Philadelphia Flyers: Most Hated Penguins

4 of 6

Watching the Pittsburgh Penguins continuing to win in the playoffs is torture for Philadelphia Flyers fans, especially when it’s these individual guys.

This postseason has been tough. I did not have very high hopes for the Philadelphia Flyers, so losing in the first round wasn’t so bad.

The bad part is watching the tornado the Pittsburgh Penguins have become. The team looked like shambles earlier this season, but a coaching change has had miraculous results. They have been fantastic since January, and continue to steamroll teams in the playoffs.

There are a number of reasons of why every Flyers fans will hate the Penguins. I can’t think of all them now, but much of the time it simply comes down to players that drive you crazy.

I have previously tried to cope with the Penguins success by engaging in some schadenfreude. That only works if the Penguins actually lose, so it has been fail, fail, fail.

On the other hand, I can hate a player win or lose. Sometimes it doesn’t even have to be justified, or even make sense! (Some may say that about all my writing actually.) With apologies to former Penguins players deserving of plenty of hate (James Neal, Tyler Kennedy, Jarkko Ruutu, Matt Cooke, etc.), let’s start the hate train of the most detestable current Penguins players!

Next: #5 - Phil Kessel

Phil Kessel

Actually I’m just kidding on this one. How could you hate this man?

Legend.

Next: #4 - Chris Kunitz

Chris Kunitz

Let’s start with the fact that I’ve always found Kunitz to have a very punch-able face. Squinty eyes, and the guy always seems to have his mouth open on the ice. Not as in breathing heavily, but constantly yapping. Either that or that stupid smirk. Either way, very punch-able I’d say.

I’m also pretty sure he weirdly had it out for Kimmo Timonen. He took pretty big runs and Kimmo both in Philadelphia and Nashville. That’s strike two.

Next: #3 - Kris Letang

Kris Letang

Letang can play hockey. There’s no doubt about that. The thing is, like so many other Penguins, he can’t seem to respond to tough, physical play in kind.

Now it’s unfortunate that Letang has had some concussion problems in his career. We now know, however, that whiplash is a major cause of concussions. On that count, Letang certainly isn’t helping himself.

His first reaction to most problems is to dive. Those usually involve throwing his head back, or otherwise embarrassing total body flops. Occasionally you get even a double-effort, combining instinctive complaining to the referees with an obvious flop.

Wayne Simmonds knows his games.

And none of this even mentions his often absurd slashing or maybe a little headhunting on a vulnerable player after the puck is gone. Letang has been suspended and fined multiple times for these types of wonderful plays, making him a repeat offender.

When you consider all this, it’s a shame Pittsburgh fan favorite Scott Hartnell didn’t bite Letang harder that one time.

Next: #2 - Sidney Crosby

Sidney Crosby

I suppose it’s something of a surprise that “Cindy Crys-baby” isn’t number one on my list. He’s probably enemy number one for most Flyers fans, and every time the Penguins visit Philadelphia there are guaranteed to be many “Crosby Sucks!” chants.

The case against Crosby is pretty well known beyond Philadelphia. Basically, it’s a lot of whining and diving. For Philadelphia Flyers fans, it goes a lot farther. He simply looks petulant when he makes comments about not liking “any guy on their team.” Or there’s the time when Giroux needed surgery on both wrists after repeated slashes from Crosby during a playoff series.

Probably taking the cake is when Crosby instigates trouble on the ice, then hides behind his teammates who fight for him. This behavior reached it’s peak in the 2012 playoffs, when Crosby would go out on the ice, initiate a brawl/scrum, slink away while his teammates fought, and then go back out and do it again. The whole thing practically gave former-Flyer and current announcer Chris Therien a heart attack.

To Crosby’s credit, he’s matured enough to lessen these shenanigans on the ice. Under new coach Mike Sullivan, he seems more content to play hockey and keep his mouth shut. In some ways that’s a shame. I was pretty sure such immaturity from the team’s captain Crosby’s was holding the Penguins back in the playoffs in the past.

Next: #1 - Evgeni Malkin

Evgeni Malkin

Evgeni Malkin-stein is my most hated Penguin. Seeing his oafy, mouth-breathing face speaks for itself, but the real reason for my hate is that Malkin is a weasel.

What I mean by that is that when Malkin is challenged with hard but clean physical play, or even just losing fair and square, his typical recourse is a cheap shot. Sometimes it’s a slewfoot, sometimes it’s an opportunistic headshot, sometimes it’s a blind-side headshot after the puck has gone (1, 2), sometimes it’s an elbow, sometimes it’s a slash, sometimes it’s a board, or sometimes it’s simply chasing players around the ice looking to deliver a blatant cheap shot. Whatever garbage Malkin pulls, it’s always from behind and after the puck is gone. That’s the epitome of being a weasel.

The fact that Malkin doesn’t have the reputation for this stuff makes it all the more infuriating. It’s like I’m taking crazy pills whenever it happens. Instead, what happens is things like Malkin avoiding a key suspension despite a cut-and-dry rule mandating a suspension.

It does give me some reassurance that there exists on youtube a playlist called “Malkin scumbag.” That sounds about right.

More from Broad Street Buzz

Home / Editorials