'13 Playoffs Game 3 vs OTT - Thoughts from the Morning After

[shmenguin]

:pop:

Sorry I don't get all doom and gloom over a hockey game, shmenguin. Would it be better if I ******** and moaned about everything like the rest of the posters on this board?

You forgot the caps lock

[MRandall25]

Answer the question. My PM inbox will be waiting.

[SolidSnake]

:pop:

Sorry I don't get all doom and gloom over a hockey game, shmenguin. Would it be better if I ******** and moaned about everything like the rest of the posters on this board?

Your holier then thou act has been stale since last year's playoffs

[MRandall25]

Well, when people complain about my positivity, it's hard not to come across as "holier than thou". It's like you guys can't accept something that goes against the group think here.

I don't understand why people care that I don't see things as all negative. It's a freaking game.

[SolidSnake]

The thing is, I don't know what you're trying to accomplish, I can say it's a safe bet there's no sports team message board that doesn't have people complaining about the team, that's how it goes in sports. That's what message boards are for to discuss, disagree and so fourth. The Pens aren't playing like potential cup winners and right now deserve some criticism for what occurred last night.

[MRandall25]

I'm not trying to accomplish anything. I give my thoughts on the game as I see it.

Apparently, that's frowned upon if it doesn't follow the majority opinion.

[tfrizz]

* To date, Vokoun is our ONLY Conn Smythe candidate.

And, unfortunately, I still don't believe the Pens will win the Cup with Vokoun in net. The Sens have missed 1000 great chances in the 3 games so far, almost all stemming from Vokoun's slow lateral movement. A team that isn't offensively inept is going to take advantage of that in a big way.

[tfrizz]

1. Vokoun should be back for Game 4. That was a ridiculous effort he put out there. The save he made on Neil was beyond words (though, I did go from saying 'how did that not go in' to 'oh, it was Chris Neil, that's why). Nothing he did out there made me think Fleury would have done any better.

I had the same reaction - "how did that stay out?". The CBC guys were pretty critical of his inability to elevate the puck, and understandably so.

[firepower]

Man I hated to see a great 58 minute hockey game go to waste because the PP decided to take a shift off. Too bad for the rest of the team.

[PghSkins]

Flipped ****? Calm down shmenguin I don't get angry.

Save the attitude for someone that cares :D

U mad?

[farnham16]

The Iglina Malkin Neal line just isn't working. Those two guys are right wingers. Period. Neither one of them can play left wing effectively.

Bylsma is gonna have to grow a pair and tell Sid tough crap and move Kunitz to Malkin's line. It makes the team better.

Wouldn't that be great? HCDB making a move that's better for the whole TEAM rather than having players love him?

There can be no other reason to keep trying and hammering Square Iginla into a Round Hole on Malkin's line, than Crosby wants to keep Dupuis/Kunitz. It's NOT WORKING. This team is struggling to generate offense over the last game and a half, mostly with HCDB force-feeding Iginla out of position.

Has anybody in the Pens' Press asked Crosby why this is happening? I'd like to hear his thoughts on it, specifically whether or not he is OK with the team being less effective when Iginla is out-of-position with Malkin (since Neal isn't moving).

The reason for the lines being the way they are is because that's what Sid prefers. That is no theory there, Sid has openly admitted it. And that's his right to want to play with those guys of course. But this is Bylsma's call. Its his job to put the best possible lineup together, and forcing Iginla with Neal and Malkin just to make Sid happy is not what is in this teams best interest at all. Neither Iggy nor Neal can play left wing effectively. They can't do it.

Bylsma needs to swap Kunitz and Iginla.

[farnham16]

The Iglina Malkin Neal line just isn't working. Those two guys are right wingers. Period. Neither one of them can play left wing effectively.

Bylsma is gonna have to grow a pair and tell Sid tough crap and move Kunitz to Malkin's line. It makes the team better.

I know this is for next season but if the pens re-sign Dupuis to some over-priced contract just because they want to keep the Crosby Dupuis Kunitz line together and that affects them keeping Malkin down the line then I'm gonna smash some tables

I think Duper would take less money here if Shero offered him 3 years. But, Shero doesn't like to do that with older players as we all know. So its going to be really interesting. A team like Florida would easily offer Dupuis 4 or 4.5 million to come play there. That might be real hard for Duper to pass up because this is his last chance to make big money.

But I agree. Can't overpay for Dupuis.

[Bioshock]

LOL

[topshelf66]

OK... I am feeling better now. Chipped Beef and Scotch for breakfast will do that for you.

The moral of the story is this.... You can't lose a playoff game the way the Pens lost game 3, unless of course, you can.

Let's go win two more and move on to ECF agonizing.

Let's Go Pens !

P.S. Regarding Bylsma's doing what Sid wants vs. what may be better for the team, Sid will still have a job next year if the Pens f*** this series.

[Idoit40fans]

You're obviously a good dude, rylan, so sorry to pick on you a bit. But the "everybody relax" crowd is more annoying to me than the doomsday-ers.

Far more annoying. Though after this loss...everyone relax. Its one game that the Pens still controlled. The "relax" people that were actually still left in the Isles series though...probably mentally unhealthy.

[MarioLives]

So if I got this right....if you are optimistic, some will bash you, and if you are negative, some will bash you?

Pretty fun.

[Pitt87]

The Iglina Malkin Neal line just isn't working. Those two guys are right wingers. Period. Neither one of them can play left wing effectively.

Bylsma is gonna have to grow a pair and tell Sid tough crap and move Kunitz to Malkin's line. It makes the team better.

I know this is for next season but if the pens re-sign Dupuis to some over-priced contract just because they want to keep the Crosby Dupuis Kunitz line together and that affects them keeping Malkin down the line then I'm gonna smash some tables

I think Duper would take less money here if Shero offered him 3 years. But, Shero doesn't like to do that with older players as we all know. So its going to be really interesting. A team like Florida would easily offer Dupuis 4 or 4.5 million to come play there. That might be real hard for Duper to pass up because this is his last chance to make big money.

But I agree. Can't overpay for Dupuis.

There are a lot of teams that need scoring, can play with elite guys, and like guys that can do more than play one position: NYI, Columbus, St.Louis, Toronto. That's who I think will be in on him.

That said, if Sid says he wants him back I think you give him what he wants.

[Malkamaniac]

I'm just tired of hearing both Neal and Iginla say they're comfortable on either side, and that's not the case.

I refuse to believe Sid is this much of an annoyance that keeping him happy takes over for being a coach. He's never come off that way during his time here, he wouldn't start with it now.

This is solely a coaching issue to me.

[Idoit40fans]

I think its more of a non-issue actually.

[Malkamaniac]

I think its more of a non-issue actually.

Reality is I'm nitpicking. Even if Iginla is third on the team in scoring. I just hate that he won't do what everyone expects lol.

[PAPLine]

You're obviously a good dude, rylan, so sorry to pick on you a bit. But the "everybody relax" crowd is more annoying to me than the doomsday-ers.

Far more annoying. Though after this loss...everyone relax. Its one game that the Pens still controlled. The "relax" people that were actually still left in the Isles series though...probably mentally unhealthy.

As I recall last year after the Flyers fiasco, I woke up the next day and inexplicably, the world moved on. The same thing the year before, and the year before that, and yes, even in '09. Yes, it's fun to talk about the games and debate various positions regarding the outcomes, but after all, they are just games.
That said, GO PENS!

[Idoit40fans]

You're obviously a good dude, rylan, so sorry to pick on you a bit. But the "everybody relax" crowd is more annoying to me than the doomsday-ers.

Far more annoying. Though after this loss...everyone relax. Its one game that the Pens still controlled. The "relax" people that were actually still left in the Isles series though...probably mentally unhealthy.

As I recall last year after the Flyers fiasco, I woke up the next day and inexplicably, the world moved on. The same thing the year before, and the year before that, and yes, even in '09. Yes, it's fun to talk about the games and debate various positions regarding the outcomes, but after all, they are just games.
That said, GO PENS!

This is what it was like when I woke up after the Flyers Fiasco.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x3HBCopB7Hc

[pens9192]

If that penalty wasn't called at the end of regulation, I bet the Pens win it 1-0. That penalty forced the Pens to change the way they were playing. Thanks refs!

Letang held the puck for a few second behind his net after the PP started. No Senators were in the Pens zone and Anderson couldn't come off. Letang should have stayed there until a Senator came in the zone and then play keep-a-way the whole way down the ice. Sure that is dangerous, but it would have looked better than the clusterfark that happened instead.

[Idoit40fans]

Thats not even dangerous. You keep the puck until someone pressures in that situation. Thats the least of the problems with that shift though.

[meow]

They should have done the Flying-V. Nothing stops the Flying-V