ColePens
RIP Fugu Buffaloed & parabola
+++++ Team: Yes... just the word team. There were so many moments in this game where the team was more important than the individual. Sid, Kessel, and Geno were pathetic on the powerplay? No worries. PK and Matt Murray will pick them up. It was their time to give back anyway. Sid gets punched behind the net? No worries, Riikola came in without hesitation to make sure that stopped. Sheahan gets a cheap shot? No worries, Pets will drop the gloves to step up for his mate. Florida wants to take a couple cheap shots? No worries, ZAR will lay the hammer down to stop that nonsense. Horny goes down to injury? Guys step up. Major props to ZAR. Major props to Rust.
This is an important step for the Pens. I felt this was one of their strongest team efforts in the sense of guys picking one another up. It was far from pretty. So the fact they had one another's back and made it through was nice. It was nice to see the stars almost at rock bottom being picked up by mates who deserved to give it back. Think about when Rusty was down in the dumps. The team had his back. Now he's giving it back consistently. I love it.
++++++ Murray: Oh come on. This could have been a 7-5 game. Murray was amazing! That was 2016 level. That was 2017 level. Just a beast of a game by Mur. He holds the fort down and the team gives it back. I do not have enough words for #30. That was one hell of a performance.
+++ Pets, Letang, Maatta, etc.: Strong game by the defense. Riikola struggled for the first 30 minutes but he found his game late in the game. Pets had a monster game. Letang had a monster game 5 on 5. Dumo was a rock. Maatta looks like a new player when he's with Riikola. They really work well together.
- The obvious issue was PP1 with Kessel, Malkin, and Sid. Who gives a shit. Stars have bad games. The team picked 'em up. We do have to figure 71 out, though. He cannot put together consistent efforts.
This is an important step for the Pens. I felt this was one of their strongest team efforts in the sense of guys picking one another up. It was far from pretty. So the fact they had one another's back and made it through was nice. It was nice to see the stars almost at rock bottom being picked up by mates who deserved to give it back. Think about when Rusty was down in the dumps. The team had his back. Now he's giving it back consistently. I love it.
++++++ Murray: Oh come on. This could have been a 7-5 game. Murray was amazing! That was 2016 level. That was 2017 level. Just a beast of a game by Mur. He holds the fort down and the team gives it back. I do not have enough words for #30. That was one hell of a performance.
+++ Pets, Letang, Maatta, etc.: Strong game by the defense. Riikola struggled for the first 30 minutes but he found his game late in the game. Pets had a monster game. Letang had a monster game 5 on 5. Dumo was a rock. Maatta looks like a new player when he's with Riikola. They really work well together.
- The obvious issue was PP1 with Kessel, Malkin, and Sid. Who gives a shit. Stars have bad games. The team picked 'em up. We do have to figure 71 out, though. He cannot put together consistent efforts.