Eastern Conference: Round 1 - #2 Pittsburgh Penguins vs. #3 Philadelphia Flyers

[mojo1917]

1 hour ago, Samifan said:

Holy ****! I just saw a shot of Mark Recchi on the Pens bench. Is the dude eating Primanti Brothers 3x a day? Rex has really packed in the LBS since retiring.

 It's like he ate mark recchi..

[Samifan]

3 minutes ago, mojo1917 said:

 It's like he ate mark recchi..

Recchi must be on the Ken Hitchcock training program.

[Samifan]

Malkin discussing his flop after the game.

 

[Pucked in the head]

That's one hell of a likeness !!!!! Nice one dude 😎

[Pucked in the head]

Malkinberry ....

[Samifan]

Just now, Pucked in the head said:

That's one hell of a likeness !!!!! Nice one dude 😎

We’ve been calling him FrankenMalkin for years LOL

[pilldoc]

1 minute ago, Samifan said:

We’ve been calling him FrankenMalkin for years LOL

 Also Malkinstein ....LOL

[Samifan]

49 minutes ago, mojo1917 said:

 It's like he ate mark recchi..

 

Recchi, “Sully I am ordering from GrubHub do you want anything?”

[Howie58]

Well, I have to eat crow. This was a good performance all around.  Lucky bounces helped. Patrick is growing up.

 

This was an interesting change from the "outshoot but underscore pattern." We were badly out-shot. But the quality of the shots mattered and if you take out Ghost's blast, the goals were close-up.  Maybe the gang will learn something.

 

Can they build on this for game 3?

[Podein25]

4 minutes ago, Howie58 said:

Well, I have to eat crow. This was a good performance all around. 

 

I'm not so sure it was much different. Elliott was way better and we were a bit luckier on the offense, but I thought we played about the same. 

[ruxpin]

6 minutes ago, Podein25 said:

 

I'm not so sure it was much different. Elliott was way better and we were a bit luckier on the offense, but I thought we played about the same. 

The energy was the same, but we played different. 

 

We stood up at the blueline a bit more and did a better job at center ice.  We also were a bit less "hot potato" in the defensive end.  We held onto the puck a little longer and made some better decisions. The first game started nerves and then shellshock, they looked like "get puck, get rid of puck" in their own end in particular.   This game a bit more composed. 

 

They did a bit better with Malkin this game. They got lucky that Crosby didn't convert on a couple occasions, though, or maybe that's a different game. 

[Howie58]

The youngsters contributed. Patrick and TK were fine.  Even AMac contributed with the empty netter--good shot from the distance.  Psychologically, I liked that we scored on their empty net.  

[Podein25]

24 minutes ago, ruxpin said:

The energy was the same, but we played different. 

 

We stood up at the blueline a bit more and did a better job at center ice.  We also were a bit less "hot potato" in the defensive end.  We held onto the puck a little longer and made some better decisions. The first game started nerves and then shellshock, they looked like "get puck, get rid of puck" in their own end in particular.   This game a bit more composed. 

 

They did a bit better with Malkin this game. They got lucky that Crosby didn't convert on a couple occasions, though, or maybe that's a different game. 

 

Yeah, those are all good points. 

[Kings Redeem LA]

I like the Game 2 strategy from Philly: 

actually going out onto the ice to play given 

that you showed up at the arena anyway. 

Things kicked off nicely for them through 

a power-play goal thanks to the ref calling 

a non-existent penalty.  

 

 

[Pucked in the head]

Mmm no mention of the non-call for the elbow to the back of Manning's head ????? A few minutes prior you must be a pens fan.... Sorry to hear that......

[nossagog]

Great road game by the Flyers.   They took advantage of their chances and played really well defensively to limit the chances the Pens had on their Power Plays.  As a Pens fan, I wasn't unhappy with the way the Pens played, they had chances but Elliot played a great game, and always seemed to be in good position to make saves.  Pens need to do a little more to try to get him moving diagonally more.  They made the game a little easire taking direct shots and had no one for deflections.

[pilldoc]

7 hours ago, Howie58 said:

The youngsters contributed. Patrick and TK were fine.  Even AMac contributed with the empty netter--good shot from the distance.  Psychologically, I liked that we scored on their empty net.  

 

Funny I was thinking the same thing.  I 5-1 game looks better than 4-2.  Even though the game was in hand with about 2 minutes to go ...I did NOT want the Pens to score.  Holding the Pens off the score board while they had a 6 on 5 advantage for  approximately the last 4 minutes is/was huge.

[flyercanuck]

15 hours ago, B21 said:

 

I do believe it. 1,000%. When the Pens won the Cup in 15-16 they did it with a team that lost in the 1st round the year before and with a roster that was 25% "rookie".  Whoever picked them to win the Cup that year or in any of those series didn't do it because of the "experience" they had from the 09-10 Cup run that was 6 years in the rear view mirror at that point. They did it because the Pens were more talented. 

 

You mentioned these "tools" that the Pens have to draw on. Cool - now give me some specific examples? (Not trying to be a prick). What does one learn by actually playing in the NHL playoffs versus only having played regular season NHL games?

 

You made the same argument I have been trying to make when you said, "veterans playing a team full of NHL rookies". Bingo! That's not specific to playoff experience though. Just experience in general. That I agree with. Being a veteran likely means you have more playoffs games under your belt - sure. I don't think that more playoff games translates to being a better player in the playoffs. Cases in point: Ron Hainsey and any number of rookies who played large roles for the Pens over the last 2 years. 

 

 

I'm pretty sure Crosby, for one, learned from the playoffs to stop getting involved in all the bs that takes him completely off his game. It took him a few years, but he learned. (yes he'd won a cup prior to that, but with all that skill the Pens had they just couldn't do it again until whiney Crosby grew up) With him not leading the charge in the "I don't like them" brigade, the team followed suit. Philly isn't even trying to goad him this time around. 

 

That,  getting a goalie that doesn't rattle and team speed are the biggest reasons Pitt has won back to back IMO. But they definitely had to learn the hard way...they already had the skill.

[flyercanuck]

8 hours ago, ruxpin said:

The energy was the same, but we played different. 

 

We stood up at the blueline a bit more and did a better job at center ice.  We also were a bit less "hot potato" in the defensive end.  We held onto the puck a little longer and made some better decisions. The first game started nerves and then shellshock, they looked like "get puck, get rid of puck" in their own end in particular.   This game a bit more composed. 

 

They did a bit better with Malkin this game. They got lucky that Crosby didn't convert on a couple occasions, though, or maybe that's a different game. 

 

It was strange seeing a guy like Crosby, who's usually money, miss what could have normally been another hat trick night for him. 

[brelic]

I thought the Flyers played with a lot more jump and hitting in their game. 

 

The big difference between games 1 and 2 was Elliott. He had to make a lot of momentum saves. Murray played just ok in comparison. 

 

The Pens still got the majority of the high danger chances, though. Flyers need to tighten that up for Game 3. 

 

Overall, gutsy win by a team that had something to prove!

 

 

[flyercanuck]

55 minutes ago, nossagog said:

Great road game by the Flyers.   They took advantage of their chances and played really well defensively to limit the chances the Pens had on their Power Plays.  As a Pens fan, I wasn't unhappy with the way the Pens played, they had chances but Elliot played a great game, and always seemed to be in good position to make saves.  Pens need to do a little more to try to get him moving diagonally more.  They made the game a little easire taking direct shots and had no one for deflections.

 

I wish there was more hockey fans like the Pens fans we have on this board. You guys are really great debaters  without the usual rival macho crap that would normally happen. And that goes to all the Pens fans on this forum.

[hf101]

9 hours ago, Howie58 said:

Well, I have to eat crow. This was a good performance all around.  Lucky bounces helped. Patrick is growing up.

 

 

I'm happy to eat crow on this one also.  Flyers brought their "A" game in this one, and maybe the Penguins didn't, but that is why they play the games eh?

 

here's Giroux's statement for those of us "doubters"

 

 

[fan4ever]

19 minutes ago, hf101 said:

 

I'm happy to eat crow on this one also.  Flyers brought their "A" game in this one, and maybe the Penguins didn't, but that is why they play the games eh?

 

here's Giroux's statement for those of us "doubters"

 

 

 

Greatest gif ever!!!!!

[hf101]

Some game videos I thought were worth re-watching. Konecny's goal was huge

 

I'd like to see the officials keep a watchful eye on Hornqvist as this series progresses the guy is constantly using his stick with intent to injure.

 

 

The officials got this one right with adding the Embellishment Penalty for Hornqvist

 

I doubt Crosby will miss more like this but, keeping him off his game is key.

 

 

[mojo1917]

6 hours ago, thenewestlights said:

I like the Game 2 strategy from Philly: 

actually going out onto the ice to play given 

that you showed up at the arena anyway. 

Things kicked off nicely for them through 

a power-play goal thanks to the ref calling 

a non-existent penalty.  

 

 

 I thought the game was refereed oddly as well. That first power play was a gift, no question.  

The Hornqvist/MacDonald cross check & embellishment call was questionable too, that play looked dangerous every time I watched it. I know the refs were consulting on it, I wonder which one had the angle to see 72 "dive". That was a lucky outcome for the Flyers. 72 didn't help himself by channeljng his inner Matt Cooke later in the period. He's a good player/agitator guess he got a little too involved last night.