Yes, Max Talbot changed the outcome of the game. Moments after committing a terrible turnover in his own end, Talbot decided to single-handedly turn the flow of the game in favor of the Pens. At this point, the Pens were down 3 – 0. Mad Max decided to engage a fight with Daniel Carcillo. This is a man, who is clearly out of Max’s class when it comes to fighting. Basically, Talbot committed to getting lumped up in order to motivate his team. It worked!
Fedotenko scored moments later andthecomeback was on. Five unanswered goals later, and the Pens are on to the second round.
I thought the Pens played a great game from start to finish. There were a couple of bad plays, but overall I thought they were outplaying the Flyers even as the score reach 3 – 0 in favor of the bad guys. The Pens were able to take their game to a higher level in the second period out-shooting the Flyers 20 – 9. They were able to tie the game and eventually win on a goal by Gonchar. Crosby added an empty netter for good measure. The Pens showed a lot of character in this game. It is games like this that allow me to believe they have what it takes to take this run deep.
It would have been nice for the Pens to win the series on home ice, but it is still very exciting. The NHL playoffs are the best time of the year. I could not be more excited and eager to watch the next round.
Notes:
- It was nice to see a couple of guys, who were long overdue, get on the scoresheet. Both Fedotenko and Gonch had not scored in these playoffs. Both of their goals were huge factors in the outcome of tonight’s game.
- Satan did not look too bad out there.
- I thought everyone seemed to lift their games up a notch or two tonight.
Here is to continued success in round two. Go get ‘em boys!
I believe it was the players who said Talbot changed the momentum of the game. Enough said.
GO HOME FLYERS! NA NA NA NA, NA NA NA NA, HEY HEY HEY, GOOD-BYE!
HOW SWEET IT IS.
GO PENZ!
Watching Crosby scream real loud when he got the empty netter was priceless. The Wachovia Center was probably dead silent when he did it also.
Did Talbot’s fight turn the tide? Just because everyone is saying so doesn’t make it gospel. If the FLY$ score on that 4 on 4 and make it 4 – 0 we might all be telling a different story. The game lasts for three periods at a minimum and although the FLY$ could have played it safe and milked a 3 – 0 lead they didn’t or couldn’t. Fleury, Oprik, Gonchar, Staal, Malkin, Crosby are tough cookies and showed last season the can rise to the occasion. When you add in the support players which seem different every game . . . this is a team capable of making the finals again.
As to Satan not looking bad out there??? For what he gets paid and how he produces . . . he looks bad as he did before being sent down. The Pens will be looking for wingers once again this next season. BTW, Tangradi, sliced his hand in last Belleville/Brampton game. Not good.
Great series and the Flyers deserve some credit for making it that way. IMO it came down to being this basic: Crosby, Malkin, Staal verses Carter, Richards, Briere. They are the core players of each team. The faceoffs were dominated by the Pens and the physical play dominated by the Pens. Richards was the only one who stood out for the Flyers. Carter and Briere especially Carter was a non factor as a core player. His regular season goal scoring didn’t relate to the playoffs. When you add the play of Goncahr and Orpik to that of Timonen and Coburn it was the same thing. Fleury outplayed Biron but not by as much as some folks would think. The biggest difference between Pens fans and Flyer fans is the booing. Booing your players is about as classless as it gets. And I don’t know who said it (I think it was Krundle) watching those people disguised as seats walk out while booing——–> And watching Crosby turn it up a notch to the “Crosby Sucks”——> it was priceless. (I did sing a chorus of God Bless America!)
There’s seldom much said about Mark Eaton and personally I questioned his signing. This guy like Scuderi disappears into the woodwork.
In yesterdays game he scores his 2nd goal (and a critical one by rushing the net) and finished with a PLUS 4 in a 5 – 3 game. Does he get a star? No way, because he goes unnoticed. Well, he gets one from me.
“CROSBY SUCKS” “CROSBY SUCKS”
ROTFLMAO!
Good Riddance to the Flyers. Just when you think the Pens are down and out, the resilience returns and the Pens who were led by the two best players in the world, Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin, make one of their fantastic comebacks.
When the door needed closed, who better than Marc-Andre Fleury, who closed it and locked it up tight. Mad Max, your the man who started the fire works. Sid has 4 goals and 4 assists in this round and nobody`s close to his faceoff win percentage. Geno, nobody plays the game any better. Ther ewa sno doubt about it, the Pens fire power returned and there`s nothing the Flyers could do to stop it. Who`s Next?