Which Series loss would hurt more? Flyers or Bruins?

[pilldoc]

Lets assume the Bruin close this thing out on Friday or Sunday. For our faithful Pens fans, which series loss will hurt more?

1. 1st Round Loss: Losing to the dreaded arch interstate rival the Flyers from last year (4-2). A series which was nasty from the beginning and proved to be whose goalie was gonna suck more. Blowing leads in the 1st games at home and then some nasty fireworks throughout the series.

or

2. Losing to the Bruins in the Eastern Conference Finals possibly 4-0 or 4-1. (IMO, I think the Pens won't get this to 6 games). A series where basically for the better part of 1 and 1/2 games the Pens basically did not show up. A potential goalie controversy and where if you go to the Pens Message Boards everybody in there mother wants to blow this team up. A team who has only scored 2 goals....2 Freakin' Goals in 3 games. A series where key players have not shown up and a series in which many Pens faithful thought this would be a cake walk. A team that many thought was a shoo-in for the SCF after what some thought were key additions at the trade dead-line. (ie Iggy / B. Morrow).

So as a Pens fan...which series loss stings worse? (assuming the Pens lose the current series. Yeah I know it ain't over yet, but there is a reason so few teams have come back from a 3-0 deficit).

Non-Pens fans are free to comment too.

[mojo1917]

If it were me last year's loss to "those people's Flyers" would win the gut punch contest easily.

I'm not aware of much of a rivalry twixt Boston and Pittsburgh except in football. I know Cooke knocked Savard into retirement but have always felt the Penguins have had better (more intense) rivalries with Buffalo, Washingtion and Philly.

if the Broons close this out it would certainly be disappointing, but expectations were high for both post season's and the trade deadline acquisitions didn't have time to gel and establish themselves before the pressurized crucible of the tournament in this shortened season. Easier to explain this loss in the ECF as opposed to the horrific behavior and loss in RD 1 the year prior.

[radoran]

"Counting chickens" and all that.

This is a bit of a trolling thread in the Pens' forum, don't you think?

[B21]

Lets assume the Bruin close this thing out on Friday or Sunday. For our faithful Pens fans, which series loss will hurt more?

1. 1st Round Loss: Losing to the dreaded arch interstate rival the Flyers from last year (4-2). A series which was nasty from the beginning and proved to be whose goalie was gonna suck more. Blowing leads in the 1st games at home and then some nasty fireworks throughout the series.

or

2. Losing to the Bruins in the Eastern Conference Finals possibly 4-0 or 4-1. (IMO, I think the Pens won't get this to 6 games). A series where basically for the better part of 1 and 1/2 games the Pens basically did not show up. A potential goalie controversy and where if you go to the Pens Message Boards everybody in there mother wants to blow this team up. A team who has only scored 2 goals....2 Freakin' Goals in 3 games. A series where key players have not shown up and a series in which many Pens faithful thought this would be a cake walk. A team that many thought was a shoo-in for the SCF after what some thought were key additions at the trade dead-line. (ie Iggy / B. Morrow).

So as a Pens fan...which series loss stings worse? (assuming the Pens lose the current series. Yeah I know it ain't over yet, but there is a reason so few teams have come back from a 3-0 deficit).

Non-Pens fans are free to comment too.

You mean when we lose tomorrow?

Very good question. I don't hate the Bruins nearly as much as the Flyers though my Bruins friends complaining about the lack of a stoppage in play when Cambell was hurt is brining the Bruins closer to Flyer hate.

ECF is definitely worse than 1st Round. If there is no Cup, I'd rather it be over early.

4-0 is definitely worse than 4-2.

Going all in with Murray, Morrow and Iginla is worse than going "all in" with....no one.

Question is...does that even out the hate?

Yeah - I'd say the Bruins series stings more.

[canoli]

it's easy to write off last year as a Fleury meltdown, a fluke you could say - until we saw him melt away again this year! And though they can't exactly be proud of scoring on Bryzgalov, at least they did score goals.

This series will go down as one of the worst PO outings by the Penguins...unless they can pull off the miracle comeback. But TWO goals in 3 games? That's insane for a team with that much offense. Rask is playing phenomenal but they've made it too easy for him for long stretches.

This series is much more of an embarrassment for Pens' fans - has to be. Unless they can do what the Flyers did to the Bruins .... but I don't see it happening.

[Polaris922]

They all sting the same to me. Since 1967 we've had three Stanley Cups. The first failure stings every bit as much as the last when it happens. I can be proud of my team for getting to the ECF, but it would still be a loss.

[flyercanuck]

Very good question. I don't hate the Bruins nearly as much as the Flyers .

See B21?, see? This isn't even the hate thread and you're slopping the Flyer hate all over like vomit in a bar bathroom. For shame!

[pilldoc]

"Counting chickens" and all that.

This is a bit of a trolling thread in the Pens' forum, don't you think?

Sorry Rad you feel that way. This topic was never meant to be taken like that. It was an honest discussion I had with some co-workers of mine who are cool Pens fans. You know me. I don't try to antagonize people.

[peter puck]

By what I've read here Boston has one player that might be able to play on Pitts third line.So if I go with that line of reasoning Pitt is getting schooled by a team of fourth line talent and ahl level of talent as compared to Pitts level of talent.That has got to sting. The edge goes to this year because I think giroux just might be able to make the second line on Pitts and krecji could maybe crack the third.Couple that with the deadline moves that Pitt made this year.One thing we must remember neither team has won four games in this series yet and I'm not counting out Pitt just yet

[hf101]

If I'm not mistaken, last year was a 5-4 matchup with the Flyers. That series could have gone either way. Going into this shortened season just about everybody picked the Penguins to be the most likely team to win the cup. Shero made all of his moves well in advance of the trade deadline....in a sense beating out the opposition to the trade-deadline market. After a controlled but lengthy series with the Islanders the Penguins skated around Ottawa fairly easily. No one even fathomed the Penguins could be swept by Boston.

Thus I think this season stings more than last season.

[toughfighter83]

probably the bruins, you have to go back to the draft in 2012 when shero traded michaek and jordan stall, which was a head scracher since the penguins needed defense more than offense because the offense wasnt a problem and when shero went to the deadline and traded for one defender and got 2 offensive players, i think it was a big mistake, he should have got more defense, i think the pens defense was a bigger problem and shero should have addressed that.

best offenses dont win games, it's defense and goaltending and the bruins defense is the main reason why they are contenders and rask is good too, their offense talent doesnt have great players.

[Polaris922]

probably the bruins, you have to go back to the draft in 2012 when shero traded michaek and jordan stall, which was a head scracher since the penguins needed defense more than offense because the offense wasnt a problem and when shero went to the deadline and traded for one defender and got 2 offensive players, i think it was a big mistake, he should have got more defense, i think the pens defense was a bigger problem and shero should have addressed that.

best offenses dont win games, it's defense and goaltending and the bruins defense is the main reason why they are contenders and rask is good too, their offense talent doesnt have great players.

Steal was horribly lazy defensively. Sutter has outplayed him all season both offensively AND defensively, and Staal refused to re-sign here so no head scratching there at all. Sheri did great in a very tough position.

Our defense was much better than its given credit for. It ranked 12th regular season, which isn't stellar but its still top half. It's been good in the playoffs, as putting Vokoun in exposed Fleury as the issue, until the entire team started the ECF around 2.5 games after the Bruins did.

I agree with you the Bruins defense has shone, but till last night the Pens weren't really even trying it seems.. Rask literally saved Game 3 for Boston, not their defense. The Pens put almost 60 shots on goal in 4.5 periods. Rask was unreal.

[radoran]

Sorry Rad you feel that way. This topic was never meant to be taken like that. It was an honest discussion I had with some co-workers of mine who are cool Pens fans. You know me. I don't try to antagonize people.

I might be a little over-sensitive. Not in any way calling you a troll, just questioning the thread before the end.

Polaris and B21 didn't seem to take offense, so no harm no foul.

This is the second year in a row a "Cup favorite" Pens team has underachieved.

[nossagog]

I'll go with last years loss. Not because it was the Flyers(althought that doesn't help), but because the way the Flyers trolled us, and we bit. The Pens completely lost their cool and went off plan. We didn't play the game the way we should, and watching that just made you want to scream at the tube.

I'm watching the Bruins, and we are simply being outplayed while playing our own game. Ignore game two, and one and three they played excellent games, but did not finished. Rask is winning these games instead of last year where Fleury was handing them out. THAT was harder to take.

I can take it when my team plays well, and the other team plays better. Heck it make for great hockey and that's why I love the sport. I'm a hockey fan first, Penguin fan second.

Oh, and I don't consider it trolling. If we can't be honest about our own teams, we should not be on here.

Edited June 7, 2013 by nossagog

[pilldoc]

I might be a little over-sensitive. Not in any way calling you a troll, just questioning the thread before the end.

Polaris and B21 didn't seem to take offense, so no harm no foul.

This is the second year in a row a "Cup favorite" Pens team has underachieved.

no worries Rad. all is good. I do see your point though. If the the Pens would have won last night then this thread does not exist. Maybe it was a wee bit too soon to post this thread but with the Pens down 3-0 IMO the series is all but basically over. (though we all know what the Flyers did to the Bruins a couple of years ago).

And yes by co-workers at work all agree...if the Pens go on and lose this series, this would hurt more than losing Flyers. Simply, the expectations were higher this year for the Pens and they made some moves at the trade dead to make them the favorites coming out of the East. Too be losing to the Bruins in this fashion they said is like be punched in the gut several times.

Anyway this series IS NOT over quite yet......and anything could still happen..........

Sorry for trying to put the cart before the horse........

[flyercanuck]

I don't see a problem with the thread. The Pens fans we have here are all big boys, and the doc is no troll. Not sure which one hurts more. I think their team was definately built to win THIS year. So that would hurt IF they lose the next game. But the Flyers showed the league how to get them off their game in a series. And theres the cross state thing.

[Bertmega]

I'd have to say this losing period hurts. They are a good team that for some reason just don't match well against the Bruins. However, truth be told, I'd rather see my team lose in the 1st round than the Conference Finals. The reason for me is that I am far less emotionally invested in round 1 than I would be by round 3. The most devastating I recall (yes even more so than the Stanley Cup exit in 10'), was loosing the ECF to NJ back in 2000. I am still pissed to this day about that.

In any case, the series isn't over until one team wins four games. Not saying another Boston collapse will happen, I just wouldn't rule out a desperate Penguins squad.

[B21]

See B21?, see? This isn't even the hate thread and you're slopping the Flyer hate all over like vomit in a bar bathroom. For shame!

Well duh. Of course I "hate" the Flyers (not the fans - you guys are cool). But I'm not going to make up things to add fuel to that fire. For example, I won't call Claude Giroux a spoiled brat and poor Captain and accuse him of barking at an official about a call he though he was entitled to (there's that word again) even while play continued on around him before finally going out of his way to cheap shot a guy a few seconds later with a blatant elbow to the head resulting in a much deserved 1-game suspension which meant his team, in the middle of a playoff series, had to perservere without the best player in the world.

I can just not like them. I don't have to make things up though.

Now if he had the audacity to bump the goalie after the horned sounded or swat a guys glove away....then I would really hate him.

[B21]

I don't see a problem with the thread. The Pens fans we have here are all big boys, and the doc is no troll. Not sure which one hurts more. I think their team was definately built to win THIS year. So that would hurt IF they lose the next game. But the Flyers showed the league how to get them off their game in a series. And theres the cross state thing.

Are you guys really arguing about whether or not the Pens fans here were offended by a thread???

Lay off the sensitivity training already!

[nossagog]

Are you guys really arguing about whether or not the Pens fans here were offended by a thread???

Lay off the sensitivity training already!

Ah B21, let em go at it, maybe even prod them on, then we could sit back, watch and enjoy them going at it. But really, I don't think any of us Pens fans are taking any offense, the forums about talking about hockey. And in reality, we are already thinking about the very thing. We are not giving up hope, but we're not betting our lunch money either.

Edited June 7, 2013 by nossagog

[radoran]

Hey, if a Pens fan (or, God forbid, Hockey Junkie) had posted a similar thread on the Flyers board in the same situation, are you telling me that there would be NO ONE apoplectic about discussing the end of the series before it ends?

Because I just don't believe it.

Kudos to the atmosphere on this board (and to our posters) that it's not that way. But one of the reasons it's not that way is the "over sensitive" mods who keep an eye on things before they get out of hand.

[mojo1917]

@radoran

+1 for use of apoplectic

great word not used often enough.

[nossagog]

@radoran

+1 for use of apoplectic

great word not used often enough.

He probably only used it because he saw it on the National Spelling Bee this week.

[flyercanuck]

Are you guys really arguing about whether or not the Pens fans here were offended by a thread???

Lay off the sensitivity training already!

I was directing that toward sir radoran who felt it may have been offensive.

As for you....GFY!

[radoran]

I was directing that toward sir radoran who felt it may have been offensive provocative.

Fixed it for you