Saturday, May 31, 2008
Who Was Better in Game 3? An Answer and Other Pre-Game 4 Notes
First, Tomas Holmstrom.
There have been conflicting reports so far about whether he will play or not in game 4 Saturday night.
Yesterday, ESPN reported that Red Wings GM Ken Holland thought Holmstrom was doubtful for game 4, but should play again "in the series". In the same article, Holmstrom himself said he was going to take the game skate Saturday and "expected to play". TSN Canada reported that he would play.
Today, ESPN reported Holmstrom and Red Wings coach Mike Babcock feeling good about Holmstrom's chances, but said that the buzz in the Detroit locker room was that they weren't expecting him to go.
Barry Melrose from ESPN made a good point saying that, whether he plays or not, this whole business with Holmstrom is only good news for the Penguins. If he sits, it's obviously good news. But even if he plays, it shows that the Penguins are starting to take a physical toll on the Red Wings.
Obviously, Holmstrom will be a game-time decision. If he doesn't play. the Red Wings are supposed to move winger Dan Cleary up to their top line with Zetterberg and Datsyuk. Cleary has some jam in his game, but is an average player and is a shadow of what Homlstrom brings to that line.
I read several articles after game 3 suggesting that the Red Wings still played better than the Penguins in game 3. One in particular, from Damien Cox of the Toronto Star, had me riled up because his conclusion seemed to be based solely on the fact that the Red Wings piled up another good number of shots and again limited the Penguins to shots in the low 20's:
http://www.thestar.com/comment/columnists/article/432756
Cox is clueless. The Penguins skated just as well as Detroit, got better goaltending (even though Fleury has room to improve still), were more physical than the Red Wings, and had more and higher quality scoring chances.
There's no doubt that the Penguins have much room to improve in game 4, and will have to be better if they want to win again, but to say that Pittsburgh was lucky to win game 3 is shameful.
Heading into game 4 tonight, the Penguins have to do all the things they did in game 3, but also must clamp down in the neutral zone a bit. Whether that's by having their defenseman step up or having their forwards do an even better job coming back, or both, it doesn't matter. But Detroit continues to be able to generate offense through there and the Penguins are not creating enough turnovers in that area.
As I mentioned, Fleury needs to be better still. In each game in this series so far, he's let up at least one he shouldn't have. That must change if the Penguins have a chance to win.
Finally, Malkin needs to contribute on the scoreboard tonight. Hopefully he'll maintain the momentum from his play in game 3.
If the Penguins win tonight, Detroit has the pressure for game 5. If Detroit wins. the Penguins will have their backs against the wall.
I'm counting on the Penguins keeping the home streak alive.
LET'S GO PENS!
Thursday, May 29, 2008
Game 3 Recap: Penguins Win, 3-2 -- Detroit's Series Lead Reduced to 2-1
When in doubt, look to your Captain.
With the Penguins down in the Stanley Cup Final 2 games to none to Detroit last night and facing a near-must win in game 3 at home, their still baby-faced, 20-year old, first-year Captain showed a national audience that he wasn't going to let his team go meekly into the series' night, scoring the first two goals and leading the Penguins to a 3-2 win.
Ladies and Gentlemen, we have a series.
If there is any praise Crosby doesn't deserve with his performance last night, I can't think of it. He was electric on the ice. Although he played well in the first two games of the series, he took his game up to another level in game 3 when his team needed it most -- something that all great leader's in this game's history, including his landlord and team owner, Mario Lemieux, have done. He was sharper and crisper out there on the ice. He deked and skated with authority and even more purpose than usual, and I noticed it every time he broke into the Red Wings' zone.
Sure, both goals Crosby scored were not things of beauty, but it was the fact that he scored them -- especially the first one to get his team off the 100+ minute shutout streak they had been on -- that meant everything. Once they got the first one, the floodgates to their offense opened a little.
When Crosby first scored, I thought of 2 scenes from Rocky. The first, from Rocky III was when Stallone knocked down Mr. T for the first time in their rematch and both Appollo Creed and Talia Shire stand up triumphantly (and simultaneously, but in different screen shots) because that was the first time Mr. T was knocked down .
The second, from Rocky IV was when Tony Burton made famous the following line when Ivan Drago was cut:
"You see .... you see ... he's not a machine ... he's a man!!!!"
That's what I felt like last night. I imagine that some of the Penguins felt that way too, because once that first one went in, they dominated a lot of the rest of the game, the Red Wings 16-5 shot advantage in the 3rd period notwithstanding.
I have to credit Penguins coach Michel Therrein for putting Malkin on Crosby's wing for a good part of the game. Maybe he read my post yesterday, suggesting he should do that if they wanted to win?? Ha.
Seriously, although he didn't score, Malkin looked energized and played his best game in weeks. I'm sure playing at home helped, but he was everywhere out there. Hossa also played well. The Penguins just had more room to skate overall. They also were more physical than Detroit, and that contributed to the Red Wings turning the puck over.
Other guys that really stood out on the ice were Brooks Orpik and Gary Roberts. Orpik knocked down not one, not two, not three, but FOUR Red Wing players in the Penguins' zone in about 15 seconds on 1 shift in the 3rd period. He was menacing. Gary Roberts also was extremely physical, and it was his hit on Red Wings Defenseman Lilja that caused a turnover which led to the game winning goal off the backside of Detroit goalie Chris Osgood by 4th liner Adam Hall.
Fleury played better in this game, too, although the goal by Detroit winger Mikael Samuelsson from the far boards in the 3rd period was one he should have had. That goal made it interesting, for sure. But Fleury deserves credit for keeping the Penguins in the game at the outset when they started slow despite the raucous home crowd, and for making big saves at several points during the game.
I think the Penguins just wanted this game more. They played with heart. They played with desire. They played with intensity. They played with desperation. Frankly, Detroit could have gotten beat by 3 or 4 in this game. Remember, Hossa and Crosby hit posts, Osgood just stopped a shot by Penguins winger Pascal Dupuis before it crossed the goal line, and Hossa missed a golden open net with 1 second left in the 1st period -- and all that without any meaningful power play time. Therrein did a good job of mixing up his lines and creating some mismatches out there. The Red Wings 3rd defense pairing of Lebda and Lilja looked out of synch more often than not.
For as good as the Penguins played, they are going to have to maintain their intensity level and even improve their play for game 4. Red Wings guns Henrik Zetterburg and Pavel Datsyuk were quiet in game 3 and, for the most part, have been all series. One could argue they are due, although I'm beginning to wonder if Datsyuk is beginning to wear down. Other than a few good hits, he hasn't had a big impact in the Finals so far. Some credit has to go to Crosby and company -- who have been matched up against them most of the time -- for negating that.
In general, the Penguins have to expect the Red Wings to come with a better effort Saturday night. If they are able to win game 4, the Penguins will go back to Detroit with a tied series and some pressure on the Red Wings to continue holding serve at home. If Detroit comes back and wins game 4, the Penguins game 3 win will be mostly meaningless. More and more is at stake with each passing game.
I don't know if I can handle it. But I'll manage as long as the Penguins do ....
With the Penguins down in the Stanley Cup Final 2 games to none to Detroit last night and facing a near-must win in game 3 at home, their still baby-faced, 20-year old, first-year Captain showed a national audience that he wasn't going to let his team go meekly into the series' night, scoring the first two goals and leading the Penguins to a 3-2 win.
Ladies and Gentlemen, we have a series.
If there is any praise Crosby doesn't deserve with his performance last night, I can't think of it. He was electric on the ice. Although he played well in the first two games of the series, he took his game up to another level in game 3 when his team needed it most -- something that all great leader's in this game's history, including his landlord and team owner, Mario Lemieux, have done. He was sharper and crisper out there on the ice. He deked and skated with authority and even more purpose than usual, and I noticed it every time he broke into the Red Wings' zone.
Sure, both goals Crosby scored were not things of beauty, but it was the fact that he scored them -- especially the first one to get his team off the 100+ minute shutout streak they had been on -- that meant everything. Once they got the first one, the floodgates to their offense opened a little.
When Crosby first scored, I thought of 2 scenes from Rocky. The first, from Rocky III was when Stallone knocked down Mr. T for the first time in their rematch and both Appollo Creed and Talia Shire stand up triumphantly (and simultaneously, but in different screen shots) because that was the first time Mr. T was knocked down .
The second, from Rocky IV was when Tony Burton made famous the following line when Ivan Drago was cut:
"You see .... you see ... he's not a machine ... he's a man!!!!"
That's what I felt like last night. I imagine that some of the Penguins felt that way too, because once that first one went in, they dominated a lot of the rest of the game, the Red Wings 16-5 shot advantage in the 3rd period notwithstanding.
I have to credit Penguins coach Michel Therrein for putting Malkin on Crosby's wing for a good part of the game. Maybe he read my post yesterday, suggesting he should do that if they wanted to win?? Ha.
Seriously, although he didn't score, Malkin looked energized and played his best game in weeks. I'm sure playing at home helped, but he was everywhere out there. Hossa also played well. The Penguins just had more room to skate overall. They also were more physical than Detroit, and that contributed to the Red Wings turning the puck over.
Other guys that really stood out on the ice were Brooks Orpik and Gary Roberts. Orpik knocked down not one, not two, not three, but FOUR Red Wing players in the Penguins' zone in about 15 seconds on 1 shift in the 3rd period. He was menacing. Gary Roberts also was extremely physical, and it was his hit on Red Wings Defenseman Lilja that caused a turnover which led to the game winning goal off the backside of Detroit goalie Chris Osgood by 4th liner Adam Hall.
Fleury played better in this game, too, although the goal by Detroit winger Mikael Samuelsson from the far boards in the 3rd period was one he should have had. That goal made it interesting, for sure. But Fleury deserves credit for keeping the Penguins in the game at the outset when they started slow despite the raucous home crowd, and for making big saves at several points during the game.
I think the Penguins just wanted this game more. They played with heart. They played with desire. They played with intensity. They played with desperation. Frankly, Detroit could have gotten beat by 3 or 4 in this game. Remember, Hossa and Crosby hit posts, Osgood just stopped a shot by Penguins winger Pascal Dupuis before it crossed the goal line, and Hossa missed a golden open net with 1 second left in the 1st period -- and all that without any meaningful power play time. Therrein did a good job of mixing up his lines and creating some mismatches out there. The Red Wings 3rd defense pairing of Lebda and Lilja looked out of synch more often than not.
For as good as the Penguins played, they are going to have to maintain their intensity level and even improve their play for game 4. Red Wings guns Henrik Zetterburg and Pavel Datsyuk were quiet in game 3 and, for the most part, have been all series. One could argue they are due, although I'm beginning to wonder if Datsyuk is beginning to wear down. Other than a few good hits, he hasn't had a big impact in the Finals so far. Some credit has to go to Crosby and company -- who have been matched up against them most of the time -- for negating that.
In general, the Penguins have to expect the Red Wings to come with a better effort Saturday night. If they are able to win game 4, the Penguins will go back to Detroit with a tied series and some pressure on the Red Wings to continue holding serve at home. If Detroit comes back and wins game 4, the Penguins game 3 win will be mostly meaningless. More and more is at stake with each passing game.
I don't know if I can handle it. But I'll manage as long as the Penguins do ....
Wednesday, May 28, 2008
How The Penguins Can Win Game 3
Is tonight a must-win for the Penguins?
I'm not a believer in "must-wins" until you face an elimination game. That said, the Penguins task to win their third Stanley Cup will increase twenty-fold if they lose tonight and go into a 3-0 series deficit that only 2 teams in the history of hockey have ever overcome.
Penguins coach Michel Therrein has taken some criticism over the last few days for perceived "whining" about the Red Wings obstruction and about diving from Detroit goaltender Chris Osgood, but anyone who knows the game realizes that Therrein's comments are well-placed. If they take pressure off his team and plant a seed with the referrees -- what Therrein was obviously trying to do -- then he was successful. For the most part, you don't hear the same complaints from the Penguin players, which shows that those remarks are a coaches tactic. It's nothing Therrein hasn't done before.
But that aside, what can Therrien do on the ice to try and change his team's fortunes, aside from the obvious things like trying to take advantage of having the last line-change at home? There's talk that Darryl Sydor may join the lineup tonight for his first action in this post-season. I don't know that putting Sydor in may make a lot of difference, but here's five things I think would:
1) Play Malkin with Crosby and Hossa the whole game. Sid is playing fairly well, so maybe he can get Geno going a little. At the very least -- and it's hard for me to say this -- Malkin isn't dragging down our 2nd line that way.
2) Because we still need a productive second line to compete with Detroit, move Staal up to more of an offensive role and have him center the 2nd line with Malone and Sykora. Staal has been great defensively, but the priority right now has to be scoring goals. Sykora has to play with someone who can get him the puck. Staal can. That leaves you with Talbot to center the 3rd line with Roberts, and I would play Ruutu there too. I'd have Hall center the 4th line with Dupuis and Kennedy.
3) Change some of the defensive pairings again, moving Scuderi back with Whitney and putting Gill back with Letang -- the way things were in round 1. Gill and Scuderi haven't had the greatest series out there. They were on the ice for 3 of Detroit's first 5 goals and both could probably benefit from playing with a faster partner. It also would give the team an offensive defenseman on the ice at all times, something they need against a team they've failed to score on in 2 games in this final thusfar.
4) Start double shifting Crosby. We need our best player on the ice more than just 20 minutes a game. That total has to be up to 23 or 24 minutes.
5) Stop sending the first guy in on our forecheck and instead keep him back to clog the neutral zone with the other 2 forwards in an effort to generate more turnovers we can use to counter-attack.
Sure, these things may not bring the ultimate end-result for the Penguins, but they have to pull out all the stops to get a win tonight. If they do prevail and make it a 2-1 series, they'll be right back in it. Let's hope the home crowd in the local barn tonight brings them extra energy. The Penguins haven't lost at home in more than 3 months and there's nothing more I'd like to see than them keep the winning streak going.
LET'S GO PENS!
Tuesday, May 27, 2008
Game 2 Recap: Red Wings Win, 3-0, Lead Series, 2-0
I think this entry will be much shorter than the recap I posted following game 1.
Why?
Because game 2 in Detroit was a carbon copy of game 1.
Behind goals from scoring machine Brad Stuart, and forwards Tomas Holmstrom and Valtteri Filppula, as well as 22 saves from Chris "The Diver" Osgood, the Red Wings captured game 2, 3-0. They now lead the best-of-seven Stanley Cup Final two games to none, heading to Pittsburgh for game 3 Wednesday night.
Much like game 1, Detroit stifled the Penguins through the neutral zone and had 2 goals before the Penguins even had a shot on goal. Pitsburgh didn't even record an even strength (5-on-5) shot until 5 minutes into the second period.
If this keeps up, the series won't return to Detroit.
The Penguins have to find a way to break through and crash the net in this series. Of course, if they do, Osgood is going to flop around and probably draw more penalties, but that's a chance the Penguins have to take to try and get back in it. The Red Wings continue to do a great job in the neutral zone not allowing the Penguins to skate.
Pittsburgh also has been victim to some tough breaks in this series. Stuart's goal last night is a good example. Fleury got a piece of the shot, but it just rolled right through him. There haven't been too many to go by him like that in the playoffs thusfar. Meanwhile, on the other end, we've been unable to capitalize on the few chances we've had around Osgood. In the first period, Penguins Center Sidney Crosby brilliantly set up Ryan Malone in front, but he flubbed the puck and couldn't get a shot off. Later in the game, after a Red Wings defenseman (Lebda or Lilja, I'm not sure which) fell down, Gary Roberts picked the puck up and made a nice backhand pass to Jordan Staal who was wide open cruising down the slot. Probably gripping his stick too tightly, he just shot the puck wide, and then failed to score on a backhand rebound when the puck bounced off the back boards.
The Penguins can't afford to miss those chances if they're going to stay in this series. They simply aren't going to get many. They need to get one to get some confidence going again. If that goal is the first of the game, all the better. They are capable of playing defensively just as Detroit has. In fact, Red Wings top guns Henrik Zetterberg and Pavel Datsyuk haven't been significant factors in this series so far. Although one could say they are waiting to break out, Crosby's line has done an excellent job against them defensively. If they are able to keep that up and contibute just a little bit on the offensive end, the Penguins could come around in this series.
Of course, they'll need Evgeni Malkin to come around, too. Again, he was a non-factor last night. He looks worn out like he was in the series against the Senators last year, and has admitted to being fatigued:
http://www.pittsburghlive.com/x/pittsburghtrib/sports/penguins/archive/s_569411.html
We all know how that series turned out last year. Without Malkin, the Penguins aren't the same club. If he can't find a way to step up and realize that his season has just a few more games in it, the Penguins chances of making a series out of things in the final drops dramatically.
Hopefully, the rough stuff that occurred at the end of the game will carry over into game 3 at The Igloo. The Penguins need that energy -- they need something to build on. They haven't lost at home in over 3 months, and will need every bit of a raucous crowd there to help them try and get back in this series. Although only 3 teams have ever gone on to win the Cup after dropping the first two games on the road, it bears repeating that the Red Wings have stumbled on two occasions earlier this playoff year after taking multiple-game series' leads -- in the first round against Nashville (lost games 3 and 4 in Nashville after winning games 1 and 2 at home) and in the Conference Finals against Dallas (lost games 4 and 5 after taking a 3-0 series lead). Although the Red Wings' won both series, they probably don't want to push their luck.
Detroit held serve at home, which is what they should be expected to do. The Penguins will, obviously, have to win a game there if they have any chance at winning the Cup. But that's to worry about later. For now, they have to concentrate on taking the next 2 in their own barn, just as they should be expected to do.
Why?
Because game 2 in Detroit was a carbon copy of game 1.
Behind goals from scoring machine Brad Stuart, and forwards Tomas Holmstrom and Valtteri Filppula, as well as 22 saves from Chris "The Diver" Osgood, the Red Wings captured game 2, 3-0. They now lead the best-of-seven Stanley Cup Final two games to none, heading to Pittsburgh for game 3 Wednesday night.
Much like game 1, Detroit stifled the Penguins through the neutral zone and had 2 goals before the Penguins even had a shot on goal. Pitsburgh didn't even record an even strength (5-on-5) shot until 5 minutes into the second period.
If this keeps up, the series won't return to Detroit.
The Penguins have to find a way to break through and crash the net in this series. Of course, if they do, Osgood is going to flop around and probably draw more penalties, but that's a chance the Penguins have to take to try and get back in it. The Red Wings continue to do a great job in the neutral zone not allowing the Penguins to skate.
Pittsburgh also has been victim to some tough breaks in this series. Stuart's goal last night is a good example. Fleury got a piece of the shot, but it just rolled right through him. There haven't been too many to go by him like that in the playoffs thusfar. Meanwhile, on the other end, we've been unable to capitalize on the few chances we've had around Osgood. In the first period, Penguins Center Sidney Crosby brilliantly set up Ryan Malone in front, but he flubbed the puck and couldn't get a shot off. Later in the game, after a Red Wings defenseman (Lebda or Lilja, I'm not sure which) fell down, Gary Roberts picked the puck up and made a nice backhand pass to Jordan Staal who was wide open cruising down the slot. Probably gripping his stick too tightly, he just shot the puck wide, and then failed to score on a backhand rebound when the puck bounced off the back boards.
The Penguins can't afford to miss those chances if they're going to stay in this series. They simply aren't going to get many. They need to get one to get some confidence going again. If that goal is the first of the game, all the better. They are capable of playing defensively just as Detroit has. In fact, Red Wings top guns Henrik Zetterberg and Pavel Datsyuk haven't been significant factors in this series so far. Although one could say they are waiting to break out, Crosby's line has done an excellent job against them defensively. If they are able to keep that up and contibute just a little bit on the offensive end, the Penguins could come around in this series.
Of course, they'll need Evgeni Malkin to come around, too. Again, he was a non-factor last night. He looks worn out like he was in the series against the Senators last year, and has admitted to being fatigued:
http://www.pittsburghlive.com/x/pittsburghtrib/sports/penguins/archive/s_569411.html
We all know how that series turned out last year. Without Malkin, the Penguins aren't the same club. If he can't find a way to step up and realize that his season has just a few more games in it, the Penguins chances of making a series out of things in the final drops dramatically.
Hopefully, the rough stuff that occurred at the end of the game will carry over into game 3 at The Igloo. The Penguins need that energy -- they need something to build on. They haven't lost at home in over 3 months, and will need every bit of a raucous crowd there to help them try and get back in this series. Although only 3 teams have ever gone on to win the Cup after dropping the first two games on the road, it bears repeating that the Red Wings have stumbled on two occasions earlier this playoff year after taking multiple-game series' leads -- in the first round against Nashville (lost games 3 and 4 in Nashville after winning games 1 and 2 at home) and in the Conference Finals against Dallas (lost games 4 and 5 after taking a 3-0 series lead). Although the Red Wings' won both series, they probably don't want to push their luck.
Detroit held serve at home, which is what they should be expected to do. The Penguins will, obviously, have to win a game there if they have any chance at winning the Cup. But that's to worry about later. For now, they have to concentrate on taking the next 2 in their own barn, just as they should be expected to do.
Sunday, May 25, 2008
Game 1 Recap: Red Wings Win, 4-0; Lead Series 1-0
Yikes.
Hide the women and children.
The Detroit Red Wings soundly defeated the Pittsburgh Penguins last night in game 1 of the Stanley Cup Final, 4-0, on two goals from Mikael Samuelsson and a shutout from Chris Osgood.
The Red Wings lead the series, 1-0.
And it will be a short series if the Penguins don't improve their play quickly. For their sake, they need to create more offense and play with more intensity.
(For my sake, they better win, because if all the puking I've done all day today following last night's loss is any indication, I won't be able to make it past game 2. Actually, it's just a bug but after watching game 1, I'd have every reason to repeatedly vomit over the product the Penguins put on the ice last night).
The night started poorly for the Penguins when goalie Marc-Andre Fleury stumbled onto the ice coming out of the locker room. Things didn't get better for him, either. He was decent in the first period, but arguably had a hand in 3 of Detroit's 4 goals. On Samuelsson's first, he got caught too close to the post and couldn't cover Samuelsson going around the net for a wraparound.
(Incidentally, ignore all the BS from the Versus' team last night about how that goal was scored as a direct result of a bad line change on our part. That's not how the goal was scored. The Penguins still had 3 guys back in their zone; Samuelsson just was willing to work enough to score.)
The second goal was a result of Fleury, Scuderi and Malkin being careless with the puck in front of their own goal. The third Red Wings goal, late in the 3rd from winger Dan Cleary, was evidence that the Penguins had just packed it in. Letang got outhustled and Fleury clearly wasn't up to stopping his short side backhander.
The Red Wings deserve credit. They outshot the Penguins 36-19, and only let up 7 shots in the final two periods. They outhit and outhustled the Penguins too. The Penguins don't need 35 shots to win, but they need more than they had last night.
Evgeni Malkin was really a non-factor for the 5th straight game. If he doesn't get his game together, the Penguins experience in the Stanley Cup Final will be limited. I'm not sure what's keeping Malkin back lately ...
Maybe line changes will shake up the team. Penguins coach Michel Therrein did that at practice today. Here's what they looked like:
Malone-Crosby-Hossa
Talbot-Malkin-Sykora
Dupuis-Staal-Kennedy
Roberts-Hall-Ruutu
Looks like Laraque is going to sit out game 2 so Roberts can play. Although it may have been a bit surprising to see Roberts scratched from game 1, I have no doubt that a least one reason behind Therrien's thinking was the lift putting Roberts in the lineup would give to the team, if needed. Well, after one game, we're there already.
I don't know if the line changes (assuming they are in place for game 2) are a sign of panic or just something to jump start the offense. Maybe both. It's hard to fault Therrein for his moves so far. Although I might have been inclined to stick a little longer with what got us here, he deserves the benefit of the doubt.
The key for the Penguins in game 2 is to get the puck deep -- however they can -- and make Osgood go side-to-side. They need to make him work harder. To do that, their defensemen need to support the forwards on the rush. It also would help if we were able to crack down more defensively in the neutral zone and cause some Red Wings turnovers. That might get us rolling too.
If the Penguins are able to win game 2, they'll return to Mellon Arena with a split, and probably be satisfied. That's all they can look to do right now -- take one step at a time.
Thursday, May 22, 2008
Penguins v. Red Wings: Stanley Cup Final Breakdown
Finally.
One more series.
Four more wins to the top.
The last step on the road to the greatest trophy in professional sports.
The Stanley Cup
Our Boys of Winter begin their 3rd Stanley Cup Final in franchise history this Saturday evening when they, at last, face off against the Presidents' Trophy winning Detroit Red Wings. The 2nd seed in the East versus the first seed in the West. This final is arguably the best the National Hockey League has seen in 11 years since the Flyers and Red Wings faced off in 1997.
But only one team can win.
So, without further delay, let's break down the matchup:
OFFENSE
Both teams have near-even top end talent, with the Penguins' Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin matching up against the Red Wings' Henrik Zetterberg and Pavel Datsyuk. All four players are capable of offensive wizardry in this series. However, look beyond those superstars and the Penguins have a better supporting cast offensively. Red Wings winger Johan Franzen, who has been out since game 1 of the Western Conference Finals after suffering from concussion symptoms, can be an impact player. Despite missing that time, he still leads the postseason with 12 goals. However, he has not yet been cleared to practice and is expected to miss at least the first part of the finals. After him, the Red Wings' production starts to drop more noticeably. Although they have other players who have contributed offensively, most are defenseman. Nicklas Lidstrom, Brian Rafalski and Nicklas Kronwall all have more than 10 points. The only other forwards to make a meaningful offensive contribution are Jiri Hudler, with 13 points, and Tomas Holmstrom, who picks up the garbage around the goal when Zetterberg and Datsyuk can't score. When it comes to putting the puck in the net, however, after their big 3 and Hudler, the Red Wings leading goal scorer has 3 goals. This is why they were able to score only 2 goals in 3 of the 6 games in the Dallas series.
The Penguins, on the other hand, simply have greater scoring depth. After their big two, Marion Hossa does a lot of heavy lifting. He has 9 goals this postseason so far and is tied for 5th in playoff scoring with 19 points. So much for him being someone who can't produce on the playoffs. And that's not all. Ryan Malone has 6 goals. Jordan Staal has 6 goals. Petr Sykora has 5. These players are spread across 3 lines. Without Franzen in the lineup, the Red Wings main offensive threats -- Zetterberg and Datsyuk -- are on 1 line. I believe the Penguins last opponent, the Flyers, were a better offensive team than Detroit. Despite all the attention those two get, offensive depth has to be a concern for the Red Wings going into a series against Pittsburgh, even if Franzen returns. EDGE: PENGUINS
DEFENSE
Detroit has arguably the best defense in the game. Lidstrom is one of the 5 best defenseman in the history of hockey. Rafalski is just as good offensively as he was when he was with New Jersey, and he has the speed and hockey sense to be effective with Lidstrom in his own zone. Kronwall has come into his own this year and actually has more points in the playoffs than Lidstrom. He's also a noted open ice hitter with a physical edge to his game. He plays on Detroit's second pair with trade deadline acquisition Brad Stuart. There's nothing fancy about Stuart's game. He's more of a defensive defenseman, but has enough puck skills to get the puck out of his own zone. Detroit's third pair is led by 46 year old, 3-time Stanley Cup winner Chris Chelios. Chelios missed game 6 of the Dallas series with a leg injury but is expected to be able to play in the Finals. Certainly, Chelios has lost a few steps over the years, but his hockey sense is nearly unrivaled. He uses positioning to do the job and remains a physical presence on the ice. His partner, Brett Lebda, is generally unnoticeable on the ice -- something you want from your #6 defenseman. As a team, the Red Wings have given up only 30 goals in 16 games. Because they are so good with the puck and so good positionally, they are often able to significantly limit the number of shots their opponents see per game.
The Penguins, meanwhile, have also been an exemplary defensive team in the playoffs, giving up only 24 goals in 12 games. We all know that they have offensive weapons back there like Sergei Gonchar and Ryan Whitney, but the main reason Pittsbugh has advanced as far as it has in the playoffs this season has been how good they have played defensively. Brooks Orpik has done a fantastic job next to Gonchar, and both will have to be at the top of their games in this series because they are the pair likely to see the most of Zetterberg and Datsyuk. Rob Scuderi and Hall Gill also have been fantastic for the Penguins. Scuderi is +8 in the playoffs so far. Both keep the game simple and play very well positionally. Rounding out the group is rookie Kris Letang -- another guy who doesn't get noticed. Letang has skill but has played very well defensively this season, and shown a physical side to-boot. The fact that 2-time Stanley Cup Winner Darryl Sydor has been locked in the press box during the Penguins entire playoff run says a lot about how well the Penguins have played defensively in the postseason.
This is a tougher call than most think. Although both teams are playing well as a team, Lidstrom gives Detroit an advantage. EDGE: RED WINGS
GOALTENDING
The Penguins Marc-Andre Fleury has been playing the best goal of his career. He's won 22 of his last 28 decisions and leads the playoffs with a .938 save percentage. His goals against of 1.70 is second only to the Red Wings Chris Osgood at 1.60 -- who, by the way, is second in save percentage at .931. Osgood took over in game 3 of the Red Wings' series against Nashville after Dominik Hasek played poorly, but still won, the first 2 games of that series. Osgood has only lost once since. Although many think he is the weak link on the Red Wings, they shouldn't sleep on Ozzie. He's a veteran who has won a Stanley Cup before. The Penguins will have to work hard to beat him.
Osgood is largely a positional goaltender, but he isn't big and therfore is susceptible to goals up high. Quickness also isn't his strong suit, so the Penguins can exploit them if they are able to go side-to-side on him. Fleury, on the other hand, is tall and quick. I can count on one hand the number of spectactular saves he's had to make in the playoffs, which is both a testament to the way the Pittsburgh defense is playing in front of him, but also to how well he's been playing positionally. He'll have his hands full with Red Wings crease-crasher Holmstrom in this series, but if he stays focused and keeps playing the way he has, the Penguins can't ask for more.
This is a close call, but Fleury has the edge in talent and ability. Although he hasn't been asked to, he can steal games. Osgood is less likely to do that. EDGE: PENGUINS
POWER PLAY
Both teams have power play units near the top of the league's rankings, thanks to their top-end talent and ability to possess the puck. If either the Penguins or Red Wings power play struggles in this series, either because of the opponent's penalty killing or some other reason, it will be a significant factor. For this reason, it will be important for both teams to try and stay out of the penalty box. EDGE: EVEN
PENALTY KILLING
Again, both teams are near the top of the league's rankings, which makes it hard to give either team the edge. The Red Wings have faced good power plays in those of the Stars and Avalanche, while the Penguins had to contend with the top power play of the playoffs in that of the Flyers. Both have numorous skill and role players doing yeoman's work when down a man. Guys like Red Wing forwards Kris Draper and Kirk Maltby do a fantastic job killing penalties, but so do Penguin forward Maxime Talbot and Jordan Staal. Both can be a threat to score shorthanded. There virtually is no advantage to either team in this area with the way both units have been playing. Again, if one team's PK falters, it could be fatal in the series. EDGE: EVEN
COACHING
Penguins head coach Michael Therrein is finally starting to get some credit for the great work he's done with the Penguins. He and his staff have an excellent scheme in place and have gotten the players to buy into it. He's made good personnel decisions, such as changing his defensive pairings to better match up against his opponent, despite coming off a 4-game sweep. Red Wings head coach Mike Babcock has also done a great job with his squad, not just this year but the last several. This is the 2nd time he's coached a team to the Cup Final, having done it with Anaheim in 2003. He's a good tactician and players coach. In a series so close, coaching moves can make the difference. It will be very interesting to see if either coach pulls out something different in this series -- whether out of design or necessity -- or sticks with what got them where they are. EDGE: EVEN
INTANGIBLES
In a series likely to be close as this, home ice can be meaningful. Detroit has that in this series and might need it, since the Penguins have been virtually unbeatable at The Igloo, where they haven't lost in nearly 3 months and are undefeated in the playoffs. Obviously, the Red Wings have more experience in the playoffs than the Penguins do. Their franchise has won 10 Stanley Cups and is a regular at the top of the standings almost every year. That said, as I wrote in this space yesterday, I don't buy for one minute that the Penguins are doomed to lose an otherwise even series simply because of their inexperience or because they haven't gone through heartache first. Recent league history has reduded that common wisdom to a nullity. In fact, the Penguins youth, by one theory, could work to their advantage simply because they may not appreciate the gravity of what they have accomplished. That's not to say they don't know the Stanley Cup is at stake, but rather to say that all they know is to play the way they've been playing. They are led by an incredibly mature Captain and have been grounded in their playoff run from the beginning.
It's hard to give an intangible edge to teams who are so evenly matched with little history because they play in different conferences, but if anything tilts the balance ever so slightly, it's the home ice advantage. EDGE: RED WINGS
PLAYERS TO WATCH:
1) Sidney Crosby -- will he lead his team to the Silver Chalice in just his 3rd year in the league? If so, he will have won the cup quicker than either Gretzky or Lemieux did. One of the best storylines of this series is to see exactly how much Crosby takes his game up with the Cup on the line.
2) Evgeni Malkin -- for as critical as Crosby is the Penguins fortunes, Malkin could be the guy that wins the series for them. Since the Red Wings will probably match up the Datsyuk line, and Lidstrom and Rafalski, against the Crosby line, Malkin will have an opportunity to be a difference-maker.
3) Marc-Andre Fleury -- Fleury has arguably been the best goaltender of the post-season so far, and is a viable candidate for the Conn Symthe Trophy as playoff MVP. He's played with poise and focus, but he will be tested by the best crease-crasher in the game in this series, Holmstrom. How he deals with him in the series will go a long way towards determining who carries the Cup when it's over.
4) Henrik Zetterberg -- many think Zetterberg has been the best player of the playoffs so far. Between he and Datsyuk, Zetterberg is the more important of the two, and the greater leader. Without Franzen for at least the start of this series, it's going to be up to him to lead the Red Wings up front offensively.
5) Nicklas Lidstrom -- any game with Lidstrom in it, let alone a Stanley Cup Final, makes him a player to watch. There's no reason to think he won't be on top of his game in this series, but the high end skill of the Penguins, especially on the power play, will test him.
6) Chris Osgood -- a lot of observers still don't give Osgood the credit he deserves, and feel the Red Wings win in spite of him and not because of him. But teams don't make it to the Stanley Cup Final in spite of their netminder. Osgood benefits from a great team defense and low shot totals, but has yet to face the constellation of offensive weapons that the Penguins will throw at him in this series. Osgood may still only face 20 shots a game. The Difference is that 10-12 of those may be outstanding scoring chances and Osgood could still get sunburn. How he holds up to that attack could decide the series.
HOW THE PENGUINS CAN WIN: Bury their chances against Osgood, keep the Red Wings to the outside, and not be intimidated by the Red Wings experience
HOW THE RED WINGS CAN WIN: Have Holmstrom rattle Fleury, get offensive contributions from their role players, and win at least one game at Mellon Arena
PREDICTION: The Penguins are playing as well defensively as Detroit, and have the better offense and goaltending. Lord Stanley, Lord Stanley, Get Me The Brandy (again). The Penguins win the franchise's third Stanley Cup Championship in six games.
One more series.
Four more wins to the top.
The last step on the road to the greatest trophy in professional sports.
The Stanley Cup
Our Boys of Winter begin their 3rd Stanley Cup Final in franchise history this Saturday evening when they, at last, face off against the Presidents' Trophy winning Detroit Red Wings. The 2nd seed in the East versus the first seed in the West. This final is arguably the best the National Hockey League has seen in 11 years since the Flyers and Red Wings faced off in 1997.
But only one team can win.
So, without further delay, let's break down the matchup:
OFFENSE
Both teams have near-even top end talent, with the Penguins' Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin matching up against the Red Wings' Henrik Zetterberg and Pavel Datsyuk. All four players are capable of offensive wizardry in this series. However, look beyond those superstars and the Penguins have a better supporting cast offensively. Red Wings winger Johan Franzen, who has been out since game 1 of the Western Conference Finals after suffering from concussion symptoms, can be an impact player. Despite missing that time, he still leads the postseason with 12 goals. However, he has not yet been cleared to practice and is expected to miss at least the first part of the finals. After him, the Red Wings' production starts to drop more noticeably. Although they have other players who have contributed offensively, most are defenseman. Nicklas Lidstrom, Brian Rafalski and Nicklas Kronwall all have more than 10 points. The only other forwards to make a meaningful offensive contribution are Jiri Hudler, with 13 points, and Tomas Holmstrom, who picks up the garbage around the goal when Zetterberg and Datsyuk can't score. When it comes to putting the puck in the net, however, after their big 3 and Hudler, the Red Wings leading goal scorer has 3 goals. This is why they were able to score only 2 goals in 3 of the 6 games in the Dallas series.
The Penguins, on the other hand, simply have greater scoring depth. After their big two, Marion Hossa does a lot of heavy lifting. He has 9 goals this postseason so far and is tied for 5th in playoff scoring with 19 points. So much for him being someone who can't produce on the playoffs. And that's not all. Ryan Malone has 6 goals. Jordan Staal has 6 goals. Petr Sykora has 5. These players are spread across 3 lines. Without Franzen in the lineup, the Red Wings main offensive threats -- Zetterberg and Datsyuk -- are on 1 line. I believe the Penguins last opponent, the Flyers, were a better offensive team than Detroit. Despite all the attention those two get, offensive depth has to be a concern for the Red Wings going into a series against Pittsburgh, even if Franzen returns. EDGE: PENGUINS
DEFENSE
Detroit has arguably the best defense in the game. Lidstrom is one of the 5 best defenseman in the history of hockey. Rafalski is just as good offensively as he was when he was with New Jersey, and he has the speed and hockey sense to be effective with Lidstrom in his own zone. Kronwall has come into his own this year and actually has more points in the playoffs than Lidstrom. He's also a noted open ice hitter with a physical edge to his game. He plays on Detroit's second pair with trade deadline acquisition Brad Stuart. There's nothing fancy about Stuart's game. He's more of a defensive defenseman, but has enough puck skills to get the puck out of his own zone. Detroit's third pair is led by 46 year old, 3-time Stanley Cup winner Chris Chelios. Chelios missed game 6 of the Dallas series with a leg injury but is expected to be able to play in the Finals. Certainly, Chelios has lost a few steps over the years, but his hockey sense is nearly unrivaled. He uses positioning to do the job and remains a physical presence on the ice. His partner, Brett Lebda, is generally unnoticeable on the ice -- something you want from your #6 defenseman. As a team, the Red Wings have given up only 30 goals in 16 games. Because they are so good with the puck and so good positionally, they are often able to significantly limit the number of shots their opponents see per game.
The Penguins, meanwhile, have also been an exemplary defensive team in the playoffs, giving up only 24 goals in 12 games. We all know that they have offensive weapons back there like Sergei Gonchar and Ryan Whitney, but the main reason Pittsbugh has advanced as far as it has in the playoffs this season has been how good they have played defensively. Brooks Orpik has done a fantastic job next to Gonchar, and both will have to be at the top of their games in this series because they are the pair likely to see the most of Zetterberg and Datsyuk. Rob Scuderi and Hall Gill also have been fantastic for the Penguins. Scuderi is +8 in the playoffs so far. Both keep the game simple and play very well positionally. Rounding out the group is rookie Kris Letang -- another guy who doesn't get noticed. Letang has skill but has played very well defensively this season, and shown a physical side to-boot. The fact that 2-time Stanley Cup Winner Darryl Sydor has been locked in the press box during the Penguins entire playoff run says a lot about how well the Penguins have played defensively in the postseason.
This is a tougher call than most think. Although both teams are playing well as a team, Lidstrom gives Detroit an advantage. EDGE: RED WINGS
GOALTENDING
The Penguins Marc-Andre Fleury has been playing the best goal of his career. He's won 22 of his last 28 decisions and leads the playoffs with a .938 save percentage. His goals against of 1.70 is second only to the Red Wings Chris Osgood at 1.60 -- who, by the way, is second in save percentage at .931. Osgood took over in game 3 of the Red Wings' series against Nashville after Dominik Hasek played poorly, but still won, the first 2 games of that series. Osgood has only lost once since. Although many think he is the weak link on the Red Wings, they shouldn't sleep on Ozzie. He's a veteran who has won a Stanley Cup before. The Penguins will have to work hard to beat him.
Osgood is largely a positional goaltender, but he isn't big and therfore is susceptible to goals up high. Quickness also isn't his strong suit, so the Penguins can exploit them if they are able to go side-to-side on him. Fleury, on the other hand, is tall and quick. I can count on one hand the number of spectactular saves he's had to make in the playoffs, which is both a testament to the way the Pittsburgh defense is playing in front of him, but also to how well he's been playing positionally. He'll have his hands full with Red Wings crease-crasher Holmstrom in this series, but if he stays focused and keeps playing the way he has, the Penguins can't ask for more.
This is a close call, but Fleury has the edge in talent and ability. Although he hasn't been asked to, he can steal games. Osgood is less likely to do that. EDGE: PENGUINS
POWER PLAY
Both teams have power play units near the top of the league's rankings, thanks to their top-end talent and ability to possess the puck. If either the Penguins or Red Wings power play struggles in this series, either because of the opponent's penalty killing or some other reason, it will be a significant factor. For this reason, it will be important for both teams to try and stay out of the penalty box. EDGE: EVEN
PENALTY KILLING
Again, both teams are near the top of the league's rankings, which makes it hard to give either team the edge. The Red Wings have faced good power plays in those of the Stars and Avalanche, while the Penguins had to contend with the top power play of the playoffs in that of the Flyers. Both have numorous skill and role players doing yeoman's work when down a man. Guys like Red Wing forwards Kris Draper and Kirk Maltby do a fantastic job killing penalties, but so do Penguin forward Maxime Talbot and Jordan Staal. Both can be a threat to score shorthanded. There virtually is no advantage to either team in this area with the way both units have been playing. Again, if one team's PK falters, it could be fatal in the series. EDGE: EVEN
COACHING
Penguins head coach Michael Therrein is finally starting to get some credit for the great work he's done with the Penguins. He and his staff have an excellent scheme in place and have gotten the players to buy into it. He's made good personnel decisions, such as changing his defensive pairings to better match up against his opponent, despite coming off a 4-game sweep. Red Wings head coach Mike Babcock has also done a great job with his squad, not just this year but the last several. This is the 2nd time he's coached a team to the Cup Final, having done it with Anaheim in 2003. He's a good tactician and players coach. In a series so close, coaching moves can make the difference. It will be very interesting to see if either coach pulls out something different in this series -- whether out of design or necessity -- or sticks with what got them where they are. EDGE: EVEN
INTANGIBLES
In a series likely to be close as this, home ice can be meaningful. Detroit has that in this series and might need it, since the Penguins have been virtually unbeatable at The Igloo, where they haven't lost in nearly 3 months and are undefeated in the playoffs. Obviously, the Red Wings have more experience in the playoffs than the Penguins do. Their franchise has won 10 Stanley Cups and is a regular at the top of the standings almost every year. That said, as I wrote in this space yesterday, I don't buy for one minute that the Penguins are doomed to lose an otherwise even series simply because of their inexperience or because they haven't gone through heartache first. Recent league history has reduded that common wisdom to a nullity. In fact, the Penguins youth, by one theory, could work to their advantage simply because they may not appreciate the gravity of what they have accomplished. That's not to say they don't know the Stanley Cup is at stake, but rather to say that all they know is to play the way they've been playing. They are led by an incredibly mature Captain and have been grounded in their playoff run from the beginning.
It's hard to give an intangible edge to teams who are so evenly matched with little history because they play in different conferences, but if anything tilts the balance ever so slightly, it's the home ice advantage. EDGE: RED WINGS
PLAYERS TO WATCH:
1) Sidney Crosby -- will he lead his team to the Silver Chalice in just his 3rd year in the league? If so, he will have won the cup quicker than either Gretzky or Lemieux did. One of the best storylines of this series is to see exactly how much Crosby takes his game up with the Cup on the line.
2) Evgeni Malkin -- for as critical as Crosby is the Penguins fortunes, Malkin could be the guy that wins the series for them. Since the Red Wings will probably match up the Datsyuk line, and Lidstrom and Rafalski, against the Crosby line, Malkin will have an opportunity to be a difference-maker.
3) Marc-Andre Fleury -- Fleury has arguably been the best goaltender of the post-season so far, and is a viable candidate for the Conn Symthe Trophy as playoff MVP. He's played with poise and focus, but he will be tested by the best crease-crasher in the game in this series, Holmstrom. How he deals with him in the series will go a long way towards determining who carries the Cup when it's over.
4) Henrik Zetterberg -- many think Zetterberg has been the best player of the playoffs so far. Between he and Datsyuk, Zetterberg is the more important of the two, and the greater leader. Without Franzen for at least the start of this series, it's going to be up to him to lead the Red Wings up front offensively.
5) Nicklas Lidstrom -- any game with Lidstrom in it, let alone a Stanley Cup Final, makes him a player to watch. There's no reason to think he won't be on top of his game in this series, but the high end skill of the Penguins, especially on the power play, will test him.
6) Chris Osgood -- a lot of observers still don't give Osgood the credit he deserves, and feel the Red Wings win in spite of him and not because of him. But teams don't make it to the Stanley Cup Final in spite of their netminder. Osgood benefits from a great team defense and low shot totals, but has yet to face the constellation of offensive weapons that the Penguins will throw at him in this series. Osgood may still only face 20 shots a game. The Difference is that 10-12 of those may be outstanding scoring chances and Osgood could still get sunburn. How he holds up to that attack could decide the series.
HOW THE PENGUINS CAN WIN: Bury their chances against Osgood, keep the Red Wings to the outside, and not be intimidated by the Red Wings experience
HOW THE RED WINGS CAN WIN: Have Holmstrom rattle Fleury, get offensive contributions from their role players, and win at least one game at Mellon Arena
PREDICTION: The Penguins are playing as well defensively as Detroit, and have the better offense and goaltending. Lord Stanley, Lord Stanley, Get Me The Brandy (again). The Penguins win the franchise's third Stanley Cup Championship in six games.
Wednesday, May 21, 2008
Dispeling Common Wisdom
Before I post my Stanley Cup Final series breakdown tomorrow, I have to get something off my chest.
Although most observers seem to feel this series can go either way, it appears that those who are picking the Red Wings to win commonly cite one main reason why they have the edge:
Experience.
A team needs to go through the playoff wars and experience failure before success, the theory goes.
This theory is especially convenient for those thinkers to apply to this series because of the obvious comparisions between the current Penguins squad and the early 1980's Edmonton Oiler teams who were built with so much similar offensive flair. The likeness this year is to the 1983 Oiler team who were about to take the league by storm and rolled through the playoffs only to lose in the Cup Final to the New York Islanders, who won their 4th straight Cup that year before handing control of the league to Edmonton beginning the following season.
Despite those similarities, I don't believe the Penguins take a back seat to the Red Wings in this series because of their general youth and overall inexperience.
The league is different now than it was 25 years ago in the early 1980's. It's even different than it was 10 years ago. There's more parity in the league and greater pressure on teams to win now. Dynasties are harder to forge. For the last 3 or 4 years running, the teams that have won the Cup, including Anaheim, Carolina and Tampa Bay, all did so almost out-of-nowhere, without having previously suffered some meaningful playoff failure in the years beforehand. Even their opponents, by and large, were relative newbies to playing for the prize.
There's absolutely no reason why the Penguins can't take the Cup this season, and recent league precedent backs it up.
So to all of those who think Detroit has the edge in this series because of Pittsburgh's relative "inexperience", you get an "F" in history. As punishment, the Penguins may just have to take you back to school ...
Although most observers seem to feel this series can go either way, it appears that those who are picking the Red Wings to win commonly cite one main reason why they have the edge:
Experience.
A team needs to go through the playoff wars and experience failure before success, the theory goes.
This theory is especially convenient for those thinkers to apply to this series because of the obvious comparisions between the current Penguins squad and the early 1980's Edmonton Oiler teams who were built with so much similar offensive flair. The likeness this year is to the 1983 Oiler team who were about to take the league by storm and rolled through the playoffs only to lose in the Cup Final to the New York Islanders, who won their 4th straight Cup that year before handing control of the league to Edmonton beginning the following season.
Despite those similarities, I don't believe the Penguins take a back seat to the Red Wings in this series because of their general youth and overall inexperience.
The league is different now than it was 25 years ago in the early 1980's. It's even different than it was 10 years ago. There's more parity in the league and greater pressure on teams to win now. Dynasties are harder to forge. For the last 3 or 4 years running, the teams that have won the Cup, including Anaheim, Carolina and Tampa Bay, all did so almost out-of-nowhere, without having previously suffered some meaningful playoff failure in the years beforehand. Even their opponents, by and large, were relative newbies to playing for the prize.
There's absolutely no reason why the Penguins can't take the Cup this season, and recent league precedent backs it up.
So to all of those who think Detroit has the edge in this series because of Pittsburgh's relative "inexperience", you get an "F" in history. As punishment, the Penguins may just have to take you back to school ...
Tuesday, May 20, 2008
Bring On The Red Wings: How To Slow Datsyuk and Zetterberg
As expected, it will be the Penguins and Detroit Red Wings in the Stanley Cup Final.
Detroit made certain of that by jumping on the Dallas Stars early last night in much the same fashion as the Penguins got on the Flyers early and never looked back in game 5. The Red Wings prevailed on the road, 4-1, in game 6, winning their series against the Stars 4 games to 2.
Although I'll post a more detailed series breakdown later in the week, it's not too early to start talking a little bit about the Red Wings and what they bring to the table. Specifically, I want to focus on their two marquee players, center Pavel Datsyuk and winger Henrik Zetterberg.
These two are going to be a handful for the Penguins. Like most teams who deal with Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin, it's more a matter of containing them than stopping them. However, the difference between coaches game-planning for Sid and Geno are that both play on separate lines. Datsyuk and Zetterberg play together, which means it's easier to focus on trying to limit them. If the Penguins can do that in this series, their chances of bringing the Cup home will increase dramatically.
So how do they do that?
I'm anxious to see what Penguins coach Michael Therrein does in this series defensively. The fact that both Datsyuk and Zetterberg play together make it easier for him to try and match up one particular line against them, if that's what he prefers to do. The Penguins third line centered by Jordan Staal together with wingers Tyler Kennedy and Jarkko Ruutu has the potential to do a good job on them if Therrein employs that strategy. Staal can skate well and is a defensive monster. Kennedy has the speed to keep up and is tenacious. Ruutu also is good defensively and brings an edge to the line.
More than likely, however, Therrein will probably stick to his defensive system and count on everyone to play it as a team, regardless of who is out there against Datsyuk and Zetterberg. He's had such great success with it so far and he and the team both know that if they stick to it, they'll have the results. This may be especially true in this series against Detroit's top guns because both Datsyuk and Zetterberg tend to be east-west players, and the Penguins' defensive system is designed to clog the middle and force players to the outside down the wall. If Datsyuk and Zetterberg try to stick with what they do best, the Penguins could capitalize on their mistakes in the neutral zone and at the blueline when they try to go side-to-side.
As it is, I expect Crosby's line to probably match up against the Datsyuk line. Because both Datsyuk and Zetterberg are both so good defensively themselves, I suspect Red Wings coach Mike Babcock will count on them to try and shut down Sid as well as generate offense. What I'm excited to see in that matchup, if it comes to pass, is Crosby's defensive work. His line, with wingers Marion Hossa and Pascal Dupuis is really good defensively. Everyone talks about how god-like Datsyuk and Zetterberg are because both were nominated for the Selke Trophy as the league's best defensive player. Well, the Crosby line is accomplished in that area, too. Everyone knows how solid Dupuis is defensively, but Crosby and Hossa don't get enough credit for how good they are backchecking and in their own zone. If the Red Wings think that Datsyuk and Zetterberg are just going to stop Sid's line and then romp all the way into our end to score easily once they do, they're in for a big surprise.
If Sidney locks down, he could bring back memories of Mario Lemieux from the '91 and '92 Stanley Cup runs. Penguin followers then know that Lemeiux was one of the best defensive players in the game when he wanted to be. And in those Cup runs, he wanted to be. He was like a hunter in his own zone, stalking the player with the puck. Lemieux was a defensive force then. If Crosby's line ends up matched up against Datsyuk and Zetterberg, and he raises his game defensively, it could shift this series in the Penguins' favor.
All in all, it should be a great series.
More tomorrow.
Detroit made certain of that by jumping on the Dallas Stars early last night in much the same fashion as the Penguins got on the Flyers early and never looked back in game 5. The Red Wings prevailed on the road, 4-1, in game 6, winning their series against the Stars 4 games to 2.
Although I'll post a more detailed series breakdown later in the week, it's not too early to start talking a little bit about the Red Wings and what they bring to the table. Specifically, I want to focus on their two marquee players, center Pavel Datsyuk and winger Henrik Zetterberg.
These two are going to be a handful for the Penguins. Like most teams who deal with Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin, it's more a matter of containing them than stopping them. However, the difference between coaches game-planning for Sid and Geno are that both play on separate lines. Datsyuk and Zetterberg play together, which means it's easier to focus on trying to limit them. If the Penguins can do that in this series, their chances of bringing the Cup home will increase dramatically.
So how do they do that?
I'm anxious to see what Penguins coach Michael Therrein does in this series defensively. The fact that both Datsyuk and Zetterberg play together make it easier for him to try and match up one particular line against them, if that's what he prefers to do. The Penguins third line centered by Jordan Staal together with wingers Tyler Kennedy and Jarkko Ruutu has the potential to do a good job on them if Therrein employs that strategy. Staal can skate well and is a defensive monster. Kennedy has the speed to keep up and is tenacious. Ruutu also is good defensively and brings an edge to the line.
More than likely, however, Therrein will probably stick to his defensive system and count on everyone to play it as a team, regardless of who is out there against Datsyuk and Zetterberg. He's had such great success with it so far and he and the team both know that if they stick to it, they'll have the results. This may be especially true in this series against Detroit's top guns because both Datsyuk and Zetterberg tend to be east-west players, and the Penguins' defensive system is designed to clog the middle and force players to the outside down the wall. If Datsyuk and Zetterberg try to stick with what they do best, the Penguins could capitalize on their mistakes in the neutral zone and at the blueline when they try to go side-to-side.
As it is, I expect Crosby's line to probably match up against the Datsyuk line. Because both Datsyuk and Zetterberg are both so good defensively themselves, I suspect Red Wings coach Mike Babcock will count on them to try and shut down Sid as well as generate offense. What I'm excited to see in that matchup, if it comes to pass, is Crosby's defensive work. His line, with wingers Marion Hossa and Pascal Dupuis is really good defensively. Everyone talks about how god-like Datsyuk and Zetterberg are because both were nominated for the Selke Trophy as the league's best defensive player. Well, the Crosby line is accomplished in that area, too. Everyone knows how solid Dupuis is defensively, but Crosby and Hossa don't get enough credit for how good they are backchecking and in their own zone. If the Red Wings think that Datsyuk and Zetterberg are just going to stop Sid's line and then romp all the way into our end to score easily once they do, they're in for a big surprise.
If Sidney locks down, he could bring back memories of Mario Lemieux from the '91 and '92 Stanley Cup runs. Penguin followers then know that Lemeiux was one of the best defensive players in the game when he wanted to be. And in those Cup runs, he wanted to be. He was like a hunter in his own zone, stalking the player with the puck. Lemieux was a defensive force then. If Crosby's line ends up matched up against Datsyuk and Zetterberg, and he raises his game defensively, it could shift this series in the Penguins' favor.
All in all, it should be a great series.
More tomorrow.
Monday, May 19, 2008
GO HOME FLYERS: Penguins Win Series 4-1 With Dominating Performance in 6-0 Game 5 Win
Now that's more like it.
Behind two goals from Penguins winger Ryan Malone, 4 points from winger Marion Hossa, and Marc-Andre Fleury's 3rd shutout of the playoffs, the Penguins humbled the Flyers in game 5 yesterday, winning 6-0 and closing out their series in 5 games.
About the only thing better would have been to deliver that crushing blow on Philadelphia's own ice. As it is, the Penguins will have to "settle" for their first Stanley Cup Final appearance since 1992.
The Penguins played their best game of the playoffs yesterday. Although they got a break on their first goal, which got them rolling, they clearly were focused and intent on finishing the Flyers and not going back to The Wachovia Center for game 6. The Penguins were unstoppable offensively and locked down the Flyers defensively. Philadelphia only had 13 shots after two periods for heaven's sake. The signature play of the game came on the Penguins third goal, which started with outstanding backchecking by Penguins Center Sidney Crosby. He pickpocketed Flyers Center Mike Richards and started a rush the other way which culminated in a pass from him to Hossa who blew it by Flyers Goaltender Martin Biron from the left circle.
Speaking of Biron, he was, putting it charitably, ordinary yesterday, letting six pucks behind him. In 5 series games, he allowed 20 goals, an average of 4 per game. So much for the 2nd coming of Ken Dryden. Although most in the Philadelphia area probably won't look too critically at Biron since the Flyers overachieved this year, reaching the Conference Finals only 1 year after finishing last overall in the league, I personally believe -- as surely some more astute Flyer fans also must (wait ... are there any of those??) -- that the Flyers won't win a cup with Biron. He's not good enough. He played a handful of good games and had a solid series against Montreal, but isn't capable of 4 rounds of excellence.
From all reports, the Penguins took yesterday's Conference Championship in stride, knowing they have higher goals in mind. I didn't see one player wear a conference championship hat or T-shirt in the aftermath of the victory. All made clear that they have their eyes on The Trophy. In fact, the greatest nugget to come from yesterday's victory had to do with the Prince of Wales Trophy.
Most probably saw that Crosby refused to touch or pick up the confernece hardware after it was presented to him and the team by NHL Vice President Bill Daly. Most probably heard him say at the post-game press conference that he's watched a lot of Stanley Cup Games, knew not to touch it, and heard about it from veteran teammates like winger Petr Sykora.
What many may not know is that the Penguins refused to allow the Prince of Wales Trophy in their dressing room. The guy in charge of the trophy, down from the Hockey Hall of Fame in Toronto, said that was the first time any team ever refused to even have it in their room.
Credit for this story has to go to Pittsburgh Tribune Review writer Joe Starkey, who's oustanding column on this can be found here:
http://www.pittsburghlive.com/x/pittsburghtrib/sports/penguins/s_568224.html
At this point the Penguins sit and wait to see who their opponent in the Stanley Cup Final will be. If Detroit wins tonight on the road in game 6 against the Stars, the flightless Birds draw the Red Wings in a series that will open up at Joe Louis Arena in Detroit. If the Stars become only the 7th team in the history of the game to force a game 7 after being down in a series 3-0, the Penguins will have to wait until the conclusion of that game on Wednesday night before learning who they'll match up against. If Dallas manages to pull off a miracle and comes back to win the series, the Penguins would have home ice.
For now, the Penguins deserve to bask in their near complete and total embarrassment of their arch-rival Flyers. They deserved to win and, no matter their opponent in the final, have a real chance this year to bring home the franchise's third Stanley Cup.
Behind two goals from Penguins winger Ryan Malone, 4 points from winger Marion Hossa, and Marc-Andre Fleury's 3rd shutout of the playoffs, the Penguins humbled the Flyers in game 5 yesterday, winning 6-0 and closing out their series in 5 games.
About the only thing better would have been to deliver that crushing blow on Philadelphia's own ice. As it is, the Penguins will have to "settle" for their first Stanley Cup Final appearance since 1992.
The Penguins played their best game of the playoffs yesterday. Although they got a break on their first goal, which got them rolling, they clearly were focused and intent on finishing the Flyers and not going back to The Wachovia Center for game 6. The Penguins were unstoppable offensively and locked down the Flyers defensively. Philadelphia only had 13 shots after two periods for heaven's sake. The signature play of the game came on the Penguins third goal, which started with outstanding backchecking by Penguins Center Sidney Crosby. He pickpocketed Flyers Center Mike Richards and started a rush the other way which culminated in a pass from him to Hossa who blew it by Flyers Goaltender Martin Biron from the left circle.
Speaking of Biron, he was, putting it charitably, ordinary yesterday, letting six pucks behind him. In 5 series games, he allowed 20 goals, an average of 4 per game. So much for the 2nd coming of Ken Dryden. Although most in the Philadelphia area probably won't look too critically at Biron since the Flyers overachieved this year, reaching the Conference Finals only 1 year after finishing last overall in the league, I personally believe -- as surely some more astute Flyer fans also must (wait ... are there any of those??) -- that the Flyers won't win a cup with Biron. He's not good enough. He played a handful of good games and had a solid series against Montreal, but isn't capable of 4 rounds of excellence.
From all reports, the Penguins took yesterday's Conference Championship in stride, knowing they have higher goals in mind. I didn't see one player wear a conference championship hat or T-shirt in the aftermath of the victory. All made clear that they have their eyes on The Trophy. In fact, the greatest nugget to come from yesterday's victory had to do with the Prince of Wales Trophy.
Most probably saw that Crosby refused to touch or pick up the confernece hardware after it was presented to him and the team by NHL Vice President Bill Daly. Most probably heard him say at the post-game press conference that he's watched a lot of Stanley Cup Games, knew not to touch it, and heard about it from veteran teammates like winger Petr Sykora.
What many may not know is that the Penguins refused to allow the Prince of Wales Trophy in their dressing room. The guy in charge of the trophy, down from the Hockey Hall of Fame in Toronto, said that was the first time any team ever refused to even have it in their room.
Credit for this story has to go to Pittsburgh Tribune Review writer Joe Starkey, who's oustanding column on this can be found here:
http://www.pittsburghlive.com/x/pittsburghtrib/sports/penguins/s_568224.html
At this point the Penguins sit and wait to see who their opponent in the Stanley Cup Final will be. If Detroit wins tonight on the road in game 6 against the Stars, the flightless Birds draw the Red Wings in a series that will open up at Joe Louis Arena in Detroit. If the Stars become only the 7th team in the history of the game to force a game 7 after being down in a series 3-0, the Penguins will have to wait until the conclusion of that game on Wednesday night before learning who they'll match up against. If Dallas manages to pull off a miracle and comes back to win the series, the Penguins would have home ice.
For now, the Penguins deserve to bask in their near complete and total embarrassment of their arch-rival Flyers. They deserved to win and, no matter their opponent in the final, have a real chance this year to bring home the franchise's third Stanley Cup.
Saturday, May 17, 2008
Someone Help Jordan! Penguins Lose Game 4, 4-2
I thought the Penguins were playing this series against the Flyers, but the team that showed up in game 4 Thursday night looked nothing like the sad Philadelphia bunch the Penguins had knocked around in games 1, 2 and 3.
Desperate to win, the Flyers made a host of line changes. They even took out the guy who would be sure to give the puck away or take a bad penalty -- Steve Downie. And, pulling out the greatest of stops, they had injured defenseman Kimmo Timonen make a little inspiring pre-game speech to their team.
Finally, something worked for them.
After taking a 3-0 lead in the first period, the Flyers managed to hold on for a 4-2 victory. Joffrey Lupul scored twice for Philadelphia, and got them going with the first goal of the game on a long slap shot that deflected off Penguins defenseman Hall Gill's stick before sailing over Fleury. The other two goals of the period for the Flyers were power play markers, scored the way the Flyers usually score man advantage goals. Get the puck to the net and bury the garbage.
The zebras were no help to the Penguins in this game either, calling a lot of scrum-penalties on them in altercations that were clearly initiated by penalty-worthy offenses by the Flyers.
But let's face it. This loss wasn't about the officiating.
The Penguins just didn't have their game in the first period. They stabilized in the 2nd frame, and rallied in the third period on two goals from Center Jordan Staal, but ran out of time to tie the game before Lupul scored his second into an empty net.
Penguins centers Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin were quiet in this one. Malkin, in fact, has only tallied one point in the last 3 games, and is minus 3 in the same stretch. He's going to have to pick his game up.
This is especially true since it's looking more and more like the Flyers might have defenseman Timonen back for game 5. After visiting his doctor, Timonen was told that the blood clot he has in his ankle hasn't gotten bigger, and has been cleared to try and practice. He skated on his own friday and will try to workout with the team Saturday. To play, he was told he'll still have to deal with some numbness and pain, but since the bigger, long-term concerns don't seem there for Timonen anymore, he's probably going to be on the ice for Game 5 Sunday.
The Flyers should be less optimistic about Bradon Coburn. His eye has opened up a lot more, but word is that he's having some concussion type symptoms. Mainly, he's been limited to light work on the stationary bike. If I had to make a call now, I'd say that he won't be in the lineup tomorrow.
Expect the Penguins to come out strong and finish the series on Sunday. They started to get their game back in the 2nd half of game 4 and know what they have to do at home before what is sure to be a crazy crowd. The Penguins have won 15 straight games at home, and every home contest in the playoffs. They are too talented, have been playing too well, and know what it takes to finish off a team. In the Ranger series, they played arguably their best game of the playoffs in game 5, despite the fact that a 2-minute lapse allowed the Rangers to tie the game and send it to overtime.
Like I said then, all the game 4 win by the opponent did is delay the inevitable.
The same will be true with the Flyers.
Desperate to win, the Flyers made a host of line changes. They even took out the guy who would be sure to give the puck away or take a bad penalty -- Steve Downie. And, pulling out the greatest of stops, they had injured defenseman Kimmo Timonen make a little inspiring pre-game speech to their team.
Finally, something worked for them.
After taking a 3-0 lead in the first period, the Flyers managed to hold on for a 4-2 victory. Joffrey Lupul scored twice for Philadelphia, and got them going with the first goal of the game on a long slap shot that deflected off Penguins defenseman Hall Gill's stick before sailing over Fleury. The other two goals of the period for the Flyers were power play markers, scored the way the Flyers usually score man advantage goals. Get the puck to the net and bury the garbage.
The zebras were no help to the Penguins in this game either, calling a lot of scrum-penalties on them in altercations that were clearly initiated by penalty-worthy offenses by the Flyers.
But let's face it. This loss wasn't about the officiating.
The Penguins just didn't have their game in the first period. They stabilized in the 2nd frame, and rallied in the third period on two goals from Center Jordan Staal, but ran out of time to tie the game before Lupul scored his second into an empty net.
Penguins centers Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin were quiet in this one. Malkin, in fact, has only tallied one point in the last 3 games, and is minus 3 in the same stretch. He's going to have to pick his game up.
This is especially true since it's looking more and more like the Flyers might have defenseman Timonen back for game 5. After visiting his doctor, Timonen was told that the blood clot he has in his ankle hasn't gotten bigger, and has been cleared to try and practice. He skated on his own friday and will try to workout with the team Saturday. To play, he was told he'll still have to deal with some numbness and pain, but since the bigger, long-term concerns don't seem there for Timonen anymore, he's probably going to be on the ice for Game 5 Sunday.
The Flyers should be less optimistic about Bradon Coburn. His eye has opened up a lot more, but word is that he's having some concussion type symptoms. Mainly, he's been limited to light work on the stationary bike. If I had to make a call now, I'd say that he won't be in the lineup tomorrow.
Expect the Penguins to come out strong and finish the series on Sunday. They started to get their game back in the 2nd half of game 4 and know what they have to do at home before what is sure to be a crazy crowd. The Penguins have won 15 straight games at home, and every home contest in the playoffs. They are too talented, have been playing too well, and know what it takes to finish off a team. In the Ranger series, they played arguably their best game of the playoffs in game 5, despite the fact that a 2-minute lapse allowed the Rangers to tie the game and send it to overtime.
Like I said then, all the game 4 win by the opponent did is delay the inevitable.
The same will be true with the Flyers.
Thursday, May 15, 2008
Notes Before Elimination
Just a quick entry this morning.
It looks like Flyers Defenseman Braydon Coburn will be back in the lineup tonight. He practiced yesterday and, although his vision was somewhat limited, it's only logical to think that will continue to improve before game 4.
It also seems that Flyers coach John Stevens is mixing up his lines tonight. Mike Richards is going to play with Daniel Briere and Scott Hartnell, while Vinny Prospal is going to be moved to center to play with R.J. Umberger and Joffrey Lupul. Of course, Steve Downie is going right to the bench and Patrick Thoresen is expected to step into his spot on the 4th line.
Not that either change will help the Flyers if the Penguins continue to play as they are ...
Jordan Staal is expected to play tonight also, after visiting Ontario, Canada last night to attend funeral services for the death of his grandfather. I haven't heard a word about Gary Roberts, but with Pittsburgh on the verge of a sweep, would not expect to see him back in the lineup.
The Penguins need to show killer instinct tonight. They have to expect a Flyer team who is going to play with everything on the line (which, of course, it is) and bring a lot of intensity. If they match that and stick to their game plan, they should be able to avoid what happened to Detroit in game 4 of their series last night.
BRING ON THE CUP FINALS!!!
It looks like Flyers Defenseman Braydon Coburn will be back in the lineup tonight. He practiced yesterday and, although his vision was somewhat limited, it's only logical to think that will continue to improve before game 4.
It also seems that Flyers coach John Stevens is mixing up his lines tonight. Mike Richards is going to play with Daniel Briere and Scott Hartnell, while Vinny Prospal is going to be moved to center to play with R.J. Umberger and Joffrey Lupul. Of course, Steve Downie is going right to the bench and Patrick Thoresen is expected to step into his spot on the 4th line.
Not that either change will help the Flyers if the Penguins continue to play as they are ...
Jordan Staal is expected to play tonight also, after visiting Ontario, Canada last night to attend funeral services for the death of his grandfather. I haven't heard a word about Gary Roberts, but with Pittsburgh on the verge of a sweep, would not expect to see him back in the lineup.
The Penguins need to show killer instinct tonight. They have to expect a Flyer team who is going to play with everything on the line (which, of course, it is) and bring a lot of intensity. If they match that and stick to their game plan, they should be able to avoid what happened to Detroit in game 4 of their series last night.
BRING ON THE CUP FINALS!!!
Wednesday, May 14, 2008
On The Brink Of Another Broom: Penguins Win 4-1, Lead Series 3-0
Now that they are up 3 games to none in their Eastern Conference Final series against the Flyers, the Penguins will tell you that the 4th win of their series will be the toughest to obtain.
Don't believe them.
The Flyers chance to make anything out of this series was in game 3 last night, but the game ended the way the first 2 have -- with the Penguins scoring 4 goals and walking away with a victory. The only difference this time was that it happened in Philadelphia so all their local fans wearing queer orange T-shirts could go home with their heads down.
"Why not us?", the T-shirts said.
Because the Penguins are significantly better than the Flyers, that's why.
Ryan Whitney scored his first goal of the playoffs -- a power play marker -- 5 minutes into the game on a break when a centering pass went off Flyer defenseman Jason Smith and behind goaltender Martin Biron. A few minutes later, Marion Hossa scored his first goal of the night on a beautiful play, stickhandling side to side around one Flyer player at their blueline (Jeff Carter, I believe), before doing it again in front of Flyer defenseman Lasse Kukkonen and then wristing a wicked shot low to the far side past Biron.
Although Philadelphia winger and Pittsburgh hometown boy R.J. Umberger cut the lead in half a few minutes later with his first goal of the series (after 8 against Montreal in round 2) by capitalizing on a loose puck in front of the Penguins goal after a failed wraparound attempt by Flyers winger Vinny Prospal, the Penguins just locked down defensively after that. After two periods, the Flyers had eight -- that's right, EIGHT -- total shots.
About half way through the 3rd period, Mr. Giveaway, Flyer 4th line winger Steve Downie, must have started to feel like he was in the movie Groundhog Day, because he gave the puck away on a play that led to the goal. Malkin rushed the puck up ice and, after he and Sykora both got it to the goal, Ryan Malone swatted the rebound through Biron's legs for a 3-1 lead. The Flyers didn't threaten the rest of the way and Hossa sealed it with an empty netter -- his 8th goal of the playoffs in 12 games.
So much for his reputation of not scoring when it counts??
The Penguins probably played their best defensive game of the series. Penguins goaltender Marc-Andre Fleury was quoted after the game as saying he felt "useless" out there.
Biron looked just about as useless for the Flyers. Although everyone wanted to annoit him as the 2nd coming of Ken Dryden coming into this series, despite having by far and away the worst statistics of any goalie left in the playoffs coming into this round, he's done nothing to give his team a realistic chance of winning. Although Hossa made some nice moves and shot through a defenseman on his first goal, Biron was out of position on the shot. In addition, the 3rd goal by Malone -- again, right along the ice between Biron's legs -- is something he can't allow. You have to lockdown the low part of the net on plays around the cage like that. You don't see Fleury letting up those kind of goals.
The Flyers need a miracle that's only occurred twice in the entire history of the National Hockey League to win this series. They haven't shown anything in the entire series to indicate it will happen again.
To wrap up, a few notable statistics:
1) The Penguins have outscored the Flyers 12-5 in this series so far;
2) The Penguins have scored 3 or more goals in 10 of their 12 playoff games;
3) The Penguins are the best defensive team in the playoffs, with a 1.83 team GAA;
4) The Penguins have only trailed in approximately 10% of their playoff minutes to-date;
5) Only 3 other teams in the history of this great game have ever opened the playoffs by winning 11 of their first 12, and it hasn't happened in 25 years.
Right now, it looks like the Penguins are on a collision course with the Detroit Red Wings for the Stanley Cup.
I think the last Pittsburgh sports team who played for a championship in that city did pretty well ....
Don't believe them.
The Flyers chance to make anything out of this series was in game 3 last night, but the game ended the way the first 2 have -- with the Penguins scoring 4 goals and walking away with a victory. The only difference this time was that it happened in Philadelphia so all their local fans wearing queer orange T-shirts could go home with their heads down.
"Why not us?", the T-shirts said.
Because the Penguins are significantly better than the Flyers, that's why.
Ryan Whitney scored his first goal of the playoffs -- a power play marker -- 5 minutes into the game on a break when a centering pass went off Flyer defenseman Jason Smith and behind goaltender Martin Biron. A few minutes later, Marion Hossa scored his first goal of the night on a beautiful play, stickhandling side to side around one Flyer player at their blueline (Jeff Carter, I believe), before doing it again in front of Flyer defenseman Lasse Kukkonen and then wristing a wicked shot low to the far side past Biron.
Although Philadelphia winger and Pittsburgh hometown boy R.J. Umberger cut the lead in half a few minutes later with his first goal of the series (after 8 against Montreal in round 2) by capitalizing on a loose puck in front of the Penguins goal after a failed wraparound attempt by Flyers winger Vinny Prospal, the Penguins just locked down defensively after that. After two periods, the Flyers had eight -- that's right, EIGHT -- total shots.
About half way through the 3rd period, Mr. Giveaway, Flyer 4th line winger Steve Downie, must have started to feel like he was in the movie Groundhog Day, because he gave the puck away on a play that led to the goal. Malkin rushed the puck up ice and, after he and Sykora both got it to the goal, Ryan Malone swatted the rebound through Biron's legs for a 3-1 lead. The Flyers didn't threaten the rest of the way and Hossa sealed it with an empty netter -- his 8th goal of the playoffs in 12 games.
So much for his reputation of not scoring when it counts??
The Penguins probably played their best defensive game of the series. Penguins goaltender Marc-Andre Fleury was quoted after the game as saying he felt "useless" out there.
Biron looked just about as useless for the Flyers. Although everyone wanted to annoit him as the 2nd coming of Ken Dryden coming into this series, despite having by far and away the worst statistics of any goalie left in the playoffs coming into this round, he's done nothing to give his team a realistic chance of winning. Although Hossa made some nice moves and shot through a defenseman on his first goal, Biron was out of position on the shot. In addition, the 3rd goal by Malone -- again, right along the ice between Biron's legs -- is something he can't allow. You have to lockdown the low part of the net on plays around the cage like that. You don't see Fleury letting up those kind of goals.
The Flyers need a miracle that's only occurred twice in the entire history of the National Hockey League to win this series. They haven't shown anything in the entire series to indicate it will happen again.
To wrap up, a few notable statistics:
1) The Penguins have outscored the Flyers 12-5 in this series so far;
2) The Penguins have scored 3 or more goals in 10 of their 12 playoff games;
3) The Penguins are the best defensive team in the playoffs, with a 1.83 team GAA;
4) The Penguins have only trailed in approximately 10% of their playoff minutes to-date;
5) Only 3 other teams in the history of this great game have ever opened the playoffs by winning 11 of their first 12, and it hasn't happened in 25 years.
Right now, it looks like the Penguins are on a collision course with the Detroit Red Wings for the Stanley Cup.
I think the last Pittsburgh sports team who played for a championship in that city did pretty well ....
Tuesday, May 13, 2008
Boston Herald Reports Hossa Likely Won't Be Re-Signed
The Boston Herald reports that the Penguins aren't going to do much to try and keep Hossa this summer:
http://www.bostonherald.com/sports/hockey/bruins/view.bg?articleid=1093124
Although the Penguins "source" isn't cited, this is the clearest pronoucement I've heard about what we may do with him this summer.
Although I, unlike most, feel that we may very well be able to sign Hossa, along with Malone and Fleury, and extend both Malkin and Staal, if that turns out not to be true, I think we have to take a big step to try and keep #18. That could mean moving Gonchar or Whitney, which I would be okay with. Letang's offensive potential has yet to be fully tapped and in the cap era, we have to think ahead.
Whitney is already signed, but could be moved. Most observers think -- correctly -- that he hasn't had a good season. That said, I'm not ready to cast him off becaue of one sub-par year. Gonchar, on the other hand, is in his early 30's. He's been oustanding both offensively and defensively this season and should have been a Norris Trophy finalist. But realistically, there are only a few good years left for him. With only 2 years left on his contract after this season, this summer could be the time to move him before he gets too close to unrestricted free agency.
The Penguins won't have it easy this summer, that's for sure. It's hard being this good ....
Going for Three: Coburn, Kennedy and MT
For the Flyers, misery loves company.
It looks like they are going to have to do without Brandon Coburn in game 3 of the Eastern Confernece Finals against the Penguins tonight. He has been listed as "doubtful" by Flyers coach John Stevens because the swelling around his eye has not subsided. Basically, he can't see.
Of course, that makes him no different than almost every Flyer forward in this series except Mike Richards. But I digress.
Losing oburn on top of Timonen is another big blow for the Flyers defense. Rookie defenseman Ryan Parent is expected to play in Coburn's place tonight. He's a speedy, skilled defenseman. Maybe he'll help the Flyers transition game. That's one of the biggest reasons why so many of their forwards haven't had any impact on the scoreboard in this series. The Flyers defense simply can't get them the puck.
If the Flyers lose tonight, they're staring down a 3-0 series hole and an almost certain defeat, which basically makes tonight a must win game for them. I'd be surprised if we didn't see their best game of the series. The Penguins will have to raise their game to win.
Tyler Kennedy did that in game 2. Ask Flyer forward Scottie Upshall. That's the type of intensity that gets your team going. Ask George Laraque:
http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/08134/881354-61.stm
On a different note, Michael Therein deserves some credit for sticking with the Letang/Whitney pairing in this series. They've done well together, despite suspicions from many Penguin followers -- myself included -- that the weren't the best pairing. Therrein's logic for putting them together? It forces both to be committed defensively since that's not the main strength of either play. In other words, by not having them play with a defensive partner, they know they can't cheat in their own zone. It's hard to argue with the results. Again, Therrien pushes the right buttons.
As we get ready for game 3, tell me who you think has the best playoff beard among the Penguin players. Go above right for the poll.
Monday, May 12, 2008
Game 2 Recap: Penguins win, 4-2 (again)
FU-MAN-CHU returns!!!
Penguins Center Maxime Talbot -- who most call "Mad Max", but who I prefer to call "Fu-Man-Chu" thanks to the one-of-a-kind moustache he was growing earlier in the year --- rejoined the Penguins lineup in grand style last night, one-timing a Gary Roberts pass from behind the Flyers net into the net for the game-winning goal in what ended up being a 4-2 Penguins win in game 2 of the Eastern Conference Finals last night.
Sidney Crosby, Marion Hossa and Jordan Staal (empty net) also contributed for the Penguins. Jeff Carter and Mike Richards (again) scored for Philadelphia. The Penguins now lead the series 2-0 going on the road to Philadelphia for game 3 Tuesday night.
The winning goal started when Flyers 4th line winger, Steve Downie -- inserted into the lineup for game 2 just like Penguins 4th liner Talbot -- turned the puck over in his own zone. Laraque helped chip it deep, where Gary Roberts beat a likely fatigued Derrian Hatcher to the puck, and backhanded a centering pass to a wide-open Talbot in the slot for the goal.
Penguins coach Michel Therrein certainly got the better of the lineup change there.
The club-foot, Hatcher, had been playing so much because Brandon Coburn, the Flyers best remaining defenseman following the news that Kimmo Timonen would likely be out for the series with a blod clot, took a puck to the eye 1 minute into the game, leaving him bloodied, swollen and off for approximately 50 stitches, and leaving the Flyers short another key defenseman.
According to Flyers coach John Stevens, Coburn had a pretty nasty gash on his nose and eye, and was extremely swollen. There is a legitimate question as to whether that swelling will subside enough for him to suit up in game 3 tomorrow night.
Anyway, as a result of Coburn's absence, the Flyers had to play the bulk of the game with 5 defensemen. Truth be known -- and believe me, I hate to give Philadelphia credit for breathing -- their defense played pretty well under the circumstances. The Penguins should have run circles around them offensively without both Timonen and Coburn. Although the Penguins could have done more, the Flyers defenseman deserve some credit for holding up and giving their team a chance to win.
Still, it wasn't enough. The Penguins again locked down defensively once they got the lead and held on to run their home ice winning streak to 7 in the playoffs and 15 games overall.
If the Flyers are going to have a shot at getting back into this series, they're going to have to start getting performances from several forwards who have been MIA. Send out the search party for the Flyers leading goal-scorer, Vinny Prospal, and leading point-getter, Daniel Briere. They haven't showed up in this series.
On the other hand, now that I think about it, who cares where they are?
How about the beating Penguins winger Tyler Kennedy laid on Flyers winger Scottie Upshall in their spirited bout last night? It looked like Kennedy was in a back alley just beating the tar out of him. His fight was the latest example of how tough the Penguins can play, as evidenced by none other than Philadelphia Inquirer writer Ray Parillo:
http://www.philly.com/inquirer/sports/high_school/20080512_Penguins_show_they_can_play_rough_as_well.html
If the Philly papers are crediting an opponent for how tough they are, you know they're in trouble.
And that's exactly where the Flyers will be if they don't turn around their fortunes in game 3 at home Tuesday night. The environment there will present the toughest road test of the playoffs for the Penguins.
Tomorrow I'll have game 3 notes, and talk a little bit about Michel Therrein.
Penguins Center Maxime Talbot -- who most call "Mad Max", but who I prefer to call "Fu-Man-Chu" thanks to the one-of-a-kind moustache he was growing earlier in the year --- rejoined the Penguins lineup in grand style last night, one-timing a Gary Roberts pass from behind the Flyers net into the net for the game-winning goal in what ended up being a 4-2 Penguins win in game 2 of the Eastern Conference Finals last night.
Sidney Crosby, Marion Hossa and Jordan Staal (empty net) also contributed for the Penguins. Jeff Carter and Mike Richards (again) scored for Philadelphia. The Penguins now lead the series 2-0 going on the road to Philadelphia for game 3 Tuesday night.
The winning goal started when Flyers 4th line winger, Steve Downie -- inserted into the lineup for game 2 just like Penguins 4th liner Talbot -- turned the puck over in his own zone. Laraque helped chip it deep, where Gary Roberts beat a likely fatigued Derrian Hatcher to the puck, and backhanded a centering pass to a wide-open Talbot in the slot for the goal.
Penguins coach Michel Therrein certainly got the better of the lineup change there.
The club-foot, Hatcher, had been playing so much because Brandon Coburn, the Flyers best remaining defenseman following the news that Kimmo Timonen would likely be out for the series with a blod clot, took a puck to the eye 1 minute into the game, leaving him bloodied, swollen and off for approximately 50 stitches, and leaving the Flyers short another key defenseman.
According to Flyers coach John Stevens, Coburn had a pretty nasty gash on his nose and eye, and was extremely swollen. There is a legitimate question as to whether that swelling will subside enough for him to suit up in game 3 tomorrow night.
Anyway, as a result of Coburn's absence, the Flyers had to play the bulk of the game with 5 defensemen. Truth be known -- and believe me, I hate to give Philadelphia credit for breathing -- their defense played pretty well under the circumstances. The Penguins should have run circles around them offensively without both Timonen and Coburn. Although the Penguins could have done more, the Flyers defenseman deserve some credit for holding up and giving their team a chance to win.
Still, it wasn't enough. The Penguins again locked down defensively once they got the lead and held on to run their home ice winning streak to 7 in the playoffs and 15 games overall.
If the Flyers are going to have a shot at getting back into this series, they're going to have to start getting performances from several forwards who have been MIA. Send out the search party for the Flyers leading goal-scorer, Vinny Prospal, and leading point-getter, Daniel Briere. They haven't showed up in this series.
On the other hand, now that I think about it, who cares where they are?
How about the beating Penguins winger Tyler Kennedy laid on Flyers winger Scottie Upshall in their spirited bout last night? It looked like Kennedy was in a back alley just beating the tar out of him. His fight was the latest example of how tough the Penguins can play, as evidenced by none other than Philadelphia Inquirer writer Ray Parillo:
http://www.philly.com/inquirer/sports/high_school/20080512_Penguins_show_they_can_play_rough_as_well.html
If the Philly papers are crediting an opponent for how tough they are, you know they're in trouble.
And that's exactly where the Flyers will be if they don't turn around their fortunes in game 3 at home Tuesday night. The environment there will present the toughest road test of the playoffs for the Penguins.
Tomorrow I'll have game 3 notes, and talk a little bit about Michel Therrein.
Sunday, May 11, 2008
Will the streak continue?
The Penguins are undefeated at home in the playoffs this year, going 6-0 so far. They've won 14 straight games on home ice, dating to the regular season. Those streaks are on the line tonight in game 2 of the Eastern Conference Final.
Penguins Center Maxime Talbot has been cleared to play, and Penguins coach Michel Therrein has announced he will return to the lineup for game 2. He declined to say who would sit in his place, but it will likely be either Gary Roberts or Adam Hall. It says here that Hall will be the one to sit because Roberts brings more of the physical elements necessary to a series against the Flyers. Also, keeping Roberts in the lineup allows Therrein to continue giving the Malkin the occasional extra shift with Roberts on the wing, something he has been doing the last few games, and particularly in game 1 of this series.
Also, the Flyers are going to insert physical winger Steve Downie in the lineup tonight on their 4th line, in place of useless winger Patrick Thoresen. The idea here is apparently to give the Flyers more energy and send Downie out there to bang some bodies. However, Philadelphia better hope he doesn't take stupid penalties because the Penguins power play is capable of inflicting damage. The Flyers were smart to limit the number of times they were in the box in game 1. That probably will be hard for them to maintain, regardless of whether Downie is in the lineup or not.
Much has been made of the need for the Flyers to take away the time and space of the Penguins superstars and get more traffic around Penguins goalie Marc-Andre Fleury in game 2. What hasn't been said is that the Penguins also have areas they need to improve in. They need to be more physical and puck-aware in their own zone, and are capable of generating more scoring chances. As mentioned above, if they manage to draw more penalties and get their power play going, Flyers goalie Martin Biron may end up wishing he was back in game 1.
It would be great for the Penguins to take a 2-0 lead into Philadelphia for game 3 on Tuesday night because the Flyers are going to have an intense crowd there.
It would be great to keep the streak going ...
Penguins Center Maxime Talbot has been cleared to play, and Penguins coach Michel Therrein has announced he will return to the lineup for game 2. He declined to say who would sit in his place, but it will likely be either Gary Roberts or Adam Hall. It says here that Hall will be the one to sit because Roberts brings more of the physical elements necessary to a series against the Flyers. Also, keeping Roberts in the lineup allows Therrein to continue giving the Malkin the occasional extra shift with Roberts on the wing, something he has been doing the last few games, and particularly in game 1 of this series.
Also, the Flyers are going to insert physical winger Steve Downie in the lineup tonight on their 4th line, in place of useless winger Patrick Thoresen. The idea here is apparently to give the Flyers more energy and send Downie out there to bang some bodies. However, Philadelphia better hope he doesn't take stupid penalties because the Penguins power play is capable of inflicting damage. The Flyers were smart to limit the number of times they were in the box in game 1. That probably will be hard for them to maintain, regardless of whether Downie is in the lineup or not.
Much has been made of the need for the Flyers to take away the time and space of the Penguins superstars and get more traffic around Penguins goalie Marc-Andre Fleury in game 2. What hasn't been said is that the Penguins also have areas they need to improve in. They need to be more physical and puck-aware in their own zone, and are capable of generating more scoring chances. As mentioned above, if they manage to draw more penalties and get their power play going, Flyers goalie Martin Biron may end up wishing he was back in game 1.
It would be great for the Penguins to take a 2-0 lead into Philadelphia for game 3 on Tuesday night because the Flyers are going to have an intense crowd there.
It would be great to keep the streak going ...
Saturday, May 10, 2008
Game 1 Recap: Penguins Win, 4-2
At least one thing is clear after game 1 of the Eastern Conference Final between the Penguins and Flyers.
The Penguins aren't the Capitals or Canadiens.
Lighting the lamp on 4 of their 21 shots, including two spectacular goals from center Evgeni Malkin, the Penguins demonstrated on their way to a 4-2 win and 1-0 series lead that they, unlike Washington or Montreal, will capitalize on their scoring chances.
The game started out sloppy for both teams -- likely the result of each being off for nearly a week before this series opened. Penguins winger Petr Sykora scored a pretty goal about 6 minutes in, taking a pass from Malkin on a rush and top shelfing a backhand to open the scoring.
Flyers center Mike Richards got the next two goals, each of which were the result of the Penguins being lackadaisical around their goal. On the first, Richards circled behind the net and managed to throw a wraparound attempt off Penguins goaltender Marc-Andre Fleury and into the net. On the second, the Flyers crashed the goal and Fleury wasn't able to corral the puck. Richards picked it out of a crowd and tossed it into the empty cage.
Not long after, the Penguins rebounded, with Marian Hossa picking off a clearing attempt around the boards from Philadelphia goaltender Martin Biron and quickly centering it to Sidney Crosby, who redirected it between Biron's legs as he scrambled to get back in the net.
Then, 6 seconds before the end of the 1st, Malkin took a long, cross-ice pass from Penguins defenseman Ryan Whitney and broke down the wall before burying a wrist shot from 25 feet under Biron's blocker and over his leg to send the Penguins off to the 1st intermission with a 3-2 lead.
In the second period, the Penguins settled down. They were sharper in their own zone and in the neutral zone, and didn't give the Flyers much of a chance to generate anything. Then the defining moment of the game occurred.
Malkin broke free towards Biron but was cut off by a Flyer defenseman before he could get a good shot off. As he stopped near the net, Richards came back and laid a hard hit on Malkin, sending him rattling into the boards behind the net. As the play broke the other way, Malkin was slow to get up. When Penguins winger Marian Hossa forced a turnover on the Flyers rush, Penguins defenseman Sergei Gonchar picked up the loose puck and sent a 100 foot pass to Malkin, who now was standing alone at the Flyer blueline, before being buried on a check by Richards. Malkin broke in clean on a breakaway and unleashed a slap shot from 15 feet, burying it behind Biron on the stick side for a 4-2 lead.
The Penguins simply locked down the Flyers the rest of the way. They didn't give the Flyers any meaningful scoring opportunities and Fleury shut down what did get through.
Since I was at the game, there are other things worth noting.
First, the crowd was insane. This was probably clear on TV but I've been to a lot of playoff games over the years and haven't seen the crowd that raucous since 1992 when the Penguins won their last Stanley Cup. They were insatiable, and chanting before anyone ever took the ice.
Second, I noticed that Penguins coach Michel Therrein double-shifted Crosby and Malkin (particularly Malkin). There were many times that he sent Malkin out there with fourth liners Roberts and Laraque on his wings. I imagine he did this because, with the long layoff between series, he wanted to take advantage of the extra energy his two superstars had. It also keeps #10 and #27 in the game. The result was that Adam Hall didn't get a lot of ice time.
Third, Biron was shaky between the pipes. The national media acted like he was the second coming of Ken Dryden before this series, despite the worst statistics -- by far -- of any of the four goalies left in the tournament. If he keeps playing like he did in game 1, the Penguins might very well sweep Philadelphia.
Fourth, the loss of Kimmo Timonen definitely hurt the Flyers. Their power play was stagnant and their puck possession in their own zone left something to be desired.
Overall, the Penguins demonstrated in game 1 a lot of what I expected them to before the series -- intensity, scoring prowess, and heart. They continue to play on all cylinders against a Flyers team that has it's hands full. The Penguins still haven't lost at home in the playoffs. Unless the Flyers get things together defensively, stop giving up as many good scoring chances to the Penguin star forwards, and start crashing the net around Fleury, it's going to be a short series.
As far as I'm concerned Philadelphia can't go home soon enough.
The Penguins aren't the Capitals or Canadiens.
Lighting the lamp on 4 of their 21 shots, including two spectacular goals from center Evgeni Malkin, the Penguins demonstrated on their way to a 4-2 win and 1-0 series lead that they, unlike Washington or Montreal, will capitalize on their scoring chances.
The game started out sloppy for both teams -- likely the result of each being off for nearly a week before this series opened. Penguins winger Petr Sykora scored a pretty goal about 6 minutes in, taking a pass from Malkin on a rush and top shelfing a backhand to open the scoring.
Flyers center Mike Richards got the next two goals, each of which were the result of the Penguins being lackadaisical around their goal. On the first, Richards circled behind the net and managed to throw a wraparound attempt off Penguins goaltender Marc-Andre Fleury and into the net. On the second, the Flyers crashed the goal and Fleury wasn't able to corral the puck. Richards picked it out of a crowd and tossed it into the empty cage.
Not long after, the Penguins rebounded, with Marian Hossa picking off a clearing attempt around the boards from Philadelphia goaltender Martin Biron and quickly centering it to Sidney Crosby, who redirected it between Biron's legs as he scrambled to get back in the net.
Then, 6 seconds before the end of the 1st, Malkin took a long, cross-ice pass from Penguins defenseman Ryan Whitney and broke down the wall before burying a wrist shot from 25 feet under Biron's blocker and over his leg to send the Penguins off to the 1st intermission with a 3-2 lead.
In the second period, the Penguins settled down. They were sharper in their own zone and in the neutral zone, and didn't give the Flyers much of a chance to generate anything. Then the defining moment of the game occurred.
Malkin broke free towards Biron but was cut off by a Flyer defenseman before he could get a good shot off. As he stopped near the net, Richards came back and laid a hard hit on Malkin, sending him rattling into the boards behind the net. As the play broke the other way, Malkin was slow to get up. When Penguins winger Marian Hossa forced a turnover on the Flyers rush, Penguins defenseman Sergei Gonchar picked up the loose puck and sent a 100 foot pass to Malkin, who now was standing alone at the Flyer blueline, before being buried on a check by Richards. Malkin broke in clean on a breakaway and unleashed a slap shot from 15 feet, burying it behind Biron on the stick side for a 4-2 lead.
The Penguins simply locked down the Flyers the rest of the way. They didn't give the Flyers any meaningful scoring opportunities and Fleury shut down what did get through.
Since I was at the game, there are other things worth noting.
First, the crowd was insane. This was probably clear on TV but I've been to a lot of playoff games over the years and haven't seen the crowd that raucous since 1992 when the Penguins won their last Stanley Cup. They were insatiable, and chanting before anyone ever took the ice.
Second, I noticed that Penguins coach Michel Therrein double-shifted Crosby and Malkin (particularly Malkin). There were many times that he sent Malkin out there with fourth liners Roberts and Laraque on his wings. I imagine he did this because, with the long layoff between series, he wanted to take advantage of the extra energy his two superstars had. It also keeps #10 and #27 in the game. The result was that Adam Hall didn't get a lot of ice time.
Third, Biron was shaky between the pipes. The national media acted like he was the second coming of Ken Dryden before this series, despite the worst statistics -- by far -- of any of the four goalies left in the tournament. If he keeps playing like he did in game 1, the Penguins might very well sweep Philadelphia.
Fourth, the loss of Kimmo Timonen definitely hurt the Flyers. Their power play was stagnant and their puck possession in their own zone left something to be desired.
Overall, the Penguins demonstrated in game 1 a lot of what I expected them to before the series -- intensity, scoring prowess, and heart. They continue to play on all cylinders against a Flyers team that has it's hands full. The Penguins still haven't lost at home in the playoffs. Unless the Flyers get things together defensively, stop giving up as many good scoring chances to the Penguin star forwards, and start crashing the net around Fleury, it's going to be a short series.
As far as I'm concerned Philadelphia can't go home soon enough.
Friday, May 9, 2008
Flyers Defenseman Timonen Out For Series: Impact/Analysis
As if the Flyers weren't going to have their hands full defensively as it is. Now, they'll have to do without their top defenseman for the entire series.
Kimmo Timonen was diagnosed yesterday with a blod clot in his foot -- a devastating blow before the series even began to a Flyer team that counts on Timonen for just about everything.
One could credibly argue that Timonen is the most indispensable player on the Flyer team. He played 25 minutes a game. Relying on his skill, skating and hockey sense, he keyed the Flyer power-play and penalty killing units. He was their top defensive defenseman. Losing him is a great loss for the Philadelphia defense.
Timonen and (now former) partner Brandon Coburn were expected to be the Flyers shutdown pairing. They did a pretty good job defending Alexander Ovechkin in their series against the Capitals (although Ovechkin had 9 points which, if you ask me, is pretty credible for 7 games in the playoffs) and defending Alexi Kovalev in their series against Montreal. The Flyers defense was going to have their hands full even with him in the lineup because they don't have great depth on defense and the Penguins can roll out two lines almost unrivaled in the game. Now what do they do?
They certainly don't have a two-time Stanley Cup winner to put into their lineup like the Penguins have in Darryl Sydor if something were to happen to one of their defenseman. The Flyers are either going to insert defensively-weak Jaroslav Modry or talented-but-unproven rookie Ryan Parent into the lineup. Their defense pairings are also likely to change all around.
For the Flyers to have any chance, Brandon Coburn is going to have to quickly transform himself into a number one defenseman. Even then, the Flyers are going to give up more scoring chances, and be more vulnerable on the penalty kill. Martin Biron is going to have to be superhuman. On top of all that, other Flyer defenseman are going to have to try and compensate for Timonen's loss. I don't expect players like Jason Smith and Randy Jones to excel at playing beyond their means. The Penguins don't ask Brooks Orpik to score. There's a reason why.
The Penguins chance of winning this series -- at the expense of the Flyers' bad luck -- just went up. I don't expect them to take anything for granted, but there's no getting around the fact that Philadelphia is now, without question, significantly weaker on defense. That can only make it harder for the Flyers to win the series.
Bring on the white-out tonight. I can already hear the chanting now ....
GO HOME FLYERS ! ! ! ! ! ! ! !
Thursday, May 8, 2008
Critical of Crosby? A Response, and Other Pre-Series Notes
Okay. It must be true.
If the Canadian Media says so, it has to be gospel, right?
Sidney Crosby isn't scoring enough.
Oh boy.
The criticism being leveled at Crosby THIS TIME is that he's only got 2 goals in the playoffs so far ... that he didn't score a goal against the Rangers .... that he's not as good as everyone thinks.
To all those who share that viewpoint (and to Flyer fans who are praying on their knees that Crosby doesn't bury them in this series), I have this to say:
GIVE ME A ####### BREAK!
In his playoff career so far, Crosby already is averaging 1.36 points per playoff game. Only TWO players in the history of this great game have higher PPG averages in the playoffs -- some guys named Gretzky and Lemieux.
This year Crosby's PPG average in the playoffs is 1.56 points per game.
Nobody in the playoffs has more assists than he does, despite the fact that Crosby has played in about 3 games less than anyone else.
Certainly, Crosby is a playmaker first and a goal-scorer second. His totals are always going to show more "A's" than "G's". In the playoffs, it doesn't matter which category they fall in, as long as they fall in one of them, because every "A" he gets means someone else has a "G". Period.
This is, after all, why Marion Hossa was aquired boys and girls.
I think Crosby is going to have a fantastic series. As if the chance to play for the Cup won't be enough to drive him, playing the Flyers always brings out emotion and intensity in his game. In a series like this, I'll take my chances with the best players. The Penguins have not only one of those, but two.
Speaking of the Canadian Media, I somehow found myself again listening to HNIC (Hockey Night in Canada) radio last night again, despite the blind, hometown flavor of that program. It must kill them not to have any Canadian teams left to talk about.
ANYWAY, the host of that show, Jeff Marek, almost puked yesterday when the subject of Sergei Gonchar game up. Marek talked about how Gonchar just doesn't do it for him. The only complement he has ever offered about him (that I've heard) is that he makes good, long tape-to-tape passes. When ESPN.com's Scott Burnside, who was being interviewed, said he was surprised Gonchar wasn't a finalist for the Norris Trophy as the league's top defenseman, I think Marek fell off his chair. Obviously, he spends too much time watching the putrid Maple Leafs and not knowing that Gonchar was a +14 this year, racking up that impressive statistic despite being put out on the ice frequently against the opponent's top forward line. He also obviously doesn't realize how Gonchar has brought the absolute best out of every partner he's had this year, from Mark Eaton to Rob Scuderi to, now, Brooks Orpik.
Notably, this is the 2nd time I wanted to leap through the radio and strangle Marek. The other time came last week when he said that the salary cap has "devalued" the Stanley Cup. You know, because it would be good to have some teams paying 150 million a season to their players, while others only can afford to pay 30 million. Because it would be good to have only 1/3 of the teams in the league ever have a chance at winning the Cup.
Where do they get these guys, anyway?
In other news, Penguins C Maxime Talbot didn't practice with the team yesterday, after going out on the ice before the practice, only to quickly return to the dressing room disgusted with the progress of his ankle recovery so far. Even though Talbot was hoping to play Friday night, it's looking more and more like he won't dress, leaving Penguins coach M. Therrein to stick with the same forwards. I think Gary Roberts should play in this series regardless -- or at least in the first few games.
What will be more interesting is to see what Therrein does with the defense pairings. Does he keep Gill and Scuderi together? Or does he break them up and go back to what he had before, with Gill and Letang playing, and Whitney with Scuderi. Personally, I break them up and get a defensive guy out there on the ice at all times. I would do that because of the Flyers offensive depth. They have 3 lines that can score, unlike the Rangers which were a little more top heavy.
That's all for now. I'll be at the Igloo live tomorrow night, so look for my game 1 wrap-up Saturday.
If the Canadian Media says so, it has to be gospel, right?
Sidney Crosby isn't scoring enough.
Oh boy.
The criticism being leveled at Crosby THIS TIME is that he's only got 2 goals in the playoffs so far ... that he didn't score a goal against the Rangers .... that he's not as good as everyone thinks.
To all those who share that viewpoint (and to Flyer fans who are praying on their knees that Crosby doesn't bury them in this series), I have this to say:
GIVE ME A ####### BREAK!
In his playoff career so far, Crosby already is averaging 1.36 points per playoff game. Only TWO players in the history of this great game have higher PPG averages in the playoffs -- some guys named Gretzky and Lemieux.
This year Crosby's PPG average in the playoffs is 1.56 points per game.
Nobody in the playoffs has more assists than he does, despite the fact that Crosby has played in about 3 games less than anyone else.
Certainly, Crosby is a playmaker first and a goal-scorer second. His totals are always going to show more "A's" than "G's". In the playoffs, it doesn't matter which category they fall in, as long as they fall in one of them, because every "A" he gets means someone else has a "G". Period.
This is, after all, why Marion Hossa was aquired boys and girls.
I think Crosby is going to have a fantastic series. As if the chance to play for the Cup won't be enough to drive him, playing the Flyers always brings out emotion and intensity in his game. In a series like this, I'll take my chances with the best players. The Penguins have not only one of those, but two.
Speaking of the Canadian Media, I somehow found myself again listening to HNIC (Hockey Night in Canada) radio last night again, despite the blind, hometown flavor of that program. It must kill them not to have any Canadian teams left to talk about.
ANYWAY, the host of that show, Jeff Marek, almost puked yesterday when the subject of Sergei Gonchar game up. Marek talked about how Gonchar just doesn't do it for him. The only complement he has ever offered about him (that I've heard) is that he makes good, long tape-to-tape passes. When ESPN.com's Scott Burnside, who was being interviewed, said he was surprised Gonchar wasn't a finalist for the Norris Trophy as the league's top defenseman, I think Marek fell off his chair. Obviously, he spends too much time watching the putrid Maple Leafs and not knowing that Gonchar was a +14 this year, racking up that impressive statistic despite being put out on the ice frequently against the opponent's top forward line. He also obviously doesn't realize how Gonchar has brought the absolute best out of every partner he's had this year, from Mark Eaton to Rob Scuderi to, now, Brooks Orpik.
Notably, this is the 2nd time I wanted to leap through the radio and strangle Marek. The other time came last week when he said that the salary cap has "devalued" the Stanley Cup. You know, because it would be good to have some teams paying 150 million a season to their players, while others only can afford to pay 30 million. Because it would be good to have only 1/3 of the teams in the league ever have a chance at winning the Cup.
Where do they get these guys, anyway?
In other news, Penguins C Maxime Talbot didn't practice with the team yesterday, after going out on the ice before the practice, only to quickly return to the dressing room disgusted with the progress of his ankle recovery so far. Even though Talbot was hoping to play Friday night, it's looking more and more like he won't dress, leaving Penguins coach M. Therrein to stick with the same forwards. I think Gary Roberts should play in this series regardless -- or at least in the first few games.
What will be more interesting is to see what Therrein does with the defense pairings. Does he keep Gill and Scuderi together? Or does he break them up and go back to what he had before, with Gill and Letang playing, and Whitney with Scuderi. Personally, I break them up and get a defensive guy out there on the ice at all times. I would do that because of the Flyers offensive depth. They have 3 lines that can score, unlike the Rangers which were a little more top heavy.
That's all for now. I'll be at the Igloo live tomorrow night, so look for my game 1 wrap-up Saturday.
Wednesday, May 7, 2008
Penguins v. Flyers: Conference Final Breakdown
It's only fitting that it comes down to this.
An old Patrick Division rivalry among the greatest in the National Hockey League, spanning 41 years of physicality, bloodshed, a 15-year losing streak and, new to the history this season, allegations of purposeful tanking just to avoid each other.
Penguins. Flyers. A berth in the 2008 Stanley Cup Final in the balance.
One thing is for sure. This should be a heck of a series. It will be emotional, physical, and highly skilled. The only question is: Who will win?
Let's break down the matchup.
OFFENSE
The Penguins scare everyone offensively. Centers Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin are among the playoff scoring leaders, while Marian Hossa is averaging more than a point per game. Wingers Petr Sykora and Ryan Malone are solid complementary scorers, and the Penguins also get contributions on the scoresheet from their other players -- Jordan Staal, Pascal Dupuis, Gary Roberts, and Jarkko Ruutu. Don't forget the offense they add from the backline, with Sergei Gonchar and Ryan Whitney. Few teams can match their firepower ....
BUT, if anyone can, it's Philadelphia. The Flyers trot out seven -- that's right, SEVEN -- twenty goal scorers from the regular season, including centers Mike Richards, Danny Briere and Jeff Carter. Add to this group capable shooters Vaclav Prospal, Mike Knuble, Joffrey Lupul, and Scott Hartnell. As if that's not enough, they also have the second leading goal scorer in the playoffs, Pittsburgh-native and Plum High School Graduate R.J. Umberger -- a guy who has had great success so far against the Penguins in his young career. Kimmo Timonen is their only meaningful offensive threat from the blueline, although Braydon Coburn has shown some potential there.
Both teams have speed and flair, although the Flyers forward group probably has a little more grit because of what Knuble, Upshall, Hartnell and Richards add to the mix. The Penguins top-end offensive talent is unmatched, but the Flyers actually have more offensive depth.
EDGE: EVEN
DEFENSE
The Penguins have only given up 16 goals in the playoffs so far, which adds up to about 1.76 per game. Meanwhile, the Flyers have given up more than twice that many -- 34, despite playing only 3 more games. These numbers aren't surprising given the defensive personnel on the respective clubs.
Penguins defenseman Brooks Orpik, Rob Scuderi and Hal Gill -- the latter of which had an outstanding series against the Rangers -- do a great job in their own zone. Gonchar also is an underrated player there. He finished plus 14 in the regular season and relys on his keen hockey sense and positioning in his own zone. You almost never hear rookie Kris Letang's name, which is not the norm for a such a young player playing the toughest position in the league. He rounds out an efficient defensive group that finished 3rd in the Eastern Conference defensively.
On the other hand, defense cannot be considered a strong point for the Flyers. Their top pair, Timmonen and Coburn, have done a good job in the first two rounds limiting the impact of Alexander Ovechkin and Alexei Kovalev. They don't do it physically but, like Gonchar, rely a lot on smart play in their own zone -- using their stick well and keeping themselves between their opponent's forwards and the net. The problem for Philadelphia is that they can't send out two more pairings like this. Their second pairing, Randy Jones and clubfoot Derian Hatcher, are a notable dropoff from Timmonen and Coburn, and it gets worse with their 5 and 6 guys, Jason Smith and Lasse Kukkonen. Kukkonen, in particular, is someone the Flyers have tried to hide in the playoffs, and his partner, Smith, is a minus 3. This group tries to play physical -- especially Hatcher and Smith, the Flyers Captain -- but all 4 lack speed, which is likely to be fatal against the Penguins forwards who cycle well and move the puck quickly in the offensive zone.
EDGE: PENGUINS
GOALTENDING
A lot of the talk the last week is how good Flyers goaltender Martin Biron was against the Canadiens in round 2. Biron, making his first appearance in the playoffs this year, undoubtedly played quite well against Montreal, who outshot the Flyers for a lot of that series. If he continues to play as he did in the last round, the Flyers will have a chance. The question, however, is: can he keep up that play? Biron has never been an impact netminder in the National Hockey League. He's 30 years old and never had a firm grip on the #1 job in Buffalo, where he played before joining the Flyers, despite having several years to nail it down. Even this year, there were periods where Flyers coach John Stevens played Antero Nittymaki for long stretches because of Biron's inconsistent play. He will have his hands full with the Penguins offense in this series.
Meanwhile, the Penguins Marc-Andre Fleury, has continued to play with notable composure throughout the playoffs, continuing two months of oustanding play following his return from a 3 month absence for a high-ankle sprain. He leads the NHL in playoff save percentage and shutouts, and is third in goals against average. He's had to make very few spectactular saves because of how well his positioning has been. Although they each have about the same playoff experience, Fleury simply is the better goaltender.
EDGE: PENGUINS
POWER PLAY
The Flyers and Penguins have the 3rd and 4th ranked powerplays in the playoffs so far. and were near the top of the regular season power play charts too. Because of the offensive talent each team has, each power play can be a difference in this series. The Penguins like to move the puck around, while the Flyers tend to create a little more havoc around the net on the man advantage. The key for either is to create traffic and get a lot of shots. The Penguins have scored a power play goal in just about every playoff game so far.
EDGE: EVEN
PENALTY KILLING
The Penguins have been outstanding in this area, ever since the trade deadline acquisitions of Gill, Hossa and Dupuis. Gill, in particular, has been a force on the PK. Gonchar and Orpik also do an excellent job. They have killed off almost 90% of the penalties against them in this postseason. Meanwhile, the Flyers are killing penalties at a miserable 77% rate. Worse, they have taken the most penalties in the playoffs -- 57. Those two things are not a good combination, especially against a power play like Pittsburgh's. Timmonen is used extensively on the PK, as are Hatcher and Smith. All can be exploited around the net.
EDGE: PENGUINS
COACHING
Flyers coach John Stevens and Penguins coach Michel Therrein have matched up in the post-season before --- in the American Hockey League. Stevens' clubs won both series. Both have doen a good job leading their NHL teams to the post-season so far this year. Therrien hasn't had to push too many buttons, but when he has had to do so, he's made the right calls -- whether it be the use of timeouts or the changing of his defense pairings in round 2 against the Rangers. Stevens kept his team from collapsing and blowing a 3-1 lead in the first round against a Capitals team that was playing at home in game 7 with momentum. As an encore, his squad dispatched the #1 seed in the Conference in 5 short games.
EDGE: EVEN
INTANGIBLES
The Penguins have the home-ice advantage in this series, where they are undefeated in the post-season so far, and where they have lost only 5 times in 4 and a half months. However, the Penguins have never beaten the Flyers in a playoff series, going 0-3 after losses in 1989, 1997, and 2000. Does that matter? Probably not. But then again, the Rangers were 0-3 against teh Penguins in playoff series' going into the last round, and all know how that turned out. Neither team has more momentum than the other, and both should be well-rested.
EDGE: EVEN
PLAYERS TO WATCH
1) Sidney Crosby -- Playing the Flyers has a history of bringing out the best in Crosby, as witnessed by his 1.80 points per game average against the club. The Flyers tend to be physical with him, which clearly adds to his motivation. Who can forget Flyers defenseman Hatcher sticking him in the face and knocking out 3 teeth in a game last year -- a game which Crosby came back to score the game-winner (his 2nd of the game) on breakaway in overtime. He's been a really good player in the playoffs so far, but has yet to clearly take over any game, something he is capable of -- and due for.
2) Evgeni Malkin -- Malkin also has expressed an open distaste for the Flyers, so it obviously didn't take him long to fit right into the rivalry. Like Crosby, he has played very well historically against the Flyers, scoring 24 points in 15 games. His skill set will be tough for the Flyers' defensemen to contain and, in the eyes of some, has been the best player in the league throughout the post-season so far.
3) R.J. Umberger -- As mentioned above, Umberger tortured the Penguins this year, scoring seven goals against them in the regular season -- more than the 6 he scored in the other 66 games he played -- and heated up in the last round against Montreal. If he continues his hot play and the Penguins can't neutralize him, look out.
4) Mike Richards -- This guy's game is tailor made for the playoffs. He's not big, but he plays with a lot of heart. He goes into the traffic areas, scores big goals, and isn't afraid to mix it up physically. Although the Flyers have a lot of skilled forwards, none combine all those elements as well as Richards.
HOW THE PENGUINS CAN WIN
Use their speed and skill to take advantage of the Flyers weaknesses on defense, win the special teams battle, and continue to get solid goaltending from Fleury.
HOW THE FLYERS CAN WIN
Give the Penguins some adversity early in the series, be physical without taking needless penalties, and have Biron steal a few games.
PREDICTION
The Flyers will present more of a test to the Penguins than most observers think, but the Penguins just have too much talent and are playing too well in all facets of the game. They can afford a drop-off and still win; the Flyers cannot.
The Penguins advance to their first Stanley Cup Final since 1992 -- PENGUINS IN 6.
Monday, May 5, 2008
Game 5 Recap: Penguins win in OT, 3-2; Claim Series 4-1
Who said Marian Hossa can't score when it counts?
After a posting in this forum earlier in the series about how Hossa needs to start capitalizing on his scoring chances, the big slovak did just that yesterday, scoring on a beautiful pass from Penguins winger Ryan Malone on a power play in the 2nd period and then, more importantly, just drilling a shot between the legs of Rangers goalie Henrik Lundqvist 7 minutes into overtime to give the Penguins a 3-2 win in game 5 and a 4-1 win in the series.
The Penguins pretty much dominated game 5, outshooting and outhitting the Rangers and carrying the play for most of the game. After jumping to a 2-0 lead going into the 3rd period, it looked like the Penguins were going to coast to their series win. However, the Rangers made it interesting, scoring two goals from unlikely sources -- rookie Lauri Korpikoski and winger Nigel Dawes -- in just over a minute early in the 3rd to set the stage for overtime. There's no question that the Penguins had a short lapse, and that's all it took to get New York back in the game.
Jaromir Jagr was held without a shot in game 5, looking nothing like he did earlier in the series. Credit Penguins coach Michel Therrein for taking advantage of having the last line change on home ice, which allowed him to match up defenseman Hal Gill and the Jordan Staal line against Jagr most of the game. A lot of the other Rangers were non-factors in this one too, including Scott Gomez, Chris Drury and Brendan Shanahan, although Drury was again playing with a known rib injury and Shanahan almost scored to give the Rangers the lead in the 3rd after tipping a point shot. Penguins goaltender Marc-Andre Fleury came up big to stop that one.
Evgeni Malkin also was a force in game 5, scoring on a nice backhander in the 2nd period to give the Penguins a 2-0 lead, and finishing with 10 shots.
As I see it, the Penguins won the series for several reasons:
1) They won the special teams battle during the cousre of the entire series, again clicking at over 20% on the power play, while shutting down the Rangers man-advantage unit;
2) Their talent and composure (especially in game 1 when they came back from a 3-0 deficit, and game 3 when they overcame a blown 3-1 lead) won out over the Rangers experience.
3) Fleury was better than Lundqvist. I personally think Lundqvist was subpar in the series. He had some strong moments, especially in games 2 and 4, and also was solid in game 5, but was less than good in games 1 and 3. He played a big role in putting the Rangers in a 3-0 hole they could not recover from. Lundqvist is talented enough to win a series by himself, but the Rangers simply couldn't afford 2 subpar games from their Vezina trophy finalist and still expect to compete with Pittsburgh, especially considering how well the Penguins have been playing.
Next up for the Penguins -- the final four. Against the team that thinks they tanked it in the last game of the regular season to avoid them: the hated Philadelphia Flyers. The Eastern Conference Final matchup between these two teams is going to be one heck of a battle. I'll break it down later in the week. For now, I'll just apologize for the fact that I'll likely be a little less objective than usual in talking about the series for the next 2 weeks. I'll do my best, but whether it's the Flyer team, fans, media or all three, something about that group just brings out the worst in me. It's more than dislike and beyond even pure hatred. It's complete and total loathing.
GO HOME FLYERS!!!
After a posting in this forum earlier in the series about how Hossa needs to start capitalizing on his scoring chances, the big slovak did just that yesterday, scoring on a beautiful pass from Penguins winger Ryan Malone on a power play in the 2nd period and then, more importantly, just drilling a shot between the legs of Rangers goalie Henrik Lundqvist 7 minutes into overtime to give the Penguins a 3-2 win in game 5 and a 4-1 win in the series.
The Penguins pretty much dominated game 5, outshooting and outhitting the Rangers and carrying the play for most of the game. After jumping to a 2-0 lead going into the 3rd period, it looked like the Penguins were going to coast to their series win. However, the Rangers made it interesting, scoring two goals from unlikely sources -- rookie Lauri Korpikoski and winger Nigel Dawes -- in just over a minute early in the 3rd to set the stage for overtime. There's no question that the Penguins had a short lapse, and that's all it took to get New York back in the game.
Jaromir Jagr was held without a shot in game 5, looking nothing like he did earlier in the series. Credit Penguins coach Michel Therrein for taking advantage of having the last line change on home ice, which allowed him to match up defenseman Hal Gill and the Jordan Staal line against Jagr most of the game. A lot of the other Rangers were non-factors in this one too, including Scott Gomez, Chris Drury and Brendan Shanahan, although Drury was again playing with a known rib injury and Shanahan almost scored to give the Rangers the lead in the 3rd after tipping a point shot. Penguins goaltender Marc-Andre Fleury came up big to stop that one.
Evgeni Malkin also was a force in game 5, scoring on a nice backhander in the 2nd period to give the Penguins a 2-0 lead, and finishing with 10 shots.
As I see it, the Penguins won the series for several reasons:
1) They won the special teams battle during the cousre of the entire series, again clicking at over 20% on the power play, while shutting down the Rangers man-advantage unit;
2) Their talent and composure (especially in game 1 when they came back from a 3-0 deficit, and game 3 when they overcame a blown 3-1 lead) won out over the Rangers experience.
3) Fleury was better than Lundqvist. I personally think Lundqvist was subpar in the series. He had some strong moments, especially in games 2 and 4, and also was solid in game 5, but was less than good in games 1 and 3. He played a big role in putting the Rangers in a 3-0 hole they could not recover from. Lundqvist is talented enough to win a series by himself, but the Rangers simply couldn't afford 2 subpar games from their Vezina trophy finalist and still expect to compete with Pittsburgh, especially considering how well the Penguins have been playing.
Next up for the Penguins -- the final four. Against the team that thinks they tanked it in the last game of the regular season to avoid them: the hated Philadelphia Flyers. The Eastern Conference Final matchup between these two teams is going to be one heck of a battle. I'll break it down later in the week. For now, I'll just apologize for the fact that I'll likely be a little less objective than usual in talking about the series for the next 2 weeks. I'll do my best, but whether it's the Flyer team, fans, media or all three, something about that group just brings out the worst in me. It's more than dislike and beyond even pure hatred. It's complete and total loathing.
GO HOME FLYERS!!!
Sunday, May 4, 2008
One More Until The Bloodbath
Just a few notes before game 5 against the Rangers
Penguins center Maxime Talbot remains a game-time decision. Suffering from a broken bone in his foot, Talbot skated on his own before practice yesterday and "felt good". If he doesn't play, expect the same lineup the Penguins iced in game 4, with Gary Roberts staying in the lineup and Adam Hall continuing to play center in Talbot's spot.
For the Penguins to win today, they are going to have to up their intensity, and play with focus and discipline. They got away from those things in game 4 Thursday in New York. They also need to get Sykora going a little bit. He only had 2 shots on the road in MSG in games 3 and 4 combined.
I personally expect the Penguins to bring a strong performance today. Crosby, particularly, is due. As a team, they have been an excellent bunch the last few years coming off a loss. In fact, they didn't lose more than 3 games in a row all season this year, and that speaks to consistency and resolve. The fact that they avoid losing streaks and usually bounce back strong has gone a long way the last two seasons to them finishing with as many points as they have.
If they lose, game 6 back in The Garden comes quickly --- tomorrow night, with a hostile Ranger crowd and an energeic team with momentum that will think they've made a series of things. If they win, a no-holds-barred Eastern Conference Final awaits against the hated Philadelphia Flyers, who eliminated Montreal in 5 games last night.
And to think I'm emotionally invested now .....
Friday, May 2, 2008
Game 4 Recap: Rangers win, 3-0
Okay.
I guess it's only fair.
The Penguins can't win EVERY game.
They weren't going to sweep their way through 4 series for the franchise's third Stanley Cup.
The Rangers crystalized that reality last night in game 4, beating the Penguins 3-0, behind 2 goals (one in an empty net) and 3 points from Jaromir Jagr as well as a shutout from previously-absent Vezina trophy finalist Henrik Lundqvist, staving off elimination while reducing the Penguins lead to 3-1 in the series.
Game 5 is in Pittsburgh Sunday afternoon at 2 PM.
It's different having to write about a loss, that's for sure. But what decided game 4 was fairly simple, in my estimation.
It wasn't Jagr's play. Certainly, he certainly had another inspired game, getting the Rangers on the scoreboard first and getting up after a thundering check from Penguins defenseman Brooks Orpik a second after he got New York on the board.
It wasn't even Lundqvist's goaltending. He, too, had an excellent game, stopping the Penguins on several opportunities throughout the game, following a miserable game 3.
However, in my belief, what decided game 4 was the Penguins' inability to capitalize on their scoring chances. Sure, Lundqvist deserves some credit. As I mentioned, he played well. But the Penguins didn't bear down enough when they had to offensively. The scoring chances missed were glorious, and there were many:
1) Malkin's penalty shot, which was miserable (I don't mind him going slow or looking high glove, especially late in a period and against a goaltender who's very good along the ice, but at least throw a nice shoulder deke in before you try to lift the waterbottle);
2) Malone's breakaway;
3) Staal's shot towards an open cage behind Lundqvist going against the grain and wide;
4) Sykora hitting the crossbar;
5) Both 2-on-1's that Malkin and Malone had, one where Malkin made a nice backhand/forehand move but didn't get the puck up, and another where Malone had a hard time corraling Malkin's flip pass that tipped off the Rangers' defenseman's stick
6) Hossa's multiple wide-open shots, from the slot and from outside, which he either missed or shot right into Lundqvist (if he only capitalized on 20% of his scoring chances, he'd have 20 goals by now)
7) Gonchar screaming in from the point with nothing but 35 feet of open ice in front of him and not being able to nail it with his slapshot.
It may have just been one of those nights. The pucks weren't bouncing the birds' way. It also was the first playoff game in which the Penguins didn't score a power play goal.
Pittsburgh also was a little sloppy and less disciplined than it usually is. The Penguins will have to tidy that up in game 5 if they want to close out the series.
Despite the loss, the Penguins still have to feel good about their chances. They haven't lost 2 games in a row in two months and are going back to their own barn for game 5, where they've only lost 2 times in regulation in 2008. Historically, the Penguins have won 10 of 14 game 5's at home. The Igloo will surely be racuous before a national audience on Sunday.
The reality is that the Rangers still have a long, LONG way to go. Aside from the 3-0 deficit they have to try and overcome, they've never beaten the Penguins in a playoff series. Whatever little hope they have from game 4's victory will almost assuredly be false promise.
The Penguins need to come out strong and snuff the Rangers out in game 5 because, from this point, if the Rangers continue to win, 2 things will happen with each passing game: The Rangers will have more and more momentum, and the Penguins will have more and more pressure. That's not a situation the Penguins want going into game 6 or, at worst, game 7.
It probably was good for the Penguins to have a dose of losing before they started to feel too invisible. They just have to make sure to keep that dose to a minimum.
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