Any coaching strategy to hold the Pens to under 3 goals?

[deathtouchtrample]

pens are the oddest team. they run and gun and give up so many quality chances but their goalies turn into vezinza caliber come playoff time. warriors in the NBA play the run and gun. new era I guess.

Odd comparison because the warriors are also the best defensive team in the NBA and have the likely DPOY. That'd be like if the pens also had Klefbom and Subban on their blueline too.

 

[Uncle Scrooge]

Sit back, protect the house, let them tire themselves out by shooting 40 pucks at your net, and then have insane net front presence so that every time you throw a puck there feels like it can go in = win.

 

[Ogrezilla]

pens are the oddest team. they run and gun and give up so many quality chances but their goalies turn into vezinza caliber come playoff time. warriors in the NBA play the run and gun. new era I guess.

I'm not even disagreeing, but this is just a funny statement about Fleury considering how he's usually talked about

 

[Pancakes]

pens are the oddest team. they run and gun and give up so many quality chances but their goalies turn into vezinza caliber come playoff time. warriors in the NBA play the run and gun. new era I guess.

Last years playoffs they weren't like this at all. They dominated possession, but didn't score as well as they are now.

They're just a different team this year. Worse at possession with Letang out who is a huge driver of play, but they also score quite a bit better thanks to Guentzel, a healthier Geno, a more confident Kessel, an improved Rust/Sheary, improved Schultz, etc.

And yes they are getting the goaltending right now. They got it last year too, but they also controlled play far better last year so that Murray rarely had to steal games. Maf has stolen a few.

 

[illpucks]

Wow...like I was saying....if you hold the Pens to under 3 goals consistently you win...wow.

Guy Boucher's system is the answer so far.

 

[GordieHowsUrBreath]

injuries and a boring style of hockey holds them under 3 goals

 

[Nairbo]

injuries and a boring style of hockey holds them under 3 goals

Yeah, 5 goals in a game for Ottawa, totally boring. 3 goals in 3 games? Totally exciting. Ottawa's DEFINITELY the boring team here.

 

[ZeroPucksGiven]

Wow...like I was saying....if you hold the Pens to under 3 goals consistently you win...wow.

Guy Boucher's system is the answer so far.

And no Letang
Or Rust
Or Hornquist
Or Schultz

Oh and make sure you concuss Crosby too- that'll ensure the Pens never get to 3 goals

 

[The Grim Reaper]

And no Letang
Or Rust
Or Hornquist
Or Schultz

Oh and make sure you concuss Crosby too- that'll ensure the Pens never get to 3 goals

The injury excuse really needs to stop. These players are not the reason the Pens are having trouble scoring this round.

 

[Gargyn]

Yeah, 5 goals in a game for Ottawa, totally boring. 3 goals in 3 games? Totally exciting. Ottawa's DEFINITELY the boring team here.

Just because they scored some goals doesn't make them entertaining. They are a boring team to watch and make the team they are playing boring too. It's Guy Boucher coaching. But hey they're winning. I fell asleep during the game yesterday. Not like the goals they scored were a great display of skill. The Press and Ducks series on he other hand is very exciting.

 

[ZeroPucksGiven]

The injury excuse really needs to stop. These players are not the reason the Pens are having trouble scoring this round.

Those aren't injuries- those are guys being UNAVAILABLE for play.
So removing 22% of a team's starting lineup isn't going to have an impact in terms of goalscoring?

Ok, got it

 

[TheSenator]

Just because they scored some goals doesn't make them entertaining. They are a boring team to watch and make the team they are playing boring too. It's Guy Boucher coaching. But hey they're winning. I fell asleep during the game yesterday. Not like the goals they scored were a great display of skill. The Press and Ducks series on he other hand is very exciting.

If you're a 'casual fan' that doesn't understand how the game is played or a bandwagoner maybe. Defensive hockey can be just as fun to watch if you know what to look for.

Obviously I'm a Sens fan so I'm biased but watching the physical play combined with our defensive system and the frustration its causing has been awesome.

The tantrums Malkin and Kessel have been throwing are priceless.

 

[Gargyn]

If you're a 'casual fan' that doesn't understand how the game is played or a bandwagoner maybe. Defensive hockey can be just as fun to watch if you know what to look for.

Obviously I'm a Sens fan so I'm biased but watching the physical play combined with our defensive system and the frustration its causing has been awesome.

The tantrums Malkin and Kessel have been throwing are priceless.

I'm not a casual hockey fan. I'm 42 and have been a die hard NHL fan since I was 4. But watching 5 guys sit back in the neutral zone would be seen as boring to most people. That's how Guy Boucher has always coached. The clip from his time in Tampa when they played he Flyers is the perfect example of how embarassing that system is to the game of hockey. But again, he wins so as a Sense fan, I get that it doesn't matter to you. And I don't blame you. But watching the games, I would rather watch darts or bowling.

 

[NyQuil]

Watching 5 guys sit back in the neutral zone would be seen as boring to most people.

It would be, if that's what the Senators do all the time.

As it is, it isn't.

They didn't score 4 in the first period by having 5 guys sitting in the neutral zone.

The clip from his time in Tampa when they played he Flyers is the perfect example of how embarassing that system is to the game of hockey.

That was a different system.

But watching the games, I would rather watch darts or bowling.

You said you fell asleep during the game, so you weren't watching it.

 

[Empoleon8771]

The injury excuse really needs to stop. These players are not the reason the Pens are having trouble scoring this round.

How are they excuses when they're 100% true lol.

What we're seeing right now is the direct result of not having guys like Schultz and Letang. The Penguins shooting at 13% through the first half of the playoffs wasn't even at all sustainable, they're shooting at like half of that in the second half of the playoffs so far. It's just a case of not having Schultz and Letang catching up to them and the Penguins unsustainable numbers coming crashing down. Their offensive issues date back to last series.

 

[end]

The injury excuse really needs to stop. These players are not the reason the Pens are having trouble scoring this round.

Kris Letang and Justin Schultz could not help us move the puck. They scored 85 points in 120 games, but puck moving defensemen are less important than ever in today's league.

 

[WarriorOfGandhi]

I can't wait to see the huge asterisk Bettman carves into the Cup so that everyone remembers how the Penguins would have really won it if not for injuries

 

[CanadianPensFan1]

The injury excuse really needs to stop. These players are not the reason the Pens are having trouble scoring this round.

Individually? Maybe not. But as a group, it has a big impact.

Every line is different. Less chemistry. Guys being forced to play above their pay grade. It is what it is.

I give credit to ottawa. They are playing well, limiting the pens chances, clogging up lanes, playing well structured, etc etc. Credit where credit is due.

But anyone who won't admit that the absurd amount of injuries the pens have is having an effect is flat out wrong.

Take any team. Take away their #1 and #2D and two top 6 wingers ... that has an effect. It's absolutely not the sole reason they are down in this series but it is a absolutely part of it.

 

[Jorge Garcia]

I'm not a casual hockey fan. I'm 42 and have been a die hard NHL fan since I was 4. But watching 5 guys sit back in the neutral zone would be seen as boring to most people. That's how Guy Boucher has always coached. The clip from his time in Tampa when they played he Flyers is the perfect example of how embarassing that system is to the game of hockey. But again, he wins so as a Sense fan, I get that it doesn't matter to you. And I don't blame you. But watching the games, I would rather watch darts or bowling.

If that's all there was to the system it wouldn't have taken Ottawa's players the whole season to get it right. The 1-3-1 gets used maybe a third of the time or less. It's most obvious when they have a lead and want to bleed the clock late in the game. If you don't want to see it, don't fall behind. Also, they'll fall into it if the other team has clear possession and there's little chance of an effective forecheck. It minimizes the risk of dangerous rush chances.
Most of the time the Senators forecheck hard with two forwards, or have their defence pinch aggressively to disrupt breakouts and create turnovers.
Saying all they do is trap is a dead giveaway that you aren't really watching.

 

[Countdown0]

I'm seeing a bit of the whining about "boring hockey" being played by the Sens here, so I'll just say the same thing I said last time:

The job of the Sens players isn't to entertain the fans of opposing teams. Their job is to win. The job of the coach isn't to make his players play an entertaining style. Its to make them play a winning style.

As Sens fans, we find our team winning to be entertaining. Some people will say "well, if MY team played like that, I wouldn't watch". ********. If your team was in the conference finals, you would watch if they played ANY style, and if you wouldn't, then you're not a fan of hockey, you're a fan of fast, instant gratification sports. Go watch basketball or play call of duty.

If the fans of opposing teams find it "boring" when the Sens don't let the star players on the other team rush down ice and turn the game into a shootout, then maybe instead of whining about the Sens playing a "boring style", you should whine about your team not playing well enough to beat it? Introspection is tough, I know, but try it out some time.

Or, just stop whining. Either or.

 

[radapex]

injuries and a boring style of hockey holds them under 3 goals

Also, a goalie that doesn't consistently let in garbage goals. The Penguins offense the first two rounds was more the result of bad goaltending from Bobrovsky and Holtby than good play from the Pens.

 

[Filatov2Kovalev2Bonk]

The injury excuse really needs to stop. These players are not the reason the Pens are having trouble scoring this round.

Two of their more reasonable/best puckmoving D out is one hell of a reason. Take out Karlsson for us and we're doomed. The reason is real. We're about 80% likely to win now because of it, so I like it, but it's a real reason.

 

[Sting]

Two of their more reasonable/best puckmoving D out is one hell of a reason. Take out Karlsson for us and we're doomed. The reason is real. We're about 80% likely to win now because of it, so I like it, but it's a real reason.

Said this before - hard to have sympathy for a team with a 1/2 punch of Crosby/Malkin. You have two lines set right there that can compete with any team in the league.

 

[Daeni10]

Said this before - hard to have sympathy for a team with a 1/2 punch of Crosby/Malkin. You have two lines set right there that can compete with any team in the league.

It's not like we can't win with the roster we have now, but it's a lot harder for sure. Malkin and Crosby can make things happen out of nowhere, but they also rely on a good breakout and the breakouts so far are god awful.

 

[BHD]

Said this before - hard to have sympathy for a team with a 1/2 punch of Crosby/Malkin. You have two lines set right there that can compete with any team in the league.

Not if they don't have defensemen who can get the puck to them. Take the #1D (presumably one who can move the puck) off of any team and see how they do. Suffice to say, they'll have trouble.