There's a Guy in the Slot? Pens Lose to Carolina, 4-1

Postgame thoughts here: http://thepensnation.com/tpn/uncategorized/thoughts-game-21/

As I make my transition to The PensNation, I'm going to start putting my thoughts on their site and the full +/- assessments on this blog (with links on each page).  Also, if you are going through podcast withdrawal, subscribe to theirs here.  Meanwhile, here are highlights and your goal assessment (if you have no clue what I'm doing with this goal assessment, visit http://www.crosbyftw.com/p/plusminus-spreadsheet.html).

+/- Assessment:

1st Goal For (Kunitz): + for

• Niskanen – leads breakout through the neutral zone
• Crosby – takes puck into the offensive zone and passes to Kunitz
• Neal – draws defenders deeper into the zone to open up a passing lane
• Kunitz – one-timer goal

1st Goal Against (E. Staal): - for

• Crosby – left his guy (Staal) after the faceoff and then doesn’t keep up with him going behind or to the net
• Letang – over-pursues Tlusty for a hit instead of playing the puck

2nd Goal Against (Tlusty): - for

• Crosby – doesn’t follow Staal / miscommunicates with Niskanen
• Niskanen – miscommunicates with Crosby / gets caught between Staal and Tlusty

3rd Goal Against (Skinner): - for

• Vitale – turnover in neutral zone
• Adams – turnover in neutral zone
• Bortuzzo – misses puck on a bad step up at the blue line, then has a tough time getting to Dwyer on pass to Skinner
• Martin – doesn’t step up to Skinner in the slot

4th Goal Against (Tlusty): - for

• Bortuzzo – gets manhandled and loses the puck
• Crosby – skates to empty area and doesn’t get back in the play
• Neal – leaves passing lane between Semin and Tlusty
• (Martin was not at fault for this goal, he was tripped on the crease and couldn’t do anything)

Click here for the Season +/- Spreadsheet

Florida Panthers Defeat Pittsburgh 6-4: Goal Assessment

As I make my transition to The PensNation, I'm going to start putting my thoughts on their site and the full +/- assessments on this blog (with links on each page).  You can find my thoughts here.
Also, if you are going through podcast withdrawal, subscribe to theirs here.  Meanwhile, here are highlights and your goal assessment (if you have no clue what I'm doing with this goal assessment, visit http://www.crosbyftw.com/p/plusminus-spreadsheet.html).

1st Goal Against (Kopecky), - for

• Kennedy: was in the box for a boarding penalty
• Dupuis: doesn’t take a single stride as Kopecky skates past him

1st Goal For (Neal), + for

• Orpik: retrieves the puck in the defensive corner and pushes it along to Martin
• Martin: taps the puck ahead to Kunitz leaving the defensive zone
• Kunitz: backhands the puck to Crosby skating through the neutral zone
• Crosby: passes the puck to Neal as they enter the offensive zone
• Neal: takes a wrist shot that beats Theodore short-side

2nd Goal Against (Kopecky), - for

• Orpik: was in the box for an elbowing penalty
• Letang: fails to clear the puck when he has it in the corner

3rd Goal Against (Campbell), - for

• Glass: was in the box for a high sticking penalty
• Dupuis: fans on a clearing attempt at the blue line

4th Goal Against (Goc), - for

• Dupuis: was in the box for a hooking penalty
• Sutter: fails to clear the puck on the boards, then lets Kopecky skate right past him
• Martin: backs away from Goc, giving him positioning to tap the puck in

2nd Goal For (Jeffrey), + for

• Kennedy: puts in forechecking effort to keep Panthers’ defensemen off the puck
• Bennett: goes to the corner to retrieve the puck and passes it to Orpik at the point
• Orpik: draws a Florida forward away and passes the puck over to Jeffrey
• Jeffrey: takes a wrist shot that beats Theodore

3rd Goal For (Martin), + for

• Neal: retrieves a loose puck in the defensive zone and skates it to the offensive zone, passing to Martin
• Martin: one-times a shot past Theodore

4th Goal For (Kunitz), + for

• Crosby: retrieves the puck in the corner and passes it down to Kunitz
• Kunitz: attempts to center the puck and it deflects off of a defenseman and goes in

5th Goal Against (Fleischmann), - for

• Letang: chases his own missed shot deep into the offensive zone as a penalty expires, leaving Niskanen back for a 2 on 1
• Niskanen: doesn’t compensate for Florida’s speed coming down the ice and never turns towards the puck

6th Goal Against (Kopecky), - for

• No One: empty netter and crazy bounce off the boards

Season +/-:  Click here for the Season +/- Spreadsheet