I'd appreciate no more Ian Moran references ever, personally.
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The most terrifying fact about the universe is not that it is hostile, but that it is indifferent. If we can come to terms with this indifference and accept the challenges of life within the boundaries of death, our existence as a species can have genuine meaning and fulfillment. However vast the darkness, we must supply our own light. - Stanley Kubrick
Very tough one for me. I remember Coffey being a beast on D (I actually thought he was a forward for a bit growing up) and Gonchar and Scuds were my favorites in the 08/09 cup runs. Letang is a great offensive D and has the potential to pass both of them.
It's pretty much a toss up between Coffey and Gonch for me. One for the cup in 91 and one for the cup in 09. Guess I'll go with Paul Martin.
I can see why some would prefer Gonchar at #4 but I have too many biases at play Burrows's Hart votes in '76 give you an idea how valuable he was to the team - pretty much unheard of from a defensemen of his style.
Honestly I'd be disappointed if Letang doesn't pass Carlyle when all is said and done (he could do it without winning a Norris), he's just that talented. I feel the only ways it doesn't happen is if injuries keep rearing their ugly head or he's not here.
Last edited by Bring Back Scuderi: 11-29-2012 at 04:14 PM.
daves my pick......."al smith" is one of my fav. pens of all time.....just sayin
Dave Burrows is mine too. Ron Stackhouse should be on this list too.
I like when Al Smith got into a fight against the Blues. The entire benches ementy. He got pitched and I believe Les Binkley had to come in and replace him.
All on the list were good. Ian Moran was the worst.
I'd appreciate no more Ian Moran references ever, personally.
I will always bash Ian Moran. He just sucked. He never should have played in the NHL. The stats are there to prove it. He was last in plus/minus, last in hits and had no shot at all.
I do understand he and his wife were nice people and did some nice things, but if I sucked as bad as he did, I wouldn't be able to keep my job.
I guess your either Ian, Britta or a friend of them. There are no Pens Fans that ever liked his play on the ice. I don't get bent often, but he was one of the worst ever.
I loved watching Paul Coffey skate, but I narrowly gave Murphy the edge in this one because he always made the right play. And as I type this, I have remorse for my vote, and then I don't, and then I do again.
So let me put it this way, when I watched Coffey play, I often reacted like one of the Lakers brothers:
With Murphy, I didn't jump out of my seat so much, but I found myself just saying over and over, "he's just so smart with the puck..." So, even though I'm torn in different directions, I guess the Murphy Flip and the fact that Caps fans were the morons who thought it funny to mock a player of his caliber with their stupid "woop! woop!" can be considered the details that tipped the scales in Murphy's favor.
Dave Burrows is mine too. Ron Stackhouse should be on this list too.
I like when Al Smith got into a fight against the Blues. The entire benches ementy. He got pitched and I believe Les Binkley had to come in and replace him.
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Ya, there wasn,t much to cheer about back then.......but i was never more proud of my team. remember the standing o he got when he came back into the stands.....sweet!
You sure you're not thinking of Dunc Wilson pummeling Danny Gare? Best Pens Goalie fight until Brent Johnson/DiPietro.
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nope! simty didn't even win the fight it was a missmatch from the start, smith got hit twice everytime he took a swing [being weighted down with all his goalie equipment] got sent to the box where he took off his pads and jumped back on the ice and fought him again only to lose that one too. but there was no quit or backing down....he ofcourse was thrown out of the game.....a short time later people started clapping in the corner and started to spread through out the whole rink ending up in a standing o. as smity walk back in to the rink in his street cloths.
You sure you're not thinking of Dunc Wilson pummeling Danny Gare? Best Pens Goalie fight until Brent Johnson/DiPietro.
I always thought Stackhouse was alright. Not as good as Burrows, but not as bad as everyone else in the crowd thought he was.
No, it was Al Smith when the Pens were playing the Blues. They stopped the game to sort it all out. They tacked on the last two minutes or so to the third period. I have never seen this before.
I do remember the Dunc Wilson fight. Your right, a lot of Pens fans got on Stackhouse for no reason. The guy was a good player.
No, it was Al Smith when the Pens were playing the Blues. They stopped the game to sort it all out. They tacked on the last two minutes or so to the third period. I have never seen this before.
just one qustion. i seem to remember it was nole picard [sp?] while a buddy thinks it was one of the playgers [sp?] do you remember who it was that al fought?
Wasn't watching during when Coffey and/or Murphy played. So I'll go with Gonch. He didn't end his career here on the best note, but he played some great hockey over those 5 years.
Went with Murphy. Coffey was only here for the 1st cup run, and was abysmal in his own end. Murph was more complete and had a much longer run here. That, and the "murphy dump".
just one qustion. i seem to remember it was nole picard [sp?] while a buddy thinks it was one of the playgers [sp?] do you remember who it was that al fought?
It seems to have been Bob Plager.
Quote:
The previous night in St. Louis, Bob Plager was involved in a few scraps with various Penguins, and while mixing it up with Bryan Hextall near the Penguins bench, was sucker punched from the bench by Pittsburgh backup goalie Al Smith. Sunday night in Pittsburgh, Smith was in goal. Late in the first, Bob joined a Blues rush up ice. Now, Bob rarely crossed his own blueline, let alone the oppositions, but after Smith made a glove save on a shot, Bob just kept coming and barrelled full speed into Smith. Bob, Smith, and the net all went flying and Smith bounded up from the ice, his gloves flying off, and he and Bob proceeded to go toe-to-toe for about 3 minutes, circling the perimeter of the rink, both throwing haymakers the whole while. When it was over, both were bare-chested; sweaters, pads and undershirts had come off as they wildly flailed at each other while waltzing around the Pittsburgh Civic Arena ice. Possibly the wildest fight I have ever seen.
just one qustion. i seem to remember it was nole picard [sp?] while a buddy thinks it was one of the playgers [sp?] do you remember who it was that al fought?
You are right. Al Smith got into 5 fights in a little over 2 years with the Pens.
I am loving all the Burrows mentions in the thread. Wasn't sure how many here got a chance to see him play. Didn't vote yet but have been going back and forth with the idea of either Coffey or Burrows. Burrows was the best defensive dmen in franchise history, (imo) and Coffey was easily the best offensive dmen in team history.
Going to have to go with Coffey, despite his great defensive failings toward the end of his Penguins tenure. He was just so dynamic a player with his incredible speed and prowess with the puck. He really was the catalyst toward our franchise becoming a winning team. Things began to jell with his arrival. He was so respected with his vast Stanley Cup experience. It was such a huge trade for the Pen's. Big kudos to EJ on pulling it off. Coffey gave Mario a legit superstar to create with. And the excitement he brought to the arena was palpable. As mentioned earlier in the post, things did go south for Coffey here. It seemed he began a severe allergic reaction to contact and the ability to play any semblance of defense. But prior to that slide, what he did with here was remarkable.
I am loving all the Burrows mentions in the thread. Wasn't sure how many here got a chance to see him play. Didn't vote yet but have been going back and forth with the idea of either Coffey or Burrows. Burrows was the best defensive dmen in franchise history, (imo)
burrows was the only pen d-man that the other team would not even try to bring the puck down his side of the ice.
In my opinion, Letang and Gonchar shouldn't be on the list. I loved Gonchar's time here, and I don't think we win the cup without him, but he's not in Coffey's league. Kasparaitis belongs nowhere near this list. Burrows needs added.
To me its a question of: Would you rather have Coffey's elite offense, Murphy's dependability/ 2-way play, or Burrows straight-up D?
No matter what you may prefer, the best player on that list is Coffey.
I am loving all the Burrows mentions in the thread. Wasn't sure how many here got a chance to see him play. Didn't vote yet but have been going back and forth with the idea of either Coffey or Burrows. Burrows was the best defensive dmen in franchise history, (imo) and Coffey was easily the best offensive dmen in team history.
Going to have to go with Coffey, despite his great defensive failings toward the end of his Penguins tenure. He was just so dynamic a player with his incredible speed and prowess with the puck. He really was the catalyst toward our franchise becoming a winning team. Things began to jell with his arrival. He was so respected with his vast Stanley Cup experience. It was such a huge trade for the Pen's. Big kudos to EJ on pulling it off. Coffey gave Mario a legit superstar to create with. And the excitement he brought to the arena was palpable. As mentioned earlier in the post, things did go south for Coffey here. It seemed he began a severe allergic reaction to contact and the ability to play any semblance of defense. But prior to that slide, what he did with here was remarkable.
Gotta ask because I know that you remember those time well... Didn't Whitney remind you of Stackhouse?
I am loving all the Burrows mentions in the thread. Wasn't sure how many here got a chance to see him play. Didn't vote yet but have been going back and forth with the idea of either Coffey or Burrows. Burrows was the best defensive dmen in franchise history, (imo) and Coffey was easily the best offensive dmen in team history.
Going to have to go with Coffey, despite his great defensive failings toward the end of his Penguins tenure. He was just so dynamic a player with his incredible speed and prowess with the puck. He really was the catalyst toward our franchise becoming a winning team. Things began to jell with his arrival. He was so respected with his vast Stanley Cup experience. It was such a huge trade for the Pen's. Big kudos to EJ on pulling it off. Coffey gave Mario a legit superstar to create with. And the excitement he brought to the arena was palpable. As mentioned earlier in the post, things did go south for Coffey here. It seemed he began a severe allergic reaction to contact and the ability to play any semblance of defense. But prior to that slide, what he did with here was remarkable.
I saw him play, but it was on a contraption like this, no remotes back then.
Stereo and record player back then built right in.
Needless to say at that time I was only 7/8/9 at the time and was just starting to watch. "Manually turning the channel" and every now and then run into the game and watched out of boredom. Didn't really care about names or even remember which games I watched. I remember those blue Jerseys though. I don't know if I remember some of the names from watching or just from progression of learning the sport as it moved along into the 80's. I wish I could remember more, I wasn't hard core.
Burrows's Hart votes in '76 give you an idea how valuable he was to the team - pretty much unheard of from a defensemen of his style. 
