Our Penguins scored 8 goals on 28 shots, the Flyers scored 5 goals on 26 shots, and well, the referees, they did their share to be offensive too.
Jake Guentzel, what can you say about the kid after last night’s performance? Down 4 – 2, Guentzel put the team on his back and brought the team back from disaster. All he did was figure in on the next 5 goals, all Penguins’ goals. He picked up the primary assist on Patric Hornqvist’s goal and then rattled off 4 straight goals (the last 2 of those goals – 10 seconds apart!). Hat Tricks are rare enough, particularly in the playoffs, so natural hat tricks and 4 goal games are even rarer. In fact, only 1 other player has done that in NHL history, Tim Kerr of (what are the chances?) Philadelphia. That was in 1985.
My guess is the Flyers aren’t all that happy to see it done to them.
I did do a search to see if anyone has picked up 5 consecutive points in a playoff game, but I couldn’t find any answer to that. Maybe one of you readers will be more successful.
Naturally, Guentzel earned the number 1 star of the game.
Sidney Crosby and Hornqvist had pretty good games as well picking up a goal and 2 assists each.
Despite putting 8 pucks in the opponents net, the game was a bit closer than I would think the Penguins would have liked. The Penguins’ Defense true to their norm this season offered the Flyers many opportunities to try and keep pace and the Flyers did a pretty good job keeping pace (at least until Guentzel caught fire).
I am a big Matt Murray fan. Last year, during the Fleury – Murray debate, I was deeply in Murray’s corner, however, yesterday afternoon, I was wishing Murray had learned a little of Marc-Andre Fleury’s lethal stick action. If Murray’s poke check and stick work were a little more like Fleury’s then maybe 2 of Sean Couturier’s goals don’t happen and he could have bailed out his turnstile Defensemen. Murray also didn’t look all that sharp on Scott Laughton’s goal, the Flyer’s 4th goal. Granted Laughton had a step on the Defense but he was still out along the boards and about the top of the face off circles when he shot the puck. It was stoppable if Murray got to his angle. The only 2 goals I give Murray a pass on were Andrew MacDonald’s (the camera angle from behind shows that even though Jamie Oleksiak had good position, Wayne Simmons had Murray totally screened) and Couturier’s third goal. It is unforgivable to throw the puck up your own slot like Riley Sheahan did, particularly with a goalie pulled and 6 opponents crowding the zone. With so many players in the Penguins’ zone, the probability of someone flagging that down was way to high to risk.
As for the referees, well, although it isn’t all that surprise that referees blow calls in the playoffs, it doesn’t make it any harder to accept. Claude Giroux’s hit on Carl Hagelin was dirty and craven, he left his skates and threw or at least tried to throw his elbow (I didn’t quite see what part of Giroux hit Hagelin) into a helpless Hagelin. No penalty was called. Well, not on a Flyer, Phil Kessel was sent to the Sin Bin for trying to do the referee’s job, since it was apparent that the referee didn’t have the stomach to do it.
Travis Konecny mugged Conor Sheary then held Sheary while Sheary try to get away, right in front of the stripes. The referee just watched. Emboldened by the useless referee Konecny crosschecked Sheary in the back and Sheary retaliated (not all that violently). Finally at this point the referee stepped in and gave both players penalties.
Our Penguins weren’t blameless in the goon game. Kris Letang tried to help the Flyers get back into the game crosschecking (I think it was) Sean Couturier into the goal post.
I watched the game on NBC, but I really can’t take listening to their announcers so the sound was down. After the game I was talking to some friends who were watching the game, According to my friends, the NBC announcers gushed all over how well the Flyers played (Neuvirth gives up 7 goals on 27 shots and the Flyers played well?) and that game 6 was the best game of the series. Hmm… Sorry, I saw it a little differently, that really was an offensive game.
No matter, the Penguins survived and the Flyers get some April Tee Times. Last I looked Vegas still doesn’t really like our chances of 3-peating but do seem to think we have a good chance of getting through to the Conference Finals – not a shoe-in but a pretty good chance.
3elieve!!
Hi.
3elieve 🐧