OT- PENS ....... some post game 2 and upcoming game 3 thoughts....

[goalieman]

I started a thread on the Football Board after game 1 and prior to game 2 about my thoughts on game 1 and some thoughts on what we could do to help in game 2 ......

- One suggestion I had for game 2 was to move Kunitz to the 1st line in place of Winnik as I felt Winnik doesn't skate or score well enough to play on the 1st line .... Kunitz skates better, can score, is more skilled then Winnik and still forechecks and battles on the boards well ..... Kunitz is a better fit to play with Crosby and opens more space for Crosby ..... Coach Johnston made the switch (obviously not because of me ... LOL !) .... and Kunitz and Crosby scored 3 of the Pens 4 goals.

- I also suggested after game 2 that we needed to get more traffic in front of the Rangers goalie, Lundqvist, to screen him, get deflections on goal and look for rebounds to score on ....... we got a lot more traffic in front of Lundqvist in game 2, enough that the Rangers coach complained after the game that we were interfering with their goalie (Coachspeak IMO) ..... we scored 3 of our 4 goals on rebounds by players around the crease or in the low slot.

- We are negating the Rangers feared forecheck by short, quick passes to break out of our zone ... it worked well in game 1 and the Rangers appeared to be adjusting later in game 2 so we still were making quick passes but farther out in our zone past their forecheck.

- The Rangers have a lot of speed ..... they like to come out of their zone and through the neutral zone with speed backing up your D-men and they also like to use long cross-ice passes through the neutral zone ...... a good way to negate speed is to dump the puck deep in the opponents end behind their D-men to make them skate back into their zone away from your zone ..... this is only successful if you forecheck them well and win battles deep in their zone and get the puck to the net with traffic in front of the net ..... I thought we did that well in the last 2 periods of game 1 and in game 2 .... we also cut down on their cross ice passes in the neutral zone.

- Fleury is playing very well .... the addition of goalie coach Mike Bales has really helped Fleury develop and expand his game.

- Sutter has also played really well ..... really good two way player.

- Penalty killing has been good.

- We obviously are missing 3 of our best 4 defensemen (Letang, Ehrhoff, and Maatta) and Pouliot also ..... Martin and Scuderi are playing well and the two new trade additions of Cole and Lovejoy are also playing well .... they are all veterans .... but I would be remiss if I didn't comment on how well I thought the 2 D-men who were brought up from our minor leagues (WBS), Taylor Chorney and Brian Dumoulin have done as the 5th and 6th D-men .... they have held their own against the Rangers and look like they belong.

- I love the way our 4th line is playing ..... Lapierre, Comeau, Spalling have been good and allow us to role 4 lines out there.

- We need to cut down on stupid penalties ! .... this is a problem that can be corrected with a little more discipline on the ice.

- These Stanley Cup Playoff series mean you play the same team for 4-7 games until a winner is determined .... you have to make adjustments game to game and it is like a chess match ..... the Pens are likely to continue to try to break it out of their end quickly and get it deep into the Rangers zone and create a good forecheck ..... the question will be how the Rangers can counter this...... we need to continue to get traffic in front of Lundqvist if we are going to beat him ..... can the Rangers take advantage of our weakened defense especially our "minor league" call ups ?..... can Fleury keep up his excellent play ?..... can we cut down on the stupid penalties ? ..... will we make any line changes for game 3, I doubt any major changes..... can our penalty killers keep up the good work ? ..... can we force more penalties against the Rangers and capitalize on them ? ...... we'll find these things out and more in game 3, Monday night !

- Again just my thoughts.

 

[wbrpanther]

All good thoughts, Gman. I think the move of Kunitz back to Crosby's line was overdue. Those two have played together for years now and their familiarity with each other is the key in my opinion. kunitz looked like a completely different player last night. 3 goals from that line was what this team needed to get rid of some pressure. Sutter continues to be the Pens best player not names Crosby or Fleury. i think Geno will step up and join the fray so the Pens could turn into a playoff force.

ll the dire predictions about this series had some merit based on the Pens' recent playoff failures and how they played in the last month of the season. But it seemed that lost in all that was the fact that the Pens are still a very talented team and there is a huge difference between the regular season and the playoffs.

 

[goalieman]

wbr .... good point that Crosby and Kunitz have played together a lot previously and they really know each others game well ... makes for better teamwork when you know what your other line-mates are going to do before they do it ..... Kunitz just is more skilled then Winnik, just as tough and fits on Crosby's line better .... Kunitz needs to be closely accounted for on the ice which tends to give Sid more room to work ..... you are also right that Kunitz looked to be rejuvenated playing on the 1st line.

Malkin is playing hurt (back injury) and really shouldn't have played in the last 4 or 5 games of the regular season but had to ..... he is doing the best he can ..... if his back improves, he will be able to do more.

Game 3 should be interesting !

 

[recruitsreadtheseboards]

Well that was fun. It was good to see them being led by #87.

I don't know how we have gotten to this point, but somehow in the Pgh media, until recently, we have looked to blame everyone else BUT THE STARS for the playoff short comings. You would hear all the apologists bitch about Sid's lack of wingers, lack of wingers for Malkin, poor bottom 6 production, etc...

But when it comes down to it, it is up to 29, 87 and 71. 29 held up his end of the bargain last year and so far this year. The other two haven't...until Game 2

Sid's just got to use his speed, go to the net, make plays at the net, get shots on goal.

I do find it ironic that while the Pens had 2 PP goals in Game 2, they were both scored by the second unit, who's game is less perimeter oriented and much more simple. The Pens need to look at Sid's two goals one, a rebound which Sid drove to the net, and the other, a pinch, a cycle and a give and go. No fancy stuff. Just basic.

STOP PASSING UP CHANCES TO LOOK FOR BETTER ONES. THE BETTER ONES MAY NOT BE THERE. That message is for the Pens #1 PP and Sid and Geno specifically.

Hey, if reuniting Kunitz with Sid results in this, that is a no brainer and kudos to Mike Johnston for going there.

Game 3 is huge. This is really a big game tonight. Since moving to Consol, the Pens have not been significantly good at home, the crowds suck, complacent, but they should be loud tonight, motivated no doubt by the number of Rangers fans who will be in the stands (they bough a lot of tickets). But if the Pens win tonight, wow....talk about pressure and the monkey being on the favorite's back.

They got to stay out of the box, and let's please hope the refs look at this game from an equal perspective and not let the Rangers get away with shit and the Pens not allowed to get away with anything.

 

[MajorMajors]

Not a big hockey guy, but can't remember a Pens team that mishandled the puck as much as this one. Kunitz has been a big culprit in this regard - but there are many others. Even the stars keep having some very odd moments...

Was nice to see Crosby emerge in Game 2 - hope he can stay hot (but his blind passes still drive me crazy)...

Fleury is amazing.

Go Pitt.

 

[vegasgreed]

We're going to lose the series.

The dumb penalties are a killer.

Kunitz has had a bad year, no other way to spin it.