 2012 Brooks literally launched the Bruins’ Daniel Paille in a job to With a thunderous open ice check.
One of the last of a dying breed of large open ice Hitters, no. 44 has made a career of alleviating opponents with bone burning controls. During Game 1 of the Stanley Cup Final 2009, Orpik sent a message to the Red Wings by Nagen Former Black Gold Teammate Marián Hossa With central ice. (The sharpening fence ahead would score a goal during the series.) With the pens with 2-game-to-nonus, Orpik made like a human ram in game 3, Delivering four flowering hits during a 15 -second period. Undoubtedly the turning point of the series.
After signing at the Blood-Rival Capitals in 2014, Brooks became the answer to a Trivia question and the only player who won a cup with both Crosby and Alex Ovechkin.
Ryan Malone, left wing (2003-08)
When the pens set up Ryan Malone 115one In general from St. Cloud State in 1999, you had to wonder if there was some nepotism involved. After all, his father, Greg MaloneWas the director of the Scouting team.
It appears that the Senior Malone has done us a solid one. As a player, Greg, taken 19one In general through the pens in 1976, there was a hard charging with a scoring touch. In the case of Ryan, the acorn fell not far from the tree.
By sharing the nickname of his father (Bugsy) and his determined playing style, Malone scored a team-best 22 goals for a Putrid Pennen team in ’03 -04 to earn NHL All-smokie Team Honors. Cast in the role of a protector because of his size (6’4 ”219) and aggressive tendency, Ryan initially did not do so well when the gloves came out, perhaps because of his collegial background. But the campaign ’07 -08 that he had transformed into a very concise hunter who could throw with both hand. John LeclairBugsy also emerged as a top plane, so that the lamp lit 27 times that season.
I will never forget the RAW Courage Malone that is shown during game 5 of the Cup final ’08. Already play with a broken nose, thanks to a check from Niklas KronwallBugsy absorbed one Hall gill Slap shot in the face. I thought he was definitely ready. Moments later, however, the rugged winger returned to the ice with cotton balls filled in his nostrils to increase the bleeding. How he could breathe, let alone skate, I will never know. But there he was and gave him everything.
One of my biggest disappointments as a fan of a pens took place that summer, then Ray SheroOperating under serious CAP restrictions, the rights of Malone, together with those of fellow-faca-be Roberts, traded on lightning for a third round pick.
With two of my six favorites from the Crosby era that was removed in one, I was Crestfallen. Fortunately, reinforcements Kunitz, Bill Guerin And Matt Cooke Were on the way.
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