Series Discussion: ECSF: Capitals vs Penguins (Pens up 3-1) (Pens Fans Read Post #1)

[RandyHolt]

Matt Murray has started off ice workouts. I wonder when he is expected back, and if he would immediately bump Flurry.

 

[txpd]

I dont think anyone has ever said he is a first pairing guy. He's a PP specialist who can play in a first pairing role if absolutely needed.

He is expected to get 7m per in his next deal. I should have said top 4 because he was not a top 4 in St Louis and he is not in DC and hasn't shown me that he is even close to earning top 4 minutes. I see a pp specialist. If I had to choose between Carlson and Shattenkirk, its an easy choice to keep Carlson

 

[ovikovy817]

Don't like the fact that there is 2 days of rest instead of 1 before game 5 at home. would prefer to have the same schedule as in the 1st round.

 

[AlexBrovechkin8]

I actually think MAF is a good goalie, but how Caps would it be for Washington go up 3-2 in the series against Fleury, only to have Murray come back for G6 and G7 and post a .975 save percentage to steal the series?

 

[trick9]

There is hope.

Barry Melrose picked the Penguins (in 7) this year.

 

[Caps8112]

the only thing worse then the caps losing this series and being out is the cakewalk Crosby will have to another cup. this series should define the ovi era imo. no excuses.

 

[discobob]

While the Pens are a fast / nimble team - they are not as fast and nimble as the Leafs.

The Pens defense is not in top form. We need to hem them in offensively and forecheck the crap out of them. Cbus was not a good possession team, we can be if we play our cards right. That is the key to beating the Pens IMO.

 

[OV Rocks]

While the Pens are a fast / nimble team - they are not as fast and nimble as the Leafs.

The Pens defense is not in top form. We need to hem them in offensively and forecheck the crap out of them. Cbus was not a good possession team, we can be if we play our cards right. That is the key to beating the Pens IMO.

I am not very good at comparing teams to teams but how does the Penguins blue line compare to the Leafs? Without Letang it seems to me that the would be comparable, no?

Letting it be known now, Ian Cole is going to be a pest I can't stand that guy. Him and Hornqvist drive me crazy but neither match my intense hatred for the cry baby that wears number 87

 

[txpd]

There is hope.

Barry Melrose picked the Penguins (in 7) this year.

I think now with push come to shove that most of the analysts are going to pick Pittsburgh. Keith Jones already has. Add Melrose and Bucci.

What I find interesting is this double standard in play. The Leafs playing the Caps so closely shows both that the Leafs are for real AND that the Caps are not.

 

[AlexBrovechkin8]

I am not very good at comparing teams to teams but how does the Penguins blue line compare to the Leafs? Without Letang it seems to me that the would be comparable, no?

Letting it be known now, Ian Cole is going to be a pest I can't stand that guy. Him and Hornqvist drive me crazy but neither match my intense hatred for the cry baby that wears number 87

I don't think the Pens have a pairing as bad as Marincin-Carrick, but I don't think the Pens have the same speed on the backend as the Leafs. Gardiner, Zaitsev, Reilly, and Hunwick can all skate well and skate with the puck. It's part of the reason the Leafs were so effective on the breakout the first half of the series. I think the Pens can roll three pairs that are responsible defensively, but I don't think they're as mobile. Not to say the Pens don't have some speed on the backend... I just don't think it matches what the Leafs had. Maybe a lurking Pens can confirm or deny my observations?

 

[trick9]

While the Pens are a fast / nimble team - they are not as fast and nimble as the Leafs.

The Pens defense is not in top form. We need to hem them in offensively and forecheck the crap out of them. Cbus was not a good possession team, we can be if we play our cards right. That is the key to beating the Pens IMO.

Penguins are a much faster team than the Leafs. They are the fastest team in the league.

Was actually shocked when i watched their forward line-up earlier this season. They have 1 guy who is above 200 lbs, and that's Phil Kessel who is listed at 202. Capitals have 9 guys above that and their average is higher than that 202 (203,3).

 

[Richard]

I don't think the Pens have a pairing as bad as Marincin-Carrick, but I don't think the Pens have the same speed on the backend as the Leafs. Gardiner, Zaitsev, Reilly, and Hunwick can all skate well and skate with the puck. It's part of the reason the Leafs were so effective on the breakout the first half of the series. I think the Pens can roll three pairs that are responsible defensively, but I don't think they're as mobile. Not to say the Pens don't have some speed on the backend... I just don't think it matches what the Leafs had. Maybe a lurking Pens can confirm or deny my observations?

Maata and Hainsey are poor skaters, you are correct.

Cole is above average.

Daley, Doumo, and Schultz can all move as well as anyone in the league. Maatta is the worst skater on the team at any position and may be replaced.

 

[Richard]

Penguins are a much faster team than the Leafs. They are the fastest team in the league.

Was actually shocked when i watched their forward line-up earlier this season. They have 1 guy who is above 200 lbs, and that's Phil Kessel who is listed at 202. Capitals have 9 guys above that and their average is higher than that 202 (203,3).

Malkin runs 210-215 easily. Leafs are faster, top to bottom, than the Penguins. The Pens speed is generated a lot through systems. Penguins Defense is NOT fast at all.

 

[Jacoby4HOF66]

Caps are due a series against these guys...hopefully this is the year.

Caps are more than due. Didn't realize how due until they said on CSN after the game that the Caps are 1-8 in playoff series against PIT. I am sure I've heard that stat before but being reminded of it last night really struck me.

What also struck me is the lone series win was in '94. I remember that series. Not specifics, but feeling throughout that the Caps were destined to lose and then the shock when they clinched the series at the Capital Centre in 6 games. Crazy thinking, at 40 years old, the last time the Caps beat PIT in the playoffs I was about to graduate high school, in the Capital Centre no less.

I drive by the old Capital Centre site a lot for my new job. I might have to stop in there before Thursday and make some sort of sacrifice. Going by the map coordinates on wikipedia the Capital Centre is now a Japanese Steak House. I could make that work.

Yeah they are due.

 

[AlexBrovechkin8]

Maata and Hainsey are poor skaters, you are correct.

Cole is above average.

Daley, Doumo, and Schultz can all move as well as anyone in the league. Maatta is the worst skater on the team at any position and may be replaced.

Thanks. Schultz having a renaissance with the Pens certainly doesn't hurt. He looks like a slightly worse version of Letang out there.

The bolded is crazy to me as his rookie year he looked like he was going to be an absolute stud (if I remember correctly). Have injuries just killed his career? When I watch him it looks like he's laboring with every stride.

 

[trick9]

Malkin runs 210-215 easily. Leafs are faster, top to bottom, than the Penguins. The Pens speed is generated a lot through systems. Penguins Defense is NOT fast at all.

I think he was listed at 200 there. Thought it was odd, that makes sense though.

Still consider the Penguins as the faster team (this is with Letang, haven't really watched them much without him), because the D move the puck much faster and smarter than the Leafs, and their forwards are faster than the Leafs ones.

 

[RandyHolt]

I think playing and passing faster, faster decisions, dominates over skating faster. The ArmPitt system allows for fast play because the D know where their outlets will be.

If we lined up all the players at one goal line, and raced to the other end, do the pens win by more than a player or 2? Dare I think 2 of their better skaters agility included are Letang and Hags.

They killed us a year ago with pin point breakouts to a F at full speed. Just crushed us all series long. Barry must counter this. They likely have agility on us, but we have size.

#SmashSmurphs

 

[strungout]

How long is Haglin out for?

 

[marcel snapshot]

There is hope.

Barry Melrose picked the Penguins (in 7) this year.

Good - the Melrose contrarian oscillator swings in our favor.
We have never won when he picks us.

 

[ovikovy817]

It only took 6 seconds for Ovi to throw his first hit of the series against TML. Will he beat his record against Pit?

 

[discobob]

Penguins are a much faster team than the Leafs. They are the fastest team in the league.

Was actually shocked when i watched their forward line-up earlier this season. They have 1 guy who is above 200 lbs, and that's Phil Kessel who is listed at 202. Capitals have 9 guys above that and their average is higher than that 202 (203,3).

Already been said above, but I think their speed is different. Leafs, IMO, are clearly the faster "foot speed" team. The Penguins play the tic-tac-toe style which generates their speed. I think it's the foot speed that is more challenging for the Caps to match.

 

[kicksavedave]

I think playing and passing faster, faster decisions, dominates over skating faster. The ArmPitt system allows for fast play because the D know where their outlets will be.

If we lined up all the players at one goal line, and raced to the other end, do the pens win by more than a player or 2? Dare I think 2 of their better skaters agility included are Letang and Hags.

They killed us a year ago with pin point breakouts to a F at full speed. Just crushed us all series long. Barry must counter this. They likely have agility on us, but we have size.

#SmashSmurphs

Stopping another team that is good at the breakout like the Pens is mostly about aggressive forecheck, which is mostly about heart and desire to move your legs, more so than systems or adjustments. The Caps will need to pump up their forecheck effort all series long, not just a period here or there, not just when they get down by a goal or two. This is really just about their desire over a series, not just small scale momentum swings. Anyone can forecheck for 10 minutes. We need to do it for 6/7 games. The term I'm looking for is "relentless pressure". If we do that, we will win.

 

[g00n]

Poll added

 

[RandyHolt]

Stopping another team that is good at the breakout like the Pens is mostly about aggressive forecheck, which is mostly about heart and desire to move your legs, more so than systems or adjustments. The Caps will need to pump up their forecheck effort all series long, not just a period here or there, not just when they get down by a goal or two. This is really just about their desire over a series, not just small scale momentum swings. Anyone can forecheck for 10 minutes. We need to do it for 6/7 games. The term I'm looking for is "relentless pressure". If we do that, we will win.

I thought we would do that last year... It never seemed to materialize. I think relentless pressure may need some fresh legs. And may need some slow dumps.

I wonder how hard it would be to create an armPitt D outlet heat chart, and try and pick off a few passes. If it becomes evident we cannot generate a turnover or even a hit before a D passes the puck, I think we could channel or force outlets to a Cap pizza lover laying in wait.

Some D go up and off the boards, some flip pizza's. Figure out where the B6 (or most turnover prone) preferred outlet is, and take a few chances at a free pizza giveaway.

 

[Bananas]

I think the Caps should come out aggressive but if we start hemorrhaging odd man breaks again we should quickly revert to coin-flip hockey and try and make the Pens win a war of territorial attrition. Ideally we've had enough time to fully learn Pittsburgh's tendencies and can make them adapt their game and not the other way around. But if all else fails I think battening down the hatches and playing how we played two years ago against the Rags gives us close to a 50 percent chance to win which is a fine fall back plan. If they are waltzing into our zone with better numbers all series we definitely won't win, that's for sure...