Perron - Crosby - Hornqvist
Bennett - Malkin - Sutter
Comeau - Crosby - Downie
Kunitz - Malkin - Lapierre
- jmatchett383

Lol that looks good.

Fleury was solid last night; especially in the first period when Pittsburgh was playing beer league hockey.
- MidnightMarauder

He was solid, but left a few too many rebounds right out into the slot for my liking. But he gave them a chance, overall.

Perron - Crosby - Hornqvist
Bennett - Malkin - Sutter
Comeau - Crosby - Downie
Kunitz - Malkin - Lapierre
- jmatchett383

Yes it is a death sentence I know everybody loves MAF. But when you look at his work he plays just well enough to lose close. When we score one he gives up 2 when we score 2 he gives up three and when we score three he gives up 4. Not a good trend but it is true. He closes the door to the barn often too late to keep the horse from escaping.

At the risk of being called a "troll" right now, the Penguins didn't lose that game due to the refs last night. They lost because they didn't show up for the first 15 minutes, Crosby had no space/time to operate, and their defense is subpar.
- jmatchett383

Agreed and very non-trolly of you.



My Crosby/Bettman/Hank post was certainly in jest. Not blaming a thing on the officials for the loss.

Actually, I was happy with every Pens performance last night other than 87. I just want them to play to their capabilities, give a crap, go balls to the wall to win. I can live with any result after that. Saw the whole team lay it on the line 'cept our fearless leader.

Yes it is a death sentence I know everybody loves MAF. But when you look at his work he plays just well enough to lose close. When we score one he gives up 2 when we score 2 he gives up three and when we score three he gives up 4. Not a good trend but it is true. He closes the door to the barn often too late to keep the horse from escaping.
- holeinone

Yeah... you're living in the past and being a Negative Nancy.

I'd rather overload a line than have 1 player per line. But in reality there is no fixing this roster.
- Willaged

That's what happens when you have 2 superstars and another 7mil + contract.

Yes it is a death sentence I know everybody loves MAF. But when you look at his work he plays just well enough to lose close. When we score one he gives up 2 when we score 2 he gives up three and when we score three he gives up 4. Not a good trend but it is true. He closes the door to the barn often too late to keep the horse from escaping.
- holeinone

I don't think he is a good enough goalie to steal a postseason series like Lundqvist. However, he isn't being paid to be elite either. Obviously if this team were healthy he would just need to be good enough to not lose the game (see Bishop last night). But with these injuries, he needs to be better than that for the team to win.

I thought the Pens played well lat night,.

Malkin looked great, was going full beast mode.

Crosby I didn't notice so much.

watched the first. the rangers are a deeper team then penguins. penguins are a top heavy team. plus rangers with a better goalie and defense not looking good

So, yeah....if they lose Game 2, I say bring on the Kapanen.

Perron - Crosby - Hornqvist
Bennett - Malkin - Sutter
Comeau - Crosby - Downie
Kunitz - Malkin - Lapierre
- jmatchett383

Why give so much ice time to our worst player in game 1?

I'm thinking more like...

Perron-Sid-Malkin
Kunitz-Sutter-Horny
BB-Winnik-DownieSyndrome
Comeau-Spaling-Laps

I'd love to have Horny with Sid and Geno but truth be told, neither of those guys have any clue how to play with him. They both look for winger support so they can make the pretty pass play but Horny's too busy going balls to the wall at the net leaving Sid/Geno with no one to make a crappy fancy pass to.

I believe the hockey IQ of the Two Headed Monster is something akin to Big Ben's Wonderlic test scores.

That's what happens when you have 2 superstars and another 7mil + contract.
- znagle

Let me finish that for you...

"....who is injured all the time."

Why give so much ice time to our worst player in game 1?

I'm thinking more like...

Perron-Sid-Malkin
Kunitz-Sutter-Horny
BB-Winnik-DownieSyndrome
Comeau-Spaling-Laps

I'd love to have Horny with Sid and Geno but truth be told, neither of those guys have any clue how to play with him. They both look for winger support so they can make the pretty pass play but Horny's too busy going balls to the wall at the net leaving Sid/Geno with no one to make a crappy fancy pass to.

I believe the hockey IQ of the Two Headed Monster is something akin to Big Ben's Wonderlic test scores.
- 87_71_11_29

I saw some questions from that test. The fact that these guys get questions wrong angers me.

I thought the Pens played well lat night,.

Malkin looked great, was going full beast mode.

Crosby I didn't notice so much.
- david22

Bout sums it up.

He's the Peyton Manning of the NHL. Crushes it in the regular season (most of the time). Playoffs? Not so much.

Well.... The Pens owned possession in the 3rd. Maybe if we get 3 strait PP's it would have been similar to the Rags 1st.
- madmike71

You did own the puck a lot in the 3rd, but you have to recognize that the Rangers shelling down to focus on playing good D trying to hold the lead is different than the Pens down by 1, and still getting dominated and can't get the puck out of their zone. The desperation changes. Rangers aren't trying to steal the puck, its more like a Penalty Kill situation. They are collapsing and focusing on trying to make the good defensive play in the 3rd. The Pens are trying to turnover the puck and breakout to a scoring play in the 1st. It causes you to do things differently.

You mean like these?




- jfkst1

Those last two aren't penalties since November.

One of the more frustrating parts of last night was all the times 87 would get the puck behind the net, and blindly throw it to the slot giving the Rags a clean breakout because of course we had nobody there. It would be nice if just once he stepped out from behind the net and tried to stuff one in/create a rebound.

Bout sums it up.

He's the Peyton Manning of the NHL. Crushes it in the regular season (most of the time). Playoffs? Not so much.
- 87_71_11_29

You're right, he's only 7th all time in ppg in the playoffs

One of the more frustrating parts of last night was all the times 87 would get the puck behind the net, and blindly throw it to the slot giving the Rags a clean breakout because of course we had nobody there. It would be nice if just once he stepped out from behind the net and tried to stuff one in/create a rebound.
- Rawdog9755

Anyone expecting anything from 87 at this point is fooling themselves.

Complete no-show.

Unacceptable from your captain.

The Rangers controlled a lot of the play in the first...that has alot to do with having 4 PP's. Pens couldn't get in a rhythm at all. 11 mins in and Crosby only had 1.5 mins of ice time.

I came away from last nights game feeling positive even though they lost. I think to only lose 2-1 despite all the PK's, being on the road vs the powerhouse favourites to win it all and still have some great scoring chances will be good for the teams mentality. Basically, if they didn't take 4 penalties in the first they could of won that game. They know that now.

It's hard to watch the the transition, or lack there of, coming from our D...I mean the first pass is horrible most of the time. Erhoff could help with that, so could Pouliot.

So, the suggestion is for Johnston to make the exact adjustment that he made last night?!?

Let me finish that for you...

"....who is injured all the time."
- 87_71_11_29

All three of them have had their problems.

You're right, he's only 7th all time in ppg in the playoffs
- willi

Great.

I'd be wiling to bet most of those numbers came A) earlier in his career when he was more effective, engaged, passionate, wanting to win and B) in the first 2 rounds of the playoffs vs Isles, Sens, and the rest of the teams they beat on pure talent. I truly don't know the #'s. Perhaps I'm wrong about that.

How many ppg he have against the B's, Rags, Wings? Look those #'s up and get back to me. What are his ppg numbers in the series they lost? Prob not so great.

He's not producing. You fooling yourself thinking otherwise.

Geno-Sid-Horny
Perron-Sutter-Winnik
Kunitz-Spaling-Downie
Bennett/Wilson-Lapierre-Comeau
- Willaged

I will say the final minute of every period we should have Geno-Sid-Horny out there.