Realistically who can challenge the Penguins?

[Allie Kitsune]

As much as people dump on the Morrow(s) trade, J. Morrow hasn't exactly amounted to much of anything, and B. Morrow was playing pretty well until he got injured.

 

[Jaded-Fan]

Who cares about a series that happened four years ago?



When your GM adds a future HOF winger and the coach insists on playing him on his off-wing to accommodate lesser players it pretty much sums up everything you need to know about that coach.

No kidding. How many players remain for either team? Both team's coaches changed, systems, GM'S. You would be hard pressed to find any relevance at all to predicting outcomes today if the teams meet.

 

[Coastal Kev]

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.

Would you like to discuss the epic beatdown Mario provided to B Town back in 92 conference finals as well???

 

[Voight]

But was it as much fun as the Pens obliterating the Bruins in '91 and '92 on their way to winning the Cup those years? Asking for a friend.

Considering the Penguins were stupid stacked during those years and the B's had Bourque and not much else (they had oft-injured Neely), its not all that fantastic.

People forgot to account for the Dan Bylsma factor.

Worked out well for the Pens just four years before that

Mind you a crossbar and a miracle save helped him out

Anaheim??? Stick to Wrasslin'!!

Anaheim is a sleeper pick. Their defence is loaded, their goaltending is rock solid and they have great depth up front. No pressure on them this year either so they can sneak their way thru the playoffs. I'm moe scared of Chicago facing them then SJ tbh.

 

[Empoleon8771]

As much as people dump on the Morrow(s) trade, J. Morrow hasn't exactly amounted to much of anything, and B. Morrow was playing pretty well until he got injured.

That's true, Joe Morrow sucks now, but Morrow wasn't exactly great here. I don't have a problem with trading Joe Morrow, I just didn't like the Morrow for Morrow trade.

 

[Will Hunting]

That's true, Joe Morrow sucks now, but Morrow wasn't exactly great here. I don't have a problem with trading Joe Morrow, I just didn't like the Morrow for Morrow trade.

We got a sweetener with a 3rd rounder there, though. Jake Guentzel is not that bad

 

[Mr Jiggyfly]

Considering the Penguins were stupid stacked during those years and the B's had Bourque and not much else (they had oft-injured Neely), its not all that fantastic.

Uh...

Bruins made back to back conference finals and in 90-91 they finished first in the Wales with 100 pts/Pens had 88.

Beating a team 8 straight times in the playoffs is an incredible feat, no matter what excuses people want to throw out there.

 

[c9777666]

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.

I am no Penguin fan, but....

I don't know if I would say it was THAT bad a series.

That series to me was moreso bad Pittsburgh offense. Outside of the bizarre Fleury game 2 cameo, I thought Vokoun played well in that series where the series at worst felt like the Bruins would be up 3-1.

He only gave up 3 goals in 2 games at the TD Garden and was completely and utterly betrayed by the Penguin offense. He held up as well as you could ask for in the 2 OT game 3 and most of game 4.

3-0, 2-1, 1-0 were three of the scores. Philly 2011..... THAT was a Boston thumping of a sweep.

 

[BHD]

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

I thought Vokoun played pretty decently in goal.

Due in large part to Bylmsa overseeing it. As a Pens fan, I could easily point to that, but full credit to the Bruins. They won by sticking to what got them there, and a few minutes away from Game 7 of the SCF.

Now, about the current version of the Pens, who are totally different... Teams are definitely aware of them. The Caps have been waiting since last sping and the Blue Jackets having been sizing them up all season. Oh, and both of those teams are threats. Can the Pens go far? Of course, but they'll have their work cut out for them. As impressive as their record is, especially with the injuries, they haven't played 'A' game with regularity.

 

[GordieHowsUrBreath]

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.

never said it didn't happen, i called it a fluke, the fact that it's still remembered and talked about today is because it was a fluke that nobody can explain

i'm not upset at all, my team won the cup last year, your team choked away the cup in a manner that will be shown over and over again until the end of time LOL, i'll take losing in the conference finals 4 years ago over that

 

[c9777666]

For all the speed and experience of the Pens, it boils down to this:

Can they get anything close to the goaltending they got last spring?

 

[GordieHowsUrBreath]

Who cares about a series that happened four years ago?

.

bruins fans care

that's all their team has accomplished since then, and it helps ease the pain of giving up 2 goals in like 30 seconds losing the cup, which will be shown on commercials promoting the playoffs FOREVER

 

[CanadiensforLife]

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

Yes it does. If you take a 2-0 series lead, you put ALL the pressure on the other team which gives you a huge advantage.

 

[SotasicA]

Yes it does. If you take a 2-0 series lead, you put ALL the pressure on the other team which gives you a huge advantage.

If you take a 2-0 lead you will, obviously, have upper hand.

What if you don't? What if it's 1-1? The other team suddenly has home ice advantage. What if you lose both games?

Either way, it doesn't affect how well the other team plays in game 3. Momentum doesn't carry like it does inside a game.

I don't think home ice matters that much in the playoffs. Certainly not enough to claim a clear favourite between two evenly matched teams. Maybe if all 7 games were played on home ice...

 

[CHaracter79]

Carey Price

 

[missingjibbsclub]

Who can challenge the pens? Uhh CBJ, Caps, NY, Chicago.

Any one of those series would go either way and 7 games.

 

[Flames Fanatic]

If the Pens are healthy rolling into the playoffs, it's gonna take a godly performance to stop them.

 

[TheBigThree]

leafs if we go by regular season games.

 

[Rustcohle]

With the Crosby line on fire and the depth they have, its starting to feel like consecutive cups for Pittsburgh. Is Letang going to be back for the playoffs?

 

[PuckSeparator]

Whichever team has a player willing to sacrifice himself to take out either Crosby or Malkin in the POs because that's what it's gonna take.

 

[Pick87your71Poison]

With the Crosby line on fire and the depth they have, its starting to feel like consecutive cups for Pittsburgh. Is Letang going to be back for the playoffs?

Nobody knows exactly what is wrong with him or when he could be back. He has been skating before practice the last few days.

 

[Rustcohle]

Nobody knows exactly what is wrong with him or when he could be back. He has been skating before practice the last few days.

Ok, thanks!

 

[Psychoil]

me. I can challenge the penguins....

 

[Son Goku]

If Guentzel-Crosby-Sheary keeps clicking anything is possible

 

[Dying Alive]

For all the speed and experience of the Pens, it boils down to this:

Can they get anything close to the goaltending they got last spring?

MM's save % right now is the same as it was in the playoffs last year and it was actually higher before he had a couple of rough games lately, so the short answer is probably barring anything unusual. Tbh I'd think Murray is the least of their worries.

leafs if we go by regular season games.

The Pens are 1-0-1 vs. the Leafs this season. Not saying it couldn't happen but I'm also not sure how it deserves a mention.