Post-Game Talk: Pens beat CBJ 4-3, clinch series (4-2), advance to face winner of NYR/PHI, series +/-

[jrolley325]

clearly calls for another lebron james meme

 

[Le Magnifique 66]

If Malkin can keep up this intensity and MAF can play average I think we're East favorites.

I doubt it, problem is that the Bruins and even the Habs have much deeper rosters for a long series and both teams have goalies who can make a difference.

 

[Sidney the Kidney]

Is that the typical internet argument? Really?

I have a long history of post-game write ups. You can check through them. Personally, Sid is my favorite player and he is the best player in the league. If those standards are okay for you, then yikes.

People need to put aside their love/hate for players (except Joe Vitale) and just talk about what you see. The hyperbole around here is ridiculous. Nobody is saying trade Sid. Nobody is questioning him being the best hockey player in the league. They are questioning her playoff performance over the last two series. It's been far from even average. It's okay to call him out.

People get so defensive over #87.

Even Cole is starting to refer to Crosby as "Cindy".

 

[ColePens]

^ Oh jeeez! I didn't even see it.

 

[Shrimper]

I don't know about you guys but If our path is Rangers-Montreal I'd be quite positive about that.

 

[Rocket of Russia]

I don't know about you guys but If our path is Rangers-Montreal I'd be quite positive about that.

That's certainly the easiest road we could find to the final, but neither team would prepare us for the monster task of taking on a powerhouse like a Chicago or LA.

Of course that is assuming that the Canadiens wouldn't handle us with their speed.

 

[radapex]

http://www.nhl.com/ice/playerstats....venStrengthSavePctg&viewName=specialTeamSaves

Confirmed. Here are the top 10 goalies by ES SV% thus far:

1. Jonas Hiller, ANA - 1.000 (9 SA)
2. Martin Jones, LAK - 1.000 (4 SA)
3. Tim Thomas, DAL - 1.000 (1 SA)
4. Tuukka Rask, BOS - 0.968 (125 SA)
5. Jimmy Howard, DET - 0.953 (64 SA)
6. Darcy Kuemper, MIN - 0.950 (80 SA)
7. Jonas Gustavsson, DET - .0.948 (58 SA)
8. Kristers Gudlevskis, TBL - 0.944 (18 SA)
9. Marc-Andre Fleury, PIT - 0.943 (140 SA)
10. Henrik Lundqvist, NYR - 0.943 (106 SA)

Starting goalies are in bold. For all the complaining that's going on, that's way more than respectable. If they can get they can get their special teams acts together, they may be tough.

Now for some reference points, here are Fleury's playoff EV SV% from each of the past playoff years:

• 2012-13: .885
• 2011-12: .886
• 2010-11: .908
• 2009-10: .907
• 2008-09: .914
• 2007-08: .939
• 2006-07: .889

So here we've got objective evidence that this isn't the "same old Fleury".

 

[billybudd]

I can't say whether I agree or disagree, I just know I want to see us do it more. That's one of the reasons why I want Bortuzzo and Despres in the lineup every night.

Rocket brings up a good point. Chara cross-checks people in front of the net (or in the case of Tomas Hertl, takes a baseball swing at his face) because he gets away with it. That's not true of everybody.

Twice in that last series, I saw Chara maul the **** out of somebody, puck goes the other way and Quincy or Smith or somebody whacks a guy lightly once and gets sent to the box immediately.

While I far prefer the way a Doug Murray or a Chara play in front of the net to the way this team's players do (and, incidentally, Todd Rierden did), not everybody can get away with it. If Despres tried crosschecking the crap out of a net front guy, I suspect he'd be getting 3 penalties per game.

 

[Shrimper]

That's certainly the easiest road we could find to the final, but neither team would prepare us for the monster task of taking on a powerhouse like a Chicago or LA.

Of course that is assuming that the Canadiens wouldn't handle us with their speed.

Absolutely. If we got Chicago or LA in the final if we got there, we'd lose. But against Anaheim, Minnesota or Colorado I think we have a chance.

 

[Ugene Magic]

I don't know about you guys but If our path is Rangers-Montreal I'd be quite positive about that.

I would really like that to happen.

 

[IcedCapp]

Rocket brings up a good point. Chara cross-checks people in front of the net (or in the case of Tomas Hertl, takes a baseball swing at his face) because he gets away with it. That's not true of everybody.

Twice in that last series, I saw Chara maul the **** out of somebody, puck goes the other way and Quincy or Smith or somebody whacks a guy lightly once and gets sent to the box immediately.

While I far prefer the way a Doug Murray or a Chara play in front of the net to the way this team's players do (and, incidentally, Todd Rierden did), not everybody can get away with it. If Despres tried crosschecking the crap out of a net front guy, I suspect he'd be getting 3 penalties per game.

Eh, he already does. May as well earn em!

 

[Til the End of Time]

do people think this series win saves fleury and bylsma for next season?

 

[radapex]

do people think this series win saves fleury and bylsma for next season?

Not really, but it's one step close for each. For Bylsma to stick around, the Pens likely have to get to at least the conference final and make a series out of it. As for Fleury, he's just got to continue to provide respectable goaltending. Not necessarily a standout, but give the team a chance to win every game.

 

[Speaking Moistly]

Absolutely. If we got Chicago or LA in the final if we got there, we'd lose. But against Anaheim, Minnesota or Colorado I think we have a chance.

I think their chances a heavily predicated on how healthy the other team is compared to how healthy the Pens are. It hasn't started well for the Pens...

Eh, he already does. May as well earn em!

May as well. They'd probably eventually lay off.

Neal could be good at clearing the crease with his elbows.

 

[Ugene Magic]

do people think this series win saves fleury and bylsma for next season?

They will still make changes, but what?

If they make the ECF's at least, I don't see much in the way of any signed pieces getting moved, and that includes DB and Shero.

 

[Speaking Moistly]

do people think this series win saves fleury and bylsma for next season?

I think it helped their case, but if the typical collapse for either happens in the next round or two they're probably respectively ****ed.

I do wonder what's happened on the J. Martin front this playoffs.

 

[alcanalz]

Not really, but it's one step close for each. For Bylsma to stick around, the Pens likely have to get to at least the conference final and make a series out of it. As for Fleury, he's just got to continue to provide respectable goaltending. Not necessarily a standout, but give the team a chance to win every game.

Bang on.

 

[WayneSid9987]

Something tells me J.Martin had alot to do with the 180 after game 4 as well. The D were handling the Jackets' forecheck with ease. Although Orpik getting hurt helped there too but still.

From my understanding, Sid wanted to play with Geno as well going into game 5. Wasn't exactly Byslma or Martin putting that together.

So i don't think Bylsma's off the hook yet by a long shot.

 

[wgknestrick]

Now for some reference points, here are Fleury's playoff EV SV% from each of the past playoff years:

• 2012-13: .885
• 2011-12: .886
• 2010-11: .908
• 2009-10: .907
• 2008-09: .914
• 2007-08: .939
• 2006-07: .889

So here we've got objective evidence that this isn't the "same old Fleury".

Playoffs are only 6 games old for MAF, and that is hardly a large enough sample. My god those are terrible numbers for "overall SV%" rather than just 5v5 SV%. MAF is/has been terrible for many years.

I still think he was sheltered incredibly the last 2 games. Pens had incredible possession stats for those games.

 

[radapex]

That's certainly the easiest road we could find to the final, but neither team would prepare us for the monster task of taking on a powerhouse like a Chicago or LA.

Of course that is assuming that the Canadiens wouldn't handle us with their speed.

It'd be the easiest road, but I feel like facing the Flyers would better prepare them for the rest of the playoffs.

 

[MtlPenFan]

Something tells me J.Martin had alot to do with the 180 after game 4 as well. The D were handling the Jackets' forecheck with ease. Although Orpik getting hurt helped there too but still.

From my understanding, Sid wanted to play with Geno as well going into game 5. Wasn't exactly Byslma or Martin putting that together.

So i don't think Bylsma's off the hook yet by a long shot.

I don't think Martin had anything to do with anything.

I said it the last game, and I'll say it again:

Orpik's injury created two pairings with two puck movers each instead of just the one. With Olli/Nisky and Letang/Martin getting the top minutes, it made all the difference in the world to have two guys on each pairing who can skate out of trouble and/or make a first pass to relieve pressure on the cycle.

Oh, and it also applies to the other end of the rink, where the Pens can maintain pressure in the offensive zone and continue the cycle because Orpik and Scuderi aren't on two separate pairings creating black holes offensively.

In other words, we finally resembled something along the lines of what the 'Hawks have aside from our bottom pairing, which is d-corps whose first instinct isn't to fire the puck stupidly off the glass and actually looks for a better option.

Of course, this will go back to **** when Bylsma fails to realize that Letang started playing well the SECOND he went with Martin, and goes back to his original vision of Letang/Scuderi and Martin/Orpik.

 

[Fleury3434*]

Playoffs are only 6 games old for MAF, and that is hardly a large enough sample. My god those are terrible numbers for "overall SV%" rather than just 5v5 SV%. MAF is/has been terrible for many years.

I still think he was sheltered incredibly the last 2 games. Pens had incredible possession stats for those games.

Yeah Marc Andre sucked...he's ****ing horrible...let's just sit him next series no point in starting him he's garbage ...GIVE THE GUY SOME CREDIT...sometimes it seems the only way fleury gets credit is if he throws a shutout every game...other than game 4 he gave his team a chance to win every game, and that's all you can ask for every night with fleury

 

[SaintLouHaintBlue]

do people think this series win saves fleury and bylsma for next season?

I honestly don't think this series is enough for Byslma. I really do think he has to make the ECF to come back for a second season. I think he's on a shorter leash than people think - I believe the one poster when they said that - if management really believed in him, he would have been signed for more than two years as HC.

I get that your biased against Fleury - but I think he comes back. Rather than invoke some kind of discussion that revolves around whether or not Fleury is actually a good goaltender, I will just say this:

He does not have to be, hyberbole - or not - the the worst playoff goalie of all time to justify moving him.

If he does something these playoffs to justify moving him, I still think he stays longer than necessary, just because there are bigger things to fix, and the penguins need to use trade chips to land some depth/scoring touch/whatever people are saying. In my opinion, even if the penguins wanted to move fleury, this offseason wouldn't be the best time to tinker with the goaltending situation.

 

[66871]

So does Fleury get no credit for that save he made in the 2nd last night. Unreal (and apparently unnoticed):

http://twitpic.com/e2d1ea/full

While I would say game 4 is on his shoulders I think he did pretty well in this series. Has looked much more solid than in recent years. Some shaky moments for sure -- but they don't seem to snowball; and I don't think you'll find many goalies who play flawlessly.

I think there are more problems with the team in front of him than with him at the moment. But because of his history he catches a lot of blame.

 

[End of Line]

I was 4-0 this year going to Pens/Jackets games. I guess I'm a good luck charm eh?

Also, seeing Neal and Malkin score a Hat trick in person in the same season was ****ing awesome.

Nationwide Arena was absolutely rocking in the 3rd period. Top of the building where I was at literally started shaking. Great to see my hometown finally embracing hockey. Good guys still got the W.