ROUND 1 PENGUINS VS. ISLANDERS Pre-Game 1 Discussion Thread

[DocEmrick]

Little known fact:

Crosby & Malkin have never scored on Nabokov.

Spoiler:

And they're both well aware of it

[Guinness]

Since the highest level of sports I played was high school, so maybe this is at that level, but what I would do if I were Dan Bylsma is have highlights from the brawl fest playing in the room after each practice. And I'd ask Mr. Lemieux to stop by and just re-iterate the pain of last year's loss, and the '93 loss, too.

Men like Morrow and Iginla are now on this team, and they are apparently hungry for the Cup.

Crankshaft adds a much needed element of physicality to a blueline that has gotten a tad soft over the past 4 years. Bringing back Eaton also brings in a steady if not flashy role as well.

I don't expect Sidney Crosby to have forgotten last year's disaster. I don't believe he is a vocal leader, but I think he will pay close attention to the mood of this squad as the series wears on. Brooks Orpik plays a role here too, I think.

Play responsible, defense-first hockey the way they did over the 7 game win streak.

Serious business, boys. You're out of your early twenties, for the most part. You've won a Cup. Now it's time to settle down, bear down, focus for 2.5 months and become legends.

Let's GO PENS!

[Sarcastic]

Pens will probably find a way to screw up one game, so I'll say we take them 4 games to 1.

[IanMoran]

Since the highest level of sports I played was high school, so maybe this is at that level, but what I would do if I were Dan Bylsma is have highlights from the brawl fest playing in the room after each practice. And I'd ask Mr. Lemieux to stop by and just re-iterate the pain of last year's loss, and the '93 loss, too.

Men like Morrow and Iginla are now on this team, and they are apparently hungry for the Cup.

Crankshaft adds a much needed element of physicality to a blueline that has gotten a tad soft over the past 4 years. Bringing back Eaton also brings in a steady if not flashy role as well.

I don't expect Sidney Crosby to have forgotten last year's disaster. I don't believe he is a vocal leader, but I think he will pay close attention to the mood of this squad as the series wears on. Brooks Orpik plays a role here too, I think.

Play responsible, defense-first hockey the way they did over the 7 game win streak.

Serious business, boys. You're out of your early twenties, for the most part. You've won a Cup. Now it's time to settle down, bear down, focus for 2.5 months and become legends.

Let's GO PENS!

I think they're veterans who have had a very workman like attitude about them......... I don't think they need any extra motivation for the playoffs

[Bathgate]

http://www.thepensblog.com/2013-archives/april/why-the-1993-loss-means-so-much.html

Good stuff from TPB about 1993

Good grief! That debacle was a lot more dreadful than I recalled. If the Islanders pull off a 4th gruesome upset of the Pens, it will absolutely ruin the summer for all of us Pens fans.

By the way, Mark Madden believes in the Islanders jinx, but he thinks the Pens will break it this time. His tweet: “No Volek. No Tonelli. No Resch. No problem. Pens in 5. The Islanders jinx gets buried under the crumbling decay of Nassau Coliseum.”

[Guinness]

I think they're veterans who have had a very workman like attitude about them......... I don't think they need any extra motivation for the playoffs

I think that's true. But I'm a fan, not a professional hockey player.

[no name]

The thought process of the Islander trying to mimic the flyers game plan scares me a little. Get our guys to take stupid penalties and we got guys who are stupid enought to take them. Iginla and Morrow have to be the voices of reason we didn't have last year. But there is one guy i hate most of all for the Islanders..

[IntangibleBeer]

As for the Isles playoff history, the '93 Volek goal was heartbreaking. The classic reminder that no matter how good your team is, upsets are real and happen in hockey.

The lesson is clear. Make enough slip ups in the wrong places and take a team lightly and you can get to a point where a lucky shot kills you. And that's exactly what happened to the 1993 Penguins. They were distracted by the very large amount of off-ice BS, they didn't fear the Islanders, they believed they could flip things on and off like a switch, and they paid the price.

I was depressed for weeks. I could hardly watch any of the playoffs after that. I knew the eventual Stanley Cup winners, the Canadiens, would have been chum in the water for this Pens team.

I hope this team annihilates the Islanders in 4 massively agonizing, embarrassing games to watch (for Islander fans- all 3 of them).

[ExPatriatePen]

I just found out that Nabokov has never given up a goal to Crosby or Malkin... Do you think they're aware of that?

[IntangibleBeer]

I just found out that Nabokov has never given up a goal to Crosby or Malkin... Do you think they're aware of that?

I predict Malkin will light him up like a Christmas tree.

[pcm]

The Islanders lines:

MATT MOULSON-JOHN TAVARES-BRAD BOYES
KYLE OKPOSO-JOSH BAILEY-FRANS NIELSEN
MICHAEL GRABNER-KEITH AUCOIN-COLIN MCDONALD
MATT MARTIN-CASEY CIZIKAS-JESSE JOENSUU

TRAVIS HAMONIC - ANDREW MACDONALD
LUBOMIR VISNOVSKY - THOMAS HICKEY
MARK STREIT - BRIAN STRAIT/ MATT CARKNER

I just don't see that defense containing the Pens forwards at all. Kunitz and Morrow will explode their heads.

Who will get the assignment on Tavares? Orpik-Martin? Or Letang if Orpik's not ready to go?

[Beveridge]

Who will get the assignment on Tavares? Orpik-Martin? Or Letang if Orpik's not ready to go?

Probably...

I just hope the PK plan is Adams or whoever stick to Tavares like a shadow and basically play the PK 3 on 4.

[Gaucho]

james neal ‏@jneal_18 5m
Here we go!!!!

[Godric]

I just found out that Nabokov has never given up a goal to Crosby or Malkin... Do you think they're aware of that?

I predict Malkin will light him up like a Christmas tree.

Malkin has no slapper at the moment... I think he is going to need shoulder surgery in the offseason

[Jesse]

Here is my statistical preview of this series based on regular season even strength numbers.

http://www.faceoff-factor.com/1pittsbur ... l-analysis

[bringitonhome]

Other than 93(I was 13) and the stupid brawl game, I'm finding it hard to hate the Islanders as much as I normally hate our playoff opponents. Can anyone help me?

[Guinness]

james neal ‏@jneal_18 5m
Here we go!!!!

[Gaucho]

Has anyone mentioned 1975 yet?

[DelPen]

Iginla has 26 career goals vs the Sharks, Morrow has 16. I would guess that quite bit of those are against Nabakov

[jwest21]

Little known fact:

Crosby & Malkin have never scored on Nabokov.

Spoiler:

And they're both well aware of it

This will be nothing but a footnote in history by Sunday.

[Guinness]

Other than 93(I was 13) and the stupid brawl game, I'm finding it hard to hate the Islanders as much as I normally hate our playoff opponents. Can anyone help me?

Yeah. Never forget that punk Jack Capuano orchestrated the brawl.



That embarrassing farce, and the fact that slob didn't receive any kind of disciplinary action, is reason enough to want to see these little two-bit nobodies ground into powder in 4 games, sent home embarrassed to show their faces to their mothers.

Those idiots considered that game to be their little "coming out party". I'm all for seeing PGH welcome them to the show, in grand fashion.

[bringitonhome]

Other than 93(I was 13) and the stupid brawl game, I'm finding it hard to hate the Islanders as much as I normally hate our playoff opponents. Can anyone help me?

Yeah. Never forget that punk Jack Capuano orchestrated the brawl.



That embarrassing farce, and the fact that slob didn't receive any kind of disciplinary action, is reason enough to want to see these little two-bit nobodies ground into powder in 4 games, sent home embarrassed to show their faces to their mothers.

Those idiots considered that game to be their little "coming out party". I'm all for seeing PGH welcome them to the show, in grand fashion.

Ok, now I'm pissed and now hate the Islanders. Thanks.

[jwest21]

So what Wal-Mart is Gillies working in these days?

[columbia]

So what Wal-Mart is Gillies working in these days?

[Guinness]