Realistically who can challenge the Penguins?

[Tender Rip]

Numerous teams can challenge/beat the Pens.

But it is illustrative to look at how beat up the Pens have been relative to the other top teams this year, and despite that - and rarely ever looking like going full tilt - they're basically one win from leading the league.

If we get the key injured guys back in time for the dance, its going to take a very good team playing well to beat us in a 7 game series, I think.

 

[Kaapo di tutti capi]

I agree with you in general because I take no series for granted come playoff time, let alone the whole playoffs and winning 4 series, so this is just a nitpick but how did Washington add a lot of physical players at the deadline? Shattenkirk? I mean they have physical players in a guy like Wilson, but they certainly didn't add any unless I'm forgetting something.

And anyway, the post you responded to said the reason the Hawks couldn't beat the Pens was "?", which I gotta say doesn't quite convince me...so it's probably not worth the effort

I was half asleep when I posted this. Montreal got more physical at the deadline. Not the Caps. My bad.

 

[Headshot77]

The Penguins are definitely a wounded animal right now, but even though we're high in the standings we've never looked quite as lethal as last year. I don't think the Pens have a clear advantage over the Caps or Jackets. Actually I'm more worried about the Jackets than the Capitals this year.

 

[AlexBrovechkin8]

I'm always impressed by the Pens ability to absorb multiple significant injuries and still get results. Seems like they do it every year.

 

[TaketheCannoli]

Seriously though, what current top 16 team would you actually bet on to beat the Pens. Not the "I want" card. The actual "they will beat them" card.

Caps - No - Trotz can't match Sullivan at adjustment game
Wild - No - Boudreau isn't good at adjusting either
Hawks - ? -
Oilers/Flames - Too inexperienced
Jackets - Likely won't get home ice so no

Who else?

You keep moving the bar. The original question was, Realistically, who can CHALLENGE the Pens?

Now it's who would you bet on to beat them?


As far as your list, let's see proof that:

Trotz can't compete with Sullivan, nor can Boudreau. After all, Sullivan has now actually been a head coach for a little more than one season. Trotz and Boudreau have just a wee bit more experience.

Jackets won't get home ice? How do you know this? Those three teams are so tightly packed no one can claim to know the final order at the end of the regular season.

May I get the lottery numbers for next week?

 

[Pick87your71Poison]

I was half asleep when I posted this. Montreal got more physical at the deadline. Not the Caps. My bad.

Haha I figured it was something random. Wasn't really a big point or even worth asking about, I was just curious. I was also wondering if you were referring to Shattenkirk as adding physicality

 

[Coach Parker]

nope

Well then your opinion is biased and can't be taken seriously. The Boston Bruins spanked the Penguins on the ice in one of the most lob-sided ECF's ever. It was men against boys.

Boston swept them in four straight games 4-0.
Boston outscored them 12-2 (wow) in the series, only allowing two goals the entire series.
Crosby was held pointless in four games.
Malkin was held pointless in four games.
Rask posted two shutouts in the four games.
Penguins went 0-15 on the powerplay.
Neal and Iginla held pointless as well.


Spanked. Royally spanked. In fact, it was the first time they had been swept in a playoff series since 1979...

...to the Boston Bruins.

This may have been the worst spanking and beatdown in the history of the Pittsburgh Penguins franchise. No wins, four losses, two goals.

Didn't want to bring out the stats and facts to 2013 Penguin you, but find me a bigger beatdown of the Penguins in their playoff history that wasn't the Bruins.

Oh, and my breath is salty from tasting your tears.

 

[Bobcat110]

Seriously though, what current top 16 team would you actually bet on to beat the Pens. Not the "I want" card. The actual "they will beat them" card.

Caps - No - Trotz can't match Sullivan at adjustment game
Wild - No - Boudreau isn't good at adjusting either
Hawks - ? -
Oilers/Flames - Too inexperienced
Jackets - Likely won't get home ice so no

Who else?

So, with home ice, you'd bet on the Jackets? Sportsclubstats has CBJ at 71% chance of having home ice at least 1st round.

 

[SotasicA]

Home ice only matters if the series goes seven games anyway.

 

[NYR713]

Im sorry to burst your bubble...

But you guys are NOWHERE NEAR the Penguins when it comes to forwards.

As deep? Not quite.

But you mentioned where you really are lacking....the star power....the big names....the high end talent....its just not there for the NYR. And that's a BIG deal.

You can't just say "well we're essentially the same as them.....just no Malkin and no Crosby".....lol, that's like saying "The Leafs D core is just as good as the Hawks.....just no Keith and no Seabrook".

Not having Crosby and Malkin didn't seem to bother NY 2 of the last 3 playoffs.

Rangers are easily as deep in the sense of rolling 4 effective lines all game. Last season they weren't fast enough, but their team speed is back this season.

Skjei's progression into an early-career-McDonagh and the pickup of Brendan Smith gives this NYR team a much better chance these playoffs than it looked earlier in the season. If management is smart Staal, Klein and Girardi will be battling for 5 and 6 spots and PK duty where they can be sheltered and more effective.

 

[Dying Alive]

The Penguins are the best offensive team, but they are below average when it comes to defense. They could easily have a tough time against a more balanced team like the Blackhawks, capitals, wild, columbus, etc

That's what everyone said last year and assuming they are able to get to anything near healthy they're actually better on D than they were last year.

Of course that's a big assumption that they're able to get anything near healthy, since they've managed to do it like once in the last 6-7 years.

 

[illpucks]

So, with home ice, you'd bet on the Jackets? Sportsclubstats has CBJ at 71% chance of having home ice at least 1st round.

I dunno. The Jackets are one of the few teams that can possibly have a run with the Pens. But they sure as hell aren't winning without home ice.

Pens 28-4-3 at home which is the best record in last 7 years at least, and maybe best since lockout. Even if Jackets get home ice, how are they going to get a win in Pittsburgh? How are they going to beat a team that doesn't lose back-to-back (didn't in playoffs)? Win every game in Columbus? Possibly but that's no easy task given the opponent excels in game 7 (pressure type) situations.

That 71% chance will heavily fluctuate if the Pens get 1 or 2 points today. Teams are within 1 point of each other with same GP.

 

[jeangauthier]

It's all about the man between the pipes............any team can....

 

[CanadiensforLife]

Home ice only matters if the series goes seven games anyway.

No, because home ice also means the first 2 games of the series are on your home ice, which means you have the advantage to take the lead in that series early on.

 

[66-30-33]

No, because home ice also means the first 2 games of the series are on your home ice, which means you have the advantage to take the lead in that series early on.

Pens are the best home team in the NHL.

 

[Nakawick]

The caps, pens and cbj's are the top 3 teams in the league at the moment. That means the 3rd seeded Metro team will have to beat the 2nd overal and then likely the Presidents trophy winners in the first two rounds. Finishing 2nd in the Metro is not that much better other than getting home ice against the 3rd overall. It will be tough for the 2nd/3rd finishers in the metro. Possibly the two worst seeds in the entire playoffs.

 

[TaketheCannoli]

I dunno. The Jackets are one of the few teams that can possibly have a run with the Pens. But they sure as hell aren't winning without home ice.

Pens 28-4-3 at home which is the best record in last 7 years at least, and maybe best since lockout. Even if Jackets get home ice, how are they going to get a win in Pittsburgh? How are they going to beat a team that doesn't lose back-to-back (didn't in playoffs)? Win every game in Columbus? Possibly but that's no easy task given the opponent excels in game 7 (pressure type) situations.

That 71% chance will heavily fluctuate if the Pens get 1 or 2 points today. Teams are within 1 point of each other with same GP.

Let's make this easy. Let's make a bet

you take the Pens

I take the field

EVEN UP

The question is how confident are you now? How big a bet are you willing to make?

 

[GordieHowsUrBreath]

A Penguin is a bird.
A Hawk is a bird, but a Blackhawk is either a military unit or an Indian tribe.

I think a Hawk would beat a Penguin (they can't even fly) and I'm sure a military unit or an Indian tribe would beat a penguin.

sharks eat penguins

except they didn't last year

 

[GordieHowsUrBreath]

Well then your opinion is biased and can't be taken seriously. The Boston Bruins spanked the Penguins on the ice in one of the most lob-sided ECF's ever. It was men against boys.

Boston swept them in four straight games 4-0.
Boston outscored them 12-2 (wow) in the series, only allowing two goals the entire series.
Crosby was held pointless in four games.
Malkin was held pointless in four games.
Rask posted two shutouts in the four games.
Penguins went 0-15 on the powerplay.
Neal and Iginla held pointless as well.


Spanked. Royally spanked. In fact, it was the first time they had been swept in a playoff series since 1979...

...to the Boston Bruins.

This may have been the worst spanking and beatdown in the history of the Pittsburgh Penguins franchise. No wins, four losses, two goals.

Didn't want to bring out the stats and facts to 2013 Penguin you, but find me a bigger beatdown of the Penguins in their playoff history that wasn't the Bruins.

Oh, and my breath is salty from tasting your tears.

it was a fluke and i couldn't care less about a series from 4 years ago with different teams and different coaches

the bruins failed to win the cup, i hope you think that colossal collapse in game 6 was worth beating the pens, that would stick with me longer than that win

you dwelling on the past while the pens have won a cup since then, while the bruins have underachieved and flat out sucked makes me laugh

 

[Eowin]

sharks eat penguins

except they didn't last year

Sure, if the shark is a Great White or Tiger or Hammerhead. But if the shark was a Basking shark ... no problemo for the penguin. Methinks San Jose was made up of Basking sharks.

 

[Coach Parker]

it was a fluke and i couldn't care less about a series from 4 years ago with different teams and different coaches

the bruins failed to win the cup, i hope you think that colossal collapse in game 6 was worth beating the pens, that would stick with me longer than that win

you dwelling on the past while the pens have won a cup since then, while the bruins have underachieved and flat out sucked makes me laugh

So, nothing. Gotcha. Worst beatdown in Penguins history happened. #ItHappened

Everything else I already addressed in the thread. It's just funny to see you get so upset about a beatdown that happened 3 years ago. It was the worst in their history however so I can see how you'd choose to try and forget it.

Maybe the fluke was the Penguins getting that far to face the Bruins that year? Leafs put up a much better series and fight that year.

 

[SGJacket]

I think the top seed in the east between the top 3 metro teams is going to be really important. It's going to be hard for the 2 and 3 seeds (whoever that is) to beat both of the other two metro teams (with one or both series being road ice).

In the NHL there's no such thing as "will win" series. The Pens are a great team at home, but they aren't going to win every single home playoff game. The jackets I think match up against them a little better than the Caps, but either team can beat them (even in a road series). It should be interesting though. He first two rounds of the metro side of the eastern bracket are going to have some really entertaining hockey. It should be a lot of fun.

 

[SotasicA]

No, because home ice also means the first 2 games of the series are on your home ice, which means you have the advantage to take the lead in that series early on.

Doesn't matter if you take a lead early on or later on.

 

[Semantics]

Realistically, the only way anybody can beat the Penguins is to take out Murray. The Pens would have won 5-6 cups since 2009 if they had a goalie this good, instead of Fleury and his mental issues.

 

[c9777666]

The 2013 Bruins-Penguins series was moreso a Pittsburgh offensive failure.

I thought Vokoun played pretty decently in goal.