Yes, the Pens can win. Here's how...

[Terrapin]

Game 1. Fully expect the Pens to get smoked. But, I have a feeling Downie, Horny, Laps, etc will do something in the game to get in the heads of the Rags. A little shot on Lundquist maybe. Something to get their attention.

Game 2. Fleury absolutely needs to steal one here, if he doesn't in game 1.

Game 3. We stink at home, but I can see them breaking out of their scoring slump here. Geno may go beast-mode. All of the sudden, a little goalie controversy starts to brew, and all the pressure is on the Rags. Remember, the NY media aren't the cheerleaders the Pgh media is.

Game 4. This game would be key. If the Rags panic and go to Talbot, I can see us winning the game, and the series.

Games 5, 6, 7. If we're up 3-1 or even 2-2 here, we got a real shot.

Simple as that right? BTW, I picked Rags in 5 in the other thread.

Click to read more...

 

[Finesse]

You're deluding yourself if you think Pens will win more than one. Fleury may steal one. But beyond that, Pens are toast.

 

[Ogrezilla]

If we win, it will be because Fleury, Sid and Geno combined to steal us 4 wins. They are a better team than us at pretty much every position except for 1 and 2 C.

 

[JQR]

If we win, it will be because Fleury, Sid and Geno combined to steal us 4 wins.

And because I did my best Ric Flair at regular intervals during the games from my living room couch. That's worth at least a point or two.

 

[Jaded-Fan]

I look forward to growing a tail so I can hang from trees like a monkey. Wouldn't that be the coolest thing?

Let me tell you how it can happen.

 

[Ogrezilla]

And because I did my best Ric Flair at regular intervals during the games from my living room couch. That's worth at least a point or two.

Can't argue with that

 

[WhatsaMaatta]

Absolutely. If we can have guys like Downie and Hornqvist target Lundqvist and get the Rags unfocused, that's our best shot at a victory. I don't see it happening with this franchise, though.

 

[UnrealMachine]

Worse teams (on paper) have pulled off bigger upsets. Maybe they'll get a huge rebound effect on the bad "puck luck" they've had offensively over the last month? Maybe some pucks being shot from the point will take lucky bounces into the net? I'm open-minded.

 

[Jaded-Fan]

Worse teams (on paper) have pulled off bigger upsets. Maybe they'll get a huge rebound effect on the bad "puck luck" they've had offensively over the last month? Maybe some pucks being shot from the point will take lucky bounces into the net? I'm open-minded.

Most of them have been against us.

 

[Cherpak]

We won't win, but I want Staal's life on the ice to be miserable. That cheap shot pos should have some payback coming his way.

 

[JQR]

Most of them have been against us.

First I was like

Then I was like

 

[Kristopher Letang]

Give the man some playoffs hockey to watch ! He's litterally creating games on his mind. Hockey thirst level: 10000000

 

[Honour Over Glory]

This is probably the first time in a very long time that Crosby & Co are heading into the playoffs barely making it in.

I feel like the pressure is all on the Rangers, Penguins are just there right now, people keep saying oh a team with Sid & Geno should never been looked at as being an easy team, but they are anyways with the almighty rangers and their squad.

I can't wait to see the incessant whining of the Rangers fans defending Kreider and his accidental running over of goaltenders or that cross-checks to the head are a hockey play when it's by their guys.

I honestly just want this to be a bloodbath. So that the Rangers in the 2nd round, get destroyed.

 

[Finesse]

I honestly just want this to be a bloodbath. So that the Rangers in the 2nd round, get destroyed.

My thoughts exactly.

 

[Pharrell Williams]

I think that the Pittsburgh Penguins Hockey Club will play at least four, but no more than seven, games of ice hockey against the New York Rangers Hockey Club.

 

[WhatsaMaatta]

Honest question. Do you really think this team is fit for a "bloodbath"? When was the last time this team actually fought for anything? The chances of the Rangers limping out of a series against the Pens are much less than the Pens going out quietly into the night, if I'm basing this series on the past couple years of Penguins' hockey.

 

[JQR]

Honest question. Do you really think this team is fit for a "bloodbath"? When was the last time this team actually fought for anything? The chances of the Rangers limping out of a series against the Pens are much less than the Pens going out quietly into the night, if I'm basing this series on the past couple years of Penguins' hockey.

The most likely scenario will be Downie boarding someone and getting a game misconduct. Then everyone else being too scared to do anything. Kunitz might lose an edge and bite his lip.

 

[UnrealMachine]

Most of them have been against us.

Sometimes you're the hammer; sometimes you're the nail.

 

[DoktorZaius]

Has any team with a defense this bad gotten out of the first round in recent years...especially against a stacked President's Trophy winning team? Letang is our only chance at all, and even then we still lose in 6 IMO.

 

[WhatsaMaatta]

The most likely scenario will be Downie boarding someone and getting a game misconduct. Then everyone else being too scared to do anything. Kunitz might lose an edge and bite his lip.

Or he'll try to start ****, get a two minute minor, not get any support from his teammates, and then benched by the coach.

 

[Hophog]

Honest question. Do you really think this team is fit for a "bloodbath"? When was the last time this team actually fought for anything? The chances of the Rangers limping out of a series against the Pens are much less than the Pens going out quietly into the night, if I'm basing this series on the past couple years of Penguins' hockey.

Yeah, Downie is the only one with the characteristics to remotely get under the Rangers skin and the refs will toss him the second he does so much as even throw a little snow on "the King". PH will attempt to make life miserable but the Rags can take him out and injure him with a cheap shot (god knows our power play won't make them pay) and then we can waive goodbye to the only two gritty players on the entire team. From there it will be a bunch of scared skinny guys throwing the puck at the net from a safe distance in, an effort, to avoid being crushed into the wall.

It's going to be ugly but I can't stop watching

 

[WhatsaMaatta]

Yeah, Downie is the only one with the characteristics to remotely get under the Rangers skin and the refs will toss him the second he does so much as even throw a little snow on "the King". PH will attempt to make life miserable but the Rags can take him out and injure him with a cheap shot (god knows our power play won't make them pay) and then we can waive goodbye to the only two gritty players on the entire team. From there it will be a bunch of scared skinny guys throwing the puck at the net from a safe distance in, an effort, to avoid being crushed into the wall.

It's going to be ugly but I can't stop watching

"Throwing the puck at the net from a safe distance" Hahaha that is perfect.

 

[canadianguy77]

It's pretty much guaranteed that Rangers are going to target Scuderi and Kunitz every shift that they're on the ice. This will render both the 2nd line and 1st PP unit irrelevant, and probably an overall detriment to the team, even if 71 is totally healthy. (which I doubt)

They're the 2 biggest weaknesses on this roster besides Craigers, whom I don't expect to play. If those 2 get the minutes that they have all season long, (and I have no reason to think they won't) it's going to be a very short post-season.

Now if coaching and management get their heads out of their *****, and use them both appropriately, (Kunitz on the 3rd or 4th line and off the PP, and Scuds on the bottom-pairing and off the PK) then we may actually make this a series.

 

[Hophog]

I do have to say that it is a little bit liberating going into the playoffs with such low expectations. I don't think I'll have half the nerves I've had when we were favorites. I've barely enjoyed the playoffs that last few seasons because it always been Cup or bust. It'll feel like the old days where I can root for winning just one more game. Anything short of a sweep will feel like a win. The problem is that Pittsburgh teams have a way to tease you and give you hope only to throw it all away in glorious fashion. With that said I could see them doing something crazy like winning the first 3 just to get us all excited only to lose the next 4 and rip our hearts out. They probably won't make it easy for us by losing 4 straight.

 

[JQR]

It's pretty much guaranteed that Rangers are going to target Scuderi and Kunitz every shift that they're on the ice. This will render both the 2nd line and 1st PP unit irrelevant, and probably an overall detriment to the team, even if 71 is totally healthy. (which I doubt)

They're the 2 biggest weaknesses on this roster besides Craigers, whom I don't expect to play. If those 2 get the minutes that they have all season long, (and I have no reason to think they won't) it's going to be a very short post-season.

Now if coaching and management get their heads out of their *****, and use them both appropriately, (Kunitz on the 3rd or 4th line and off the PP, and Scuds on the bottom-pairing and off the PK) then we may actually make this a series.

Kunitz will get traded before he ever sees 3rd line minutes.