Post-Game Talk: Pens 2, Sharks 1 (OT): Horswoggle with Sweet Chin Music

[steveg]

WOW, has this been a fun ride. I am having a hard time grasping the reality that this team is up 2-0 in the Cup final...

I just cannot believe that this is where this team sits, after where things were in Oct./Nov./Dec. Just incredible. I remember talking to a guy here at work (in Oklahoma) back in early December, when he asked me about the Pens, and I told him that they have all the talent in the world, but are really, really under-performing and that something is really "off" with the team. I told him they needed a new coach, but wasn't sure they'd find the right one, nor that they'd do it in time.

And here we are. While I haven't been to a game at Consol since January (the first game Hagelin played as a Pen), it sure looks like that place is ROCKING in these playoffs, PARTICULARLY the last few. What a great time to be a Pittsburgher/Pens fan.

The most amazing thing to me, is this -- we went from a place where it looked like the proverbial "window was closing," to a WIDE OPEN window for the next few years at least. Most of this team is returning next year, and there are potentially good things (Sprong, Sundqvist, Simon, Guentzel, etc.) headed this direction in that time, as well. WOW, what a turnaround. I really have to hand it to JR, and to Sullivan (and Martin). IMPRESSIVE, what has been accomplished in the last several months...

 

[Slabber Chops]

- my workmate who said as I was about to leave to head home and see the game, "Did you see the score? You want to know what happened in the first few minutes"
- me for falling for it over that first few minutes of the game
+ bah humbug.. man this team is dominant.. simply wow!

 

[yuri28]

Conor Sheary is an enigma

+ Sid
+ Phil
+ Bonino

Sid was just amazing, best player of this series so far.
Geno deserved a + as well, was the third most dangerous player after Sid and Phil, which is amazing in itself considering how crap his linemates were (except for flashes of Kunitz)

 

[yuri28]

++ Murray: Kept us alive. Nothing he did today was bad. I think he was good.

++ Sid: Faceoffs and tenacity. I thought he continued his dominance.

++ HBK: Speaks for itself. They are at fault for the game tying goal, though. Hags played a bit rough.

++ Letang: Hey.. he stepped it up in 2nd/3rd and that play at the end was mega patient. He didn't panic. He just made the right play. Gotta give the guy credit.


Boy... **** YES.

How can you put Letang on the +++ but not Geno or Phil??
Geno was a beast in that game and very unlucky to not have a multiple points night (a shame that BHer didn't go in, the move was amazing)
Fortunately for SJ, his linemates were there to shut him down

 

[JTG]

I was trying to find Deboer's presser but I couldn't find it.

 

[Extra Texture]

DeBoer is a piece of ****. I hate his responses. I hate his attitude. I hate how he speaks. I would take Coop 10000000x over any other coach we've played. I thought Coop was so good in post-games. I actually liked listening to him speak. Sully, too.

Trotz and DeBoer are equal pieces of ****.

I agree with you about Cooper for sure, but until DeBoer politicks his way to suspending one of our players I still respect him a hell of a lot more than Trotz, who was as sour as they come this year.

Couture may be trying to curry favor right now but that's just his emotions overriding his brains md good sense. Bet if He was asked the same today I bet he would keep his mouth shut.

 

[PensBandwagonerNo272*]

I've always like DeBoer. I always thought that the Devils firing him was asinine.

 

[ColePens]

Same here. Lucked into a ticket. The walk through the outdoor crowd and around the NHL Network broadcasting booth was worth it alone. The feeling I felt after the OT was akin to doing mushrooms.

Guys, I can't believe I was at a Cup Finals game featuring the Pens. Just gravy that they ****ING WON IN OVERTIME HOLY ****

I'm so happy. This is a special group. Even if they lose four in a row. What a team. I love the Penguins again. Thank you Sullivan and Rutherford for turning a mediocre team into a dominant possession team that doesn't know what "quit" means. What a ****ing season.

Also, Ben Lovejoy and Chris Kunitz deserve credit. Lovejoy was hitting.. Hard. Kunitz hustled and won battles. But it doesn't matter. All that matters is....VICTORY

Man.. I absolutely love hearing these stories, so keep 'em coming. I completely agree with tom_servo. The feeling with all of the media there is so unique and different. It honestly feels like a Superbowl. There is media EVERYWHERE.

Sid has been god like in this series

And that was before LC went full idiot to give him even more motivation...

 

[ColePens]

It's not because of numbers, but because San Jose has had no answers for the speed and depth of the Pens, the very thing that was the question going into the series. Nor do I see anything to indicate that will change anytime soon. They simply are not built to match up to what the Pens do best. I suppose that could change, anything is possible. I just can not see it being anything close to likely.

I am going by the old eye test we used to use when Bylsma ran up those gaudy win numbers in the regular season but the team looked like they might not win a game in the playoffs. The same eye test sees no big turnaround on the west coast.

I want to piggyback a little off your post. I remember losing Game 1/2 of the SCF in 2009. I also remember we completely deserved to win those two games or at the very least one of them.

I do not feel the same about SJ so far. I don't think they deserved to even be close in either of them.

I wrote on the main board, I think SJ should commit to selling out. That's when they get possession over us. Believe in Jones and basically cheat a 4th guy in the o-zone for possession. When they do it, they get offensive zone time, even if the Pens end up with a few 2 on 1s or 3 on 2s. SJ's current gameplan is not working. The only time I even feel threatened by them is on the powerplay or if they are completely selling out. The fact PDB thinks they are just fine is hilarious. I don't believe what he's saying, but I would commit to selling out. Put full faith in Jones. That's their best chance to get even in SJ.

 

[Jacob]

Couture only won 47% of his draws in the regular season too, so I guess *everyone* is a cheater.

 

[Ugene Magic]

Deboer has been fine. A little delusional, but what do you expect him to do, quit?

 

[ColePens]

How can you put Letang on the +++ but not Geno or Phil??
Geno was a beast in that game and very unlucky to not have a multiple points night (a shame that BHer didn't go in, the move was amazing)
Fortunately for SJ, his linemates were there to shut him down

Do you live under a rock or do you not know what HBK stands for?

 

[HandshakeLine]

Huge Black Kumquats

 

[HandshakeLine]

Or Hilarious Buttery Klezmer

 

[Ragamuffin Gunner]

Crosby is giving a Conn Smythe level performance so far but sadly not getting Conn Smythe level production out of it. In the end the Cup is all that matters but it's still unfortunate that he's not getting rewarded more for his individual play so far. The guy has been an absolute monster these first 2 games. Let's hope it carries into game 3.

Also, I'm not really getting some of the negativity towards Geno lately(mostly in GDTs). Yeah, he's not scoring but who is? Crosby's playing out of his mind and has a whopping 2 assists to show for it. I think Geno's had a lot of jump and is actually creating a lot. The occasional ill-advised pass aside, I have no problems with his game.

Sid will win the Smyth if the Pens win.

 

[Dying Alive]

What an amazing experience. When it went to OT I was so nervous but when that final goal went in the place just erupted. Fantastic game, fantastic crowd, fantastic night. I love Phil Kessel. I love pretty much everyone on this team. Even though I didn't calm down enough to sleep until after 2AM and had to get up early this morning it was totally worth it.

But huge minus to the ******* Pens fan getting in the face of a Sharks fan for absolutely no reason on the way out of the game. It was so bad I almost stepped between them because I felt so bad for the Sharks fan, but the Pens fan was obviously spoiling for a fight and he was such a drunken moron I'm not sure it would have mattered to him that I'm 5'1" and female. I didn't want to get hit, so I left it up to somebody bigger. Everyone else was totally getting along with the Sharks fans, though. Just a great mood in the building.

 

[WheresRamziAbid]

Do you live under a rock or do you not know what HBK stands for?

Here Be Kunitz?

 

[Dipsy Doodle]

Greatest thing ever

I demand Sofia Vergara at the next game.

 

[IcedCapp]

Malkin talking about how he wants out of Pittsburgh

Gosh. I still think of Malkin as a kid... Hearing him speak about being a father. Amazing.

 

[stratosphere]

The west is severely overrated if this team dominated the first 3 rounds in their conference.

The west is ALWAYS severely overrated.

 

[spcastlemagic]

Crosby's been an absolute freak the last four games... we have won all four. Hopefully he keeps it up.

His transformation from superstar scoring center to Steve Yzerman on steroids is complete and maaaan is it fun to watch. 200 feet of domination.

 

[Dying Alive]

Last night's game was so exciting my sister-in-law went into labor. The newest Pens fan is here.

 

[cajal]

I'm glad the Pens haven't been doing a lot of whining to the media this post-season. Having lots of success will do that, of course. Even when they were in a tough spot they didn't ***** and moan about things, and that is a welcome change on and off of the ice - and Sullivan seems to demand that.

What a game.

 

[EvGeno]

The crowd was good last night, but that was nothing compared to game 7 last round. THAT was the best crowd ever (at least in CEC)--constantly loud all game even when there wasn't much going on.

 

[thecore]

Crosby's been an absolute freak the last four games... we have won all four. Hopefully he keeps it up.

His transformation from superstar scoring center to Steve Yzerman on steroids is complete and maaaan is it fun to watch. 200 feet of domination.

I said this too, last night. If there's anyone Sid resembles right now, it's Stevie Y. Let's hope we can surround him with great talent as his offensive numbers creep down, like Detroit did.