Glad the Pens won, but it was a boring game. Letang and Orpik were solid. Iginla and Morrow were invisible.

Neil is a solid player and wouldn't mind him as a Pen. I miss Ruutu though.
Neal is playing stupid and the more I watch, all he is, is a shot.

I loved TK's no look behing the back pass to Vokoun at the end of the game.

As far as The Pens crowd goes, I think it's a lot of demographics. Lots of college grads leave Pitt, Pitt has a much older population. I've gone to games in CAR, ATL, PHX, DEN, DET and the crowd is much younger and energetic. I went to Lemieux's comeback game in 2000 with my Dad and he wanted to beat traffic. He has season tiks and always 5 mins left he leaves unless its within a pt or tied. Everyone around his seats in sect A do the same thing.

Sort of interesting that since the 2004-05 lockout, there have been no team who's won the Cup twice.

But currently, the last 5 Cup winners are all still alive, and the conference final could quite easily consist of the last 4 winners (Pittsburgh vs Boston and LA vs Chicago).

Glad the Pens won, but it was a boring game. Letang and Orpik were solid. Iginla and Morrow were invisible.

Neil is a solid player and wouldn't mind him as a Pen. I miss Ruutu though.
Neal is playing stupid and the more I watch, all he is, is a shot.

I loved TK's no look behing the back pass to Vokoun at the end of the game.

As far as The Pens crowd goes, I think it's a lot of demographics. Lots of college grads leave Pitt, Pitt has a much older population. I've gone to games in CAR, ATL, PHX, DEN, DET and the crowd is much younger and energetic. I went to Lemieux's comeback game in 2000 with my Dad and he wanted to beat traffic. He has season tiks and always 5 mins left he leaves unless its within a pt or tied. Everyone around his seats in sect A do the same thing.
- sammy87

I actually thought Morrow should be given credit for Martin's goal. It looked like he deflected it.

Sort of interesting that since the 2004-05 lockout, there have been no team who's won the Cup twice.

But currently, the last 5 Cup winners are all still alive, and the conference final could quite easily consist of the last 4 winners (Pittsburgh vs Boston and LA vs Chicago).
- rival22

I think the cap has something to do with that.

I actually thought Morrow should be given credit for Martin's goal. It looked like he deflected it.
- Oneonta Penguin

I was hoping it was, it would have won me at least free Pizza Hut breadsticks lol

Dupuis skating right around Karlsson driving to the net was awesome because all you hear about is this guys skating. It's only 1 game but head to head Letang has the plus 1. He looked real good last night.

Orpik is at his best when he starts throwing out those open ice hits. Nothing kills speed through the middle quicker than a open ice KO... Brutal collision between to big guys.

Chris Neil gets away with a lot... How does he get away with it when Cooke cant even look at an opposing player wrong? The refs no what he's doing. Plus if he targets Sid's Jaw again I would target Karlsson's ankle. An eye for an eye. I hope it don't come to that.

Lets Go Pens

I think the cap has something to do with that.
- sammy87

Absolutely... I've gone back through it before, but pretty much all of the teams had sizable contributions from guys on either entry level deals (Perry, Getzlaf, Malkin, Toews, Kane), or cheap contracts (Quick, Zetterberg).

Boston was the only real exception...

Heck, look at all of the Conn Smyth winners, everyone except Tim Thomas and Scott Niedermayer had very small cap hits.

Dupuis skating right around Karlsson driving to the net was awesome because all you hear about is this guys skating. It's only 1 game but head to head Letang has the plus 1. He looked real good last night.

Orpik is at his best when he starts throwing out those open ice hits. Nothing kills speed through the middle quicker than a open ice KO... Brutal collision between to big guys.

Chris Neil gets away with a lot... How does he get away with it when Cooke cant even look at an opposing player wrong? The refs no what he's doing. Plus if he targets Sid's Jaw again I would target Karlsson's ankle. An eye for an eye. I hope it don't come to that.

Lets Go Pens
- lloyd095

Kind of surprised no one is talking about that.

Dupuis skating right around Karlsson driving to the net was awesome because all you hear about is this guys skating. It's only 1 game but head to head Letang has the plus 1. He looked real good last night.

Orpik is at his best when he starts throwing out those open ice hits. Nothing kills speed through the middle quicker than a open ice KO... Brutal collision between to big guys.

Chris Neil gets away with a lot... How does he get away with it when Cooke cant even look at an opposing player wrong? The refs no what he's doing. Plus if he targets Sid's Jaw again I would target Karlsson's ankle. An eye for an eye. I hope it don't come to that.

Lets Go Pens
- lloyd095

Karlsson is still 2 steps behind his former self, and also your picking a play where Karlsson was at the end of a 2 minute shift and dupuis was fresh

All things being considered equal, Karlsson isn't at his top pace, but he isn't playing well right now and Letang was the better dman last night

As for Neil, I don't believe he targeted the jaw illegally in any way. If Corsby wants to play with a cage expect to be targeted. No difference than someone with a weak shoulder, you would expect someone to try and hit them in the boards constantly

Not saying its right, just saying its the NHL

Karlsson is still 2 steps behind his former self, and also your picking a play where Karlsson was at the end of a 2 minute shift and dupuis was fresh
All things being considered equal, Karlsson isn't at his top pace, but he isn't playing well right now and Letang was the better dman last night

As for Neil, I don't believe he targeted the jaw illegally in any way. If Corsby wants to play with a cage expect to be targeted. No difference than someone with a weak shoulder, you would expect someone to try and hit them in the boards constantly

Not saying its right, just saying its the NHL
- Alcatraz

Kind of funny, someone else used this excuse for Karlsson when Neal burned him on the boards and Karl flopped to the ground like a dying fish.

Popular excuse today, nice!

Kind of funny, someone else used this excuse for Karlsson when Neal burned him on the boards and Karl flopped to the ground like a dying fish.

Popular excuse today, nice!
- nbartley9

That was a dive, I wont hide behind that play as an end of shift thing

Was it end of shift? realistically yes. But thats not why the play ended how it did, Karlsson was gunna get beat and dove.

As for Dupuis you can't argue the fact Karlsson was on for the whole powerplay by then

Kind of funny, someone else used this excuse for Karlsson when Neal burned him on the boards and Karl flopped to the ground like a dying fish.

Popular excuse today, nice!
- nbartley9

You don't agree that a guy 12 weeks removed from a severed ACL might not be back at top speed already?

Karlsson is still 2 steps behind his former self, and also your picking a play where Karlsson was at the end of a 2 minute shift and dupuis was fresh

- Alcatraz

Yeah, I think it is a matter of him being out there too long on the PP.

Even the penalty he drew against James Neal, Karlsson was out there for 1:30+ and looked gassed, but stayed out for the PP, and ended up getting caught on that shorthander.

That is something that I would definitely keep an eye on if I was Bylsma, getting fast guys like Dupuis and Crosby out there late on the PK if Karlsson is staying out for 2 minutes.

Karlsson is still 2 steps behind his former self, and also your picking a play where Karlsson was at the end of a 2 minute shift and dupuis was fresh

All things being considered equal, Karlsson isn't at his top pace, but he isn't playing well right now and Letang was the better dman last night

As for Neil, I don't believe he targeted the jaw illegally in any way. If Corsby wants to play with a cage expect to be targeted. No difference than someone with a weak shoulder, you would expect someone to try and hit them in the boards constantly

Not saying its right, just saying its the NHL
- Alcatraz

He punched him?

You don't agree that a guy 12 weeks removed from a severed ACL might not be back at top speed already?
- canadianpenfan

It still looked good to me regardless

He punched him?
- lloyd095

I thought with about 3 minutes left in a 3 goal game last night would have been a great time for Engellend to grab him and show him that's not going to be happening all series without retribution. Really thought we missed an opportunity to set the tone there.

You don't agree that a guy 12 weeks removed from a severed ACL might not be back at top speed already?
- canadianpenfan

No I agree that he is not 100% for sure, its just funny that the excuse of being gassed at the end of a shift applies for more than one bad play he made yesterday. I peg it to lack of effort, but I guess the being gassed 2 different times works for me.

I thought with about 3 minutes left in a 3 goal game last night would have been a great time for Engellend to grab him and show him that's not going to be happening all series without retribution. Really thought we missed an opportunity to set the tone there.
- canadianpenfan

I actually thought it was smart for you guys not to

Neil wont be intimidated by anyone. Trying to "set the tone" against Neil is basically saying "Give me more"

By not setting the tone, it kinda says, you know what, we understand you are who you are and it wont faze us, we will just win anyways

Not that it matters, cause Ottawa is the "tougher team" so probably smart for Pittsburgh to keep this series between the whistles, and not outside of them like last year with Philly

I thought with about 3 minutes left in a 3 goal game last night would have been a great time for Engellend to grab him and show him that's not going to be happening all series without retribution. Really thought we missed an opportunity to set the tone there.
- canadianpenfan

I disagree!!! You have Cooke or Morrow run Karlsson his next shift. I mean a charge and as you're skating to the penalty box you point at Neil. That's the only way he gets it.

I actually thought it was smart for you guys not to

Neil wont be intimidated by anyone. Trying to "set the tone" against Neil is basically saying "Give me more"

By not setting the tone, it kinda says, you know what, we understand you are who you are and it wont faze us, we will just win anyways

Not that it matters, cause Ottawa is the "tougher team" so probably smart for Pittsburgh to keep this series between the whistles, and not outside of them like last year with Philly
- Alcatraz

I'm not sure how you measure toughness? Fighting? Because that don't matter in the playoffs... I think Pittsburgh is the tougher team as far as hitting goes.

I'm not sure how you measure toughness? Fighting? Because that don't matter in the playoffs... I think Pittsburgh is the tougher team as far as hitting goes.
- lloyd095

I put tougher in quotations for a reason. "Experts" gave us the edge, mostly from how we physically dominated the Habs and because our defense is monstrous and we employ neil smith kassian greening

But Ill give you toughness if it helps, just saying setting the tone against neil is a waste of time and just makes him think he is in your heads, and I would agree that the case is true if you try to respond to him in a 4-1 game

I put tougher in quotations for a reason. "Experts" gave us the edge, mostly from how we physically dominated the Habs and because our defense is monstrous and we employ neil smith kassian greening

But Ill give you toughness if it helps, just saying setting the tone against neil is a waste of time and just makes him think he is in your heads, and I would agree that the case is true if you try to respond to him in a 4-1 game
- Alcatraz

The thing to do with Neil, is to hit him when you can and just try to annoy him. Try to bait him into stupid penalties, he'll definitely take them.

If someone tried doing that to Gretzky Semenko would have already removed 6 teeth before Neil knew what was going on.

That was a dive, I wont hide behind that play as an end of shift thing

Was it end of shift? realistically yes. But thats not why the play ended how it did, Karlsson was gunna get beat and dove.

As for Dupuis you can't argue the fact Karlsson was on for the whole powerplay by then
- Alcatraz

Calls it how you see it, I like that.
Good post.

I put tougher in quotations for a reason. "Experts" gave us the edge, mostly from how we physically dominated the Habs and because our defense is monstrous and we employ neil smith kassian greening

But Ill give you toughness if it helps, just saying setting the tone against neil is a waste of time and just makes him think he is in your heads, and I would agree that the case is true if you try to respond to him in a 4-1 game
- Alcatraz

Like I said you don't target Neil you target Karlsson... He can be beat at his own game. Then he loses his mind. He doesn't care if you hit him.