Post-Game Talk: Cole's Plus/Minus: Flyers & Pens

[NastyNick]

The Flyers had some chances. I'm amazed they didn't get that second goal. The rebounds from Flower were glorious. Usually they eat him alive when he does that.

The Pens also played really crappy on the PP. Coulda put the Flyers home with some PP goals. I really wish Dan would considering splitting the big 2 into 2 units. It has to be tried at some point. There is just no chemistry or routine with these guys. When they do get set up, its plodding and horribly predictable.

 

[KIRK]

ESPN's box score has Crosby with 1 point and they really gave Jokienen the third star over any other Pens skater? Philly just hates on Crosby and Malkin too much

Well, the Philly folks credited Malkin with one takeaway tonight, and I'm pretty sure he had three just on the shift where Jokinen scored. **** them. Let them cry. 1-7-0 says it all.

 

[madinsomniac]

Not sure what you are talking about. He had 2 assists. The Kunitz goal & the EN by Geno.

For several minutes the Box scores were showing no second assist on Geno's goal... must have been a error somewhere down the line.. its fixed on most sites now

 

[Waffle Fries]

+Sid
+Geno
+Duper's pass
+4th line
+Other 4th line
+Fleury other than his penalty

+++++The Flyer's record

 

[PensFanSince1989]

Not sure what you are talking about. He had 2 assists. The Kunitz goal & the EN by Geno.

He didn't get the assist on the Kunitz goal. That one was take. Away. Kunitz from Dupuis and Nisky (must have hit Dupuis at net). But yes, he does have the assist on the empty netter.

 

[Sideline]

+Maatta and Bort. Bort brought some delightful violence and anger tonight.

+MAF. As much as he scares the bejeezus out of me in the playoffs he's been outstanding thus far.

+Geno. Great two way game from him.

+Crosby. He was Crosby.

 

[KIRK]

The Flyers had some chances. I'm amazed they didn't get that second goal. The rebounds from Flower were glorious. Usually they eat him alive when he does that.

The Pens also played really crappy on the PP. Coulda put the Flyers home with some PP goals. I really wish Dan would considering splitting the big 2 into 2 units. It has to be tried at some point. There is just no chemistry or routine with these guys. When they do get set up, its plodding and horribly predictable.

I wouldn't mind it on a fully healthy roster.

Sid with Kunitz and Beau. Geno with JJ and Neal. Martin and Letang. Maatta and Nisky.

 

[Zatch88]

++Fleury. kept the pens on top.

+Niskanen. For all the flak he catches around here he had a good game.

+Getting out of that game with a W considering the lineup the pens just iced.

 

[Ugene Magic]

ESPN's box score has Crosby with 1 point and they really gave Jokienen the third star over any other Pens skater? Philly just hates on Crosby and Malkin too much

Don't pay attention to ESPN, NHL.com has it right which is all that matters.

No minuses.

Loved the work effort.

 

[KIRK]

Maybe they should fire their coach...

Post of the season right here.

 

[eXile59]

ESPN's box score has Crosby with 1 point and they really gave Jokienen the third star over any other Pens skater? Philly just hates on Crosby and Malkin too much

Well don't use ESPN as a reference. I'm not sure if they know what a hockey assist is. They are too busy seeing what Payton Manning ate today for dinner.

NHL.com has him with 3 points. Since they are the ones who are in charge of tracking it I trust them. And of course my eyes.

 

[cheesedanish87]

+ DB i know hes not the most popular person here, not a great lineup he has to work with right now, but hes got all these guys playing hard and hes winning a bunch of games.

 

[PensFanSince1989]

I wouldn't mind it on a fully healthy roster.

Sid with Kunitz and Beau. Geno with JJ and Neal. Martin and Letang. Maatta and Nisky.

2 distinct units isn't going to happen. Both Crosby and Malkin want to be on the ice for the majority of the PP, and the team rightfully wants them to as well. What they may think of doing though is staggering them. Have one start the PP with the expectation that the other will get on at about 30 seconds in and remain out for the remainder while the one that started it leaves the ice after about 1:20/1:30:

 

[KIRK]

++Fleury. kept the pens on top.

+Niskanen. For all the flak he catches around here he had a good game.

+Getting out of that game with a W considering the lineup the pens just iced.

Nisky was better later, but Jay's telestration after the first was pretty damning. The play where Malkin fell down. Nisky completely let his guy walk to the net for the Schenn long pass because he wasn't paying attention. He does some stuff well, but this is one of my two big complaints: Against the sustained offensive cycle, he is prone to lose track of how the play is developing and his man, and if an innocuous breakdown happens, how he reacts sometimes makes matters a lot worse.

 

[Speaking Moistly]

I wouldn't mind it on a fully healthy roster.

Sid with Kunitz and Beau. Geno with JJ and Neal. Martin and Letang. Maatta and Nisky.

Fly in the ointment.

+ Bylsma for making the sad, sad lineup work enough for a win. I really do think his talents lie with not working with talent.
- Orpik, I didn't see the whole game, but what I saw wasn't good.

 

[PensFanSince1989]

Well don't use ESPN as a reference. I'm not sure if they know what a hockey assist is. They are too busy seeing what Payton Manning ate today for dinner.

NHL.com has him with 3 points. Since they are the ones who are in charge of tracking it I trust them. And of course my eyes.

NHL.com has him with 2 points. They changed it second intermission.

 

[KIRK]

2 distinct units isn't going to happen. Both Crosby and Malkin want to be on the ice for the majority of the PP, and the team rightfully wants them to as well. What they may think of doing though is staggering them. Have one start the PP with the expectation that the other will get on at about 30 seconds in and remain out for the remainder while the one that started it leaves the ice after about 1:20/1:30:

That's even messier. Two units. Fresher unit starts. Whichever of Sid or Geno isn't out to start changes first.

 

[NMK11]

Maatta and Nisky.

If they're both playing, that means Bort is sitting. He brings something those two don't so unlikely to happen. If they do end up splitting it up, it might as well be Dupuis with Crosby, Kunitz, and Beau

 

[Smacker]

+ Harry Z was really good.
+ Fleury. Solid.
+ Määttä and Bort.
+ Kunitz/Sid/Duper.
+ Sutter. I think Sutter was good tonight.
+ Glass/Vitale.
+ Scuderi was awesome, so solid playing.
+ Flyers lost. Giroux sucks.

- Bad third period.

Great win!!

 

[bradshaw06]

Glad to see Crosby (Best in the WORLD) scored again.

 

[Scandale du Jour]

+++++ Crosby, who usually starts slow, has 14 points in 7 games

+ I really like Maataa. He is so poised and confident with the puck. He has to stay, nothing left to learn in the O this young one has.

+ Fleury

No minuses.

 

[BlindWillyMcHurt]

Sort of a wobbly beginning of the game and start to the third period... but nothing that fazed them for too long. Didn't see much I didn't like, aside from maybe the powerplay. Beating Philly at home sort of trumps any nitpicking of this game.

Really good to see Fleury stand tall after what could have been a meltdown moment, for him.

The broadcast team is kind of overselling it a bit... but Tanner Glass really did have a great game, I thought.

 

[KIRK]

+ DB i know hes not the most popular person here, not a great lineup he has to work with right now, but hes got all these guys playing hard and hes winning a bunch of games.

I'm not sure that even the biggest doubters (like me) question his ability to do that in the regular season.

 

[ColePens]

They are showing that Maatta pass to Geno again. Oh my lord. It's a TREMENDOUS pass.

I want to keep him as long as possible and think he should go back to juniors, but at this point I'm cool either way.

 

[Dipsy Doodle]

Niskanen tied for 3rd in scoring among defensemen.