Playing with the Enemy

Two hours from now... the San Jose Sharks will make their first Stanley Cup Finals appearance in franchise history and as a fan from the get go, words seriously can't describe how excited I am right now.  But I promised myself I wouldn't jinx them by writing about their journey until it's complete, so this post isn't about Team Teal.

It's actually a quick post about their opposition... the Pittsburgh Penguins.  Back in the early 90's, my friends and I enjoyed hanging out and playing games on the Sega Genesis.  One of my favorite games was NHL 93.

The problem?  The San Jose Sharks were the worst rated team in the game.  Each player was given a rating with 1 being the lowest (Shawn Chambers) and 95 being the highest (Patrick Roy, Jeremy Roenick, Steve Yzerman, and Ed Befour).  The Sharks best player is their current general manager... Doug Wilson who had a rating of 61.

To put this into perspective... the New Jersey Devils had 17 players on their roster with a rating of 60 or higher. The Montreal Canadiens had 15 players.  And the Detroit Red Wings, Boston Bruins, Chicago Blackhawks, and Washington Capitals each had 14 players.  The Sharks were the only team in the game with only one player in the 60's.

I enjoyed playing with the Sharks when it was just me against the computer.  Unfortunately... it was impossible to play against your friends with them.  That's why we all picked other teams to play with.  I chose the Pittsburgh Penguins.

***I just purchased this Stevens on COMC***

They weren't the highest rated team in the game, but they definitely featured one of the best lines.  Hall of famer... Mario Lemieux centered the line with Kevin Stevens and Jaromir Jagr as his wings.  Add Larry Murphy and Ulf Samuelsson as your blue liners and you've got one powerful scoring machine.

I haven't played NHL 93 in twenty years and probably never will again... but I'll never forget the amazing times I spent with my buddies and the early 90's Pittsburgh Penguins.

Sharks Cardboard Generously Donated By The Underdog!  

Okay... it's time to get myself mentally ready for some playoff hockey.

Cardboard Generously Donated By Woody at CCW!

But before I do, I'd like to thank all of those who have served or are serving in our country's armed forces and to remember those who have given their lives so that we can spend time with our friends and family, but more importantly so we can enjoy our freedom.

Happy Monday, go Sharks, and sayonara!