GDT: PO Game 1: Columbus at Pittsburgh | 4/12 7:30PM

[punk_o_holic]

What did everyone think of Jones? Pens announcers kept on praising his game but not Werenski's.
Lineup changes? Does Quincey and Nutivaara draw back in or just one of them? Shuffle the lines? Move Calvert up?

 

[Columbus Mike]

Our best players have to be our best players. Bob, Cam, Dubi, Saad, etc.

Win on Friday and all can be forgiven.

 

[Robert]

Best thing tonight, no Easter eggs.....

Friday needs to be better, Bob needs to be better, playoff nerves are over Bobby....

 

[Johansen2Foligno]

Something just seems off with the team

 

[hockey17jp]

Saad should not have been benched. He was 10x better than Foligno, Atkinson, and Dubinsky.

Werenski looks like a superstar. Jenner, Johnson, and Calvert were huge.

I believe in these boys.

 

[WashedUp]

Win Friday go home 1-1 and everyone will be ticked pink!!

 

[blahblah]

Not sure I get benching Saad.

Torts seems to have been on his ass for a while. Not sure what he's trying to do honestly.

There were a few players that stunk tonight, it's not like Saad stuck out in that regard. Torts should have been benched starting that third pairing. On the road no less. Ugh.

Pens were licking their lips looking at that pairing.

 

[Johansen2Foligno]

Best thing tonight, no Easter eggs.....

Friday needs to be better, Bob needs to be better, playoff nerves are over Bobby....

That's a shame that the Easter Bunny isn't walking through that door anytime soon. These guys have to do it themselves

 

[Double-Shift Lasse]

One teams wants it, one team doesn't.

I don't get this. It doesn't appear to me to be an effort thing, but an execution thing. Don't see how that equates to not wanting it.

Not sure I get benching Saad. Wennberg has to be a bigger threat to score. Bob didn't steal one for the team.

This I get.

Honestly, the game was decided by a few minutes in the second. But then again, that's generally how we lose.

One team making the most of its chances, the other not.

 

[CarolinaBlueJacket]

Conclusion: they will not sweep the Pens. Win on Friday and everything is good.

 

[CarolinaBlueJacket]

Cam, Foligno and Saad need to score.

 

[KJ Dangler]

Will it do any good to point out both Boston, and the rangers have a much easier path to second round than us .

Anyway, figured game 1 would be a loss. Playing defending champs on road , with many of our players first game in the playoffs . Second period , we played solely from perimeter . Pittsburgh is flat out collapsing in front of net, as they understand we generate most of our offense , from our defenseman . Also, we really need an elite offensive talent . Carlsson, aside from not closing out on that goal , was pretty poised . Overall, feels awesome to be in playoffs , and Blah is right , will be a learning experience, just maybe we get a bounce or 2, or perhaps a power play

 

[Monk]

One teams wants it, one team doesn't.

What the actual **** are you talking about?

 

[MoeBartoli]

Cam, Foligno and Saad need to score.

The first period was telling. We dominated with 16 shots but couldn't put the puck in the net. I think by games and we had 34 shots with 16 coming from defenseman. Most of the rushes not ending in a dump and chase were led by Jones and Zach. Here's hoping we have a carryover from the last six minutes when the forwards got more active in the offensive end.

 

[KJ Dangler]

What did everyone think of Jones? Pens announcers kept on praising his game but not Werenski's.
Lineup changes? Does Quincey and Nutivaara draw back in or just one of them? Shuffle the lines? Move Calvert up?

Jones is the better player right now overall, but I marvel at Werenskis ability to keep the puck in the zone , and some of the plays he makes at the blue line . Great problem to have

 

[Speedy Sanderson]

Torts seems to have been on his ass for a while. Not sure what he's trying to do honestly.

There were a few players that stunk tonight, it's not like Saad stuck out in that regard. Torts should have been benched starting that third pairing. On the road no less. Ugh.

Pens were licking their lips looking at that pairing.

I'd be surprised if Harrington is out there on Friday....bad decision on Torts' part.

Saad can either mope or come with fire next game. Hopefully the latter.

Bottom line is Jackets need to convert scoring chances, particularly on the PP, and Bob needs to be great, and he wasn't tonight.

 

[Miggus]

Lineup changes? Does Quincey and Nutivaara draw back in or just one of them? Shuffle the lines? Move Calvert up?

Quincey definitely, and in my opinion Nuti too over Harrington. Carlsson looked like a bambi on ice at times tonight, and should not be playing a playoff game at this point in his career. He needs more time to develop and to grow into his body. He has a big frame but is clearly not strong enough yet or if he is, he doesn't play like it. His play on that goal by Bonino was inexcusable, he just let him walk to the goal totally uncontested. This is the playoffs ffs, a guy like Chris Pronger would've crosschecked Bonino in the throat in that situation.

 

[We Want Ten]

I think the Harrington experiment clearly failed. I saw nothing from him that leads me to play him over Nuti or Quincey.

 

[major major]

Flower outplayed Bob. Hate to say it. But that decided the game more than anything else. The guys can't play the aggressive style if they're terrified that any play will result in a goal against. I think Bob can bounce back. Not a big believer in "playoff ability" so I'm betting Bob bounces back.

What did everyone think of Jones? Pens announcers kept on praising his game but not Werenski's.
Lineup changes? Does Quincey and Nutivaara draw back in or just one of them? Shuffle the lines? Move Calvert up?

Jones was great. Second best Jacket after Werenski. Werenski had an outstanding game. He looked like he'll be winning Norris trophies sooner rather than later.

Carlsson really did look good to me other than not boxing out Rust on that one play. And it looked like Bob wasn't dialed in on that play either (I don't think "it should have been icing" is a good excuse). I didn't see anything bad from Harry 5 on 5, but I'm not sure he'll get much play if the coaches don't trust him on PK. So maybe he sits.

Lines were great in the first. Calvert played plenty. I don't want a shakeup. They had a lot of near touches on pucks in the blue paint. Obviously the last two periods were bad but there's not a lines fix for that.

Honestly the only forward that stands out as bad from that game is Atkinson. Bjorkstrand was a non-factor, but Atkinson kept turning it over and just looked really uncomfortable.

 

[NotWendell]

Well, if I ever get called the most negative person on this board I now have a thread to refer back to.

As long as MFRONE is here, you have no worries

 

[NotWendell]

Conclusion: they will not sweep the Pens. Win on Friday and everything is good.

Second conclusion: the Pens were SUPPOSED to win this game. If we take the next one, we're in the driver's seat.

 

[CBJx614]

Anyone miss our minute munching pker yet?

What did everyone think of Jones? Pens announcers kept on praising his game but not Werenski's.
Lineup changes? Does Quincey and Nutivaara draw back in or just one of them? Shuffle the lines? Move Calvert up?

The first period was telling. We dominated with 16 shots but couldn't put the puck in the net. I think by games and we had 34 shots with 16 coming from defenseman. Most of the rushes not ending in a dump and chase were led by Jones and Zach. Here's hoping we have a carryover from the last six minutes when the forwards got more active in the offensive end.

Jones is the better player right now overall, but I marvel at Werenskis ability to keep the puck in the zone , and some of the plays he makes at the blue line . Great problem to have

Jones ability to drive the zone with a full head speed is unreal. If he can start converting or at least getting good shots it'll force the D to respect that play more and hopefully open up other options.

I don't think Zach can drive into the zone at the same level as Jones yet, but he's just behind. But Werenskis ability to get pucks through a crowd is amazing. They need to start utilizing that more. Get Fleury moving and screen him.

Flower outplayed Bob. Hate to say it. But that decided the game more than anything else. The guys can't play the aggressive style if they're terrified that any play will result in a goal against. I think Bob can bounce back. Not a big believer in "playoff ability" so I'm betting Bob bounces back.



Jones was great. Second best Jacket after Werenski. Werenski had an outstanding game. He looked like he'll be winning Norris trophies sooner rather than later.

Carlsson really did look good to me other than not boxing out Rust on that one play. And it looked like Bob wasn't dialed in on that play either (I don't think "it should have been icing" is a good excuse). I didn't see anything bad from Harry 5 on 5, but I'm not sure he'll get much play if the coaches don't trust him on PK. So maybe he sits.

Lines were great in the first. Calvert played plenty. I don't want a shakeup. They had a lot of near touches on pucks in the blue paint. Obviously the last two periods were bad but there's not a lines fix for that.

Honestly the only forward that stands out as bad from that game is Atkinson. Bjorkstrand was a non-factor, but Atkinson kept turning it over and just looked really uncomfortable.

I agree with most, especially Atkinson. I think he hands down was one of the worst players out there tonight.

 

[Cyclones Rock]

Just saw a stat which said that the Jackets had no "high danger" chances in the first. So, the first period wasn't as dominant as the raw shots stats would suggest.

After the first, the Jackets didn't belong on the same sheet of ice as the Pens. Pittsburgh played great team defense and they are capable of playing much better offensively. Crosby, Malkin and Kessel are simply so much better than anyone on the CBJ that it's not funny. Crosby's defense last night was superlative and he'll hit stride offensively soon enough.

The Jackets forwards haven't been worth a crap for almost a month. I saw nothing last night which suggested that a great turnaround in their performance is imminent.

If the Jackets extend this series to 6 games, it will be a mini miracle.

 

[Ms Maggie]

Second conclusion: the Pens were SUPPOSED to win this game. If we take the next one, we're in the driver's seat.

Series goes 1-1: then 3 in Pgh and 2 in Columbus. And Columbus is in the driver's seat?

Magical thinking.

 

[Columbus Mike]

Series goes 1-1: then 3 in Pgh and 2 in Columbus. And Columbus is in the driver's seat?

Magical thinking.

Not the best first post, but it matched the CBJ result.