Game 17 vs. Philly - Thoughts from the Morning After

[Penspal]

Pens lose 6-5

- Last night's game brought back bad memories of last year's playoffs
- A poorly refereed game, led to bad retaliatory penalties (it happens often, Pens/coaching adjustment lacking)
- Is there a video feed that actually showed Kunitz's skate touching the puck on disallowed goal?
- 3rd line of Bennett, Kennedy, Sutter had a decent game with multiple drawn penalties and 2 goals.
- While the Philly crease pile goal was wrong in many ways, Letang did touch the puck in the crease (unsure on ruling)
- Anyone else believe that sitting Evgeni for a game might wake him up? Blasphemous concept to some, just an idea...
- Vokoun had a sub par game, and he admitted it. Its not playoffs, move on, nothing to see here.
- Is Bortuzzo the crease clearing defenceman that the Pens seem to need?
- Many moments during the game vs. this hated rival, I wanted to see Big Mac sitting on the bench, scowling at Rinaldo
- Console crowd seemed plenty loud at a few points
- Would a Gary Roberts type of player fit well with Geno/Neal
- At this point, a playoff match up vs. both NJ and/or Philly make me uncomfortable
- more thoughts coming later... duty calls

[Froggy]

-what this game boils down to is this. if the pens respond to the typical between the whistles garbage, and get sucked into the flyers's particular brand of special needs circus, they will lose. They need to let that stuff slide. I know it's easier said than done, but that's the truth. You want to take guys like Rinaldo out of the game? don't pay him any attention. he starts yapping? skate away. he hits you with a slash? skate away. Dressing someone like mac will do nothing because a)he can't skate a regular shift, and b)guys like Rinaldo don't fight guys like mac.

[shmenguin]

The devils went zen on the flyers last year and it drove them bonkers, culminating with giroux getting suspended.

[Hawkeynut]

- Somebody forgot to tell "Tommy Boy" Vokoun that this was a cross state rivalry.
- Anyone else worried about the upcoming homestand?
- I switched to a french feed of the game midway because I really can no longer tolerate "Pee-Air". He is the most annoying hockey commentator of all time and to think I once liked him.
- Geno looked energized.
- Geno was robbed of a goal, Kunitz not so.
- Pens got beat by the very play they were playing on Bryz all game long. Play it from behind the net.
- My head hurts.

[RisslingsMissingTeeth]

No doubt, if we play Philly or NJ (a team everyone has beaten since we played them last), we are one and done.

My additional thoughts:
- yes Vokoun stunk it up, but my question is, why is he always so far out of the crease? I don't recall him doing that before but it was crazy last night.
- TK had a good game. Maybe his best in a LONG time. He not only got to the puck but kept cycles going. The goal was a bonus.
- Sutter had Staal moments.
- The worst game I've seen so far from Martin, Orpik, and most of the rest of the D. From my eye, Bortuzzo had the best game of a very weak bunch. Not much of a compliment.

I am not torn up about this loss. I've asked for secondary scoring and we got it. Dan was severely outcoached yet again but we almost won. Time to move on to the next game.

[shmenguin]

Why do people care that they waved the malkin goal off

1) there wasn't nearly enough evidence to call it a goal
2) who gives a crap? He scored 5 seconds later. That goal wouldn't have happened if he got the first one.

Why is this is still being talked about?

[yubb]

Pierre adds great insight. The only part I don't like is overuse of the word "leadership". Throwing a check isn't leadership, it's hockey.

I yearn to see a decent check against Rinaldo and the Flyers' stars like I do against Ovechkin, but I never see it.

I don't think Letang covered the puck with his hand. I'm not sure on the ruling, but I think there's a differentiation based on how you touch or cover the puck. If it's covered, no joy. If you would use your palm to move it, no joy. If it's the back of your glove, joy? Not sure.

[Wyopen]

Hopefully we play the Rangers in the first round of the playoffs. It seems this is the only team we can consistently beat.

[shafnutz05]

The devils went zen on the flyers last year and it drove them bonkers, culminating with giroux getting suspended.

That's a really great point. The Flyers were beyond frustrated in that series.

[penny lane]

Those who don't change history are doomed to repeat it, again, again and yet again. The quotes about getting involved with the flyers punks does nothing the morning after. Brooks called out those who gave the punks just what they wanted; Evgeni and Letang. he has to walk a fine line about that, but being at the game , I saw that he went and was chatting with letang and gene on the ice. Gene, you let them sucker you into leaving the ice 4 mins. YOu're smarter than that.

Kris Letang, until he makes the routine play, just that, norris is a dream. Had the chance to wisely get the puck out in the 1st; no, he doesn't . all leading to the swim in the pens net. He has all skills, has to harness and think simple with the puck .

BRANDON SUTTER's goal should have meant something. I was happy to see him score, hope it leads to more.

Hey cool coaches, think you might have put good use to a time out in the 3rd?

Thrilled that the Consol remains the 2nd home to the flyers.

[RxBandit66]

Pens out coached again. That's all.

[Hawkeynut]

Why do people care that they waved the malkin goal off

1) there wasn't nearly enough evidence to call it a goal
2) who gives a crap? He scored 5 seconds later. That goal wouldn't have happened if he got the first one.

Why is this is still being talked about?

I don't know.. you tell me?

[Beveridge]

Pens out coached again. That's all.

I'm going to regret biting on this, but how were they out coached?

Hey cool coaches, think you might have put good use to a time out in the 3rd?

They used it after Flyers got the 2 quick goals to tie the game up in the first period. Am I missing something?

[Idoit40fans]

If they're biting on the flyers sideshow stuff, they're getting out coached. Get your players under control.

[iWonTheCup87]

Pierre adds great insight. The only part I don't like is overuse of the word "leadership". Throwing a check isn't leadership, it's hockey.

seriously he adds great insight????? are you serious? He is pathetic and annoying. All he does is troll and talk up players who are not doing anything. Never heard anyone say he has good insight.

Regardless of that...

-Vokoun wasnt good but the 4th/5th goals were not on him at all that 4th goal should have been blown dead
-Sit malkin?? seriously??? He had a goal and a few assists he looked fine. I just want to see more 5v5 from his line
-I actually questioned the Kunitz goal as well because you never could see if his skate actually touched the puck
-The one view showed letang push the puck out but he did not cover it so if you just push it with your glove i dont know if thats a penalty
-Defense was sloppy that simmonds goal was terrible he walked in for 5 seconds and no one bothered to cover him
-Even though it brought back memories of the playoffs it was ONE game and we still should have won it or at least got 1 point

I wont blame the refs but man it was bad especially the call on adams for elbowing i mean wow it lead to a HUGE goal after they did nothing all period. I dont know what it is but when we play them you know they are going to score some garbage goals and it sucks. I dont get how the whistles were not blown on that 4th goal i really dont. Its one thing to call some bad penalties but wow these missed calls costed us goals. I think anyone who freaks out and thinks we havent learned is crazy, yea they got caught up in the emotion too much but still we should have won that game. Move on and beat them next time.

[Beveridge]

If they're biting on the flyers sideshow stuff, they're getting out coached. Get your players under control.

I guess I just don't understand that thinking. Players are going to either let it get to them or not. They are adults. It doesn't matter who is behind the bench. If the solution is to "timeout" said players, we would have been skating with 0 guys on the ice at times.

[penny lane]

Pens out coached again. That's all.

I'm going to regret biting on this, but how were they out coached?

Hey cool coaches, think you might have put good use to a time out in the 3rd?

They used it after Flyers got the 2 quick goals to tie the game up in the first period. Am I missing something?

a difference of opinion.

[Idoit40fans]

If they aren't listening to him, what is he doing? He certainly doesn't have a system. A compass could implement the same system as he has.

[shafnutz05]

The lack of composure is on a combination of the captain and the coach (alliterate much?). I understand the players are all adults, but leadership and a firm hand at the helm are crucial in emotionally-charged games like this. Crosby should be screaming to his guys before the game to not get caught up in the nonsense. He should be pointing to the Devils-Flyers series as a way to exploit the Flyers' weakness.

Simply saying "boys will be boys, nothing you can do" is a cheap copout.

[penny lane]

The forwards again, like last spring, wanted no parts of covering the flyers in the penguins zone, 5 on 5.
Despres with his shot could have been used. R Bortuzzo, could have sat.

[shmenguin]

Laviolette calls a timeout, rips his team, and his players have a total attitude shift after. We saw it last night and several times last year. But when it's our team, they're all just grown ups who will act how they act and its not bylsma's place to change that? Does not compute.

[Luckybreak]

-HCPL Outcoached HCDB again, commentators spotted behind net plan in first, PL adjusted but Pens kept on trying. All game. In game adaptation anyone?! HCPL timeouts, WTF does he say?! 2-0 up then boom, team collapse (again) vs Flyers. Does Disco just hum a tune to himself?
-Why was Letang not Martin on 5 on 3? He was abysmal, couldn't set plays pass or shoot (at least he is driving his contract down I guess). PP needs split, unit #1 out for 3+ min then with 3 min left 3/4 of team not seen ice half the period and all the best players are gassed.
-Orpik was bad but Nisky worse, not looked right since returning. Still can't grasp why Despres not getting time, he's not exactly a cream puff.
-Cooke shouldn't be on Geno's line but neither should Geno right now.
-Any prospective trade will be pointless if HCDB continues to rely solely on team talent to win games.

[yubb]

Pierre adds great insight. The only part I don't like is overuse of the word "leadership". Throwing a check isn't leadership, it's hockey.

seriously he adds great insight????? are you serious? He is pathetic and annoying. All he does is troll and talk up players who are not doing anything. Never heard anyone say he has good insight.

He does. People just don't like him, and I get why, and they let that cloud their judgment of whether or not he has anything good to add. I get tired of hearing Ovechkin and Giroux's name a hundred times a broadcast, but other team's fans hate hearing Crosby's name that much too. He knows more about hockey than I could ever hope to.

[Froggy]

Laviolette called a time out, and his team immediately took a bad penalty and got scored on TWICE (albeit the first one didn't count) on the ensuing pp. let's not give him too much credit for the time out.

[k0la]

Kunitz goal: The ruling was goal intially, which means that they should be absolutely sure about it being kicked in to overturn it. Yeah it's pretty obvious he kicks, but can they be so sure he hit the puck? I think they just decided to go with what everyone was thinking, Kunitz did hit that puck , but not sure if they actually followed the rules doing that.

Malkin actually had one of his better games when it came to taking penalties, considering how much they were hounding him. That's when Neal needs to be on the same page and follow his lead. Don't see Neal taking nearly as much punishment as Malkin, yet he seems to take an equal amount of retaliation penalties to what Malkin and Letang do.

Engelland did try to punish Rinaldo a bit, but his attempts at checking him hard just seemed to be worse for him than Rinaldo. Still way better than having BigMac or someone try to make him fight, and fail. Engelland for 4th line wing (If they ever manage to get 6 healthy solid D).

3rd line played well. Sutter channeling his inner Staal. With the cap going down it really was good they did this downsizing on the 3rd line exchanging him for Staal.