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Penguins Notes: Did Crosby dive?

May 6, 2013, 12:32 PM ET [409 Comments]
John Toperzer
Pittsburgh Penguins Blogger • RSSArchiveCONTACT





*****


Simon Despres did not pay immediate dividends Sunday after coach Bylsma placed him in a Stanley Cup playoff lineup for the first time ever. Despres replaced Deryk Engelland, the expectations were not great. Despres got into trouble right off the hop, skating back in front of his own net and then falling into it as the Islanders poked a loose puck past Marc-Andre Fleury for the game’s first score.

Despres totaled six minutes and 12 seconds of ice time, a small number which burdened the other five defenders with high TOI’s. Kris Letang led with 33:33 TOI, Paul Martin (31:33), Mark Eaton (23:47), Doug Murray (20:43), and Matt Niskanen (18:59).

The Islanders got 13:24 out of their sixth defenseman, Matt Carkner, and that doesn’t include his dastardly stickwork on Matt Cooke from the team’s bench.

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Obviously, if Bylsma is unwilling to trust Despres, than he needs to find a sixth defenseman who he trusts to give more minutes. Engelland’s skillset is best served in the regular season. Perhaps Robert Bortuzzo gets a look Tuesday. Better yet, the team could use a healthy Brooks Orpik back in the lineup.

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Though Marc-Andre Fleury has allowed four goals in each of the last two games, one can make the argument that he’s gotten better as the series has gone along. He stopped every puck he saw in a Game 1, 26-save shutout, but the degree of difficulty (translation: besiegement factor) has increased with every passing game.

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Sunday afternoon was a beautiful day to usher at PNC Park. Unfortunately, that meant I would miss the Pens-Isles (live anyhow). Nevertheless, when the stands broke out with a cheer for nothing that was happening on the baseball diamond, I knew the Penguins had won in overtime.

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When I watched the recorded Pens-Isles contest later at home, I couldn’t help but become annoyed by the NBC announcers doing the game. On multiple occasions, the broadcasting crew gaffed as if they were New York fans, once saying “and on the 5-on-3 the Islanders cut the lead in half.” It was actually Pittsburgh cutting the lead in half on a Jarome Iginla goal.

Then, “the Islanders are still ahead 3-2, excuse me, Penguins still ahead 3-2 but the Islanders are renewed, refreshed.”

I get that New York is the prohibitive underdog and an upset would be a huge story, but those announcers were just bad.

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For those of you in the Twitter world, ESPN’s Linda Cohn tweeted the following comments Sunday.

Linda Cohn ‏@lindacohn

Even Lebron doesn't get calls Crosby gets. #nhlplayoffs


Linda Cohn ‏@lindacohn

Call it like I see it. Did so seconds after game. Soft calls shouldn't be made in OT. Milbury and @Jeremy_Roenick said same thing. #nhl


Although I don’t agree with what she writes, everyone has a right to his or her opinion. So be it. What I am outraged about with Ms. Cohn is that she referenced Mike Milbury and Jeremy Roenick! Instant loss of credibility.

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Speaking of tweets, I put one out Sunday night regarding the similarities between Fleury and Tomas Vokoun against the Islanders.

Marc-Andre Fleury: 18-7-1-3, 2.54 GAA, .915 save percentage, four shutouts

Tomas Vokoun: 17-7-0-1, 1.95 GAA, .937 save percentage, five shutouts

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In five regular-season contests against the Isles, Orpik averaged 21:05 TOI and went a combined plus-3 with 11 hits, 14 blocked shots and 6 penalty minutes.

In five games, James Neal posted these numbers: three goals (including one power-play score), three assists, a plus-3 rating, six penalty minutes, two hits, three blocked shots, three power-play points (1G, 2A), and 14 shots on goal.

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It seems like more analysts and so-called experts had problems with Brian Strait’s overtime penalty on Sidney Crosby than the Islanders on the ice at the time of the infraction.

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Islander Questions

- Is Evgeni Nabokov’s glove side really as bad as it looked on Sunday? That really stood out as a weakness I hadn’t noticed or paid attention to in previous games.

- Can coach Capuano scratch Michael Grabner for the rest of the series? Please? The guy’s all over the ice.

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It was uncomfortable watching Evgeni Malkin attempt a slap shot with eight ticks remaining in regulation.

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Mark Eaton totaled 4:36 TOI on the power play in 23 regular-season games, an average of 12 seconds per game. The defender has played more than two minutes (2:08) in three playoff games on the man advantage. He didn’t look very comfortable Sunday when Kyle Okposo scored a shortie. Perhaps coach Bylsma should’ve given Eaton more PP time in the regular season.

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Congrats to MEGA MALK’s, 5 hole special, and Malkin in the Middle for finishing first, second, and third in our fantasy hockey league. That would be Cody, Jason and Nick. Well played. Thanks to everyone else who participated, too! We'll do it again next year.

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Treasure Life!
JT
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