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

[Dr John Carlson]

Pros: Washington is better than they were last year, and Pittsburgh is worse.

Cons: It's Pittsburgh vs. Washington in the playoffs.

Whatever. Caps in 7.

 

[4thTierSport]

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.

I think so. He has played 145ish of the 246 games over the last three years.

 

[trick9]

That's the spirit.

 

[4thTierSport]

I love the fact that very few people seem to know that Capitals had a better home record than the Pens…

 

[txpd]

That's the spirit.

makes me wonder if that guy at his age wouldn't take a cheap 1 year deal to play another season with the Capitals?

 

[txpd]

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...

The Capitals have a much better defensive team than the Penguins. Whether you use that to snuff out their offense or to expose their defense or both is the question.

 

[trick9]

makes me wonder if that guy at his age wouldn't take a cheap 1 year deal to play another season with the Capitals?

I don't know about cheap but i think he might take one at similar hit as his current contract has. He's still effective.

If they don't win the Cup now and the Capitals offer him a fair contract it will be pretty interesting seeing his response. His family likes it here and his son wants him to play here but the guy obviously wants to win. If he signs elsewhere for a similar contract that tells a lot what he thinks about this cores chances of winning in his mind.

I think he gets another Conn Smythe and leaves for another challenge.

 

[Haj]

Nate Schmidt plays like Brian Campbell

 

[Calicaps]

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.

Not that it matters, but Bucci picked the Caps in 7.

Your point is otherwise spot on.

 

[Langway]

FWIW:

@PensJG: #Pens lines at practice:
Guentzel-Crosby-Hornqvist
Rust-Malkin-Kessel
Wilson-Bonino-Sheary
Kunitz-Cullen-Rowney/Kuhnhackl

 

[Midnight Judges]

makes me wonder if that guy at his age wouldn't take a cheap 1 year deal to play another season with the Capitals?

I hope so, because if he hits the market there is going to be a bidding war. His playoff credentials are highly coveted.

 

[hockeykicker]

FWIW:

@PensJG: #Pens lines at practice:
Guentzel-Crosby-Hornqvist
Rust-Malkin-Kessel
Wilson-Bonino-Sheary
Kunitz-Cullen-Rowney/Kuhnhackl

Just wanted to check, is someone missing or just starting to practice?

 

[hockeykicker]

 

[RandyHolt]

Cullen yeesh didn't he become a coach yet? It looks like they have 4 scoring lines. I think I will quickly be hating the Kunitz-Cullen-Kuhnhackl line. I hate them all, actually. We cannot tolerate Kunitz cross checking our goalie in the head this year. I still cannot believe he got away with it. Well, yes I can and we all know why.

 

[ALLCAPSALLTHETIME]

Cullen yeesh didn't he become a coach yet? It looks like they have 4 scoring lines. I think I will quickly be hating the Kunitz-Cullen-Kuhnhackl line. I hate them all, actually. We cannot tolerate Kunitz cross checking our goalie in the head this year. I still cannot believe he got away with it. Well, yes I can and we all know why.

Technically, he cross checked Varly in the neck. Can't stand that little punk.

 

[OVrocks]

If we play the way we did against the Leafs it will be an easy sweep for the Pens. I have no confidence in our defense against fast transition teams. They got mandhandled by rookies so I can only imagine what Malkin and Crosby will do.

 

[artilector]

Hmm, wonder how the Caps' bottom 6 will look.

It really sucks that the 3rd line magic fell apart. I think we'll likely once again have problems scoring.

Wilson has been ok on the 3rd line, but overall, they've been inconsistent. Meanwhile, Beagle & Winnik look overmatched by playoff speed. Maybe the only benefit is that Trotz can't play favorites with the 4th line line anymore... On the other hand, it will be hard to sustain performance against the Pens if you are forced to play 3.5 lines.

 

[hockeykicker]

If we play the way we did against the Leafs it will be an easy sweep for the Pens. I have no confidence in our defense against fast transition teams. They got mandhandled by rookies so I can only imagine what Malkin and Crosby will do.

And if the pens play like they did against a worse Columbus team then the caps should sweep

 

[OVrocks]

And if the pens play like they did against a worse Columbus team then the caps should sweep

Huh? They pretty much dominated the Jackets for 90% of the series making a likely Vezina winner look like an AHL reject. Meanwhile, it took us FIVE overtime games to beat the Leafs.

 

[RandyHolt]

Technically, he cross checked Varly in the neck. Can't stand that little punk.

You know i published the leaked video to hikileaks, right?

I would say more head AND neck. I feel pretty certain the little weasel caught his helmet, which rocks the entire head. Of course, my low grade 1990's flip phone era 640x480 screen grab was a bit grainy.

Let's go to the leak

 

[ovikovy817]

Hmm, wonder how the Caps' bottom 6 will look.

It really sucks that the 3rd line magic fell apart. I think we'll likely once again have problems scoring.

Wilson has been ok on the 3rd line, but overall, they've been inconsistent. Meanwhile, Beagle & Winnik look overmatched by playoff speed. Maybe the only benefit is that Trotz can't play favorites with the 4th line line anymore... On the other hand, it will be hard to sustain performance against the Pens if you are forced to play 3.5 lines.

Don't worry for the TOI of Beagle and Winnik. The league didn't cancelled yet the penalties

 

[Jacoby4HOF66]

Technically, he cross checked Varly in the neck. Can't stand that little punk.

I am still fired up about that all these years later. And an adequate response has still not been administered by the Caps, IMO.

 

[artilector]

Don't worry for the TOI of Beagle and Winnik. The league didn't cancelled yet the penalties

So if they get very little ice time, the other lines are getting overworked; if they get a lot of ice time, it means we're on the PK all the time. Win-win?

 

[895]

This is why Trotz doesn't have a neck. So punks like Kunitz have nothing to do.

 

[NobodyBeatsTheWiz]

They really had to schedule game 7 the same day as the Metallica show? Ugh.