Pre-Game Talk: THE STANLEY CUP FINAL | Penguins vs. Predators | Pens Lead Series 3-2

[Rossi Rat]

Idk all, as much as I want to see them win the cup tonight, 3 days of DK and Ron Cook telling everyone how Fleury should start Game 7 does sound pretty awesome.

 

[Penske]

I am still trying to figure out why Geno's ATOI is 16:27 in the finals. 8 guys ahead of him on the team. Hopefully he's conserved enough extra energy to use in Game 6 and 7 if needed.

Not sure. He always is quite low in first periods. I'd assume the guys ahead of him are all the D men and Sid. They've all be played closer to 20 mins each because of Letang out and the way the pairings are constructed.

Maybe they thought everyone's ice time needs to be managed because of fatigue.

 

[xxxxxxxxxxxxxx]

I am still trying to figure out why Geno's ATOI is 16:27 in the finals. 8 guys ahead of him on the team. Hopefully he's conserved enough extra energy to use in Game 6 and 7 if needed.

I wonder if he's still got a nagging injury. Remember, he was out for weeks before suddenly returning for game 1 of the Columbus series.

 

[Empoleon8771]

Rinne is 5-5 in elimination games (chances where the Predators can be eliminated) with exactly a .900 save% and a 2.84 GAA. Rinne has won a series when being down 3-2 before (last year against Anaheim), but he has lost 4 others (2010 against Chicago, 2011 against Vancouver, 2015 against Chicago, last year against San Jose). In those 4 series, he lost game 6 3 times and lost in game 7 once (San Jose last year), he even got pulled in game 7 after giving up 5 goals on 26 shots. I'm feeling good about the Penguins chances tonight.

 

[JimmyTwoTimes]

Refs, injuries, opposition playing bad but none of it is the Penguins playing well. We are just on an unsustainable streak

Sully is 7-0 in series results and is 30-17 (incl 5 OT losses). In terms of stretching that over a season it would be a 110 point year. **** we're good.

Don't care what anyone says about this run( other than if being fun to read of course).

We already had no margin for error entering the playoffs without Letang. No injuries vs the Jackets and we win 4-1. All is well.

Up 3-1 against Caps...all is well. Then Crosby and Sheary get concussions and we lose the next 2. And looked bad in those game. Yet dominated game 7 .

Start the Sens series with 3 serious injuries...Hornqvist, Schultz, and Rust. End up going down 2-1 because of it. That could have ended us. And likely would have ended most teams. But we will found a way. Won the next 2 and should have won game 6 as well(goal called back, 5 on 3 for them but whatever). Come out in game 7...Kunitz scores in double OT. Found a way again.

This series, our defense is barely hanging on(half of them hurt, all are worn down never playing this many minutes and having this much responsibility) ...get outshot the first two games but still win. Blow our 2-0 lead( Bones goes down.. Another big loss) . yet respond with a blowout in game 5 after things looking pretty bad. Who would have expected our defense to respond like that after the two previous games?


so some can call it luck..I see it a different way. Had so many injuries that almost ended our season but still found a way. Resilient.

With how everything has played out so far, we should be expecting a loss tonight but hopefully they decide enough is enough. Raise it tonight

 

[JimmyTwoTimes]

Rinne is 5-5 in elimination games (chances where the Predators can be eliminated) with exactly a .900 save% and a 2.84 GAA. Rinne has won a series when being down 3-2 before (last year against Anaheim), but he has lost 4 others (2010 against Chicago, 2011 against Vancouver, 2015 against Chicago, last year against San Jose). In those 4 series, he lost game 6 3 times and lost in game 7 once (San Jose last year), he even got pulled in game 7 after giving up 5 goals on 26 shots. I'm feeling good about the Penguins chances tonight.

So all of those losses were to teams that advanced to the finals(van and SJ losing). Interesting.

We are expected to lose tonight. But we are usually a pretty good road team. Idk, I can't see us losing all 3 road games in a series.

 

[Empoleon8771]

So all of those losses were to teams that advanced to the finals(van and SJ losing). Interesting.

We are expected to lose tonight. But we are usually a pretty good road team. Idk, I can't see us losing all 3 road games in a series.

Pens are actually the favorites tonight for what it's worth.

 

[Rossi Rat]

So all of those losses were to teams that advanced to the finals(van and SJ losing). Interesting.

We are expected to lose tonight. But we are usually a pretty good road team. Idk, I can't see us losing all 3 road games in a series.

Last time we lost 3 road games in a playoff series?

'09 vs. the Red Wings. Yes, even in all those disgraceful playoff exits between the Bylsma and Sullivan eras, they could at least steal a road game or 2.

(Of course a 3rd road game wasn't necessary in that awful sweep to the Bruins in '13)

 

[Whale Mingo]

Pens are actually the favorites tonight for what it's worth.

According to who? Line I see in Vegas is Nashville -150 which makes them a decidable favorite. Not huge, but not middle of the road either.

 

[Pick87your71Poison]

Pens are actually the favorites tonight for what it's worth.

According to who? We definitely are not in Vegas. Game opened around -140 Nashville and has ranged in the -135 to -150 area.

 

[Dread Pirate Roberts]

So all of those losses were to teams that advanced to the finals

The Pens are a team that advanced to the finals....aren't they?

 

[Empoleon8771]

According to who? Line I see in Vegas is Nashville -150 which makes them a decidable favorite. Not huge, but not middle of the road either.

That was my mistake actually, they switched up the order of the two on the site I was looking at.

http://www.vegasinsider.com/nhl/odds/las-vegas/

They had Pittsburgh on top for tonight's game and Nashville on top for game 7.

 

[Whale Mingo]

Idk all, as much as I want to see them win the cup tonight, 3 days of DK and Ron Cook telling everyone how Fleury should start Game 7 does sound pretty awesome.

If by awesome you mean I'd rather punch myself in the junk repeatedly for three days instead then yes, awesome.

 

[Pick87your71Poison]

The Pens are a team that advanced to the finals....aren't they?

Those teams were all propelled by beating the Preds and advanced to the finals later. The Pens will not, so it doesn't count.

 

[Pick87your71Poison]

That was my mistake actually, they switched up the order of the two on the site I was looking at.

http://www.vegasinsider.com/nhl/odds/las-vegas/

They had Pittsburgh on top for tonight's game and Nashville on top for game 7.

Yeah, the home team is always on the bottom in general.

 

[clefty]

Just win. I'm tired of being nervous.

 

[deakka]

Pens are actually the favorites tonight for what it's worth.

We are?
All european bookies have us as the underdog for tonights game.

Not that it matters. Its not like its only one in a hundred we can win in their barn.
I just want us to end this.

 

[DegenX]

Ellis is skating prior to the Preds' morning skate per Lavoie. No idea what that means, if anything TBH. Since he seems to be covering the Preds today, I'll check his timeline later to see if there's anything more definitive.

Also, am I the only one experiencing this weird time warp ... it seems like Game 5 was forever ago

 

[Clare2904]

Too early to start drinking ?

 

[Penske]

Too early to start drinking ?

It's 4pm in England and Canada is part of the Commonwealth so I say go for it.

 

[Penske]

I hope this game 6 goes the same for us as our first cup win. 8-0 would be great.

 

[Jaded-Fan]

Ellis is skating prior to the Preds' morning skate per Lavoie. No idea what that means, if anything TBH. Since he seems to be covering the Preds today, I'll check his timeline later to see if there's anything more definitive.

Also, am I the only one experiencing this weird time warp ... it seems like Game 5 was forever ago

I have had no doubts that he plays. How effective he will be is the question.

To be honest that second pairing of he and Josi have gotten lit up almost as badly through five games as the much maligned third pairing. Statistically they have been only a hair better. And were the pair Crosby went through like a warm knife through butter a minute into game 5 leading to the penalty and first goal.

Ellis limited could make that even worse of a matchup nightmare even at home.

 

[xxxxxxxxxxxxxx]

If he plays, we'd better put him into the third row on the forecheck.

 

[Penske]

If he plays, we'd better put him into the third row on the forecheck.

Kunitz you have one job in your last game as a pen/maybe player.

 

[DegenX]

I hope this game 6 goes the same for us as our first cup win. 8-0 would be great.

As long as we win, I don't care what the score is. Like you said, 8-0 would be great, but I'll take 1-0 or 4-3 as long as it ends with Bettman handing Sid the Cup

And while finally lifting the cup on home ice would be nice, I'm good with finishing it tonight.