Pens fall to Bruins, 1-0; Season ends with a whimper

By Finesse (follow me on Twitter)

[Listen to the Game 4 recap podcast below or on our Spreaker page. You can click here to subscribe on iTunes, or download the Spreaker app for iPhone or Android]



If pucks could talk, Jarome Iginla's wrist shot at the final buzzer would have let out a feeble whimper as it landed almost apologetically in the glove of Tukka Rask.  It was a fitting and symbolic end to a series the Pens deserved to lose and the Bruins deserved to win.  Now armed with a body of work that reads like an inventory of a losing team's most-favored excuses -- a hot goalie, injuries, a bad goalie, and no good bounces -- the Pens have another long offseason of soul-searching ahead.

Read on for the burial...

When a team loses in such a spectacularly disappointing manner, the brain can pull you in two opposite directions are the same time.  There's the reactionary "fire everybody, Crosby sucks" approach, and then there's the "I'll just wait a few weeks and let this pain fade away so that when I decide what changes I want to make I will have tricked myself into thinking we were just a few bounces away" method (aka, The Full Leonsis).

The truth for Ray Shero and the Pens is somewhere in between, but he'd be wise to not waste the opportunity that comes with having your team so thoroughly embarrassed for the world to see.  Though the systematic errors are glaring and the individual failures are spectacular, the common thread that binds the last four playoff disappointments was woven at the Herm Edwards School of Simplicity: the Pens don't do the right thing often enough.

It's less important what that right thing is, and much more important that the Pens either can't identify it or can't do it.  The Pens started the Eastern Conference Finals playing the right way, but couldn't sustain it when it turned out that Boston was not going to be like Ottawa and pour the accelerating lubricant for the Pens' glide into the next round.  So the Pens stopped playing the right way for the next 5 periods and instead dug the first three feet of their own grave.  And once the Pens identified the problems in the way they played in games 1 and 2 and tightened up defensively, they could not, shot-differential be damned, consistently generate anything resembling the high quality scoring chances that the Pens would need to beat a locked-in goalie like Rask.  The Pens may spend the next few weeks feeling sorry for themselves for not catching a single break over 8 periods in Boston, but that would obscure the fact that the Pens rolled over when things didn't come easily in games 1 and 2, and couldn't persevere in games 3 and 4 once they finally seemed to grasp the idea that winning playoff games is supposed to be hard.

The Pens would have eventually broken through on Rask had they continued to play the way they did in games 3 and 4, but you don't get an "eventually" in the playoffs.  And, given this team's track record of mixing random slices of inexcusable chaos into their discipline sandwich, what indication is there that the Pens could have sustained their overall solid performances in games 3 and 4 anyway?

It doesn't matter what might have happened in a game 5 or if the Pens had taken the lead at any point in one of these games because they didn't.  It doesn't matter if the Pens were playing the right way when they went out because they went out.  By design, the playoffs require excellence across a small sample size; whether the Pens were trending in the right direction when they went out is irrelevant.  There's already a trophy for trending well over a large amount of time.

Comfort food for GTOG.

It's an indictment of everyone in the organization that the Pens went out this way, so it's hard to pin more blame on any one person than it is on another.  Ray Shero's acquisitions didn't get the team any further than it would have gone without those guys, and it's easy to argue that getting both Morrow and Iginla stagnated a team that simply didn't need both of them.  It's great to have a fancy shoe collection, but you can only wear one pair at a time.  Dan Bylsma added to an ever-growing resume of presiding over inexplicable performances, and when he finally recalibrated his team in one area (defense), he seemed to do it at the expense of another (offense).  Crosby, Malkin, Neal and Letang had no points in 4 games, and while that will almost certainly never happen again over any future 4-game stretch, it still happened.  And the supporting cast, supposedly the deepest in the league, didn't hold the fort while the stars got it together.  It was a total failure by everyone.

Last night's game was exciting only because it was meaningful -- if that game happens in December, it's a total snooze fest, the kind of game where if you DVR'd it, you'd actually get mad at your roommate for NOT spoiling the score and warning you against spending three hours watching it.  It's admirable (and appreciated because we watch all 82 games of it) that the Pens try to play hockey the way most people want it to be played; you know, with actual goals and excitement.  But the Pens have to be careful not to martyr themselves as the paragon of the way hockey should be played.  Because while it might be nice to enjoy the spoils of the afterlife -- like the MVP and Norris Trophy that could be coming in a couple days -- the bottom line is that you're dead.

Raw Emotion Podcast: The End. Pens lose, 1-0

Pens could have played all weekend. Still wouldn't have scored.

We talk about Game 4, Bylsma's future, the Bruins' defense, late-payment forgiveness, and so much more. It's the GTOG Podcast.

Listen below or click here. And as always, 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"**

Some random follow-up thoughts on the Pens' double-OT loss to Boston

By GTOG Staff

Listen to the below or click here. And as always, 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"]

The more we think about Game 3, the more we end up thinking about games 1 and 2.  The Pens probably win that game last night 53 out of 100 times. Unfortunately, they don't play best-of-100 series. Which is exactly why you can't give away 2 playoff games in a series -- at home, no less -- and expect to win 4 of 5 against a very good team when you're pretty close to dead-even with that team when you're both playing at your best. The Pens played really well last night, but all it does is shine a light on the stinkers in the first two games. We know the Pens can play as well as they did in game 3. We still have no idea why they can't do it more consistently.

No shame in losing Game 3. Great shame in being down 3-0.

Unable to put together any sort of cohesive reaction to last night, here are a bunch of random things we're thinking about, in no particular order.

- Along with the misfortune of having just faced down the barrel of a 3-0 series deficit last spring, we have the advantage of knowing exactly how this could work. Take advantage of Boston's inevitable if slight psychological shift in Game 4, when they cannot possibly match the Pens sense of desperation. Score 10 goals in the game (Note: will settle for 3. OK, 2.).



Come back to Pittsburgh and score a tight 3-2 victory. Suddenly, everything is in play. Even losing 5-1 in Game 6.

- Malkin was the best player on the ice last night, and it wasn't particularly close. He gets an A+ for generating scoring chances. But you don't win games with scoring chances. It's hard to think about the 21 shot attempts without thinking about the fact that none of them went in. It's a distinct talent to generate the types of chances that Malkin generated last night; it's also a distinct talent to finish the chances. Some of last night was just being snake-bit. The rest is him needing to be better at finishing.  If he was a running back, he'd have been taken out at the goal line.

- The Mike Alstott to Geno Malkin should be Jarome Iginla, but you could make a low-light reel of all the juicy rebounds that have bounced over Iggy's stick in the last month.

- Sidney Crosby was terrible early, but got much better as the game went on. A really strong defensive effort. But that's like complimenting your gardener for not tracking mud in the house. It's not what Sid is paid to do.

- The most disappointing part of Sid's game has been the power-play. It's expected that when teams load up to stop a guy at even-strength, they will usually have some success doing that, especially with players as good as Boston has. The power-play is the time to shake loose from those shackles and at least get comfortable having the puck on your stick. Sid hasn't done that at all. Dreadful on the PP.

- The PK was wonderful last night. PP was the real culprit.

- In moment of candor, would Ray Shero admit that he would have traded Brendan Morrow back to Dallas after Iginla fell in Pens' lap? And would he admit that after getting Morrow, he only got Iginla to keep him away from Boston? Because they're largely redundant. The Pens needed one of them. Not both.

- 7:09 on the PK for Craig Adams. What a performance. If he buries that slapper that hit the post in OT, the city probably names a steel mill after him.

- Refs on "let's take 'em both" patrol are the worst.

- Bylsma is deservedly getting a lot of heat. Arguably his worst stat from last night: Joe Vitale played 9:38 and only took 3 face-offs. If that's all you're using him for, why is he playing over Jokinen and TK, when the team's biggest issue against Boston has been an inability to score?

- It's one thing to dress Vitale if you think you need what he brings. It's another thing entirely to dress Vitale and then act like you don't even want him in the lineup. This really confuses us about Bylsma -- he insists on dressing guys in whom he has no confidence giving even a semi-regular shift. It's not like he doesn't have options.

- Speaking of TK, as we discussed on the podcast, he would have been a real asset in OT.  The one thing he never lacks is energy. There's potential for a great match-up against a tired team in OT.

- We've reached the point in the season where we're asking for more Tyler Kennedy. In other news, the Pens are about to get swept.

- Lineup changes for Game 4. Niskanen can't play with Letang. Have to keep Cooke with Geno and Neal. Bennett should stay and get PP time. BB is one definite bright spot heading into next season.

- The Pens scored 10 goals in Game 4 against Philly last year. The Pens also scored 12 in games 1-3. The Pens have 2 goals in 11 periods this series.

- The series isn't over so we're not in the mood to make pronouncements about the off-season. Except for one. Marc-Andre Fleury has got to go. This shouldn't be hard decision, and in light of the decisiveness of Shero's handling of Jordan Staal last year, we expect it will happen quickly. It doesn't matter who else is available. Fleury is not a winning option going forward.

- The way he's played this season, the Pens should feel very fortunate that Vokoun is signed through next season. He can't play 65 games. But the games he plays, he usually plays well.

- For as much talent as Letang has, and as high as his ceiling is, the Pens haven't really accomplished anything with him since he's been the team's best defenseman. Yet he's so gifted that you have to start wondering if a different coach could get him to play the right way more often. Whether here or elsewhere.

Podcast: Pens fall, 2-1, in heartbreaking loss

Pens fall 2-1 in double OT. A heartbreaker. Pushed to the brink of elimination.

[Spreaker is a little slow today for some reason, so it may take a minute to download]

Listen below or click here. And as always, 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"**

Story of our lives right now.

So, the Pens got destroyed by Boston last night. Now what?

By Finesse (follow me on Twitter)

Listen to the podcast below or click here.  And click here to subscribe on iTunes.



Last night the Pens were a nerdy 7th grader who got tied to a fence and de-pantsed by the cool kids at the beginning of recess, then had to stand there for the next 40 minutes while everyone laughed and pointed.  There was no facet of the game in which the Pens played well, no redeeming performance by any individual players, and almost nothing to give you confidence the Pens can win a game in this series, let alone the series itself.  All credit to the Bruins, whose stars dominated the Pens' stars, whose grinders dominated the Pens' grinders, and whose coaching staff is making Dan Bylsma look completely out of his league.

You're doing it wrong.

More after the jump...

The good news is that it was only game 2.  At least we hope that's the good news.  The Pens have shown a tendency to lose ugly this year (10 of their 12 losses were by 2 goals or more), and though it is surprising to have been so thoroughly dominated through much of two games, it would be completely unsurprising if the Pens won game 3 in Boston, even by a large margin.  What the Pens haven't done this series is get a lead on Boston and force the Bruins to adapt.  The Bruins have been able to do everything that they're really good at with very little resistance from the Pens; unless the Pens can dictate the terms of the game, even a little bit, the Bruins will win this series and will probably do it easily.

This isn't to say that the Pens need to go all crazy before game 3 and try to change everything.  In fact, it's quite the opposite.  The Pens need to figure out what will make them successful again -- making simple plays defensively, possessing the puck for long enough to allow creativity to take over -- and then do it.  And then keep doing it even if the Bruins are making it hard.  And if the Bruins are still making it hard, then you know what the Pens should do?  Keep doing it.

This is all much easier said that done, mainly because of how good Boston has been. But an almost equal reason for pessimism has to do with the Penguins' own mentality. Every quote after these losses is the same: "We got away from our game."  Well, why?  Why does a team that can be so good play so badly sometimes?  Why does Kris Letang look like a first ballot hall-of-famer some nights and a total scrub on other nights?  Why do Crosby and Malkin, now in their mid to late-twenties, still get so flustered when things aren't coming easily for them?  Why do the Pens either look like the best offensive team since the 80s or outclassed brats playing soccer with the puck because they can't connect on a pass?

The most vexing part of this team is that you have no idea what the expect from one night to the next. Game 3 in Boston could be exactly like game 3 in Philly last year where the Pens started running people and acting like babies when things weren't going their way.  Or the Pens could have a 4-goals-in-5-minutes spurt and win 6-2. Or they could play a tight-checking and disciplined 2-1 game. (That last one seems highly unlikely, but with this team, who knows).

As hard as it is to predict how the players will play, it can be equally hard to discern what the coaching staff is doing.  There's a balance between being reactive and being proactive, and Bylsma (and Shero) have failed miserably at striking that balance.  It's been 12 hours since the puck dropped and I still haven't come up with one good reason (other than possible injuries) why Derek Engelland dressed.  It's not that Engelland was any worse last night than anyone else, or even worse than Eaton would have been, but what was this move trying to accomplish?  Get grittier?  Tougher?  Why?  It's not like the Bruins' won game 1 by physically dominating the Pens -- they won game 1 because they weathered the storm and then smartly and skillfully took advantage when the Pens started chasing the game.  This move was reactionary, which on its face is disappointing from a team that went 36-12.  Even worse, it was reactionary to a non-existent problem.  Bylsma was reacting to a myth about this Bruins team -- that they're the "big, bad Bruins" -- when it's the Bruins skill and positioning that has been the major problem.

Scratching Kennedy was equally, if not more, confusing.  Yeah, Boston had won a lot of face-offs in game 1, but that "problem" didn't really tilt game 1 that much in favor of Boston -- the Pens were only outshot by 1 and the so-called "advanced stats" (which involve counting, then adding) were fairly even given this allegedly crippling discrepancy.  The problem in game 1 was that the Pens couldn't finish.  So Byslma's solution was to sit the best scorer and puck possession guy the Pens have in their bottom 6 for a guy who may be able to win the face-off ... but to what end?  Vitale wins the offensive zone draw to Niskanen, who shoots it into the corner ... who is getting it and then doing anything with it?  Brenden Morrow?  An overreaction to a real, but hardly fatal, problem.

Both of these moves were marginal in the sense that they didn't in any way cost the Pens this game.  The Pens are a unique team.  No one plays like the Pens, but the Pens don't -- and can't -- play like anyone else.  So why try?  Why let the Bruins dictate your lineup?  At home, no less.  Coupled with his inability to extract any consistency from his best players, Dan Bylsma has as much to answer for as anyone.

One thing that Bylsma can and should answer immediately is the goaltending question, although there really shouldn't be a question. Vokoun has to be the starter.  Neither goalie was responsible for this loss, but to anyone who has watched Fleury over the course of his career, it's obvious that this guy is gone mentally.  We saw the goal from Marchand almost immediately after the Sutter goal.  We don't need to see more.  He's so horrible right now that you could easily make the case that he shouldn't even dress as the backup.  Fleury looked like he wanted to cry ... when the Pens put him IN the game.

The series is not lost, though when the Pens finally get it together it may be too late to salvage given how well the Bruins are playing.  It certainly looks bleak heading back to Boston down 2-0.  If the Pens were a normal team, you could look at the results from the first two games and figure that Boston is simply a better team and the Pens would be lucky to win a game. That very well might be the case. But the Pens aren't a normal team.  So, really, who the fuck knows what's going to happen?

Podcast: Pens dominated by Bruins in Game 2, 6-1

Well that was terrible. The Pens were completely dominated by a terrific game from Boston and then compounded it with an all-time stink-bomb. We chronicle it all, LIVE on the GTOG Podcast, after the final whistle.

Listen below or click here.

The Prime Minister's face.

5 thoughts on the Pens' game 1 loss to Boston, including a new team motto

By Finesse (follow me on Twitter)

A few leftover thoughts about last night's 3-0 loss to Boston.  But first, check out the podcast.

Listen below or click here. And as always, click here to subscribe on iTunes.



5. The Showdown

The Crosby/Chara and Malkin/Bergeron showdowns at the end of the second period are getting a lot of attention, and rightfully so.  It's too soon to tell whether this was a good or a bad thing, but there's a lot not to like about it.

Very little good can come from this.

It's admirable in a lot of ways that Crosby and Malkin are willing to mix it up more than most superstars are, but it's also not that smart for them to do it for the simple fact that when they fight or jaw at people, they aren't better at it than anyone else.  They make themselves ordinary.  Rather than staying on a higher plane than other players because of their superior talent, they can be brought down to the level of their competition.  Give the Bruins credit for getting Sid and Geno to do it.

The other potential problem with their "standing up for themselves" response is that it's not very logical.  Whatever Boston did to get Crosby and Malkin that upset (and maybe it was simply frustration with not scoring), does anyone think that Boston is going to stop messing with 87 and 71 because they fight back?  Does anyone really think any of the Bruins are going to be afraid of getting their asses kicked by Crosby and Malkin?  If Crosby and Malkin are reacting like that, then it means that they're at least somewhat rattled emotionally and obviously Boston will try to keep doing that if that's the response they can get from those two guys.  Boston is only going to stop with that stuff when the scoreboard dictates that they have to stop.

New motto: Ignore and Score.

Four more thoughts after the jump...

4. The bottom 6 has become necessary

As we discussed on our podcast, the Pens are going to need contributions from the bottom 6 to win this series.  Our initial thought was that scoring from the bottom 6 would be sufficient to beat Boston, but not necessary.  After game 1, it looks more necessary than ever.  Boston is going to load up, as they should, to stop the Pens' top 6, and they're good enough that they might be able to.  If the bottom 6 doesn't contribute offensively, the Pens could easily lose this series.  It's not enough that the bottom 6 wasn't on the ice for any of Boston's goals.  They need to be on the ice for Pittsburgh's goals.

Some numbers so far in the playoffs:

Good: Kennedy (5 points in 8 games)
OK: Morrow (4 points in 11 games)
We're seeing some things, but need to see more: Cooke (3 points in 12 games); Jokinen (3 points in 7 games)
We know not to expect much, but it would be nice every once in a while: Adams (1 point in 12 games); Glass (1 point in 5 games); Vitale (1 point in 4 games); Bennett (1 point in 4 games)
Really disappointing: Sutter (2 points in 12 games)

There are 132 action shots from game 1 on the Pens' website. Brandon Sutter is in 1 of them.

You don't win Stanley Cups with passengers.

3. Hit the net

As Dejan Kovacevic pointed out in his column this morning, the Pens need to focus on hitting the net, not necessarily picking corners.  The Pens got a lot of good looks, especially early, but channeled their inner-Alex Semin and airmailed them way over the net.  When the Pens missed the net off the rush, these misses started Boston's breakouts at least a handful of times in the first period.  And even though we're pretty close to being done worrying about the PP combinations, because all of the combinations are good, the emphasis needs to be on more traffic.  Doesn't matter who.

2. Easy on the pinching 

Letang wasn't at his worst, but also wasn't at his best.  He seemed dedicated to pinching on almost every opportunity last night -- great if it works, nightmare when it doesn't.  Boston isn't Ottawa -- not only can they get the puck past Letang when he pinches, they can score when they do.  This certainly didn't cost the Pens the game, but it's something to watch going forward.

Textbook?

1. Video review on 5-minute majors 

Refereeing is our least favorite topic.  The Pens didn't lose the game last night because of officials -- the Pens PK was perfect, and they had 4 power-plays.  No complaints on that front.

But the 5-minute major on Cooke was ridiculous.  It's such a difficult call for the refs to make at full speed, and it's such an impactful decision to give a guy 5 and a game, why not let this be subject to video review?  I hate anything that slows the game down, but if the ref believes in his decision to give 5 and a game, let's take away the excuse that things happen quickly.  Make him look at it again, and then decide.  If he makes the wrong decision after video review, then the league should discipline him.  Or just let the league review it.

Bottom line: No panic heading into Game 2. The Pens know what they have to do to win, they just have to do it. And not stop doing it if it isn't working right away.

Podcast: Pens lose, 3-0. Stay the course.

We aren't going to tell you that everything is OK, but we will tell you that it's far from the end of the world.  We're covering everything about Game 1, including Cooke's 5-minute major, Tukka Rask, Tomas Vokoun, and all the emotions we're feeling. It's the GTOG Podcast.

Listen below or click here. And as always, click here to subscribe on iTunes.

d

Remember: Goliath kills David 99 times out of 100. A recap of Pens-Sens

By Finesse (follow me on Twitter)

The widespread hope coming out of the first-round dogfight was that the pressure coming with being a heavy favorite and having three straight bad series losses in the playoffs would be relieved and the Pens would finally play up to their potential.  Check that box.  This victory over Ottawa was as lopsided as it should have been.  The Pens were way better than Ottawa and they played like it.

There are areas that still need tightened up, but no team is without flaws.  And while other teams may be better in certain areas than the Pens, no team comes as close to having everything as the Pens.  A lot of teams have a really good top 6; the Pens have a top 6 that has the runaway two best players in the league. A lot of teams have a good bottom 6; the Pens have a bottom six consisting of 6 guys who each fit a specific role, and do it well.  A lot of teams have a good defense; the Pens have 6 guys who are playing better each game, and look like they have their worst hockey behind them.  A lot of teams have defensemen who can generate offense; the Pens have Kris Letang.

It's true that the Pens have achieved only what they have been expected to achieve -- beating a #8 and #7 seed.  On paper it seems like no big deal, but consider: The #2 and #3 seeds in the East are out.  The #2 and #3 seeds in the West are out, and Chicago is one game away from being out.  The best compliment you can give the Pens right now is that they are as dangerous as we all thought they'd be.

Before we get to Boston in the next few days, let's recap this series.


Series MVP: Kris Letang

We give the guy as much shit as anyone, but he was consistently the best player in this series and it wasn't all that close.  The guy is a human 3-on-2.  In the first period of game 6, Sutter won a defensive zone draw to Letang, who simply took the puck and skated directly up the ice so quickly that the Pens had a 3-on-2 before the Senators even knew what happened them.  Who even does that?  It wasn't a special play and the Pens didn't get some weird bounce.  Letang simply got the puck, went straight, and the Pens had a scoring chance.

If it wasn't for some memorable errors -- and he's made several in the first two rounds -- Letang would be near the top of anyone's Conn Smythe list.  If he can just cut down on those mistakes in the next round -- and pairing him with the recently re-steadied Mark Eaton makes that more likely than ever -- it's entirely possible that Letang could win the Conn Smythe.  He's that good when he plays that good.  If that makes sense.

Pens MVP to date: Tomas Vokoun

The Pens score in bunches, and those bunches are usually (and understandably) followed by lulls ranging from brief to extended.  After Letang put the Pens up 3-0, the Pens didn't get another shot for almost 7 minutes.  The Senators had the puck the whole time, including twice on the power play. Milan Michalek scored, but that's all.  Vokoun never gave up the goal that would have given the Senators life, and holding the fort through that lull is the definition of timely goaltending. The Pens' next shot was Malkin's goal, which essentially ended the series.

Pivotal moment of Round 2: The first two minutes of the second period of Game 4

After the Pens blew Game 3, they came out and were as dominant as ever during the first period of game 4.  Yet somehow (ok, Letang was prominently involved) they were down 2-1.  Against a lesser team, this would have given the Senators life.  But the Pens snuffed that out when Kunitz and Iginla scored 40 seconds apart.  The Senators may have been hoping for some sort of reprieve.  Those 40 seconds pretty much confirmed that Ottawa had no choice in the matter.

Signature moment of playoffs so far: TK's breakaway goal in Game 5 against the Islanders

Winning this series with relative ease may obscure how perilous the situation was after Game 4 against the Islanders.  No one knew what to expect from Vokoun, the Isles were swelling with over-confidence, and the Pens were forced into several lineup changes just to keep up.  TK's brilliant finish proved that even if the Pens don't technically have a Plan B when "get to our game" isn't working, they have a lot of guys who can execute Plan A.

Again, Iginla's face in this picture.

Unsung hero: Brooks Orpik

Orpik came back before Game 4 against the Islanders, and while that game turned out to be a nightmare, it was not his fault. (See if you can remember who we blamed). Since that game, the Pens are 6-1, Orpik is a +7, and he hasn't been a minus in any game.  He's not a superstar by any means, but he always plays like a grownup and has helped the Prime Minister start playing like one of the best defensemen in the league.  Orpik's ideal usage is as the third best defenseman on a team -- that's his destiny, and he's living it near-perfectly.

Emergability Winner: No one

Ottawa had unlimited candidates to emerge during this series as a better player than anyone though. It's tempting to pick Colin Greening because he scored three goals, but at no point during this series did anyone go, "oh shit, Colin Greening is on the ice." Kyle Turris also had three goals, but they were of the someone-has-to-score variety.  The Pens prevented any Senators from emerging, and instead exposed them as entirely dependent on great goaltending.

That you probably don't know who this is proves the point.

Adjustments for Boston: None.

The Pens may have finally found the lineup that works.  As long as Eaton isn't getting exposed like he did for a few games in Round 1, the defense isn't getting any better than it is right now.  Tyler Kennedy is a must-dress for the remainder of the playoffs, Brenden Morrow seems destined to play a huge role against the Bruins, and having a healthy Jussi Jokinen on the 4th line is a luxury the Pens can afford.

Who needs to do a lot more: Brandon Sutter

We're not going to slam the guy too much while the Pens are essentially on a 7-game winning streak, but he had no points against Ottawa and has only one point in 11 playoff games.  The Pens didn't need him against the #7 and #8 seed, but he could make their job against Boston a lot easier if he shows up for Round 3.  Because everyone on Boston will show up.

Two random things to watch going forward

1) Is Kunitz fully healthy? He's been sitting for extended stretches at times during the last two games.

2) Guess who played the fewest minutes for the Pens in Game 5: Jarome Iginla.

Final Word on Ottawa

Penguins-Bruins was destined to happen. Ottawa was a small bump in the road and the Pens were riding on 28s.

Pens roll, 6-2, to sweep Senators. Wait. It wasn't a sweep?

By Finesse (follow me on Twitter)

Because the most memorable moments in sports are usually the most unexpected, it's easy to forget that so much of what happens is exactly what's supposed to happen.  And the Pens' dispensing of the Senators, seemingly with very little difficulty, was exactly what was supposed to happen.

It was obvious after Game 1 that the Pens were a superior team to Ottawa, and once the Pens put up another 4-spot on Craig Anderson in Game 2, the concerns about getting stoned by this year's "hot goalie" dissipated.  Game 3 was about as encouraging of a game as the Pens have played all playoffs until an epic brain-fart at the end that didn't really put the series in doubt, but confirmed the doubt in your head that as great as this team is, there is still the capacity for bad mental mistakes.  That doubt was re-suppressed during the Pens' sustained domination throughout Games 4 and 5.

Make no mistake about it.  This was a 5-game sweep.  The Pens were dominant for long stretches, and brilliant for others.  It was every bit the mismatch that Pens-Hurricanes was in 2009.  The only times the Senators had sustained pressure, the Pens kept it to the outside and gave up very few quality scoring chances.

It's hard to say how much of the Pens' performance this series was due to the Pens being great or Ottawa simply being overmatched and running out of gas after a season played almost entirely on fumes.  But I lean toward the former.  Everything about the Senators' body language -- and even their captain's actual language -- screamed "this team is better than us."  Professional athletes don't usually play with such resignation unless they know that they know they have no chance.  Ottawa had no chance, and they knew it.  In fact, they knew it a long time ago.

After the Pens stole Jarome Iginla from the Bruins in the middle of the night, Paul MacLean was asked the next day about all the Pens' moves. "I don't even know why we'd bother playing the playoffs," he joked. He should have listened to himself.  Ottawa should never have bothered.

Mr. Mom knows.

We'll be back tomorrow morning with a full recap of Game 5, including thoughts on Neal's hat-trick, Vokoun's steadiness, and ... gasp! ... Kris Letang's Conn Smythian level of play.

MacLean: "I hope they don't bill us for the clinic."
— Sean Gentille (@seangentille) May 25, 2013

Go Pens.

A 7-3 victory sounds about right; Pens push Sens to the brink in Game 4

By Finesse (follow me on Twitter)

We opened our podcast last night asking the question: Was Game 4 the game we've been waiting for the Pens to play all postseason?  Our answer was a definitive 'no.'  Game 3 was the game we had been hoping the Pens were capable of -- a tight, 1-0 win, with scoring from an unexpected place, and an ability to overcome a hot goalie with a hot goalie of our own.  But you know, shit happens.


[Listen above or click here to subscribe on iTunes]

Game 4 was the game we knew the Pens had in them, and the Pens teased us with it a few times in the Isles series (Games 1 and 5) and even early in this series (Game 1).  But they never got all the way there like they did last night.  Game 4 was total domination.  The Pens OWNED the first period and probably should have been winning 5-2 after 20 minutes.  With all due respect to Dejan Kovacevic, who is having himself a hell of a playoffs, the Pens were not "awful" in the first period.  In fact, it was arguably the Pens most dominant period offensively in the whole playoffs; it just took a few minutes more of play in the second period to reap the benefits on the scoreboard.  What happened in the third period -- 4 goals in 10 minutes -- was not the product of 10 good minutes of hockey, something which has often been enough for the Pens to win games.  It was the well-earned payoff from two excellent overall performances in Ottawa in Games 3 and 4.

The Pens went into Ottawa and scored 8 goals in 2 games -- it's just a matter of bad fortune that they weren't spread out more evenly to come home with two wins.  Because one thing is clear this morning and it's that this series should already be over.

Read on for more...

Unfortunately, it's not over.  The mental errors that the Pens make way-too-regularly are not going away, so there's no guarantee that the Pens close it out in Game 5.  But the Pens would be wise to keep their foot on the gas and try to bury Ottawa right from the start because as clearly as the fans and media can see that the Pens are the better team, the Senators themselves seem to see it most clearly.  From Scott Burnside of ESPN.com:

Ottawa captain Daniel Alfredsson, who reached the 100-point plateau in playoff scoring with a power-play goal with the game out of reach in the third, was asked whether it was feasible to win three straight against this Pittsburgh team.

"Probably not," he answered with brutal candor. "With their depth and their power play right now, it doesn’t look too good.

"I’m just saying that I don’t think there’s much going for us. Maybe that’s the way we like it."

The Senators are ready to lose this series.  The only way they get back in it is if the Pens let them, and the killer-instinct and refusal to get frustrated last night is the most encouraging sign yet that the Pens won't allow it.  The last 4 games for Ottawa have been like nursing a sick relative.  There was a brief glimmer of hope, but we all know how it should end.  It's time to pull the plug and let go.

It's ok, Paul. Don't be scared.

- Somehow Evgeni Malkin ended up with zero points despite the Pens putting up a 7-spot, including two on the power-play.  He's now gone two straight games without a point. On paper, this looks bad.  But if you have eyes, then it's evident he is returning to his MVP form of last season.  If Geno and Sid are both playing at their highest level -- where they each are around 1.5 points per game -- the Pens are a near-impossible match-up for anyone.  With no Cups in the prior three season, there have been questions about whether the "2 superstar model" works.  The answer is that it does work when the 2 superstars are playing like the 2 best players in the league.  Which they are.

- Tomas Vokoun is something to behold.  I've never seen a goalie look behind himself so much to make sure the puck isn't dribbling between his legs and in.  It doesn't dribble between his legs, though, and that's all that really matters.  As long as he keeps winning -- and he's 5-1 with a 1.82 GAA and .942 save percentage -- there is nothing to discuss.  He's the goalie.  If he falters (and despite the constant looking over his shoulder, there's no indication that a collapse is imminent), Fleury will be ready.  The only question at this point is whether if Vokoun has a bad game, would that even be enough for Fleury to supplant him as the #1 goalie again?

- Kris Letang must be bi-polar.  One personality is an evolutionary Scott Neidermayer; the other is a de-evolutionary Mike Green.  His first period was horrific, from giving up a shorthanded breakaway to falling on top of his goalie.  But then he had 4 assists.  When he isn't limiting himself, his ceiling is unlimited.

- If healthy, Jussi Jokinen needs to stay in the lineup.  Joe Vitale did a very nice job in his few games, but Jokinen brings something that can further separate the Pens from the competition -- an ability to sustain offense.  The Pens are so top-heavy that you can't even really say they have a "1st line."  With Jokinen, the same is true at the bottom of the lineup.  There's really no 4th line.  With Cooke, Kennedy, Sutter, Jokinen, Adams, and Bennett/Morrow, it doesn't really matter what you call any combination.  Each can play 10-15 effective minutes.  Here are Game 4's time on ice numbers:

Gorgeous.

- Last night was a sad night for Sergei Gonchar.  He was a -4 and was in the box for James Neal's killer PP goal early in the third.  He's a big time liability at this point.

- 15:32 from Crankshaft, and you barely heard his name.  That's a great thing.

Pens need to put this one away on Friday.  We suspect they will.  Go Pens.

Podcast: Pens explode for 7-3 win, let's talk about it

Can any other team in the NHL do what the Pens did tonight -- get stymied by a "hot" goalie for a period, then run him out of the building in a third period so dominant it bordered on embarrassing?

We discuss on the GTOG Podcast.

(If you're new to the podcast, the quality is usually much higher. One of us (Artistry) decided to go on a family vacation during the NHL playoffs)

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"**

Pens blow Game 3, but we feel terrific about it: Here's why

By Artistry

Nothing is more annoying than Penguins fans who seem to relish complaining about the team more than they like celebrating watching the very best players in the world for most of the past 30 years and annually contending for the Stanley Cup. We know those people. And we don't like listening to them. But we do live radio shows immediately after every playoff game, when the emotion is most raw, and, well, it can sometimes be like sticking a microphone in front of two, more verbal John Tortorellas.

Artistry in a quiet moment with his dogs

Finesse gives a big thumbs up at a recent charity event

Then we get an email like the one from Graig in Columbus, and we're left asking ourselves a horrifying question: "Wait, are we those people?"

From Graig:

I have been looking for a long time for a Pens-specific podcast.  The Pittsburgh radio shows are fine, but I have to wade through a bunch of Steeler stuff to get to the Pens stuff(grew up in Eastern OH in the 80s about 75 mins. from Pittsburgh, am a Cleveland fan in everything else).  Pens 24/7 is fine for information, but the discussions are uninteresting.  I found yours because one of my favorites, Dave Dameshek, tweeted that he was on it, and I LOVED that show.  It was a great discussion of great memories from my childhood and teen years, and I stand behind the assertion that 66>99, always.  66 is my favorite athlete in any sport, and I consider it a privilege and honor to have seen him in person in his prime.  

That said, having loved the first show, I thought....Alright, here's what I'm looking for!  Well, sort of.  I love your names, you guys have interesting discussions, and have real personalities.  Plus, I love that Pittsburgh accent.  However, I can't help but notice there is a lot of negativity in your cast.  I get it.  Expectations are high, as we've basically assembled the NHL's version of the Miami Heat(I am still sorting out how I feel about that one).  However, I must ask the question....do you guys get any enjoyment out of watching our beloved Pens?  I'm not trying to be hostile, sarcastic, or a smart ass.  It seems that even with wins, there is about 75%(at least, sometimes more) talk about what we were terrible at.  I mean, you'll throw in something positive or a compliment while acknowledging your own negativity sometimes, but it is a little bit of a turn-off.  I get it, I understand being critical.  I really do.  Last night we had chances to put them away, and Letang was out to lunch on the tying goal.  However, nothing comes easy, and I'm not sure you understand what a difficult job it is that we're trying to pull off, and that the competition is actually worthy.  Maybe it's just my background as a loser Cleveland fan in everything else that skews my perspective.  I'm happy to have won anything in my lifetime.  I could really live off of the three Cups for my lifetime, mainly because I don't know when or if it will happen again.  I'm actually happy to have a team that is a perennial contender....trust me, in my pro sports fandom, you don't know when that will ever happen or for how long, so enjoy playing meaningful games in the playoffs.  

First, Graig is right on the money. We love watching and talking about hockey, we generally have good humor about and affection for our hockey team, and we think we can offer some genuine perspective in a universe of bad Pensblog imitations. If we've been getting away from the mission, that's on us.

Ben, after an email from Graig.

Second, let's be very clear: this was a bad loss, not a bad game. In fact, we're more encouraged after that Pens performance than we have been all season long. Get ready for a shot of positivity with a chaser of delight after the jump...
- Regardless of the score at any point in Game 3, the Penguins were great. There were two primary reasons for the loss: Craig Anderson, who stopped 49 of 50 shots, and an 0-for-6 showing on the power play. Nothing to be done about the former, and no reason to worry about the latter. The Pens took Anderson's absolute best game and were one bizarre breakdown away from winning anyway. And the goalie's brilliance merely highlighted what the Pens should do to adjust with the man advantage: move Jarome Iginla off of the goal-line, where he stood on that 5-on-3 PP and where he was deprived of any chance to uncork his canon of a shot from a proper angle. With Andersen stopping virtually every first shot, look for the Pens to get dirtier in Game 4 - let the big guns fire and get traffic in front.

Beatable.

- After a shaky Game 2, Tomas Vokoun was excellent Sunday night. He gives up some juicy rebounds, but that tendency is largely offset by the team's apparent confidence in him, and what by all accounts is his calming influence on the ice. 46 saves on 48 shots will do nicely going forward.

- Evgeni Malkin was by far the best player on the ice. The Penguins are a nearly impossible team to beat in a 7-games series when Malkin and Crosby are taking turns building hall of fame highlight reels. That's what we're starting to see here. His ridiculous overtime display suggests Geno's bum shoulder might limit his shot selection (he took 10 anyway), but it won't restrict his ability to dominate for long stretches. He came an Anderson toe away from scoring the most spectacular and important goal of a consistently dazzling career. It made me think of this Mario OT special in the 1988 all-star game.



Pretty good. Geno's would have been far better.

- The Tyler Kennedy goal is in essence what separates the Pens from almost everyone else. Once you get past the all-star top-six, you need to contend with relentless, playoff-proven guys like Kennedy and Matt Cooke, who can knock your star player on his wallet and fire a puck off the cross bar and in before your star player even has a chance to embellish the hit. (Thanks to Pensblog for the gif.)

- The Pens top 4 defensemen looked like they could be the top 4 defensemen on a Stanley Cup champion. Letang, Martin and Orpik all played more than 35 minutes of smart, efficient, steady, "we're better than you" hockey (with that one exception), and Matt Niskanen looked not the least bit out of place contributing 26:54.

- Craig Adams matched Cooke with a team-leading 6 hits, and looked for the first time this playoff season like his 2009 Navy Seal level warrior-self. Maybe what the team needs as much as anything is for those lower lines to start imposing their will on people. And this was a good start.

- There is no doubt this should be a 3-0 series right now. It didn't work out that way. Oftentimes the playoffs can play ping pong with your soul. Do the Senators suddenly think they can win this thing? Maybe they do. Good for them. That's adorable. But I have a message for them and for speaker of truths Graig in Columbus, and it's this: Pens in 5.

LGP. GTOG.

So, about that shorthanded goal ... Pens lose, 2-1

By Finesse (follow me on Twitter)

[Listen to the Raw Emotion recap podcast below or click here to subscribe on iTunes. For a read on why we actually feel terrific coming out of Game 3, click here]



When Matt Cooke devilishly drew a slashing penalty on Erik Karlsson with 87 seconds left in the game, we were fully prepared to lavish the Pens with praise after what may have been their best performance of the postseason.  A 1-0 win? With almost nothing to complain about? In what seemed like an actual normal playoff game after two straight series of sometimes bizarre play?  Sign us up!

One bad play doesn't erase 59 minutes of strong play. But man, did that suck.



This loss would go in the heartbreaking category if the Pens were underdogs, or if some Senator made a great play on the tying goal, or if the Pens had lost 1-0 in overtime with Craig Anderson shutting the door all night.  But when the Pens, from the coaching staff to every player on the ice except Vokoun, make a series of inexcusable decisions on the tying goal, the Raw Emotion reaction is to be disgusted.  And when you feel yourself not being surprised that it happened, because the Pens cling to mental errors like a baby clings to his blankie, it raises serious questions about whether this team has the mental discipline to pay attention to all the details necessary to win the Cup.

Everyone says it and it's a boring cliche, but it's true -- if the Pens just cut back the mental errors, there's no one that can play with them.  The problem is that there's limited evidence they can do this.  We're still hopeful that the Pens can win the Cup and VERY optimistic that the Pens can still make short work of the Senators. The overwhelming talent should be plenty to do the trick.  But if the Pens somehow fall short, then we already know why.

Read on for a full breakdown of the Alfie's shorty ...

The problem with the Pens' approach to the late power-play was that they had no approach.  They were caught in between trying to score and trying to play the prevent defense and, obviously, this meant they didn't do either.  A brief run down of the problems.

Personnel: Crosby won the draw to start the power-play but was off the ice by the time the Sens scored.  Sid was probably doing the smart thing by changing before he was tired, but Malkin and Kunitz -- not two guys you'd want on in a late-game defensive situation -- weren't on the same page.  This is not praise of Sid for getting off or criticism on Malkin and Kunitz for staying on -- it's criticism of the coaching staff for having some guys operating one way and some guys operating another.

Personnel Part 2: And who replaces Crosby on the ice?  Brandon "I play like the back of a piece of sandpaper" Sutter.  Maybe Sutter is an OK defensive player and we could understand him being out there if it was for a face-off  but when you're up a man you cannot simply try to keep everything to the outside and get in shooting lanes.  YOU'RE UP A MAN.  Go get the puck.  Go make it hard for them to make a pass.  Sutter is horrible at those things.  And it's not that Sutter is to blame for the tying goal, but his brief cameo in the general vicinity of Milan Michalek before the pass to Alfredsson -- without really doing a thing that made it remotely difficult for Michalek to make the pass -- is a perfect snapshot of his season.

Come on, dude.

The dump in.  In hindsight, we could have turned off the TV after Kunitz dumped the puck in and then half-heartedly went in completely alone to get it, while the rest of the Pens lined up across their own blue-line so that they could be flat-footed when the Senators gained the zone -- it was obvious what was about to happen.  Again, the Pens were on the power-play, and instead of having the mentality that they were going to bury the Senators, the mentality was that the Pens had to kill a 5-on-4 advantage.  Losers think that way.  The Pens are not losers.

The Prime Minister: Is he on the wrong side of the ice as Guilherme points out? Is he covering any shooting or passing lane in the below screen grab?  Is he making it difficult on the passer?  We don't go to practices so we don't know if PMPM is doing what he's told here, but whatever the case, he isn't doing the right thing.

Kunitz, Malkin, and Letang: Do you have to be a hockey savant to know that when the other team is down with 30 seconds to go they're going to send a bunch of guys to the net, and yes, even when they're short-handed?  If like 8 other things were different about this play, the Pens would have been in perfect defensive coverage.

This is an awful lot of analysis of one play in a game that lasted 90 minutes.  But this play just made what should have been a relatively easy series a lot harder.

Upon further reflection after our podcast, the way the Pens played in the first 59 minutes makes us more hopeful than if the Pens had won 6-5.  Offensively the Pens were buzzing all night and when the top two lines were getting stymied by a hot goalie and a market-correction of shooting and save percentages, the third line came through with a HUGE goal.  That's how playoff games are won.  The tying goal is just more confirmation that as much as this team has the ability to make amazing plays to win playoff games, you don't have to dig too far under the surface to find the ability to make plays that lose playoff games.

The sky is far from falling on the Pens. But that was a hell of a hailstorm in the last 30 seconds.

Pens in 5.  LGP.

Make Erik Karlsson your bitch; Pens win, 4-3

By GTOG Staff

[Click here to listen to the Game 2 recap podcast]

In some playoff years, seeding really doesn't matter. Just get into the NHL post-season tournament, and you've got as good a shot as anybody. This is not one of those years. While the other two contenders in the East - the Bruins and Rangers - are forging their playoff identities in a crucible of early dogfights, the Penguins got to face some scrappy but ultimately deficient Islanders upstarts and are now two games into a series against an Ottawa team that just benched its best player. If it looks at times like Pittsburgh is playing some JV team in a preseason scrimmage, that is not your imagination.

Crankshaft looks OK with the way things are going.

With Erik Karlsson coming up lame, the Penguins might have the 10 best players in the series. Would you have traded Sidney Crosby, Evgeni Malkin, Pascal Dupuis, Chris Kunitz, James Neal, Jarome Iginla, Kris Letang, Paul Martin, Brooks Orpik, or Tomas "I'm average except when I have to be great" Vokoun for any of the Senators that took the ice in the third period last night? No, you wouldn't, no matter how impressive goalie Robin of Gothenberg looked at times. The Penguins are very fortunate to have a chance to find their playoff groove in Round 2 against a team whose best offensive player is probably either Colin Greening or that little Pageau, and it isn't luck that got them here. It's what happen when you win 75% of your games in the regular season. (Unless you're Anaheim or Chicago and draw the Red Wings as a #7 seed).

Ahhh, to be in the East.

Read on for more on Game 2 ...

- A corollary to the team getting a couple of rounds to warm up is Sidney Crosby got a half-dozen games to hit warp speed. Make no mistake about what we're seeing: one of the best half-dozen hockey players in the history of human kind, and perhaps one of the half-dozen most competitive people of all time - with apologies to Alexander the Great, Genghis Khan, and those guys in their late 20s who take intramural softball way too seriously, none of whom made the cut - at the absolute peak of his powers, serving notice that he wants the Cup. He's going to be a tough out.

Saw the PENS won last night STK moves like WATER on ICE...good win keep stacking... #chasefortheCUPSwagginu.itemorder.comGMTA...
— Ike Taylor (@Ike_SwagginU) May 18, 2013

- We have no sense of what's going to happen with the goalies. All you can really say about Vokoun is he was good enough. We never felt like the Pens would lose because of him, and he made a spectacular save on Greening on a breakaway. But his hold on the starting job isn't exactly viselike.

What a save, though.

- Perhaps because they sensed they were playing a team as threatening as a Eugene Melnyk forensic investigation, the Penguins power play looked at times like it was killing a penalty. Particularly in the third period, there was no effort real effort to even set up in the Senators zone and get pucks to the net. This would be more upsetting if it weren't so understandable. Still, they should try a little bit.

- We are so thankful anytime time Brian Engblom is between the benches instead of Pierre Mcguire, even though Engblom seemed totally confused by Paul MacLean, the players, and what he was even doing there.

- Strong game by Brenden Morrow but he has to be wondering why he is being punished by having to line up next to Brandon Sutter, with whom he joined in what to our eyes was the worst 2-on-1 of all time. What exactly is Sutter good at? Is he like a defenseman who if you don't hear his name it means he's playing well? We expected him to elevate in the playoffs, but instead he just looks...soff. We're so disappoint.

- This doesn't mean that Sutter is useless -- he did have five blocked shots last night and won 56% of his draws.  It just means that for all the proclamations about how deep the Pens were going into the playoffs, they remain heavily dependent on their top two lines for scoring (not a bad thing when you have 87 and 71). And yes, almost every team relies heavily on its top two lines for scoring.  But the Pens probably had higher hopes for Sutter than making them like every other team.

But the way TK is playing, he makes the Pens not like every other team.

- Jason Spezza is back for Game 3 on Sunday. Desperate times call for desperate measures.