Game 7 vs NY Rangers - Thoughts from the morning after

[tfrizz]

PP is still a concern for me, last night showed why i think crosby should be the point not malkin. malkin is more dangerous from the halfway then crosby. Sid does not have the laser of a one time that geno does. How many goals do we from geno like his first one last night opposed to sid (yes i know it wasn't a pp goal, but its the spot i am talking about). Second point the neal goal, crosby shot it for neals stick, you don't have to have a bomb of a shot, you need to get the puck on net

The problem here is that I don't believe Crosby's a dangerous enough shooter to be effective from the point. PKers will simply cheat pass and force Crosby to take a weak-ish slap shot on net.

this is why i think we need another defenseman out there. No one has that gonchar slapshot besides malkin and hes better down low. Crosby if he doesnt turn it over, is good at managing the puck but hes always looking to pass it, we need someone who can take a slapshot. Id rather had 2 D and crosby,malkin, neal. just my opinion.

With Kunitz struggling to do anything but be invisible, I wouldn't mind that. If Niskanen were healthy, he'd be a no-brainer for the extra defenseman out there. Right now, the only option is probably Despres - which is fine, but Bylsma doesn't seem too keen on throwing him onto the top PP.

[DelPen]

Despres on the other point could work:

71-87-18
47-58

14-16-48
44-7

Put Nisky in for Oprik when he's back but Orpik will at least get pucks on net.

[duke66]

poor sid. guy misses almost 2 years, doesn't play overseas during the lockout and gets no training camp (like all players), and he is getting grief for his play? what did u expect thomas vanek? haha. my quick take through 7 games. pens should be 5-2-0 instead of 4-3-0. the jets game was the only time they should have won having gone up 2-0. in a short season, winning these divisional games are HUGE 4 pointers, and pittsburgh is a cool 3-0 so far. no worries, the kinks will be worked out. have faith.

[joopen]

poor sid. guy misses almost 2 years, doesn't play overseas during the lockout and gets no training camp (like all players), and he is getting grief for his play? what did u expect thomas vanek? haha. my quick take through 7 games. pens should be 5-2-0 instead of 4-3-0. the jets game was the only time they should have won having gone up 2-0. in a short season, winning these divisional games are HUGE 4 pointers, and pittsburgh is a cool 3-0 so far. no worries, the kinks will be worked out. have faith.

3-1 but I understand blocking that Islanders game out of your brain.

[Penspal]

In Kunitz's defence last night, he was playing sick.

I have to say I find comfort in so much support for Sid. I've always supported Sid (and never doubted him), but compared to when he came back from concussions, the frequency in which his passes either miss or are picked off is very high. Neal's goal's would not have happened if not for the ultra high level recognition and the speed and skill that was involved in placing the pass there (plus, what a play by Neal), but I could put a highlowlight real together of Sid boboos that comparatively would make Tangradi look good.

C'mon Sid, feel the mojo.

[shmenguin]

-bortuzzo...blech. nerves+healthy scratch rust, i guess.
-i don't understand how depres was so bad in WBS. i like the idea of *down the road a little*, using him on the PP.
-speaking of which, i'm very confused why letang never seemed to be at the point. might as well use 5 forwards out there if he's not going to play defense anyways
-the rangers traded away most of their scoring depth to get nash. good job?
-marc staal...kind of an a-hole. the rags were bizarre near the end of the 1st. lots of animosity for some reason.
-the 3rd line was better now that it's back to what it's supposed to be, but sutter ain't staal and cooke ain't cooke

[Penspal]

-bortuzzo...blech. nerves+healthy scratch rust, i guess.
-i don't understand how depres was so bad in WBS. i like the idea of *down the road a little*, using him on the PP.
-speaking of which, i'm very confused why letang never seemed to be at the point. might as well use 5 forwards out there if he's not going to play defense anyways
-the rangers traded away most of their scoring depth to get nash. good job?
-marc staal...kind of an a-hole. the rags were bizarre near the end of the 1st. lots of animosity for some reason.
-the 3rd line was better now that it's back to what it's supposed to be, but sutter ain't staal and cooke ain't cooke

Yeah, Bortuzzo had a rough game, but he's been riding the pines, he should definitely be eased into the lineup. That one shift where he fell down, and swam on the ice would make a funny animated gif

[duke66]

poor sid. guy misses almost 2 years, doesn't play overseas during the lockout and gets no training camp (like all players), and he is getting grief for his play? what did u expect thomas vanek? haha. my quick take through 7 games. pens should be 5-2-0 instead of 4-3-0. the jets game was the only time they should have won having gone up 2-0. in a short season, winning these divisional games are HUGE 4 pointers, and pittsburgh is a cool 3-0 so far. no worries, the kinks will be worked out. have faith.

3-1 but I understand blocking that Islanders game out of your brain.

haha. yes i have determined that game was never played! and actually from the pens pov, it wasn't!

[Digitalgypsy66]

Supposedly, the MSG feed showed Malkin tomahawk chopping Staal on the way down to the ice. That's why Staal flipped out. I don't think it would've happened if Staal hadn't tackled him, but what do I know.

I'm a little concerned about the lack of response after some tussles after the whistle. Hagelund got 2-3 good whacks on Vokoun's glove before he was pulled away from the net - that sort of thing.

[DelPen]

Malkin got a shot to Staal's face too while Malkin was on the ice, he more than deserved 2:00 there.

[relantel]

Supposedly, the MSG feed showed Malkin tomahawk chopping Staal on the way down to the ice. That's why Staal flipped out. I don't think it would've happened if Staal hadn't tackled him, but what do I know.

I'm a little concerned about the lack of response after some tussles after the whistle. Hagelund got 2-3 good whacks on Vokoun's glove before he was pulled away from the net - that sort of thing.

I didn't see such a chop, and I was stuck with the MSG feed (NHLN). And MSG had no issue with Crosby being boarded, either.

Thought I saw Brooks wearing the A during the game, but the NHL.com RO sheet for the game was showing Kunitz as the A. Of course I didn't tape the game on account of a new Person of Interest at 9, so I couldn't go back & watch, and the ROOT reair was blacked out here in NoVA on DirecTV (as they were last season too, they were never blacked out until the 11-12 season)

[shmenguin]

while we certainly didn't get the worst of the officiating, malkin's play on staal was clean. he checked him into the side of the net. big whoop. it reminded be of lecavalier losing his mind on malkin last year.

[meecrofilm]

In Kunitz's defence last night, he was playing sick.

Why? That one is on DB. Kunitz has been garbage all year, and now he's not even at "100%" of that crappy level, and he plays anyway?

Heck, Eric Tangradi is seriously a better option than Kunitz is right now. At least he can park himself in front of the net on the PP better. Everything else right now is a wash with the way Koon's been playing.

[sil]

Bortuzzo. Well, what can I say. I'm seeing the same guy I saw in WB/S for the last few years. Good positioning, okay puck management and passing, but the guy cannot stay on his skates for a whole shift...and a guy his size takes longer to fall and get up. I understand people really love his size and reach, but I still think Strait will prove to be the better player...but I've also been thinking this for years and am sticking to it. Here's hoping he proves me wrong.

[MRandall25]

In Kunitz's defence last night, he was playing sick.

Why? That one is on DB. Kunitz has been garbage all year, and now he's not even at "100%" of that crappy level, and he plays anyway?

Heck, Eric Tangradi is seriously a better option than Kunitz is right now. At least he can park himself in front of the net on the PP better. Everything else right now is a wash with the way Koon's been playing.

In Koon's defense, he has 4 points so far, which I think is how many Tangradi has in his career (and 4 more than he has this year)

[columbia]

Is it me or does Bortuzzo look kind of awkward/clumsy out on the ice?
(And I'm not even talking about when he fell down.)

[Penspal]

Supposedly, the MSG feed showed Malkin tomahawk chopping Staal on the way down to the ice. That's why Staal flipped out. I don't think it would've happened if Staal hadn't tackled him, but what do I know.

I'm a little concerned about the lack of response after some tussles after the whistle. Hagelund got 2-3 good whacks on Vokoun's glove before he was pulled away from the net - that sort of thing.

I didn't see such a chop, and I was stuck with the MSG feed (NHLN). And MSG had no issue with Crosby being boarded, either.

Thought I saw Brooks wearing the A during the game, but the NHL.com RO sheet for the game was showing Kunitz as the A. Of course I didn't tape the game on account of a new Person of Interest at 9, so I couldn't go back & watch, and the ROOT reair was blacked out here in NoVA on DirecTV (as they were last season too, they were never blacked out until the 11-12 season)

I did see the chop, a one hander that occured on the way to the ice. It was on the helmet, half speed one handed, and stongly influenced by the pull down, no issue, move along. Staal is way more of a dbag now that his brother had moved on, but I thought it was funny when after a whistle, he came up to give one of his token retaliatory shots only to discover just prior that it was Engellend, talk about him turning the other cheek real fast...

[shmenguin]

Is it me or does Bortuzzo look kind of awkward/clumsy out on the ice?
(And I'm not even talking about when he fell down.)

yeah, for some reason, i thought he was supposed to be a better skater. also, he was taking a lot of physical abuse in the 1st, i thought. i'm surprised guys were able to lay into him like that

[penny lane]

Is it me or does Bortuzzo look kind of awkward/clumsy out on the ice?
(And I'm not even talking about when he fell down.)

i saw despres do this also; like puppies ~ so anxious to be everywhere at once.
they are on the job training; mistakes will happen, but they will learn.

[DelPen]

-bortuzzo...blech. nerves+healthy scratch rust, i guess.
-i don't understand how depres was so bad in WBS. i like the idea of *down the road a little*, using him on the PP.
-speaking of which, i'm very confused why letang never seemed to be at the point. might as well use 5 forwards out there if he's not going to play defense anyways
-the rangers traded away most of their scoring depth to get nash. good job?
-marc staal...kind of an a-hole. the rags were bizarre near the end of the 1st. lots of animosity for some reason.
-the 3rd line was better now that it's back to what it's supposed to be, but sutter ain't staal and cooke ain't cooke

Bortuzzo played better in the third, just needs to get used to NHL speed again but at the very worst he can protect the crease better than Lovejoy.

Despres was great until he got hurt then he struggled when he came back right after Christmas. He needs to just be paired with letang the rest of the year, if he makes mistakes that's fine, it will pay off though in April.

[sil]

Bortuzzo played better in the third, just needs to get used to NHL speed again but at the very worst he can protect the crease pretty much do anything better than Lovejoy.

[bh]

Despres was great until he got hurt then he struggled when he came back right after Christmas. He needs to just be paired with letang the rest of the year, if he makes mistakes that's fine, it will pay off though in April.

agree with this. He's going to be a good one.
I like that he actually can get a shot from the point to the net.

[lemieuxReturns]

Lol pens fans need to stop complaining about Martin's contract. He will never live up to your lofty expectations. He is worth 5M as long as he continues his level of play this season.

no, that is incorrect.

[Pitts]

Is it me or does Bortuzzo look kind of awkward/clumsy out on the ice?
(And I'm not even talking about when he fell down.)

But, I assumed from reading this board that he was the be-all, end-all savior to the defense?

(not saying it was you, just speaking generally)

[Pavel Bure]

Is it me or does Bortuzzo look kind of awkward/clumsy out on the ice?
(And I'm not even talking about when he fell down.)

But, I assumed from reading this board that he was the be-all, end-all savior to the defense?

(not saying it was you, just speaking generally)

No, no, no, that's Lovejoy.