You made the Rangers walk out in boxing robes. Kinda like Tan Tom's team. The Pens are just having fun
Tikki (Rangers)
- Thread starter horraybeer
- Start date
I can always tell when a supposed Penguins fan is really a May into June Penguins fan because they accuse other teams of being "dirty," blissfully unaware the dirtiest player in the league plays for the Pens. Geno Malkin has cross checked more players to the face than anyone in the modern era, and sometimes the league even suspends him for it. He's even done it in this series.
Trouba and Lindgren are some of the hardest hitters in the league, but it's not Lindgren's fault that Rackell is evidently soft, and Trouba's "hit" on Crosby was at best interference, and not even that hard. Crosby went down because he had his head down with the puck in the slot, but Trouba has the right to play the body there. No one even discusses that play if it's anyone but Crosby.
Meanwhile, say hello to Jake Guentzel's elbow:
That is good, thanks. It definitely helps that 7 games has been deemed perfect for basketball and baseball. If you play every other day, which is typical, 7 games allows for exactly two weeks of drama. This particular series hasn't lacked for that either, with not only each game dictated by momentum swings but the series as well.
I was inside the arena for that game and yes, pretty awesome. I snuck in a bottle of champagne.
I was also at game 7 of the NJ series (the Matteau winner in double OT game) two weeks prior.
Wish I was there tonight but they priced me out a few years ago.
If you've never cared about hockey, now is a good time to dive in. Game seven, overtime, starting in ten minutes. Someone's season ends on the next goal.
Pens outplayed the Rangers for most of the series and played well enough to win. They controlled 5 on 5 and kept the Rangers pinned in for long stretches throughout. I haven't seen the Rangers forwards this defensively ineffective all season. But it was a weird series with big momentum swings, and in a few games the better team in terms of scoring chances still lost. It was also as entertaining as any series I've seen in awhile. Crosby played like the best player in the world not named McDavid, Guentzel played like a superstar. That top line didn't get a ton of help though. Goaltending wasn't the factor some will make it into, with the exception of Domingue's play of Kreider's game six winner. Possibly the last time you see Malkin and Letang in yellow and black.
spot on.. tonight's first goal was a good example - after what seemed like a minute in the Rangers zone... comes down to a guy running off the ice without a helmet...
Rodrigues' penalty in Game 6 with the Pens up 2-0 was a killer that breathed life into the Rangers. I normally figure it would be Malkin that would take a stupid retaliation penalty in the playoffs, but Rodrigues stepped up for him. Disappointing series, though the Pens did a great job playing with what they had left after a number of stars missed multiple games with injuries.
Malkin did that as well, to be sure. I read today that the Pens lowballed him and Letang and incensed Crosby in the process. Letang is almost definitely off to Montreal, where his ex-agent is now the GM. I'm not sure why anyone would pay Malkin superstar cash any more, he disappears for long stretches and too often waits for the game to come to him. Pens management isn't the same but I imagine keeping Crosby happy is still highest priority. The Pens' offseason moves will be interesting.
Goaltending. As usual.
Rangers goaltending ranged from average to bad, but better than what the Pens got.
With average goaltending it's a 5 game series, Crosby injury or not.
I thought Shesterkin kept them in the series. He made some amazing saves. They gave up almost 44 SOG per game in the series. Point the finger at the defense, not the guy with the pads.
He was not bad at all for stretches, for sure! Game 7, in particular, he played much like himself.
I think, in particular, in games 2/7 he played pretty well. Shaky in games 1, 5 and 6. Games 3/4 he played about as poorly as I think I have seen a high end guy play. But at the same time, I just don't think he got much help in those games at that end.
Problem for the Pens is that they never really got, and it seems since 2017 they haven't gotten, "stops". By that, I mean they haven't protected leads altogether well ( I know there are a few exceptions, but 2018 Caps and this series were especially bad). They give them up consistently because they have been getting bad goalie play and any late push with pressure winds up in the net.
I think he was talking about the Pens' goaltending. I think it was mostly fine and not really the difference. The late Kreider goal on Domingue in game 6 was horrific, but Shesterkin gave up a few flukes as well, and played below his regular season averages, by quite a bit. But most of the Shesterkin goals were the fault of the Ranger forwards stick checking on D instead of picking up bodies on rebounds. The Rangers defense played pretty good throughout, it was the Rangers forwards not playing defense that caused the chaos in front of Shesterkin.
Rangers forwards played better to great defense as the season progressed, but regressed back to September once this series started. Carolina will make them pay if they don't tighten up b/c they're more skilled through their lineup than the Pens.
Good post. I thought Shesterkin, as I said above, stretches of pitiful play, but that can be true along with the defensive effort lacking in front. It was really a complete breakdown (thus how you get the amount of goals the Pens scored this series- that's a top to bottom just bad effort).
I thought the Pens held up decently well 1-5 defensively, the Rangers have guys that can score even if you play well there, and they did. I just thought that the game 6 goals were, save 1, goals that are saved by any average goalie. In fact, I didn't think the Rangers really presented many scoring chances at all game 6. Still walked away with 4 goals.
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