Official Game Day Thread: Penguins vs Devils 2/10/13

[The Snapshot]

German humor

Another contradiction?

Possibly. Any great German stand-up comics?

[SoupOrSam]

Hope we don't see them in the playoffs. Bad matchup and boring.

Actually I think the Devils are pretty effective at the same style the Pens played when HCMT was canned and DB took control. They are probably the hardest working team in the league too. I guess you can call it boring but they won damn near every battle for loose pucks all night.

NJ outworked the Pens in the second period and that's why they won. Pittsburgh needs to match their work ethic and they will prevail, because they are the more skilled team. At some point this season NJ is going to go through a long losing streak. They can't keep playing that way all year with games in such a short time frame. It will catch up to them.

Their game really doesn't exert effort though. Once they lead, it's pretty much ham and egg.

[The U]

Adding a winger to line 1 or 2 will help round out all 4 lines. Looking forward to that day.

[ILikeTurtles]

I can't recall any time the Pens cycled the puck and had sustained pressure in the Devil's zone, but I noticed for often than not the Devil's hemming the Penguins in. The Devil's outplayed the Pens plain and simple. If they can get back to what they had when HCDB started it would be a different thing. If they have to go to the dump and chase, actually go in and get the puck instead of having one Penguin to the 2+ opposing players.

[FreeCandy44]

So the filet o fish video is 5-1 now. Time to retire it forthwith.

[The Snapshot]

The 3rd and 4th line need to pick it up. They have been zeroes all year thus far. If they can't produce any offense, then it becomes difficult to wear the D down and get to the 3rd pairing. It also saps momentum. Our 3rd and 4th are not only not scoring, but they are not creating any pressure or chances. It's allowing even more focus on lines 1 and 2 for.

[DudeMan2766]

So the filet o fish video is 5-1 now. Time to retire it forthwith.

Fire FoF

[Bioshock]

Pens played better but it still wasn't enough. The Devils are a really good team and an even harder matchup for the Pens. Yes, the Pens did some dumb things out there (Despres, the breakout, lack of cycle) but in my opinion tonight was more about what the Devils did than what the Pens didn't. That team is really good and what's infuriating about it is they just suck the life out of a team if they get up any goals at all.

I pray the Pens don't play the devils in the playoffs.

[The U]

I can't recall any time the Pens cycled the puck and had sustained pressure in the Devil's zone, but I noticed for often than not the Devil's hemming the Penguins in. The Devil's outplayed the Pens plain and simple. If they can get back to what they had when HCDB started it would be a different thing. If they have to go to the dump and chase, actually go in and get the puck instead of having one Penguin to the 2+ opposing players.

They haven't cycled all season really. I'm concerned about that aspect of their game. Everything is hit or miss off the rush. No zone time, no cycle, no board play.

[GSdrums87]

I think what did it for me was the timeout with 8 seconds left. I wasn't completely furious before that moment.

[BurghThing]

Just got home, my third home game of the season. One more than the Penguins have all season.

Boychuck's time is up, package he and TK together and get a new goal song.

The loss of 2 of the top 4 dmen is understandable, but to fix that by not scoring? Interesting strategy.

[DudeMan2766]

I think what did it for me was the timeout with 8 seconds left. I wasn't completely furious before that moment.

That's the kind of crap that sours people on Bylsma. And I like the guy, but people who criticize him get railed around here. What in the world was the point if that?? He watched Laviolette in games 1 and 2 last year call first period TOs to settle his team down after hot pens starts, and they ended up winning both games. Then game 3 his team is down 1-0 early, and instead of calming them down on the road, they get into a 5 on 5 brawl 10 minutes into a must win game and start getting thrown out

[MRandall25]

Who cares if he calls a timeout with 8 seconds left in the 3rd or 10 minutes left in the second?

Really. If that's your complaint, don't bother posting.

[DudeMan2766]

Who cares if he calls a timeout with 8 seconds left in the 3rd or 10 minutes left in the second?

Really. If that's your complaint, don't bother posting.

Because it was head scratchingly odd, and I'd like to see what others thought. It doesn't mean I think a time out that late cost the pens the game. Geezus.

[mac5155]

I thought it was a waste as well. It looked like 87 was a bit perturbed by it too.

[Bioshock]

One thing I did see tonight was Despres finally looking like a rookie. It's gonna happen but tonight was essentially a simulation playoff game and he wasn't ready. Tells me he isn't ready for primetime so to speak. Letang was in the same boat his first year when we played Detroit in the finals and he was a healthy scratch. If Despres is on this team come playoff time, I expect something similar to happen. Dude is incredibly talented but next year will truly be his year to shine.

Hopefully, Shero can find that top 4 guy they so badly need. Or maybe Niskanen and Letang being injured at the same time did us in. Haha.

[Dickie Dunn]

Just got home, my third home game of the season. One more than the Penguins have all season.

Boychuck's time is up, package he and TK together and get a new goal song.

The loss of 2 of the top 4 dmen is understandable, but to fix that by not scoring? Interesting strategy.

Boychuk was the best player on his line tonight.

[ILikeTurtles]

I can't recall any time the Pens cycled the puck and had sustained pressure in the Devil's zone, but I noticed for often than not the Devil's hemming the Penguins in. The Devil's outplayed the Pens plain and simple. If they can get back to what they had when HCDB started it would be a different thing. If they have to go to the dump and chase, actually go in and get the puck instead of having one Penguin to the 2+ opposing players.

They haven't cycled all season really. I'm concerned about that aspect of their game. Everything is hit or miss off the rush. No zone time, no cycle, no board play.

Being able to cycle the puck and keep it in the offensive zone is essential. With Staal, the 3rd line could hem teams in for a minute, now any line is lucky to keep the puck in the zone for more than twenty seconds with out a stupid no look drop pass to open space. It is pretty embarrassing really.

[KG]

“They played a great game,” right wing Pascal Dupuis said. “They played a smart game. They actually played the game the way we want to play. We have to get to their level.”

Bylsma is also 9-12-1 against the Devils as a Pens coach.

Read more: http://triblive.com/sports/penguins/346 ... z2Kb0VbDwd
Follow us: @triblive on Twitter | triblive on Facebook

[Pitt87]

“They played a great game,” right wing Pascal Dupuis said. “They played a smart game. They actually played the game the way we want to play. We have to get to their level.”

Bylsma is also 9-12-1 against the Devils as a Pens coach.

Read more: http://triblive.com/sports/penguins/346 ... z2Kb0VbDwd
Follow us: @triblive on Twitter | triblive on Facebook

Being that good doesn't matter much in February... But thats what we have to be prepared for. They really drive consistency and execute extremely well. Gotta hand it to them, they rode that approach all the way to the SCF last year.

[CERV96]

One thing I did see tonight was Despres finally looking like a rookie. It's gonna happen but tonight was essentially a simulation playoff game and he wasn't ready. Tells me he isn't ready for primetime so to speak. Letang was in the same boat his first year when we played Detroit in the finals and he was a healthy scratch. If Despres is on this team come playoff time, I expect something similar to happen. Dude is incredibly talented but next year will truly be his year to shine.

Hopefully, Shero can find that top 4 guy they so badly need. Or maybe Niskanen and Letang being injured at the same time did us in. Haha.

Let's not forget Letangs best friend Luke Bourdon died days before the final started. I agree he was not ready either. If he played he probably would have been even worse.

[The Snapshot]

One thing I did see tonight was Despres finally looking like a rookie. It's gonna happen but tonight was essentially a simulation playoff game and he wasn't ready. Tells me he isn't ready for primetime so to speak. Letang was in the same boat his first year when we played Detroit in the finals and he was a healthy scratch. If Despres is on this team come playoff time, I expect something similar to happen. Dude is incredibly talented but next year will truly be his year to shine.

Hopefully, Shero can find that top 4 guy they so badly need. Or maybe Niskanen and Letang being injured at the same time did us in. Haha.

Despres played as well as any defenseman last night. He played in last year's playoffs too, so this won't be his first rodeo. I think he is more than ready, and he shouldn't be singled out because he wasn't great last night. Nobody was.