Pens vs Music City....
- Thread starter torontoeers
- Start date
If I were rooting for Nashville, I'd want Rinne hung after that GA......
Did not think we would see #13 back tonight. These guys are tough customers!
Having both coming off a great Conference Finals series, have you noticed how invisible Carter Rowney and Scott Wilson have been early this series ?? Goes to show you how different the game is when skating and playmaking take precedence over grinding and hitting.
Crosby saying sweet NOTHING to Asshat Subban or Ekholm for that matter....I love it....
Pittsburgh Penguins need a push to persistently pepper pucks at Pekka this period.
And Carrie Underwood or whoever is whining on Twitter about the refs apparently...suitable place...for Twits....
See what can happen when you shoot the flippin' puck!
Why is that dumbass Malkin squaring off in a 4-1 game ??
I like the fact we got the sub .800 Renne thus far this series...and Murray has looked solid....
Applause for Kessel. He laced them up like a big boy tonight.
OM1...the fella behind Laviolette has a little broom! I REALLY like that earlier post of yours more and more lol!!!
You typed that a little too soon!!! Wilson pots one and Rowney was very good in the 3rd
From his post game comments it sounds like he's sticking with Rinne. I think I heard he's 0-7-2 vs the pens. He has a few days to change his mind but that leash is short, if there even is one.
No doubt a monstrous sequence by the Preds......not sure if the Pens got caught trying to coast to the intermission, or the Preds found something in the Pens' zone for which they had the right legs. But that was a real attack, and Murray slammed the door on them.
If the 3rd period outburst was the sequence which won the game, that was second.
From what I can tell, Laviolette didn't roll Rinne under the bus.....but he hardly gave him a vote of confidence either. Like beacheer, I agree Rinne will get the start, but be on one of the shortest leashes of his career. Probably makes more sense to give him a chance before the home crowd in Game 3; and if he comes up small, give Saros the full-game shot down 3-0 when they've got nothing to lose.
Meanwhile, the hockey world is assuming the Preds will automatically win Game 3 before the greatest home crowd in League history.....which may indeed happen......putting them in the ideal position to even things up in Game 4. Of course, that's the way it's supposed to work in a 7 game series. But we've all learned the Pens have a strange way of coming up big when we (or most of us) least expect it. I think the chance is at least reasonable they come home with a split in Nashville (though they might be limping getting off the plane).
Meanwhile, Saros shut the Pens down pretty much cold when they played early this season (when, I think, Rinne might have been hurt). I have a feeling the less we see him, the better off we are.
Meanwhile, the hockey world is assuming the Preds will automatically win Game 3 before the greatest home crowd in League history.....which may indeed happen......putting them in the ideal position to even things up in Game 4. Of course, that's the way it's supposed to work in a 7 game series. But we've all learned the Pens have a strange way of coming up big when we (or most of us) least expect it. I think the chance is at least reasonable they come home with a split in Nashville (though they might be limping getting off the plane).
Meanwhile, Saros shut the Pens down pretty much cold when they played early this season (when, I think, Rinne might have been hurt). I have a feeling the less we see him, the better off we are.
I believe HCPL will definitely start Rin Tin in the net and bring Sore Ass in at the first sign of trouble.
As we all know, the Pens have been unable to stand prosperity at times during this playoff season. However, right now I believe they smell blood and will come out running on all 8 cylinders Saturday night. A couple of early goals to take the crowd out of the game I think would further ignite them. I would be delighted with a split in Nashville. If they lose both then it's anybody's guess.
I think in that sequence late in the first, the pens lost every faceoff badly allowing the Preds to swarm. At times the Pens just cant buy a faceoff.....
At the end of this series, I think we all look back at this playoff run and ask how they have done what they did with the sheer number of weaknesses in the make-up of the team.....all without Letang
Time for me to complain about the talking heads. Ok Rinne has not been a brick wall. We all get that. But can you really blame Rinne for the Wilson or Malkin goals last night? No way. Bad luck on one and a tremendous top corner shot on the other. I would say the 2nd Guentzel goal was a "bad" goal as the rebound was about as juicy as one can get.....but where was the vaunted Preds D? Nowhere to be found....Guentzel was completely unchecked. Look at the first Guentzel goal, I am still not sure how that puck got through. Rinne was hugging the post. Nevertheless, there wasn't a defensemen near him and he got two cracks at Rinne.
Game 1. Malkin's blast....Maybe Rinne should save that. Sheary's goal was not stoppable. Guentzel's goal was top corner and unstoppable. Another bad bounce off a defender on a Bonino goal.
So of the 8 goals not including the ENG, maybe he should have stopped 2 or 3??? But if you want to point fingers, they need to be pointed directly at the poor play of the Preds defense.
Game 1. Malkin's blast....Maybe Rinne should save that. Sheary's goal was not stoppable. Guentzel's goal was top corner and unstoppable. Another bad bounce off a defender on a Bonino goal.
So of the 8 goals not including the ENG, maybe he should have stopped 2 or 3??? But if you want to point fingers, they need to be pointed directly at the poor play of the Preds defense.
If you are GMJR what do you do with Maata this offseason? He is young. He is better than average at least some of the time. Other times he just looks lost and slow. Do you try to move him?
I don't know the answer to that. What I do know is my a$$hole puckers up every time he touches the puck in the defensive zone in a close game.
Hmmmm....I wonder if they may have to consider it cap wise depending on how the expansion draft shakes out and other pending FA's? Would another team assume that 6 year 4 mil per deal and give some value back? I think so, but the term is quite long for a guy who has been a bit injury prone....I'm also thinking we arent seeing the best of Olli seeing as his traditional D partner has been on the shelf long term....some fancy footwork will definitely be needed by GMJR this offseason, and based on recent results I'm pretty happy it will be him pulling the strings...
Ok...dont wanna get too ahead of myself but have to ask guys....Conn Smythe? Geuntzel? Geno? Personally I wish it could be divided between the two netminders were it possible! Without the goaltending that we have seen this squad is in nowheresville! ....
If I had to vote today It would likely be for Geno, some nights he has been an absolute monster... although so tough to go against young Jake....If the boys pull it out this will be an interesting one imo....
If I had to vote today It would likely be for Geno, some nights he has been an absolute monster... although so tough to go against young Jake....If the boys pull it out this will be an interesting one imo....
Brings to mind another thought I had this morning (still pondering your question.) As with you not wanting to get ahead of myself, but I think if they win the cup the first person #87 should hand it off to is MAF. While MM has been top-notch, as you alluded to without the play of MAF they would not even have gotten to the point where MM even mattered.
NHLN Radio has picked up whole hog today on Laviolette's post game comments that all Pens goals were the result of Preds defensive mistakes.......which may be true for all I know.
But what I don't understand is why Aberg is being universally acclaimed for his world-class move leading to the Preds goal, while absolutely nobody is talking about how Maatta dfefended him like an Atom center skating backward in the wrong end of the ice for the first time in his life.
Meanwhile, the entire sport is clearly miserable at how the Preds have dominated the Pens in 5 of the first 6 periods of the Finals and are left with a (statistically speaking) 1 in 10 chance to win the series. But at least some are starting to believe the Pens might have the kind of mojo/moxie.....and perhaps more importantly, the goaltending.....to withstand whatever the Preds throw at them
I still think this almost bibilcal assurance many seem to have that the Preds will win at home leaves them open to devastation; besides, they're still stuck with Rinne. Thus far, the Preds can't score......and they sure can't stop the Pens from scoring.....and there's no guarantee playing at home changes that.
Not saying moving the series to Nashville doesn't make a difference; it assuredly does....or at least should.. Maybe Laviolette plays it less aggressively Saturday night (offensively speaking) and sits back to wait for the Pens to make the big mistake. But while they've probably got the juice to even it up for Game 5, they've got an awful lot to prove in the next 2 games.
But what I don't understand is why Aberg is being universally acclaimed for his world-class move leading to the Preds goal, while absolutely nobody is talking about how Maatta dfefended him like an Atom center skating backward in the wrong end of the ice for the first time in his life.
Meanwhile, the entire sport is clearly miserable at how the Preds have dominated the Pens in 5 of the first 6 periods of the Finals and are left with a (statistically speaking) 1 in 10 chance to win the series. But at least some are starting to believe the Pens might have the kind of mojo/moxie.....and perhaps more importantly, the goaltending.....to withstand whatever the Preds throw at them
I still think this almost bibilcal assurance many seem to have that the Preds will win at home leaves them open to devastation; besides, they're still stuck with Rinne. Thus far, the Preds can't score......and they sure can't stop the Pens from scoring.....and there's no guarantee playing at home changes that.
Not saying moving the series to Nashville doesn't make a difference; it assuredly does....or at least should.. Maybe Laviolette plays it less aggressively Saturday night (offensively speaking) and sits back to wait for the Pens to make the big mistake. But while they've probably got the juice to even it up for Game 5, they've got an awful lot to prove in the next 2 games.
From what I can tell, Maatta's stock this season has gone down and up and down like a kangaroo. Five months ago, Pens were waiting for the chance to leave him uprotected......then he started picking things up in the Washington and Ottawa series, and he was being solidly positioned on the media's Draft protected listings for the Pens.......and now he's played two consecutive lousy games in one of the two most important series of his career.
All I know is he's not making GMJR's decision easy, especially when his protected status may come at the expense of Dumoulin (who obviously has been up and down himself in this year's playoffs). Right now......and I freely admit I could change my mind in the next 3 days/weeks......I'd protect Dumo and leave Maatta unprotected.
Is Dumo RFA after this year CM? If so I try to sign him in the neighbouhood of 3 to 3.5 per anum over 3-4 years and leave Olli unprotected...any more than 3.5 and I think I would protect Maatta.... although at 4 mil for 6 years his injuries and health concern me....right now Dumo is at roughly 800 g's I think? No matter his deficiencies a bargain...
I've never felt home ice meant much. The only true benefit is getting the last line change. And what offensive threats do the Preds have to exploit our 3rd D pairing? Perhaps the home team Saturday night gets a motivational push from the home fans but IF the Pens happen to jump out to a one or two goal lead early that crowd won't do them a bit of good.
I think Saturday comes down to Murray and our ST's. We MUST get out PP going! And for the love of God someone wake up Oli Matta!
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