GDT: PO Game 1: Columbus at Pittsburgh | 4/12 7:30PM

[Double-Shift Lasse]

Flower outplayed Bob.

I was thinking this, too.

 

[Heinze 57]

Series goes 1-1: then 3 in Pgh and 2 in Columbus. And Columbus is in the driver's seat?

Magical thinking.

If it goes to 1-1 then there's five games left and 3 of them (games 3, 4, and 6) are in Columbus.

 

[Double-Shift Lasse]

Series goes 1-1: then 3 in Pgh and 2 in Columbus. And Columbus is in the driver's seat?

Magical thinking.

Wake up, Maggie. You really should be back at school.

 

[Speedy Sanderson]

So all road teams won on Wednesday night except for the Jackets....nice. Maybe the script will be flipped on Friday.

 

[Samkow]

Wake up, Maggie. You really should be back at school.

This is a good post.

One teams wants it, one team doesn't.

This is a terrible post, but the heat contained in this take are a potential source of alternative energy. Scientists estimate the heat from JFiFs hot takes could provide more energy than Stephen Smith and Skip Baylesses takes combined.

 

[GoJackets1]

After that game I'm not sure I agree with the approach to the series. During the streak, it wasn't physicality that won us those games- it was skilled plays that only the Pens had last night.

By all means, finish your checks, but if you can play the puck and get a turnover instead of taking the body, do it. Hell, that's what led to the only goal. It's hard to match the Pens skill, but they need to try to make some plays. I recall maybe twice in the offensive zone where they didn't just take a perimeter shot or get it up to the D for a shot. The Pens were great at collapsing, but they need to try to get some pucks in the front of the net and make skilled plays.

I know they have the ability, it just seems like the strategy changed over the past month or so, and that they've regressed to the team/style they were last time they made the playoffs.

 

[We Want Ten]

I was thinking this, too.

I don't think we ever got any pressure to MAF. He had a pretty easy night.

 

[major major]

Just saw a stat which said that the Jackets had no "high danger" chances in the first. So, the first period wasn't as dominant as the raw shots stats would suggest.

After the first, the Jackets didn't belong on the same sheet of ice as the Pens. Pittsburgh played great team defense and they are capable of playing much better offensively. Crosby, Malkin and Kessel are simply so much better than anyone on the CBJ that it's not funny. Crosby's defense last night was superlative and he'll hit stride offensively soon enough.

The Jackets forwards haven't been worth a crap for almost a month. I saw nothing last night which suggested that a great turnaround in their performance is imminent.

If the Jackets extend this series to 6 games, it will be a mini miracle.

You should rewatch the first - have a look at the condensed game or highlights or something.

A couple plays I remember: Foligno had a wide open net , puck in the crease, and couldn't get a stick on it. Werenski had a clean look from 20 ft, Fleury played it really well but there's no way that's not a dangerous play.

 

[ca5150]

Quincey needs to be in over Harrington, Harrington is terrible. Quincey is a veteran and good in front of his net and has chipped in a couple goals. Unreal that he didn't play and Harrington and Carlsson played. I would prefer Nuti and Quincey for Game 2.

 

[Timeless Winter]

If it goes to 1-1 then there's five games left and 3 of them (games 3, 4, and 6) are in Columbus.

Doesn't mean much since half the crowd will be Penguins fans.

 

[The Jones Zone]

Quincey needs to be in over Harrington, Harrington is terrible. Quincey is a veteran and good in front of his net and has chipped in a couple goals. Unreal that he didn't play and Harrington and Carlsson played. I would prefer Nuti and Quincey for Game 2.

agree

Harrington=ECHL

Carlsson= too much to ask for a guy who had played 2 NHL games

Didn't get the Saad benching either, thought He was playing better than some of the other forwards

Torts may want to look himself in the mirror after that cluster ****

 

[DarkandStormy]

We get playoff Bob (terrible). We're done.

 

[Coastal Kev]

Without Sid being much of a factor....

Pitt is proud, a friend who's a Pittsburgh native said to me once when talking about the Jackets and the NFL several years ago.... We have 5 Super Bowls and 4 Cups.... We're doing just fine.....

Correction, 6 Super Bowls.

 

[Kev22]

I don't think we ever got any pressure to MAF. He had a pretty easy night.

I agree with this. Lots of easy shots last night and NO TRAFFIC in front of the Flower. That has to change. Guys have to get their nose dirty if they are to have any chance. Block Fleury's view. There were too many shots that hit him directly in the crest. Not high quality chances in my opinion.

I don't know what to think about last night's game. I thought for a pretty good stretch last night, the Pens made things look easy and had a gear that we couldn't match. I liked the last 8 minutes last night, the Jackets played with desperation and the Pens had a hard time matching that level. Play like that on Friday and there might be a different outcome. The guy that scares the hell out of me for the Pens is Malkin. When he comes to life, he's easily the best player on the ice and we have absolutely no one to match him. Trying to match up Karlsson with him is kind of a joke. Atkinson was pretty worthless last night, a real turnover machine last night. Dubinsky seemed to do his job locking down Crosby, but Sid's line was flying last night. Saad was invisible, Werenski and Jones were real good, Savard was not too good and needs to pick it up. Johnson I thought was real physical last night. Last, Bob has to be better, he's the only real chance we have. He has to limit the Pens to less than 2 goals a game to give our struggling offense a chance. They've been given a real opportunity with Murray getting hurt to pounce on a goalie that tends to make mistakes. Got to capitalize. If Friday is not better, I really see a sweep. I pray they prove me wrong.

 

[Kev22]

Doesn't mean much since half the crowd will be Penguins fans.

Won't happen. If it's like 2014, there will be significantly fewer Pens fans in the building. Last time there were probably a couple thousand if memory serves. Not a factor at all, not like the regular season.

 

[MAHJ71]

Quincey needs to be in over Harrington, Harrington is terrible. Quincey is a veteran and good in front of his net and has chipped in a couple goals. Unreal that he didn't play and Harrington and Carlsson played. I would prefer Nuti and Quincey for Game 2.

Agreed.. feel like we got into our own head and took a risk that backfired at a time we didn't really need to be risking/experimenting anything.

 

[DarkandStormy]

Jones = 31 shifts (26:19 TOI)

Johnson = 30 shifts (26:36 TOI)

In 7:57 and 8:28 TOI Carlsson and Harrington still found ways to eff up.

 

[MoeBartoli]

Wake up, Maggie. You really should be back at school.

Well, so much for "Welcome to HFBoards, Ms Maggie" on her first post.

 

[Double-Shift Lasse]

Doesn't mean much since half the crowd will be Penguins fans.

2007 called and wants its take back.

Well, so much for "Welcome to HFBoards, Ms Maggie" on her first post.

Yeah but it was too good of a line to ignore.

Sorry, Mags.

 

[JKinCLE]

Everyone needs to stop being so defeated. A very wise man once said, "In sports, it's never going to be all rainbows and butterflies."

 

[JacketsDavid]

We've got to hope our offense gets on track ASAP.
I thought we looked good in 1P regardless of quality shots we were preventing shots and (IMO) out playing the Pens.
2P they dominated us and the 3 goals clearly showed that.

Again I still think the team (and especially Bob) knows if we give up a goal or two that it's over. Our offense was bad to end the regular season, and it's going to be tougher going forward.

 

[MoeBartoli]

Agreed.. feel like we got into our own head and took a risk that backfired at a time we didn't really need to be risking/experimenting anything.

Agree this was no time to be experimenting -especially on the back end which has been a heck of a lot better than our front end. But.....To me, Torts' move seemed more like desperation than experimentation - but if an experiment, it blew up in live testing. I think Torts had started Q in 19 of the last 20 games. So why is he second guessing his decision to play him now? (it has that appearance).

Now he is left to go back to Quincey - at least I hope so - after basically telling him "I don't have confidence in you." Not a good spot for Q even if he is a vet.

Needless to say, I didn't like the move. (just to clarify - not playing armchair QB as I had previously posted several times on Q over being in there over a two rookie pairing).

 

[Double-Shift Lasse]

Agree this was no time to be experimenting -especially on the back end which has been a heck of a lot better than our front end. But.....To me, Torts' move seemed more like desperation than experimentation - but if an experiment, it blew up in live testing. I think Torts had started Q in 19 of the last 20 games. So why is he second guessing his decision to play him now? (it has that appearance).

Now he is left to go back to Quincey - at least I hope so - after basically telling him "I don't have confidence in you." Not a good spot for Q even if he is a vet.

Needless to say, I didn't like the move. (just to clarify - not playing armchair QB as I had previously posted several times on Q over being in there over a two rookie pairing).

Agreed on the Carlsson/Harry experiment and the appearance of Torts second-guessing or just trying to catch lightning in a bottle. I wonder how much he will reveal as he sets the lineup for Game 2 or whether we'll just have to make our own judgments based on that. (Not that we won't make out own judgments anyway.)

 

[CBJWerenski8]

Doesn't mean much since half the crowd will be Penguins fans.

That's really weird, since half of the arena is Pens fans, how the Jackets half were able to all get in the lower bowl and make the arena cam shake...in a game that happened a month ago. Won't even bring up the playoff games from 3 years ago. Must be a really loud half, or your take really really sucks.

 

[major major]

I agree with this. Lots of easy shots last night and NO TRAFFIC in front of the Flower. That has to change. Guys have to get their nose dirty if they are to have any chance. Block Fleury's view. There were too many shots that hit him directly in the crest. Not high quality chances in my opinion.

I don't know what to think about last night's game. I thought for a pretty good stretch last night, the Pens made things look easy and had a gear that we couldn't match. I liked the last 8 minutes last night, the Jackets played with desperation and the Pens had a hard time matching that level. Play like that on Friday and there might be a different outcome. The guy that scares the hell out of me for the Pens is Malkin. When he comes to life, he's easily the best player on the ice and we have absolutely no one to match him. Trying to match up Karlsson with him is kind of a joke. Atkinson was pretty worthless last night, a real turnover machine last night. Dubinsky seemed to do his job locking down Crosby, but Sid's line was flying last night. Saad was invisible, Werenski and Jones were real good, Savard was not too good and needs to pick it up. Johnson I thought was real physical last night. Last, Bob has to be better, he's the only real chance we have. He has to limit the Pens to less than 2 goals a game to give our struggling offense a chance. They've been given a real opportunity with Murray getting hurt to pounce on a goalie that tends to make mistakes. Got to capitalize. If Friday is not better, I really see a sweep. I pray they prove me wrong.

I think folks could stand to stop exaggerating this. The Jackets had more shot attempts with traffic in the first period than in many entire games from the last month.

People are also not giving Fleury any credit and putting it all on the Jackets. Think about the Werenski chance where he was wide open twenty feet out on the right side - if that didn't feel like a dangerous scoring chance to you it's because you don't recognize how impressive it was for Fleury to get way out and stay perfectly square to the shooter. Likewise if Bob's positioning is off (like on goals 1 and 3) it makes chances go from medium to high danger.