The Pens are now one win away from holding serve and going back to Detroit with all the momentum. It was a great win tonight, but let's put this one out of our minds as quickly as possible. Thursday is now the most important day.
The power play came through BIG TIME with two huge goals when the team needed them. Great job on that end of things.
One other thing - as soon as the game was over, Versus cut away from their postgame show to broadcast Sports Soup. What the #$#$%?? Who made that stupid decision? Good thing FSN was able to put a postgame show on the air. While we're blasting Versus, we have to thank them for saying NOTHING about Satan's penalty in the second. We didn't even know who was in the box or what they did. Can anyone show a replay any more? Can we stop hearing about the intermission report? Please?
First period:
Things started well when Talbot scored on a nice feed from Geno on the half-wall. Max wristed the puck past Osgood on the short side.
The Wings tied it up not long after when Zetterberg was left standing with nothing between him and Fleury after a fortuitous bounce. Henrik didn't need that much help and blasted the puck behind Fleury.
About four minutes later, the Wings were on the power play and committed pretty blatant interference to help keep the puck in the zone. Edzo made reference to it ("subtle interference") and the Wings cashed in later in the power play.
The Pens tied the score when Letang beat Osgood on the power play to the five hole. It was a weak goal for Osgood to allow, to be honest. There was almost no screen, and he had time to square up to Letang.
Second period:
Samuelsson hit the post.
Seriously - that's about all that happened for those 20 minutes.
The Pens only had 4 shots on goal and both teams were content to stay back and wait for the other team to make a mistake. Neither one did.
Third period:
The Pens came out in the third like their season depended on it.
Their effort paid off. They drew a penalty when the Wings were called for interference. Gonchar blasted the puck past Osgood to give the Pens the lead.
The Pens weathered two storms in the next few minutes. One was immediately after the goal and the other was a few minutes after that. Both times, Detroit was able to generate sustained pressure, and both times they were unable to score.
All of a sudden, the Pens were generating more good chances than they had all series so far. Sid and Kunitz had a 2-on-1 (Sid to the puck to Kunitz just a second too late to do much with it). Talbot hit the post and had another chance alone in front of Osgood.
Talbot earned redemption for his missed chances by putting the puck into the empty net after the Wings pulled Osgood. It made me a bit nervous when they played Mike Lange's clip about Elvis has just left the building because there was almost a minute left... but the Wings didn't pull Osgood again.
Tuesday, June 02, 2009
Sunday, May 31, 2009
Red Wings 3, Penguins 1
It's "Go Time". Geno served notice at the end of the third period when he took exception to Zetterberg's two-handed punch to Talbot.
I know the end result is the same as last year after two games, but this Pens team is ready to take the next step. They haven't backed down from Detroit one bit, and while the Wings have held serve, that's all they've done. No one has won the series in two games. A win on Tuesday totally changes the series.
Both Sid and Geno picked up their games, especially in the third period. They weren't able to beat Osgood, but if they can play with that kind of desperation for 60 minutes, you have to like their chances.
If I'm HCDB, I'm praising the team for their effort and tenacity. I'm telling them that the Wings can't stay lucky forever. I'm telling them that they had more solid scoring chances than the Wings did in each game, and that if that trend continues, they'll be going back to Detroit with the series tied 2-2.
First period:
The first period was black and white - the Wings had the first seven shots and the Pens had the last 11. The game itself was just about that clear cut. The only difference is the Pens earned the power play and scored on a scrum in a dumb luck fashion. You had to think that was a good sign - last night the Wings were the beneficiaries of the dumb luck goals.
There were a few differences early on from last night - namely there wasn't the big hitting and the faceoffs weren't as lopsided.
Second period:
The Pens dominated Period 2 in Game 1. They didn't have that kind of success tonight.
The Wings tied the score on another icing call when the Pens were fatigued.
They took a 2-1 lead just after the power play when Hossa pretty clearly hooked / broke the stick of Dupuis, keeping the puck in the zone. The Wings got the puck to the net, where Holmstrom used a little bit of contact as an excuse to fall on Fleury and Filpulla roofed a backhander from an amazing angle. Nice goal, but cheap plays that led to it.
Osgood was beat later in the period by Guerin (on a nice pass from Crosby), but Bill couldn't beat the far post.
Late in the second, the Pens started to turn up the heat, applying consistent pressure and earning multiple scoring chances. It was encouraging to see.
I don't know about anyone else, but I'm getting pretty tired of the "subtle interference" (as Edzo calls it) of the Wings. It's complete crap - the NHL needs to find a way to remove it if they can. Of course, if just anyone could deploy that strategy and be successful, they would...
Sid opened the third by hitting a post... it was the second far post that the Pens hit.
Fleury allowed a softie to a new nominee for the "Frickin" Hall of Fame, Justin Frickin Abdelkader. That ran the score to 3-1.
Before you knew it, there were just two minutes left and the Pens were in need of a miracle. Despite bringing good pressure for most of the third, the Wings were able to hold onto the lead.
There was no miracle, but there was Chris Osgood flopping like a fish after an ill-advised tap from Talbot. Zetterberg gave Talbot a two-handed punch to the head area, and that's when Geno went postal on Zetterberg.
Next up: Tuesday night will be rocking in Pittsburgh. A win changes the entire complexion of the series.
I know the end result is the same as last year after two games, but this Pens team is ready to take the next step. They haven't backed down from Detroit one bit, and while the Wings have held serve, that's all they've done. No one has won the series in two games. A win on Tuesday totally changes the series.
Both Sid and Geno picked up their games, especially in the third period. They weren't able to beat Osgood, but if they can play with that kind of desperation for 60 minutes, you have to like their chances.
If I'm HCDB, I'm praising the team for their effort and tenacity. I'm telling them that the Wings can't stay lucky forever. I'm telling them that they had more solid scoring chances than the Wings did in each game, and that if that trend continues, they'll be going back to Detroit with the series tied 2-2.
First period:
The first period was black and white - the Wings had the first seven shots and the Pens had the last 11. The game itself was just about that clear cut. The only difference is the Pens earned the power play and scored on a scrum in a dumb luck fashion. You had to think that was a good sign - last night the Wings were the beneficiaries of the dumb luck goals.
There were a few differences early on from last night - namely there wasn't the big hitting and the faceoffs weren't as lopsided.
Second period:
The Pens dominated Period 2 in Game 1. They didn't have that kind of success tonight.
The Wings tied the score on another icing call when the Pens were fatigued.
They took a 2-1 lead just after the power play when Hossa pretty clearly hooked / broke the stick of Dupuis, keeping the puck in the zone. The Wings got the puck to the net, where Holmstrom used a little bit of contact as an excuse to fall on Fleury and Filpulla roofed a backhander from an amazing angle. Nice goal, but cheap plays that led to it.
Osgood was beat later in the period by Guerin (on a nice pass from Crosby), but Bill couldn't beat the far post.
Late in the second, the Pens started to turn up the heat, applying consistent pressure and earning multiple scoring chances. It was encouraging to see.
I don't know about anyone else, but I'm getting pretty tired of the "subtle interference" (as Edzo calls it) of the Wings. It's complete crap - the NHL needs to find a way to remove it if they can. Of course, if just anyone could deploy that strategy and be successful, they would...
Sid opened the third by hitting a post... it was the second far post that the Pens hit.
Fleury allowed a softie to a new nominee for the "Frickin" Hall of Fame, Justin Frickin Abdelkader. That ran the score to 3-1.
Before you knew it, there were just two minutes left and the Pens were in need of a miracle. Despite bringing good pressure for most of the third, the Wings were able to hold onto the lead.
There was no miracle, but there was Chris Osgood flopping like a fish after an ill-advised tap from Talbot. Zetterberg gave Talbot a two-handed punch to the head area, and that's when Geno went postal on Zetterberg.
Next up: Tuesday night will be rocking in Pittsburgh. A win changes the entire complexion of the series.
Saturday, May 30, 2009
Red Wings 3, Penguins 1
Missed opportunities.
Dumb luck goals.
Horrible faceoffs.
Those were the three things that combined to give the Penguins the loss tonight. All three Red Wings goals had a substantial portion of luck involved. The first two were groan-inducing, with Stuart's shot deflecting off of the end boards and Franzen's shot deflecting off of the back of Fleury's leg.
The thing is, the Pens need to create their own luck. They seem to be tentative at times when bringing the puck up the ice, as if they're unsure how to attack the Red Wings. The power play especially (the second time) seemed to be victim to this. It could be that it happened too close to the first power play and the guys were tired, but the Wings have been bad on the PK so far in the playoffs.
The first period was considerably more physical than I expected. Hossa tried to kill Geno. Orpik knocked Hossa on his butt. Sid plastered Zetterberg. The debate on whether Kronwall leaves his feet was settled pretty clearly when he tried to hit Malkin high and missed completely. He somehow "magically" wound up in the air!
The encouraging thing is that the Pens were right there in this game. The Wings didn't win it so much as the Pens lost it. The Pens showed that they deserved to be there.
Sid and Geno need to find a way to score. As much as the Pens need secondary scoring, they need their superstars to step up and find a way to put the puck in the net. They've done it the entire postseason so far. They have to keep it going.
The Pens also need to keep punishing the top lines for Detroit. The Wings are very top-heavy in terms of ice time. If the Pens can play their style, establishing the forecheck early, it should pay big dividends late and Babcock can only go to Zetterberg so many times in the third.
The other thing to remember is that the Pens would love to earn a split. That's the key piece of information - as bad as this feels tonight, a win tomorrow night changes everything.
Next up: Game 2 - Sunday night. Get some sleep, 'cause we're gonna do it all again tomorrow.
Dumb luck goals.
Horrible faceoffs.
Those were the three things that combined to give the Penguins the loss tonight. All three Red Wings goals had a substantial portion of luck involved. The first two were groan-inducing, with Stuart's shot deflecting off of the end boards and Franzen's shot deflecting off of the back of Fleury's leg.
The thing is, the Pens need to create their own luck. They seem to be tentative at times when bringing the puck up the ice, as if they're unsure how to attack the Red Wings. The power play especially (the second time) seemed to be victim to this. It could be that it happened too close to the first power play and the guys were tired, but the Wings have been bad on the PK so far in the playoffs.
The first period was considerably more physical than I expected. Hossa tried to kill Geno. Orpik knocked Hossa on his butt. Sid plastered Zetterberg. The debate on whether Kronwall leaves his feet was settled pretty clearly when he tried to hit Malkin high and missed completely. He somehow "magically" wound up in the air!
The encouraging thing is that the Pens were right there in this game. The Wings didn't win it so much as the Pens lost it. The Pens showed that they deserved to be there.
Sid and Geno need to find a way to score. As much as the Pens need secondary scoring, they need their superstars to step up and find a way to put the puck in the net. They've done it the entire postseason so far. They have to keep it going.
The Pens also need to keep punishing the top lines for Detroit. The Wings are very top-heavy in terms of ice time. If the Pens can play their style, establishing the forecheck early, it should pay big dividends late and Babcock can only go to Zetterberg so many times in the third.
The other thing to remember is that the Pens would love to earn a split. That's the key piece of information - as bad as this feels tonight, a win tomorrow night changes everything.
Next up: Game 2 - Sunday night. Get some sleep, 'cause we're gonna do it all again tomorrow.
Wednesday, May 27, 2009
Bring on the Wings!
Game 1 - Saturday, May 30th - NBC
Game 2 - Sunday, May 31st - NBC
Game 3 - Tuesday, June 2nd - Versus
Game 4 - Thursday, June 4th - Versus
I think this is the best possible outcome. The Pens get a chance at revenge against the machine that is the Detroit Red Wings.
Game 2 - Sunday, May 31st - NBC
Game 3 - Tuesday, June 2nd - Versus
Game 4 - Thursday, June 4th - Versus
I think this is the best possible outcome. The Pens get a chance at revenge against the machine that is the Detroit Red Wings.
KUFO - Today!
I'm appearing on the Rick Emerson show on KUFO (out of Portland, Oregon) this morning to talk about the Penguins.
The segment should air about 7:20 AM PST.
Tuesday, May 26, 2009
Penguins 4, Hurricanes 1
The Pens are going back to the Stanley Cup Finals!
How likely did you think that was before the season?
How about when Michel Therrien was fired?
What about when they were down 2-0 to the Caps?
It happened, and it was all due to their own effort and hard work.
This game was another perfect example of the way the Pens have reinvented themselves. Crosby and Malkin did the little things, Fleury made the big saves and the team played as a whole. Carolina just didn't stand a chance.
Kudos to Eric Staal tonight - he played like a man possessed. As I type this, I'm listening to the talking heads at Versus talk about how "so much was made of the Staal vs Staal match up" - I think that was the least interesting story of the series (and, hey, Versus guys - you were the ones that made so much of the Staal match up).
Fedotenko has started to show us why he was worth signing. Shades of Alex Kovalev maybe? Not in terms of style of play or skill set, but rather in that he was regarded as a disappointment in the regular season and is now coming through in a big way. He was in the right place at the right time again tonight, with his stick on the ice to tip in a cross ice pass from Boucher. The D have to stop that pass, by the way - there's no way that should have been able to get through.
Can we stop using completely misleading stats to talk about the Hurricanes now? Paragraphs like this were always annoying during this series (from the ESPN recap of Game 7):
He [Ward] had been 5-0 in elimination games for the Hurricanes, who were on the losing end of the handshake line for the first time since 2002, when they lost to the Red Wings in the Cup finals. In their only other playoff appearance in that span, they won the Cup in 2006.What is the important part of the previous paragraph? You come away with the feeling that Cam Ward is awesome, and that the Canes were really tough to beat. How about a paragraph that talked about the fact that the Canes were qualifying for the playoffs for just the second time in the last 5 seasons? How about mentioning that as awesome as Cam Ward (obviously) is, he was the starting goalie on those teams that didn't make it?
Anyway, enough about the Canes. They were a decent team that was flattened by a better one (or at least a hotter one).
The Pens are a freight train that is rolling a full speed right now. They look like they're ready to collide head-on with another powerful machine from Detroit.
Are you ready?
Next up: TBD
Saturday, May 23, 2009
Penguins 6, Hurricanes 2
The game sure didn't start well. Matt Cullen scored on a tip-in, and you had some of that sinking feeling. Fortunately, it didn't take long at all to turn things around.
On the power play, Geno stole the puck from Gleason (who couldn't clear it cleanly) and walked in alone on Cam Ward. Ward had no chance and the game was tied at 1-1.
It stayed that way until less than one minute was left in the first, when the Pens struck quickly with goals from Sid and Geno (again) just 31 seconds apart.
The importance of those two goals cannot be understated. Given their timing, in the last minute of the period, they sunk the series for the Canes. Instead of going into the locker room knotted at 1-1 with a battle on their hands, the Canes went in deflated and down two goals. It was a great thing to watch as a Pens' fan.
The Canes made it interesting by having Cam Ward keep them in the game until they made it 3-2 less than two minutes into the third period.
Ward couldn't keep the Pens out forever, and when Fedotenko created a 3 on 2 by beating the Canes forwards back down the ice, it was all over. Ruslan took a Geno drop pass, took a step to his left and shot back against the grain over the left shoulder of Ward. That made it 4-2 and essentially ended the game.
The Canes did get a late power play and pulled their goalie, but the Hockey Gods didn't like it, so they arranged for a faceoff just outside of the Pens zone to go all the way down the ice and right into the empty net. Probably the easiest goal Craig Adams ever scored.
The Pens added a meaningless power play goal to make the final score 6-2.
The Pens allowed just 16 shots in building their lead through two periods. If HCDB wants something to focus on, it would be getting out shot 18-9 in the third period. 18 shots is too many to allow in any period.
Chris Kunitz blocked 4 shots from the forward spot. Gonchar had 4 blocks too. The team had 22 (if I counted correctly).
Eric Staal: -3.
Did Jussi Jokinen play tonight? I can't remember seeing him at all.
Tuomo Ruutu was a non-factor in less than 8 minutes of ice time.
Scott Walker managed just one shift after he collided with the boards with some moderate help from Gonchar (that didn't seem to be all that bad).
For the Pens, every forward skated at least 10 minutes. That kind of balance is huge, considering they're going with only 11 forwards. It also saves the strength of the defense for withstanding the charge late in games.
The big thing here is that the Pens finish off the Canes while they have the chance. Tuesday night they have a chance to make Tim Gleason eat his words (he said this wouldn't be a four game series after Game 2).
Next up: Finish it. Tuesday night.
On the power play, Geno stole the puck from Gleason (who couldn't clear it cleanly) and walked in alone on Cam Ward. Ward had no chance and the game was tied at 1-1.
It stayed that way until less than one minute was left in the first, when the Pens struck quickly with goals from Sid and Geno (again) just 31 seconds apart.
The importance of those two goals cannot be understated. Given their timing, in the last minute of the period, they sunk the series for the Canes. Instead of going into the locker room knotted at 1-1 with a battle on their hands, the Canes went in deflated and down two goals. It was a great thing to watch as a Pens' fan.
The Canes made it interesting by having Cam Ward keep them in the game until they made it 3-2 less than two minutes into the third period.
Ward couldn't keep the Pens out forever, and when Fedotenko created a 3 on 2 by beating the Canes forwards back down the ice, it was all over. Ruslan took a Geno drop pass, took a step to his left and shot back against the grain over the left shoulder of Ward. That made it 4-2 and essentially ended the game.
The Canes did get a late power play and pulled their goalie, but the Hockey Gods didn't like it, so they arranged for a faceoff just outside of the Pens zone to go all the way down the ice and right into the empty net. Probably the easiest goal Craig Adams ever scored.
The Pens added a meaningless power play goal to make the final score 6-2.
The Pens allowed just 16 shots in building their lead through two periods. If HCDB wants something to focus on, it would be getting out shot 18-9 in the third period. 18 shots is too many to allow in any period.
Chris Kunitz blocked 4 shots from the forward spot. Gonchar had 4 blocks too. The team had 22 (if I counted correctly).
Eric Staal: -3.
Did Jussi Jokinen play tonight? I can't remember seeing him at all.
Tuomo Ruutu was a non-factor in less than 8 minutes of ice time.
Scott Walker managed just one shift after he collided with the boards with some moderate help from Gonchar (that didn't seem to be all that bad).
For the Pens, every forward skated at least 10 minutes. That kind of balance is huge, considering they're going with only 11 forwards. It also saves the strength of the defense for withstanding the charge late in games.
The big thing here is that the Pens finish off the Canes while they have the chance. Tuesday night they have a chance to make Tim Gleason eat his words (he said this wouldn't be a four game series after Game 2).
Next up: Finish it. Tuesday night.
Thursday, May 21, 2009
Penguins 7, Hurricanes 4
Did you know how great Cam Ward is? He's the best goalie left in the playoffs!! He's won the Cup!! OMG!!
Cam Ward accomplished something else tonight - he won the Worst Goalie competition with Marc-Andre Fleury. He's also just the second goalie in the Eastern Conference to allow six goals in the playoffs (the other one was Varlamov, against the Pens in Game 7).
As bad as the goaltending was (and it was bad on both ends), the team defense was worse. The Pens were fortunate to get their defense under control enough to win the game. If the Canes had even a reasonable team performance, you'd think that four goals would put them in position to win. They didn't have that.
The good news here is that after a rocky first period when they allowed three goals on 14 shots, they Pens tightened things up and allowed just 14 shots for the rest of the game. Fleury still wasn't on top of his game, but he was good enough. The Pens did what was needed to win.
The Pens' offensive stars were the beneficiaries of the lackadaisical defense on the part of the Canes. Geno had his first playoff hat trick. That could be huge, if he can carry some momentum into the rest of the series. Cooke and Kunitz had three points each. Sid, Letang, Kennedy and Guerin each had two points.
Now that I've said those nice things, let's let some air out of the balloon. If the Pens don't get their play in their own end under control going into Raleigh, they're going to be in trouble. Just as Washington found out last series, holding serve at home for the first two games isn't enough. The Canes will tighten things up. Cam Ward will play better. The Pens need to be ready, or they'll be in trouble, coming back to Pittsburgh with the series tied 2-2.
Ryan Bayda will likely be suspended - he was given a match penalty for an attempt to injure. That was an icing play that he elbowed Letang on with just over one minute remaining in the third. It was a cheap play - icing is well known to be no-touch. I'm not sure that approach will work on the Pens - they've seen the Flyers shenanigans so many times that everyone else pales in comparison to the goons from Philly.
Next up: A HUGE Saturday night game in Raleigh. A win means the Canes are longshots. A loss means it's a new series. HUGE!!
Cam Ward accomplished something else tonight - he won the Worst Goalie competition with Marc-Andre Fleury. He's also just the second goalie in the Eastern Conference to allow six goals in the playoffs (the other one was Varlamov, against the Pens in Game 7).
As bad as the goaltending was (and it was bad on both ends), the team defense was worse. The Pens were fortunate to get their defense under control enough to win the game. If the Canes had even a reasonable team performance, you'd think that four goals would put them in position to win. They didn't have that.
The good news here is that after a rocky first period when they allowed three goals on 14 shots, they Pens tightened things up and allowed just 14 shots for the rest of the game. Fleury still wasn't on top of his game, but he was good enough. The Pens did what was needed to win.
The Pens' offensive stars were the beneficiaries of the lackadaisical defense on the part of the Canes. Geno had his first playoff hat trick. That could be huge, if he can carry some momentum into the rest of the series. Cooke and Kunitz had three points each. Sid, Letang, Kennedy and Guerin each had two points.
Now that I've said those nice things, let's let some air out of the balloon. If the Pens don't get their play in their own end under control going into Raleigh, they're going to be in trouble. Just as Washington found out last series, holding serve at home for the first two games isn't enough. The Canes will tighten things up. Cam Ward will play better. The Pens need to be ready, or they'll be in trouble, coming back to Pittsburgh with the series tied 2-2.
Ryan Bayda will likely be suspended - he was given a match penalty for an attempt to injure. That was an icing play that he elbowed Letang on with just over one minute remaining in the third. It was a cheap play - icing is well known to be no-touch. I'm not sure that approach will work on the Pens - they've seen the Flyers shenanigans so many times that everyone else pales in comparison to the goons from Philly.
Next up: A HUGE Saturday night game in Raleigh. A win means the Canes are longshots. A loss means it's a new series. HUGE!!
Monday, May 18, 2009
Penguins 3, Hurricanes 2
Neither team looked to be at their best tonight. The Pens and Canes both had breakdowns at bad times. The difference in this game? Marc-Andre Fleury.
The Pens were handed two power plays early in the first and we quickly found out why Carolina has a 90% kill ratio on the power play - they were all over the Pens. It's like their sticks were glued to the guys in black.
Miro Satan received aeven-up holding call after the Pens two power plays, but the Hockey Gods were watching. Faster than you can say "horsecrap call", the penalty was over and Satan was sprung on a breakaway. Miro knows how to finish and he made Cam Ward look really slow, depositing an easy backhand after a shot fake that not only froze Ward, but also turned him into an Ent.
The Pens capitalized on their newly found momentum, buzzing like flies around honey. Geno made it 2-0 with a backhand flick that went right over the right pad of Ward.
The Canes made a game of it by coming on strong in the second. Fleury made several key saves and the Pens went into the third on top 2-1.
Boucher added a timely power play goal in the third, which was needed when the Canes were able to score late.
A few things that stood out to me:
Next up: Two nights for Gonchar to rest that knee. Game 2 is Thursday night at the Igloo.
The Pens were handed two power plays early in the first and we quickly found out why Carolina has a 90% kill ratio on the power play - they were all over the Pens. It's like their sticks were glued to the guys in black.
Miro Satan received a
The Pens capitalized on their newly found momentum, buzzing like flies around honey. Geno made it 2-0 with a backhand flick that went right over the right pad of Ward.
The Canes made a game of it by coming on strong in the second. Fleury made several key saves and the Pens went into the third on top 2-1.
Boucher added a timely power play goal in the third, which was needed when the Canes were able to score late.
A few things that stood out to me:
- The elbowing penalty to Orpik, while not being replayed on TV (Versus sucks), seemed to be flagrant enough to warrant a penalty. That's a really bad spot to even try something risky, and Orpik needs to be more in control there.
- Both teams had defensive breakdowns - the Pens had three clean breakaways, which is unheard of in the playoffs, and the Canes were able to keep the Pens hemmed in their own zone for long periods in the second. Both will need to be corrected.
- Fleury is the reason the Pens took Game 1.
- Ward is the reason the Canes lost it - he made several big saves, but Malkin and Boucher's goals were what you could call "soft".
- The Pens need to clean up their sloppy play in their own zone, or they'll be in trouble soon.
Next up: Two nights for Gonchar to rest that knee. Game 2 is Thursday night at the Igloo.
Beard-A-Thon update
Round 3 of the playoffs to begin tonight. I think I'll have to start trimming this beard pretty soon.
So far, the donations made total $361.00. We're matching that for a grand total of $722.00.
If you're interested in donating, we're still matching what is contributed.
The link is: http://www.beardathon.com/penguins/pat-beard/profile.aspx
Wednesday, May 13, 2009
Penguins 6, Capitals 2
What should happen finally did happen.
The Pens out played the Caps for the entire series. They out shot the team from Washington DC in every game this series. They had multiple power play goals in three different games (and scored on the PP in every game except the first one). They held the Caps to 26 shots or fewer in 5 of the 7 games.
In short, the scoreboard was close, but the supporting stats were not.
To me, this means that tonight was not an expected result.
Having said that, I wasn't expecting it to be like this.
Fleury came up with a huge save on Ovechkin on the breakaway while the game was still scoreless (though O-Face isn't that great on the shootout, so maybe it's not that unexpected). The Pens followed with two goals in 8 seconds and that, as they say, was that.
The Pens poured it on in the second period, and by the time the game headed to the second intermission, it was essentially all over.
It was great the see the Pens finally put a team away with a dominating effort.
Sid was the best player on the ice in this series. Despite not being known as a goal-scorer, he managed 8 goals in 7 games. He came through when his team needed him the most.
The Pens will face either Boston or Carolina. I'm rooting for Carolina, simply because it gives the Pens home ice.
This was a terrific series. The games were exciting and close (other than Game 7). The NHL (and Pittsburgh) couldn't have asked for more.
Next up: Game 1 of the Eastern Conference Finals, probably on Saturday or Sunday.
The Pens out played the Caps for the entire series. They out shot the team from Washington DC in every game this series. They had multiple power play goals in three different games (and scored on the PP in every game except the first one). They held the Caps to 26 shots or fewer in 5 of the 7 games.
In short, the scoreboard was close, but the supporting stats were not.
To me, this means that tonight was not an expected result.
Having said that, I wasn't expecting it to be like this.
Fleury came up with a huge save on Ovechkin on the breakaway while the game was still scoreless (though O-Face isn't that great on the shootout, so maybe it's not that unexpected). The Pens followed with two goals in 8 seconds and that, as they say, was that.
The Pens poured it on in the second period, and by the time the game headed to the second intermission, it was essentially all over.
It was great the see the Pens finally put a team away with a dominating effort.
Sid was the best player on the ice in this series. Despite not being known as a goal-scorer, he managed 8 goals in 7 games. He came through when his team needed him the most.
The Pens will face either Boston or Carolina. I'm rooting for Carolina, simply because it gives the Pens home ice.
This was a terrific series. The games were exciting and close (other than Game 7). The NHL (and Pittsburgh) couldn't have asked for more.
Next up: Game 1 of the Eastern Conference Finals, probably on Saturday or Sunday.
Tuesday, May 12, 2009
Capitals 5, Penguins 4 (OT)
This was a missed opportunity.
The good news is there is one more opportunity.
If you had said, prior to the game, that the Pens would score four, including two on the power play, I would have told you that a win was almost a certainty.
Unfortunately it didn't turn out that way.
The game itself was a classic. The Pens and Caps traded leads throughout the game. Each team held two one-goal leads and none of them stood up until the goal that decided the game in OT.
Fleury wasn't as sharp as you'd like in a game where the team has a chance to clinch. I can't really point to any specific goal and call it soft, but anytime you give up 5 in a playoff game, you're not at your best.
The team as a whole played well. They dominated the play throughout most of the game. They have the offense going really well and spent large amounts of time in the attacking zone, often for extended stretches.
The Caps, to their credit, weathered those storms. They didn't take penalties or allow the Pens to score. If the Pens want to win Game 7, they'll need to find a way to make something of those chances.
Not much else to say, except that this has been a great series so far. I think Game 7 will put a great ending on what has been a terrific set of games.
Next up: Back to DC for Game 7 on Wednesday night.
The good news is there is one more opportunity.
If you had said, prior to the game, that the Pens would score four, including two on the power play, I would have told you that a win was almost a certainty.
Unfortunately it didn't turn out that way.
The game itself was a classic. The Pens and Caps traded leads throughout the game. Each team held two one-goal leads and none of them stood up until the goal that decided the game in OT.
Fleury wasn't as sharp as you'd like in a game where the team has a chance to clinch. I can't really point to any specific goal and call it soft, but anytime you give up 5 in a playoff game, you're not at your best.
The team as a whole played well. They dominated the play throughout most of the game. They have the offense going really well and spent large amounts of time in the attacking zone, often for extended stretches.
The Caps, to their credit, weathered those storms. They didn't take penalties or allow the Pens to score. If the Pens want to win Game 7, they'll need to find a way to make something of those chances.
Not much else to say, except that this has been a great series so far. I think Game 7 will put a great ending on what has been a terrific set of games.
Next up: Back to DC for Game 7 on Wednesday night.
Saturday, May 09, 2009
Penguins 4, Capitals 3 (OT)
One more win.
One more win moves the Pens onto the Eastern Conference Finals.
One more win sends Ovechkin home with a sad look on his face.
I'm hoping that the Pens can get one more win.
This game, however, was another great playoff game. This could go down as one of the all-time great series in Penguins playoff history.
The tendency when thinking about a game like this one is to skip to the end, and that's (almost) what I'm going to do.
The Pens were down 2-1 going into the third period. They came out early in the third and took the lead within the first 7 minutes. Fedotenko continued his shooting (TEN shots for Ruslan tonight) with a goal early in the third, and Cookie put in a rebound following a jailbreak around Varlamov later in the third.
The Caps, who battled tonight, managed to tie the game with just over 4 minutes left in the third on a goal by O-Face.
OT was highly exciting. The Caps missed an open net when the puck wouldn't settle down for Steckel.
The action was end-to-end for a few rushes, when Federov (who was playing defense) tripped Malkin, putting the Pens on the power play.
Geno torched Federov at the very end of the power play again, and when he tried to go to Sid, the puck deflected off of a diving Tom Poti and behind Varlamov. HUGE play.
Versus showed a stat that teams that won Game 5 in a 2-2 series won 80% of the series.
Let's hope that holds in this case.
Next up: A must-win game at home on Monday. You don't want to come back to Washington.
One more win moves the Pens onto the Eastern Conference Finals.
One more win sends Ovechkin home with a sad look on his face.
I'm hoping that the Pens can get one more win.
This game, however, was another great playoff game. This could go down as one of the all-time great series in Penguins playoff history.
The tendency when thinking about a game like this one is to skip to the end, and that's (almost) what I'm going to do.
The Pens were down 2-1 going into the third period. They came out early in the third and took the lead within the first 7 minutes. Fedotenko continued his shooting (TEN shots for Ruslan tonight) with a goal early in the third, and Cookie put in a rebound following a jailbreak around Varlamov later in the third.
The Caps, who battled tonight, managed to tie the game with just over 4 minutes left in the third on a goal by O-Face.
OT was highly exciting. The Caps missed an open net when the puck wouldn't settle down for Steckel.
The action was end-to-end for a few rushes, when Federov (who was playing defense) tripped Malkin, putting the Pens on the power play.
Geno torched Federov at the very end of the power play again, and when he tried to go to Sid, the puck deflected off of a diving Tom Poti and behind Varlamov. HUGE play.
Versus showed a stat that teams that won Game 5 in a 2-2 series won 80% of the series.
Let's hope that holds in this case.
Next up: A must-win game at home on Monday. You don't want to come back to Washington.
Friday, May 08, 2009
Penguins 5, Capitals 3
Yeah - on the road and missed the game entirely.
Now I can't watch again until they lose :)
Someone just tell me - was Ovechkin's hit on Gonchar dirty?
Tomorrow night is HUGE. With a win, the Pens are in the driver's seat.
Do the Caps go back to Theodore, or stick with the youngster who looked a bit shot?
Now I can't watch again until they lose :)
Someone just tell me - was Ovechkin's hit on Gonchar dirty?
Tomorrow night is HUGE. With a win, the Pens are in the driver's seat.
Do the Caps go back to Theodore, or stick with the youngster who looked a bit shot?
Wednesday, May 06, 2009
Penguins 3, Capitals 2 (OT)
Let's get one thing out of the way right now - if the Pens can play they way they did tonight for the remainder of the series, they'll win the series.
That's not to say they played a perfect game - far from it. They were sloppy with the puck. Fleury lost his stick early on, which led directly to the first goal. The team started slowly.
However, the intensity was there tonight. The grit and determination showed up again. Most importantly, Geno showed us why he deserves to be MVP. He gave the Pens the lead late in the third and played a great puck possession game.
This one was still a roller coaster. The fluke gift of a goal to Ovechkin made everyone sick right at the start of the game.
The Pens started to carry the play late in the first and into the second. They got a desperately needed tying goal from Fedotenko. Ruslan was on a two-on-one with Talbot and tried to get the pass across. The Caps D (Jurcina?) stopped the pass, but the puck went straight back to Fedotenko, who fired it past Varlamov. It worked because Varlamov had come off of his post in anticipation of the pass. Probably not a good goal for the young goaltender to allow.
The power play FINALLY came through with just under 5 minutes remaining in the third on a nice shot by Geno through a screen by Guerin.
Then came the kick in the gut - Dupuis was called for interference with 2 minutes and change left in the game. Backstrom banked one off of Fleury to tie it up. That one hurt.
Thankfully it was only a game-tying goal, and we had OT to look forward to. The action was back and forth, but things turned back the Pens way for good. Geno narrowly missed a home run pass, but the puck went straight to Varlamov, who froze it. The Pens won the offensive zone faceoff and Letang's shot deflected off of a Caps D man and behind Varlamov. That was the game.
It was a nice redemption for Letang, who seemed to be fighting the puck all night. The way the power play looked tonight, if he can get his hands back and stop bobbling the puck, he could put up some points.
Fleury didn't have to make many saves, but he made all of the ones he could reasonably be expected to make.
Great game overall by the Pens, and great job getting back into the series.
Next up: Friday night is the most important game of the season (notice a trend?)
That's not to say they played a perfect game - far from it. They were sloppy with the puck. Fleury lost his stick early on, which led directly to the first goal. The team started slowly.
However, the intensity was there tonight. The grit and determination showed up again. Most importantly, Geno showed us why he deserves to be MVP. He gave the Pens the lead late in the third and played a great puck possession game.
This one was still a roller coaster. The fluke gift of a goal to Ovechkin made everyone sick right at the start of the game.
The Pens started to carry the play late in the first and into the second. They got a desperately needed tying goal from Fedotenko. Ruslan was on a two-on-one with Talbot and tried to get the pass across. The Caps D (Jurcina?) stopped the pass, but the puck went straight back to Fedotenko, who fired it past Varlamov. It worked because Varlamov had come off of his post in anticipation of the pass. Probably not a good goal for the young goaltender to allow.
The power play FINALLY came through with just under 5 minutes remaining in the third on a nice shot by Geno through a screen by Guerin.
Then came the kick in the gut - Dupuis was called for interference with 2 minutes and change left in the game. Backstrom banked one off of Fleury to tie it up. That one hurt.
Thankfully it was only a game-tying goal, and we had OT to look forward to. The action was back and forth, but things turned back the Pens way for good. Geno narrowly missed a home run pass, but the puck went straight to Varlamov, who froze it. The Pens won the offensive zone faceoff and Letang's shot deflected off of a Caps D man and behind Varlamov. That was the game.
It was a nice redemption for Letang, who seemed to be fighting the puck all night. The way the power play looked tonight, if he can get his hands back and stop bobbling the puck, he could put up some points.
Fleury didn't have to make many saves, but he made all of the ones he could reasonably be expected to make.
Great game overall by the Pens, and great job getting back into the series.
Next up: Friday night is the most important game of the season (notice a trend?)
Maybe he just can't help being stupid...
Wow - talk about dumb - Ovechkin, in an interview with SLAM! sports, said:
You never come out and talk about how you're going to win the series.
h/t - Faceoff Factor
“We want to move forward. After the fourth game, there’ll be a little celebration, but right now, nothing.”In fairness to O-Face, he was probably meaning to say "after the fourth win", but even if you replace "game" with "win", it still comes off poorly.
You never come out and talk about how you're going to win the series.
h/t - Faceoff Factor
Monday, May 04, 2009
Capitals 4, Penguins 3
Well that was completely crappy.
It would be easy to point at the non-call on the Ovechkin goal when Cooke was pretty clearly tripped when he tried to get over to O-Face off of the faceoff, but he may not have made it there anyway.
The turning point of the game was the completely ineffectual power play the Pens came out with in the third period. The game was 2-2 with about 9 minutes left when Jurcina took a dumb cross-checking penalty. Here's what happened next:
In case you don't see it, let me emphasize for you - with 9 minutes left in the third period of a huge playoff game, the Pens managed on 87 foot shot on net, and it wasn't even as good as that. They didn't get setup in the offensive zone. That cannot happen if they want to win a game against the Caps.
The Pens didn't score, Geno took a penalty, and the Caps took 4 seconds to score. Blech.
Now here's the hopeful part: The Pens have played pretty well, all things considered. All the Caps have done is hold serve. The Pens are coming home and have a chance to do the same. Win two games in Pittsburgh and you head back to Washington to have another go at it, this time with some momentum. Lose one of the games in Pittsburgh, however, and you're likely done.
Nice to see Sid with the hat trick. Would be nice to see Geno get a goal. I know he had 6 shots, but he needs to be a dominant force in the playoffs. He certainly has the talent.
Kunitz and Sykora have to account for more than one shot. The reference the Versus announcer made to Kunitz and Guerin providing "secondary scoring" because they assisted on a Crosby goal was completely idiotic. Secondary scoring means someone other than your big guns SCORES A GOAL, not earns an assist.
Did I mention "blech"?
Next up: Wednesday will be the biggest game of the year.
It would be easy to point at the non-call on the Ovechkin goal when Cooke was pretty clearly tripped when he tried to get over to O-Face off of the faceoff, but he may not have made it there anyway.
The turning point of the game was the completely ineffectual power play the Pens came out with in the third period. The game was 2-2 with about 9 minutes left when Jurcina took a dumb cross-checking penalty. Here's what happened next:
In case you don't see it, let me emphasize for you - with 9 minutes left in the third period of a huge playoff game, the Pens managed on 87 foot shot on net, and it wasn't even as good as that. They didn't get setup in the offensive zone. That cannot happen if they want to win a game against the Caps.
The Pens didn't score, Geno took a penalty, and the Caps took 4 seconds to score. Blech.
Now here's the hopeful part: The Pens have played pretty well, all things considered. All the Caps have done is hold serve. The Pens are coming home and have a chance to do the same. Win two games in Pittsburgh and you head back to Washington to have another go at it, this time with some momentum. Lose one of the games in Pittsburgh, however, and you're likely done.
Nice to see Sid with the hat trick. Would be nice to see Geno get a goal. I know he had 6 shots, but he needs to be a dominant force in the playoffs. He certainly has the talent.
Kunitz and Sykora have to account for more than one shot. The reference the Versus announcer made to Kunitz and Guerin providing "secondary scoring" because they assisted on a Crosby goal was completely idiotic. Secondary scoring means someone other than your big guns SCORES A GOAL, not earns an assist.
Did I mention "blech"?
Next up: Wednesday will be the biggest game of the year.
Saturday, May 02, 2009
Capitals 3, Penguins 2
I'll chalk this one up to the advantage of having the game in Washington. They were the beneficiaries of timely scoring and one really great save by Varlamov.
The Caps tried their best to give the game to the Pens. They committed 22 giveaways, and were especially sloppy in the first period when the puck didn't leave the Washington end for most of the first 10 minutes.
The Pens were unable to capitalize.
There were two big reasons for the loss:
First was a bad penalty taken by Cooke that put the Pens down by two men for about a minute. The Caps scored on that chance.
Second was the abject failure of the power play... again. Once they were setup in the zone, they seemed to get some decent chances, but man, they couldn't get setup very well. This is the biggest area of concern, in my opinion. They were facing a somewhat shaky goalie who had let in a soft one (Eaton's goal), and they really needed to crank up the pressure and fire pucks on net. I know the Caps blocked 18 shots, but the Pens had 14 missed shots. Those shots need to be on net.
Having said that, if the Pens come out on Monday night and play this kind of game again, I feel good about their chances. Eliminate a few mistakes (bad penalty by Cooke, one bad rebound by Fleury) and I think things will be okay.
Next up: Back to the noise on Monday night.
The Caps tried their best to give the game to the Pens. They committed 22 giveaways, and were especially sloppy in the first period when the puck didn't leave the Washington end for most of the first 10 minutes.
The Pens were unable to capitalize.
There were two big reasons for the loss:
First was a bad penalty taken by Cooke that put the Pens down by two men for about a minute. The Caps scored on that chance.
Second was the abject failure of the power play... again. Once they were setup in the zone, they seemed to get some decent chances, but man, they couldn't get setup very well. This is the biggest area of concern, in my opinion. They were facing a somewhat shaky goalie who had let in a soft one (Eaton's goal), and they really needed to crank up the pressure and fire pucks on net. I know the Caps blocked 18 shots, but the Pens had 14 missed shots. Those shots need to be on net.
Having said that, if the Pens come out on Monday night and play this kind of game again, I feel good about their chances. Eliminate a few mistakes (bad penalty by Cooke, one bad rebound by Fleury) and I think things will be okay.
Next up: Back to the noise on Monday night.
Tuesday, April 28, 2009
Beard-A-Thon Update
$196 is the total that was raised during Round 1. It will be matched prior to the start of the Caps series. That means the total donation stands at $392.
If you're interested in donating, all proceeds go the the Mario Lemieux Foundation and will be put to use in cancer research.
The Wife and I are still matching funds too.
You'll get a tax-deductible receipt from the website after you donate.
My profile is here.
If you're interested in donating, all proceeds go the the Mario Lemieux Foundation and will be put to use in cancer research.
The Wife and I are still matching funds too.
You'll get a tax-deductible receipt from the website after you donate.
My profile is here.
Bring on the Caps!
The Hurricanes scored twice in the last 1:20 of regulation to beat the Devils. What an absolute choke job by the guys in New Jersey.
The loss by the Devils means the the Pens will face the Capitals instead of the Bruins. The Caps came roaring back in their series from a 3-1 deficit to beat the Rangers. That arena was deafening for Game 7.
The NHL has their dream playoff matchup - Crosby and Malkin versus Ovechkin.
It should be a great series.
The loss by the Devils means the the Pens will face the Capitals instead of the Bruins. The Caps came roaring back in their series from a 3-1 deficit to beat the Rangers. That arena was deafening for Game 7.
The NHL has their dream playoff matchup - Crosby and Malkin versus Ovechkin.
It should be a great series.
Sunday, April 26, 2009
NBC, where QUALITY is job one
Or not. You'd think they'd be able to get this right after games on both weekends...
Saturday, April 25, 2009
Penguins 5, Flyers 3
It is so gratifying to watch a team's stupidity aggressiveness work against them.
There is no doubt in my mind that this game turned on Daniel Carcillo's fight with Max Talbot.
The Flyers had the Pens right where they wanted them, up 3-0 with about 16 minutes remaining in the second period. The Pens had played well and had nothing to show for it. Worse yet, they were in a serious hole. It was looking like Game 7 was likely.
That's when Carcillo couldn't help himself, and fought Talbot. He plastered him pretty well too, but the Pens were the ones that delivered the knockout blow. They scored 14 seconds later and the momentum permanently shifted.
The Pens got their goals by going to the net. Fedotenko knocked a loose puck from under Biron's pads for the first. Eaton batted a puck out of mid-air past Biron for the second. Crosby batted a puck juggled by Biron for the third. Gonchar put the Pens into the lead for good. Sid added an empty-netter to finish things off.
Fleury was great after the fight. He got some help from his defense and the crossbar (on Giroux's shot in the third), and he made an amazing save on Lupul coming across the crease with 5 minutes to go.
The media must have been chanting "Crosby Sucks!" right along with the fans, because I'm not sure how he's not one of the three stars. He led all forwards in ice time, scored two goals, led all players with 7 shots. In short, he stepped up, big time, when his team needed it most.
Sid isn't the only one that rose to the occasion. Geno seemed to wake up after the fight. When the two best players in hockey are both going full steam, five unanswered goals isn't out of the conversation.
I don't blame Carcillo exclusively for the fight. I'd put more of the blame on the entire atmosphere of the arena. If that's a road game, I don't think Carcillo even thinks about fighting, but with the goons in the stands cheering like a bunch of apes, he was more than willing. I'm so glad he did.
Great, great win for the Pens. It's on to the second round and it's time to hit the links for the Flyers.
Next up: The second round - opponent yet to be determined (the only team left that cannot play the Pens are the Rangers).
There is no doubt in my mind that this game turned on Daniel Carcillo's fight with Max Talbot.
The Flyers had the Pens right where they wanted them, up 3-0 with about 16 minutes remaining in the second period. The Pens had played well and had nothing to show for it. Worse yet, they were in a serious hole. It was looking like Game 7 was likely.
That's when Carcillo couldn't help himself, and fought Talbot. He plastered him pretty well too, but the Pens were the ones that delivered the knockout blow. They scored 14 seconds later and the momentum permanently shifted.
The Pens got their goals by going to the net. Fedotenko knocked a loose puck from under Biron's pads for the first. Eaton batted a puck out of mid-air past Biron for the second. Crosby batted a puck juggled by Biron for the third. Gonchar put the Pens into the lead for good. Sid added an empty-netter to finish things off.
Fleury was great after the fight. He got some help from his defense and the crossbar (on Giroux's shot in the third), and he made an amazing save on Lupul coming across the crease with 5 minutes to go.
The media must have been chanting "Crosby Sucks!" right along with the fans, because I'm not sure how he's not one of the three stars. He led all forwards in ice time, scored two goals, led all players with 7 shots. In short, he stepped up, big time, when his team needed it most.
Sid isn't the only one that rose to the occasion. Geno seemed to wake up after the fight. When the two best players in hockey are both going full steam, five unanswered goals isn't out of the conversation.
I don't blame Carcillo exclusively for the fight. I'd put more of the blame on the entire atmosphere of the arena. If that's a road game, I don't think Carcillo even thinks about fighting, but with the goons in the stands cheering like a bunch of apes, he was more than willing. I'm so glad he did.
Great, great win for the Pens. It's on to the second round and it's time to hit the links for the Flyers.
Next up: The second round - opponent yet to be determined (the only team left that cannot play the Pens are the Rangers).
Thursday, April 23, 2009
Flyers 3, Penguins 0
This was a missed opportunity. The good news about going into this game up 3-1 is that you get three opportunities.
The Pens came out with a strong first period. They dominated the play and nearly scored when TK missed on a wrap around attempt into an essentially open net. He's usually so patient, and one more second of that trademark patience likely scores there. Completely different game if that happens.
The Flyers turned the tide in the second, holding the Pens to just 5 shots and taking a 1-0 lead on a laser beam by Asham. It was probably a bad goal for Fleury to give up, but it was a great shot.
Malkin kicked a puck in, which was disallowed, and the Pens didn't do much after that.
The Flyers added two more in the third, but given that the Pens couldn't score, and really didn't generate much in the way of offense after the first period, I'm not sure the last two goal mattered.
Was benching Sykora a mistake? This team turned on Therrien...
Can you bring Sykora back now? I think you'll see Letang for sure - he was probably dinged up. I think given that Satan really didn't show much, you could bring Petr back into the lineup.
Missed opportunities hurt.
Next up: A special play-date back in the City of Brotherly Love on Saturday afternoon. Get ready - NBC is having a special event for charity - it's called the Mike Richards Love-a-thon, and it's being run by Pierre McGuire.
The Pens came out with a strong first period. They dominated the play and nearly scored when TK missed on a wrap around attempt into an essentially open net. He's usually so patient, and one more second of that trademark patience likely scores there. Completely different game if that happens.
The Flyers turned the tide in the second, holding the Pens to just 5 shots and taking a 1-0 lead on a laser beam by Asham. It was probably a bad goal for Fleury to give up, but it was a great shot.
Malkin kicked a puck in, which was disallowed, and the Pens didn't do much after that.
The Flyers added two more in the third, but given that the Pens couldn't score, and really didn't generate much in the way of offense after the first period, I'm not sure the last two goal mattered.
Was benching Sykora a mistake? This team turned on Therrien...
Can you bring Sykora back now? I think you'll see Letang for sure - he was probably dinged up. I think given that Satan really didn't show much, you could bring Petr back into the lineup.
Missed opportunities hurt.
Next up: A special play-date back in the City of Brotherly Love on Saturday afternoon. Get ready - NBC is having a special event for charity - it's called the Mike Richards Love-a-thon, and it's being run by Pierre McGuire.
Tuesday, April 21, 2009
Penguins 3, Flyers 1
Marc-Andre Fleury was one of the biggest reasons the Pens lost Game 3.
He was the only reason the Pens won Game 4.
The Flyers were strong on the first period and were somehow outshot by the Pens 13-12. They were stronger in the second and third, buoyed by seemingly endless power play chances.
It didn't matter. Fleury was up to every challenge. The only goal he allowed was immediately after being knocked into the net.
The game was tight late, and I think most of the Pens' faithful were anxious watching the last 5 minutes. The Flyers no sooner pulled Biron than Adams got control of the puck in the defensive zone and calmly got it up to Talbot. Max hit the empty net from just inside the red line. That was game over.
The Flyers were still within two goals, so they didn't have the chance to goon it up. They were exceedingly desperate as the game wound down, however. It's like they knew this was the last chance. Let's hope that's true.
My favorite part of the game was the Philly crowd booing the team in the early parts of the third period when the power play wasn't going their way. Combine that with people heading for the exits once the Pens scored the EN, even though Philly had pulled their goalie and was only down by 2.
Next up: The Pens can finish it at home on Thursday. Let's hope they do, because you sure don't want to come back to Philly.
Sunday, April 19, 2009
Flyers 6, Penguins 3
The Flyers went up early and had an answer for the Pens' counter punch.
After the Pens spotted the Flyers to a 2-0 lead, Geno scored at the very end of the first, and Scuderi scored at the beginning of the second. At that point, you were thinking this might turn out okay. You were thinking incorrectly.
Fleury didn't have his strongest game, to say the least, and the Pens weren't able to get the key goal on the power play despite numerous chances (they finally managed one in the third to cut the deficit to two goals). Worse yet, they allowed a critical short-handed goal on what I'd call sloppy play in their own zone.
The Flyers also deserve some credit - they executed at key times when they needed it most.
Game 4 is big, and it would be nice to have a split, but the Pens still have home-ice advantage no matter what happens on Tuesday.
One other thing - how pathetic is it that the Flyers' fans spend their time chanting against Crosby (as they did right after the start of the game) instead of cheering for their team? If I were a Flyer, I'd rather have them cheering FOR me.
Next up: Game 4 - Tuesday night in Philly.
After the Pens spotted the Flyers to a 2-0 lead, Geno scored at the very end of the first, and Scuderi scored at the beginning of the second. At that point, you were thinking this might turn out okay. You were thinking incorrectly.
Fleury didn't have his strongest game, to say the least, and the Pens weren't able to get the key goal on the power play despite numerous chances (they finally managed one in the third to cut the deficit to two goals). Worse yet, they allowed a critical short-handed goal on what I'd call sloppy play in their own zone.
The Flyers also deserve some credit - they executed at key times when they needed it most.
Game 4 is big, and it would be nice to have a split, but the Pens still have home-ice advantage no matter what happens on Tuesday.
One other thing - how pathetic is it that the Flyers' fans spend their time chanting against Crosby (as they did right after the start of the game) instead of cheering for their team? If I were a Flyer, I'd rather have them cheering FOR me.
Next up: Game 4 - Tuesday night in Philly.
Friday, April 17, 2009
Penguins 3, Flyers 2 (OT)
Instant playoff classic.
This one had a bit of everything, and the Boys of Winter did not disappoint.
The Flyers played a great game. They brought everything they left out of Game 1, and then some. They had a few moments that weren't what they needed them to be, and it cost them... big time.
The Pens were in a hole for much of the night. The Flyers, by withstanding the early charge, showed that this was different than Wednesday night. The Pens, to their credit, didn't stop coming (they had double-digit shots in every period).
The Flyers grabbed the early lead on a deflection power play goal by Hartnell. It was painful watching him celebrate. Fortunately, he wasn't much of a factor for the rest of the evening. He amazingly stayed out of the penalty box.
The Pens, just when it seemed they might never score, tied the game on a great goal by Bill Guerin late in the second period. Geno threw a great pass across, getting it past Gagne and over to Guerin, who beat Biron.
Sadly, the only thing that goal did was make the break between periods a bit more tolerable. As soon as the third started, Staal couldn't get much on a puck in front of a wide open net (he had a bad angle) and Darroll Powe (who?) scored coming down the wing to give the Flyers the lead.
The Flyers almost made it 3-1 when Fleury somehow stopped Carter from depositing the puck into a WIDE open cage. It was a save with what looked like the front of his skate blade. Unbelievable. The guy on Versus had it right - it was a great save, but Carter (a 46 goal scorer) HAS to score there. That was one of the two big mistakes the Flyers made tonight.
The Flyers did a great job of sitting on that lead, until a hooking call on Carter put the Pens on the power play with about four minutes left to play. It may have been a weak hook, but it was a power move by Staal. It was also karmic retribution from earlier in the game when Hartnell blatantly threw his stick at the puck, which should have been a penalty shot (nothing was called).
The power play showed up when Geno deflected a Letang shot off of his knee and behind Biron. HUGE goal late in the game.
In OT, things were going pretty well until the last 5 minutes of the period. Gill decided that Briere, who was on his knees, didn't really need to get up, and applied a crosscheck to him. That earned the USS Gill two minutes in dry dock.
The Pens killed most of the penalty, but Mike Knuble must have felt sorry for Gill sitting over in the penalty box, because he applied a pretty dumb crosscheck of his own, right to the back of Brooks Orpik while both were standing in front of Fleury. REALLY dumb - there was no need.
30 seconds later, Claude Giroux slashed Kunitz's stick, breaking it on a rush into the offensive zone, breaking it. There was no choice for the refs there - that's an automatic call. You almost felt bad for Giroux... almost.
The Pens had the two man advantage for 1:30. They only needed 1:04. Gonchar worked the puck down low to Guerin, who waited patiently for Biron to slide ever so slightly off of his post. As soon as Marty started moving, Guerin made the only move that counted, notching his second goal of the game and giving the Pens the victory.
A few notes:
This one had a bit of everything, and the Boys of Winter did not disappoint.
The Flyers played a great game. They brought everything they left out of Game 1, and then some. They had a few moments that weren't what they needed them to be, and it cost them... big time.
The Pens were in a hole for much of the night. The Flyers, by withstanding the early charge, showed that this was different than Wednesday night. The Pens, to their credit, didn't stop coming (they had double-digit shots in every period).
The Flyers grabbed the early lead on a deflection power play goal by Hartnell. It was painful watching him celebrate. Fortunately, he wasn't much of a factor for the rest of the evening. He amazingly stayed out of the penalty box.
The Pens, just when it seemed they might never score, tied the game on a great goal by Bill Guerin late in the second period. Geno threw a great pass across, getting it past Gagne and over to Guerin, who beat Biron.
Sadly, the only thing that goal did was make the break between periods a bit more tolerable. As soon as the third started, Staal couldn't get much on a puck in front of a wide open net (he had a bad angle) and Darroll Powe (who?) scored coming down the wing to give the Flyers the lead.
The Flyers almost made it 3-1 when Fleury somehow stopped Carter from depositing the puck into a WIDE open cage. It was a save with what looked like the front of his skate blade. Unbelievable. The guy on Versus had it right - it was a great save, but Carter (a 46 goal scorer) HAS to score there. That was one of the two big mistakes the Flyers made tonight.
The Flyers did a great job of sitting on that lead, until a hooking call on Carter put the Pens on the power play with about four minutes left to play. It may have been a weak hook, but it was a power move by Staal. It was also karmic retribution from earlier in the game when Hartnell blatantly threw his stick at the puck, which should have been a penalty shot (nothing was called).
The power play showed up when Geno deflected a Letang shot off of his knee and behind Biron. HUGE goal late in the game.
In OT, things were going pretty well until the last 5 minutes of the period. Gill decided that Briere, who was on his knees, didn't really need to get up, and applied a crosscheck to him. That earned the USS Gill two minutes in dry dock.
The Pens killed most of the penalty, but Mike Knuble must have felt sorry for Gill sitting over in the penalty box, because he applied a pretty dumb crosscheck of his own, right to the back of Brooks Orpik while both were standing in front of Fleury. REALLY dumb - there was no need.
30 seconds later, Claude Giroux slashed Kunitz's stick, breaking it on a rush into the offensive zone, breaking it. There was no choice for the refs there - that's an automatic call. You almost felt bad for Giroux... almost.
The Pens had the two man advantage for 1:30. They only needed 1:04. Gonchar worked the puck down low to Guerin, who waited patiently for Biron to slide ever so slightly off of his post. As soon as Marty started moving, Guerin made the only move that counted, notching his second goal of the game and giving the Pens the victory.
A few notes:
- A really great game by both teams. There was some nastiness, but none of the stupidity that was present on Wednesday.
- Brooks Orpik - 14 hits (that's not a typo).
- The Pens fourth line was a strategic strength. Bylsma was able to use them more than Stevens was able to use his. I think that contributed to fresher legs in the OT for the big guns, who had an extended shift on the 5-on-3.
- Sunday will be HUGE.
Thursday, April 16, 2009
NHL says "sending a message" not permitted, but they don't really mean it
Are you listening, Coach Stevens?
TSN has a story about Daniel Carcillo meeting with the league today at 3:00 to discuss his "incident" with Max Talbot at the end of regulation.
TSN doesn't state what happened, but here's exactly what happened:
Carcillo was on the ice to take a faceoff with 7 seconds left in the game. He had his left hand low on the stick and the right hand all the way at the top. He swung through the faceoff with his left, and followed through with his right, punching Talbot with his right fist / butt end of the stick.
The biggest problem with this is that Carcillo was put on the ice by Coach Stevens. Do you know how many faceoffs young Daniel has taken as a Flyer? I checked. The answer is TWO. This was the third.
The bigger issue here is that the NHL made a point of saying they weren't going to permit "message sending", as noted in the TSN article:
If the NHL really wants to clean up the crap, suspend Stevens for a game or two. He's the one putting these guys on the ice. He's the one who put Carcillo in that position.
My guess is the NHL doesn't want to make the effort - they just want to get credit for saying "let's all play nice now".
UPDATED - The NHL has suspended Carcillo for one game and fined Coach Stevens $10,000.
TSN has a story about Daniel Carcillo meeting with the league today at 3:00 to discuss his "incident" with Max Talbot at the end of regulation.
TSN doesn't state what happened, but here's exactly what happened:
Carcillo was on the ice to take a faceoff with 7 seconds left in the game. He had his left hand low on the stick and the right hand all the way at the top. He swung through the faceoff with his left, and followed through with his right, punching Talbot with his right fist / butt end of the stick.
The biggest problem with this is that Carcillo was put on the ice by Coach Stevens. Do you know how many faceoffs young Daniel has taken as a Flyer? I checked. The answer is TWO. This was the third.
The bigger issue here is that the NHL made a point of saying they weren't going to permit "message sending", as noted in the TSN article:
Prior to the start of the playoffs, the NHL told all coaches and general managers there was to be "no message sending" late in games where the score had been decided. Carcillo's presence on the ice at that stage of the contest combined with the contact with Talbot could be considered "message sending."So, my question is, why isn't the NHL talking to John Stevens? Anyone watching the end of the game last night saw that the Flyers were CLEARLY trying to "send a message". You don't take three minor penalties, along with Carcillo's punch and the two-handed slash by Coburn that started his little scrap with Guerin in the last few minutes of a game unless you're trying to "send a message".
If the NHL really wants to clean up the crap, suspend Stevens for a game or two. He's the one putting these guys on the ice. He's the one who put Carcillo in that position.
My guess is the NHL doesn't want to make the effort - they just want to get credit for saying "let's all play nice now".
UPDATED - The NHL has suspended Carcillo for one game and fined Coach Stevens $10,000.
Wednesday, April 15, 2009
Penguins 4, Flyers 1
The Pittsburgh Penguins completely dominated the Philadelphia Flyers. The summary of this game could be as simple as that.
To be fair, the Flyers had a few chances and hit a few posts. If some of those went in, it may have been a tighter game. They didn't, and it wasn't.
Here's a quick statistical summary of the domination:
Flyers -35 penalty minutes (16 by Hartnell)
Faceoffs - 38-21 Pens
Shots - 33-27 Pens
Takeaways - 7-0 Pens
Giveaways - 6 by the Flyers, 1 by the Pens.
Goals - 4-1
We saw this from the Pens last year in the playoffs. They seemingly flipped a switch and were ready to go. They've been playing well, but nothing I saw made me expect this type of game from them. They were focused and intense.
Biron simply wasn't very good tonight. He made a few nice saves, but he also allowed a few bad goals. On the other side, Fleury was really good, and his friend the post was there to help him.
The playing time was balanced across all four lines. Adams had the least playing time, and he played almost 10 minutes. Sid and Geno only played 17 minutes each. Rolling four lines is key to going deep into the playoffs. Having three lines that are a consistent threat, as the Pens do, is also huge.
If I were a Penguins player, I'd be really amped to get right back on the ice after the crap the goons from Philly were pulling at the end of the game. The final straw was putting Daniel Carcillo on to take the last faceoff against Max Talbot. When he took this one, he punched Talbot right in the face, possibly using the butt-end of his stick (it was hard to tell from the one replay). I think this one will require a separate post. It was just STUPID, and hockey doesn't need it.
The good news is that none of the thuggery mattered. The Pens won the game. They can continue to stick the Flyers collective noses in it by winning again on Friday night.
The only thing to remember is that we can't get too far ahead of ourselves. The Pens played really well, and the Flyers played about as poorly as they could have. Things will shift dramatically if the Flyers win Game 2.
Next up: Game 2 on Friday night at the Igloo.
To be fair, the Flyers had a few chances and hit a few posts. If some of those went in, it may have been a tighter game. They didn't, and it wasn't.
Here's a quick statistical summary of the domination:
Flyers -35 penalty minutes (16 by Hartnell)
Faceoffs - 38-21 Pens
Shots - 33-27 Pens
Takeaways - 7-0 Pens
Giveaways - 6 by the Flyers, 1 by the Pens.
Goals - 4-1
We saw this from the Pens last year in the playoffs. They seemingly flipped a switch and were ready to go. They've been playing well, but nothing I saw made me expect this type of game from them. They were focused and intense.
Biron simply wasn't very good tonight. He made a few nice saves, but he also allowed a few bad goals. On the other side, Fleury was really good, and his friend the post was there to help him.
The playing time was balanced across all four lines. Adams had the least playing time, and he played almost 10 minutes. Sid and Geno only played 17 minutes each. Rolling four lines is key to going deep into the playoffs. Having three lines that are a consistent threat, as the Pens do, is also huge.
If I were a Penguins player, I'd be really amped to get right back on the ice after the crap the goons from Philly were pulling at the end of the game. The final straw was putting Daniel Carcillo on to take the last faceoff against Max Talbot. When he took this one, he punched Talbot right in the face, possibly using the butt-end of his stick (it was hard to tell from the one replay). I think this one will require a separate post. It was just STUPID, and hockey doesn't need it.
The good news is that none of the thuggery mattered. The Pens won the game. They can continue to stick the Flyers collective noses in it by winning again on Friday night.
The only thing to remember is that we can't get too far ahead of ourselves. The Pens played really well, and the Flyers played about as poorly as they could have. Things will shift dramatically if the Flyers win Game 2.
Next up: Game 2 on Friday night at the Igloo.
Beard-A-Thon! Now with matching donations!
I'm doing the Beard-A-Thon this year for the Lemieux Foundation.
Check out my profile at beardathon.com/penguins/pat-beard/profile.aspx or click this link.
I'll be updating the pictures every few days.
The Wife and I are matching all donations up to a grand total of $500 (to start with). That means that your donations are doubly valuable to the really important area of cancer research.
Donate now!
Let's Go Pens!
Tuesday, April 14, 2009
Make this guy go CRAZY!!
One of the keys to the series against the Flyers has to be the penalties. The object of the game is to get the Flyers to take dumb extra penalties. With that in mind, here are a few Scott Hartnell videos to enjoy.
The first one is the cheap hit he put on Alberts from the Bruins last year.
The second one is the dumb "throwing the glove" penalty he took trying to stop a Ryan Malone breakaway this season against Tampa Bay.
I'm telling you - the stupidity is there - it only needs to be massaged to the surface.
The first one is the cheap hit he put on Alberts from the Bruins last year.
The second one is the dumb "throwing the glove" penalty he took trying to stop a Ryan Malone breakaway this season against Tampa Bay.
I'm telling you - the stupidity is there - it only needs to be massaged to the surface.
Saturday, April 11, 2009
Penguins 3, Canadiens 1
The regular season is over. The playoffs are coming.
With their victory tonight, the Pens set their sights on Philadelphia as their first round opponent. If Philly loses their game tomorrow, the Pens get home ice. If Philly earns at least one point, then Philly has home ice.
Tonight the Pens unleashed the offense, but Carey Price kept the Habs in the game until the third.
Price made some really good saves, but my problem (and I know this is meaningless, but hey, it's my blog) is that Price was named the #1 star for the night. I'm not sure how you can be the #1 star when you lose the game... but whatever. The Pens won, they could still earn home ice, and the suicide hot line workers in Montreal will get some overtime tonight.
Malkin earned the scoring title tonight when Ovechkin didn't score enough to take it away. Congrats to Geno for the effort.
Next up: The playoffs start on either Wednesday or Thursday against the Flyers, location to be determined.
Thursday, April 09, 2009
Playoff Scenarios
The Pens will finish either 4th, 5th or 6th.
If the Pens win on Saturday and the Hurricanes lose, the Pens will finish ahead of the Canes.
If the Pens lose on Saturday, they'll finish no higher than 5th (Carolina would have more wins).
If the Pens finish tied with Philly, they'll win the tiebreaker and finish ahead of the Flyers.
The Flyers have two games remaining. The Hurricanes have one, as do the Pens.
All three teams are tied with 97 points.
If the Pens win on Saturday and the Hurricanes lose, the Pens will finish ahead of the Canes.
If the Pens lose on Saturday, they'll finish no higher than 5th (Carolina would have more wins).
If the Pens finish tied with Philly, they'll win the tiebreaker and finish ahead of the Flyers.
The Flyers have two games remaining. The Hurricanes have one, as do the Pens.
All three teams are tied with 97 points.
Penguins 6, Islanders 1
What was a tight, close game early turned into a blowout late.
This was a great game to use as a tune-up going into the playoffs. Everyone except Godard (the Player's Player) had at least 10 minutes of ice time. Sid and Geno were able to play under 17 minutes.
The Isles certainly made it interesting for the first two periods. They had two extended 5-on-3 advantages and hit the post or crossbar another three or four times. Any turn of luck towards the Isles, and this may have been a completely different game.
Geno earned two points tonight while Ovechkin's name changed to 0vechkin for an evening.
The Flyers and Carolina also lost tonight. I'll throw up a separate post on the playoff scenarios.
Next up: Ending the regular season in style with those fantastic people in Montreal. At least they clinched a playoff birth tonight, so they can take the barricades off of the bridges.
This was a great game to use as a tune-up going into the playoffs. Everyone except Godard (the Player's Player) had at least 10 minutes of ice time. Sid and Geno were able to play under 17 minutes.
The Isles certainly made it interesting for the first two periods. They had two extended 5-on-3 advantages and hit the post or crossbar another three or four times. Any turn of luck towards the Isles, and this may have been a completely different game.
Geno earned two points tonight while Ovechkin's name changed to 0vechkin for an evening.
The Flyers and Carolina also lost tonight. I'll throw up a separate post on the playoff scenarios.
Next up: Ending the regular season in style with those fantastic people in Montreal. At least they clinched a playoff birth tonight, so they can take the barricades off of the bridges.
Wednesday, April 08, 2009
Penguins 6, Lightning 4
The Pens have clinched a spot in the playoffs. That is the most important piece of information from last night.
Yes, they also almost blew a 4-0 lead in the third. While that is troubling, I don't see it as a big deal. They were playing a team that had nothing to lose. Things will be different in a week when they're playing games that matter.
Another good sign is that Crosby and Malkin both had two points, with the power play notching two goals. Getting both of those guys (and the power play) going heading into the playoffs will be invaluable.
The only thing the Pens need to be careful of when playing the Isles on Thursday is injury. Konopka attempted to kill Geno in the third (Geno's stick went about 30 feet into the air) and Koci left his skates to deliver a check on Max Talbot. You don't want to lose a starter because some scrub is trying to "make a name for himself" by doing dumb stuff.
Two points. Ticket to playoffs punched. It was a good night.
Next up: Take the shirts off of their backs! The Isles visit the Igloo on Thursday for the last home game.
Yes, they also almost blew a 4-0 lead in the third. While that is troubling, I don't see it as a big deal. They were playing a team that had nothing to lose. Things will be different in a week when they're playing games that matter.
Another good sign is that Crosby and Malkin both had two points, with the power play notching two goals. Getting both of those guys (and the power play) going heading into the playoffs will be invaluable.
The only thing the Pens need to be careful of when playing the Isles on Thursday is injury. Konopka attempted to kill Geno in the third (Geno's stick went about 30 feet into the air) and Koci left his skates to deliver a check on Max Talbot. You don't want to lose a starter because some scrub is trying to "make a name for himself" by doing dumb stuff.
Two points. Ticket to playoffs punched. It was a good night.
Next up: Take the shirts off of their backs! The Isles visit the Igloo on Thursday for the last home game.
Saturday, April 04, 2009
Hurricanes 3, Penguins 2 (OT)
Psst! Hey! Want to see a playoff game before the playoffs start? This one was one of those!
Sadly the Pens were only able to get one point tonight. The good news is that if they continue to play this way (the OT notwithstanding) they'll be in great shape no matter who they face in the playoffs.
The action was tremendous, especially in the first period. Both teams traded great chances all night, with the Pens getting more good scoring chances and Cam Ward getting more good saves.
Ward was really the story of this game. He did just about everything right. There were several point blank shots he stopped, along with a breakaway by Sid and a penalty shot by Geno.
The only problem came in OT. The Canes turned it into a frantic scramble in the Pens' zone, and the puck never came out.
All told, this was fun (though stressful) to watch. Makes it fun to think about the playoffs (assuming they make it), right?
Next up: Another tough game tomorrow, though the opponent isn't as hot as the Canes have been recently. It's the Panthers in Florida at 5:00.
Sadly the Pens were only able to get one point tonight. The good news is that if they continue to play this way (the OT notwithstanding) they'll be in great shape no matter who they face in the playoffs.
The action was tremendous, especially in the first period. Both teams traded great chances all night, with the Pens getting more good scoring chances and Cam Ward getting more good saves.
Ward was really the story of this game. He did just about everything right. There were several point blank shots he stopped, along with a breakaway by Sid and a penalty shot by Geno.
The only problem came in OT. The Canes turned it into a frantic scramble in the Pens' zone, and the puck never came out.
All told, this was fun (though stressful) to watch. Makes it fun to think about the playoffs (assuming they make it), right?
Next up: Another tough game tomorrow, though the opponent isn't as hot as the Canes have been recently. It's the Panthers in Florida at 5:00.
Time to push!
Eight Days.
Five Games.
Four on the road.
Everything the Pens have worked for this season comes down to these last few games. It is still possible for them to miss the playoffs with an ill-timed swoon.
I don't think that's going to happen.
They play three teams in the playoff hunt - the Canes (tonight), the Panthers and the Habs.
The Flyers are two points ahead of the Pens and both teams have five games left. The Flyers will have the last word, given that they play last.
I think if the Pens earn 8 or more of the possible 10 points, they'll have the fourth seed. Right now, that's looking like a match up with Carolina or Philly.
Let's Go Pens!
Five Games.
Four on the road.
Everything the Pens have worked for this season comes down to these last few games. It is still possible for them to miss the playoffs with an ill-timed swoon.
I don't think that's going to happen.
They play three teams in the playoff hunt - the Canes (tonight), the Panthers and the Habs.
The Flyers are two points ahead of the Pens and both teams have five games left. The Flyers will have the last word, given that they play last.
I think if the Pens earn 8 or more of the possible 10 points, they'll have the fourth seed. Right now, that's looking like a match up with Carolina or Philly.
Let's Go Pens!
Wednesday, April 01, 2009
Penguins 6, Devils 1
It was a great all-around effort that led the Pens to victory tonight. They were helped, no doubt, by the absence of Patrick Elias, but I'm not sure he would have changed things measurably.
The game showed signs of being a blowout early. The Pens failed on their first power play, but nearly right after it was over, the makeshift line of 24, 25 and 26 got the puck behind Brodeur. I wonder how often three consecutive numbers are on the ice together...
The Pens struck quickly for a second goal with Bill Guerin scoring his 20th of the season. I think his shot was opened up by Crosby streaking to the far post ahead of the D. Brodeur had to respect the pass, but in doing so he gave up the shot to Guerin.
The Devils made it a one goal game and nearly tied it when Gionta (I think) hit the post behind Fleury. If that had gone in, it may have been a very different hockey game. That's the difference between the Pens and Devils right now. The Pens are getting the bounces and the Devils aren't.
The Pens did something unusual and added to their lead over the remainder of the game. They managed two just 13 seconds apart in the second, and Kunitz scored the final goal in the third.
The most encouraging part was that they had a consistency to their effort. There were double-digit shots in all three periods, and the Devils only managed 25 shots for the game. That's a formula for success.
The scoring was also balanced. No one had more than two points on the night, and there were six different goal scorers.
Fleury was good early when he needed to make a few big saves, and he thanked his goal post on more than one occasion.
Next up: A Southern trip with three games in four days gets underway on Saturday in Carolina. Must win.
The game showed signs of being a blowout early. The Pens failed on their first power play, but nearly right after it was over, the makeshift line of 24, 25 and 26 got the puck behind Brodeur. I wonder how often three consecutive numbers are on the ice together...
The Pens struck quickly for a second goal with Bill Guerin scoring his 20th of the season. I think his shot was opened up by Crosby streaking to the far post ahead of the D. Brodeur had to respect the pass, but in doing so he gave up the shot to Guerin.
The Devils made it a one goal game and nearly tied it when Gionta (I think) hit the post behind Fleury. If that had gone in, it may have been a very different hockey game. That's the difference between the Pens and Devils right now. The Pens are getting the bounces and the Devils aren't.
The Pens did something unusual and added to their lead over the remainder of the game. They managed two just 13 seconds apart in the second, and Kunitz scored the final goal in the third.
The most encouraging part was that they had a consistency to their effort. There were double-digit shots in all three periods, and the Devils only managed 25 shots for the game. That's a formula for success.
The scoring was also balanced. No one had more than two points on the night, and there were six different goal scorers.
Fleury was good early when he needed to make a few big saves, and he thanked his goal post on more than one occasion.
Next up: A Southern trip with three games in four days gets underway on Saturday in Carolina. Must win.
Wednesday, March 25, 2009
Penguins 2, Flames 0
Remember last April and May? It seems like a distant memory. Tonight we were treated to our best reminder of what the games will look like in a few weeks.
Tonight was a tough, physical game with lots of action. The Pens controlled play along the end boards in the offensive zone and were able to generate scoring chances from it. I think that's the first time we've seen them be able to do that with any kind of consistency in quite some time.
Fleury was stellar, making all the saves in earning his fourth shutout of the season.
The D was excellent, both on the PK and in providing the scoring (the USS Gill goal is the latest sign of the Apocalypse).
Heck, even Olli Frickin' Jokinen didn't hurt the Pens tonight.
The bad news is that the Canes won again, staying one point ahead of the Pens. The good news is that the Pens have a game in hand over the Canes, so they have the chance to earn the 5th spot if they win out. The Rangers can tie the Pens, but I think the Pens would take the higher seed in tiebreakers.
Sure would be nice to get to that 4th spot and earn home ice in the first round... especially given how the team has responded on this home stand.
Next up: Nothing is easy - the Blueshirts invade the Igloo on Saturday afternoon.
Sunday, March 22, 2009
Flyers 3, Penguins 1
The Pens weren't going to win all of their remaining games. They had a great streak, but it wasn't going to continue forever.
There were a few very specific items about today's game that led directly to the loss:
Next up: Only two games in the next 9 days, starting with the Flames visiting the Igloo on Wednesday. Big game.
There were a few very specific items about today's game that led directly to the loss:
- Martin Biron made a few huge, key saves. He did just about everything right, and when he didn't, his D was there to bail him out (I'm thinking of Parent making a save on a puck that had gone through Biron).
- The Flyers converted on their power play chances. This was a combination of good bounces and a bad kill.
- The Flyers controlled their emotions. This was huge, and maybe the biggest warning sign for the Pens heading into a potential first round matchup with the Flyers. If you had said before the game that Gonchar would have a double-minor for roughing and Scottie Hartnell wouldn't have any penalty minutes, I might have said you were crazy.
Next up: Only two games in the next 9 days, starting with the Flames visiting the Igloo on Wednesday. Big game.
Saturday, March 21, 2009
Penguins 4, Kings 1
I didn't watch this game. There was something far more important to do - the finale of Battlestar Galactica!
If it had been the Flyers or Caps as the opponent, I might feel differently (probably not), but this took a complete back seat.
Here are the video highlights, so that I'll know as much about the game as you do:
Next up: Flyers. Sunday. Need I say more?
If it had been the Flyers or Caps as the opponent, I might feel differently (probably not), but this took a complete back seat.
Here are the video highlights, so that I'll know as much about the game as you do:
Next up: Flyers. Sunday. Need I say more?
Friday, March 20, 2009
Vince Lascheid died
Vince was the guy that played the organ for Pittsburgh sporting events, including the Pirates, Penguins and Steelers.
Here's the link to the Post-Gazette page - check out the incredibly long fingers this guy had.
I wasn't the biggest fan of the organ music at a Pirates game. Vince's take at PNC on "Take Me Out to the Ballgame" was frequently out of time with the bouncing dot on the scoreboard, mainly because of the embellishments he would throw in.
On the plus side, there were frequently clever songs played for visiting players when they were coming up to the plate. It was stuff you probably wouldn't get away with playing the actual song... but a line or two of a melody from the organ? No problem (and most people probably didn't even realize it was happening).
Vince was a Pittsburgh tradition and will be missed. He was 85 years old.
Here's the link to the Post-Gazette page - check out the incredibly long fingers this guy had.
I wasn't the biggest fan of the organ music at a Pirates game. Vince's take at PNC on "Take Me Out to the Ballgame" was frequently out of time with the bouncing dot on the scoreboard, mainly because of the embellishments he would throw in.
On the plus side, there were frequently clever songs played for visiting players when they were coming up to the plate. It was stuff you probably wouldn't get away with playing the actual song... but a line or two of a melody from the organ? No problem (and most people probably didn't even realize it was happening).
Vince was a Pittsburgh tradition and will be missed. He was 85 years old.
Tuesday, March 17, 2009
Penguins 6, Thrashers 2
Good old-fashioned domination. The Thrashers aren't a playoff team. They were hot coming into the game, but despite scoring the first goal, they had their hats handed to them tonight at the Igloo.
The Pens did exactly what they were supposed to do. They kicked the crap out of a team they were supposed to beat.
The power play had it's second straight game with multiple goals. That only happened one other time this season, and that was in October.
Geno went off with a big night, tying a career high with 5 points and cracking the 100 point barrier. As Geno said in the post game interview with Dan Potash, "Tonight is good luck for me."
Great all-around effort. The power play is really encouraging right now. If they can get that rolling, there's no telling where they can go in the post-season.
Next up: A nice break for this time of the year - the Pens get an extra day off and play the Kings on Friday night at the Igloo.
Sunday, March 15, 2009
Penguins 6, Bruins 4
This was a nice win against the top team in the East. The game was completely up for grabs, essentially until Staal iced it with an empty net goal.
The line of Guerin, Kunitz and Crosby combined for 9 points (3 + 6). That's great, because it gives Crosby a chance to work with guys who are showing that they can finish when they're on the ice with him. Guerin's goal especially stood out, as Bill moved to the center slot area, took a nice pass from Sid and beat Thomas. If you remember Guerin's first game, there was almost the exact same play and Bill wasn't ready for the pass.
Kunitz didn't stop trying to hit Chara all game long. He did manage to put Chara on his wallet once, but I think he just made Zdeno angry, because Chris was roadkill shortly thereafter at the hands of the giant.
Kunitz is also a class individual - he was credited with a hat trick originally, but he said the second goal he "scored" never touched him, and he told the official scorer that. The goal was changed to Gonchar and Kunitz lost the hat trick. He said it was more about being honest than anything else. Lots of credit to Mr Kunitz for that classy move.
On the negative side, Garon played like a goalie that was very rusty. That's never a good sign from your backup - you need him to come in and play well.
On the positive side, the Pens were able to muster enough offense to cover up for their shaky goaltender.
To Garon's credit, he made some key saves late in the game to help preserve the lead and earn the two points.
Speaking of those two points, the Pens are now standing all alone in the 5th spot, though they've played 1-2 more games than anyone else around them (except Carolina).
Next up: The Thrashers, who are hot right now, come to the Igloo on Tuesday.
The line of Guerin, Kunitz and Crosby combined for 9 points (3 + 6). That's great, because it gives Crosby a chance to work with guys who are showing that they can finish when they're on the ice with him. Guerin's goal especially stood out, as Bill moved to the center slot area, took a nice pass from Sid and beat Thomas. If you remember Guerin's first game, there was almost the exact same play and Bill wasn't ready for the pass.
Kunitz didn't stop trying to hit Chara all game long. He did manage to put Chara on his wallet once, but I think he just made Zdeno angry, because Chris was roadkill shortly thereafter at the hands of the giant.
Kunitz is also a class individual - he was credited with a hat trick originally, but he said the second goal he "scored" never touched him, and he told the official scorer that. The goal was changed to Gonchar and Kunitz lost the hat trick. He said it was more about being honest than anything else. Lots of credit to Mr Kunitz for that classy move.
On the negative side, Garon played like a goalie that was very rusty. That's never a good sign from your backup - you need him to come in and play well.
On the positive side, the Pens were able to muster enough offense to cover up for their shaky goaltender.
To Garon's credit, he made some key saves late in the game to help preserve the lead and earn the two points.
Speaking of those two points, the Pens are now standing all alone in the 5th spot, though they've played 1-2 more games than anyone else around them (except Carolina).
Next up: The Thrashers, who are hot right now, come to the Igloo on Tuesday.
Saturday, March 14, 2009
Senators 4, Penguins 3 (OT - SO - 2-1)
Another two goal third period lead... gone. This time it cost the Pens a point.
Here's the good news:
The Sens aren't in the playoff race.
The Pens are tied for 5th with Montreal. Each have 80 points.
Here's the not-so-good news:
The Habs have a game in hand on the Pens.
The Panthers are in the 9th spot with 78 points.
The Pens have to keep earning points. Specifically, they need TWO points. Finding a way to close out these games when they have a lead in the third is critical. They just don't have that down yet.
Next up: The #1 team in the East comes to the Igloo when the Bruins visit the Igloo tomorrow.
Thursday, March 12, 2009
Blue Jackets 4, Penguins 3 (OT - SO - 1-0)
The Pens had to lose a game at some point. This was as good a game as any. They didn't give the points to an Eastern Conference foe, and they were able to come back from a three goal deficit to earn a point.
That's a great comeback, and a great point to earn. It keeps the team solidly in the 6th spot. They're just three points behind Philly and one behind Montreal.
It was an exciting game to watch, at least once the Pens got rolling in the third.
Kunitz just about ended it when he hit the post behind Mason when the score was 3-3.
Fleury made an amazing save on Peca with less than 20 seconds remaining in regulation.
Letang didn't fare well in his shootout attempt - he seems to struggle against goalies that catch with their right hands - his backhand move isn't as effective going the other way.
That's all I've got for this one. I'm still miserable after watching Pitt go down to those hillbillies from WVU...
Next up: A huge chance to earn points this weekend against the Sens and Bruins. The Sens are out of the playoffs and the Bruins have been struggling. Four points sure would be nice...
That's a great comeback, and a great point to earn. It keeps the team solidly in the 6th spot. They're just three points behind Philly and one behind Montreal.
It was an exciting game to watch, at least once the Pens got rolling in the third.
Kunitz just about ended it when he hit the post behind Mason when the score was 3-3.
Fleury made an amazing save on Peca with less than 20 seconds remaining in regulation.
Letang didn't fare well in his shootout attempt - he seems to struggle against goalies that catch with their right hands - his backhand move isn't as effective going the other way.
That's all I've got for this one. I'm still miserable after watching Pitt go down to those hillbillies from WVU...
Next up: A huge chance to earn points this weekend against the Sens and Bruins. The Sens are out of the playoffs and the Bruins have been struggling. Four points sure would be nice...
Tuesday, March 10, 2009
Penguins 4, Panther 3 (OT - SO - 2-0)
Missed most of this game. I only saw the third from the point where the Pens tied the game. It looked like both teams were protecting their point during the later stages of the third. Both teams had power play chances later in the third but couldn't make anything of them (largely thanks to the goalies, because both teams had good chances).
OT was pretty slow and things went to a shootout. Vokoun wasn't up to the challenge on the SO and Fleury was. Letang and Malkin both pulled of great moves to make Vokoun look bad.
The Pens are currently in the 6th spot. They need to keep it going.
Next up: A short trip into Ohio to play the Blue Jackets. Did I mention they need to keep it going?
Sunday, March 08, 2009
Penguins 4, Capitals 3 (OT - SO - 1-0)
So here are the important things to remember from today's win over the Caps:
Pretty striking likeness, no?
The game itself was a high intensity classic. The Pens built a 3-1 lead after two and squandered it (sound familiar?) If this were a playoff game, I'm not sure the visitors would have prevailed. Fortunately for us, this was decided by the shootout. Sid personally bested O-Face by scoring in the shootout. Alex couldn't score on his chance when his team needed him.
Other than a few brief breakdowns, the Pens played a solid road game. The Caps opened the third with two goals in the first 80 seconds, but things settled down a bit after that. The Caps were never able to take the lead, and that's a credit to the Pens ability to right the ship after things went wrong early in the third. Once they reached the 5:00 mark of the third, it was more about making sure you earn a point.
Just to show their luck lately, the Pens earned two.
Next up: The Panthers come to the Igloo for a huge showdown on Tuesday
- The Pens are back in the playoffs (if the season were to end today) in a three-way tie for the sixth spot.
- With today's win, the Pens control their own destiny in the playoff race. That's a really important piece of info - there is no longer a need for other teams to lose in order for the Pens to make the playoffs. They have things entirely in their own hands.
- On the Caps broadcast, they call Ovechkin "The Great Eight", which sounds like "The Great Ape".
Pretty striking likeness, no?
The game itself was a high intensity classic. The Pens built a 3-1 lead after two and squandered it (sound familiar?) If this were a playoff game, I'm not sure the visitors would have prevailed. Fortunately for us, this was decided by the shootout. Sid personally bested O-Face by scoring in the shootout. Alex couldn't score on his chance when his team needed him.
Other than a few brief breakdowns, the Pens played a solid road game. The Caps opened the third with two goals in the first 80 seconds, but things settled down a bit after that. The Caps were never able to take the lead, and that's a credit to the Pens ability to right the ship after things went wrong early in the third. Once they reached the 5:00 mark of the third, it was more about making sure you earn a point.
Just to show their luck lately, the Pens earned two.
Next up: The Panthers come to the Igloo for a huge showdown on Tuesday
Saturday, March 07, 2009
Let's help Ovechkin!
It's a Saturday when the Pens aren't playing. They have the Caps tomorrow in a huge game, and while we don't want to see Ovechkin score a goal, if he does, maybe we can help him with his over the top celebrations.
Here are the top 10 "funniest" goal celebrations. I put funniest in quotes because several of them aren't really funny, but they are classic.
I'd recommend the Palffy celebration for Alex. Maybe with Semin.
Here are the top 10 "funniest" goal celebrations. I put funniest in quotes because several of them aren't really funny, but they are classic.
I'd recommend the Palffy celebration for Alex. Maybe with Semin.
Thursday, March 05, 2009
Penguins 4, Panthers 1
The game tonight was a great example of what the Penguins are capable of when they're on their game. The Panthers simply don't have the firepower to match up with the Pens when all the signals are set to green.
It looked like Vokoun might steal the game for the Panthers for the first two periods. The only gaffe was the breakaway by Crosby. Then the third period arrived. The first Kennedy goal and the Letang goal were both shots that Vokoun had a good look at. Unfortunately he was down a bit early, and maybe a bit off of his angle, and both were able to pick the top corner. That's great shooting by the Pens, but also not the best goaltending by Vokoun.
Fleury had to withstand an early storm and then make a few key saves. He was able to keep things scoreless and then keep the Pens in the lead in the third.
The most encouraging thing that we saw tonight was the explosion of speed that Sid showed when he split the (slow) defense and beat Vokoun just 24 seconds after the Panthers had notched the first goal of the night.
I know that Guerin had 5 shots, but I didn't really notice him all that much, except for the Crosby pass he clearly wasn't ready for in the first period. I think that will come with time as he adjusts to playing with Sid. A guy like Guerin has to be salivating at the thought of getting the puck delivered to him in prime scoring areas.
The other encouraging thing to take from tonight was that the third period didn't turn into a shooting gallery like the Pens have been allowing. They had to withstand a few decent stretches by the Panthers, but largely they controlled the play. That, to me, is the biggest step they'll have to make to be successful going into the playoffs (especially against the better teams that have more firepower).
Great to see the Pens earn two big points on the road. They have 74 points, along with the Panthers and Rangers. The Habs have 75 and the Flyers have 78. Don't look now, but the 4th spot isn't out of the question if they team keeps playing well!
Next up: A few days off to ponder how much it sucks to see O-Face celebrate the birth of his first child every time he scores a goal. It's the Caps on Sunday.
It looked like Vokoun might steal the game for the Panthers for the first two periods. The only gaffe was the breakaway by Crosby. Then the third period arrived. The first Kennedy goal and the Letang goal were both shots that Vokoun had a good look at. Unfortunately he was down a bit early, and maybe a bit off of his angle, and both were able to pick the top corner. That's great shooting by the Pens, but also not the best goaltending by Vokoun.
Fleury had to withstand an early storm and then make a few key saves. He was able to keep things scoreless and then keep the Pens in the lead in the third.
The most encouraging thing that we saw tonight was the explosion of speed that Sid showed when he split the (slow) defense and beat Vokoun just 24 seconds after the Panthers had notched the first goal of the night.
I know that Guerin had 5 shots, but I didn't really notice him all that much, except for the Crosby pass he clearly wasn't ready for in the first period. I think that will come with time as he adjusts to playing with Sid. A guy like Guerin has to be salivating at the thought of getting the puck delivered to him in prime scoring areas.
The other encouraging thing to take from tonight was that the third period didn't turn into a shooting gallery like the Pens have been allowing. They had to withstand a few decent stretches by the Panthers, but largely they controlled the play. That, to me, is the biggest step they'll have to make to be successful going into the playoffs (especially against the better teams that have more firepower).
Great to see the Pens earn two big points on the road. They have 74 points, along with the Panthers and Rangers. The Habs have 75 and the Flyers have 78. Don't look now, but the 4th spot isn't out of the question if they team keeps playing well!
Next up: A few days off to ponder how much it sucks to see O-Face celebrate the birth of his first child every time he scores a goal. It's the Caps on Sunday.
Wednesday, March 04, 2009
Penguins roster for the playoff push
So what does the team look like now that the dust has settled? Here's the breakdown:
Center
Crosby
Malkin
Staal
Talbot
Right wing
Sykora
Guerin
Kennedy
Adams
Left wing
Kunitz
Fedotenko
Cooke
Dupuis
Defense
Gonchar
Orpik
Letang
Gill
Scuderi
Eaton
Scratch
Godard
So I'm seeing the following lines:
Kunitz - Crosby - Guerin
Fedotenko - Malkin - Sykora
Cooke - Staal - Kennedy
Dupuis - Talbot - Adams
I like this lineup better than any I've seen so far this year from the Pens. They can mix in Godard when they play the Flyers and bring guys up from Wilkes-Barre in case of injury.
I'm excited to see where things go from here. This looks much more like a team well-positioned for a nice playoff run.
Great job by Ray Shero!
Pens acquire RW Bill Guerin
The Pens traded a conditional draft pick to the Islanders for RW Bill Guerin.
Guerin had 36 points (16 g, 20 a) with the Isles this year and was the second leading scorer on the team. He has good size (6'2", 220 lbs) and could be a fixture on the power play.
Guerin can step right in as a top 6 forward for the Pens. He is a shoots right-handed, and better yet, he shoots frequently (he led the Isles with 181 shots). He immediately becomes second on the Pens in shots, behind just Geno.
The deal with the draft pick, in case you haven't read it elsewhere, is that it's a 5th round pick. If the Pens make the playoffs, it becomes a 4th round pick. If they make it out of the first round, it tops out at a 3rd round pick.
Guerin has a big salary cap number (4.5 million) which will be prorated for the remainder of the season. The Pens are right at the cap limit.
I like the acquisition. I'm looking forward to seeing Sid skate with guys who are good finishers.
Pens claim RW Craig Adams
The Pens claimed winger Craig Adams on waivers from the Chicago Blackhawks. His salary cap number for the season is 600 K, so there's no real damage there. He's a UFA after this season.
Adams will add grit to the third and fourth line. He has some size (6'0", 200 lbs) and plays tough.
He wasn't playing many minutes in Chicago, but he was killing penalties. Another piece for the PK is always a good idea, even if it just gives IHCDB more flexibility.
Nice addition for the stretch run, especially at the price.
Tuesday, March 03, 2009
Penguins 3, Lightning 1
You know they can't keep this up.
The Pens, thanks largely to Chris Kunitz, had a two goal lead after two periods again.
The third period turned into a bit of a shooting gallery for the Lightning, who put together several extended stretches in the offensive zone. Though the Dolts didn't have a huge number of shots, they did have some really good pressure. With a few bounces, this would easily have been a completely different hockey game.
That's the biggest thing I worry about. They Pens are hot right now, there's no doubt. The problem is that they've been unable to put games away (with the exception of the Dallas win). They also let teams come at them in the third period, which makes things more exciting than they need to be (and also won't hold up in the playoffs).
The hope is that they're learning how to play aggressively and how to pace themselves.
The fear is that they're going to run into a team where they cannot build a lead and get into trouble.
Fleury played well, as did the defense around him, I thought. The most encouraging part is that despite being under siege in their own zone for extended stretches, they didn't panic and didn't take a penalty (or ice the puck, for that matter). They stayed composed and kept working. That's a great sign of maturity for this team.
Great to earn two points tonight on the road in what could have been a trap game.
Next up: On to the Panthers' Den on Thursday night. Huge game.
The Pens, thanks largely to Chris Kunitz, had a two goal lead after two periods again.
The third period turned into a bit of a shooting gallery for the Lightning, who put together several extended stretches in the offensive zone. Though the Dolts didn't have a huge number of shots, they did have some really good pressure. With a few bounces, this would easily have been a completely different hockey game.
That's the biggest thing I worry about. They Pens are hot right now, there's no doubt. The problem is that they've been unable to put games away (with the exception of the Dallas win). They also let teams come at them in the third period, which makes things more exciting than they need to be (and also won't hold up in the playoffs).
The hope is that they're learning how to play aggressively and how to pace themselves.
The fear is that they're going to run into a team where they cannot build a lead and get into trouble.
Fleury played well, as did the defense around him, I thought. The most encouraging part is that despite being under siege in their own zone for extended stretches, they didn't panic and didn't take a penalty (or ice the puck, for that matter). They stayed composed and kept working. That's a great sign of maturity for this team.
Great to earn two points tonight on the road in what could have been a trap game.
Next up: On to the Panthers' Den on Thursday night. Huge game.
Sunday, March 01, 2009
Penguins 4, Stars 1
This was actually a pretty boring game. There were only 44 shots for the entire game, and it didn't feel like there were that many.
The good news is that the Pens were able to get two points out of the deal and move into the 8th spot in the Eastern Conference. That's a great turnaround for this team, given where they looked to be headed not too long ago.
The biggest thing to be happy about in this one is that the Pens did not come close to blowing a lead. They had a 2-0 lead after the first and added to that in the second. Granted, the Stars are not an offensive power house, but given the way the Pens have been blowing leads lately, I'll take it.
Staal, Letang, Satan and Malkin were the goal scorers for the Pens. Malkin played a tremendous game - much better than in Chicago on Friday night.
Fleury made a few great saves and stopped everything he should have.
Great to be back in a playoff spot. Time to build on success. The Pens are 7-3-1 since their dramatic comeback win over Tampa Bay. Let's see if they can keep it going.
Next up: Off to the Sunshine state to face the Lightning on Tuesday and those nasty Kitty Cats on Thursday.
The good news is that the Pens were able to get two points out of the deal and move into the 8th spot in the Eastern Conference. That's a great turnaround for this team, given where they looked to be headed not too long ago.
The biggest thing to be happy about in this one is that the Pens did not come close to blowing a lead. They had a 2-0 lead after the first and added to that in the second. Granted, the Stars are not an offensive power house, but given the way the Pens have been blowing leads lately, I'll take it.
Staal, Letang, Satan and Malkin were the goal scorers for the Pens. Malkin played a tremendous game - much better than in Chicago on Friday night.
Fleury made a few great saves and stopped everything he should have.
Great to be back in a playoff spot. Time to build on success. The Pens are 7-3-1 since their dramatic comeback win over Tampa Bay. Let's see if they can keep it going.
Next up: Off to the Sunshine state to face the Lightning on Tuesday and those nasty Kitty Cats on Thursday.
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