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Showing posts with label Islanders. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Islanders. Show all posts
Wednesday, May 29, 2013
Pens-Bruins preview podcast: Oozing with analysis, emotion, and predictions
It's our Pens-Bruins Eastern Conference Finals preview podcast. How does the long delay affect the series? Which Bruin do you fear the most? What's the deal with the Tortorella firing? All that, our predictions, and so much more. It's the GTOG Podcast.
**If you're listening on your smartphone, the best ways to make sure that you have an uninterrupted experience are: 1) download the podcast from iTunes OR 2) download the Spreaker app by going to the App store and searching for "Spreaker" then "Get To Our Game"**
TWITTER: Follow Artistry. Follow Finesse. Follow GTOG.
TWITTER: Follow Artistry. Follow Finesse. Follow GTOG.
Sunday, May 12, 2013
All's well that ends well: Pens win 4-3; Isles sent packing
By Finesse (follow me on Twitter)
Check out the recap podcast by listening below or clicking here.
When Brooks Orpik redeemed himself for nearly decapitating Sidney Crosby last month by firing a laser beam past a completely overmatched Evgeni Nabokov to send the Pens to the second round, the immediate euphoria was quickly replaced by a sense of relief. With a team as seemingly loaded as the Pens, a first-round loss to the 8th season Islanders was unthinkable. The fallout would have been impossible to contain.
But when the story of the 2013 Penguins is written, no one will care that the Islanders outplayed the Penguins for long stretches of this series. The Confederacy won a lot of battles in the Civil War, too. The playoffs are supposed to be hard. The Isles were able to capitalize on shaky goaltending by Fleury and make the Pens start feeling a little bit of doubt (fine, a lot of doubt), but the Pens did what winners do: they finished games. Dominating the puck for two and a half periods like the Isles did is great; having world-class players making world class plays to win playoff games is better. So if you're wallowing in the Pens poor performance for much of Game 6, you may find some solace in the most elementary aspect of the sport -- the clock. Hockey games are 60 minutes for a reason: it's usually a long enough time to allow the better team to win. Or at least get to overtime.
The Isles were a worthy foe. But the better team won this series. What this performance foretells for Ottawa is for another day. Let's wrap this thing up. A full breakdown of the series after the jump...
Series MVP: Tomas Vokoun
For a team that's being widely criticized even though it won the series, there are no shortage of legitimate series MVP candidates. Malkin is tied for the lead in playoff scoring, Crosby was sensational, Pascal Dupuis constantly scores goals, Jarome Iginla had the quietest 9 points ever scored, and Letang and the Prime Minister finished with a combined 12 points and a +8 (I know, seems crazy).
But this is a fairly easy one. The situation after Game 4 was getting a little too dire for anyone's liking. The Pens had played a lot better in Game 4 than in Game 3 and probably should have won -- after all, the Isles only had 24 shots and gave up 4 goals. It was clear that Fleury's terrible play was starting to affect the team's overall play. It's very hard to "get to your game" when every shot you let up is its own roller coaster ride.
Tomas Vokoun came in and gave the Pens a baseline of competence in net. His first period of Game 5 saved the series from slipping away in horrifyingly embarrassing fashion. And for the rest of Game 5 and Game 6, he did all the Pens need their goalie to do: not lose the game. In Game 6 he never let the Isles get a two goal lead and every shot against wasn't the tumultuous journey of emotion that we experienced with Fleury in net.
It shouldn't be up for debate. Vokoun should start Game 1 against Ottawa.
Underrated performance: Jarome Iginla
Iginla had nine points in six games and flawlessly delivered every cliched quote you want from your revered Canadian veteran ex-captain. We know he isn't the player he was ten years ago, but he's a first-ballot hall-of-famer. The points he's racking up may come quietly, but they aren't by accident. And look at his face in this picture celebrating TK's goal in Game 5.
Worst performer: Mark Eaton
The Pens went 20-3 with Mark Eaton in the lineup during the regular season, so the guy still has gas in the tank. But after all-time stinkers in Games 3 and 4, he was replaced for Game 5 by Simon Despres, who the coaching staff only trusted for 6:12 of ice time in Game 3. In other words, this was the get-Eaton-off-the-ice strategy. It's hard to diagnose exactly what went wrong for him because he is usually So Serviceable. Maybe the Isles' speed was a problem for him. Whatever it was, the guy looked completely overwhelmed.
He will be back in the lineup during these playoffs, and possibly even for Game 1 against Ottawa. In the meantime, we'll all start trying to forget about his performance in this series.
Overrated storyline: Kyle Okposo
How many times did NBC Sports show the Kyle Okposo highlight reel package, which was basically him getting credit for two goals being scored by Marc-Andre Fleury, followed up by a nice move through the Pens defense but not actually scoring on Vokoun? The guy is a good player, but the notion that he was having some kind of Claude Girouxian series against the Pens was ridiculous. Fine, he beat up Matt Niskanen, but so has Sidney Crosby.
Unsung Hero: The Penalty Kill
With the game tied at 2, the Pens killed off two Islanders power-plays late in the second period of Game 6. It's impossible to overstate how important these kills were. The Pens were playing terrible hockey and the Coliseum was coming to rolling boil. There was a serious chance of an unraveling had the Isles taken advantage.
Overall the PK killed off 18 of 20 power-plays. That's Dance of Champions stuff.
Turning Point: Tyler Kennedy screaming for a pass at the top of his lungs
Listen to this guy call for the pass.
And what an insanely good pass by Letang.
Underrated storyline: Andrew MacDonald's broken hand
The guy was averaging over 23 minutes of ice time before he got hurt in Game 4. Sure, the injury was largely his fault because he got hit with a shot while bear hugging Craig Adams, but still, it was a tough break for the Isles. His replacement Radek Martinek was a veteran, but he was a veteran of a bunch of terrible Islanders teams. And it showed. Imagine if when Brooks Orpik was injured the Pens best option as a backup was Josef Melichar.
Series Goat: Evgeni Nabokov
It's not that he let in a ton of bad goals, though there were a few of those. It's that he didn't make a single memorable save all series.
Most vexing player: Kris Letang
The guy makes more $8 million plays than any other defenseman in the league. But he also makes more $500K plays than any defenseman in the league who thinks he's going to be worth $8 million in free agency. That we know Letang is bipolar doesn't make it any easier to watch. He's emotionally abusing us. But damn, is he good.
Lasting legacy of this series: TBD
The immediate impact of winning this series is that it relieves the suffocating pressure to get out of the first-round. The long-term impact is yet to be written, but the obvious question is whether this was the beginning of the end for Marc-Andre Fleury. If Fleury gets back into form and leads the Pens to the Cup, then this series is a mere hiccup on his resume and it will end up being about as memorable as Pens-Sens in 2010. But if Vokoun leads the Pens the rest of the way, or if Fleury comes back and craps the bed again, then what happened in Games 2-4 is potentially franchise altering. We'll cross that bridge when we come to it, but we probably haven't seen the last of the Flower this spring.
Next.
Check out the recap podcast by listening below or clicking here.
When Brooks Orpik redeemed himself for nearly decapitating Sidney Crosby last month by firing a laser beam past a completely overmatched Evgeni Nabokov to send the Pens to the second round, the immediate euphoria was quickly replaced by a sense of relief. With a team as seemingly loaded as the Pens, a first-round loss to the 8th season Islanders was unthinkable. The fallout would have been impossible to contain.
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| Now all we have to do is contain the emotion. |
The Isles were a worthy foe. But the better team won this series. What this performance foretells for Ottawa is for another day. Let's wrap this thing up. A full breakdown of the series after the jump...
Series MVP: Tomas Vokoun
For a team that's being widely criticized even though it won the series, there are no shortage of legitimate series MVP candidates. Malkin is tied for the lead in playoff scoring, Crosby was sensational, Pascal Dupuis constantly scores goals, Jarome Iginla had the quietest 9 points ever scored, and Letang and the Prime Minister finished with a combined 12 points and a +8 (I know, seems crazy).
But this is a fairly easy one. The situation after Game 4 was getting a little too dire for anyone's liking. The Pens had played a lot better in Game 4 than in Game 3 and probably should have won -- after all, the Isles only had 24 shots and gave up 4 goals. It was clear that Fleury's terrible play was starting to affect the team's overall play. It's very hard to "get to your game" when every shot you let up is its own roller coaster ride.
Tomas Vokoun came in and gave the Pens a baseline of competence in net. His first period of Game 5 saved the series from slipping away in horrifyingly embarrassing fashion. And for the rest of Game 5 and Game 6, he did all the Pens need their goalie to do: not lose the game. In Game 6 he never let the Isles get a two goal lead and every shot against wasn't the tumultuous journey of emotion that we experienced with Fleury in net.
It shouldn't be up for debate. Vokoun should start Game 1 against Ottawa.
Underrated performance: Jarome Iginla
Iginla had nine points in six games and flawlessly delivered every cliched quote you want from your revered Canadian veteran ex-captain. We know he isn't the player he was ten years ago, but he's a first-ballot hall-of-famer. The points he's racking up may come quietly, but they aren't by accident. And look at his face in this picture celebrating TK's goal in Game 5.
Worst performer: Mark Eaton
The Pens went 20-3 with Mark Eaton in the lineup during the regular season, so the guy still has gas in the tank. But after all-time stinkers in Games 3 and 4, he was replaced for Game 5 by Simon Despres, who the coaching staff only trusted for 6:12 of ice time in Game 3. In other words, this was the get-Eaton-off-the-ice strategy. It's hard to diagnose exactly what went wrong for him because he is usually So Serviceable. Maybe the Isles' speed was a problem for him. Whatever it was, the guy looked completely overwhelmed.
He will be back in the lineup during these playoffs, and possibly even for Game 1 against Ottawa. In the meantime, we'll all start trying to forget about his performance in this series.
Overrated storyline: Kyle Okposo
How many times did NBC Sports show the Kyle Okposo highlight reel package, which was basically him getting credit for two goals being scored by Marc-Andre Fleury, followed up by a nice move through the Pens defense but not actually scoring on Vokoun? The guy is a good player, but the notion that he was having some kind of Claude Girouxian series against the Pens was ridiculous. Fine, he beat up Matt Niskanen, but so has Sidney Crosby.
Unsung Hero: The Penalty Kill
With the game tied at 2, the Pens killed off two Islanders power-plays late in the second period of Game 6. It's impossible to overstate how important these kills were. The Pens were playing terrible hockey and the Coliseum was coming to rolling boil. There was a serious chance of an unraveling had the Isles taken advantage.
Overall the PK killed off 18 of 20 power-plays. That's Dance of Champions stuff.
Turning Point: Tyler Kennedy screaming for a pass at the top of his lungs
Listen to this guy call for the pass.
And what an insanely good pass by Letang.
Underrated storyline: Andrew MacDonald's broken hand
The guy was averaging over 23 minutes of ice time before he got hurt in Game 4. Sure, the injury was largely his fault because he got hit with a shot while bear hugging Craig Adams, but still, it was a tough break for the Isles. His replacement Radek Martinek was a veteran, but he was a veteran of a bunch of terrible Islanders teams. And it showed. Imagine if when Brooks Orpik was injured the Pens best option as a backup was Josef Melichar.
Series Goat: Evgeni Nabokov
It's not that he let in a ton of bad goals, though there were a few of those. It's that he didn't make a single memorable save all series.
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| Crosby is saying "thank you" in this picture. |
The guy makes more $8 million plays than any other defenseman in the league. But he also makes more $500K plays than any defenseman in the league who thinks he's going to be worth $8 million in free agency. That we know Letang is bipolar doesn't make it any easier to watch. He's emotionally abusing us. But damn, is he good.
Lasting legacy of this series: TBD
The immediate impact of winning this series is that it relieves the suffocating pressure to get out of the first-round. The long-term impact is yet to be written, but the obvious question is whether this was the beginning of the end for Marc-Andre Fleury. If Fleury gets back into form and leads the Pens to the Cup, then this series is a mere hiccup on his resume and it will end up being about as memorable as Pens-Sens in 2010. But if Vokoun leads the Pens the rest of the way, or if Fleury comes back and craps the bed again, then what happened in Games 2-4 is potentially franchise altering. We'll cross that bridge when we come to it, but we probably haven't seen the last of the Flower this spring.
Next.
Saturday, May 11, 2013
PODCAST: Pens win, 4-3, in OT; Redemption for Brooks Orpik
Brooks Orpik has totally and completely redeemed himself for shooting the worst shot of all time at Sid's face. What a win. The Pens may not have deserved to win this game, but who the F cares. Bye, New York. And hello Ottawa. It's the GTOG Podcast.
Click here to subscribe on iTunes
**If you're listening on your smartphone, the best ways to make sure that you have an uninterrupted experience are: 1) download the podcast from iTunes OR 2) download the Spreaker app by going to the App store and searching for "Spreaker" then "Get To Our Game"**
Click here to subscribe on iTunes
**If you're listening on your smartphone, the best ways to make sure that you have an uninterrupted experience are: 1) download the podcast from iTunes OR 2) download the Spreaker app by going to the App store and searching for "Spreaker" then "Get To Our Game"**
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| Some of the worst goaltending we've ever seen. |
Third Period Recap: No business being here, but here we are: OVERTIME
Heading to overtime 3-3.
No matter what happens the rest of this game, Kris Letang should withdraw from Norris Trophy consideration because of the turnover he made leading to the Isles' third goal.
But then Malkin got a shot of adrenaline that lasted about 5 seconds, but it was enough to set up the Prime Minister. Tie ball game.
Here we go.
No matter what happens the rest of this game, Kris Letang should withdraw from Norris Trophy consideration because of the turnover he made leading to the Isles' third goal.
But then Malkin got a shot of adrenaline that lasted about 5 seconds, but it was enough to set up the Prime Minister. Tie ball game.
Here we go.
Second Period Recap: "We have the puck on that side for, like, a second;" Pens tied 2-2
Those are the words of my aunt. She doesn't watch a lot of hockey. That's how obvious it is.
The Pens must be touched by the hand of God to get out of that period tied 2-2. That, or the penalty kill has been enormous.
Pens ran the worst power-play in the history of power-plays.
Somehow, this is a 2-2 game. And it's winnable.
Go Pens.
The Pens must be touched by the hand of God to get out of that period tied 2-2. That, or the penalty kill has been enormous.
Pens ran the worst power-play in the history of power-plays.
Somehow, this is a 2-2 game. And it's winnable.
Go Pens.
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| This is, literally, the only good thing Malkin has done all night. |
Thursday, May 9, 2013
Game 5 Preview: TK and Vitale are in; Do Islanders fans deserve this?
By Finesse (follow me on Twitter)
It looks like Tyler Kennedy and Joe Vitale are in tonight. Jussi Jokinen and Tanner Glass are out. Moves like this won't win the series for the Pens, but they can make it a lot less likely that they'll lose the series. If the coaching staff is only comfortable playing Glass for 6 minutes/night -- and even that seems like a lot -- then he's a net negative to the team. But we -- meaning every single person who has watched a Penguin game this season except Dan Bylsma and Ray Shero -- already knew that.
Tyler Kennedy can't be worse than Glass.
As for the Vitale/Jokinen swap, it makes sense just to get a fresh body out there who can skate. This could have been Vitale for Sutter and we'd have felt the same way.
With TK back, it might be time to consider bumping Morrow down to the 4th line. Or maybe Cooke. The point is, Sutter-Morrow-Cooke has been a terrible line. Kennedy would bring a new energy to that line and maybe be able to help establish some time in the offensive zone. Sutter-Cooke-Kennedy would be fine. Morrow could take some spins through all the other lines and play on the second power play.
After the jump, a few Islanders links and some Ovechkin talk ...
- Islanders' fans feel that they deserve this. We don't know what this is or why they deserve this. Do they deserve this because they showed up to playoff games? Is this the act of showing up for playoff games? Which came first, this or deserving this?
The Isles' crowds were terrific in Games 3 and 4 and clearly they had an impact on Fleury. But the only thing they deserve is a wider concourse so they can go to the bathroom quicker. I hear they have that at the Barclays Center.
- Here's an Islanders blog saying Vokoun is good against the Islanders but also isn't. Artistry sent this to me to post. Here are his thoughts: "Two takeaways for this next link: 1) No one has any idea how Vokoun will perform tonight; and 2) Opposing fan bases think even less of Fleury's play than we do." Amen.
- JK about writing anything on Ovechkin. If you think we're posting about him on this site while the Caps are still in the playoffs, then you haven't been paying attention.
It looks like Tyler Kennedy and Joe Vitale are in tonight. Jussi Jokinen and Tanner Glass are out. Moves like this won't win the series for the Pens, but they can make it a lot less likely that they'll lose the series. If the coaching staff is only comfortable playing Glass for 6 minutes/night -- and even that seems like a lot -- then he's a net negative to the team. But we -- meaning every single person who has watched a Penguin game this season except Dan Bylsma and Ray Shero -- already knew that.
Tyler Kennedy can't be worse than Glass.
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| Mmmmm, TK. |
With TK back, it might be time to consider bumping Morrow down to the 4th line. Or maybe Cooke. The point is, Sutter-Morrow-Cooke has been a terrible line. Kennedy would bring a new energy to that line and maybe be able to help establish some time in the offensive zone. Sutter-Cooke-Kennedy would be fine. Morrow could take some spins through all the other lines and play on the second power play.
After the jump, a few Islanders links and some Ovechkin talk ...
- Islanders' fans feel that they deserve this. We don't know what this is or why they deserve this. Do they deserve this because they showed up to playoff games? Is this the act of showing up for playoff games? Which came first, this or deserving this?
The Isles' crowds were terrific in Games 3 and 4 and clearly they had an impact on Fleury. But the only thing they deserve is a wider concourse so they can go to the bathroom quicker. I hear they have that at the Barclays Center.
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| Brooklyn hipsters, you deserve this. Whatever this is. |
- JK about writing anything on Ovechkin. If you think we're posting about him on this site while the Caps are still in the playoffs, then you haven't been paying attention.
Tuesday, May 7, 2013
Penguins-Islanders Game 4 Preview: Five things we're looking for
By Finesse (follow me on Twitter)
Game 4 is tonight. We'll find out whether this can still be the 5-gamer we all thought it would be or if we're in it for the long haul. Here are 5 things we're looking for tonight.
1. Brandon Sutter. Through 3 games, Sutter has three shots on goal, two hits, one blocked shot, and has gone 19-23 in the face-off circle in just under 46 total minutes of ice time. And believe it or not, those stats are deceiving; Sutter's actually played a lot worse than his numbers. You can't win Stanley Cups if you aren't getting contributions from everyone in the lineup. Is Sutter a lemon? It can't be ruled out.
2. Bounceback. The comparison between this team and last year's team that melted down to the Flyers is accurate in a lot of respects, but incomplete in two very important ones. The obvious one is that the Pens are winning this series rather than being down 3-0, but equally important is the way the team has responded to its self-imposed adversity. Last year the Pens played terrible hockey then compounded it by being wildly undisciplined and turning themselves into an unrecognizable and unlikeable team.
This year, the Pens weathered the storm of their own incompetence by not doing anything stupid for a long enough period of time to force an inferior player (Brian Strait) to take a penalty on a far superior player. And that was the game.
After the shame of Game 3 last year, the Pens actually settled down and played some decent hockey in Games 4, 5, and 6. They had just dug themselves too deep a hole to come back. If 2012 is a parallel, then the Pens should start turning a corner tonight. Already up 2 games to 1.
3. Tyler Kennedy. He isn't a savior but he's not a nothing like Tanner Glass or a drain on the lineup like Bennett. I'm not saying Bennett is playing like a drain, but if the coach isn't comfortable giving him at least semi-regular minutes -- and Bylsma isn't -- then he becomes a burden. (Whether he deserves a semi-regular shift is a different debate). Kennedy will not be consumed by the moment. He's been here before.
4. Kris Letang. In Game 1 he played like a hall-of-famer. In Games 2 and 3, he played like some asshole kid at youth hockey tryouts who doesn't need to try hard because his dad is the coach. Rooting for Letang is a roller coaster ride, and it's due to come back up the tracks.
5. A Raw Emotion Podcast. If you haven't been paying attention, we've been broadcasting LIVE at the conclusion of every game this series. To listen LIVE, click here. If you want to submit any comments or questions, send them to us on Twitter (follow Finesse; follow Artistry). We promise to read them.
Go Pens.
Game 4 is tonight. We'll find out whether this can still be the 5-gamer we all thought it would be or if we're in it for the long haul. Here are 5 things we're looking for tonight.
1. Brandon Sutter. Through 3 games, Sutter has three shots on goal, two hits, one blocked shot, and has gone 19-23 in the face-off circle in just under 46 total minutes of ice time. And believe it or not, those stats are deceiving; Sutter's actually played a lot worse than his numbers. You can't win Stanley Cups if you aren't getting contributions from everyone in the lineup. Is Sutter a lemon? It can't be ruled out.
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| We've been told this man is on the Penguins. |
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| He's gone at least. |
After the shame of Game 3 last year, the Pens actually settled down and played some decent hockey in Games 4, 5, and 6. They had just dug themselves too deep a hole to come back. If 2012 is a parallel, then the Pens should start turning a corner tonight. Already up 2 games to 1.
3. Tyler Kennedy. He isn't a savior but he's not a nothing like Tanner Glass or a drain on the lineup like Bennett. I'm not saying Bennett is playing like a drain, but if the coach isn't comfortable giving him at least semi-regular minutes -- and Bylsma isn't -- then he becomes a burden. (Whether he deserves a semi-regular shift is a different debate). Kennedy will not be consumed by the moment. He's been here before.
4. Kris Letang. In Game 1 he played like a hall-of-famer. In Games 2 and 3, he played like some asshole kid at youth hockey tryouts who doesn't need to try hard because his dad is the coach. Rooting for Letang is a roller coaster ride, and it's due to come back up the tracks.
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| Kyle Okposo speaks for the entire city of Pittsburgh. |
Go Pens.
Sunday, May 5, 2013
Pens win 5-4 in OT; The good, the bad, and the Mark Eaton
By Finesse (follow me on Twitter)
Having cooled off after the Pens' dramatic 5-4 overtime win over the Islanders to take a 2-1 lead in the series -- yes, we needed to cool off after a win -- perhaps we were too negative in our Raw Emotion Podcast recorded minutes after the Pens escaped with a win they didn't deserve.
After all, the Pens have scored 13 goals in 3 games and are winning a series against an Islanders team that played possibly its best game of the season, yet still lost 5-4 to a Pens team playing as poorly, sloppily, and lazily as it has played all year. If the Pens can actually play better, rather than just talk about the universally accepted notion that they need to play better, this can still be the 5-game series we predicted all along. So in this spirit of looking at the bright side of things, lets sprinkle a dusting of good among the bad, the ugly, and the repugnant.
Read on after the jump...
THE GOOD: Sidney Crosby. He had two goals in Game 2 but for long-time connoisseurs of his excellence, he was noticeably rusty and far less able to dictate the game than he was before his injury. That was all to be expected, of course. But seeing him that rusty made us a little bit skeptical that he would be able to get back to his level from March so quickly. That was dumb.
Crosby was far and away the Pens best player Sunday and he was the only guy who inspired any confidence when he was on the ice. His passing was sublime and he dominated the boards in the offensive zone when he wasn't preoccupied in his own zone because of defensemen who were unwilling to take seriously the fact that there are two teams in each playoff game and the other team isn't going to step aside and allow you to tap-dance to loose pucks then gently push them in the general direction of "anywhere I won't get hit."
THE WAAAAAHHHHHHHH: As sure as the days get longer, the trees start to bloom, and co-workers lament their allergies during awkward elevator rides, Sidney Crosby is the subject of springtime controversy, having drawn the penalty that led to the game winning goal. This is a good place to be if you're a Pens fan because any shift of the conversation away from how terrible the team played to the psychological comfort food that is defending Sid against allegations of diving is a welcome distraction.
Was it a dive? No. Was it a soft call, as the estimable panel of Jeremy Roenick and Mike Milbury suggested during the post-game show? No.
There may be some truth to the notion that Crosby gets the benefit of the doubt, as have so many superstars over time. But there's more truth to the notion that superstars are superstars for a reason: they are better than guys like Brian Strait. Would hockey be a better sport if Strait was allowed to offset his cavernous talent disadvantage by reaching out with both arms to impede the best player in the world from doing the very thing that makes him the best player in the world? Of course not. I agree with the argument that that play would not have been a penalty against any other player, but not because the "rules of nature" don't apply to Crosby as Jesse Spector suggests. It's because if Crosby was any other player, Brian Strait wouldn't have had to use both arms to haul him to the ice after getting worked over on the boards.
THE : Brandon Sutter was invisible yet again, which means it's a safe estimate that 95% of the minutes he's played this season have been borderline useless. Are we not reading the right newspapers or blogs, or are we the only place that's noticing just how much he isn't contributing? We're not asking for the guy to be able to give the 20 solid minutes per game that Jordan Staal gave the team, but to contribute something. Anything. And if he can do it more than once a game, even better.
THE NOT WORKING: Sutter and Morrow together isn't really working. Advanced stats will tell you that both players are bad with puck possession; your eyes will tell you that they routinely get pinned deep in their own zone and Morrow, for as much as he came on late in the season, looks like a guy who would be a lot more effective playing with guys who can actually get the puck so that he can do what he's good at: stand in front of the net and be tough to play against. You know when Brenden Morrow is not tough to play against? When he's sucking wind at the end of a 75 second shift spent entirely in his own zone.
THE STATUS QUO: The Pens defense gave Marc-Andre Fleury even less help in Game 3 than in a terrible Game 2, but four goals is four goals, and at some point if you want to be taken seriously as a goalie who can win another Stanley Cup you have to give up four goals a lot less frequently. The Pens defense was so bad, however, that the status quo holds: Fleury starts game 4, but remains on a very short leash.
THE REPUGNANT: It's hard to imagine that a hockey player could have a worse game than the game Mark Eaton played today. Matt Niskanen and Kris Letang certainly gave it their best shot, but Eaton reached such historic levels of terribleness during this game that he would have been better off spending his shifts laying across the goal line and hoping that he saved a goal by accident. And the thing is, we love Mark Eaton.
THE HANDSY: Chris Kunitz. Where would we be without him.
THE OUTLOOK: Despite our general malaise, the Pens are in a great position to win this series. The past two games have served to narrow our focus from the big picture to the little things like GETTING THE PUCK OUT OF YOUR OWN ZONE. Wooooosahhh. Anyway, the biggest reason to remain optimistic, other than leading the series, reclaiming home-ice advantage, and having the best player in the world back, is the if. If the Pens can just get by this self-imposed psychological hurdle of the first round of the playoffs, maybe they return to being the team that won fifteen straight and looked damn good doing it. It's just not going to be as easy as we hoped.
Having cooled off after the Pens' dramatic 5-4 overtime win over the Islanders to take a 2-1 lead in the series -- yes, we needed to cool off after a win -- perhaps we were too negative in our Raw Emotion Podcast recorded minutes after the Pens escaped with a win they didn't deserve.
After all, the Pens have scored 13 goals in 3 games and are winning a series against an Islanders team that played possibly its best game of the season, yet still lost 5-4 to a Pens team playing as poorly, sloppily, and lazily as it has played all year. If the Pens can actually play better, rather than just talk about the universally accepted notion that they need to play better, this can still be the 5-game series we predicted all along. So in this spirit of looking at the bright side of things, lets sprinkle a dusting of good among the bad, the ugly, and the repugnant.
Read on after the jump...
THE GOOD: Sidney Crosby. He had two goals in Game 2 but for long-time connoisseurs of his excellence, he was noticeably rusty and far less able to dictate the game than he was before his injury. That was all to be expected, of course. But seeing him that rusty made us a little bit skeptical that he would be able to get back to his level from March so quickly. That was dumb.
Crosby was far and away the Pens best player Sunday and he was the only guy who inspired any confidence when he was on the ice. His passing was sublime and he dominated the boards in the offensive zone when he wasn't preoccupied in his own zone because of defensemen who were unwilling to take seriously the fact that there are two teams in each playoff game and the other team isn't going to step aside and allow you to tap-dance to loose pucks then gently push them in the general direction of "anywhere I won't get hit."
THE WAAAAAHHHHHHHH: As sure as the days get longer, the trees start to bloom, and co-workers lament their allergies during awkward elevator rides, Sidney Crosby is the subject of springtime controversy, having drawn the penalty that led to the game winning goal. This is a good place to be if you're a Pens fan because any shift of the conversation away from how terrible the team played to the psychological comfort food that is defending Sid against allegations of diving is a welcome distraction.
Was it a dive? No. Was it a soft call, as the estimable panel of Jeremy Roenick and Mike Milbury suggested during the post-game show? No.
There may be some truth to the notion that Crosby gets the benefit of the doubt, as have so many superstars over time. But there's more truth to the notion that superstars are superstars for a reason: they are better than guys like Brian Strait. Would hockey be a better sport if Strait was allowed to offset his cavernous talent disadvantage by reaching out with both arms to impede the best player in the world from doing the very thing that makes him the best player in the world? Of course not. I agree with the argument that that play would not have been a penalty against any other player, but not because the "rules of nature" don't apply to Crosby as Jesse Spector suggests. It's because if Crosby was any other player, Brian Strait wouldn't have had to use both arms to haul him to the ice after getting worked over on the boards.
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| Not a penalty? Get real. |
THE NOT WORKING: Sutter and Morrow together isn't really working. Advanced stats will tell you that both players are bad with puck possession; your eyes will tell you that they routinely get pinned deep in their own zone and Morrow, for as much as he came on late in the season, looks like a guy who would be a lot more effective playing with guys who can actually get the puck so that he can do what he's good at: stand in front of the net and be tough to play against. You know when Brenden Morrow is not tough to play against? When he's sucking wind at the end of a 75 second shift spent entirely in his own zone.
THE STATUS QUO: The Pens defense gave Marc-Andre Fleury even less help in Game 3 than in a terrible Game 2, but four goals is four goals, and at some point if you want to be taken seriously as a goalie who can win another Stanley Cup you have to give up four goals a lot less frequently. The Pens defense was so bad, however, that the status quo holds: Fleury starts game 4, but remains on a very short leash.
THE REPUGNANT: It's hard to imagine that a hockey player could have a worse game than the game Mark Eaton played today. Matt Niskanen and Kris Letang certainly gave it their best shot, but Eaton reached such historic levels of terribleness during this game that he would have been better off spending his shifts laying across the goal line and hoping that he saved a goal by accident. And the thing is, we love Mark Eaton.
THE HANDSY: Chris Kunitz. Where would we be without him.
THE OUTLOOK: Despite our general malaise, the Pens are in a great position to win this series. The past two games have served to narrow our focus from the big picture to the little things like GETTING THE PUCK OUT OF YOUR OWN ZONE. Wooooosahhh. Anyway, the biggest reason to remain optimistic, other than leading the series, reclaiming home-ice advantage, and having the best player in the world back, is the if. If the Pens can just get by this self-imposed psychological hurdle of the first round of the playoffs, maybe they return to being the team that won fifteen straight and looked damn good doing it. It's just not going to be as easy as we hoped.
PODCAST: Kunitz wins it in OT, 5-4.
Overall, a discouraging performance. BUT WHAT A WIN.
We recap the Pens 5-4 overtime win in Game 3. Should we be anything but discouraged? Is this the worst we've ever felt after a win? Spoiler alert: No and Yes. It's the GTOG Podcast.
Click here to subscribe on iTunes
Click here to subscribe on iTunes
**If you're listening on your smartphone, the best ways to make sure that you have an uninterrupted experience are: 1) download the podcast from iTunes OR 2) download the Spreaker app by going to the App store and searching for "Spreaker" then "Get To Our Game"**
 |
| HANDS. |
Third period recap: Pens dominated in third period, head to OT tied at 4
Disgraceful period on so many levels.
If Mark Eaton just packed up and left the rink before overtime would anyone object?
Win or lose in OT, it's hard to find anything encouraging from this game. Sid and a few others look good, but when so much of the team is playing significantly worse than during the regular season, the most likely conclusion is that there are a lot of guys on this team who are very soft mentally.
Still, gotta keep the faith. Go Pens.
If Mark Eaton just packed up and left the rink before overtime would anyone object?
Win or lose in OT, it's hard to find anything encouraging from this game. Sid and a few others look good, but when so much of the team is playing significantly worse than during the regular season, the most likely conclusion is that there are a lot of guys on this team who are very soft mentally.
Still, gotta keep the faith. Go Pens.
Game 3 Preview: 5 things we're looking for, including Brandon Sutter
By Finesse (follow me on Twitter)
We broke a promise and never followed up yesterday on the other Penguins who were terrible in Friday's game, leaving Marc-Andre Fleury as the sole recipient of our reactionary wrath. Suffice it to say, everyone else played like crap, too.
A reminder: we will be podcasting LIVE after every playoff game, win or lose. You can click here to listen.
Here are 5 things we're looking for in Game 3.
1) Evidence that Brandon Sutter isn't mediocre
Tweets from sportswriters last July don't count. It's the playoffs. You have to make more than one decent play per game.
2) A normal playoff game
Can the Pens play (and win) a tightly fought game that ends 3-1 with an empty netter? Or do we have to score over 4 goals and put the entirety of GTOG Nation into cardiac arrest during every playoff game?
3) Game 1 Kris Letang
Game 1 Kris Letang was the Kris Letang you happily pay $64 million until he's 35. Game 2 Kris Letang is the Kris Letang you trade this offseason for a treasure-trove of assets.
4) Fleury to play well, regardless of his mood
Nice column from Dejan Kovacevic about which Fleury will show up today, the happy one or the angry one. We'll take the one who makes saves. Whether he is laughing or crying.
5) Dan Bylsma coaching, but not over-coaching
According to Bylsma, a large part of the reason Bennett saw reduced ice time (only 7 minutes) in Game 2 was because the Pens were focused on the faceoff match-ups. The strategy worked because the Pens won 61% of their draws. But oh that's right, they were terrible in every other facet of the game. Bennett is a rookie who will make mistakes at times. He can also learn from them, if given the opportunity.
We broke a promise and never followed up yesterday on the other Penguins who were terrible in Friday's game, leaving Marc-Andre Fleury as the sole recipient of our reactionary wrath. Suffice it to say, everyone else played like crap, too.
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| To be fair, Fleury is not the only Penguin who put pucks in his own net. |
Here are 5 things we're looking for in Game 3.
1) Evidence that Brandon Sutter isn't mediocre
Tweets from sportswriters last July don't count. It's the playoffs. You have to make more than one decent play per game.
2) A normal playoff game
Can the Pens play (and win) a tightly fought game that ends 3-1 with an empty netter? Or do we have to score over 4 goals and put the entirety of GTOG Nation into cardiac arrest during every playoff game?
3) Game 1 Kris Letang
Game 1 Kris Letang was the Kris Letang you happily pay $64 million until he's 35. Game 2 Kris Letang is the Kris Letang you trade this offseason for a treasure-trove of assets.
4) Fleury to play well, regardless of his mood
Nice column from Dejan Kovacevic about which Fleury will show up today, the happy one or the angry one. We'll take the one who makes saves. Whether he is laughing or crying.
5) Dan Bylsma coaching, but not over-coaching
According to Bylsma, a large part of the reason Bennett saw reduced ice time (only 7 minutes) in Game 2 was because the Pens were focused on the faceoff match-ups. The strategy worked because the Pens won 61% of their draws. But oh that's right, they were terrible in every other facet of the game. Bennett is a rookie who will make mistakes at times. He can also learn from them, if given the opportunity.
Saturday, May 4, 2013
Fleury craps bed; also craps pucks into his own net. Again. Pens Lose, 4-3
By Finesse (follow me on Twitter)
The notion that Marc-Andre Fleury kept the Pens in the game during a first period that was lopsided in favor of the Islanders in everything but the score is true. But it's also irrelevant. If you go 40 years without beating your wife then tag her with a right cross, you're still a wife-beater. You don't get to say, "well, I was really nice to her those first 40 years."
How many playoff games do the Penguins have to lose because Fleury is incapable of tracking the puck once it goes behind the net? How many stunningly deflating goals does he have to give up score on himself? We'll get to the overall bad play of the team later today but Fleury has played himself into a place where a bad 1st period on Sunday -- heck, even just a bad goal -- should lead to Bylsma taking the keys away. And maybe for good.
We're probably over-reacting to what is just one loss in a series the Pens should still win. But to offer Fleury the refuge of any excuse is to willfully ignore what's been happening right in front of our eyes, and has been for some time.
But what about that shutout in Game 1?
What about it? Does not giving up a goal in one game give you license to let up 3 (arguably 4) bad ones in the next game? When Mitch Williams gave up the World Series walk-off homer to Joe Carter, did anyone care that it was the first time Williams had ever given up a hit to Carter? Fleury is the goalie; he's supposed to stop pucks whether the team is playing well or, as they were last night, playing like shit. Where is the rule that you can only evaluate a goalie when the team in front of him is playing well?
(If these thoughts sound familiar, it's because we had a similar debate this February with Brandy, one of our best and most dedicated commenters).
If it wasn't so depressing, it might be a fun exercise to create a coding system for the goals that have been scored against Fleury. The first category would be: "Was it an actual shot on goal?" Other categories would include, "Did it start from behind the net or along the goal line?" Wait. That's all the categories.
We all know that there were a lot of Penguins who didn't do their jobs last night. But there's one guy who matters more than others. And he let in at least three deflating, garbage goals. Again.
We'll be back to discuss the rest of the team later today.
The notion that Marc-Andre Fleury kept the Pens in the game during a first period that was lopsided in favor of the Islanders in everything but the score is true. But it's also irrelevant. If you go 40 years without beating your wife then tag her with a right cross, you're still a wife-beater. You don't get to say, "well, I was really nice to her those first 40 years."
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| Great guy, though, right? |
We're probably over-reacting to what is just one loss in a series the Pens should still win. But to offer Fleury the refuge of any excuse is to willfully ignore what's been happening right in front of our eyes, and has been for some time.
Since Penguins won Stanley Cup in 2009, Marc-Andre Fleury's playoff record is 13-15. Save Percentage in the high .800's #wontgetitdoneNo one can ever take his Cup away, but whatever capital he built up from that win has been spent long ago, the Chinese are tired of lending him money, and now he's responding to emails from Nigerian princes. At this point, his ring is relevant only to his historical legacy; as to the length of his leash in Game 3, it's a non-factor, and if you're mentioning it as a credential at this point, you might as well remember O.J. for his Heisman Trophy.
— John Buccigross (@Buccigross) May 4, 2013
But what about that shutout in Game 1?
What about it? Does not giving up a goal in one game give you license to let up 3 (arguably 4) bad ones in the next game? When Mitch Williams gave up the World Series walk-off homer to Joe Carter, did anyone care that it was the first time Williams had ever given up a hit to Carter? Fleury is the goalie; he's supposed to stop pucks whether the team is playing well or, as they were last night, playing like shit. Where is the rule that you can only evaluate a goalie when the team in front of him is playing well?
(If these thoughts sound familiar, it's because we had a similar debate this February with Brandy, one of our best and most dedicated commenters).
If it wasn't so depressing, it might be a fun exercise to create a coding system for the goals that have been scored against Fleury. The first category would be: "Was it an actual shot on goal?" Other categories would include, "Did it start from behind the net or along the goal line?" Wait. That's all the categories.
We all know that there were a lot of Penguins who didn't do their jobs last night. But there's one guy who matters more than others. And he let in at least three deflating, garbage goals. Again.
We'll be back to discuss the rest of the team later today.
Wednesday, May 1, 2013
Penguins vs. Islanders: Tale of the Tape
By GTOG Staff (follow Artistry and Finesse on Twitter)
[Check out our preview podcast]
The feeling today is like a combination of the last day of school before summer break, Christmas Eve, all 8 days of Hanukah combined, the last day of Ramadan, and the time we were preparing to fly to Montreal for a Penguins game, just before Artistry realized his passport had expired. The NHL playoffs are about to begin. And once the Islanders and Penguins face off on Wednesday night, reason will once again take a backseat to an avalanche of raw, unfiltered, steaming emotion. That's why we need to analyze this match-up right here, right now. Who has the advantage? GTOG gives you the Tale of the Tape.
1. Obstacle Overcomeability
This category honors Ben Roethlisberger, who we revere most for his Obstacle Overcomability (this is true even though he creates his own obstacles, whether a 3-interception first-half or an ankle, rib, head, or knee). We ask ourselves, if either one of these teams finds itself in a 2-0 or 3-1 hole or suffers an injury to a star player, which one is more likely to persevere in the face of adversity?
The Islanders have one legitimate star player: John Tavares. It's very hard to imagine the Islanders winning a single period, let alone a game, if he gets hurt. No team with only one star player has ever had said star player go down with an injury immediately prior to playing a No. 1 seed and then proceeded to beat the No. 1 seed in a Game 7 on the road, have they? Hold a moment. Really? We're being told that, yes, that did happen, but only one time. What's that? It happened the last time the Islanders played a No. 1 seeded Pens team? OK, fair enough. But David Volek is 46-years-old.
The Pens, on the other hand, had a stretch late in the season where they were missing a veritable all-star starting five (Crosby, Malkin, Neal, Letang, Martin) and still looked like a No. 1 seed. That, friends, is Obstacle Overcomeability.
EDGE: Penguins
Read on after the jump...
2. Coiffability
This is a new category, and now that it's here, we're not sure how we ever lived without it. It spans the terrain from scalp to chin, and it starts with the head coaches. Yes, Dan Bylsma is balding, but he's doing it with confidence and sass. Jack Capuano's hair would keep memories of 1993 alive even if we burned the tape. As for the playoff beards to come, who on the Islanders has any experience with this? Nabokov? He wears a mask. This isn't really a competition when Pascal Dupuis is on the bench.
EDGE: Penguins
3. Game Breakability
Our superstars are better than their superstars. When it comes to the Penguins, this is always going to be the answer as long as Geno and Sid walk the earth like Caine in Kung Fu. But Sid will be coming off a broken jaw and Geno has 9 goals in an injury-plagued campaign. Tavares is a legit MVP candidate at 22, he's got a true sniper on his wing in Moulson, and Grabner is coming on the third line ready to take advantage of what will probably often be a match-up against a neutral-zone challenged Crankshaft. The Pens might steamroll this team, but it won't be because they dare the Islanders' top-end talent to beat them.
EDGE: Even
4. Leadability
"Tavares, we live in a world that has boards and those boards need to be worked by men with sticks. Who's gonna do it? You? You, Lieutenant Okposo? I have a greater responsibility than you can possibly fathom. I have neither the time nor inclination to explain myself to a man who wishes he could rise and sleep under the blanket of the very leadership I provide and then questions the manner in which I provide it. I would rather you just said, "thank you," and went on your way. Otherwise, I suggest you come into the corner with me and throw a check. Either way, I don't give a damn what you think you are entitled to." -- Brenden Morrow.
EDGE: Penguins
5. Ability to be Ledability
Will the Islanders follow Mark Streit? Of course. They don't know any better. Mark Streit could be like, guys, let's get a sandwich at Jimmy John's before the game, it's the best sandwich in Pittsburgh, and they probably would. For better or worse, they're eager to be led, and if a leader raised his hand, they will fall in line.
Will the Pens follow? Can leaders also follow? If so, who will they follow? Iginla? Morrow? Orpik? Navy Seal Craig Adams? What happens when the Captain returns? What if Iginla is following Morrow while Morrow is following Sid while Sid is following Iginla? Is that like a Chinese Finger-trap of leadership?
EDGE: Islanders
6. Deep Downability
This category is about depth. Which team can better exploit match-up up and down the roster? Which team has a 4th liner who can step up in the third OT? Let's not belabor this. The Penguins will likely scratch either Tyler Kennedy - who has scored 20 goals in this league and a not insignificant amount of huge goals in the playoffs - or wunderkind Beau Bennett. Jussi Jokinen will soon be the 4th line center. Jarome Iginla is just hanging out waiting for passes in the faceoff circle. The Islanders have former WBS person Colin MacDonald on the third line.
EDGE: Penguins
7. Grind Bitches Downability a/k/a Crankshaftability
The playoffs are a grind. There are no easy games, there are no easy shifts. As a series progresses, one goal is to win, but another is to wear down your opponent so if you get to a sixth or seventh game, maybe you've already won. The Islanders are fast, yes, but they won't have Pens defensemen looking over their shoulders in the corners. The Penguins have Kunitz, Dupuis, Cooke, Morrow, Iginla, Adams, and Neal catapulting themselves into unsuspecting depth defensemen. To the families of Travis Hamonic and Andrew MacDonald: we're so sorry in advance for your loss.
EDGE: Penguins
8. Sex Appealability
Always a crucial category, for which we rely exclusively on the expertise of the Women of GTOG. [Cosmo has recognized Tavares and Kris Letang on its list of hot hockey players, but Cosmo has also so recognized Phil Kessel, so our advice is to stick with the Women of GTOG]. Mrs. Artistry and Artistry's Mom, please do the honors.
Mrs. A: "Pretty cute family man."
Artistry's Mom: "He looks like Woody Harrelson."
Mrs. A: [grimace, head shake] "No. He looks like somebody facing federal charges."
Artistry's Mom: "Sex appealability? Really?"
Mrs. A: "Good looking and the dog doesn't hurt."
Artistry's Mom: "Not bad!"
Mrs. A: "Ewww. is he a Capital?"
Artistry's Mom: "He looks like a Chechnyan terrorist."
Mrs. A: "I want to party with them."
Artistry's Mom: "I am a sucker for men who like children."
Mrs. A: "Hideous."
Artistry's Mom: "Fu manchu look is beyond unacceptable."
EDGE: Penguins
9. Fancy Statsability
Does the advanced stat community like the Penguins?
EDGE: Penguins
10. Redemptionability
1975. 1982. 1993. It's high time we exorcised these ghosts.
EDGE: Penguins
There you have it, everyone. Pens win 8-1-1. The Tale of the Tape never lies.
Pens in 5.
We're live tonight on GTOG Radio after the game. LGP. GTOG.
[Check out our preview podcast]
The feeling today is like a combination of the last day of school before summer break, Christmas Eve, all 8 days of Hanukah combined, the last day of Ramadan, and the time we were preparing to fly to Montreal for a Penguins game, just before Artistry realized his passport had expired. The NHL playoffs are about to begin. And once the Islanders and Penguins face off on Wednesday night, reason will once again take a backseat to an avalanche of raw, unfiltered, steaming emotion. That's why we need to analyze this match-up right here, right now. Who has the advantage? GTOG gives you the Tale of the Tape.
1. Obstacle Overcomeability
This category honors Ben Roethlisberger, who we revere most for his Obstacle Overcomability (this is true even though he creates his own obstacles, whether a 3-interception first-half or an ankle, rib, head, or knee). We ask ourselves, if either one of these teams finds itself in a 2-0 or 3-1 hole or suffers an injury to a star player, which one is more likely to persevere in the face of adversity?
The Islanders have one legitimate star player: John Tavares. It's very hard to imagine the Islanders winning a single period, let alone a game, if he gets hurt. No team with only one star player has ever had said star player go down with an injury immediately prior to playing a No. 1 seed and then proceeded to beat the No. 1 seed in a Game 7 on the road, have they? Hold a moment. Really? We're being told that, yes, that did happen, but only one time. What's that? It happened the last time the Islanders played a No. 1 seeded Pens team? OK, fair enough. But David Volek is 46-years-old.
The Pens, on the other hand, had a stretch late in the season where they were missing a veritable all-star starting five (Crosby, Malkin, Neal, Letang, Martin) and still looked like a No. 1 seed. That, friends, is Obstacle Overcomeability.
EDGE: Penguins
 |
| "Approved." |
2. Coiffability
This is a new category, and now that it's here, we're not sure how we ever lived without it. It spans the terrain from scalp to chin, and it starts with the head coaches. Yes, Dan Bylsma is balding, but he's doing it with confidence and sass. Jack Capuano's hair would keep memories of 1993 alive even if we burned the tape. As for the playoff beards to come, who on the Islanders has any experience with this? Nabokov? He wears a mask. This isn't really a competition when Pascal Dupuis is on the bench.
EDGE: Penguins
3. Game Breakability
Our superstars are better than their superstars. When it comes to the Penguins, this is always going to be the answer as long as Geno and Sid walk the earth like Caine in Kung Fu. But Sid will be coming off a broken jaw and Geno has 9 goals in an injury-plagued campaign. Tavares is a legit MVP candidate at 22, he's got a true sniper on his wing in Moulson, and Grabner is coming on the third line ready to take advantage of what will probably often be a match-up against a neutral-zone challenged Crankshaft. The Pens might steamroll this team, but it won't be because they dare the Islanders' top-end talent to beat them.
EDGE: Even
4. Leadability
"Tavares, we live in a world that has boards and those boards need to be worked by men with sticks. Who's gonna do it? You? You, Lieutenant Okposo? I have a greater responsibility than you can possibly fathom. I have neither the time nor inclination to explain myself to a man who wishes he could rise and sleep under the blanket of the very leadership I provide and then questions the manner in which I provide it. I would rather you just said, "thank you," and went on your way. Otherwise, I suggest you come into the corner with me and throw a check. Either way, I don't give a damn what you think you are entitled to." -- Brenden Morrow.
EDGE: Penguins
5. Ability to be Ledability
Will the Islanders follow Mark Streit? Of course. They don't know any better. Mark Streit could be like, guys, let's get a sandwich at Jimmy John's before the game, it's the best sandwich in Pittsburgh, and they probably would. For better or worse, they're eager to be led, and if a leader raised his hand, they will fall in line.
Will the Pens follow? Can leaders also follow? If so, who will they follow? Iginla? Morrow? Orpik? Navy Seal Craig Adams? What happens when the Captain returns? What if Iginla is following Morrow while Morrow is following Sid while Sid is following Iginla? Is that like a Chinese Finger-trap of leadership?
EDGE: Islanders
6. Deep Downability
This category is about depth. Which team can better exploit match-up up and down the roster? Which team has a 4th liner who can step up in the third OT? Let's not belabor this. The Penguins will likely scratch either Tyler Kennedy - who has scored 20 goals in this league and a not insignificant amount of huge goals in the playoffs - or wunderkind Beau Bennett. Jussi Jokinen will soon be the 4th line center. Jarome Iginla is just hanging out waiting for passes in the faceoff circle. The Islanders have former WBS person Colin MacDonald on the third line.
 |
| On our podcast, Eric the Islanders fan said Colin MacDonald was brought in to be the captain. Of Bridgeport. |
7. Grind Bitches Downability a/k/a Crankshaftability
The playoffs are a grind. There are no easy games, there are no easy shifts. As a series progresses, one goal is to win, but another is to wear down your opponent so if you get to a sixth or seventh game, maybe you've already won. The Islanders are fast, yes, but they won't have Pens defensemen looking over their shoulders in the corners. The Penguins have Kunitz, Dupuis, Cooke, Morrow, Iginla, Adams, and Neal catapulting themselves into unsuspecting depth defensemen. To the families of Travis Hamonic and Andrew MacDonald: we're so sorry in advance for your loss.
EDGE: Penguins
8. Sex Appealability
Always a crucial category, for which we rely exclusively on the expertise of the Women of GTOG. [Cosmo has recognized Tavares and Kris Letang on its list of hot hockey players, but Cosmo has also so recognized Phil Kessel, so our advice is to stick with the Women of GTOG]. Mrs. Artistry and Artistry's Mom, please do the honors.
Mrs. A: "Pretty cute family man."
Artistry's Mom: "He looks like Woody Harrelson."
Mrs. A: [grimace, head shake] "No. He looks like somebody facing federal charges."
Artistry's Mom: "Sex appealability? Really?"
Mrs. A: "Good looking and the dog doesn't hurt."
Artistry's Mom: "Not bad!"
Mrs. A: "Ewww. is he a Capital?"
Artistry's Mom: "He looks like a Chechnyan terrorist."
Mrs. A: "I want to party with them."
Artistry's Mom: "I am a sucker for men who like children."
Mrs. A: "Hideous."
Artistry's Mom: "Fu manchu look is beyond unacceptable."
EDGE: Penguins
9. Fancy Statsability
Does the advanced stat community like the Penguins?
@gtogfinesse Yes, ~80% probability Pens win.That seems low. And there is an 80% probability Neil Greenberg is messing with us.
— Neil Greenberg (@ngreenberg) May 1, 2013
EDGE: Penguins
10. Redemptionability
1975. 1982. 1993. It's high time we exorcised these ghosts.
EDGE: Penguins
There you have it, everyone. Pens win 8-1-1. The Tale of the Tape never lies.
Pens in 5.
We're live tonight on GTOG Radio after the game. LGP. GTOG.
Tuesday, April 30, 2013
Podcast: Previewing Pens-Islanders, with an appearance by a real-life Islanders fan!
A big Isles fan named Eric joins the podcast to discuss the Pens-Isles series, how the Isles can win the series, the lingering impact of the brawl, and our predictions. A very entertaining appearance. It's the GTOG podcast.
Click here to subscribe on iTunes
**If you're listening on your smartphone, the best ways to make sure that you have an uninterrupted experience are: 1) download the podcast from iTunes OR 2) download the Spreaker app by going to the App store and searching for "Spreaker" then "Get To Our Game"**
Click here to subscribe on iTunes
**If you're listening on your smartphone, the best ways to make sure that you have an uninterrupted experience are: 1) download the podcast from iTunes OR 2) download the Spreaker app by going to the App store and searching for "Spreaker" then "Get To Our Game"**
 |
| Drop the puck. |
How to get yourself adequately worried that the Pens will lose to the Islanders
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| The place we need to get to. |
Get worried with us after the jump...
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| Doesn't care what the point of this exercise is. |
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| Hair that singlehandedly keeps memories of 1993 alive. |
By any objective measure, the Pens should win this series. But that doesn't mean you can't be afraid.
Monday, April 29, 2013
Pens draw the Islanders in Round 1; Talk yourself into being scared now
By Finesse (follow me on Twitter)
The Pens open the playoffs on Wednesday against the New York Islanders. A few quick thoughts.
[Insert every caveat imaginable about how nothing is guaranteed, and an 8-seed won the Cup last year, and David Volek, etc.] This is probably the best matchup the Pens could have hoped for. The Islanders have limited playoff experience, vastly inferior depth, and the Pens have outscored them 16-5 in the last 4 games, all of which the Pens won.
The main things to worry about are: 1) The Islanders have one of the top-5 players in the league and he's only getting better, plus a talented supporting cast 2) Evgeni Nabakov has tons of playoff experience and there's a stat somewhere that shows that Crosby never scores on him; and 3) the Pens are burdened with all of the expectations while the Isles have none.
As legitimate as those concerns are, there are easy counters for each. The Isles have a top-5 guy; the Pens have two of them. Nabakov has playoff experience; it's not particularly good playoff experience, and even if it was, so does everyone on the Pens. The Pens are burdened with all of the expectations; that's because they have the better team.
There's a recent parallel for this series that should bring at least some comfort.
In 2007, an ascending Pens team got its first crack at the playoffs against an Ottawa team loaded with veteran talent that was on a run of playoff disappointment.
Here are some things from the ESPN archive previewing that Pens-Sens series:
We'll have several preview posts leading up to Wednesday. LGP.
The Pens open the playoffs on Wednesday against the New York Islanders. A few quick thoughts.
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| Schedule via Puck Daddy |
The main things to worry about are: 1) The Islanders have one of the top-5 players in the league and he's only getting better, plus a talented supporting cast 2) Evgeni Nabakov has tons of playoff experience and there's a stat somewhere that shows that Crosby never scores on him; and 3) the Pens are burdened with all of the expectations while the Isles have none.
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| Don't fight it. Allow Matt Moulson to scare you. |
There's a recent parallel for this series that should bring at least some comfort.
In 2007, an ascending Pens team got its first crack at the playoffs against an Ottawa team loaded with veteran talent that was on a run of playoff disappointment.
Here are some things from the ESPN archive previewing that Pens-Sens series:
The theory is this is a psychologically fragile Senators team that has a tendency to cave when the going gets tough.
The Penguins face a Senators team long on playoff disappointment but equally long on experience and motivation.
The Penguins give up a lot of chances and are especially susceptible to a strong forecheck. The Senators, second among all playoff teams in goals scored, have enough fire power to make the Pens pay dearly for mistakes.
And from the Game 1 preview: The Ottawa Senators can see a lot of what they used to be when they look at NHL scoring leader Sidney Crosby and the rest of the Pittsburgh Penguins when the Stanley Cup playoffs begin Wednesday night.Everything turned out to be true. The Senators steamrolled -- and I mean steamrolled -- the Pens in a 6-3 game 1 win. The Pens settled down after to steal game 2 and make the rest of the series competitive, but there was never a doubt about who was the better team. The Sens won the series in 5 games. The Pens' best days were ahead of them. The Senators were loaded for a run at the Cup.
We'll have several preview posts leading up to Wednesday. LGP.
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