The Penguins played “desperation” hockey Wednesday and it paid off, the Penguins are in the same boat for today’s game, and would be best served playing desparation hockey for the rest of the series. “We have to bring the same effort. We know they expect more of themselves, so we expect a tougher game here in Game 4.” Crosby said.
Tonight, is the first of the rare back 2 back playoff games. The team with the better depth and 
conditioning is going to win, plus it wouldn’t hurt to put more points up on the scoreboard early, the team that’s behind has to work harder. “You play back-to-back games, it’s wearing. During the season, it’s a bit of a factor sometimes. In the playoffs, it’s intense, emotional games and you have to turn the page quickly.” Crosby said “It’s a 35-minute flight, probably not a huge advantage either way,”
Ovechkin in the off season has been training with the Russian record holder for the “Half Marathon”, What the heck is a “Half Marathon”? Anyway that should pay dividends for the Penguins on Saturday.
Hopefully there is a lesson to be learned for Kris Letang, one timers, good, stop the puck then shoot, bad. All last game on the powerplay the team was working it to him across the slot, Crosby threw a beautiful pass to him and Malkin faked a shot and put the puck right on the tape of Letang’s stick, just to have Letang stop it then shoot. Just swing at it, if you hit it, there is a good chance it will go in. For the life of me I cannot figure out how Kris Letang had 6 shots on goal to Gonchar’s 2 shots on goal last game, he must of hit the net every time.
Sidney Crosby worked on his making his face off’s better in practice before last game just to have it pay off in the form of winning only 25% of the face off’s against Washington center David Steckel, that is until he won the final draw of the game against Steckel and got a game winning assist right off the face off.
What is the deal with everyone saying that Malkin finally got out of his slump? He is on a four game point scoring streak, there is more to hockey than scoring goals, which is why assists count for just as much. How many goals in hockey are scored without an assist? Not Many.
A little too caught up in the series? Police traced a death threat message written on a Pittsburgh Penguins homepage message board to a 17 year old from Chambersburg, PA which is 99 miles from north west of Washington DC, 161 miles from Pittsburgh. “I’m killing Ovechkin. I’ll go to jail. I don’t care anymore.” was the message. His laptop was confiscated, but no charges have been filed yet. There has been no mention whether or not he is a Capitals fan who is upset with how Ovechkin is playing. I’m sure this won’t be blown out of proportion by the media.
What are they doing at the Seventh Street Grille? Word on the street is that 3 Capital players walked in for lunch and one of the employees at the restaurant removed the Penguin signs so the players could enjoy their lunch. I suggest moving the restaurant or employee to DC.
Ovechkin prognosticator extraordinaire predicted a 4 game sweep for the Capitals on Tuesday: “We want to move forward,” Ovechkin said. “After the fourth game, there’ll be a little celebration, but right now, nothing.”
One more Ovechkin quote: “I just show who I am and I don’t think about nothing.”
Game time is 7PM and can be seen in high definition at both the Igloo and on VERSUS.
It seems to me Ovechkin doesn`t need to worry about some threatening 17 year old kid showing up tonight. All he needs to do is hide out in the defensive zone where nobody would think to look for him.
I`m feeling pretty good about tonights game, now that Malkin has that intense look back, there`s enough star power between him and Sid to lead their teammates to another big win.
I also am making a prediction on Kris Letang. Watch his game tonight and you`ll see the talent that he possesses. He`s going to play a lot better after having got the game winner Wednesday night in OT.
As for the Caps looking tired after the last game, that goes with the Pens dominating the puck play, and the Caps having to go all the way back in their end all the time on the power plays because their defense is too slow to stop the onslaught of the Pens attack. Lets keep attacking and let them keep making the same hooking and interference calls mistakes.
L E T ` S G O P E N S !
A few of you have pointed out the whining but check this out—– in Ted’s Takes he (Ted Leonsis) is claiming that the Capitals are David can beat (Pittsburgh) the Goliath! This is too much. The finish with the 2nd seed and all of a sudden they become David. Maybe they are—— watch out for the (per Ted Leonsis) the full court press is coming tonight! Are these owners for real? Could you see Burkle and Mario doing this dumb stuff. Anyone going to the game tonight—– don’t forget, after the game that the guy from West Park on the North Side will be making ice balls with the arena ice… But you have to “STICK” around.
Let’s go Goliath!
How about Boudreau and McPhee now whining about the CBC and Versus stealing their game plan and airing it. LOL. They are up 2 to 1 in the series but you would never know that listening to the whining. The Penguins are in their Head right now. Keep it going Pens this team is is mostly all Varlamov now and others diving and acting like they’ve been killed. It’s the refs – it’s the number of penalties – it’s the CBC stealing our game strategies – and now it’s the “sticky” ice – come on folks, this is a team reeling:
Some people aint no damn good
You cant trust em, you cant love em
When the walls come tumblin down
When the walls come crumblin crumblin
When the walls come tumblin tumblin down
BOOM -BOOM -BOOM
YA GOTTA LUV IT……….. GO PENS!
@ KULT That call on Dupuis sucked, Dupuis stopped at the blue line to keep from being offsides and was hit from behind. The Capitals player raised his arms and the Ref called it. Another case of the Capitals showing up the Refs.
One of the reasons that Ovechkin can’t use his illegal stick in Pittsburgh is because to get to the equipment room you need to cross the ice and he would need to sit his stick on the bench in plain view of the fans.
In Washington they can just take it back and forth from the equipment room which is convienently located behind the bench. It would still be good to plant someone at that game to watch for the switch, a free power play is a free power play.
The Capitals looked tired after the game and that was confirmed by Orpik, Talbot and also by a few the Washington defense. To rubber stamp that,the Penguins had practice as usual yesterday while the Capitals met with the media over lunch. Just play the same way and they will completely break.
The Pens should change nothing. The Ovechkin goal was a freak and the other goal was off a phantom call on Dupuis. The game basically had a few rushes by Ovechkin because of group play led by Scuderi. The complaints about the refs and the ice conditions are for losers.
Go Pens…… 4 in a row.
My experience from quite a few years posting on some Capitals boards is that the entire Capital orgEYEzation consists of whiny complaining paranoids. The owner, Ted Leonsis gets his nose into everything and has a ego twice the size of his body. Their GM, George McPhee is a two-faced non-results GM who somehow must have pictures of Leonsis doing something with a chicken to keep his job. They have played such things like the Jagr steal as though they were the Slicksters that suckered the Penguins. Then they whined about him (a scapegoat for them not bringing in the support players) and then pulled off one of the dumbest trades in the history of hockey (Jagr for Anson Carter) and payed half of Jagr’s salary for the duration of the absurd contract. Dumb and dumber.
Now, we have both McPhee and Boudreau whining excessively to the NHL about the refereeing. Mostly because the calls aren’t ‘evened-out’—– they still don’t get it.
To top that off, Bruce Boudreau is now saying that the ice in the Igloo is too sticky! Too STICKEY????? LMAO. First off, the ice in the VC Phone Booth really is like slush and their own players have suffered injuries because of the ruts but they (Ted Leonsis) would rather hint the his own players are liars and whiners and claims the NHL says the ice is as good as anywhere else. Been there – seen it – and it’s really bad. The ruts are deep minutes after play starts.
This is the Capital OrgEYEzation in a nut shell. What else can you think when their head coach is whining about the Igloo ice being too sticky?
I’m thinking we are using Rita’s Italian Ice as the base! LOL.
Here’s what I see tonight: Ovechkin with a much straighter stick fanning on a few more of his 20 shot attempts. Varlamov, being told by the OrganEYEzation that he has to flop around on the ice more to get the penalty calls and Varlamov loses concentration and focus on just playing in goal. Penguins turn it up yet another notch and the refs who have been played by Ovechkin and now being played as incompetent by the Capital OrganEYEzation maybe calling more penalties they overlooked on the Capitals in the first three games. It’s going to be an even up series going back to the slush-ice in Washington. And the worst thing that can happen is that they have to call in Jose Theodore. Theodore will be all pumped-up, eh.
Pens in 6!
We are getting bored at work with just calling the scores. Now we have to call the players who will score the goals.
I can’t wait for the puck to be dropped.
I used to eat at the 7th Street Grille. I will have to leave if I see any CAP players.
I predict 4 to 1 in Pens favor.
Malkin, Stahl, Kennedy and Eaton with the goals.
Semin for Washington. Hopefully, we can stop Ovechkin.
GO PENZ!