ECF Game 1 | Senators @ Penguins | 7:00 PM ET | NBC CBC SN TVAS PART II

[Captain And Coke]

His point was that Malkin is playing sub-par overall, despite still leading the playoffs in scoring. These two things are not mutually exclusive.

 

[KingBilly]

This is fun. Ottawa fans are devoid of the worry and doom that Caps fans carry with them. Great win and I look forward to a great series with "lively" discussion.

The only thing I dread as a Sens fan is them looking run off the ice, being swept, or losing in 5 with lopsided scores/box scores. If they can make it close here against the defending champs I'll tip my hat. Maybe it'll convince Melnyk to loosen the purse strings a little.

I also don't want Karlsson to be caught too many times either but I no longer really worry that he'll make up for a bad play now and then. On balance he's been pretty good pretty reliably for awhile.

 

[PensFever71]

Yes, I have been. Malkin has been consistently mediocre for his standards despite putting up a lot of points. Just like Kessel, I haven't been happy with Kessel at all in the playoffs, yet he's still at a PPG. Crosby and Guentzel have comfortably been the Penguins best forwards in the playoffs.



Okay, where's your evidence that the officiating is biased? The Senators taking more penalties than the Penguins isn't evidence of that.



Yes, you're stat watching. I'm actually watching the games. Just like Kessel hasn't been good in the playoffs and he's tied for 6th in playoff scoring.

Malkin has been pretty good dude.

 

[illpucks]

Yes, I have been. Malkin has been consistently mediocre for his standards despite putting up a lot of points. Just like Kessel, I haven't been happy with Kessel at all in the playoffs, yet he's still at a PPG. Crosby and Guentzel have comfortably been the Penguins best forwards in the playoffs.



Okay, where's your evidence that the officiating is biased? The Senators taking more penalties than the Penguins isn't evidence of that.



Yes, you're stat watching. I'm actually watching the games. Just like Kessel hasn't been good in the playoffs and he's tied for 6th in playoff scoring.

Stat-watching, and his 19 points in 13 games, is the same as 19 points CONN SMYTHE Crosby got in 24 games!!!

 

[BHD]

Pens coming off a long, emotional series vs. the Caps, and sometimes teams need a game to figure out the opposition, especially when they aren't in the same division. Penguins looked very lacklustre, almost disinterested, for much of tonight. Hats off to the Sens, though. They played a perfect road game.

It's a long series. The Pens should make adjustments, and come back stronger. They are the better team, and over the course of a long series, that should play itself out.

This post pretty much sums up my outlook on the series.

 

[Nairbo]

How in the world can someone possible say Geno hasn't been amazing in these playoffs so far? [MOD]

 

[Classicnamesup]

He was quiet vs the caps besides that big last minute comeback imo. Lots of pts vs cbj

 

[Empoleon8771]

Malkin has been pretty good dude.

No he hasn't. He's been mediocre for his standards in the playoffs. Just based on how he has played, I'd guess he would have like 11 points in 13 games, just like I'd guess that Kessel had like 8 points in 13 games.

Stat-watching, and his 19 points in 13 games, is the same as 19 points CONN SMYTHE Crosby got in 24 games!!!

So yeah, you've been stat watching.

He was quiet vs the caps besides that big last minute comeback imo. Lots of pts vs cbj

And I didn't even think he was all that great against Columbus. After the first round, I looked at the stats and just thought "holy ****, Malkin didn't play even close to a 2 PPG player level".

 

[PensFever71]

The only thing I dread as a Sens fan is them looking run off the ice, being swept, or losing in 5 with lopsided scores/box scores. If they can make it close here against the defending champs I'll tip my hat. Maybe it'll convince Melnyk to loosen the purse strings a little.

I also don't want Karlsson to be caught too many times either but I no longer really worry that he'll make up for a bad play now and then. On balance he's been pretty good pretty reliably for awhile.

Im interested in how aggressive he is. He's like a 3rd winger. I am not too familiar with the Sens game but it appears a forward is always prepped to cover defensively when he pinches. It's definitely fun to watch.

 

[SanderSen]

For all the talk about the trap, I thought the best part of Ottawa's D game was keeping the Pens to the outside in the Ottawa zone.

It's what Ottawa used to do in years past, cycle and cycle but not getting many shots through. In 2012 the Rangers did that to Ottawa, just a wall to the net.

End of the day, Pens only had 6 more shots and turned the puck over 3 times more than Ottawa. Once the game was tied, Ottawa took the game to the Pens as much or more than the other way.

 

[topshelf15]

Its one game,that could have went either way.Pittsburgh will be coming much harder next one

 

[ToastrStutzle]

Pens still have the advantage in the series because they're the better team.

That doesn't mean Ottawa can't win, but I expect the Pens to come out all guns firing next game.

Karlsson was very average tonight imo. Really sucks about his fractures. I wish a healthy EK could impose his will on this series.

 

[PensFever71]

No he hasn't. He's been mediocre for his standards in the playoffs. Just based on how he has played, I'd guess he would have like 11 points in 13 games, just like I'd guess that Kessel had like 8 points in 13 games.



So yeah, you've been stat watching.

I respectfully disagree.

 

[Micklebot]

Malkin has been pretty good dude.

I haven't watched a lot of the pens games, but when I have, he's looked pretty good to me. Not sure why anyone is downplaying him right now...

Heck, CBC was gushing over his defensive play last week (I think).

 

[Empoleon8771]

I haven't watched a lot of the pens games, but when I have, he's looked pretty good to me. Not sure why anyone is downplaying him right now...

Heck, CBC was gushing over his defensive play last week (I think).

Idk, I feel like Malkin has had a lot of nights where he didn't really seem to do much or you didn't notice him much, yet still ended up with 2 points. That's how I feel he has played in most of the playoffs. I noticed him more tonight than I have in a lot of the games in the playoffs.

 

[Senscore]

Its one game,that could have went either way.Pittsburgh will be coming much harder next one

We deserved this win, even if the score was close. Credit to Pittsburgh for getting a timely goal. Just shows that even a 55 minute clinic isn't enough. Sens will have to be ready for pushback.

 

[PensFever71]

I haven't watched a lot of the pens games, but when I have, he's looked pretty good to me. Not sure why anyone is downplaying him right now...

Heck, CBC was gushing over his defensive play last week (I think).

I'm not sure what the guys angle is who is downplaying him but he hasn't had multiple hattricks which is kind of concerning.

 

[BHD]

Bottom line... Malkin collecting points means the team is getting on the scoresheet. If Ottawa is going to play like they are, then you take what you can get.

 

[Flamingo]

Im interested in how aggressive he is. He's like a 3rd winger. I am not too familiar with the Sens game but it appears a forward is always prepped to cover defensively when he pinches. It's definitely fun to watch.

The Sens have a forward float back for every pinching defenseman. It's not covering-for-EK-because-he's-a-rover.

 

[darglor]

So any noncalls throughout the game... always nice to see the boys overcome not only a favourite, but the refs.

 

[BHD]

For all the talk about the trap, I thought the best part of Ottawa's D game was keeping the Pens to the outside in the Ottawa zone.

It's what Ottawa used to do in years past, cycle and cycle but not getting many shots through. In 2012 the Rangers did that to Ottawa, just a wall to the net.

End of the day, Pens only had 6 more shots and turned the puck over 3 times more than Ottawa. Once the game was tied, Ottawa took the game to the Pens as much or more than the other way.

The Senators did an outstanding job. This might be Sullivan's biggest challenge yet.

 

[piteus]

This post pretty much sums up my outlook on the series.

In what world can anybody have a confident outlook in any series during the 2017 Stanley Cup Playoffs? Nothing's gone according to plan. Favorites flaming out, Homes teams losing consistently. No team can gain any momentum. Teams constantly scoring empty net goals. Teams winning without their stars.

It wouldn't surprise me if the Sens win in a sweep. It wouldn't surprise me if the Pens win the next four. Every team adjusts, so who really cares? These playoffs have been completely random.

 

[PensFever71]

In what world can anybody have a confident outlook in any series during the 2017 Stanley Cup Playoffs? Nothing's gone according to plan. Favorites flaming out, Homes teams losing consistently. No team can gain any momentum. Teams constantly scoring empty net goals. Teams winning without their stars.

It wouldn't surprise me if the Sens win in a sweep. It wouldn't surprise me if the Pens win the next four. Every team adjusts, so who really cares? These playoffs have been completely random.

While this may be a bit of an exaggeration (probably intended), I agree one game is one game.

 

[JaegerDice]

What in the merciful **** is Mike Sullivan talking about? They had 36% score-adjusted CF% tonight. Measuring by either possession or threat, there wasn't much to like about the Penguins 'zone time'.



If anything, the fact they pushed it to OT is a testament to the power of PIT's gamebreakers to score against the grain on very few shots/attempts.

 

[BHD]

In what world can anybody have a confident outlook in any series during the 2017 Stanley Cup Playoffs? Nothing's gone according to plan. Favorites flaming out, Homes teams losing consistently. No team can gain any momentum. Teams constantly scoring empty net goals. Teams winning without their stars.

It wouldn't surprise me if the Sens win in a sweep. It wouldn't surprise me if the Pens win the next four. Every team adjusts, so who really cares? These playoffs have been completely random.

Because I have that much confidence in Sullivan.