GDT: #81| Red Wings vs Penguins| ThrApr4@7PMest| ATTSN-PT, FS-D

[treeni12]

Letang back is huge for 1st line also Malkin helps with matchups.

 

[Khelandros]

Game makes me nervous. The Blues lost to Chicago last night and are obviously a better team. I hope the Penguins can play against teams that don't have great records and stay motivated.

They won't, it's been proven. This team plays down to their opponent like nothing I've ever seen before. These last three games could not have been any worse opponent wise. They needed to play someone battling for the playoffs or in the playoffs.

 

[PensandCaps]

lol remeber December and people saying Demsmith should be starter...

 

[Ignatius]

Haven't caught many games lately but how is Gubranson doing? Has he hit the wall yet?

Not perfect but I would say he has been surprisingly good for us as compared to how his was billed prior to the acquisition.

 

[2wayPlay]

I thought about this a lot. I think this team is just inconsistent. That's how they've been for a year and a half. The streaks of droughts are strange. The streaks of brilliance are nice. But it seems like they need more luck than they actually do anything else if they want to make a run. They are just too inconsistent. It's hard enough to win a best of 7.

Agree 1000 percent this team is maddeningly inconsistent. I guess you can contribute some of it to injuries but still something isn’t right with a team of this caliber. Last year they were tired. What’s the excuse this year? Complacency?

 

[Pancakes]

Yeah I don't either. My hopes this team makes it and suddenly wakes up is also very low.

I think we'll play fine in the playoffs but I don't expect a Cup unless Murray is just lights out.

But you know, that's precisely what happened with Washington last year. They were playing alright as a team and then suddenly Holtby came in when they were down 0-2 vs CBJ and then Holtby was lights out for the most part the rest of the run.

Don't underestimate how far Murray could carry even an inconsistent Pens team. Hell, Murray/Fleury already did just that in the 2017 Cup win. 2016 was much more the team than goaltending, though.

 

[pokey10]

Agree 1000 percent this team is maddeningly inconsistent. I guess you can contribute some of it to injuries but still something isn’t right with a team of this caliber. Last year they were tired. What’s the excuse this year? Complacency?

Injuries. If your #1 D (Tanger), #3 D (Dumo), #4 D (Mattaa), #2 C (Malkin) and a a handfull of wingers miss time what do you expect? Also we have a cooled off version of Horny and Kessel being iced. Of course we are going to have bumps.

 

[Pancakes]

lol remeber December and people saying Demsmith should be starter...

Murray was scaring us all for a while there. But it's good that he's basically gotten back to being the goalie we all thought he was. I expect he'll be a 915-920ish goalie for most of his prime.

Last year was (I hope) the anomaly, and we won't often see numbers that low from him again.

 

[K Fleur]

“Four goals a game Matt Murray” is the meme of the year here.

 

[BHD]

If Malkin and Letang do indeed play tonight, then I think the team will make up for Tuesday's game.

 

[BladeRunner66]

If Malkin and Letang do indeed play tonight, then I think the team will make up for Tuesday's game.

Yeah but i'd rather rest Letang for playoffs unless we still haven't locked them after tonight's game.

Malkin should be enough for matchups to let breath Sid a little.

Anyway, everybody should be hungry at this point.

 

[Pengwins]

Haven't caught many games lately but how is Gubranson doing? Has he hit the wall yet?

He looks like Ray Bourque compared to Maatta

 

[ownal]

Was Phil At The Bucco's game last night? PNC Park Runs Out Of Hot Dog Buns During The Pittsburgh Pirates ‘Buc Night’ Promotion

 

[KIRK]

Glad to see Geno and Letang back, but i don't have much confidence in these guys being able to stay healthy and i don't know how productive they will be when then are playing.

Gotta watch out for the short handed goal against tonight, hopefully Geno and Letang don't try and do to much on the PP.

Yes, because the guys doing nothing in their absence has been so helpful.

And to think I thought these last games would've put to rest the 'Geno is the problem with the PP' bull.

 

[KIRK]

I thought about this a lot. I think this team is just inconsistent. That's how they've been for a year and a half. The streaks of droughts are strange. The streaks of brilliance are nice. But it seems like they need more luck than they actually do anything else if they want to make a run. They are just too inconsistent. It's hard enough to win a best of 7.

I'm not sure they were any more consistent in 2017 either, BUT Sid and (when healthy) Geno both were at god level that whole regular season (and the Murray/Fleury tandem stole a lot of games the whole year).

 

[ColePens]

If Malkin and Letang do indeed play tonight, then I think the team will make up for Tuesday's game.

BHD with the hottest take!

I say 6 0 loss.

 

[cheesedanish87]

Yes, because the guys doing nothing in their absence has been so helpful.

And to think I thought these last games would've put to rest the 'Geno is the problem with the PP' bull.

Well Phil Geno and Letang have been the main reasons for the SHG against this year.

But that doesn't mean they aren't huge positives to the team overall despite some of their flaws.

 

[PensPlz]

Was Phil At The Bucco's game last night? PNC Park Runs Out Of Hot Dog Buns During The Pittsburgh Pirates ‘Buc Night’ Promotion

No, not a Phil thing. A hero like Phil would share his hotdogs with the common people.

But it's just totally a Bob Cheapskate Nutting thing to do. Have a $1 hotdog night but purposefully only supply enough buns so that he doesn't lose money.

 

[Will Hunting]

As much as I am claiming how Phil needs to go this summer, Maatta needs to go more. Guy is just a poison for our system. In a perfect world, both are gone and we get something for them.

As for tonight´s game. I think they did a maths and know what they are playing for. Hence why Tang and Geno are suddenly gonna play probably, don´t think that´s a coincidence.. Big game for us, because matchups matter and we need this win badly.

 

[Ugene Magic]

Great work on the GDT, Eightyone!

Bring us home a winner.

BHD with the hottest take!

I say 6 0 loss.

You just can't fight it, man....

 

[BHD]

BHD with the hottest take!

I say 6 0 loss.

And in Pens fashion, Matt Puempel will get a pair.

 

[Shrimper]

Will miss tonight as I'm flying early morning. Go Pens!

 

[Sidney the Kidney]

With the way Murray is playing why would you rest him?

He’s been Vezina caliber since coming back and will hit 50 games this year if he plays the remaining schedule.

I still worry about his stamina and his proneness to injury. I'd rather take a chance on DeSmith getting the win tonight and saving Murray for the playoffs.

 

[Sidney the Kidney]

lol remeber December and people saying Demsmith should be starter...

I still think it's amusing how a certain handful of posters don't seem to post -- or don't post much -- when Murray is playing well. But suddenly it's like they've got 5 hours a day to post on these forums if he struggles.

 

[SHOOTANDSCORE]

He's taking Murray's success rather hard.