Paul Berthelot: Post Battle ECQF Game #2 – Two games one story Blue Jackets lose Game 2 4-1.

Maybe the Sid masks will help? Then again it will probably drive Sid a little harder!

Are you embarrassed to be the blogger for these chumps? I would be. They are a disgrace.

Columbus is generating chances but their obsession with hitting and attempting to injure is taking them out of the play at times. Bob kind of sucks too.

Let's try a different strategy. Since hits don't add up to goals let's try harder to score and less on being the bully in the room. Sit Calvert, that was disgraceful.

Columbus is generating chances but their obsession with hitting and attempting to injure is taking them out of the play at times. Bob kind of sucks too.
- powerhouse

FWIW, over the course of the season the Penguins actually delivered hundreds more hits than the B.J.'s according to the stats on Hockey-Reference.

Naturally not all hits are equal and the vast majority of the Pens' hits are pretty "soff", but one thing that I take away from that differential and the success Columbus had this season is:

1. They can play hockey -- even clean hockey! -- when they want to.

2. Against the Penguins, they obviously don't want to. Because thanks to the refs it's so easy to get away with practically everything (how many Pittsburgh power plays have there been in these 2 games, hmm?).

So far this series that strategy hasn't translated into wins, but we should expect no stylistic changes. I figure that Turtle-ella is telling his boys "Don't look at the scoreboard and keep up the great work -- we're wearing them down!!!"


EDIT: Is there anywhere online where hits *received* by players are tracked? For example, as many hits Hornqvist has thrown this year he's likely taken at least twice as many (and a lot harder ones at that).

Don't know why anyone though cbj would beat the penguins. Very incomplete team who had a good run because of stellar goaltenders....

Werenski has the jitters. Harrington/Carlsson pairing is not going to get it done against the pens. Carlsson being thrown to the wolves by the jackets.

What a waste of a pretty good team. I expected a smarter BJ team, but then again...Torts.

Keep running through the glass BJ's it's really looking good.

Old time hockey.

T-Train and you other Pens fans,

With all due respect look in the mirror before you start dumping trash on someone else's yard.

It is real easy for CBJ fans to complain about the penalty at the end of the second period that led to the 3rd goal. there should have been coincidental minors, especially since it was Crosby who started the whole thing by his illegal hit on Hartnall that started the scrum. But we are not over on your blog whining about it, so please take you bush league attitude somewhere else.

Calvert deserves a suspension for the hits. The difference between the two teams is simply that the CBJ can't put the puck in the net. It certainly isn't that they are bunch of goons and Pittsburgh is as pure as the driven snow.

I have to believe that Torts game plan is the physical play. Isn't working. 3rd D Pair is ridiculous.

T-Train,

With all due respect look in the mirror before you start dumping trash on someone else's yard.

It is real easy for CBJ fans to complain about the penalty at the end of the second period that led to the 3rd goal. there should have been coincidental minors, especially since it was Crosby who started the whole thing by his illegal hit on Hartnall that started the scrum. But we are not over on your blog whining about, so please take you bush league attitude somewhere else.

Calvert deserves a suspension for the hits.
- jkumpire

Huh? First, who's whining here? Second, it's HartnEll. Third, I don't care about your petty grievances (or any CBJ fan's grievances, for that matter). Finally, CBJs are a disgrace. Own it. One of your fellow fans above did. I can respect that.

I have to believe that Torts game plan is the physical play. Isn't working. 3rd D Pair is ridiculous.
- shawno

I have noticed that playoff games often come down to the play of the third pairing defensemen. If they get abused you're in trouble. If they can sort of hold their own, you have a chance. Of course, the Pens have a really good top 6, so they tend to make a lot of defensemen look bad. CBJ should benefit from getting the matchups at home. But yeah, having shaky vs. adequate third pairing can make quite a difference.

T-Train and you other Pens fans,

With all due respect look in the mirror before you start dumping trash on someone else's yard.

It is real easy for CBJ fans to complain about the penalty at the end of the second period that led to the 3rd goal. there should have been coincidental minors, especially since it was Crosby who started the whole thing by his illegal hit on Hartnall that started the scrum. But we are not over on your blog whining about it, so please take you bush league attitude somewhere else.

Calvert deserves a suspension for the hits. The difference between the two teams is simply that the CBJ can't put the puck in the net. It certainly isn't that they are bunch of goons and Pittsburgh is as pure as the driven snow.
- jkumpire

I didn't female dog or whinge, I'm only asking if you think the new & very original Sid masks will give you guys a boost?? It's only 2-0, we have lots of hockey left.

I didn't female dog or whinge, I'm only asking if you think the new & very original Sid masks will give you guys a boost?? It's only 2-0, we have lots of hockey left.
- Aussiepenguin

Yeah, I just asked if the blogger is embarrassed to blog about such a disgraceful team.

I have noticed that playoff games often come down to the play of the third pairing defensemen. If they get abused you're in trouble. If they can sort of hold their own, you have a chance. Of course, the Pens have a really good top 6, so they tend to make a lot of defensemen look bad. CBJ should benefit from getting the matchups at home. But yeah, having shaky vs. adequate third pairing can make quite a difference.
- T-Train

Pens saw the "goon it up strategy" with Washington, Tampa and San Jose last season, it does not work unless you score goals, and that's the bottom line for Columbus! "Cindy Crosby Crybaby Masks"? wow, is that supposed to make the Penguins (or its fans) angry??? The dispatch makes the NY Post look respectable with that one, its embarrassing. Columbus is a good team, stop the shenanigan's and play like you did the first 72 games and we ll have a series.

Pens saw the "goon it up strategy" with Washington, Tampa and San Jose last season, it does not work unless you score goals, and that's the bottom line for Columbus! "Cindy Crosby Crybaby Masks"? wow, is that supposed to make the Penguins (or its fans) angry??? The dispatch makes the NY Post look respectable with that one, its embarrassing. Columbus is a good team, stop the shenanigan's and play like you did the first 72 games and we ll have a series.
- Brianandr1

They canceled the masks apparently. I guess they found out how Sid treated Philly after all the insults.

T-Train and you other Pens fans,

With all due respect look in the mirror before you start dumping trash on someone else's yard.

It is real easy for CBJ fans to complain about the penalty at the end of the second period that led to the 3rd goal. there should have been coincidental minors, especially since it was Crosby who started the whole thing by his illegal hit on Hartnall that started the scrum. But we are not over on your blog whining about it, so please take you bush league attitude somewhere else.

Calvert deserves a suspension for the hits. The difference between the two teams is simply that the CBJ can't put the puck in the net. It certainly isn't that they are bunch of goons and Pittsburgh is as pure as the driven snow.
- jkumpire

Dubs was the only one who dropped the gloves. Dropping gloves is an automatic penalty I thought. He dropped them because of lack of composure. Hartnell lost his composure too and started the scrum.

They canceled the masks apparently. I guess they found out how Sid treated Philly after all the insults.
- madmike71

I have railed against the stupid playoff format, but seeing as how much the Pens are inside the heads of Jackets, I'm starting to come around.

Dubs was the only one who dropped the gloves. Dropping gloves is an automatic penalty I thought. He dropped them because of lack of composure. Hartnell lost his composure too and started the scrum.
- MattStrat

That is correct. He also kept at it long after the refs told him to stop. Apparently Dubs doesn't know the rules of hockey because he was whining quite a lot about it. And yes, Hartnell tried to cross-check Crosby in the head as Crosby was falling to the ice and then tried to muck it up with the standard punches, face washes, etc. after the whistle. Par for the course and disgraceful.

They canceled the masks apparently. I guess they found out how Sid treated Philly after all the insults.
- madmike71

Its a classless move, Why do the BJ's want to be the Phily Flyers west? They have good players, with a few more on the way. As far as Dubinsky is concerned, In 20 years he ll be remembered as "the guy who tried(and at times succeeded) to get under Crosby's skin"... Hartnell is what he is, like "Pauly Wallnuts" from the sopranos, a low IQ thug who used to be a decent hockey player.

Honestly a lot of people expected this series to be a death match that goes 7, but even with the 40 shots put up by Columbus, I don't think there was a point in last nights game where I didn't expect the Pens to win.

I think Torts has focused too much on the physical side of the game. He didnt change his mantra and till halfway through the 3rd with the pens already up by 2 The Pens defense has also done a decent job clearing the middle lane in front of Fleury where I expected the jackets to be crashing hard every shift.

Its a classless move, Why do the BJ's want to be the Phily Flyers west? They have good players, with a few more on the way. As far as Dubinsky is concerned, In 20 years he ll be remembered as "the guy who tried(and at times succeeded) to get under Crosby's skin"... Hartnell is what he is, like "Pauly Wallnuts" from the sopranos, a low IQ thug who used to be a decent hockey player.
- Brianandr1

All you need to do is look at the coach. He's a first class moron. A guy that was so unstable he tried to enter another teams locker room in a fit of rage.

The Jackets are spending all of their energy running around hitting instead of going to the net and scoring goals. By the time the 3rd period rolls around, they didn't have any legs left to keep up with the Penguins. It's pretty funny how awful the strategy is...

All you need to do is look at the coach. He's a first class moron. A guy that was so unstable he tried to enter another teams locker room in a fit of rage.

The Jackets are spending all of their energy running around hitting instead of going to the net and scoring goals. By the time the 3rd period rolls around, they didn't have any legs left to keep up with the Penguins. It's pretty funny how awful the strategy is...
- madmike71

Torts had some memorable and entertaining press conferences as the coach of the Rags. His "whinny stars" comment was the tip of the ice burgh, we used to watch MSG press after Ranger loses just to be entertained.

All you need to do is look at the coach. He's a first class moron. A guy that was so unstable he tried to enter another teams locker room in a fit of rage.

The Jackets are spending all of their energy running around hitting instead of going to the net and scoring goals. By the time the 3rd period rolls around, they didn't have any legs left to keep up with the Penguins. It's pretty funny how awful the strategy is...
- madmike71

Jackets seem more concerned with trying to create a 'rivalry' than actually winning the game