This is it! At 7pm tonight the Sidney Crosby versus Alexander Ovechkin match up the NHL has been blabbing about for 3 years comes to a head. Toss an Evgeni Malkin and Simyon Varlamov into the mix and you have an combination so explosive that if you have a heart condition, you may want to sit this one out. Five of the first 6 games were decided by only one goal, and 3 of those in overtime.
NHL.com columnist John McGourty already has this series as one of the 6 all-time epic NHL playoff series going all the way back to 1942: click here to read the article: “Caps-Pens ready to join NHL’s other 7-game epics”
On top of all that, this is Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin’s first game seven in the NHL, it’s not just Crosby’s first in the NHL, but in any league he’s ever played in. Alexander Ovechkin has already played in two game sevens, going 1-1, losing to the Flyers last year and beating the Rangers this year. Simyon Varlamov will be playing in his second game seven, he is 1-0.
And as far as the Penguins being able to close a series out in an inhospitable place is concerned, the Penguins just did it in Philadelphia, and that place might be considered a little bit inhospitable.
The Gonchar Question: Gonchar practiced with the team yesterday, and said he was having a bit of trouble pushing off with his injured leg, but other than that felt fine. He said that he will make a game time decision depending on how he feels. Dan Bylsma said “He (Gonchar) looked good today, and it’s promising.”
How many defensemen for the Pens?: If it were up to me, I’m only playing 6 defensemen, I don’t really care if it’s Boucher, Goligoski or Gonchar. The team needs Pascal Dupuis back in the line up. Dupuis’ fore checking ability tires out the other teams, and forces the defense to play a little more conservative because of his speed, plus I’m sure he wants to prove something.
And now for the bad news: The WBS Penguins were knocked out of the playoffs in game 7 last night by the Washington Capitals minor league team the Hershey Bears. To make it worse the minor league team matched the Penguins / Capitals record win for win, the Bears & Capitals won the first two games, the WBS Penguins & Pittsburgh Penguins won the next three, then the Bears & Washington won game 6. The Bears won game seven, hopefully the Pittsburgh team breaks that chain of events, today is the 13th you know.
I’m not saying, I’m just saying: The powerplay with Alex Goligoski on it has scored 3 out of 7 times running at 42.8%. With Gonchar at the point it is at 14.6% converting 7 of 48 opportunities. I would still take Gonchar, but it would seem the Penguins rely on him to shoot to much, everybody shoots, everybody wins.
TV Ratings: FSN Pittsburgh set their all time ratings record Monday night drawing a 24.2 rating in Pittsburgh higher than any other broadcast in their history and for any other FSN region.
Quick Quotes:
Ovechkin: “In Pittsburgh, in their stadium you can see ‘It’s a great day for hockey’, Tomorrow is going to be a great day to play hockey.”
Sidney Crosby: “I’ve watched a lot of Game 7s, but this will be my first one” , “Somebody is going home.”
Game 7 is at 7 and can be seen in high definition at both the Verizon Center and on FSN Pittsburgh
Stealth, too little to late. Sorry. Everybody who follows hockey knows Ovechkin plays dirty, read any other board, try out that new fangled thing called google, it’s becoming all the rage. Try typing in ovechkin dirty hit and you will find over 50,000 hits and most are not even about the Gonchar one. While you are on there with all your new found free time, you might want to find out who McLovin is.
Don’t have a clue what the balls thing is your referring to, but if it’s that photoshopped picture someone put together, I give you all the credit.
Still a fun series.
[By Penguin871, May 13, 2009 @ 3:47 pm
“another physical beating that will come at the hands of another Southeast opponent…” If by “physical beating” you mean dirty hits and sucker punches, then yeah, the last thing the Penguins want is to play another “NASCAR” team.]
Yea, I’m just glad this series ended without any CAPS players getting punched in the balls by Crosby… Talk about sucker punches… What a hypocrite…
]By McLovin, May 13, 2009 @ 2:59 pm
I think I know who Stealth is, I think it’s Ted Leonsis’ mom. Why else would someone be so defensive.]
And you look like a white Urkel… LOL!!!!
[We got rid of our Leonsis (Howard Baldwin) back in the ’90s.]
Let me know when Leonsis bankrupts the CAPS three times…
[You can deny it all you want, but everybody knows that every run that Ovechkin takes at players is an intent to injure. He is an extremely cheap player. Other than that theres a pretty good team in Washington.]
Only Pens fans believe that nonsense, and only those Pens fans that don’t know much about hockey… Learn the game, Urkel…
“another physical beating that will come at the hands of another Southeast opponent…” If by “physical beating” you mean dirty hits and sucker punches, then yeah, the last thing the Penguins want is to play another “NASCAR” team.
I think I know who Stealth is, I think it’s Ted Leonsis’ mom. Why else would someone be so defensive. We got rid of our Leonsis (Howard Baldwin) back in the ’90s.
You can deny it all you want, but everybody knows that every run that Ovechkin takes at players is an intent to injure. He is an extremely cheap player. Other than that theres a pretty good team in Washington.
[Mrs. Cheez says: So here’s hoping those low class, almost as ugly as Flyers, NASCAR loving, Crapital fans, grow-up fast, like quit throwing coins on the ice.]
Here’s hoping no whacked out Pens fans follow through on their death threats…
[And that players like Semin can skate for more than 5 strides without falling down]
And that Crosby, et. al. don’t return to their professional diving history in order to steal one in D.C…
[that Ovechkin can check someone without leaving his feet or attempting to hurt someone by kneeing or slew-footing]
And that Kunitz doesn’t crosscheck anyone in the head again…
[and that (cheap) PHat Ted Leonsis doesn’t throw his normal temper tantrum and choke on a GYRO while threatning to fire-sell the team and go into his 4th five-year plan in a decade – complaining about the refs when in fact the slushy, rut filled ECHL-type ice surface is created by him (saving a few bucks) by turning the thermostat up.]
And lets hope the Pens don’t ever go back into bankruptcy… BTW, Abe Pollin is the majority owner of Verizon Center… See him about the ice…
[I’m looking for a Detroit-Chicago and Penguin-Boston Conference Finals and let all those south of the Mason-Dixon Line hockey teams get on with their golf game]
Of course you are… If the Pens are fortunate enough to get past the CAPS tonight, the last thing you want is another physical beating that will come at the hands of another Southeast opponent… I would want the Bruins too…
Just no soft goals MAF! If they are going to win, let them earn it. Keep the soft goals to one or zero and penguins will win this game.
Fluery needs to stand on his head tonight. I 2 want to see Dupuis lace them up tonight, I think he’s earned the right to play, but I’m afraid if the Guins do play Gonchar, Bylsma will again go with seven just to be safe. I think the all out aggressive offense is what got us here, that would be a good game plan.
TK is my horse tonight, I think he gonna get a few!
PS: What happened to the nice MS ForeCZech? I thought I was the mean one?
I don’t think that any of us expect anything but a closely fought game that (really) none of us regardless of who may think differently have the slightest of a clue how it will turn-out.
No matter what the outcome lets hope that it doesn’t get to the point where fans in the arena and fans in the Internet handle losing and winning without DIGNITY. Let’s have no garbage being thrown on the ice, no fights in the stands, no beer being poured on people.
Most hockey fans have fun jabbing their opponents and this game deserves a little more respect than that.
So here’s hoping those low class, almost as ugly as Flyers, NASCAR loving, Crapital fans, grow-up fast, like quit throwing coins on the ice. And that players like Semin can skate for more than 5 strides without falling down – that Ovechkin can check someone without leaving his feet or attempting to hurt someone by kneeing or slew-footing – and that (cheap) PHat Ted Leonsis doesn’t throw his normal temper tantrum and choke on a GYRO while threatning to fire-sell the team and go into his 4th five-year plan in a decade – complaining about the refs when in fact the slushy, rut filled ECHL-type ice surface is created by him (saving a few bucks) by turning the thermostat up.
I’m looking for a Detroit-Chicago and Penguin-Boston Conference Finals and let all those south of the Mason-Dixon Line hockey teams get on with their golf game.
Go Pens!
I’m Fired-up!
I wish the game was this morning!
Kunitz – GWG!
WooHoo.
All time epic? Already? Wow! I know I damn excited and had a hard time sleeping just thinking about it. All time epic? Awesome! They should start these games at 9AM!
I agree with playing Dupuis. He causes some havock, if not scoring.
I DO BELIEVE!
GO PENZ!
If you miss it or aren’t planning on watching it… “Shame on you for six weeks!” (Mike Lange)
Good article for ramping up my excitement, and it’s only 5:50am… Win or lose for either team, and it has still been a fantastic series… Great experience for the players and NHL fans alike… This series has exceeding all the hype preceeding it, and how often does that happen?… This one is already a classic!! Here’s to a great game seven, injury free, and lets hope the refs. let the players decide this one for themselves… It’s been a damn fun ride, and it sucks that it has to end for one of these teams tonight… Both are worthy to proceed to the Finals… Good luck Pens, just not too much luck!! 😉
PS: I don’t have a heart problem, but I’m taking an aspirin right before game time just in case… 😉