Pre-Game Talk: Game 2: Pens vs. Sens (Friday)

[PensFanSince1989]

I think that it is because Ottawa is the only Canadian team left, so it is more about wanting our series certain nights. I thought that I heard someone mention something like that. But yes, I am sure that it is all about television.

If that was the case, we'd have a game on Saturday night, not Sunday. Saturday Night is CBC's premier hockey spot.

My guess: NBC wanted the Detroit - Chicago game 2 for its Saturday matinee. So that left zero games in Friday night, NHL didnt want a night with zero hockey to this, the Penguins play Friday. There are already 2 games on the schedule for tonight. In fact, with Detroit playing Saturday, and if everyone just took 2 day breaks, all series would be on the Saturday - Monday schedule w/ 3 games tonight and 4 games Saturday, so they needed some spacing between games to get the series alternating days.

 

[Jaded-Fan]

And, yes, it looks like Iginla on right wing with Malkin and Neal. #Penguins

http://twitter.com/pgshelly/statuses/335052682635116544

Oh **** me. Bylsma makes me want to kick Bambi.

That is an old frustration that apparently never will go away until Bylsma does.

What I came in to post was the numbers about teams that take a 2-0 lead. They apparently win 86% of all series (cited in the thread on the playoof board http://hfboards.mandatory.com/showthread.php?t=1429727 ). Which is common sense, but I had not known the exact numbers.

I hope that Bylsma puts this in huge print in the Pens' dressing room before the game, and impress on them that if they can match the Senators' effort, which will be as if it is an elimination game for them, which it in effect is, they can almost guarantee themselves a ticket to the conference finals.

My fear is that they come out flat though.

It takes a coach to make sure that does not happen.

I have as much faith in Bylsma as a coach as I do in the IRS to fairly audit Rush Limbaugh.

 

[BumFortyOne]

Was this all just for TV? There's no event at consol tonight.

It's so they can stagger the two East series I'm pretty sure. At least this first two day break. They probably wanted to start the second round Tuesday so NBC Sports had games that night. Chicago-Detroit gave them a game last night. They didn't want the Boston-NYR series to start two days after they had just played in back-to-backs so they're starting tonight. The Pens-Sens game 2 then gets pushed to Friday.

Looks like the rest of the schedule is done to try to get as many of the Chi-Det, Pit-Ott, and Bos-NYR series on NBC Sports as possible to avoid pushing them to CNBC since all the Chi-Det games overlap in time with the two East series.

 

[rocky7]

i have to think that with the players this team has and the experience, they are fully aware of the importance of this game with or without bylsma giving them a pep talk.

it will be interesting to see how the officiating turns out and the impact it will have.

 

[WayneSid9987]

Same thing.
Expect the Sens adjustments and gameplan accordingly.
Back checking makes our team defense successful.
Be ready to play at the drop of the puck.

Neal-Malkin-Iginla COULD work if either Neal and Iginla pick up their games. If your not gonna score and win 50/50 puck battles then friggin' hit somebody.

 

[MrBurghundy]

And, yes, it looks like Iginla on right wing with Malkin and Neal. #Penguins

http://twitter.com/pgshelly/statuses/335052682635116544

Whatever. Just win.

 

[Coach Travis]

And, yes, it looks like Iginla on right wing with Malkin and Neal. #Penguins

http://twitter.com/pgshelly/statuses/335052682635116544

He's on the RW. I'll settle for that.

 

[Jaded-Fan]

Does Jagr have a set speech on his iphone and inserts a player's names based on which team gives him the most money or who he was traded to?

Today:

"I think Ronnie Francis was the same way," Jagr said of Bergeron. "He wasn't very flashy. He scored a lot of goals but not the highlights goals. And he did everything perfect, especially defensively. The GMs and the coaches, they know. And it doesn't mean the media doesn't talk about him much. People who are close to hockey and understand hockey, they know how special he is. So it's all right."

http://www.nhl.com/ice/blogpost.htm?id=17608&navid=nhl:topheads

A couple years ago:

Fast forward a year and after a preseason game Sept. 26, Jaromir Jagr had his own flashback while watching Giroux.

“Mario Lemieux,†Jagr said. “A little Mario Lemieux, a little bit smaller – but he can see it. … You have to be watching all the time, because you never know when the puck is coming.â€

http://kuklaskorner.com/hockey/comments/the_legend_of_claude_giroux


Honestly, I always thought booing him was silly, but the douchebaggery is strong in this one. He makes Barrasso look like Mother Theresa at times.

 

[Bumpus]

Tomorrow night is going to be torture for me. I'll be stuck on a bus with 40 fourteen-year-olds, coming back from D.C. - and my iPhone's battery won't last the entire game.

 

[Jaded-Fan]

He's on the RW. I'll settle for that.

Yeah but Neal on LW is just as much an issue.

 

[Shockmaster]

Both Neal and Iginla need to play RW. After seeing how much jam Kunitz-Malkin-Neal had in game 1, Bylsma doing this is beyond stupid.

Yo Ray, I think you need to pull him into your office again.

 

[Shady Machine]

Does Jagr have a set speech on his iphone and inserts a player's names based on which team gives him the most money or who he was traded to?

Today:

"I think Ronnie Francis was the same way," Jagr said of Bergeron. "He wasn't very flashy. He scored a lot of goals but not the highlights goals. And he did everything perfect, especially defensively. The GMs and the coaches, they know. And it doesn't mean the media doesn't talk about him much. People who are close to hockey and understand hockey, they know how special he is. So it's all right."

http://www.nhl.com/ice/blogpost.htm?id=17608&navid=nhl:topheads

A couple years ago:

Fast forward a year and after a preseason game Sept. 26, Jaromir Jagr had his own flashback while watching Giroux.

“Mario Lemieux,†Jagr said. “A little Mario Lemieux, a little bit smaller – but he can see it. … You have to be watching all the time, because you never know when the puck is coming.â€

http://kuklaskorner.com/hockey/comments/the_legend_of_claude_giroux


Honestly, I always thought booing him was silly, but the douchebaggery is strong in this one. He makes Barrasso look like Mother Theresa at times.

I don't know what the hell Jags is talking about. Yeah Giroux looked just like Lemieux this year. I can at least sort of understand the Bergeron to Francis reference, but it's still pretty out there. Francis was one of the best players in the game and finished 4th all time in scoring. Let me know when Bergeron finishes anywhere near top 5 in scoring for a season.

 

[SteelFish87*]

Honestly, I always thought booing him was silly, but the douchebaggery is strong in this one. He makes Barrasso look like Mother Theresa at times.

Actually, comparing Bergeron to Francis isn't that bad. Obviously Francis was better offensively though

 

[IcedCapp]

We need to be open to the possibility that bylsma is making these moves even if he doesn't think they are the best possible combination.

 

[regard]

Tomorrow night is going to be torture for me. I'll be stuck on a bus with 40 fourteen-year-olds, coming back from D.C. - and my iPhone's battery won't last the entire game.

Get a portable recharger. Got one with my new phone its pretty awesome.

 

[wvkayaker]

Yep. They make solar powered ones too... or just a second battery.

 

[Fordy]

We need to be open to the possibility that bylsma is making these moves even if he doesn't think they are the best possible combination.

Then for god sakes why is he doing it? Why would the coach intentionally be icing a lineup he knows is not the best he can do?

 

[Jaded-Fan]

Then for god sakes why is he doing it? Why would the coach intentionally be icing a lineup he knows is not the best he can do?

Insanity: doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results.

Albert Einstein

 

[Shockmaster]

We need to be open to the possibility that bylsma is making these moves even if he doesn't think they are the best possible combination.

Then do we assume he's making these moves just to placate Crosby?

Crosby may not have had a great game 1, but it wasn't a terrible game 1 either. Kunitz-Malkin-Neal had jam and the Sens had no answer for it. Crosby may prefer playing with Kunitz and Dupuis, but he's not going to whine about it. I hope Bylsma isn't reading the main board, because Crosby is a team-first guy.

Crosby didn't have a great game 4 against the Islanders, but rebounded just fine in game 5, when he was with Iginla and Dupuis. Maybe Crosby just needs to play better in game 2, which he likely will.

 

[bingobangobongo]

Forget about the offense, I thought that the lines used the past 3 games evened out the defensive play of the top two lines. The Penguins allowed 4 goals in those 3 games. Kunitz and Dupuis are good defensively. Neal and Iginla are poor defensively.

Whatever. Fingers crossed.

 

[IcedCapp]

Then for god sakes why is he doing it? Why would the coach intentionally be icing a lineup he knows is not the best he can do?

Any guesses?

 

[cheesedanish87]

So annoying to see Iginla still in the top 6, teams don't even need to worry about stopping one of our top 2 lines, Iginla stops the line all by himself.

 

[IcedCapp]

James Neal lasted 2.5 games on Sids rw when Geno had a concussion. Iggy lasted 2.5 games on Sid's rw in the playoffs. Sid has been vocal in the past about preferring to not be playing "on the rush" - he wants zone time.

Sometimes 2 + 2 = 4

 

[Waffle Fries]

I mentioned in the Iginla thread that when the lines have been Dupuis-Jokinen/Crosby-Iginla and Kunitz-Malkin-Neal, we are 4-0 and have allowed 4 goals. When the lines are KCD and some combination of Iginla, Neal and Malkin, we are 1-2 and have allowed 14 goals.

 

[Shady Machine]

So annoying to see Iginla still in the top 6, teams don't even need to worry about stopping one of our top 2 lines, Iginla stops the line all by himself.

Wow haha. I guess I've seen it all.