Obligatory, Who Should Start Game 3 Thread

[Crankshaft]

Everyone is stubborn, no matter what side of the argument they're on.

[Lt. Dish]

I want to change my vote to write in Ron Tugnutt.

[MRandall25]

If that was Vokoun's normal game, we should just disband the team.

I didn't really blame him too much for those 3, do you?

Do you blame Fleury for the Bergeron goal? That was nearly identical to the Krejci goal. Do you blame Fleury for the Marchand goal when all Matt Cooke had to do was stick with his man?

I'm just saying. Both goalies played with the same team in front of them and both gave up 3 goals. I'd likely think that's more a team problem than a goalie problem. Everyone seems to be ignoring the saves Fleury made while ignoring the goals Vokoun let up.

And Sarcastic: cool story, bro.

[DontToewsMeBro]

randall, you're too stubborn sometimes. vokoun is what gave us a chance since the Isles series.

shh we can't bring up the fact that Vokoun started Game 5 of the Islanders series after not playing for weeks and posted a solid win in Game 6 when the rest of the team looked like they wanted a Game 7 home game against the 8th seed team.

[MRandall25]

randall, you're too stubborn sometimes. vokoun is what gave us a chance since the Isles series.

shh we can't bring up the fact that Vokoun started Game 5 of the Islanders series after not playing for weeks and posted a solid win in Game 6 when the rest of the team looked like they wanted a Game 7 home game against the 8th seed team.

Vokoun came in to a team who actually played defense and dictated the game.

I think some of you take this way too seriously. No need for the snark.

[slappybrown]

If that was Vokoun's normal game, we should just disband the team.

I didn't really blame him too much for those 3, do you?

Do you blame Fleury for the Bergeron goal? That was nearly identical to the Krejci goal. Do you blame Fleury for the Marchand goal when all Matt Cooke had to do was stick with his man?

Not too much, no. The Marchand goal was soft-ish. The Seidenberg was an unscreened slapper from the blue line along the boards. I think I said in the GDT that I was willing to give him the Game 3 start until that one.

In sum, he let the two softest of six goals allowed on the night. Hard to justify playing him. But sure, your overall point, that the issue in this series thus far has not been goaltending I agree with.

[brwi]

Per ESPN, Vokoun has confirmed he's starting tonight.

[slappybrown]

randall, you're too stubborn sometimes. vokoun is what gave us a chance since the Isles series.

shh we can't bring up the fact that Vokoun started Game 5 of the Islanders series after not playing for weeks and posted a solid win in Game 6 when the rest of the team looked like they wanted a Game 7 home game against the 8th seed team.

Vokoun came in to a team who actually played defense and dictated the game.

I think some of you take this way too seriously. No need for the snark.

IIRC the Isles dominated the early part of that game and he shut the door. The shots in that game were about even too, we might have had them by a couple, but I think you're underestimating his performance in that game.

EDIT: Just looked it up, Isles outshot us 14-7 in the first period in that game and shots were 31-31 at final.

[MRandall25]

If that was Vokoun's normal game, we should just disband the team.

I didn't really blame him too much for those 3, do you?

Do you blame Fleury for the Bergeron goal? That was nearly identical to the Krejci goal. Do you blame Fleury for the Marchand goal when all Matt Cooke had to do was stick with his man?

Not too much, no. The Marchand goal was soft-ish. The Seidenberg was an unscreened slapper from the blue line along the boards. I think I said in the GDT that I was willing to give him the Game 3 start until that one.

In sum, he let the two softest of six goals allowed on the night. Hard to justify playing him. But sure, your overall point, that the issue in this series thus far has not been goaltending I agree with.

And that's my only point.

I could really care less who starts, and I don't really care that I don't care (so, as a general point, don't tell me "I can't believe you'd rather have Fleury!").

It won't matter who is in net if the team continues to play porous defense.

[DontToewsMeBro]

Defensively, Game 6 looked exactly like 2-4 with a different person in net. But sure, add that one to Fleury's annual list of excuses.

I agree that goaltending isn't our biggest issue--but that just means our other issues are THAT bad.

[slappybrown]

And that's my only point.

I could really care less who starts, and I don't really care that I don't care (so, as a general point, don't tell me "I can't believe you'd rather have Fleury!").

It won't matter who is in net if the team continues to play porous defense.

OK. Don't get mad at me.

[meow]

I want to change my vote to write in Ron Tugnutt.

Only if he promises not to hold out before game 4.

[MRandall25]

randall, you're too stubborn sometimes. vokoun is what gave us a chance since the Isles series.

shh we can't bring up the fact that Vokoun started Game 5 of the Islanders series after not playing for weeks and posted a solid win in Game 6 when the rest of the team looked like they wanted a Game 7 home game against the 8th seed team.

Vokoun came in to a team who actually played defense and dictated the game.

I think some of you take this way too seriously. No need for the snark.

IIRC the Isles dominated the early part of that game and he shut the door. The shots in that game were about even too, we might have had them by a couple, but I think you're underestimating his performance in that game.

EDIT: Just looked it up, Isles outshot us 14-7 in the first period in that game and shots were 31-31 at final.

I was at the game, and I didn't really see the Islanders as "dominating" the play. The shot count was very deceiving, because from what I can remember, the Islanders were literally taking shots as soon as they entered the zone. I believe the Pens actually led that period in shots attempted, but they were either blocked or missed the net.

Unfortunately, I don't really have much in terms of zone time to back up what I perceived, but I can remember that the 1st period of game 5 wasn't complete domination like some are making it out to be. We definitely controlled the play in terms of tempo and zone time (again, wish there were numbers to back that up) and the team definitely did a better job at lessening mistakes in our zone, taking away the Isles' time and space, and forcing them to shoot from the outside.

In the end, I guess it's how each of us perceived the play, but IMO, it wasn't as lopsided as some are making it out to be.

[slappybrown]

Fair enough, but at the least, I remembered feeling good about the switch after the first. We're talking about degrees here.

[MRandall25]

And that's my only point.

I could really care less who starts, and I don't really care that I don't care (so, as a general point, don't tell me "I can't believe you'd rather have Fleury!").

It won't matter who is in net if the team continues to play porous defense.

OK. Don't get mad at me.

[shmenguin]

the isles had the better of the play in the 1st period of game 5, but it wasn't to the same degree as games 2 thru 4. vokoun didn't get tested too much, but he also didn't score on himself a couple times - which was nice

[meow]

I love when goalies don't throw the puck into their own net. It's nice to see that not happen.

[Cu11en]

I love when goalies don't throw the puck into their own net.

If I'm not mistaken Fleury had a three-game point streak. Didn't he score on the Pens in Games 2, 3, & 4?

[shmenguin]

I love when goalies don't throw the puck into their own net.

If I'm not mistaken Fleury had a three-game point streak. Didn't he score on the Pens in Games 2, 3, & 4?

i think in game 4, his save percentage for shots on goal was better than his save percentage on shots that missed the net

[tfrizz]

randall, you're too stubborn sometimes. vokoun is what gave us a chance since the Isles series.

shh we can't bring up the fact that Vokoun started Game 5 of the Islanders series after not playing for weeks and posted a solid win in Game 6 when the rest of the team looked like they wanted a Game 7 home game against the 8th seed team.

Vokoun went 17 days between his last regular season game (April 22) and his first playoff game (May 9). Fleury went 27 days between his last playoff start (May 7) and coming in in relief on Monday (June 3). That's a pretty significant difference when you consider that 10 days off, alone, is considered a long time between starts for a goalie.

FWIW, the only time Vokoun had more than 10 days "off" between games this season was the aforementioned 17 day stretch.

[tfrizz]

If that was Vokoun's normal game, we should just disband the team.

I didn't really blame him too much for those 3, do you?

Do you blame Fleury for the Bergeron goal? That was nearly identical to the Krejci goal. Do you blame Fleury for the Marchand goal when all Matt Cooke had to do was stick with his man?

Not too much, no. The Marchand goal was soft-ish. The Seidenberg was an unscreened slapper from the blue line along the boards. I think I said in the GDT that I was willing to give him the Game 3 start until that one.

In sum, he let the two softest of six goals allowed on the night. Hard to justify playing him. But sure, your overall point, that the issue in this series thus far has not been goaltending I agree with.

I don't know, I'd give the "Softest Goal of the Night" award to the 3rd scored on Vokoun. The defense definitely get honourable mention on it, but Vokoun needed to hang onto that puck with Horton standing right there.

[tfrizz]

I love when goalies don't throw the puck into their own net.

If I'm not mistaken Fleury had a three-game point streak. Didn't he score on the Pens in Games 2, 3, & 4?

Just re-watched the highlights of Game 3. I forgot just how sloppy they were playing at that time, and the Despres-Niskanen pairing... and Fleury actually came up with some big saves when the game was 3-2, 4-2, and 4-3

But no... no own goals in Game 3.