I just thought plain and simple the Rangers where a better team in game 2. They're game plan was better and they executed. A series is all about adjustments. Let's see what Sully comes up with. In regards to east west players playing with Malkin I'm not sure we have any. This is a strait line team Malkin needs to adjust to that. The playoffs are about doing what you need to and sacrificing even if it doesn't benefit you directly. Knowing Geno's attitude since he has been here I don't see a problem with him making a change to his game. He loves his teammates and wants to win as badly as anyone.
- dbell646

The Rags have wanted it more for the most part. They're playing a man's game and look ready to give 100%. The Pen's efforts have been inexcusable.

He needs time to get his timing etc, & more importantly whoever his line mates are need to to adjust to his play. So do you throw in some vets & break up other lines that are working, or do you throw the raw kids in & tell them to adjust??

I think throw raw kids in & limit the lines time unless they click straight away. Keep other lines operating as per normal & hope the scoring continues.
- Aussiepenguin

I'd rather not break up Kuhnhackl-Cullen-Fehr, but the bottom six all seems to work well with one another regardless of the combos you throw out so breaking that line up wouldn't be the end of the world. But what I'd really like to do is swap Kunitz and Sheary. 1) Sheary has played some really good hockey and actually looks pretty good with Sid so why not try it? 2) Kunitz plays well with Malkin and at this point in his career is probably better suited to play with Malkin's slower style than trying to keep up with Crosby anyways. 3) Kunitz is no longer inseparable from Crosby. He doesn't suck with him, but he's nothing much more than an effective passenger

The Rags have wanted it more for the most part. They're playing a man's game and look ready to give 100%. The Pen's efforts have been inexcusable.
- MattStrat

Fortunately we are 1-1 and could still get it going. I think Saturday will be a wake up call.

I'd rather not break up Kuhnhackl-Cullen-Fehr, but the bottom six all seems to work well with one another regardless of the combos you throw out so breaking that line up wouldn't be the end of the world. But what I'd really like to do is swap Kunitz and Sheary. 1) Sheary has played some really good hockey and actually looks pretty good with Sid so why not try it? 2) Kunitz plays well with Malkin and at this point in his career is probably better suited to play with Malkin's slower style than trying to keep up with Crosby anyways. 3) Kunitz is no longer inseparable from Crosby. He doesn't suck with him, but he's nothing much more than an effective passenger
- Victoro311

Well then, there seems to be no other alternative other than trading G!

I credit the Rangers for an excellent game plan. Basically clogging up the neutral zone and the Penguins continued to force things resulting in a ton of turnovers.

There's been a couple of good articles on adjustments. Dk did a good article about dumping the puck and beating their relatively slow dmen to the puck (basically what they've been doing to win so many games down the stretch).

I too saw a return to that crappy "fancy" no look passing and "hope passing" I think Sully called it that one time. Hoping the pass gets there.

I do think Geno needs to adapt his game a little bit to the way the Pens have been playing since he's been out.
- madmike71

Yes...this definitely.

And with regard to Geno adapting his game...maybe another practice or two would have helped.

I also credit the Rangers for making things more difficult but another thing that seemed more prevalent were missed cross ice passes. There were times when the players appeared to have the time and space but they just didn't make the play.

I just thought plain and simple the Rangers where a better team in game 2. They're game plan was better and they executed. A series is all about adjustments. Let's see what Sully comes up with. In regards to east west players playing with Malkin I'm not sure we have any. This is a strait line team Malkin needs to adjust to that. The playoffs are about doing what you need to and sacrificing even if it doesn't benefit you directly. Knowing Geno's attitude since he has been here I don't see a problem with him making a change to his game. He loves his teammates and wants to win as badly as anyone.
- dbell646

It's a complete "no brainer" to me that Kunitz should be dropped with Geno. I'll be very disappointed if Sully doesn't do this. Promote Sheary to Sid's line. At least Kunitz has extensive experience playing with Geno.....and he's virtually the only wing that does.

Also, have Fehr or Cullen on the RW so they can take the draws.

Fortunately we are 1-1 and could still get it going. I think Saturday will be a wake up call.
- dbell646

I sure do hope so. The locker room seems ticked off per the DK pieces lately, and this year's team has been pretty good at responding to that emotion. But if we don't get back to the hockey that made us dangerous it doesn't matter if we get past NYR, we're gonna be an easy out in round two.

Fortunately we are 1-1 and could still get it going. I think Saturday will be a wake up call.
- dbell646

I sure do hope so. The locker room seems ticked off per the DK pieces lately, and this year's team has been pretty good at responding to that emotion. But if we don't get back to the hockey that made us dangerous it doesn't matter if we get past NYR, we're gonna be an easy out in round two.

Fortunately we are 1-1 and could still get it going. I think Saturday will be a wake up call.
- dbell646

Oh definitely. Sometimes a loss can be really healthy for a team. I said before that they've been very, very good in the games following a loss since January. I expect no different tomorrow night.

No because in my mind putting him on the wing and not giving him a line and moving him around is easing him back in. He needs a line. He needs to be deployed. And the coach needs to trust him to just play. If Sullivan is going to be tentative and try to move things around to awkwardly get Malkin in then maybe he should be held out longer.

I ask you this: if Crosby missed a month would he be eased back in as a winger?

EDIT: I see what you're saying now and I see how I contradicted myself a bit. I guess what I'm saying is he should be deployed in a way that's optimal to him knocking the rust off and just let him play his game. Playing him on wing and all around the lineup is a misguided attempt to ease him in and it's actually counter intuitive
- Victoro311

I don't think there'd be a chance Sid would be eased back in as a winger but I also don't think he'd be taking to many, if any faceoffs if he was returning for the same injury. But I agree Sullivan needs to find Malkin a set pair of wingers soon. But as of now having Malkin play a few shifts on Sids' wing increases his ice time without affecting the ice time of the other lines. This way it only affects 1 player, and in this case it was Kunitz.

Oh definitely. Sometimes a loss can be really healthy for a team. I said before that they've been very, very good in the games following a loss since January. I expect no different tomorrow night.
- MattStrat

Agree with this. No doubt they put a lot of the "wrong" things on tape to review.

Murray at practice.

Murray at practice.
- Victoro311

Watch him get back before fleury

Murray at practice.
- Victoro311

Well that's a positive. Once Jarry gets sent down then we'll see our goalie situation normalize. Zatkoff has been fine but he's still our #3.

Oh definitely. Sometimes a loss can be really healthy for a team. I said before that they've been very, very good in the games following a loss since January. I expect no different tomorrow night.
- MattStrat

I'd say the Penguins have played 1, maybe 2 periods out of the 6 where they looked as good as they did down the stretch -- where they played pretty much complete games.

At least we saw the Pens able to play really good hockey the last month or so of the season...so we know they are capable of it, unlike last year when they never really showed it.

Playoffs are about which team can raise it's game to the level needed to win. Whether or not they can get there and stay there against the Rangers like they did in some of the regular season games...remains to be seen.

I think they have the better team...but you have to prove it to move on.

I don't think there'd be a chance Sid would be eased back in as a winger but I also don't think he'd be taking to many, if any faceoffs if he was returning for the same injury. But I agree Sullivan needs to find Malkin a set pair of wingers soon. But as of now having Malkin play a few shifts on Sids' wing increases his ice time without affecting the ice time of the other lines. This way it only affects 1 player, and in this case it was Kunitz.
- willi

I don't completely hate the two headed monster like some do. I think used sparingly it's a good way to overpower the opponent in kind of a flash flood strategy. But Evgeni Malkin is one of the most stubourn mules I've ever seen play the game. Even if you line him up at wing he'll play like he's a center and that clashes with whoever is actually playing C. If Malkin is taking regular shifts as a winger on a line, the line is going to be disfunctional. Saturday, a very solid percentage of the ice time he was getting was on Crosby's left and was throwing everyone way off. I'd almost rather limit Geno's ice time than try to force ice time to him by putting him on Crosby's left every other shift. The best way to go is give Malkin a line, spread 5v5 ice time evenly across the Crosby, Malkin, and Kessel units, and up the three stars' ice time through special teams. Maybe play Crosby and Malkin on the PK. Still think that was the one bright spot of Mike Johnston's game plan.

I really like Sullivan, but they handled Malkin's return terribly. IMO they lost that game trying to get Malkin back up to speed, rather than just doing what is best for the team to win the game.

1. Malkin showed why the Pens might be better without him. His dangles in the neutral zone might look cute but his linemates lose all momentum going towards the offensive zone when he does that. He was sloppy and played way too much east-west and it rubbed off on the rest of the team. Just look at how many times the Pens went offside that game.

2. When the Crosby-Kunitz-Hornquist line lights it up in the first game, why would you barely play Kunitz with Sid and instead play Malkin there? Especially knowing Sid and Geno dont mesh well. Really didnt understand the logic there. Make Malkin the 4C and have him earn his ice time.

On a side note, Maata must have a broken leg or something... looking unbelievably slow. I feel bad for the guy with all of the injuries he has had but Schultz (or even Pouliot for that matter) has to be an upgrade over him at this point.

I still love Sullivan as the Pens coach, was just surprised/disappointed by their strategy. Pens still win this series in 6 though.
- MacPatty

This seems to be a fairly consistent opinion from Pens fans and imo it couldn't be any farther from the truth. While I don't usually have much respect for TIOPS, he actually had an excellent article today, with video evidence, breaking down the zone entries when Crosby/Malkin were paired together and how effective they were because Malkin's "improving" or going East/West in the neutral zone drew multiple Ranger defenders which opened the ice up for Sid or others to gain the zone cleanly. He also pointed out that in a game were 5on5 shot attempts were 43-37 Rangers that when Crosby/Malkin were on the ice together the Pens actually controlled 54% of the shot attempts and in 36:52 toi together 5on5 throughout the regular they carried 66%.

Personally I'm not a fan of Crsoby/Malkin together for no other reason than Malkin has been on record many times saying he isn't comfortable on the wing and I've always been a firm believer that the best way to get the most out of any player is to put that player in the position he's most comfortable

No because in my mind putting him on the wing and not giving him a line and moving him around is easing him back in. He needs a line. He needs to be deployed. And the coach needs to trust him to just play. If Sullivan is going to be tentative and try to move things around to awkwardly get Malkin in then maybe he should be held out longer.

I ask you this: if Crosby missed a month would he be eased back in as a winger?

EDIT: I see what you're saying now and I see how I contradicted myself a bit. I guess what I'm saying is he should be deployed in a way that's optimal to him knocking the rust off and just let him play his game. Playing him on wing and all around the lineup is a misguided attempt to ease him in and it's actually counter intuitive
- Victoro311

I was actually wanted to pose this same question but you beat me to it. If Sid would have been out for 5-6 weeks and the team played awesome winning 13 out of 15 would people still be complaining that him coming back was going to mess up the chemistry of the team and that he should be eased back in on the 4th line? My guess is that most would be screaming about how he's the best player in the world and the team is better when he's playing and that he should immediately get his linemates back.

My memory isn't what it once was but I do recall a fair amount of complaining after Sid returned from more than a year away that he was being used on the 3rd line with Cooke/TK.

I was actually wanted to pose this same question but you beat me to it. If Sid would have been out for 5-6 weeks and the team played awesome winning 13 out of 15 would people still be complaining that him coming back was going to mess up the chemistry of the team and that he should be eased back in on the 4th line? My guess is that most would be screaming about how he's the best player in the world and the team is better when he's playing and that he should immediately get his linemates back.

My memory isn't what it once was but I do recall a fair amount of complaining after Sid returned from more than a year away that he was being used on the 3rd line with Cooke/TK.
- jaydogg1974

Malkin didn't take one draw. If Sid couldn't take face offs coming back I'd say move him to win until he's able to perform those functions