SCP17 Game 5 vs CBJ - Thoughts from the Morning After

[Penspal]

Pens win 5-2 (eliminate the Columbus Blue Jackets!) (bye bye Boone, Dubinsky, Hartnell, and all the rest of those idiots)

- 4 wins down, 12 more to go! Let's Go Pens!
- MAF was solid, flexible and down right phenomenal for periods of this game. Let this be the playoff MAF we all remember, not that other MAF
- Maatta with a save reminiscent of the Scuderi effort from years back "The Piece" was Scuds handle, what are they going to call Maatta's save?
- I knew the Pens were going to win when I saw Sid AND Geno coming back with speed, stealing pucks & going back the other way
- Jackets were tentative and the Pens took advantage. The Powerplay, WTF have you guys been all year!!!
- Rust is clutch. I had high hopes for him, but he just continues to exceed expectations
- Geno, Sid, Kessel picking up points like they were leaves on the sidewalk. 11, 8, & 7 respectively... Could Geno get 47 to tie record?
- There was no regular season goalie better than Bobby Bobrovsky, playoffs were another story. Special mindset needed to be playoff keeper
- Sickest goal of the night was the Wilson goal, the behind the back and right into a uppercut-pump cele.... so sweet.
- Fans seemed to appreciate a series clincher at home! Seemed really loud from the CBJ broadcast
- Thankfully, the Pens can now get some must needed rest. Let's hope the Leafs/Caps goes 7 and that they clobber each other

[penny lane]

JOY~ moving on!
With Flower's rebirth, this play off year has become energized and new.
26 points in these 5 games- Sid, Evgeni and Phil !
Just like game six v the caps, Phil got the party started.
Our bend but never break defense, got the job done- helps when forwards participate.
The paint can is as loud as I've ever heard it!

*Streit has not skated for any of the pre game skates; is he injured?

[FLPensFan]

At least some people in the Colubmus organization have some class. From DK's site:

Blue Jackets general manager Jarmo Kekäläinen to Jim Rutherford, just outside the Penguins’ dressing room late Thursday night: “Shake my hand and go win another one.”

[DelPen]

Jackets are close to being a great team but they need to get rid of the toxic behavior of Torts, Hartnell and Dubinsky before it rubs off their younger players.

[Skatingpen]

Happy for the win, worried for whoever they play next. They give up way to many shots and quality chances so far this playoff. Can they figure that out? Glad there are no injuries, no one thought they would get out of that series that way

[Malkintent]

Agreed. I'm worried about the defense. If they give up 50 shots a game against the Caps or Leafs it won't be pretty. The Pens rarely seemed to keep the BJs hemmed in their end like they Pens were doing all of last year.

[Durbano]

Thank heaven for MAF last night.

The Blue Jackets belong in the 1970s.

When it was announced that Letang is out until next season, I figured the Pens would win the first round and then bow out. That'd still be my bet, but now I'm thinking they either lose to Washington or win the Cup again.

[SubtropicalPenguin]

- When Sid left the ice after the second period, he was visibly upset. I noticed him slam his stick against the boards on the way off the ice. Sid from 5 years ago probably brings negative energy out in the third and takes a penalty, or gets away from his game... Sid now focused, and got a nasty power play goal which was the back-breaker.

-MAF was amazing last night. His home-away splits remain a point of great concern, but you can't take away the performances he put out there in games 1, 2, and 5. He was MVP of this series, IMO.

- Sullivan made a good move switching Hornqvist and Sheary in the third. The first line was leaking opportunities to the BJs. I still think the Sid and the Kids line will be together moving forward, but an in-game adjustment was needed, and Sullivan made the change. I can't express how much I love him as a coach.

- Fortunate call on the interference in the third. I have seen that one go either way. And no, I don't feel bad for the BJs on that one at all - they got away with so many penalties this series, the hockey Gods hit back on that one.

- I don't like to think about other teams too much, but it would sure be nice for my heart if the Caps get ousted by Toronto. Those Caps-Pens series are always fun, and great hockey, but they're downright stressful too.

LGP!

[Hugo Stiglitz]

One word: Fleury

That's all.

[Pitts]

Being at the game it's so refreshing to know that 99% of Pens fans truly appreciate the greatness of Fleury! Being on this forum, sometimes you'd think the opposite.

Sullivan is the best coach this team had has since Badger and Bowman. I really hope he builds a legacy here like Babcock had in Detroit.

Hoping big time for a Toronto upset. Toronto stormed back to nearly tie it at the end of last game. Caps are teetering in the confidence area right now.
Although I think the Pens can beat the Caps because they are faster and have better offensive depth, eventually our luck against them has to run out and they will get one over on us. I do not want that to be this year.

Was so much fun last night watching Torts blow a gasket on the jumbotron as the fans gave it to him hard for what seemed an eternity! When they cross checked Hornqvist on that PP, the entire arena was livid! The energy was intense. You just knew the team was gonna come out and get one after that and Crosby made sure it counted with dramatic flair! What a feeling!

[Southern Fan]

Fleury .933 save % makes him ninth in playoffs. Regular season he would be a Vezina winner.

Jackets have been running on fumes for months. Glad they didn't flip the switch. Their style would fit better in the West. They should go back.

Playoff miracle - no announced upper or lower body injuries. If you don't count Murray.

Hoping for quadruple overtime tonight and Sunday.

Any Hagelin sitings?

[Pitts]

Hagelin: Josh Yohe reported today that Hagelin has been back in a walking boot this week. FYI

[Penspal]

Why MAF is my favorite goalie of all time.

~~~~~~
From DKPitsburghSports.com

Josh Yohe: “Hey Flower, nice win. Although I can’t think this game was much fun for a goalie.”

Marc-Andre Fleury: “Um, I know what you mean. But … (expletive) it. I don’t even care how many goals I gave up. (Expletive) it. That was so fun. So, so much fun.”
~~~~~~

I have always admired Marc-Andre's approach to what he loves. A very good life philosophy. In fact, it is even Lebowski-esque! (IMHO, there has been far too few Lebowski references of late...... strictly for playoff mojo purposes of course)

[Puck-Lurker]

Blue Jackets are gone, twelve games left.

- Defense? That is still a thing right? Right?!
- Schultz needs to stop thinking he's Letang.
- MAF was good. Could've been awesome, stopped just short of that. He kept us in.
- Wilson looked so confused when that went in..
- That Crosby snipe.. good lord!! Just about a minute and a bit after the puck went in when they ran over MAF.
- Rusty
- Jackets were an unbalanced team, not a worthy challenge. We'll face better, but TOR and WSH defenses are shaky enough as well.
- Sully

Let's go Pens!

[netwolf]

I know based on history, I'm supposed to hate the Flyers and Caps most, but based on current roster, I think I hate that Columbus team the most right now. Dubinsky, Jenner, Foligno, Hartnell, Calvert, Savard... they're a freaking hack squad. The way they play embodies so much of what I hate in NHL hockey. Commit all the penalties because you know the refs won't come close to calling them all. They're season couldn't end soon enough for me. Good riddance.

If that team had playoff Bob all season instead of the guy who's likely winning the Vezina, are they even a playoff team? Seems to me, he covered up a lot of issues for them. They wouldn't have win 16 straight, that's for sure. Might have ever been a lottery team.

Thrilled for MAF. I root for the team above all, but I don't think there's ever been a guy I want to see do well more than that guy. And it's a good thing he was up for it, because he certainly covered up a bunch of issues for this team too. They'll need to be a lot better about getting out of their end clean next round.

Malkin was a beast, as good as I've seen him. He did everything that round. I also think Ian Cole had a really good, under-the-radar series. And I'd be remiss not to mention Big Game Bryan Rust. What a player he's become early on in his career.

[Hugo Stiglitz]

-Regarding Cole: I don't even think Cole has been under-the-radar. If he was a pending UFA he would get PAID next year.

-Regarding Rust: Can't agree more. He had a slow start paired with injury issues, but he really turned it up and has found another gear in the playoffs.

-Goaltending: Fleury masked a lot of issues. If the Pens don't find a way to play team defense the way they did in Games 1 and 2 they could see a quick exit against a team like WSH. They play a style that might bleed shots, but limits quality chances/shots like they did in Game 1 and 2.

-Rivalry? They've quickly tied the Flyers for me in how intensely I hate them. For me it has more to do with Torts than his players. I feel like another coach plays those guys differently.

[pcmforless]

Only thing that would have made that game better was Rust scoring that goal late for the hat trick.
Jackets had a glimmer of hope and then it was sniped away from them by Crosby... Game over... Series over...

[Southern Fan]

Watching a couple of the Caps-Leafs games, I almost feel that we just faced a better 5 man unit than either of those two teams. When you throw in the goalie, that assessment changes a bit.

The Caps looked scarier last year. All their veterans are a year older.

[Pitts]

Watching a couple of the Caps-Leafs games, I almost feel that we just faced a better 5 man unit than either of those two teams. When you throw in the goalie, that assessment changes a bit.

The Caps looked scarier last year. All their veterans are a year older.

The fact that the Caps are really struggling against a young upstart team like Toronto speaks volumes. All but one game has gone to OT and the one that didn;t was almost tied up in the final seconds by Toronto. Caps are not the same this spring.

[Great58]

Watching a couple of the Caps-Leafs games, I almost feel that we just faced a better 5 man unit than either of those two teams. When you throw in the goalie, that assessment changes a bit.

The Caps looked scarier last year. All their veterans are a year older.

That the Caps haven't exposed the weakness of the Leafs defense is surprising. At the start of these playoffs I thought it was a coin-flip as to who would win a Pens-Caps series, without Letang. But Sullivan >>>> Trotz, so with the addition of a fresh series of video tape exposing the Caps weaknesses, I'm starting to believe more, even with our own defensive weaknesses.

[penny lane]

Shelly Anderson Retweeted
NHL Public Relations‏Verified account @PR_NHL Apr 21
Evgeni Malkin joined Mario Lemieux (5-7—12 in 1991 F) as only @penguins w/ 11+ points in a playoff series of 5 GP or less

[DontToewsMeBro]

Watching a couple of the Caps-Leafs games, I almost feel that we just faced a better 5 man unit than either of those two teams. When you throw in the goalie, that assessment changes a bit.

The Caps looked scarier last year. All their veterans are a year older.

That the Caps haven't exposed the weakness of the Leafs defense is surprising. At the start of these playoffs I thought it was a coin-flip as to who would win a Pens-Caps series, without Letang. But Sullivan >>>> Trotz, so with the addition of a fresh series of video tape exposing the Caps weaknesses, I'm starting to believe more, even with our own defensive weaknesses.

I feel like the Caps are dangerous because they have a handful of players who can just make something out of completely thin air and the Jackets didn't have a single player like that.

[thehockeyguru]

Watching a couple of the Caps-Leafs games, I almost feel that we just faced a better 5 man unit than either of those two teams. When you throw in the goalie, that assessment changes a bit.

The Caps looked scarier last year. All their veterans are a year older.

That the Caps haven't exposed the weakness of the Leafs defense is surprising. At the start of these playoffs I thought it was a coin-flip as to who would win a Pens-Caps series, without Letang. But Sullivan >>>> Trotz, so with the addition of a fresh series of video tape exposing the Caps weaknesses, I'm starting to believe more, even with our own defensive weaknesses.

I feel like the Caps are dangerous because they have a handful of players who can just make something out of completely thin air and the Jackets didn't have a single player like that.

Justin Williams is their x-factor, he scores huge goals. I'm not worried about Ovie or the other Russian players the Caps have.

[Southern Fan]

Right about Justin Williams. that guy was invisible for 55 minutes last night. Then he had 2 good shifts at the end of regulation and then the overtime winner. He can flip a switch

[Malkintent]

I'm surprised as well that the Caps are having such a hard time with the Leafs but they still scare me. The Pens did not look good against the BJs. They got pinned in their own zone for long periods of time and got massively outshot at times. The BJs don't have the kind of firepower the Caps do so the Pens can't let the Caps get 50 shots a game.