Is The Rivalry with the Capitals Simmered Down?

[DocEmrick]

Man, I remember red-sea nail biting nights when Ovechkin and Crosby or Malkin would trade goals, where Bruce Boudreau was screaming his head off looking like a funny fat guy. Where Varlamov was actually managing to keep the Craps in some games, while Mike Green was at the other end of the rink...

What happened to those days? Article about the rivalry being heated, but I have to disagree with it... Of course it's always something special with the level of talent the Caps/Pens bring, but I don't really see it as a heated rivalry anymore.

http://triblive.com/sports/penguins/342 ... z2KIokdXZv

[Lesky]

What special talent does the Caps bring these days?

[skullman80]

I never saw it as that big of a rivalry to be honest.

They aren't the Flyers or the Rangers over the course of history. Pens have owned them in the playoffs.

Probably much like the Flyers didnt consider the Pens a big rival back back in the 70's and 80's cause they just rolled over us time after time.

Flyers/Rangers are still two biggest rivals in my eyes.

[thepittman]

NOT OUR RIVAL

[thepittman]

[helmespc]

[m.lemieux66]

Just because two teams had first round draft picks doesn't make it a rivalry. NBC lived off of trying to debate who was the better player, Sid or Ovie. It is obvious now who is better so it takes away from that wow factor. Because we have at least three players (Sid, Geno, Neal) that are better than "The Great 8", Sid has a cup, and he can blow him out of the water in points when he was out over half of a season takes the thrill out of it for us. Maybe they still want to think it is a rivalry to get their blood pumping.

[no name]

IMHO the rivalry is mostly due to the media build up of Ovi vs Sid and i think even the players feed off this more than a actual dislike for each other. Ovi and Sid are ultra competitive and want to be the best in the world. They know their biggest competition for the best player title is on the other team. This builds the rivalry. Also contributing is these 2 teams are top in the eastern comference. any 2 top teams are going to be concidered rivals and there is also some history to these 2 teams from the past.

Right now there is no competition, Sid is better with Ovi in a slump so it appears the rivaly dies down since the media has less to write about.

[shafnutz05]

what is a "red-sea" night?

[columbia]

what is a "red-sea" night?

Hockey Night in Jeddah

[shafnutz05]

what is a "red-sea" night?

Hockey Night in Jeddah

Keep an eye out for the money changers on your way in folks

[Gaucho]

Classic

[ShaPe]

I've been a pens fans since early 90's and caps have always seemed to be the 2nd rivals after philly. I dont know much about the ranger rivalry many of the older fans talk about. Even in the playoffs where Jagr played for rangers I didnt feel there was a rivalry going on.

The caps... all those playoff series in the 90's, all the pens fans at away games that even I could hear from swedish tv etc. It just got a bit of a boost with Sid, Geno and AO but even without them I would say the rivarly that started in the 90's never died.

[Firebird]

Didn't they beat us almost every game last year?

[shafnutz05]

I am fairly certain last night was the first time we have beat them on our home ice since before we won the Cup

[Digitalgypsy66]

I am fairly certain last night was the first time we have beat them on our home ice since before we won the Cup

In regulation, regular season, since 2007. I think it was a big target game for the Craps, and the Pens were like "meh."

[shafnutz05]

Thanks gypsy, I meant to add "in regulation".

[71Aj66ax87]

Red Foreman?^

[pressure=9Pa]

I agree that the Caps have passed the Rangers as our second rival. However, it's nowhere close to the rivalry with Philadelphia. NHL/NBC tried to cram 87 v 8 down our throats as hockey's version of Magic v. Bird. It didn't fuel much growth for the sport, and it became really annoying really fast.

[Rocco]

[shafnutz05]

IMO, Flyers-Pens is the best rivalry in professional sports. Ravens-Steelers is close, but nothing matches the animosity of a Flyers-Pens game. I'm obviously biased, but I think a rivalry is much more engaging when physicality is involved. That's why Yankees-Red Sox or whatever is intensely boring to me.

[columbia]

98% of my sports hatred is reserved for the Flyers.
The rest is outside of hockey and really doesn't matter.

I don't get the Rangers and Devils hatred: one is comically inept and the other is respect in the face of frustration.

[Rylan]

98% of my sports hatred is reserved for the Flyers.
The rest is outside of hockey and really doesn't matter.

I don't get the Rangers and Devils hatred: one is comically inept and the other is respect in the face of frustration.

more or less agree. Flyers, Ravens, WVU are the only sports teams I will always root against. Hate them all.

[Lt. Dish]

Flyers always and more every year (amazing it's still possible after all these years).

TIE Ravens since their inception and the Caps since early '90s

[Why Not Us]

The rivalry was perpetuated by both teams being at the top of the standings. The '09 series between the teams could go down as one of the best in league history.

But now that the Caps are seemingly a lottery team and Ovechkin's production isn't even matching Joel Ward, let alone Crosby- the talk of a rivalry is frowned upon.

Ovechkin is still a villain, based mostly on his past- not his present. But the rest of the Capitals are met with a lot of apathy by Pens fans.