2012 Pens Playoff Performance in Review.

Now that the team has had their final meetings and press conference, including the all-important “injuries that we hid from the world” disclosure, it’s time to take a look back at the playoffs, and eventually the season, and what’s that?  Half of you have already traded away some combination of Staal, Malkin, Crosby, Shero, and Bylsma for the 1976 Soviet team?  AND FOR SHEA WEBER’S BEARD???  Brilliant trade proposal, but anyways, let’s take some time to mourn the team as is and take a look back at the ever so short playoff run that ended on Sunday.

The long uncertain stares of a team that knows its fate. 

#4 Penguins vs. #5 Flyers: Brief Summary

Game 1:  4-3 (OT) Loss.  The Pens roared out to an incredible 3-0 lead before backing into a defensive shell that forgot to include defense.  The Flyers scored their 1^st goal on an offside play and the Pens showed the defensive fortitude of “Alex” Kovalev the rest of the way.  Fleury kept the team alive, but OT doesn’t get you a point in the playoffs as a wide open “Jake” Voracek gave the Flyers the win and a series lead they would not relinquish.

Game 2:  8-5 Loss.  The Pens came out strong again, posting up a 3-1 lead after the first period which even saw a Paul Martin goal!  But yet again, the defense failed, as did the special teams.  The powerplay allowed 2 short-handed goals and the penalty kill allowed a powerplay goal as both Claude Giroux and Sean Couturier recorded hat tricks.  The Pens simply could not keep momentum for longer than a minute and the Flyers took advantage every single time.

Talbot was a big key to Laviolette winning the coaching matchup.

Game 3:  8-3 Loss:  A trip to Philly turned the series into an ugly disgrace that was embarrassing to the concept of hockey.  The Pens played the role of sore-losers as Crosby dropped the gloves with Giroux and then tried to fight Brayden Schenn and/or Scott Hartnell.  Arron Asham cross-checked Schenn and then punched his face into the ice.  Craig Adams had to jump into a fight with Hartnell as 3^rd man in, which also cost Bylsma $10k, to protect Sid.  James Neal started head-hunting Giroux after crushing Couturier.  This was not a hockey game; this was a display of immaturity and a lack of common sense.

Game 4:  10-3 Win: The Pens finally brought their puck possession game, scoring 5 goals a piece on Bryzgalov and Bobrovsky and demonstrating just how dominant they could be when they did not turn the puck over and take massive amounts of needless penalties.  Jordan Staal led the way with a hat trick and the powerplay scored 4 goals in what looked to be a beautiful potential series-turning game.

Half of Pens nation had traded him away before
he came out with his first playoff hat trick.

Game 5:  3-2 Win:  Coming back home to a raucous home crowd, filled with belief, the team put together their closest attempt at a full 60 minute game all series, capped off by Fleury’s refusal to be beat in the 3^rd period.  There were still ample amounts of stupid penalties, but Fleury’s magnificent play towards the end and another brilliant game by the Staal line kept the Pens in the series.

Game 6:  5-1 Loss, End of Series:  It apparently took all of 2 wins for the Pens to fall back into awful habits.  They were outworked in the final loss, showing a lack of discipline again, and just a lack of will in the defensive zone.  The biggest stat to this game was the 40 blocked shots by the Flyers vs. the 18 by the Pens.  The Flyers simply wanted to earn it more (note what I said, not wanted it more, but wanted to earn it more), and that’s what they did as they shook hands with the Pens and said au revoir.

From fighting in Game 3, to a handshake after Game 6.
The sport of hockey and its traditions always deserve respect.

  

Top Penguins of the Series:

Jordan Staal – Though he couldn’t help the PK all that much in this series, he was easily the best 5 on 5 forward for the Penguins, scoring 6 goals on just 12 shots and leading the team with 9 points.  He played on different lines throughout the series, but seemed to have an impact every time he was on the ice, regardless of position or linemates.

Tyler Kennedy – Likely lost in the first round upset was the play of Tyler Kennedy, who had disappointed everyone through most of the regular season.  Kennedy was tied for second on the team with 3 goals and led the team in takeaways with 6.  I encourage you to read that again, KENNEDY LED THE TEAM IN TAKEAWAYS.  I doubt you’ll hear about it anywhere else, but TK played up to his potential in the series.

Say it with me, Tyler Kennedy played well.

Worst Penguins of the Series:

Brooks Orpik – While offense isn’t Orpik’s game, defense is supposed to be.  Those numbers didn’t work out very well as Orpik was on for only 5 goals for, and 14 goals against (7 during PKs).  The team leader in hits and reliable shut down defense during the regular season was a no-show for the playoffs, getting dominated in front of the net and taking some bad penalties around the crease.  What’s sad is Orpik wasn’t even called as much as he should have been, as he draped himself on JVR for 20 seconds without getting a penalty and committed numerous other infractions out of desperation (which usually didn’t work.)  It was a forgettable series for Orpik.

Textbook defense for a player getting owned all series.

Chris Kunitz – Expected to be an energy player that can mesh with any top line combination, all Kunitz did was take stupid penalty after stupid penalty in his best attempts to cost the Pens the series.  He was a momentum killer throughout the series and though he threw the body a lot, couldn’t find a way to energize his team via forechecking and hitting.  He led the team with 4 minor penalties in this series.

Evgeni Malkin – Before you start freaking out that I’m a Crosby fanboy, he’s coming up in the next section.  Malkin makes it here for his lackluster player and his inability to stay focused.  He led the team with 8 giveaways and 18 missed shots as 19 year old Sean Couturier shut him down.  Much of this was of Malkin’s own making, as he insisted on skating through multiple Flyers instead of dishing the puck off or adapting to their form of defense. 

Noteable Absentee Penguins of the Series:

Sidney Crosby – Sid was pretty much an absentee captain through much of the series.  He had nice goals to start Games 1 and 2, but tailed off as the games progressed.  I was encouraged by his fight with Giroux in Game 3 to spark the team, but then he acted like a child for the rest of the game trying to pick a fight.  He pretty much disappeared in Game 6 when the team needed him most.  He wasn’t awful..he just wasn’t there.  One big salvaging factor for Crosby was his 54.8% faceoff number, and he was flat out dominant in defensive zone faceoffs, even going 9 for 11 in one game.

Where was this fire in Game 6?

Kris Letang – Letang was going to be amongst my worst, but I’ll give him a little bit of a pass since he has been nursing a hip injury as we found out today.  His playing style was a cause for concern in the series though as he was solid offensively but nowhere to be found in the defensive zone.  He was also a turnover machine throughout the series.  The fight in Game 3, along with the Talbot shhhing maneuver, demonstrated great immaturity from the team’s best defenseman. 

Marc-Andre Fleury - He was solid in Game 1, good enough in Game 4, brilliant in Game 5, but not very helpful in Games 2, 3, and especially 6.  The defense did not help him out by any means, but elite goalies need to make timely saves to keep a team alive.  Fleury just couldn't consistently come up with the big saves that he made throughout the regular season.  Perhaps it was fatigue, perhaps it was a lack of confidence in the defense, perhaps he simply just didn't have it, but regardless, the team needed more out of Fleury to survive.

Interesting Individual Stats:

- Staal, Dupuis, and Orpik were all on for 7 PPGs against.  Staal and Orpik were on for 14g against, Dupuis for 13.

- Eric Tangradi was on for 2 goals for, 0 against.  Simon Despres was on for 4 goals for, 0 against.

- On the other side, Joe Vitale was on for 0 goals for, 4 against.

- Zbynek Michalek was on for 5 goals for, and only 6 against (only 3 while PKing), much better numbers than many would expect from him.

Michalek does more than you probably realize.

  

Interesting Team Stats:

- The Pens will finish the first round with close to the most missed shots in the league (84)

- They were almost dead last in takeaways (27), and almost the worst with giveaways (53).  The complete lack of puck possession and a huge negative turnover ratio cost the team greatly.

*I keep saying almost since the first round isn’t over yet.

- The powerplay finished with a 31% success rate, which is wonderful, but they also allowed 3 short-handed goals.

- The penalty kill finished with a 47.8% rate.  I don’t have words for how truly awful that is.

- Goals by Period: 1^st – 13, 2^nd – 11, 3^rd – 2.  That is the opposite of clutch.

Pictured: The Penalty Kill.

Key Unknown Injuries

- James Neal had a thumb injury

- Kris Letang had a hip injury

- Steve Sullivan had a foot injury

- Matt Niskanen had a shoulder injury

- Paul Martin had concussion-like symptoms (insert joke here)

So there ya have it, it’s not hard to see why the Pens lost with some of those ugly numbers.  Team Eulogy (not meant to be humorous, or anything like Puck Daddy), and Season recap (player by player) coming in the next few days.  Thanks for reading.