Post-Game Talk: Episode 6 - Pens 5, Bolts 2 - Return of the Core

[NastyNick]

Dunno why people are calling it a third period collapse. Tampa came out hard. The Pens gave up 2 goals but scored 1. Certainly had some good opportunities in there too. Not the best that could have happened.. but not a disaster either. Disaster would be what happened in game 5... or even game 6 vs the Caps.

 

[Asuna]

I think overall tomorrow night will just come down to minimizing Tampa's prime chances. I have no reason to believe we're not going to score our share, so giving them one or two less sudden opportunities (which they are good at cashing in on) should give us the win all other things being equal.

Yeah, that would be pretty nice. I'm not sure of the stats, but it appears (to me) that when the Pens shut down the Lightning's top line, they've won the game. Their depth hasn't shown up much in this series, so we have to shut down Kucherov/Johnson//Drouin.

 

[BeautiPhil]

To be fair, Lovejoy has been pretty decent throughout these playoffs. His puck moving deficiencies will always be there, but he's playing basically to the best of his abilities most nights.

 

[xxxxxxxxxxxxxx]

In order to win game 7 we just have to play a smart, simple game for 60 minutes. As long as we don't sabotage ourselves, we'll be fine. We haven't lost a game all post season where we've put in a smart, solid 60 minute effort.

The only reason they scored twice last night is because we sat back and let them do whatever the **** they wanted. We let them get through the neutral zone with speed and enter our zone easily. We didn't try to do anything with the puck once we got it in the defensive zone, we just flipped or chipped it out. We were doing everything in our power short of taking 3 delay of game penalties in a row to lose that game.

That can't happen in game 7. No stupid, selfish, ******** play from Letang or Geno. Need every one of our big guns to play smart, simple, fast hockey (Crosby, Malkin, Letang, Kessel). We need to stay out of the box, and we need to get going fast and play for the whole game. We can't afford a slow start, to take 30-40 minutes to get going, or to completely sleepwalk through a full period like we did in the third last night.

 

[td_ice]

i was at game 5 and it was very loud. there were times like when TB scored 2 goals in like a minute, the crowd went quiet. and then when they tied it late. Other than that, there were always lets go pens chants mostly during the game. I wish i had tickets to game 7, i would cheer so much, i'd lose my voice.

Awesome. Thanks for another on site confirmation.

 

[Big McLargehuge]

Lovejoy has a game or two where he's not turning the puck over a dozen times and icing it every time he gets the puck on his stick and people suddenly think the trade wasn't horrible.

Good lord, people are idiotic.

Lovejoy has been better in these playoffs than Despres was in Anaheim.

The trade was still extremely moronic, but sample sizes can do that. Lovejoy has been pretty damn good in this series while Despres was tetering on being a liability for the Ducks...which can happen when you're returning from your 53rd injury.

 

[Honour Over Glory]

Dunno why people are calling it a third period collapse. Tampa came out hard. The Pens gave up 2 goals but scored 1. Certainly had some good opportunities in there too. Not the best that could have happened.. but not a disaster either. Disaster would be what happened in game 5... or even game 6 vs the Caps.

They scored two in the third. Rust and Bones and yeah, Tampa was pulling a Penguins act and trying when it was almost over. They came out hard but the Pens were far too passive in that third.

 

[ncm7772]

Tampa Bay is basically the 2010 Montreal Canadians. They have their backup goalie playing extremely well. They get play taken to them for long stretches of the game. They are extremely dangerous on the rush. The series are extremely similar. Hopefully the game 7 in this series goes the Pens Way.

Not a bad analogy at all, but I think the 2016 Bolts are much better than the 2010 Habs. And while Vasilevskiy has been outstanding in this series, Halak's performance was better IMO. I just watched the highlights of that series game-by-game and man, I didn't think it was possible for him to have played better than I thought he did, but he did (does that make sense, haha)!!!

 

[plaidchuck]

Yeah the penguins lost single handedly by mike freaking cammelleri.. tampa is much deeper.

 

[MtlPenFan]

The ball got rolling when Phil put it into his own net.

Up until that point in the third, it looked like Tampa had conceded.

 

[Empoleon8771]

Lovejoy has been better in these playoffs than Despres was in Anaheim.

The trade was still extremely moronic, but sample sizes can do that. Lovejoy has been pretty damn good in this series while Despres was tetering on being a liability for the Ducks...which can happen when you're returning from your 53rd injury.

I would honestly say that Lovejoy has been good to very good the entire playoffs so far. That doesn't make the trade less bad, but the trade being horrible doesn't make Lovejoy horrible.

 

[JTG]

We can't quit attacking. That's how we keep a team like this on their toes. At the same rate, you can't give these guys on Tampa odd man rushes the other way. They will make you pay.

I like the fact that we have the last change with out big guys turning it up right now.

 

[SEALBound]

To be fair, Lovejoy has been pretty decent throughout these playoffs. His puck moving deficiencies will always be there, but he's playing basically to the best of his abilities most nights.

I do agree with this. He may not be the best but he is playing the best Ben Lovejoy hockey Ben Lovejoy can play in all honesty. There are times I wish he was more offensive minded and could pinch harder but then I remember who he is and who he's paired with and I calm down and appreciate his conservativeness.

In order to win game 7 we just have to play a smart, simple game for 60 minutes. As long as we don't sabotage ourselves, we'll be fine. We haven't lost a game all post season where we've put in a smart, solid 60 minute effort.

The only reason they scored twice last night is because we sat back and let them do whatever the **** they wanted. We let them get through the neutral zone with speed and enter our zone easily. We didn't try to do anything with the puck once we got it in the defensive zone, we just flipped or chipped it out. We were doing everything in our power short of taking 3 delay of game penalties in a row to lose that game.

That can't happen in game 7. No stupid, selfish, ******** play from Letang or Geno. Need every one of our big guns to play smart, simple, fast hockey (Crosby, Malkin, Letang, Kessel). We need to stay out of the box, and we need to get going fast and play for the whole game. We can't afford a slow start, to take 30-40 minutes to get going, or to completely sleepwalk through a full period like we did in the third last night.

Agreed. Sullivan needs to warn those two within an inch of their lives. We just can't afford it. We need them focused on the game 7. It's one game. Put it away for one damn game. All business.

They scored two in the third. Rust and Bones and yeah, Tampa was pulling a Penguins act and trying when it was almost over. They came out hard but the Pens were far too passive in that third.

Absolutely. It's bitten them since the Washington series. They get up by a couple goals and they go into defensive mode and it just does not work. Period. It's bitten us in the ass too many times. can't let it happen when it matters most.

We can't quit attacking. That's how we keep a team like this on their toes. At the same rate, you can't give these guys on Tampa odd man rushes the other way. They will make you pay.

I like the fact that we have the last change with out big guys turning it up right now.

And that's just it. Foot on the gas for 60 min. When they do, no one can tough them. Sitting back = opening the door. Quit playing with fire and finish them off.

 

[Jacob]

Dunno why people are calling it a third period collapse. Tampa came out hard. The Pens gave up 2 goals but scored 1. Certainly had some good opportunities in there too. Not the best that could have happened.. but not a disaster either. Disaster would be what happened in game 5... or even game 6 vs the Caps.

The goals were fairly flukey too. Kessel kicked one in and the other, if Cullen were a TB player the goal might have been waived off. Reminded me of that goal in the 09 playoffs where Guerin briefly lost his mind and screened Fleury.