Game 2 vs Rangers - Thoughts from the morning after

[Penspal]

Pens win 5-2

- Vokoun is as advertised, a huge improvement over last year's Brent Johnson.
- Vitale had serious hop! He looked faster than anyone last night
- I just started two points with players who's name begin with "V"
- Glass vs. Asham, fight of the year? Wow, Glass does not have a Glassjaw and he can dish it out.
- 2 games, 2 penalties for Sutter. I'm starting to question his "hockey smarts", but I love his playstyle.
- the Rangers were brutal, I'll not read anything into this game other than the Pens were ready.
- Richards had a horrible game, and so much of the Rangers game revolves around him.
- Nash is a MONSTER, made that goal look easy
- Marc Staal with a dirty crosscheck into Malkin. I'm betting he's dirtier to the Pens now that Jordan is gone
- Orpik with a great hit, happy to see there was no senseless retaliation fight
- Despres shows flashes of "special", but he is still doing too much

[Mongoose87]

Despres plays like a guy that hasn't learned the pro game yet.

[sniper]

Despres plays like a guy that hasn't learned the pro game yet.

He has room to improve, but he's young and it's early. You can see he has the skating, stickhandling, and passing ability to play at this level. He looks nervous at times and that's to be expected. The only way he's going to get over that is by playing and as long as he isn't costing them a bunch of games I'm not concerned. By mid season I think he'll be fine and it will pay off down the stretch and into next season. Most teams don't have a solid 3rd D pairing. Even the Rangers who are supposed to be great defensively don't have a good third D pairing. I'd rather stick with Despres for a while than have a guy like Bickel out there.

[The Snapshot]

Despres plays like a guy that hasn't learned the pro game yet.

He has room to improve, but he's young and it's early. You can see he has the skating, stickhandling, and passing ability to play at this level. He looks nervous at times and that's to be expected. The only way he's going to get over that is by playing and as long as he isn't costing them a bunch of games I'm not concerned. By mid season I think he'll be fine and it will pay off down the stretch and into next season. Most teams don't have a solid 3rd D pairing. Even the Rangers who are supposed to be great defensively don't have a good third D pairing. I'd rather stick with Despres for a while than have a guy like Bickel out there.

Also, last season he played some big minutes for the Pens when he stepped in for all the injuries. In a role where more was expected, he thrived. It is possible that he is having adjustment problems with a 3rd pair role. His game is about skating, puck-handling and confidence. Not absolving him of the need for improvement - but he may have some issues with a "don't make a mistake" 3rd pair role as opposed to a more creative, make it happen top 4 role that he thrived in last year.

Whether that is part of it or not, he needs to get the tentativeness out of his game. His passes last year were lasers. Right now, he seems to be thinking too much and aiming them.

He did make a really nice pass on the Kennedy goal.

[letsgoalpens]

Despres plays like a guy that hasn't learned the pro game yet.

He has room to improve, but he's young and it's early. You can see he has the skating, stickhandling, and passing ability to play at this level. He looks nervous at times and that's to be expected. The only way he's going to get over that is by playing and as long as he isn't costing them a bunch of games I'm not concerned. By mid season I think he'll be fine and it will pay off down the stretch and into next season. Most teams don't have a solid 3rd D pairing. Even the Rangers who are supposed to be great defensively don't have a good third D pairing. I'd rather stick with Despres for a while than have a guy like Bickel out there.

Also, last season he played some big minutes for the Pens when he stepped in for all the injuries. In a role where more was expected, he thrived. It is possible that he is having adjustment problems with a 3rd pair role. His game is about skating, puck-handling and confidence. Not absolving him of the need for improvement - but he may have some issues with a "don't make a mistake" 3rd pair role as opposed to a more creative, make it happen top 4 role that he thrived in last year.

Whether that is part of it or not, he needs to get the tentativeness out of his game. His passes last year were lasers. Right now, he seems to be thinking too much and aiming them.

He did make a really nice pass on the Kennedy goal.

Totally agree. I think he is a top pairing (eventually) guy and is playing a bit out of what role would serve him and the team best. I get he has to earn his time in the top four but I am not freaking out about anything in his game right now. I think he will be able to settle in to his role on the bottom pairing in time. Probably tough for a guy who has not played in on the third pairing ever in his life to see his minutes/role change and adapt to that quickly.

[iWonTheCup87]

i dont agree with your assessment of Sutter. There has been plenty of people who have taken penalties with the new rules, it was probably habbit to use his glove. I dont think its fair at all to judge his "hockey smarts" from that.

surprised no mention of Neal/Malkin being unstoppable
crosby threw a huge check on boyle
Defense still looks good so far
PK was strong again
PP is on fire besides the terrible 5 on 3 in the third
Nash really didnt do much besides one good rush he had and that goal
Sutter still is impressive especially on faceoffs but overall he looks great


Once sid heats up watch out, he had some good chances

[MRandall25]

Yeah, Brad Richards took a similar glove penalty. Are you going to question his hockey smarts, too?

[sil]

Sid's hit was on Bickel...who basically looked like a t*rd all night.

He was also the doof who Vitale toasted on Kennedy's goal.

[sniper]

-Vokoun takes away that feeling I always got when Johnson played last year. I expect him to make the save where I just hoped Johnson would.
-Vitale did look fast. Probably a combination of knowing he is fighting for playing time and everyone else playing the day before.
-Rangers looked bad except for a few minutes after their 5 on 3 goal. Their D zone coverage was awful.
-I think the Rangers will struggle to score this year. Lost a lot of depth. I expect them to be pinned in their own zone often.
-Martin and Orpik have looked very good so far. Hopefully that remains the case. Great checks by Orpik.
-I would like to see Sutter out on the 5 on 3 to have a right handed one timer option down low. Our 5 on 3 is basically Sid setting up Malkin for one timers over and over. I think they need a threat down low of the cross crease pass and having Sutter down low would give them that in both directions.
-Two solid road wins against the likely toughest two teams in the division. Can't think of a much better way to start. Hard to find anything to complain about. Yes everyone would like to see Tangradi play better and we all know Sid is capable of better.

[Hawkeynut]

- Sid's timing is still not 100% but he looked better last night than Saturday.
- Neal IS the real deal.
- Vitale looked shot out of a cannon. Once again impressed with him.
- Where was Gaborik? Not that I necessarily care but my hockey pool does.
- Vokoun is one of those crazy goalies who look like they are out of control but are far from it. Going to take some time to get used to a "righty" goalie.

[booboo]

5-2 ?

[Lesky]

[Penspal]

5-2 ?

sorry, it was a booboo booboo 6-3

[Penspal]

Yeah, Brad Richards took a similar glove penalty. Are you going to question his hockey smarts, too?

Sorry, I forgot to put the /sarcasm tag in there... easy boys, Sutter is alright in my books.

I forgot about that Sid hit. It was an explosive hit, surprised everyone. I think it was in response to the Rags Captain playing chippy?

[penny lane]

I'm happy! The penguins faced two opponents who had their way with them last year and won; with good solid play. Shake head at the refs who are entranced on calling the "face off no hands" rule, but miss blatent cross-checks.

[Guinness]

I'm happy! The penguins faced two opponents who had their way with them last year and won; with good solid play. Shake head at the refs who are entranced on calling the "face off no hands" rule, but miss blatent cross-checks.

What's funny is that the ref was standing right there and looking at it. That was supposed to be an automatic call the last couple years. Heaven forbid we miss a meaningless offense during a faceoff, from which no one could possibly be injured; but cross-check a guy against the boards when he's bent over and could possibly break his neck? "Let the boys play, eh?"

I will never get that line of thinking in this league...

[sil]

Not to nit-pick Penny, but apart from two games (out of 6) the pens pretty much had their way with NYR last year, and it continued last night. Seems to be a bad matchup for them...for whatever reason? It's odd because the rags were 6-0 last year against Philly, and they had their way with us.

[Nizzy]

Not to nit-pick Penny, but apart from two games (out of 6) the pens pretty much had their way with NYR last year, and it continued last night. Seems to be a bad matchup for them...for whatever reason? It's odd because the rags were 6-0 last year against Philly, and they had their way with us.

Welcome to sports, and matchups.

[no name]

For some reason the Pens don't fear Lundquist like the rest of the league does. Heck listen to the NHL announcers on the NHL channel you would think that guy can walk on water. He is good but the pens have smoked him many times. Seems like King Henrik has Ryan Miller syndrom.

[duke66]

i take away the fact they have 4 points vs philly/nyr. and those two teams have zero in 4 combined games. u can't discount this small season size as that being a HUGE advantage already. heard a stat, after 10 games last season (mind u a full 82), only one team that wasn't in the playoffs made them. something to ponder.

[sniper]

For some reason the Pens don't fear Lundquist like the rest of the league does. Heck listen to the NHL announcers on the NHL channel you would think that guy can walk on water. He is good but the pens have smoked him many times. Seems like King Henrik has Ryan Miller syndrom.

Several of the games last year were close, but it seemed like Malkin would eventually get one past Lundquist and that would be the difference in the game. Other teams don't have a Malkin. It seems like Malkin has Lundquists number much like Crosby has Millers.

[murphydump55]

For some reason the Pens don't fear Lundquist like the rest of the league does. Heck listen to the NHL announcers on the NHL channel you would think that guy can walk on water. He is good but the pens have smoked him many times. Seems like King Henrik has Ryan Miller syndrom.

Several of the games last year were close, but it seemed like Malkin would eventually get one past Lundquist and that would be the difference in the game. Other teams don't have a Malkin. It seems like Malkin has Lundquists number much like Crosby has Millers.

Crosby has Lundqvist's number...more goals against him than any other keeper.

[guiner]

http://video.rangers.nhl.com/videocente ... hare-video

Torts in post game says he had no problem with orpik hit, it was clean, and perhaps they need to get him more.

[GreenBlood10]

I missed Tort's post game pressers almost as much as hockey during the lockout.

[Big Easy Pens Fan]

This game was the 1st time since March of '11 that Lundqvst has been taken out of a game for lack of performance.

BEPF