What can you say about the job that Ray Shero did to make the Pens a playoff hockey team? Chris Kunitz. new daddy — what a presence on the ice! This man just loves to hit people. And he can do so much more.
Billy Guerin. I always loved Billy Guerin as a hockey player and hoped some day he would play for the Pens. He’s not quite the player he was in his prime, but he certainly fits the bill for what the Pens needed right now.
Craig Adams, picked up off of waivers from the Blackhawks — I was so happy with Bylsma’s decision to keep him in the lineup after game one. The guy is an outstanding penalty killer, he loves to hit people, and he makes the fourth line – a unit that Bylsma can be confident in when he puts them on the ice.
Not an actual deadline trade, but the return of Gonchar at that same time has been a major plus. This is not the same team that Therrien was fired from coaching.
Game 2, trailed twice and responded. The Flyers gave all that they had, and played a tremendous hockey game. The Pens equaled them in grit and determination and the game truly deserved an overtime period. In the end, the Flyers’ penchant for taking penalties cost them the chance to even the series. This was only the second time in NHL history that a playoff game was won on a 5-3 goal. Both penalties had to be called and Billy Guerin ended it. So we head to Philly up 2-0, looking for at least a split. At worst we end it at home on Thursday.
That’s the view from E-11.
These two-games have been mostly about the Penguins being physical… not the Flyers. And, although the little maggot Flyers have a rep for playing dirty (and, that rep is well deserved) I don’t think there are too many players in the entire NHL out to HURT someone. Carcillo being one of the exceptions.
The Pens bring 4 lines of forwrads that finish checks… Kunitz, Crosby, Guerin… Fedotenko (who has stepped up during the playoffs, Malkin… Cooke, Staal, Kennedy… Dupuis, Talbot, Adams… all four lines in both games hit hard and finish checks. I would say that Sykora is the only one of the 12 forwards who haven’t stood out with physical play. When you add Orpik into that mix of finishing checks the picture gets painted real clear. The Penguins are more physical than the Flyers. All four lines also cycle the puck well and that combined with speed and hitting has taken it’s toll on the Flyers in the first 2 games.. The Pens are simply wearing them down.
Having Godard in the lineup does two things that in my opinion are negative. The first is giving an indication that you have been intimidated and the second is breaking up lines that have no reason to be broke up.
I don’t buy into the concept that because the game is in Philadelphia it will make one bag of beans difference. If the Penguins come out and play a game as physical as the last two the series should be 3 – ZIP. Biron saved them in the 2nd game and he hasn’t put together very many back to back great performances.
@justin & malore
The job of a coach is to be able to predict what is going to happen and have his best players available on the ice for that situation. The Flyers at home are way more apt to cheap shot and take runs our best players just to get the crowd going, are the Penguins willing to lose a quality
player to injury for the playoffs because the coach couldn’t forsee this?
Justin you used “very good” and Adams in the same sentence, this is a guy we picked up on waivers because no-one else wanted him. We didn’t use Crosby and Malkin all year on the PK but now if Adams is out we are? What penalty killer did we lose?
Malore the Penguins definitely arn’t intimidated. The Flyers are desperate, and don’t think they won’t sacrifice one of their goons for suspension just to injure a Penguin star, it has nothing to do with intimidation.
@ Penguin871
I think Justin37 hit it right on the head (pun intended) Godard sits. There is no reason to adjust the lineup. It would be nice to see some of these guys get some ice time but not the first game in Philly. The Penguins aren’t intimidated at all – actually, they probably have to work hard to control their laughter.
I believe that Therrien coached what he had available and if he had Kunitz, Guerin, Adams and Gonchar he would have played it more like he did last season. But I also agree with others that Disco DAN on the scene has been truly uplifting to the overall success and I’m not sure Therrien could have made that much of a IMPACT turn around.
@Penguins871
No offense intended, but dressing Goddard would be a stuipid move. Do you really think that there is one Penguin Player intimadated by the Flyers?….Do you think that any Flyer Player will blatently try to injure a Penguin Player, putting their future earnings at risk?….If you dress Goddard, the 4th line loses its effectiveness, 4 lines can not roll….Goddard can throw punches, but not passes, He can not keep up with the pace that the Penguins need to play with to win…..I mean no offense to Goddard, but his well defined role does not include ice time in the playoffs….Goddard, like all enforcers is a marked man, any little sembelance of an infraction, He is going to the box, and that is simply not needed at this time…
The Pens have completely dominated the physical play in this series….They are dictating both Style and Speed of the games….Introducing Goddard now would take away ice time from Talbot and Dupruis and add Ice time to the Top 3 lines….
The Flyers played as good as they possibly could (within the rules) in Game 2 and could not get the job done….For 75 minutes they controlled the temtation to take stuiped penalties, then they choked…..They can not possibly play above (or even at) the same level to win 4 out of the next 5 games….
IMHO dressing Goddard sends the wrong kind of message, and also costs one very good penalty killer (Adams), which forces Crosby and/or Malkin to play PK, niether of witch we need to see killing Penalties….
From another view, Eric Goddard is a huge part of the team…..It was apparent when He won the “Players Player” award and he should get a chance to contribute in the post season….Best we see him for the start of the 2nd round against Jersey or Carolina ( because MVP “Hot Dog Ovechkin” and his team are done)….
Brooks Orpik was credited with 26 hits in two games, only 5 less that Kessel and Savard had in a season….I know that Seek is lurking, So I wonder what he has to say about the no talent, no better than 9th or 10th place Penguins…..I also wonder what He thinks of the mental Head Case, Inconsistent MAF?
Let’s here it Seek….and I would also like to offer you the $100 Dollar bet…..remember the one when you would not trudt Stealth to hold the money….
As much as I’m a big fan of the keep the players on that are winning strategy, I think that going to Philly, replacing Adams with Godard may not be a poor idea. The Flyers seem to take a few more liberties in front of the home crowd. Therrien calledd up Bissonette (sp?) earlier in the year and he beat the crap out of Cole and set the tone for the Penguins. Seemed to work out well.
No doubt Ray Shero is the man. He loves hockey and he loves the Penguins, and he’s an incredible business man. I agree that all of the trade deadline moves were exactly what this team needed. It is my understanding though, that while it was nice to see Guerin score some big goals in the playoffs, his presence on the team in the locker room has been of even greater use to this penguins team. He has become the older, wiser, experienced type that this group of 20-somethings needed. Now Crosby and Malkin do not need to pretend to be that figure any more. They can simply be the young men they are and play hockey like no other. Can’t wait for game three, get a quick one, and have the “die-hard flyers fans” start booing their beloved team off the ice. That’s what I wanna see on national television, and I look forward to it.
Go Pens!
Got Malkin?