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

[SaintLouHaintBlue]

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

No I saw that. But you need some luck to make a save like that.

But sometimes it's better to be lucky than good.

 

[MeticulouslyDishevel]

am I alone in thinking standing doesn't make you a better fan than someone who sits?

No, I'm right there with you on that one.

 

[TheGoldenJet]

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.

This is accurate, IMO. So a repeat of last year = DB fired, as does anything of us going out before the ECF.

Fleury...depends on his play. If he can get above .910 SV% for the duration of these playoffs and not lose the starting job, I think he may have turned a corner. Still a long way to go.

 

[66-30-33]

This is accurate, IMO. So a repeat of last year = DB fired, as does anything of us going out before the ECF.

Fleury...depends on his play. If he can get above .910 SV% for the duration of these playoffs and not lose the starting job, I think he may have turned a corner. Still a long way to go.

Fleury only ***** the bed in the playoffs against teams he ***** the bed in the regular season too. Columbus series means nothing, he does not struggle vs that team. His test IMO has still yet to come. If we play the Flyers, that's going to judge him.

 

[Shady Machine]

I'm just glad I don't have to listen to the Columbus feed anymore and hear them say "listen to this crowd. the 5th line is carrying them" 80 times a game. And then Jody Shelley go "guys you should listen to the crowd down here, it's deafening". We get it, the crowd is into it. Now announce the damn game.

 

[td_ice]

I'm just glad I don't have to listen to the Columbus feed anymore and hear them say "listen to this crowd. the 5th line is carrying them" 80 times a game. And then Jody Shelley go "guys you should listen to the crowd down here, it's deafening". We get it, the crowd is into it. Now announce the damn game.

I thought our crowds were pretty good in this series.

 

[Joejosh999]

I think if MAF continues to be at this level he is back.

Much as I would like to believe Byslma is still at risk, I think that a single round's win secures his job next year.
Makes me slightly queasy to say that, but there you are.

 

[Al Smith]

I'm just glad I don't have to listen to the Columbus feed anymore and hear them say "listen to this crowd. the 5th line is carrying them" 80 times a game. And then Jody Shelley go "guys you should listen to the crowd down here, it's deafening". We get it, the crowd is into it. Now announce the damn game.

That and how the Pens and the rest of the world haven't given them any respect or a chance to win.

FWIW, I thought the Jackets played a great series. I liked their tenaciousness and really like their top line, but they have problems on D and a lack of scoring depth. So, I'm not sure this series is a launching pad from which they'll rise to the upper echelon of the league.

 

[AjaxTelamon]

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

There's our man Glass as usual trying to figure out what to do in the D zone while Martin tries to cover two guys.

 

[Joejosh999]

Well they were not totally healthy. I think they can continue to make the playoffs, if only because the East blows......

 

[Joejosh999]

Gotta love

There's our man Glass as usual trying to figure out what to do in the D zone while Martin tries to cover two guys.

Gotta love the knob!!! I've made a few knob saves in my life, though none nearly so intentional lol!!

 

[Speaking Moistly]

There's our man Glass as usual trying to figure out what to do in the D zone while Martin tries to cover two guys.

Impossible, Glass is a defensive specialist.

 

[Rocket of Russia]

There's our man Glass as usual trying to figure out what to do in the D zone while Martin tries to cover two guys.

It was the same story on goal #2. Glass failed to clear the puck or at the very least eat it in his skates, got the puck taken from him with ease, was slothesque to the point, made a weak attempt at even pressuring the dman once he did finally arrive at the point, and a wide open shot from the point goes in with a big screen in front.

 

[Shrimper]

With the Bruins-Habs series starting on Thursday and the CEC being used on Saturday I reckon that whoever we get the series will be a Fri-Sun start.

 

[Ogrezilla]

Holy crap!! One tough guy.

My first thought on reading that Umberger played through that crap was "Umberger played?" So maybe he should have sat for someone healthier.

 

[JTG]

I think Brandon Sutter was one of our better players this series. Definitely brought his game up a notch, and looked really strong carrying the puck.

Jussi Jokinen should probably be a healthy scratch at this point. I don't really think he brought a whole lot in this series, and he's not looking good regardless of who he plays with.

 

[SHOOTANDSCORE]

FWIW:

Elliotte Friedman said the Pens were moving Geno to Sid's wing because they wanted him to shoot more. With Neal he got out of the shooting mentality too much.


Now, when will they move Sid to wing?

That would be interesting.

Something like

Geno- Vitale- Sid
Kunitz- Sutter - Neal
Jokinen -Goc - Bennett

 

[IcedCapp]

That would be interesting.

Something like

Geno- Vitale- Sid
Kunitz- Sutter - Neal
Jokinen -Goc - Bennett

what an upgrade for Vitale!

But I think having both of them on the same line would defeat the "shoot more" purpose.

So try:

Kunitz - Vitale - Crosby
Bennett - Goc - Malkin
Jokinen - Sutter - Neal

!!!!

 

[td_ice]

My first thought on reading that Umberger played through that crap was "Umberger played?" So maybe he should have sat for someone healthier.

Same here.

 

[66-30-33]

With the Bruins-Habs series starting on Thursday and the CEC being used on Saturday I reckon that whoever we get the series will be a Fri-Sun start.

I think this is how the games will go next round.

CBC- Habs series, La/Sharks series
TSN - Pens series, Hawks series

 

[Jacob]

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

Yeah... in 6 games he only had one meltdown. That's gotta count for something!

Things are pretty bad when that's all Fleury's defenders can hang their hat on.

 

[Ogrezilla]

Fleury played well enough not to lose us the series, only one game. Its a step in the right direction.

 

[billybudd]

That would be interesting.

Something like

Geno- Vitale- Sid
Kunitz- Sutter - Neal
Jokinen -Goc - Bennett

My guess is Vitale will be playing sled hockey with Pascal Dupuis for the next few months until his knee gets put back together.

 

[penguins2946*]

It's kinda sad that this series was the first series he has had above a .900 save% since the cup win against Detroit in 2009. 6 series in between where he had below a .900 save%. It's great to see him playing well now, but I'm going to wait before I say he has put his demons behind him.

 

[Honour Over Glory]

No I saw that. But you need some luck to make a save like that.

But sometimes it's better to be lucky than good.

So many are lucky...

• Lucky to be playing behind one of the best defensive teams (Rask)
• Lucky to have a team that got a really weak opponent (Price)

Sometimes, I feel for MAF, it seems like every other goaltender has a book as thick as the Encyclopedia, filled with excuses, except Fleury.

Lundqvist can suck in the playoffs, same for Hiller, Mason, or anyone for that matter...but if Fleury sucks, we gotta ship him out because he's garbage. It's not like he's ever proven to be better than he's been in the playoffs...unlike those other goaltenders.

Even Roy had some garbage years in the playoffs, same for Brodeur and Hasek and they were on teams that were defense oriented and with some HHOF defensemen in front of them. And no, I am not putting him on that level, just saying even the best have problems, so why couldn't someone that's pretty good?

Price's SV% is worse than Fleury's...no one is batting an eye lash about that. Apparently he's still leagues above Fleury...god knows why.

Fleury has been better than Quick, Miller, and a few others. Guys that people here are having raging ****** for as "I wish we had..."

I mean give me a break, Pens don't play a better defensive oriented hockey game than the Blues or Kings and look at their numbers, worse Save Percentage than Fleury.

Opponents wise?

I would wager the Jackets left every ounce of effort they had, on the table as a team that was desperate to make a mark, a team more desperate than the Sharks, Hawks, or otherwise.

I am going to give the CBJ a boat load of credit here, they were an unreal first round opponent, if the Pens see that as a huge hurdle (which they should), they should be able to do well against the rest.

Bruins, again, being the only measuring stick in the East.