Post-Game Talk: Champs vs Ex Champs 7pm (Caps v Penguins)

[Ovechkins Wodka]

Caps vs Penguins... I hate these guys

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[tycoonheart]

Have a bad feeling about this. We have been sleep walking the last few games.

 

[tenken00]

Bow down to your ex, Sidney!

Love, Carl

 

[StrikingDistance]

Caps vs Penguins... I hate these guys

Caps play better against rivals.

 

[SpinningEdge]

Caps are such a better team at this point. Better goaltending and defense - and offensively we are still among best. Should be 2 points.

Not scared of this Pens team any more. They’ve got some awful bottom 6 guys and they defense isn’t good enough. Also, Murray let’s in a ton of softies. This isn’t anywhere close to the Pens team of a couple years ago. It’s why they’re fighting for a playoff spot 70 games in.

 

[BallardEra]

Caps are such a better team at this point. Better goaltending and defense - and offensively we are still among best. Should be 2 points.

Not scared of this Pens team any more. They’ve got some awful bottom 6 guys and they defense isn’t good enough. Also, Murray let’s in a ton of softies. This isn’t anywhere close to the Pens team of a couple years ago. It’s why they’re fighting for a playoff spot 70 games in.

They've looked a lot better since the TDL. Only 4 points back of the Caps if they win in regulation.

Pens will come out hard at home like they did against Boston. Caps have to match that intensity from puck drop.

 

[shtorm2005]

I think Holtby will let 1 or 2 softies today.

 

[shtorm2005]

Also, I hope this game will spark Kuzy because games against Pens are never boring for spectators neither for players.

 

[Midnight Judges]

Huge game for the Pens

Not a huge game for the Caps

No injuries. Show them nothing.

 

[Melkor]

Caps are such a better team at this point. Better goaltending and defense - and offensively we are still among best. Should be 2 points.

Not scared of this Pens team any more. They’ve got some awful bottom 6 guys and they defense isn’t good enough. Also, Murray let’s in a ton of softies. This isn’t anywhere close to the Pens team of a couple years ago. It’s why they’re fighting for a playoff spot 70 games in.

That all would have been true a month or two ago. They have righted the ship recently and look locked in right now. Caps must move their feet from the get go if they want 2 pts out of this one.

 

[AlexBrovechkin8]

Caps are such a better team at this point. Better goaltending and defense - and offensively we are still among best. Should be 2 points.

Not scared of this Pens team any more. They’ve got some awful bottom 6 guys and they defense isn’t good enough. Also, Murray let’s in a ton of softies. This isn’t anywhere close to the Pens team of a couple years ago. It’s why they’re fighting for a playoff spot 70 games in.

Not buying it. McCann and Bjugstad have settled in and are contributing nicely which has allowed Hornqvist to bump down to the third line. Their top three lines are good though their 4th line is... not good. Also, Murray sported a .920 save percentage in February and has a .940 save percentage through 6 games in March so he's finding his game at the right time for them.

Caps need to take advantage of that defense and continue to play fast hockey. The Caps team speed is better than the Penguins now, especially on the backend with the injury to Letang.

 

[Ridley Simon]

Road games in the NHL are hard to win. Will be happy w a loser point

 

[Ridley Simon]

On further reflection — this game may tell us a lot.

A regulation win for the Caps will more or less bury the Pens chances at the Metro. So it’s a huge game for them. Caps of old lose this game. Probably come out flat.

Caps of new? We will see

 

[4thTierSport]

Not buying it. McCann and Bjugstad have settled in and are contributing nicely which has allowed Hornqvist to bump down to the third line. Their top three lines are good though their 4th line is... not good. Also, Murray sported a .920 save percentage in February and has a .940 save percentage through 6 games in March so he's finding his game at the right time for them.

Caps need to take advantage of that defense and continue to play fast hockey. The Caps team speed is better than the Penguins now, especially on the backend with the injury to Letang.

Hit the nail on the head. Pens goes as Murrary goes.

 

[Blades of Steel]

what's wrong with y'all?

5-2 Caps

 

[Sam Spade]

Hit the nail on the head. Pens goes as Murrary goes.

My opinion as well.

Pens are hot, Caps are hot, which Murray shows up will be the difference.

 

[marcel snapshot]

Rutherford is probably going to go all Ricardo Montalban programming Reggie Jackson in Naked Gun, brain-washing Gudbranson to take out Wilson: "I must kill Tom Wilson".

 

[RandyHolt]

Any advanced numbers or early feedback on Gudbranson?

It seems most think he was acquired to be a solid every day edition to their team - and laughed hysterically at the trade. Make no mistake, he was traded for to be a counter to Willy. Look for him to aggressively challenge Willy early, as Ruther soils himself in jubilation. Willy would be well served to turn the other cheek and get us a PP, and then clobber him later.

 

[Sam Spade]

I pray Gudbranson plays against Wilson/Kuzy/Ovechkin.

 

[zappa4ever]

From watching the majority of 2 Pens games with Gudbrandsen and some LGP posts looks and sounds like he's doing better than expected, but expectations were pretty low

Obv. he's bringing a physical game, he's made some mistakes but hasn't cost the team too directly yet; he's made some hits, got in some scrums, wayyyy too small a sample size to conclude anything other than he hasn't been a pylon in a tire fire

 

[hb12xchamps]

I’d tell the boys to engage physically early and often. Pittsburgh seems to be a team that loses their cool fairly quickly. Tell Wilson to hit everything that moves to get Pittsburgh more engaged with him and less engaged on winning the game.

 

[philip]

Feels like a trial run of the conference final

 

[Sam Spade]

Feels like a trial run of the conference final

This could be round one preview quite easily.

 

[895]

Any advanced numbers or early feedback on Gudbranson?

It seems most think he was acquired to be a solid every day edition to their team - and laughed hysterically at the trade. Make no mistake, he was traded for to be a counter to Willy. Look for him to aggressively challenge Willy early, as Ruther soils himself in jubilation. Willy would be well served to turn the other cheek and get us a PP, and then clobber him later.

2018-19 Pittsburgh Penguins Roster and Statistics | Hockey-Reference.com

Gudbranson leads the Pens in Corsi and Fenwick.

 

[RandyHolt]

From watching the majority of 2 Pens games with Gudbrandsen and some LGP posts looks and sounds like he's doing better than expected, but expectations were pretty low

Obv. he's bringing a physical game, he's made some mistakes but hasn't cost the team too directly yet; he's made some hits, got in some scrums, wayyyy too small a sample size to conclude anything other than he hasn't been a pylon in a tire fire

Frank - thanks for the feedback - same @Dumb and nobody . I was one of the few that cautioned laughing too hard at the trade, as I learned my lesson a few years back laughing at their D as they drank from the cup.

Not all D need to be cut from the Brian Pothier puck mover mold to contribute. Few Pens and Caps fans felt old man Orpik could help lead us to cup, but there he was taking the Cup from Nick and Ovi with a pile of victims stacked up on blue lines across the league behind him.

Pitt has lacked toughness and Rutherford was clearly obsessed with getting tougher. He f***ed up getting rid of Reaves IMO but likely owed George a favor. Reaves is one of the few that I have seen Tom steer clear from. Gud held his own and more in his only fight vs Wilson.

Its a nice story line for tonights game. Forced to guess, I think they will have a go if the game is physical.