With a chance to take a stranglehold in this series and 20 minutes to play in Game 4, the Penguins lost their way. A stat that is often looked at in the NHL is the team’s record when leading or trailing after the second period. Trailing after two, the Canadiens were 4-29 this season and 0-2 during the playoffs. Leading after two periods, the Penguins were 28-5 this year and 3-0 this post-season. (Another reason to be upset by the loss of this game.) It is highly unlikely that this will happen again. I know the only stat that matters is the series is now tied at two. The fact of the matter is, the Penguins, except for a few short lapses, have totally outplayed the Canadiens. After being outshot in Game One (a game the Pens also really dominated) and over the seven period span from period 2 in Game 2 until that fateful third period in Game 4, the Penguins had outshot the Canadiens 81-33. (In fact the second period totals for those games was 42-9.)
In my last post, I wrote about the positive nature of Coach Bylsma and his ability to keep his players focused and in a solid frame of mind. I would like to ask all PenguinPoop blog readers to be Dan Bylsma for a minute — Make a positive statement to the players in the comment section as to why they will win Game 5 and go on to win the series. Click on the Comment Section and post your quote. Let’s help push the Pens toward victory! That’s the view from E-11.
Note — The behavior of the Canadien fans is deplorable. The way that they react every time a Canadien takes a dive by begging the refs for calls is not the way that the self-proclaimed ‘most knowledgeable fans in the game’ should behave. Their booing of Crosby is CLASSLESS.
Note — Star players win big games. The Penguin stars will shine in Game 5.
LET’S GO PENS!!!!! YOU CAN DO IT!!! STAY FOCUSED AND WE CAN BEAT THE HABS! THEN GO TO MONTREAL AND SHOW THEM HOW A REAL HOCKEY CLUB KNOWS HOW TO WIN!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Pens have scored 11 goals in this series by 11 different players. That shows the superior scoring depth Pittsburgh has over Montreal. Eventually Pittsburgh’s big guns will have a breakout game, but it just goes to show you that if Pittsburgh can stop Cammalleri and Gionta that Montreal has no one else that can put a puck in the net. Holding Crosby to 0 goals and Malkin to 1 has still not stopped the Penguins from scoring 10 other goals. The rope-a-dope style can only work for so long, and it says here that the Penguins’ jabs and counter punches will break through tonight
I am not a don cherry fan at all, but i will say this, when he says that the refs did a poor job, and took up for the habs, it must have been bad. Bottom line not only did the habs beat the pens last night, they beat the refs.
Wow are you kidding me? The number of non calls continues to rise in this series ever since the Habs cried there conspiracy theory (which we all know is BS). The game winner off Letang was a result of a missed high stick to the face of Max Talbot in the offensive zone (as seen in ref too involved/uninvolved video). The Habs are not in the same class as the Pens and if the game is called the way it should be called they would be down 3-1 and facing elimination.
if the game was call the way it should be the pens will be eliminated right now