sil wrote:no name wrote:Let face it when this team is winning it seems like its winning on talent alone. Nothing much else going on there than the pure skill of our players shinning through. When we lose games we are shut down (like the past 3) it feels alot more like we were beaten by a team with a system implimented to take away our skill.
... i guess we all kinda knew this
I definitely don't feel like the pens were shutdown against the Flyers. If giving up those kinds of oppertunities is Berube's idea of "shutting an opponent down" than I hope he stays the Flyers coach for a long time.
The Rags game was a one-sided affair, but not necessarily the pens being "shut down," at least not in terms of what Boston did in the spring. The Pens could've been up 2 or 3-0 in the first five minutes of that game if things bounce a little differently...but that's one of the great things about hockey.
The Blues...yeah, they shut the pens down.
Yeah, agreed on the Flyers to a point. I mean the Pens had some real good chances most on the power play. But the thing is just like in the Bruins series I dont buy that the Pens could have easily scored more, could have been up a goal or two and so on even against the Rags. When watching the games fans seem to think that every close call could have turned the game - while true that can not be true for every single game that we play. Other teams come in waves and cycle, get second chances, bang home a rebound and when they are pushing they keep pushing even if the other teams gets a goal. Eventually you get one, then two. We arent unlucky most of the time (although against the Flyers Letang missed a few lay ups).
The Rags had a double deflection goal that I saw some refer to as lucky. It wasnt. The defenseman got the puck and two Rags immediately formed a line in front of the goalie. Just like the Blackhawks Cup winning goal - it was tipped out past the circles originally, got the goalie off balance after it changed direction, hit a post then banged home. That isnt luck.
My point is I have been complaining about our lack of cycle and over dependence on perimeter play for a year now. Its not about us getting the bounces, every goalie we play is hot or man we could have just gotten that one goal and things would have been different. Even the Flyers for the most part kept us outside and I dont remember many golden rebound chances.
I dont know, I have said it before when I watch other games I just feel the Pens dont have as many golden opportunities as we think. Other teams just press and pressure and cycle and create real chances. If we should have had 3 goals against the Flyers every game I see on NBC Sports should be 10 - 9.