Pens End Their Season with a Whimper and Elimination

Quick Notes:

- Well, now you understand why I hated #PensIn7 so much.

- I’ll just recap the game here.  Series recap on Monday probably.  Season Eulogy shortly thereafter.  Eventually an offseason outlook.  However, I will be shifting more to Kings coverage at thehockeywriters.com too.

Result:

Flyers  5  Pens  1

Goals:  Malkin (3) (PP), unassisted

               

Interesting Stats:

- The Flyers blocked 40 shots.  That right there is a commitment to team defense and doing everything to win a game.  The Pens had that back in 2009.  They had nothing near that in this series.  It’s an attitude and a mindset; it has nothing to do with talent.

- Sidney Crosby and Brooks Orpik, arguably the 2 biggest leaders on this team, came up with a -3 each in this game.

- Kris Letang played almost 32 minutes in this game, including over 13 minutes in the 3^rd period.  He did not play those 32 minutes well.

The Good:

- Some players were good in spurts: Malkin at times, Neal, Staal, but no one was good enough throughout the game to get into this slot.

He showed more effort, but the Flyers D definitely won the battle.

The Bad:

- Well, Pens season is over, and it’s not because they weren’t the more talented team.  The Pens lost this series because the Flyers showed more focus, more preparation, and more discipline than the Pens.  That is simply unacceptable from top to bottom in the organization, and it is a VERY important lesson to a team of young stars that clearly thought they could win through anything, even a lack of work and willpower.  It is a lesson that they should have learned without this defeat though.

- Bylsma clicked the panic button almost immediately after the Flyers scored, pairing Malkin and Crosby together and changing up the lines constantly.  It was a pretty good sign right then that he didn’t know what to do and the Flyers were going to win this game.  The strength of having 3 amazing centers is that you have to force 3 different lines to play against them.  Pairing Crosby and Malkin together and then putting Staal on the 2^nd line hurt Bylsma’s depth at forward by his own doing.  Also, taking apart the team’s hottest line (Cooke-Staal-Kennedy) was a bad idea to begin with after the series they had.

This team realized their destiny quickly.

Steve Sullivan – I have praised Sullivan all series for his great effort and work ethic, but he didn’t show up in a big way today.  He gave up the puck to Giroux that led to the Flyers’ first goal 32 seconds into the game.  He also committed multiple turnovers at the blue line on the powerplay and made no impact in the offensive zone.  In a series where the average play was turnovers and disappointment from the Penguins, Sullivan reverted to the mean in Game 6.

Kris Letang – I have no clue what is going on with Kris Letang, but I hope he takes the offseason to relax and get back to normal.  He had trouble keeping pucks in at the points and his shot choices were flat out terrible.  I can recall at least 5 times where Letang shot it directly into the shins of a Flyers defender.  He also lost a foot race to Max Talbot, which is very unexpected for Letang’s skating skills.  Letang never really came through in this series as the Penguins needed him.

Sidney Crosby – Sidney?  Captain?  Where are you?  Crosby was quiet all game after getting rocked by Giroux on the very first shift.  He often looked tentative and lacked the grit he usually plays with.  I felt this was the worst game of his series and it looked like his least passionate.  Now I know Crosby cares and I’m sure he tried, but he went quiet at the wrong time for his team.  Captains can’t afford to do that.

Giroux was the clear cut winner in this battle.

The Ugly:

- The reffing was, well, inconsistent as usual, but the Pens put themselves in bad situations on their own. A Caps blog had a perfect bullet point for all your reffing qualms: “Everyone seems to want to talk about the refs rather than the hockey in this series, so this bullet is reserved for complaints about the officiating. Please choose one answer from each bracketed section and you'll have some fine boxed whine. "The [a) call; b) non-call] against [a) my team; b) their team] when [insert player name] committed [insert infraction] was [a) unconscionable; b) proof that Gary Bettman has a conspiracy against my team; c) responsible for all of the problems in Africa]. Until the NHL can get some refs that are [a) good; b) consistent; c) Vulcans], the league will always be relegated to [a) niche; b) garage; c) bush; d) Mickey Mouse] league status."”
(Credit to: Rob Parker on Jasper’s Rink: http://www.japersrink.com/2012/4/22/2967119/recap-bruins-4-capitals-3-overtime)

- Reffing aside, it was another game of bad penalties.  Cooke’s interference was simply stupid as he put himself in a bad position on the blue line where Kunitz had gotten called earlier in the series.  The Flyers scored on the ensuing PP to make it a 2-0 lead, which apparently was insurmountable today.  Niskanen also took a stupid slashing penalty late in the game, and honestly could have gotten a few more with the way he was whacking people.  The discipline and hockey IQ on this team were not impressive through this series

Marc-Andre Fleury – I am frequently the one defending Fleury, but this Game 6 reminded me so much of Game 7 vs. Montreal 2 years ago.  The first goal was a tough shot, but savable for a goalie of Fleury’s caliber who can come up with big saves.  He then had a couple of weak goals from pucks bouncing around the crease area and also a horrible shot from the blue line that he let in.  Yeah, the shot was deflected by Michalek’s stick, but it was so far out that Fleury is capable of reacting to it in time.  The defense may not have helped him, but he didn’t help himself either.

This picture...well it says a lot. 

Thoughts:

- I can simply say, I expected a stronger, harder, and more furious start from the Pens, but they didn’t play with any urgency until it was too late.

- I was amazed that Neal a) forearmed Jagr in the back of the head at the end of the 1^st period and b) got away with it.  Shining example of players not learning anything from a 1 game suspension.  I expect better conduct out of him.

- The Pens wasted a wonderful opportunity by displaying an amazing amount of immaturity early in the series.  The problem with going down 3-0 is that, no matter how talented you are, you need 4 perfect games to move on.  The Pens had 2 wonderful games, but stringing together 4 was asking for too much.  This playoff team simply did not act like the team that put up 50+ wins in the regular season, but I’ll cover that more in the series recap and season recaps later this week.

- Also, give the Flyers a lot of credit in many facets. Laviolette coached brilliantly, Giroux showed up to play his best in the biggest game of the series, and their powerplay made a joke of the Pens penalty kill.  They outplayed the Pens, no matter how much we all hate it.  They earned the right to move on.  It’s on the Penguins for not earning that right themselves.

Pens season is over.

Flyers win the series 4-2 and move on to the Eastern Conference Semi-Finals.

Sweep Averted, Work to be Done as Pens Win 10-3

Quick Notes:

- I just created a facebook page for this site and other random hockey stuff if that’s more your style: https://www.facebook.com/CrosbyFTW

- Okay, not to burst everyone’s bubbles, but that was not a statement game; that was just 1 win.  If that was a statement game, then the Flyers have already made 3, so they are leading the statement game battle, 3-1.  One game at a time…but let’s move on to the happiness!!!

- Finally, this is the weirdest effing playoff series I’ve ever seen in any sport.

a) props to Pens fan there. b) lol @ porky pig sign.

Result:

Pens  10  Flyers 3

Goals:  Malkin (1) from Dupuis, Park

            Niskanen (1) (PP) from Crosby, Sullivan

            Crosby (3) from Niskanen, Malkin

            Staal (3) from Tangradi, Cooke

            Letang (1) (PP) from Crosby, Sullivan

            Staal (4) (PP) from Kennedy, Cooke

            Sullivan (1) (PP) from Fleury

            Dupuis (2) from Kunitz

            Staal (5) from Engelland

            Malkin (2) from Kunitz, Kennedy

               

Interesting Stats:

- 45 goals through the 1^st 4 games of a series is a new NHL record

- The 10 goals scored tonight set a new road playoff record and ties the overall playoff record for Pittsburgh

- Matt Cooke finally accumulated his first PIMs of the series, getting 2 for high-sticking, 2 for holding the stick, and then a 10 minute misconduct for being attacked (?)

How dare you get cross-checked 3 times!? Go to the locker room!

- Joe Vitale played only 7 minutes despite only 11 forwards dressing.  Meanwhile, Jordan Staal led the forwards with 23 minutes.  Anyone spreading rumors of him being unhappy with his role should probably go reconsider their line of work (more on that at the end).

The Good:

- Let’s start with the easy one, PENS SEASON ISN’T OVER!!! With their backs against the wall, the Pens came out with a very dominant win after a shaky start.  Their reward: another must-win on Friday.

- The powerplay came to play in this one and it was very clear that adjustments had been made with the 2 days off.  The Pens moved the puck quicker on the PP in this game than I have seen them try all season.  That was huge because the Flyers PK is one of the more aggressive units in the league, and their players could not shift fast enough to catch a big break or go the other way unhampered.  Also, for much of the PP, Crosby went back to his natural position on the half boards / rover.  This is no slight to Geno, but with Crosby scoring and Geno cold going into the game, I’m glad the adjustment was made.  It seems to have worked for both.  Finally with the PP: Niskanen was a stud on the point both in puck control and making quick decisions.  No complaints about the unit as a whole in this one.

- Malkin finally got on the board with 2 goals (and also an assist).  His first goal was pure will as he stormed to the net from the penalty box, gave the puck up to Dupuis and went to the net to pick up the rebound and score.  His second goal was also because he went to the net without the puck.  This is a big difference from the first 3 games where he wanted full control of the puck crossing the blue line every time.  The Flyers D clearly was not ready for it and stayed tight on him at the blue line, giving other players plenty of room with the puck and Malkin a chance to burst past clueless defensemen.  Great adjustment by Geno.

- The team finally provided support to players who were beaten by the Flyers puck carriers.  In the first 3 games, if one of the Pens was beaten on a play, there was no support and no chance of help.  In this game, there was always a second and sometimes a third man ready to shift into position.  The Pens played as a team tonight rather than as 18 talented individuals.

Puck support to the max.

Jordan Staal – Have to start with Staal, who backed up a very mature Game 3 with an explosive Game 4.  He scored his 1^st career postseason hat trick, on 3 shots.  He also led the forwards in ice time with almost 23 minutes, 2^nd on the team to Letang.  Another big part of his game was in the faceoff circle where he went 15 for 23 (66%).  He pretty much played a strong all-around game and made every shift count with every different set of linemates.  Everyone looks to Geno and Sid, but after his attitude in Game 3 and afterwards, plus his Game 4 performance, we may be watching Staal mature into that 3^rd franchise center and leader right now.

Steve Sullivan – Having Sullivan on the point for the powerplay clearly makes a world of difference for the team.  His poise and passing ability works great from the point as he (cliché) QB’s the first powerplay line.  His goal was a giant middle finger to the Flyers too, since they clearly did not respect his speed or slapshot which he just blasted past Bobrovsky.  All of this aside, I have Sullivan here for what he did defensively though.  On the PP, he made sure he stayed back and didn’t get caught in the offensive zone in a situation he couldn’t recover from.  At even strength, he was frequently the first forward back and was always there to cover the 3^rd Flyers forward coming in.  He showed great attention to detail in making sure every Flyer was covered, and that’s exactly what the Pens needed.

I'll be honest, didn't think Sulli could shoot like that.

Pascal Dupuis – Sullivan was only outshined by one forward in the defensive zone and that was Dupuis.  While Dupuis did add a goal and an assist on the scoresheet, I made many notes of the amount of times he covered a forward on Fleury’s crease or hustled back to cover the slot.  His defensive positioning was perfect all game and it was a big boost to the Pens defense and Fleury. He also tipped away at least 3 cross-ice passes in the defensive zone, doing a great job of keeping his stick in passing lanes.  While the defense has been crapped on all series, note that these forwards have a significant ability to make a difference in the defensive end. 

Commitment to defense, check.

The Bad:

- The refereeing performance was just ridiculous at times.  They started by calling every little detail, to the point that things that were almost a penalty actually became a penalty.  They then shifted to calling just regular penalties.  Then they let players play a little bit.  Then once the game was clearly out of hand, they went back to overreacting (though probably best for the sake of both teams).  It would be nice to see a full 60 minutes called the same way for the sake of, I don’t know, consistency?

- I know people are clamoring about Fleury’s play and the defense, but I’m still not sold on either one yet.  Fleury only faced 25 shots, about half of which were during the 1^st period when he did not look good.  The 1^st goal was partially his fault as he was scrambling and left his 5-hole open.  The second goal was all on him as it was a shot from the point that beat him 5-hole. Most of his shots after that were when the game was getting lopsided and as a goalie, it’s much easier to act confident when you have a big cushion to work with.  That being said, he did make some nice saves down the stretch, so the key will be if he can bring that confidence to the start of Game 5.  As for the defense, they received a lot of forward help and also benefitted greatly from having 7 defensemen in the lineup.  Everyone looked fresh throughout the game, though I personally believe the forwards (their forechecking and backchecking) are the reason that the Flyers only got 25 shots and pretty much rolled over by the end.  Let’s just say I’m cautiously optimistic about the D right now.

Kris Letang – Per usual, people will likely kill me for this, but Letang is off of his defensive game.  I counted 3 blatant giveaways from him in the defensive zone and his positioning wasn’t the best.  On the first Flyers goal, he followed Engelland into his opposite side corner unnecessarily, which left Giroux alone to beat Fleury for the 1^st goal on the PP.  He needs to be much smarter than that on the PK when defending the crease is imperative.  He did score on the PP, but honestly I discount that as a weak goal on Bryzgalov, who did not slide into his position with any sort of speed and was pulled immediately after.  Letang is not playing to Norris trophy form right now, and we all know he is capable of it, so it would be nice to see it when the games are do or die.

Stay in position and this won't happen, Kris.

Chris Kunitz – Kunitz is on here simply because he continues to take idiotic penalties every game.  Maybe the Flyers bought the interference call on him, but even if they did, he knew the game was being called tight and he put himself into that position to be called for it by skating into a player he could have easily avoided.  With the PK being absolutely horrendous, he needs to stop doing this immediately.  It was a big momentum shifter in Game 3 and he should have learned his lesson then.

The Ugly:

- If nothing else, you can say the penalty killing unit is consistent.  They entered the game killing just 4 out of 10 penalties, and then killed only 2 out of 5 in this one.  The 2^nd goal was on Fleury, but the 1^st and 3^rd ones were definitely on the penalty killers.  Both defensemen were out of position for the 1^st one.  The 3^rd one was the same Voracek play that I have complained about in every recap since Game 1.  Voracek is always looking for the puck from the backside and does not leave that area, but no one even looks at him as they all watch the puck.  This is inexcusable on so many levels since it has happened numerous times now.  The Pens apparently cannot take a penalty or their PK will inevitably finish their season off on their own.

Thoughts:

- So the sweep has been averted, but as we all know, only 3 teams have come back from a 3-0 deficit to win a series.  The 2010 Flyers are amongst that small group.  Is this a good thing or a bad thing for them though?  On one hand, they are aware it’s possible, so they will be vigilant in keeping the Pens from doing it.  On the other, they are aware it’s possible, so they know that the Pens are capable of it and it plants a seed of doubt in their head.  Which is it?  I’ll tell you in a week.

- Expect Bryzgalov to start on Friday unless he has re-injured his foot.  He looked very slow to pick up the play last night and had difficulties controlling rebounds.  His side to side was slow as well.  I’m not sure if his foot injury would cause anything but the 3^rd one, but the Flyers certainly lost their Ace in the hole when Bobrovsky came in and got lit up for 5 goals still.  The goaltending battle has now turned into a war of attrition and a contest to see who can make just one or 2 big saves in a game.

Bryzgalov played his best this year when he wasn't talking the media.
Whoops.

- It will be interesting to see if the Pens go with 7 defensemen again on Friday.  As of now, Despres is still with the team and practicing today, but it’s also an optional skate.  Unlike everyone with pitch forks and torches, I have no problem putting Martin back into the lineup.  The whole D has been bad, not just him, so there is no point in blaming him for more than his share.  Personally, I’d love to see him in the lineup but only getting about 12-13 minutes of ice time.  Note, I’d sit Strait, not Despres.  Despres is a wonderful defenseman fundamentally and I see no point to ever sending him down again personally.

- Neal and Adams will be eligible to play in Game 5, so what does that mean for the lineup?  The PP operated fine without Neal, which is a lineup question in itself.  Neal obviously re-enters the lineup, but at whose expense?  Strait to even up the lines?  Tangradi, Vitale, or Park?  Vitale only played 7 minutes, easily the least on the team, so I would not be surprised to see him get scratched and Neal to step in with 7 defensemen still in place.  Bylsma loves to stick with what’s working, so 11 forwards might be his calling card.  Also, I would expect Adams to come back in for Park to sure up the PK…not that it has made any difference all series anyways.

One of the more unique box scores I've looked through.

- One caveat to Game 5: Hartnell has yet to make an impact on this series.  Look for him to go crazy on Friday, whether it be scoring on the Pens or physically attacking them and giving the Pens PPs.  He is the Flyer to watch on Friday.  Also, James Van Riemsdyk is a near lock to return to the lineup, giving the Flyers another skilled forward to work with.  The D will have its hands full.

- Finally, a note on Twitter, Re: Staal trade rumors.  Before you go crazy and start spreading rumors you hear or react to what people are suggesting, consider the original source and what they actually said.  No one ever said Staal is unhappy in his current role; I dare you to find that original quote.  The reporter’s quote was that “Staal would be unhappy (if kept in his current role).”  WOULD BE.  Meaning it’s speculation, and hypothetical, which is a proper analysis but has absolutely no bearing on this team right now or how Staal feels right now.  The simple nuances of a sentence can vastly change the meaning, so take the time to look into it before losing your mind.

Would Staal hold TK like he was the king of the world if
Jordan didn't want to be here?

Keys to Game 5:

- DEFENSE AND PENALTY KILL.  Also, ADJUSTMENTS.  The defense still needs to be sharper and keep their heads on a swivel, and this needs to extend to the penalty kill in the worst way.  Expect Laviolette to come back to Pittsburgh making some major adjustments against the Pens style, and Bylsma needs to be ready to adjust on the fly for it.  Fleury is still going to have to steal a game at some point in this series.  My gut feeling is that Friday is going to be that game as the Flyers want to crush any momentum the Pens can possibly build.

And remember...one game at a time.  Focus on game 5.

Flyers lead series 3-1.  Next Game: 4/20 vs Phi, 7:30pm, Root Sports / NBCSports

PS - Podcast Discussing Game 4 and Previewing Game 5 will be up tonight

Demoralized, but not done. Pens drop Game 2.

Quick Notes:

- The recap style I tried for Game 1 doesn’t work when there are 13 goals scored and no form of defense or opposition. (I’m a defenseman by nature and I am offended and irritated by that 8-5 ridiculousness)

- If you read my last recap (and I hope you did: http://crosbyftw.blogspot.com/2012/04/start-strong-relax-blow-lead-repeat.html), you saw that I called out the line matchups as not making sense in Game 1.  Well, they still didn’t make sense, and it worries me that I can call it out but Bylsma didn’t bother changing it.  He knows far more about hockey than me and is far more qualified than I am to do anything, so how does he miss it or why does he ignore what he sees?  More on this below…

Stop handicapping yourself, Disco. 

- Lastly, I hope you listen to the podcasts I’m trying to come out with!  Give them a shot, and feedback is encouraged!  The first 2 are in the previous post.  Thanks as always for reading and listening!

Result:

Flyers 8  Pens  5

Goals:  Crosby (2) from Sullivan, Dupuis

            Kunitz (1) (PP) from Neal, Malkin

            Martin (1) from Crosby, Dupuis

            Kunitz (2) (PP) from Neal, Malkin

            Kennedy (2) from Cooke, Staal

Interesting Stats:

- Craig Adams had 5 hits and a takeaway in 10 shifts over 8 minutes

- Kunitz was a -5, Malkin -4, Neal -4, Sullivan -3

- Letang and Neal lead attempted shots with 6.  Letang only got 2 on net, Neal had 5.

The Good:

- The Pens did a great job sending a message physically with some huge hits by Neal, Letang, Adams and others.  Their playoff intensity was there at least.

If only physicality meant wins.

- Well, an offensive output of 5 goals is solid, and 2 of them on the powerplay erased the offensive PP questions that everyone had from Game 1.  Bylsma took Sid off the 1^st PP line and Neal-Kunitz-Malkin combined for 2 PP goals.  They looked much more comfortable at times…

- The 1^st period was yet again, a great period top to bottom.  The Pens were up 3-1 by the end of it and had yet again survived a Laviolette timeout. 

- Best 3: Dupuis, Kennedy, Adams.  Great game by all 3, Duper was somehow a +2 in this debacle with 2 assists.  Kennedy scored a weak goal admittedly, but he was solid all over the ice.  Adams was crushing people all game despite limited time.

"Woah buddy, pull it back a little"

The Bad:

- Of course, another 2 goal lead was blown as the Penguins continue to get destroyed defensively.  This team does not know how to drop into a strong/aggressive defense stance when they are in the lead.  They only know how to either attack at full speed or how to be completely passive.  Their inability to transition between the two stances is giving Philly a lot of leeway to adjust to the Pens’ style and then attack in different ways.

Malkin/Neal/Kunitz – The +/-‘s say a lot on their own about how this line played.  They are doing a great job hitting, but the puck possession for this line has been dismal.  Their 2 goals together were on the powerplay; at even strength they are being fully dominated by the Flyers’ checking line.  The reason this line was so successful in the regular season was 1) natural talent, and 2) their ability to work with the puck in the offensive zone, wearing down the D with their size, and sneak into open areas.  They are generally losing even puck battles and the guys away from the puck don’t seem to be working towards open ice to provide passing outlets.  It’s not like we’ve seen these 3 missing on great chances, they are simply just trying to do too much on their own looking for a spark.

Lovejoy/Engelland – Lovejoy will obviously get called out right off the bat for his turnover to Couturier in the slot that led to an easy goal against Fleury.  That isn’t all though, this pairing was also on for a breakaway that began at the Flyers blue line but luckily Fleury saved.  Engelland had a very poor game in my opinion as I counted at least 5 missed hits where he slammed into the boards but did not touch the guy he was aiming for, pulling him out of position.  This pairing has low expectations to begin with, all we ask is they not make mistakes…they failed.

Rest of the Defense – The defense simply looks like they do not communicate with each other at all.  On the Couturier goal with 3 seconds left in the 2^nd period, THREE guys were covering Eric Wellwood in front and no one paid attention to Couturier on the back door.  Not only is that clearly a vast misuse of resources and failure in coverages, but how is Fleury expected to see a puck clearly through 3 of his own guys.  This isn’t rocket science, if the team is looking around then they will realize that at least 2 guys are uncovered in that situation.  Just like I harped on in my last recap, heads on a swivel!  Every defenseman hears that phrase a billion times growing up, I’d like to see the Pens act like they know what it means.

Ike Taylor would have had this covered.

The Ugly:

- The powerplay, defensively.  Two short-handed goals…are you kidding me?  The first one was a mess, Crosby turned it over at the point on the powerplay and Giroux went in on a semi-breakaway with Sullivan chasing him.  Fleury stopped the breakaway but the rebound went to Talbot who buried it into a basically empty net.  Two issues:  1) Sullivan was the guy following Giroux, Crosby had no business still chasing Giroux and should have been watching Talbot, horrible defensive awareness by Sid.  2) Where were the other 3 guys on the ice?  Martin was the only defenseman on that line, but he and the other 2 forwards were doing anything but hustling back to the play.  No one bothered to chase Talbot at all.  Lack of effort there is inexcusable in a vital playoff game, everyone should have put their heads down and skated as hard as possible.  For the second short-handed goal, Letang, Malkin, and Sullivan were back to cover 3 Flyers.  No one knew who to cover and it turned into 3 Penguins back covering no one.  Lack of communication, lack of awareness, I’m not sure what to call it.  But the coaching staff should be concerned when 3 players who are defensively capable don’t know what to do in that situation.

- The penalty kill had another dismal performance, allowing 1 powerplay goal on 2 chances.  They were acting very passively and again seemed unaware of their surroundings at times.  The Flyers had Voracek circling to the left of the faceoff circle by himself just like where he was at for the OT winner in Game 1.  The Pens simply ignored him for most of the powerplay (the whole team did this all night for some reason actually) and when the Flyers finally gave him the puck, no one knew how to react.  He had time and space to move towards the crease, draw everyone in, and flick the puck back to Giroux for an easy PP goal.  The Pens made the Flyers PP good on that chance by giving them all the time and space to work with in the world.

Fleury shouldn't have to act as a defenseman and a goalie.

- Normally I would say hindsight is 20/20 for line matchups, but seeing how I was questioning it in Game 1, it’s really inexcusable that line matchups were a problem in Game 2 when the Pens get last change.  Couturier’s line owned Malkin’s all night, but Bylsma kept putting Malkin out there against him.  My seats are behind the Flyers bench, so I tend to pay more attention to this than most, but Laviolette had his way with matchups.  He predicted what Bylsma wanted to do and placed the line he wanted out first.  Bylsma then did not adjust to it. By the 3^rd period, I was hitting at over 80% for picking the lines that were coming out.  Even before the game, I was a fan of how Couturier played.  Talbot said he looked like Staal in his rookie year, and I tend to agree, actually I think that’s undercutting him.  Couturier has Staal’s ability plus he is far more physical than Staal was his rookie year.  Bylsma did a massive disservice to his season long MVP in game 2 (don’t worry, I don’t absolve Malkin, that’s below).

Thoughts:

- The goaltenders have been solid.  It sounds ridiculous, but it is very true, these results should be much worse for both teams but Fleury and Bryzgalov have made some huge saves at times.  With that being said, Bryz is outplaying Fleury.  He has made bigger saves and has improved as the game goes on.  None of this is necessarily Fleury’s fault, but the Pens are going to need him to make some absolute steals if they want to stay in this series.  Bryzgalov did it twice, once to Letang on the backside, once to Sullivan alone in front.  Fleury does stop some breakaways, but the Pens need more sadly.

Bryz has had to bail the D out just like Fleury.

- Bylsma, Granato, and Reirden are being outcoached, very badly.  I mentioned the line matchups earlier, but the powerplay and penalty kills clearly don’t know what they are doing either right now.  Laviolette and his crew just appears to be one step ahead in all facets.  Not to mention, Laviolette seems to be okay allowing his team to play the Pens style until Pittsburgh makes enough mistakes that the Flyers take advantage and take the lead. The game last night was run and gun, the Pens style dictated as the Flyers kept playing catch up.  Once the Flyers took over, they went into lockdown mode and played strong playoff hockey.  The Flyers are letting the Pens screw up their own game before forcing what they want and it is working masterfully.  That being said, I am not calling for Bylsma’s head or anything crazy like that.  I am just saying Laviolette is doing a better job.

- How much of a difference do you think Talbot is making by the way?  There is literally no better scouting report in existence than what he knows about the Pens, their style and their coaching staff.  Years ago, people said the Flyers signed Chris Pronger so they could beat the Penguins and neutralize Crosby.  It didn't work.  GM Paul Holmgren may have done it right with a second chance by signing Talbot over to neutralize everything.

I don't hate you and I won't boo you, so please stop.

- I’m prefacing this with I’m not throwing Malkin under the bus, but if he’s the best player in the NHL, he needs to adjust.  He will definitely see a lot of Couturier’s line in Game 3 and clearly the 1^st 2 games haven’t gone well.  I would like to see him pushing the puck and finessing less.  Malkin needs to start crossing the blue line, pulling up, and firing the puck.  It will give him space and make the Flyers question how much they should press on him.  He starts doing that, and everything will fall into place better as they start giving him room to work with.  He’s capable of changing this series; he just needs to adjust quickly to do it.  His coaching staff should be helping him with this too, by the way.

- Another note on Malkin, and this is one that if I was Laviolette, I would have flipped out on (probably moreso after a loss).  I counted (by the way, every time I say I counted, it’s because I literally keep a tally on things on the notepad app on my phone while I’m at games), 4 penalties that Geno got away with.  Two slashes, a trip, and a hook, so not necessarily judgmental penalties either.  This isn’t a slight against Malkin, I just want to point out how the refs are calling the game.  So don’t go complaining if they don’t call something against the Flyers, they are giving the Pens plenty of leeway as well.

- Despite how ugly everything looks right now, this series is far from over.  All it takes is one game to change a series around (go back to 2000 when the Pens went up 2-0 against the Flyers on the road and came home to lose Game 3 in OT, and then Game 4 in 5OT and then Games 5 and 6).  If anyone can predict the future of this series, you would have predicted the 2-0 deficit for the Pens right now.  Absolutely no one did that.  So just keep faith and watch Game 3, see what happens.  It’s a best of 7, crazy things are possible.

- Finally, while I want to burn Consol to the ground right now, home ice disadvantage isn’t unique to the Pens, Consol, or us as fans.  So everyone stop harping on fans for it.  Aside from potentially the Pho-Chi and NJ-Fla series’, home ice has already been rendered a moot point in every other series.  It just simply isn’t what it used to be now that everyone has made cookie-cutter arenas.  I tend to hate the crowd at Consol as much as most, but it has nothing to do with them unless every other home crowd sucks too.

Let's build a new arena with white seats for these whiteouts. 

Keys to Game 3:

- I want to see a defensive start, not an offensive one.  Forget pushing the tempo and just play solid, opportunistic defense.  Let the Flyers make their mistakes and capitalize on it rather than pushing the offensive play to the point of mistakes.  Given the same amount of opportunities, I would pick a more talented Pens roster to score more goals than the Flyers, stop giving them more opportunities as the equalizer.  The Flyers are a very solid team, but we are making them look amazing on our own accord.

Flyers lead series 2-0.  Next Game: 4/15 @ Phi, 3pm, NBC

Race for Home Ice Tightens, Pens Lose to Flyers

**I’m actually going to talk about hockey here more than the circus acts allowed by the Refs and NHL, so be forewarned.

And so it begins...

Main Storylines:

- It’s Philly, not much needs to be said, and I can imagine the Pens are still bitter about losing in OT with .9 seconds left in their last meeting.  A big key for the Pens will be not getting suckered in by the likes of Hartnell and company.

- If Philly wins this, they will be 1 point behind the Pens for 4^th place/home ice with 3 games left to go including another head-to-head.  The Flyers do have the tiebreaker (non-shootout wins).

- Kris Letang returns to the lineup after missing 3 games with a lower body injury.

Result:

Flyers  6  Pens  4

Goals:  Sullivan (16) from Crosby, Dupuis

            Neal (39) from Malkin, Kunitz

            Sullivan (17) from Dupuis, Michalek

            Kunitz (24) from Malkin, Crosby               

Stats/Milestones:

- Pascal Dupuis extended his career high point streak to 14 games with an assist on the 1^st goal.  He is now up to a career high 56 points this season as well.

The Good:

- The Pens came out storming in the first period to a quick 2-0 lead.  Consol was loud and in playoff mode (at least for the first 10 minutes) and the team responded with a terrific start.

- While not the classiest set of events, I love seeing Tony Granato going to the defense of his team and his head coach.  All of Pittsburgh will hate on Laviolette for it, but I was impressed with his fire as well (at least until he picked up Talbot’s stick and broke it in between the benches, that was pathetic and awful).

Maybe not the best execution, but it could be a team rallying maneuver.

Steve Sullivan – Though many will not remember a thing any player did before the last 2 minutes, I want to start off with yet another great game by the wily vet, Steve Sullivan.  He scored twice, once on an odd changeup and the second on a rocket from the slot that came out so fast that half the players on the ice didn’t realize it went in.  He certainly looked bad when he had to take a penalty on the powerplay to prevent a Flyers breakaway, but that will happen from time to time and it was a smart penalty to take.  (Yes, there are smart penalties to take).  He has looked very good when paired up with Dupuis no matter who the center is.  Their speed together has caused great problems for other teams.

Yes, the game had happy moments at one point.

Joe Vitale – Poor Joe Vitale, he’s like that guy on the road who made a proper left turn and everyone crashes behind him because they weren’t paying attention.  Before the game went nuts, Vitale had another strong start, throwing some big hits (including an accidental knee on Grossman that knocked him out of the game) and drawing an interference penalty on Briere.  But now he’ll be known best by a clean hit on Briere towards the end of the 3^rd that started chaos.  Vitale is a great spark plug, and while Laviolette lumped him in as a goon on the 4^th line, I’m not sure many Flyers fans or players would agree.

The Bad:

- The Pens have developed a penchant for getting very fancy once they are up 2 goals.  Honestly, I read the game as starting like this: Pens wanted to make a statement, Flyers weren’t ready.  2-0, Timeout.  Pens coasted as the more skilled team, Flyers knew they had to work harder and did so.  The amount of drop passes in this game was ridiculous.  The Flyers have always been a very opportunistic team and the Pens should know that better than anyone, getting fancy gives them far more opportunities.

- The Pens had TWELVE giveaways to the Flyers 3.  The Baby Pens would beat the big team with all those extra chances.

- Arron Asham was a -2 with 5 minutes of ice time...I'm not even sure how that happened so I can't write about it.

I can tell you he tried to fight 2 Flyers at once though.

Kris Letang – Everyone feel free to hate me for this, but deal with it, he didn’t play that well.  He was out of position just as much as anyone, which is normally perfectly fine because he tends to make big plays as he freewheels around the ice.  However, when Letang isn’t making game-changing plays, his style tends to hurt the team.  I’m not tearing his play down, 80% of the time he will make a positive game-changing play and no one will notice, today just wasn’t one of those times.  Talbot’s goal to the tie the game was completely on Letang.  There was no reason for him to move up away from the crease to take the shooter, his assignment was Talbot on the crease the whole time and he just abandoned him there.

Matt Niskanen – Niskanen looked amazingly flat-footed today.  He kept getting burned on the blue line, which caused him to start backing off when the Flyers entered the zone, which turned into the Flyers taking advantage of that room to make passes.  Basically, Philly adapted to him one step quicker than he was adapting to the game.  The Voracek semi-breakaway goal was basically because he looked like he was skating on concrete.

Zbynek Michalek – Also not a strong game for Michalek (notice how it’s one guy on each pairing, that’s why the Pens looked so dismal in the defensive zone on every shift), as he simply got drawn away from the net too much.  While he is usually the key to the PK, today he chased a Flyer all the way out to the faceoff circles, leaving Orpik to cover 2 guys on the crease.  That’s a pretty sure fire way to give up a powerplay goal. 

Do this BEFORE they score, Z.  Not after.

Chris Kunitz – While he is still racking up points here and there, his overall play has been pretty bad recently.  He has been taking bad penalties, missing hits, and turning the puck over far too much.  He had the same type of performance in the last game against Philly and I am slightly concerned about his mentality going into the likely playoff series with them.  He led the team in hits, but at what cost to his general play?

The Ugly:

- I have two topics here and they are in order of importance, regardless of how they are reported.  The Pens defense was simply awful today.  There were far too many odd man breaks and uncovered guys, especially around the crease.  This didn’t just start today, or against the Isles, or the Senators; this was happening during the great wins too.  Going back to the “statement” win against Nashville, the Pens still allowed 33 shots and some great crease chances. The difference in that game was Rinne had a very off game and Fleury was on top of his.  That result seems to have taught this team some horrible lessons in fundamentals.  They can’t expect Fleury to bail them constantly no matter how well he plays.  Teams are dominating the Pens crease and slot areas and that has to stop immediately if this team wants to go anywhere.  There is far too much puck watching by everyone and I simply don’t understand how the basics of covering guys disappeared.

Give a flower some help, geez.

- The brawl was seriously a disaster.  I don’t fault the teams or the coaches for what they did, as everything was in the heat of the moment.  However, the refs need to set a standard early with these teams, next week and in the playoffs.  They have to call a tight game and call everything, or things will get dirty.  Yeah, Schenn had a “gutless” crosscheck to Crosby’s back, but don’t forget Crosby got away with at least 2 slashes in the game.  Perhaps the Flyers were hitting too much after the whistle, but Malkin was also punching Giroux in the back of the head during the play.  I don't condone any of it.  The problem is, if the refs don’t call any of that, then why shouldn’t chaos just break out?  I give a lot of credit to the Pens 4^th line for responding as they did, to both benches for being fired up, to Wayne Simmonds for fighting despite taking a puck off of the face yesterday, and to Scott Hartnell for simply being playful and entertaining, and interacting with the fans.  I hate Hartnell just like all Pens fans do, but isn’t this what we pay for?  This type of entertainment?  Every hockey player is dirty to a degree, don’t pick and choose when you want to acknowledge it.  And honestly, I would love it if every player taunted the crowd, that’s what makes hockey a wonderful sport – it’s simply a passionate game.

If you don't have respect for Simmonds after that, you're officially a homer.

Thoughts:

- Deryk Engelland only received 9:50 of ice time in this game.  I am not sure why, he clearly was healthy as he was on for the last shift of the game.  This was a bad move on Bylsma’s part I feel.  Engelland was covering for Niskanen rather successfully for most of the afternoon, and he also had the size to deal with the Flyers heavy forecheck.  I expect him to be a bigger part of the game on Saturday.

- The 5 forward powerplay is awesome and awful.  It is awesome on the rush when there is a lot of movement and that talent simply can’t be contained.  It is awful once they are set up because no one is decisive and the points can be pressure very hard for bad results.  Letang should definitely be on the first PP, but not at the expensive of Sullivan, who QBs the PP better than many people realize.  Kunitz is the guy I take off and move to the 2^nd line.  Crosby is more than capable of hanging around the net and deflecting shots. In fact, I’m pretty sure he’s the best at deflections.  If you don't want to take Kunitz off, then move Crosby to the second PP.  Yeah I said it.  Put Crosby on the 2nd PP with Staal and Dupuis/Cooke, think that line can't score?

- As the Rangers have lost tonight, the Pens are still mathematically in the race for 1st in the Conference, though that's asking for a lot.  More importantly, they are 1 point up on the Flyers for home ice in this inevitable 4/5 matchup with Philly and each team has 3 games to go.  Pittsburgh has Boston, NYR, and of course, Philly to end the season.  I won't even go through the Flyers schedule because that set of 3 games is enough for the Pens to worry about on its own.

- As a continuation on the brawl rant, the fans throwing stuff at the Flyers bench should be sent to Philly.  Seriously, everyone in this city gets on the fact that Philly is such a dirty city and then we do the exact same things that they do?  Twitter was simply comical today.  Everyone wants Asham to kill someone, but if Hartnell looks at a player, Hartnell is the scum of the Earth.  Just take an extra second and try to be a little less hypocritical.  If we’re a better city and a cleaner city, let’s act like it.

Props to Malkamania and to Hartnell.
This image defines a rivalry, and it's why we all love hockey.

Pens Record: 48-25-6, 102 pts, 2^nd in the Atlantic, 4^th in the East

Next Game:  4/3 @ Bos, 7:30pm