OFFICIAL GDT: Game 4, Pens at Flyers 4/17/12: Do or Die Time

[duke66]

it's crazy to think that if the pens had just been able to protect the lead in games 1-3, they would have swept philly tonight. sigh.

[duke66]

a quote from MAF post game “It felt good not to give up 26 goals in one period,” said Marc-André Fleury.

[MRandall25]

I don't believe in the whole juju thing, but I didn't watch tonight's game after watching the last 3... Looks like I know what I'm doing from here on out.

[Rylan]

a quote from MAF post game “It felt good not to give up 26 goals in one period,” said Marc-André Fleury.

at least he has a sense of humour.

[The U]

Unfortunately being down 3-1, your margin for error is gone. Bad bounces, fluky goal, overtime winner, one little thing goes wrong and you are going to lose the series because of it. We could play much better than Philly next game but lose because of one crazy bounce or tip.

[Rocco]

it's crazy to think that if the pens had just been able to protect the lead in games 1-3, they would have swept philly tonight. sigh.

If they hadn't gone to hell in a handbasket in either of the first two games, the series is tied and Philly's a mess after getting their doors blown off. Alas.

[duke66]

I don't believe in the whole juju thing, but I didn't watch tonight's game after watching the last 3... Looks like I know what I'm doing from here on out.

u chose not to watch it or couldn't?

[MRandall25]

I don't believe in the whole juju thing, but I didn't watch tonight's game after watching the last 3... Looks like I know what I'm doing from here on out.

u chose not to watch it or couldn't?

Little bit of both... was playing Xbox for the start, then I had a hockey game at 10:15, so I went early to skate around beforehand

[duke66]

just showed on hnic, malkin hitting grossman in the head with his shoulder. did anyone else see this?

[MayIsForHockey]

just showed on hnic, malkin hitting grossman in the head with his shoulder. did anyone else see this?

Oh no, here we go again...

[duke66]

just showed on hnic, malkin hitting grossman in the head with his shoulder. did anyone else see this?

Oh no, here we go again...

ya then they asked if it should be a suspension. jeez.

[The U]

Look how positive everyone is after one win. Makes me mad we stunk so bad in the previous 3.

This was such a winnable series. The most frustrating thing is that when playing well, I don't see the Pens having any trouble with WAS, BOS, NYR, FLA, NJ, OTT. I told myself before the playoffs started that this was the Conf Finals. If we beat Philly we are going to the finals, nobody else can beat us in seven games. Here we are about to get bounced in RD1. With this D and goalie play thus far though, we would be struggling to beat anyone. (we wouldn't be down 3-1 to anyone else though)

[Rylan]

Pens should be up 3-1 in this series if they just finished what they started.

[marek]

Unfortunately being down 3-1, your margin for error is gone. Bad bounces, fluky goal, overtime winner, one little thing goes wrong and you are going to lose the series because of it. We could play much better than Philly next game but lose because of one crazy bounce or tip.

Thanks for the buzz kill...

But for now I m pretty happy that I caught the pens to win the cup at 440 to 1 this morning :)

[The U]

Unfortunately being down 3-1, your margin for error is gone. Bad bounces, fluky goal, overtime winner, one little thing goes wrong and you are going to lose the series because of it. We could play much better than Philly next game but lose because of one crazy bounce or tip.

Thanks for the buzz kill...

But for now I m pretty happy that I caught the pens to win the cup at 440 to 1 this morning

Had to remind myself not to get too excited. This series has taught us that as soon as you get excited or confident, the Pens crap the bed and Philly scores/gets shorthanded goal/wins/takes momentum, etc

[The Snapshot]

I still think this series should be 2-2 despite how poorly the Pens have played. They gave away Game 3 in return for some cheap short-term satisfaction. They blew game 2 on a couple of horrible turnovers - Lovejoy's being the worst. Fleury finally started to look pretty good and marvelous in comparison to Bryz. Has Fleury made two or three key saves in Games 1-2, the series would be tied at worst.

Then there is the Briere offside goal that started everything. That first game was a game the Pens deserved to and should have won. The refs breathed life into Philly with a blown call on a breakaway, and the a bullcrap call on Orpik late.

I only regret that it took the Pens 4 games to finally get back to some semblance of good play, and to chase Bryz. That latter part again rests on Fleury, because had he made some saves the focus would be on how BAD Bryz really is.

[The U]

Lots of focus on Bryz and MAF. I'd say the worst guy in the series has been Pierre. Must he dump on somebody after every goal? Constant criticism. Also very transparent in how he praises whomever is winning and jabs whomever is losing. If u are up 3-0 in a game u got the best coach, best leadership, most heart....if you come back to tie the game he just flips and says the same stuff about the other guys.

[marek]

As the game was coming to a close I don't even think the flyers wanted to shoot.. It was like they realized that fleury was getting better with each save.

[The U]

I really wanted to keep them scoreless in the 3rd. Should be good for Fleury's confidence. Would have hated to see them score a soft goal late to remind him he has stunk.

[The Snapshot]

As the game was coming to a close I don't even think the flyers wanted to shoot.. It was like they realized that fleury was getting better with each save.

This has to be true for the next three games. If Fleury was even close to his play from the rest of this season, we will not lose to these guys.

[The Snapshot]

I really wanted to keep them scoreless in the 3rd. Should be good for Fleury's confidence. Would have hated to see them score a soft goal late to remind him he has stunk.

I think the extra day off helped, although he looked shaky on the Flyer early goals. Now I think it is a good thing to play again after a normal day off, with Bryz in his universe and Fleury in a better place.

[MayIsForHockey]

I really wanted to keep them scoreless in the 3rd. Should be good for Fleury's confidence. Would have hated to see them score a soft goal late to remind him he has stunk.

I think the extra day off helped, although he looked shaky on the Flyer early goals. Now I think it is a good thing to play again after a normal day off, with Bryz in his universe and Fleury in a better place.

Yep, you can include a less-than-healthy Grossman in that list, too.

[MayIsForHockey]

Here's the Malkin hit on Grossman. The puck is right there, but I'm sure the Flyers are sending this to the league.

[MayIsForHockey]

@TSNBobMcKenzie

PHI's Nick Grossmann listed as day to day with UBI believed to be concussion. Got hit twice in 1st period, played til mid-2nd.

Malkin was first hit on Grossmann in 1st 5 minutes but word from PHI it was more likely Tyler Kennedy hit on hard forecheck that did damage.

Only video on Kennedy-Grossmann is from a distance. Grossmann bent over slightly, Kennedy hits him hard. Head off glass perhaps?

[sj?]

NHL Network Postgame .. "The Pens played the Flyers tonight like a slot machine at the MGM !".