OT: Pens/Caps Here we go, who you got?

[recruitsreadtheseboards]

Well the series everyone has waited for and expected since October is here. Pens Caps. Here is Owt's 3 reasons why the Pens will win, and 3 reasons why they won't win this series.

I am picking.....Caps in Seven. Yes, I will explain below, and it is no sin to lose this series in 7 games, the year after winning it all.

Why the Pens will win?

1) It is the Capitals. These two teams have played 9 playoff series so far, the Pens are 8-1. We are their kryptonite. The monkey and pressure is all on the Capitals. Sid and Geno is 2-0 over Ovy and Backstrom. This may not sound like much, but trust me, watching these series over 25 years, it is. The Pens are in the Caps heads. Players heads, fans heads, ownership head's.

2) Speed. We saw what the fast Leafs did to the Capitals, pushed them to 5 OT games. Now you got the Pens with their speed, and experience and ability to put the puck in the net.

3) Less pressure. This is (should) be a tight series, and there will be alot of squeezing the sticks. Especially on the caps side. The Pens can approach this with a little more confidence and relaxation, which hopefully means they capitalize (pun intended) on their scoring chances. The Caps looked tight against the Leafs and now pressure mounts. Ya need to convert your chances, not shoot the puck a million miles an hour and not hit the net.

Why the Pens won't win:
1) Home Ice. These two teams had the two best home records in the NHL. Both tied at the top for number of points earned on their home ice. The problem here for the Pens? The Caps have one more home game scheduled this series than the Pens. It is that tight of a series, and that maybe enough to flip the coin.

2) Goaltending. This is not a shot at Marc Andre Fleury, but Braden Holtby is a Vezina finalist and one could argue maybe one of the 2-3 best goalies in the world. If it comes down to this, you have to like Holtby over Fleury (or Murray). That being said, the one team that seems to be able to get to Holtby is the Pens.

3) Depth. Because usually the Pens have this advantage over any team, except the Capitals. The Capitals have the deepest roster in the NHL. They are on paper, its best team. But that is not why I am picking them. Because Sid and Geno can mitigate this. But two potential matchups worried me most about not have Kris Letang. The Blackhawks and the Capitals. And well, here we are.

Bonus. The deciding factor might just be the odds, probabilities or as the late Bob Prince said it, "hidden vigourish". The Pens have beaten the Capitals 8 out of 9 playoff series. Now many of those series involved guys named Lemieux, Jagr, Coffey, Stevens, Francis, Cicciarelli, Gartner, Ridley, Carey, etc....but still 8 out of 9 times, this is 10, you just think that one of these times, especially when the teams are so even, things will bounce the Caps way.

So that goes my prediction. Caps in 7.

 

[crosbymalkin8771]

In short, I'm worried they're due to finally get past the Pens/the 2nd round and the Penguins' injuries may catch up to them. No Letang in particular is obviously huge.

Just knew this series would happen again, slightly annoying living in the D.C. Area. Was fun last year of course but we'll see how it goes.

 

[OriginalEther]

Pens in six.
Never bet against a streak.

 

[recruitsreadtheseboards]

In short, I'm worried they're due to finally get past the Pens/the 2nd round and the Penguins' injuries may catch up to them. No Letang in particular is obviously huge.

Just knew this series would happen again, slightly annoying living in the D.C. Area. Was fun last year of course but we'll see how it goes.

I am more annoyed that the NY Rangers get giftwrapped a walk to the ECF finals, where the 2 best teams have to slug it out in this round.

 

[crosbymalkin8771]

I am more annoyed that the NY Rangers get giftwrapped a walk to the ECF finals, where the 2 best teams have to slug it out in this round.

The playoff format does look ridiculous seeing as it's all teams that were lower in the standings playing each other in the second round.

Gotta think whoever comes out on top in the series has a pretty good chance though. With the Hawks out, the Capitals are really the only team left in the field that scares me. But hockey can be random sometimes.

 

[OH Pete]

I am more annoyed that the NY Rangers get giftwrapped a walk to the ECF finals, where the 2 best teams have to slug it out in this round.

Kind of crazy the way it is set up, but the more I think about it, the more I think the NHL actually is loving the way things are laid out. They got the match up that most hockey fans want - Pens and Caps. In a different set up, this match up was less likely to occur. And in addition, they will have either the Rangers or the Senators in the ECF, which will be good for ratings. While most (including me) feel that the ECF will be anti-climatic after the Pens/Caps series, the NHL is getting exactly what they wanted.

 

[ratking17]

Recruits....I agree. The reasons for the pens winning is basically intangibles and history while if we are all being honest with ourselves, the caps are the better team without letang in the mix.

Because of that the head agrees with caps in 7.

That said...until the caps beat the pens (or the bungles beat the stillers) you have to go with Pens in 6.

Obviously injuries can have a huge factor as well.

I dont like how either team played in round 1. Pens were flat for large stretches against Columbus and let skill win out because Columbus has none. Their defense was weak 5 on 5.
Caps played tight against leafs and the leafs are nowhere as talented as pens.

So head says caps, heart says pens.

Go Pens

 

[CaptainSidneyReilly]

When did this become a PENS Board??? Just kidding and mocking what should be posted by Pontificates of the Prophets.........PENS have the Coaches, Players, and Goalies with Confidence but I have no clue, the PENS in previous years have been pleasant surprises and also under achievers. CAPS have been the same. So, why not PENS even without Letang?

The PENS have come to be hated by other Hockey Teams and they have reacted by making it that hate bring them together and play Smart Hockey staying Focus on the their game. The very mature now and not just talented but talent with experience.

Underestimate them and they own you, the only way to beat them is outs shoot, hit, and play them, and that is hard to do.

 

[Revenge Of The Noise]

I dunno about the series overall. Missing Letang, Hagelin, Kunitz and Murray are concerns, but did not impact the first series as much (at all, really). Still not great though.
Two areas of concern: I expect the Pens will be rusty (rustier anyway) and lose Game 1 due to the longer break they've had. Rest is generally good but this seems too much. And they have to get out of this bad habit of playing simply awful first periods, counting on their ability to just turn it on later in the game when they need to. It didn't hurt them vs. Columbus but too dangerous to keep repeating.

 

[Bethlehemjohn]

Well the series everyone has waited for and expected since October is here. Pens Caps. Here is Owt's 3 reasons why the Pens will win, and 3 reasons why they won't win this series.

I am picking.....Caps in Seven. Yes, I will explain below, and it is no sin to lose this series in 7 games, the year after winning it all.

Why the Pens will win?

1) It is the Capitals. These two teams have played 9 playoff series so far, the Pens are 8-1. We are their kryptonite. The monkey and pressure is all on the Capitals. Sid and Geno is 2-0 over Ovy and Backstrom. This may not sound like much, but trust me, watching these series over 25 years, it is. The Pens are in the Caps heads. Players heads, fans heads, ownership head's.

2) Speed. We saw what the fast Leafs did to the Capitals, pushed them to 5 OT games. Now you got the Pens with their speed, and experience and ability to put the puck in the net.

3) Less pressure. This is (should) be a tight series, and there will be alot of squeezing the sticks. Especially on the caps side. The Pens can approach this with a little more confidence and relaxation, which hopefully means they capitalize (pun intended) on their scoring chances. The Caps looked tight against the Leafs and now pressure mounts. Ya need to convert your chances, not shoot the puck a million miles an hour and not hit the net.

Why the Pens won't win:
1) Home Ice. These two teams had the two best home records in the NHL. Both tied at the top for number of points earned on their home ice. The problem here for the Pens? The Caps have one more home game scheduled this series than the Pens. It is that tight of a series, and that maybe enough to flip the coin.

2) Goaltending. This is not a shot at Marc Andre Fleury, but Braden Holtby is a Vezina finalist and one could argue maybe one of the 2-3 best goalies in the world. If it comes down to this, you have to like Holtby over Fleury (or Murray). That being said, the one team that seems to be able to get to Holtby is the Pens.

3) Depth. Because usually the Pens have this advantage over any team, except the Capitals. The Capitals have the deepest roster in the NHL. They are on paper, its best team. But that is not why I am picking them. Because Sid and Geno can mitigate this. But two potential matchups worried me most about not have Kris Letang. The Blackhawks and the Capitals. And well, here we are.

Bonus. The deciding factor might just be the odds, probabilities or as the late Bob Prince said it, "hidden vigourish". The Pens have beaten the Capitals 8 out of 9 playoff series. Now many of those series involved guys named Lemieux, Jagr, Coffey, Stevens, Francis, Cicciarelli, Gartner, Ridley, Carey, etc....but still 8 out of 9 times, this is 10, you just think that one of these times, especially when the teams are so even, things will bounce the Caps way.

So that goes my prediction. Caps in 7.

Pens in 6. Sticking with Pens over Caps until the Caps prove they won't choke. I think if Caps get by Pens, they finally win it all.

 

[ratking17]

Pens in 6. Sticking with Pens over Caps until the Caps prove they won't choke. I think if Caps get by Pens, they finally win it all.

Agree. I said last year and I will say this year that the winner here is your cup champion

 

[pitt2533]

Going with the Caps in 7.

While the Pens clearly have had their number over the years in the playoffs I am afraid this year will be different with the losses of Letang, Murray, Haglin, etc...

 

[pbrad]

Letang loss is big, it showed in the last game. Why the 4 day rest for the Caps I thought the series should have started tonight.

 

[ThePanthers]

Caps in 6 hard fought games.

Having Letang and Hanglin out hurts.

 

[drp1tt]

Well the series everyone has waited for and expected since October is here. Pens Caps. Here is Owt's 3 reasons why the Pens will win, and 3 reasons why they won't win this series.

I am picking.....Caps in Seven. Yes, I will explain below, and it is no sin to lose this series in 7 games, the year after winning it all.

Why the Pens will win?

1) It is the Capitals. These two teams have played 9 playoff series so far, the Pens are 8-1. We are their kryptonite. The monkey and pressure is all on the Capitals. Sid and Geno is 2-0 over Ovy and Backstrom. This may not sound like much, but trust me, watching these series over 25 years, it is. The Pens are in the Caps heads. Players heads, fans heads, ownership head's.

2) Speed. We saw what the fast Leafs did to the Capitals, pushed them to 5 OT games. Now you got the Pens with their speed, and experience and ability to put the puck in the net.

3) Less pressure. This is (should) be a tight series, and there will be alot of squeezing the sticks. Especially on the caps side. The Pens can approach this with a little more confidence and relaxation, which hopefully means they capitalize (pun intended) on their scoring chances. The Caps looked tight against the Leafs and now pressure mounts. Ya need to convert your chances, not shoot the puck a million miles an hour and not hit the net.

Why the Pens won't win:
1) Home Ice. These two teams had the two best home records in the NHL. Both tied at the top for number of points earned on their home ice. The problem here for the Pens? The Caps have one more home game scheduled this series than the Pens. It is that tight of a series, and that maybe enough to flip the coin.

2) Goaltending. This is not a shot at Marc Andre Fleury, but Braden Holtby is a Vezina finalist and one could argue maybe one of the 2-3 best goalies in the world. If it comes down to this, you have to like Holtby over Fleury (or Murray). That being said, the one team that seems to be able to get to Holtby is the Pens.

3) Depth. Because usually the Pens have this advantage over any team, except the Capitals. The Capitals have the deepest roster in the NHL. They are on paper, its best team. But that is not why I am picking them. Because Sid and Geno can mitigate this. But two potential matchups worried me most about not have Kris Letang. The Blackhawks and the Capitals. And well, here we are.

Bonus. The deciding factor might just be the odds, probabilities or as the late Bob Prince said it, "hidden vigourish". The Pens have beaten the Capitals 8 out of 9 playoff series. Now many of those series involved guys named Lemieux, Jagr, Coffey, Stevens, Francis, Cicciarelli, Gartner, Ridley, Carey, etc....but still 8 out of 9 times, this is 10, you just think that one of these times, especially when the teams are so even, things will bounce the Caps way.

So that goes my prediction. Caps in 7.

Still don't understand why the 2 best teams, record wise, are playing each other in the second round.

 

[BradlyPitt]

there is no homefield advantage in hockey

pens will win as long as fleury doesn't go into meltdown mode

the caps had tons of trouble with the leafs speed, they aren't faster than the pens not to mention they are far less talented and experienced

if the caps win it will take 7 games, every series is a struggle for them, i could see the pens winning in 5

 

[recruitsreadtheseboards]

I do think if the Caps lose Game 1, they could be in real trouble as the doubt immediately starts coming into play.

 

[BuffetParrothead]

I hate the seeding in hockey playoffs.
We have to play the 3rd best team Columbus, the 1st best team the Caps, while the Rangers I think got the winner of the loser game Boston Otttawa.
So lets beat the Caps!

 

[Joe the Panther Fan]

there is no homefield advantage in hockey

The only people who believe that are people who don't understand hockey.

 

[goalieman]

Well the series everyone has waited for and expected since October is here. Pens Caps. Here is Owt's 3 reasons why the Pens will win, and 3 reasons why they won't win this series.

I am picking.....Caps in Seven. Yes, I will explain below, and it is no sin to lose this series in 7 games, the year after winning it all.

Why the Pens will win?

1) It is the Capitals. These two teams have played 9 playoff series so far, the Pens are 8-1. We are their kryptonite. The monkey and pressure is all on the Capitals. Sid and Geno is 2-0 over Ovy and Backstrom. This may not sound like much, but trust me, watching these series over 25 years, it is. The Pens are in the Caps heads. Players heads, fans heads, ownership head's.

2) Speed. We saw what the fast Leafs did to the Capitals, pushed them to 5 OT games. Now you got the Pens with their speed, and experience and ability to put the puck in the net.

3) Less pressure. This is (should) be a tight series, and there will be alot of squeezing the sticks. Especially on the caps side. The Pens can approach this with a little more confidence and relaxation, which hopefully means they capitalize (pun intended) on their scoring chances. The Caps looked tight against the Leafs and now pressure mounts. Ya need to convert your chances, not shoot the puck a million miles an hour and not hit the net.

Why the Pens won't win:
1) Home Ice. These two teams had the two best home records in the NHL. Both tied at the top for number of points earned on their home ice. The problem here for the Pens? The Caps have one more home game scheduled this series than the Pens. It is that tight of a series, and that maybe enough to flip the coin.

2) Goaltending. This is not a shot at Marc Andre Fleury, but Braden Holtby is a Vezina finalist and one could argue maybe one of the 2-3 best goalies in the world. If it comes down to this, you have to like Holtby over Fleury (or Murray). That being said, the one team that seems to be able to get to Holtby is the Pens.

3) Depth. Because usually the Pens have this advantage over any team, except the Capitals. The Capitals have the deepest roster in the NHL. They are on paper, its best team. But that is not why I am picking them. Because Sid and Geno can mitigate this. But two potential matchups worried me most about not have Kris Letang. The Blackhawks and the Capitals. And well, here we are.

Bonus. The deciding factor might just be the odds, probabilities or as the late Bob Prince said it, "hidden vigourish". The Pens have beaten the Capitals 8 out of 9 playoff series. Now many of those series involved guys named Lemieux, Jagr, Coffey, Stevens, Francis, Cicciarelli, Gartner, Ridley, Carey, etc....but still 8 out of 9 times, this is 10, you just think that one of these times, especially when the teams are so even, things will bounce the Caps way.

So that goes my prediction. Caps in 7.

Should be an interesting series ......

For the Pens to win .....

1) Puck possession is a big key and to do that we are going to have to improve the breakouts from our end ..... Columbus forechecked us very hard and we just turned the puck over in our end and the neutral zone way too much ..... Washington will forecheck hard as well and they have the skill that if we turn it over like we did against Columbus, the puck will be in our net..... clean up the breakouts or we will be in trouble.

2) Goalies - Holtby is one of the best if not the best goalie in the league ..... Fleury can't let up, he needs to play as well as he did in the 1st round .... be consistent ...... no soft goals ..... the team could really help Fleury by limiting the number of shots on goal against Fleury.

3) Both teams have good power plays ...... Pens have to stay out of the box and when they are shorthanded, they need to keep Ovechkin from scoring and Backstrom from making plays on the PP.

4) Our stars need to play well but we also need to get some scoring from all the lines. Hopefully we can get some more players back (Kunitz, Ruhwedel, Hagelin) to add to our depth. ..... Letang is obviously a huge loss and doubt Murray will be back this series.

I fear that this may be the Caps year ...... Washington in 6.

 

[Gunga_Galunga]

Pens in six.
Never bet against a streak.

This is very true. I honestly don't have a feel either way, but it will be similar games to last year. A bunch of one goal games and several OT games.

It would be nice to get Hagelin back. It does look like Kunitz will be back, but Murray unlikely to return anytime soon.

My wildcard.... Barry Trotz is not a good playoff coach. They should have rolled Toronto, instead they were in an OT laden slugfest of a series. If the Pens were healthy it would be an easier call.

 

[CaptainMurphy]

Pens in 6, maybe even 5. I'm not going to bet against the Pens vs the Caps until we lose a series against them. Caps struggled against Toronto, doesn't bode well for them.

I'm expecting a big series for Kessel and some regression from MAF. Any word when Murray could possibly be back? I know he isn't practicing yet.

 

[OriginalEther]

Still don't understand why the 2 best teams, record wise, are playing each other in the second round.

Because the nhl went to a divisional format, and the two best teams happened to be in the same division.

Quirky stuff like that can happen. Think how the Pirates got stuck playing the Cubs in the Wild Card game a few seasons ago. Or, how the Pens kept missing the playoffs in Lemeiuxs early years despite having more points than four or five playoff teams.

 

[PhPanther1]

Kunitz in for Rowney is big imo. You can slot him on the 3rd line and allow Wilson to drop to the 4th line where he belongs. Hagelin is a big loss here.

Not sure I like the potential Ruhwedel for Hainsey swap. They need better legs on the back end, but Chad Ruhwedel? Yikes, no Letang is gonna hurt bad.

Who wins? Man my heart says pens head says caps. If the Pens get blown out in game 1, then you have to worry about their mental makeup and ability to bounce back. If they lose a close one, then you have to think they feel good about taking caps best punch and being right there. If they win...they might take the series in 5.

I'll say Pens in 7.

 

[mo cheeks]

the best stars play for the Pens. Crosby and Malkin. they need to dominate. If they play at the very top of there games, Pens in 5.

 

[9nationalchampionships]

Pens in 7....going to be a grind

 

[Jpripper88]

there is no homefield advantage in hockey

pens will win as long as fleury doesn't go into meltdown mode

the caps had tons of trouble with the leafs speed, they aren't faster than the pens not to mention they are far less talented and experienced

if the caps win it will take 7 games, every series is a struggle for them, i could see the pens winning in 5

Very wrong.

 

[BuffetParrothead]

The only people who believe that are people who don't understand hockey.

You're correct!
The home ice advantage is huge. We're PENS crazies and went to a PENS /Flyers game in Philly once and only once would we do that.
If you don't think home ice is an advantage you have to do something like that once or go to a PENS home game same thing!
I believe its a larger home advantage than football due to the proximity of the crazy home fans!

 

[recruitsreadtheseboards]

You're correct!
The home ice advantage is huge. We're PENS crazies and went to a PENS /Flyers game in Philly once and only once would we do that.
If you don't think home ice is an advantage you have to do something like that once or go to a PENS home game same thing!
I believe its a larger home advantage than football due to the proximity of the crazy home fans!

It's more than that. Many cases the fans are overrated. What is not overrated is the routine, the familiarity of being at home. But mostly, at home you have two distinct X and O advantages.
1) Face offs. The visiting team has to put their stick down first, giving the home team a slight advantage.
2) Last change. It is easier to match line changes, on the road a team can put their best defensive line or pairing against say Sid, where at home you can see if the visitors put their 4th line out there you quickly can put out Sid's line for a possible mismatch.

That is where there is more of an advantage. Oh sure, crowds can help motivate, but they can also hurt you if things aren't going as well.

 

[Joe the Panther Fan]

It's more than that. Many cases the fans are overrated. What is not overrated is the routine, the familiarity of being at home. But mostly, at home you have two distinct X and O advantages.
1) Face offs. The visiting team has to put their stick down first, giving the home team a slight advantage.
2) Last change. It is easier to match line changes, on the road a team can put their best defensive line or pairing against say Sid, where at home you can see if the visitors put their 4th line out there you quickly can put out Sid's line for a possible mismatch.

That is where there is more of an advantage. Oh sure, crowds can help motivate, but they can also hurt you if things aren't going as well.

Right. The biggest thing is that you get to stay at home and sleep in your own bed. You have your normal game day routine, and you know it isn't going to change. The biggest on ice thing is that you get the last change. The Pens don't do a lot of line matching, but most of their opponents do and when you don't have the last change it's much more difficult to match lines.

The Pens had a .795 home winning percentage this year and were at .526 on the road. The Caps were .800 at home and .625 on the road. The Caps were a very good team on the road this year, and yet they were no where near as good on the road as they were at home. That's not just by coincidence.

 

[H2Pittisit]

I think Caps in 6.

1. The Letang loss is going to be huge in this series. He is a big reason for the pens puck possession and I think the caps will work down low and get more chances because of it

2. Fleury. Since the cup win, he has crapped the bed in every big series except 1. He did play well last series but I think the Caps will rattle him and he will fold. I'd love him to prove me wrong but I think he lets in some real backbreakers at key moments

 

[88Pitt88]

Pens played relentless lass season. They were in the other teams end all the time and soundly outshooting their opponent each night. Injuries and other factors have made things different to this point, even tho we beat a good Columbus team in 5 games.

There are many reasons to be concerned about this series, but I am certain if we don't play more in the Capitals end than they play in ours, we are in trouble. We gave 51 shots on goal to Columbus in game 5, that is way to many. If you give the Caps that many shots, even if Fluery plays well, they will pot at least 5. It will be hard for us to get more than 3 against Holtby unless we turn it on and show something we didn't in the prior series.

I am hoping the Pens did not show their best in the Columbus series, but it is now or never, no time to save anything. They will have to be worlds better defensively than they were in the columbus series, and that just might be esxpecting too much. Additionally, there is no HBK line at this time, and even if Hagelin comes back, I am not sure we see it. As many may remember, the HBK line was the difference in the Cap series last year, as they were able to stifle Sid and Geno reasonably well.

GO PENS!!!!!

 

[Ski11585]

2-0 Pens just like that.

 

[pitt-girl]

My satellite was out here in the North Hills for the whole thing.

 

[Revenge Of The Noise]

2-0 Pens just like that.

Man they're explosive.

 

[TTOWN2]

Man they're explosive.

The flower maybe starting to wilt....just gave up a bad goal..c'mon flower !!!

 

[Revenge Of The Noise]

The flower maybe starting to wilt....just gave up a bad goal..c'mon flower !!!

Giving up a goal eventually was inevitable. Unfortunately they Pens weren't able to capitalize further with those great chances right after their second goal. Couple passes too many each time.

 

[BuffetParrothead]

The flower maybe starting to wilt....just gave up a bad goal..c'mon flower !!!

I think his long rest really helped clear his "busy" mind!
He's more focused and mentally tough!
I think! I hope!
In the past there was a lot of stuff rattling around in the head!

PENS 4-2 over the Crapitals!

 

[USN_Panther]

It's more than that. Many cases the fans are overrated. What is not overrated is the routine, the familiarity of being at home. But mostly, at home you have two distinct X and O advantages.
1) Face offs. The visiting team has to put their stick down first, giving the home team a slight advantage.
2) Last change. It is easier to match line changes, on the road a team can put their best defensive line or pairing against say Sid, where at home you can see if the visitors put their 4th line out there you quickly can put out Sid's line for a possible mismatch.

That is where there is more of an advantage. Oh sure, crowds can help motivate, but they can also hurt you if things aren't going as well.

Correct me if wrong, but doesn't the defending team have to place their stick down first for face-offs? the only time home team gets the advantage of going second is for centre ice face-offs. I do think this is a recent rule change.

 

[BuffetParrothead]

That's it for the Crapitals ( two goals) we the PENS now score two goals and deflate their inflated opinion of the Crapitals!