Game 46 vs. Sabres - Thoughts from the Morning After

[Nizzy]

Pens lost.

I really enjoyed the game still. Its so much better watching, not needing to play for anything.

I hope they can all gel for the playoffs. A lot of pressure on this team in the playoffs.

[smoothmoneyb]

This game reminded me of something: I don't like losing. Is this how Flyers fans feel all of the time?

Spoiler:

All time being this year, of course..

[Idoit40fans]

I hate losing. I hate it. I hate losing more than I even wanna win.

[shafnutz05]

I couldn't have cared less about last night's game. I checked the box score to see who scored occasionally, but that's about it.

[Idoit40fans]

I couldn't have cared less about last night's game. I checked the box score to see who scored occasionally, but that's about it.

Are you sure you couldn't have cared less? It could have been a Pirate preseason game.

[tfrizz]

Team wasn't sharp. Fleury had a good game after a slow start. At the end of the day, a loss here might actually be a good thing - it'll help keep the team grounded.

[RxBandit66]

It's been rare this season when the team lacks their usual hop, but the results are similar when they do: they lose a lot of battles for loose pucks, resulting in point blank chances against. Getting Paul Martin back will be a tremendous help, because Letang and Niskanen scare me in the defensive zone. The lefty defensemen (Orpik, Murray, Eaton, Martin) are very sound defensively. It's the three righties (Letang, Niskanen, Engelland) who turn the puck over frequently and make lazy passes too often.

Fleury was very good last night, kept the game close. I'm not at all concerned with bringing players back into the lineup and disrupting chemistry. After all, these guys are top notch players who at some point have played together before (Morrow, Neal, Niskanen in Dallas, Crosby and Iginla in the olympics).

People have made a big deal about the PK being terrible, but in reality, the team has allowed well under two goals per game over the past 25 games, and that includes the game which they gave up 6 goals. If they average less than 2 goals allowed in this year's playoffs, they will win the Cup in about 20 games. A year ago, Steve Sullivan was patrolling the ice, now there's Jarome Iginla in his place. Engelland and Lovejoy have been replaced with Eaton and Murray. And they have Vokoun, the mother of all upgrades over the atrocity that was Brent Johnson.

[Fire0nice228]

I am concerned about all the 'new' faces coming back into the lineup, but these faces are some of and including the best players in the world.. it stinks that they havn't all been able to play together, but teams do have the ability to come together for short tournaments and stuff (olympics)

[penny lane]

FYI; Paul Martin was named Best Defensive Player.

[Pavel Bure]

Jeffery had multiple brutal giveaways at the blue line when he should have just gotten the puck deep. One of those resulted in the Ott goal. He needs to realize he's not a high skill guy and just play a simple game. No more of this fancy between the legs crap from him.

[pressure=9Pa]

Pens lose 4-2
- Pens could have used a spark at some point. Perhaps a fight might have sparked the team????

Normally true, but not worth the risk last night. The usual suspects in a scrap don't provide a spark, there's a spark when it comes from someone you don't expect (a la Talbot in Philly a few years back). It wouldn't be worth even a slight risk of a concussion or a broken hand to provide a spark in last night's game.

[Penspal]

Pens lose 4-2
- Pens could have used a spark at some point. Perhaps a fight might have sparked the team????

Normally true, but not worth the risk last night. The usual suspects in a scrap don't provide a spark, there's a spark when it comes from someone you don't expect (a la Talbot in Philly a few years back). It wouldn't be worth even a slight risk of a concussion or a broken hand to provide a spark in last night's game.

Probably right, but if not a fight, a big hit..... something that I'm sure will not be a shortage of come playoff time.

[Fire0nice228]

Meh, no reason to go for a kill shot when there really isn't anything on the line for either team.

[Beveridge]

-Miller stood on his head
-Bunch of puck luck for Sabres and not for the Pens

It happens. I didn't see anything to send off alarms.

I think my biggest disappointment might have been we weren't on the PK at all (that I can remember).
Guess that's one way for our PK to be good.

[RxBandit66]

Jeffery had multiple brutal giveaways at the blue line when he should have just gotten the puck deep. One of those resulted in the Ott goal. He needs to realize he's not a high skill guy and just play a simple game. No more of this fancy between the legs crap from him.

Good post, and barring Injury, he's probably done as a Penguin, at least for this season. The sad thing is, Jeffrey actually has good enough hands and skill to be effective. He also wins draws. But without speed, he'll never have a high level of skill, as you said, and trying to dangle like Kovalev or Malkin certainly does not suit his game at all. Unless a player of his skill level is on a breakaway or 1-on-1 with a defender deep inside the zone, that crap should not ever be attempted. As someone said earlier, the turnover that resulted in the Ott goal was a "last year" play, the type of garbage that ruined this team against the Flyers.

[tfrizz]

Jeffery had multiple brutal giveaways at the blue line when he should have just gotten the puck deep. One of those resulted in the Ott goal. He needs to realize he's not a high skill guy and just play a simple game. No more of this fancy between the legs crap from him.

Good post, and barring Injury, he's probably done as a Penguin, at least for this season. The sad thing is, Jeffrey actually has good enough hands and skill to be effective. He also wins draws. But without speed, he'll never have a high level of skill, as you said, and trying to dangle like Kovalev or Malkin certainly does not suit his game at all. Unless a player of his skill level is on a breakaway or 1-on-1 with a defender deep inside the zone, that crap should not ever be attempted. As someone said earlier, the turnover that resulted in the Ott goal was a "last year" play, the type of garbage that ruined this team against the Flyers.

Jeffrey's won 94 of 200 faceoffs this season for 47.0%, just ahead of Malkin's 46.2% with 377 draws taken. They have the two lowest percentages of anyone on the roster that's taken 50 or more faceoffs this season.

In order:

Vitale - 157 / 257 (61.1%)
Jokinen - 233 / 405 (57.5%)
Crosby - 453 / 834 (54.3%)
Adams - 43 / 84 (51.2%)
Sutter - 370 / 734 (50.4%)
Iginla - 123 / 246 (50.0%)
Dupuis - 26 / 55 (47.3%)
Jeffrey - 94 / 200 (47.0%)
Malkin - 174 / 377 (46.2%)


Honourable mention to Glass's 20 / 49 (40.8%).

[Inkio]

Malkin really needs to work on his faceoffs in the off season.

[Digitalgypsy66]

Buffalo had turnovers galore throughout the game, and if the Pens had finished on one or two of them, this could have been a nice win.

The team looked tired, except for Geno and Eaton. Geno looked in good form out there, with a little rust, but he was flying.

Iggy has a nice shot, and plays (still!) for the Pittsburgh Penguins. Unreal.

Jeffrey looked sloppy and noticeably out of sorts at times last night.

This type of game is typically what happens when I'm able to watch an entire game. I will stay away from full games during the playoffs.

[tfrizz]

Malkin really needs to work on his faceoffs in the off season.

He recorded a career best 47.5% last season! lol


You're absolutely right. Haven't run the numbers, but I'd say he's definitely a sub-45% guy for his career and spend a few seasons below 40%. That's exceptionally poor.

[thehockeyguru]

IMO, the Pens need to do a better job of recognizing when teams are packing it in defensively and adjust accordingly. Less East-West passing and more getting shots on net / crashing the net. If teams want to pack it in and generate offense off of our turnovers we MUST simplify our game. This is how less talented teams will play us in the playoffs.

[Fire0nice228]

Jeffery had multiple brutal giveaways at the blue line when he should have just gotten the puck deep. One of those resulted in the Ott goal. He needs to realize he's not a high skill guy and just play a simple game. No more of this fancy between the legs crap from him.

Good post, and barring Injury, he's probably done as a Penguin, at least for this season. The sad thing is, Jeffrey actually has good enough hands and skill to be effective. He also wins draws. But without speed, he'll never have a high level of skill, as you said, and trying to dangle like Kovalev or Malkin certainly does not suit his game at all. Unless a player of his skill level is on a breakaway or 1-on-1 with a defender deep inside the zone, that crap should not ever be attempted. As someone said earlier, the turnover that resulted in the Ott goal was a "last year" play, the type of garbage that ruined this team against the Flyers.

Jeffrey's won 94 of 200 faceoffs this season for 47.0%, just ahead of Malkin's 46.2% with 377 draws taken. They have the two lowest percentages of anyone on the roster that's taken 50 or more faceoffs this season.

In order:

Vitale - 157 / 257 (61.1%)
Jokinen - 233 / 405 (57.5%)
Crosby - 453 / 834 (54.3%)
Adams - 43 / 84 (51.2%)
Sutter - 370 / 734 (50.4%)
Iginla - 123 / 246 (50.0%)
Dupuis - 26 / 55 (47.3%)
Jeffrey - 94 / 200 (47.0%)
Malkin - 174 / 377 (46.2%)


Honourable mention to Glass's 20 / 49 (40.8%).

Get out of here you-you and your "statistics"!

Spoiler:

:lol:

[murphydump55]

Malkin really needs to work on his faceoffs in the off season.

Like he's needed to the last 6 years?

[Digitalgypsy66]

Malkin sometimes looks like he doesn't even bother competing with the opposing forward to win the faceoff. It's strange.

[IMFC]

Ott bats the puck out of the air - shoulder high - and Fleury drops down into the butterfly and looks down to the ice while the puck floats up over his shoulder?

I love him, but the cat does some weird stuff.

[Rylan]

Ott bats the puck out of the air - shoulder high - and Fleury drops down into the butterfly and looks down to the ice while the puck floats up over his shoulder?

I love him, but the cat does some weird stuff.

Normally the puck is going to drop to the ice when batted down, not float high.