Resort to whining? So is McKeon whining about the Penguins, then? Why else would his title have such harsh criticism?
I take offense to the countless “opinions” on Game 2 that just want the Pens to shut up and focus on the game. So what if Chris Osgood is showing that he has no respect for the game, so long as he posts wins?
As a Penguins fan, there’s nothing that gets to me more than some dumb fan, writer, analyst calling Sidney Crosby a diver, which makes its way around the hockey community, infecting all who hears it. It seems like Penguins fans can’t bring up Crosby’s name without belligerent “DIVER!” calls drowning out the praise.
So Game 2 brought several instances of Chris Osgood embellishing calls and flopping to the ice as if he’d been hacked to death with a machete. Penguins fans, rightfully so, were outraged that the obvious dives resulted in two Penguins penalties. And now, since everyone and their mother thinks Crosby is a diver, Penguins fans aren’t allowed to challenge Osgood’s childish antics. Complain, and Ross McKeon will call you a whiner.
There is a gross double standard in the hockey world, centered primarily around the league’s best player and the notion of diving. Sid is good, so its easy to label him since he isn’t on your team. Osgood blatantly dives (and not just in the Penguins series. Remember Mike Ribeiro?), and the hockey world is quick to sweep it under the rug. “Focus on hockey,” they’ll say. “You should be more concerned that the offense hasn’t scored,” they’ll say. Its as if calling Crosby a diver is acceptable when the Penguins are doing well. As soon as the team struggles and an opposing player flops, the Penguins and their fans aren’t allowed to voice displeasure. John Dellapina calls Crosby a diver, so in turn, anyone associated with Crosby and the Pens just have to accept that Osgood was just selling calls. Focus on the fact that the Pens aren’t as good as Detroit, not that Osgood killed a Pens Power Play less than 20 seconds into the kill with a bush-league flop.
With a 2-0 deficit, a Power Play could have made all the difference in the Pens getting back into Game 2. Remember the Rangers series? Down 3-0 in Game 1, the Penguins scored goals separated by less than 20 seconds on two separate occasions to win that game. That’s all this offense needs. One goal gets the ball rolling, and the Pens were looking to get back into the game before Osgood’s flop. Would they have scored if Osgood had more respect for the game? No one will ever know, and I can only wonder aloud since Osgood cleverly changed the feel of the game with his dramatic collapse to the ice. Fall down, and the home crowd will help buy a call.
This is not to take away from the Detroit offense or blueliners. Both parts of the team have severely outplayed the Penguins. They’re up 2-0 in the series because they’ve been the better team. They block shots, get in passing lanes, create rushes, and most importantly, are scoring the puck.
However, I have no respect for the show Osgood put on in Game 2. Or the asinine comments of a guy like Ross McKeon.
We wouldn’t be “whining” if it wasn’t so obvious.
