Series Talk: Round Two | Pittsburgh Penguins take on the Washington Capitals... again (Caps Win 4-2)

[USMC607]

LOL. What?

Gotta agree with ya... Even if we get dusted by TB I will never say I'd rather have the caps beat us.

I think most of their fans know they have a slim to none chance of winning it all.

This is their cup. I dont want them to have it

 

[Sidney the Kidney]

This notion that we simply can't win is weird to me, and it's way more people than you. Sid and Geno are really good. We always have at worst puncher's chance in any series imo.

For me, it's not that I think it's 100% impossible the Pens can win. Of course they *can* win, they've shown that the past two years. Instead, it's that I'm not seeing the same sort of signs from them that I saw the past two years that suggest they will win this year.

Last couple of years, the Pens seemed to get their share of lucky bounces. This year, even against the Flyers, they didn't seem to be getting many lucky breaks. Against Washington, it seems like they haven't got a single lucky bounce.

Also, the last couple of years the Pens were getting timely production from guys outside of their superstars. Key goals here and there by Rust or Cullen or Bonino or Fehr. This year, we're not getting those timely goals from the supporting cast in close or tight games.

So it's not that I don't think they have even the slightest chance, but just that based on stuff that seemed to go RIGHT for them the past couple of years, I'm seeing those same things go WRONG for them this year.

 

[MetalheadPenguinsFan]

If we go into the 3rd with a lead can we please please staple Letang's ass to the press box??

 

[trader997]

Not only is Murray giving up to many goals, but he just looks awful.

How many pucks have went though him, but not went into the net?

How many bad rebounds has he given up?

How many shots has Murray not been able to catch with his glove?

The stats of Murray are bad, but i actually think the eye test makes him look worse then the stats.

It's precisely what i saw early in this series. He's fighting every puck right now. He can't be average for the next 2 or we are toast. f*** do we miss Ian Cole right now.

 

[LOGiK]

If we go into the 3rd with a lead can we please please staple Letang's ass to the press box??

All we need is a little luck and a lot less Letang.

 

[Andy99]

If we go into the 3rd with a lead can we please please staple Letang's ass to the press box??

If we have any sort of lead, we should be playing a trap like Vegas did tonight and we played the third period of game 4....who cares if it’s boring and no one scores...just win the damn game...sometimes I don’t understand Sully...he knows his goaltender is struggling...just trap....

 

[Andy99]

Yeah me too. I'm already nervous for tomorrow. I can't take defeat, but I do feel pretty confident it's going 7 games.

Really? I felt confident last game and they didn’t win...now I feel that the Caps are going to close it out tomorrow....just look at what happened today: the teams that had a chance to close it out did it...that’s generally because they were the better the team in the series...unfortunately (hate to say it) the Caps have been the better team....

The good news is I’m always wrong, so there is that....

 

[Lustaf]

Any chance Sprong plays tomorrow?

About as likely as Cole playing tomorrow.

 

[LOGiK]

Really? I felt confident last game and they didn’t win...now I feel that the Caps are going to close it out tomorrow....just look at what happened today: the teams that had a chance to close it out did it...that’s generally because they were the better the team in the series...unfortunately (hate to say it) the Caps have been the better team....

The good news is I’m always wrong, so there is that....

Caps were never the better team. Better at taking advantage of the penguins awful mistakes and shaky goaltending, but IMO never the better team.

 

[CascadiaPenguin]

Is it wrong I'm secretly hoping the pens lose to the capitals so they can be spared the utter humiliation that Tampa will inflict upon any they face?
I'd much rather see the Capitals humiliated by Tampa instead of Pittsburgh.

I am not the final arbiter on what is right/wrong, but I find your premise most disagreeable. Tampa is not going to "utterly humiliate" anyone in the NHL. We could beat them if things went our way. So could the Caps.

 

[Gurglesons]

Really? I felt confident last game and they didn’t win...now I feel that the Caps are going to close it out tomorrow....just look at what happened today: the teams that had a chance to close it out did it...that’s generally because they were the better the team in the series...unfortunately (hate to say it) the Caps have been the better team....

The good news is I’m always wrong, so there is that....

That isn’t true that they’ve been the better team.

Also, it is the Caps.

 

[cygnus47]

We've probably been the better team, but it's only by a little and only because Sid and Guentzel are playing out of their minds offensively, not because of any systematic superiority. Malkin, Kessel and Brassard are clearly playing at less than 100% health and we've had no consistency in terms of team D since the run in January.

We'll have to win probably 5 of the next 6 periods convincingly and there is another team in the series that has a say in that. The only way I see it happening is if we get a bunch of bounces and Murray steps up huge.

 

[Honour Over Glory]

I took the day off tomorrow.

I don't even know why. What am I expecting?

Am I expecting magic to happen? Am I expecting our stubborn headed coach to play Sprong in place of one of the grinders and inject an uninjured shooter into the line-up that might inject some extra energy into the teams legs?

What am I expecting? Why did I even bother taking the day off for this.

I don't feel as hopeful as I did last year. I just think the problems will finally come to ahead and no one will really realize it because the last 2yrs means this year is forgivable some how.

 

[Giskard]

Come on, we all expected this series to go to a game-7, doesn't care how, win tonight and repeat '09 in Washington.

 

[Honour Over Glory]

Come on, we all expected this series to go to a game-7, doesn't care how, win tonight and repeat '09 in Washington.

I am hoping for it.

I really am.

 

[radapex]

You a Pittsburgh or VGK fan?

Pens. But I've also watched every game Vegas has played. They're a fun team to watch, and a lot less frustrating than the Pens lol

 

[Randy Butternubs]

Hope in one hand, Letang in the other.

 

[Mr Jiggyfly]

So, for the most part, it's been the F3 not really doing what he's supposed to be doing? Because the breakdown seems to happen not because of the guys closest to the boards involved in the puck battle or supporting it, but because there ends up being an opposition player open with no one close enough to either cut off the pass to him or take away his space before he can shoot. From an untrained eye, it's like there's no one standing in the slot to take away chances that pop out from the corner.

Considering they seem to be having so much trouble, wouldn't it be better to switch to maybe a more conservative (if that's the word) defensive zone system where other than the guy engaging the puck carrier along the boards, the other four guys box out the front of the net and give the opposition nothing but long range looks?

I noticed the F3 making a lot of mistakes not shading the slot like I said, but that doesn’t mean that’s what’s leading to goals. We would have to break down every goal and assign blame, to really know where the issues are.

I’m honestly more concerned about how they are setting up in the neutral zone and the miscommunication between the strong side blueliner and F3 in the attacking zone. This stuff should be fixed by now, but the issues are still there.

Caps are also doing a good job of attacking Pens during line changes by getting the puck to the weak side quickly. The F1 has to do a better job of filtering the puck where they have numbers, before he changes out.

So much of this is positioning and communication and it’s all breaking down for any number of reasons.

Which is why I think the Pens will be more conservative tonight after the first several minutes, but that will make it even tougher to beat Holtby.

 

[HuskerTornado]

That isn’t true that they’ve been the better team.

Also, it is the Caps.

It's been a weird series.

Game 1, Caps may have had an edge in play, but it wasn't huge, a quick burst of scoring in the 3rd period wins it for the Pens.

Game 2 was pretty even, maybe a bit of a nod to the Pens, but the botched goalie interference review and botched goal review spoiled what should have been a thriller that may have gone OT. Also, Wilson's hit on Dumoulin not being penalized. Have to wonder how different this game is if any of those events are called correctly. Or all 3?

Game 3 was a slightly better game by the Pens, they just couldn't put it away. You have another illegal hit from Wilson that wasn't penalized. Again, how different is this game if Wilson is either suspended for it as he should have been, or if he was booted for the hit on ZAR? He certainly wouldn't have been there to trip Maatta (who had a huge blunder to start this sequence, anyway) to set up the game winning 2 on 1 goal late. All water under the bridge now, I suppose.

Game 4 was a better game by the Pens, and they were able to get their PP to work and hold onto a 3rd period lead.

Game 5, maybe the best game from the Pens of the series, but they couldn't put it away. Simon's selfish, lazy tripping penalty in the o-zone while the team was dominating possession, shifted momentum for a short while to the Caps, within that frame they put in 2 quick goals, one on the ensuing PP. Letang's unexplainable defensive lapses at the end of the game also helped put 2 on the board for the Caps. Lots of missed opportunities to put the game away and then late take the lead back or tie (Sheahan's early failing to push the puck into the open cage, instead sweeping it into the post, Maatta's whiff on the wide open net late, Phil handing over an ENG, etc., etc.)...tough one to swallow.

Tough to guess at what will happen tonight. Pens have been a bit better than the Caps in this series, but it isn't necessarily translating to W's, for a variety of reasons within each game. Guys are really lacking finish, which is hurting badly. And the Caps are making more of their opportunities. They have taken advantage of lethargic starts and finishes by the Pens and that has been frustrating.

 

[WayneSid9987]

I disagree with the "better team" assessments.
If the other teams #1D and #1G are outplaying yours, you're not the better team.
WSH has been the better team so far. Won 2 games where they were down 1 heading into the 3rd.

Now COULD PIT be the better team? Yes, they could.

 

[Shady Machine]

Such a pathetic retort.

In that particular case yes, but it’s always a fair retort against you. That’s your sole agenda here

 

[BHD]

A forward other than Crosby or Guentzel needs to score tonight.

 

[66-30-33]

Hey Letang, don't f*** up! You cost us game 5, you're dead to me for good if you cost them game 6.

 

[EightyOne]

First to three goals wins?

 

[Old Gregg]

This series would be over by now if it weren't for the 1st line. They are the only reason the Penguins are even playing a game 6. If the Penguins want to win this series they are going to need other lines to produce, win the special teams battle and Murray is going to need to start making some key saves. Plus Letang is going to have to play defense.