Post-Game Talk: Don't call it a comeback: Pens-5, Sens-3

[Sidney the Kidney]

"Don't worry ma'am, your future husband will be able to walk again one day."
"But he had an eye injury..."
"No need to thank us!"

This made me laugh for two reasons. First, because it was just hilarious how it was delivered. Second, because it's scary how it's not even far off from how ... questionable the Pens' medical staff is with injuries.

Great comeback victory. My only concern with regards to this winning streak is at some point it has to end. I'd hate for the mini-slump to occur when the playoffs begin.

 

[Ugene Magic]

So you like that he takes shots from 35 feet out that have zero chance of going in when he has wide-open teammates? Or do you like that he loses virtually every single battle along the walls or end-boards? Maybe you like how he constantly kills possession in the offensive-zone. Or do you love his ferocious fore-check that consists of waving his stick at the player with the puck and then turning when he actually gets within 3 feet of said player?

What does being "defensively responsible" actually mean to you? If it means just skating backwards as the puck-carrier is coming towards you, or not trying to block the shot when the puck-carrier actually shoots, well then yeah, he's really "defensively responsible."

I really question what you think the qualities of a top-6 forward on an NHL team should actually be.

Maybe you should watch goals 1 and 3 for Ottawa. Kunitz was there, but he wasn't the reason for them being scored. Kunitz was doing his job.

#1. Kunitz kepth the puck deep for Hornqvist to try and get it to Crosby but he couldn't get it and Cole iced it when it came out. Faceoff, Ottawa wins it and Kunitz goes to his guy and he passes it back over to a uncovered guy Kunitz just released. While that is happening, both crosby and Hornqvist took middle positions. Someone drop the ball and it wasn't Kunitz.

#2. Kessel's line is out there.

#3. Crosby attempts a cross ice feed through two Ottawa players instead of taking the shot. Pucks up the ice before they even attempt to skate.


Unless you can show me where he was costing them the game, up to that point, Kunitz wasn't costing them anything. You might want to watch Crosby, though. He turned the puck over a good bit himself. But hey, 2 goals means he did nothing wrong. Kunitz was there for swings both ways for Crosby.

Unless you can show me where Kunitz cost them where it counts (goals for and against) in the game (a lot of Pens turned the puck over) you don't have a case.

If you are going to put him under the microscope you might want to be at least 80% accurate. But where it counts you don't care about. Why, cause you only care about plays that didn't effect the outcome.

I looked at the game pretty good. You guys don't have a single case. Not one.

You guys might want to re-watch the game. I can't take any of you seriously.

 

[deathtouchtrample]

I wore some pens gear today... and they won. That's the first time that's happened in 3 years. Like I literally avoided wearing my gear on gamedays because of it. Today it was my only clean shirt. And I said, ****, they've already made the playoffs and I don't have any interest in watching them play Ottawa. Then I went out, and I check the score after each period, and they were losing. And I thought, of course, I wore my gear, they can't win every game down the stretch, and of course as a pittsburgh team they'd randomly **** the bed against a team bad team. Then they won. I've kept telling myself these last few weeks to not get to excited. To remember all the good teams over the last few years that got chumped in the playoffs. Even while looking up their superlative advanced stats and the watching the gutsy wins that nothing is guaranteed in the NHL playoffs. But now, now, for no good ****ing reason, actually for a terrible, stupid reason that if any of my friends brought up I would mercilessly make fun of them of. I'm in. This team is special.

 

[BigBadBoris]

Crosby plays BEST with two SMART forwards who are guys that create room on the ice.

Have you guys watched Beau Bennett? He will be the first player that gets scratch when someone comes back. Brutal turnover after brutal turnover, the same dumb hockey out of him year after year but lets play him with Crosby. OMG

Kunitz (who everyone says is horrible) has almost as many points this season than BB has in his entire lousy career.

OMG indeed. You just gave the perfect description of Kunitz. Kunitz is not a smart hockey player. He is dumb as a rock.

 

[HandshakeLine]

this board is so schizophrenic sometimes. It's like watching a maniac argue with his own reflection.

 

[IcedCapp]

this board is so schizophrenic sometimes. It's like watching a maniac argue with his own reflection.

It's ok. It's... It..its... Its... Okay... Just gotta go to Kmart...for my... Gotta go to Kmart for my under...my underwear.

 

[HandshakeLine]

It's ok. It's... It..its... Its... Okay... Just gotta go to Kmart...for my... Gotta go to Kmart for my under...my underwear.

I didn't get a chance to see the game because I was prepping for a lecture. How did Murray look? Looks like he had a rough game from the GDT/highlights.

 

[xxxxxxxxxxxxxx]

He let in a couple of goals off of weird stick deflections, but I think he recovered just fine.

It was the kind of start to a game that would've seen MAF snap a couple of years ago.

 

[IcedCapp]

I didn't get a chance to see the game because I was prepping for a lecture. How did Murray look? Looks like he had a rough game from the GDT/highlights.

his mechanics actually looked really poor. Was swimming in his net, was over-committing. Everything I've loved about him to this point was really rough last night

 

[Don'tcry4mejanhrdina]

"We're happy to inform you that his eye will be perfectly fine."
"There's something sticking out of it..."
"PERFECTLY FINE! He can play in the next game. Another job well done."

"I think we can save your fiancé's eye.....where would you like it sent?"

 

[HandshakeLine]

He let in a couple of goals off of weird stick deflections, but I think he recovered just fine.

It was the kind of start to a game that would've seen MAF snap a couple of years ago.

I always felt that part of that was that most goalies would have snapped if they're constantly put in that situation. MAF had a lot of bounce back his first few years in the league but it looked like he got worn down and mentally shaken and the lack of a goalie coach/sports psyche broke him.

But it's good for young goalies to get that kind of test fairly often. And it helps that this is a team that can blow past a 3 goal deficit, which is something that the Johnston/post Cup teams never seemed to manage regularly. And that's gotta do wonders for Murray's confidence.

 

[wgknestrick]

Do you know what's insane? In even a bad game for Murray, he still hits a .900 save%. I like how when he lets in a bad goal (or goals like today), he didn't implode like Fleury used to do at that age.

Murray made many, many tough saves tonight (I remember at least 2 breakaways). The team played like **** in front of him for long stretches. And he was critical to killing the long 5v3.

-1st goal is not his fault at all and was a real fluke.

-2nd goal was lucky to have hit off his stick and in (was probably going to miss the goal). What do you say to him to prevent this goal?

-3rd goal was his fault and he probably wished he had it back. He gave a lot of net to shoot at.

He also made several nice plays with the puck when he did come out to play it.

DP for Lovejoy already!

 

[hafaba]

I think yesterday it was really clear who should win the norris trophy.
Letang is just defensively way better dan Karlsson.

 

[Ogrezilla]

I think yesterday it was really clear who should win the norris trophy.
Letang is just defensively way better dan Karlsson.

I still disagree. Being the best D-man in the league for 2/3 of the season doesn't win a Norris with the years Doughty, Burns and even Karlsson have had. Letang is playing like the best D-man in the world, but its a full season award.

 

[Coastal Kev]

I'm not sure there are any big takeaways from that game last night other than the fact that we continue to show we can come back to win after a poor start.

Under MJ, weren't we winless when down heading into the second period?

 

[ThaKloned]

Dang even when they play like utter **** they still throw up 5. I'm glad they won but that was garbage from the start,

 

[Theautho*]

Maybe you should watch goals 1 and 3 for Ottawa. Kunitz was there, but he wasn't the reason for them being scored. Kunitz was doing his job.

#1. Kunitz kepth the puck deep for Hornqvist to try and get it to Crosby but he couldn't get it and Cole iced it when it came out. Faceoff, Ottawa wins it and Kunitz goes to his guy and he passes it back over to a uncovered guy Kunitz just released. While that is happening, both crosby and Hornqvist took middle positions. Someone drop the ball and it wasn't Kunitz.

#2. Kessel's line is out there.

#3. Crosby attempts a cross ice feed through two Ottawa players instead of taking the shot. Pucks up the ice before they even attempt to skate.


Unless you can show me where he was costing them the game, up to that point, Kunitz wasn't costing them anything. You might want to watch Crosby, though. He turned the puck over a good bit himself. But hey, 2 goals means he did nothing wrong. Kunitz was there for swings both ways for Crosby.

Unless you can show me where Kunitz cost them where it counts (goals for and against) in the game (a lot of Pens turned the puck over) you don't have a case.

If you are going to put him under the microscope you might want to be at least 80% accurate. But where it counts you don't care about. Why, cause you only care about plays that didn't effect the outcome.

I looked at the game pretty good. You guys don't have a single case. Not one.

You guys might want to re-watch the game. I can't take any of you seriously.

Kunitz is basically doing the bare minimum out there in the offensive zone. he'll shoot from where he's standing or slap the puck back behind the net for crosby to battle for it. he's can't create plays or move the puck into the dangerous areas.
there's an opportunity cost to keeping him there over other players, and that's the issue. do you really not notice how much less dangerous sid looked last night with kunitz than he did with sheary? bringing down the first line isn't about looking for specific instances of kunitz being responsible for a goal against, its about the relative absence of positive contributions from the first line, relative to what you would expect from a line with the best player in the world on it.

 

[Jesper]

I thought this was funny... so the team scores like 35 goals in 7 games and Kunitz manages to go cold during that stretch

 

[The Old Master]

Do you know what's insane? In even a bad game for Murray, he still hits a .900 save%. I like how when he lets in a bad goal (or goals like today), he didn't implode like Fleury used to do at that age.

with the team scoring like they do. it takes off a lot of pressure.

 

[joeyjake5]

I've been picturing a Kuhnhackl - Malkin - Rust line. If Malkin is going to be coming back with probably still touchy upper body injury, those guys'll do the dirty work for him, and Kuhn & Rust they seem to have good chemistry between eachother too.

I guess it's similar to when Sid came back from the concussion and for a bit when they were managing his minutes he was with Cooke & Kennedy. It was pretty effective.

My thinking also. That way you have, three dangerous lines.

About Kunitz, he is Sid's LWer until Kunitz has an arm or leg amputated, and even then I am not so sure it changes anything.

And the Rags, will be the easiest for the pens in the first round. The King is no longer that good and the reffing can't let Stahl use his stick to club heads as in the past.

 

[Winger for Hire]

And the Rags, will be the easiest for the pens in the first round. The King is no longer that good and the reffing can't let Stahl use his stick to club heads as in the past.

Don't be so sure of that...

 

[Joejosh999]

On the contrary

Don't be so sure of that...

The refs will let Staal decapitate whoever he likes with even less than the normal minimal punishment.

 

[Ragamuffin Gunner]

Last year, the Penguins played Ottawa. It was the third to last game of the season. If they won the game, they clinched.

The Pens went up 3-0 in the first. Then they blew it and lost in OT.

This year, the Penguins played Ottawa in the third to last game. They already clinched a playoff spot. They went down 3-0 early then scored 5 straight to win the game.

What a difference a year makes.

To be fair, MJ didn't know he was allowed to score 5 goals in a game.

 

[Shady Machine]

his mechanics actually looked really poor. Was swimming in his net, was over-committing. Everything I've loved about him to this point was really rough last night

Agreed. Even after his "recovery" he looked shaky. He was off his angle a lot, over committing, just seemed a bit lost or out of sync. He made some nice saves, but they could have easily scored a few more (Chiasson, a few posts, etc). He just didn't look comfortable in the net.

 

[Shady Machine]

Murray made many, many tough saves tonight (I remember at least 2 breakaways). The team played like **** in front of him for long stretches. And he was critical to killing the long 5v3.

-1st goal is not his fault at all and was a real fluke.

-2nd goal was lucky to have hit off his stick and in (was probably going to miss the goal). What do you say to him to prevent this goal?

-3rd goal was his fault and he probably wished he had it back. He gave a lot of net to shoot at.

He also made several nice plays with the puck when he did come out to play it.

DP for Lovejoy already!

2nd goal was his fault too. He was off his angle and too deep in the net. Same as 3rd goal. He did make some nice saves, but he looked shaky in night all night to me.