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"**

Can the Penguins win another Stanley Cup with Dan Bylsma?

By Finesse (follow me on Twitter)

Every chart we've made this season has been an enormous jinx.  Given the desperation of the Pens' current situation, let's try a reverse jinx.

Dan Bylsma won the Stanley Cup with the Penguins having coached less than half a season.  That seems crazy, but it's possible that he had a better chance of winning the Cup in 2009 than he has (had?) of winning the Cup this season.  Or next.

The surprising numbers, after the jump...

The following chart lists the Stanley Cup winning coaches since 1990 and shows how long they were in that job when they won the Cup that season.

The average tenure of a Stanley Cup winning coach since 1990 is 2.36 years.  If you take Scotty Bowman out of the equation, the average Stanley Cup winning coach since 1990 has been in that position for only 1.83 years when he won the Cup.  Dan Bylsma has been the Pens' coach for 4.5 years.

Someone will repeat this year, but the fact remains that NHL coaches win early, not often.

So the question isn't whether the Pens can win a Stanley Cup with Dan Bylsma.  They already have.  The question is whether they can win another one.

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.

A (semi) bold prediction for tonight's Pens game

By GTOG Staff 

We've discussed the evaporation of Brandon Sutter's offensive game as much as anybody, and maybe even too much. His defense has been adequate, but it appears to have come at the total expense of his offensive play.  He plays like Dale Hunter coaches: Do only one thing at a time and don't ever do anything else. And maybe own only one suit.

They told us we'd love you. Make us love you.

We discussed whether to call for Sutter to be a healthy scratch, and then we discussed whether to go the other way and guarantee that Brandon Sutter will score tonight on the following premise:

Dream BIG! "Dreamers are not people disconnected from reality. Dreamers are people fully connected to reality's potential."~ Unknown
— Kacie Boguskie (@kacielynnb) May 31, 2013

The former seems one game premature (yes, only one game premature) and the latter seems irresponsible given its unlikelihood. So we've settled on a more reasonable compromise that you can take to the bank:

If Brandon Sutter scores tonight, the Penguins will win.*

*If he doesn't, the Pens will still win.

Huge game tonight. LGP.

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

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.

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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Patrice Bergeron shutting down Sidney Crosby? Don't hold your breath.

By Finesse (follow me on Twitter)

There's no question that the Patrice Bergeron vs. Sidney Crosby matchup is one of the top story lines of the Eastern Conference Finals.  Bergeron is a really good player, he's clutch, and he's exceptional on face-offs.  As Puck Daddy pointed out, "Bergeron has given Crosby fits in the face-off circle in the past" (and it linked to this old story).

But other than in the face-off circle, has Bergeron ever given Crosby fits in anything else?  We decided to take a look at their head-to-head history ... and we found that one guy has a decided advantage.  A very decided advantage.

Read on to find out who...

Crosby and Bergeron have matched up 18 times.  The results are pretty clear.

For the image impaired, here are the highlights:

- Crosby is 10-8 overall against Bergeron, but 10-3 in the last 13.

- Crosby has more than twice as many points as Bergeron (27 to 13).  We know Bergeron isn't the offensive dynamo that Sid is, but for a guy who is going to be tasked with "shutting down" Crosby, he's allowed Sid to put up 1.5 points per game in their head-to-head match-ups.  That's a 123-point pace.  Or another way to put it, that would be more points than Crosby has ever scored in the regular season.

- Crosby is a +12.  Bergeron is a -8.

- Crosby has been a minus player 4 times in the 18 games. Bergeron has been a plus player 4 times in the 18 games.

- Crosby has put up three points 7 times.

This is not to take anything away from Bergeron.  As we said, he's a very good player and seems like one of those guys who will be better in the playoffs than in the regular season.  But Crosby is an exceptional player.

So the real question about this match-up is not be whether Sidney Crosby can overcome the Bergeron line.  It's whether Patrice Bergeron can live up to his billing as the top defensive forward in hockey, or will Sidney Crosby continue to dominate him?*

*JINX Disclaimer: We accept no responsibility if this post jinxes everything.

Jaromir Jagr is coming to town: OH MY GODDDDDDD!!!!!!

By Finesse (follow me on Twitter)

The impending Pens-Bruins Eastern Conference Finals is not short on story lines, and for our money, none is bigger than the most basic one -- the Bruins are really good, and this should be a great series.

The one that barely registers is the return -- again -- of Jaromir Jagr.  There's some consternation, as there always is, about how Pens fans should react and/or "treat" Jagr when he returns.

Read on for our reaction ...

We're coming up on the 12th anniversary of Jagr's trade to the Capitals.  Jagr hasn't been on the Penguins since before 9/11. The #1 song on the Billboard chart the week he was traded was Devil's Night by D12.  Cats & Dogs was the #1 movie at the box office. Jagr has played 43 regular season games and 11 playoff games against the Pens.  He's already played for three of the Pens' biggest rivals, including in the playoffs with two separate teams.  The Pens have beaten him in the playoffs and lost to him in the playoffs. Yeah, he picked the Flyers over the Pens in free agency two summers ago, but they also offered him significantly more money than the Pens did.

There's no need at this point to burn a lot of calories thinking about how Pens' fans should treat Jagr, because the answer is easy: like they would anyone else who has Jagr's skill-set.

When Jagr retires, there will be plenty of time to place his time with the Pens in proper historical context. For now, the focus should be on whether Crankshaft can keep pace with Jags on the boards and whether Mark Eaton can get his stick in the passing lanes on the PK.

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.

Jonathan Toews: Who are you, and what are you doing?

By Finesse (follow me on Twitter)

I tuned in last night to the second and third period of Hawks-Wings Game 4 just in time to witness Jonathan Toews take three consecutive minor penalties, fail to get a shot off on a breakaway, and have a pass intercepted on a 2-on-1.  Sprinkled in among these offensive failures were signs of an obviously frustrated player, from wild stick swinging to an absolute death stare on the bench to berating officials.

I haven't seen a captain act out his frustrations in such an immature manner since ..... oh.  Right.



It's no easy task facing the Red Wings.  Even if they aren't as talented as they used to be, beating them requires more patience and more discipline than is required to beat any other team. You simply have to work harder than you usually do.  When the Pens played the Red Wings in the 2008 Finals, the Pens didn't even score a goal until 3 minutes remaining in the first period.  Of Game 3.  The last four games of that series were split 2-2 and were all one-goal games (including Game 5, which is easily in the conversation for best-played playoff game in Penguins history).  But by then it was too late.  The Wings, deservedly, closed out the series.





Things came easy for Chicago this season.  They're probably finally realizing that it won't come that easy against the Red Wings.  It just might be too late.

Some stats on the Pens, just because

By Finesse

Before the Internet, when the Pens had a bad period or game you only had a few options: take a walk, sit on the toilet and play Tetris, or drink profusely before passing out and calling into a sports talk radio show the next morning.  But now when the Pens play, it's so easy to vent on Twitter, text message, or even the arguably pointless period-by-period recaps we've been doing.  The ability to react to everything means that the forest often gets lost in the trees.  With the Pens up 3-1 on Ottawa, let's look at the forest.  Some interesting Pens stats presented without comment (mostly) after the jump...

The Pens are first in the playoffs in goals per game with 4.10.

The Pens are 9th in goals against per game at 2.6, but three of the teams ahead of them are already eliminated.

The Pens' average goal differential of +1.5 is first in the playoffs by a full half goal (Chicago is second).

The Pens are 7th in team save percentage (.923).

The Pens are 1st in power play goals (12) and power play percentage (28.6%).  They're also first in total power-play opportunities (42).  

The Washington Capitals are second-to-last in total power play opportunities (LOL).

Only 1 team remaining (Chicago) has given up fewer power-play goals against than the Pens (4).  The Rangers have also given up only 4.  

The Pens have given up the most shorthanded goals against (3). 

The Pens have 2 shorthanded goals.  Only Ottawa (naturally) has more (3).  

Of the teams remaining, only Chicago (100%) has a better PK% than the Pens (88.2%).

5 of the top 7 scorers are Penguins (Crosby, Malkin, Letang, Iginla, Dupuis).

Crosby and Dupuis are tied for first in goals scored (7).  

Only Ottawa has been shorthanded more times (40) than the Pens (34).

The Pens have taken the second most minor penalties (45).  Ottawa (51) has taken the most.

The most encouraging one to me is the penalty-kill percentage.

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.


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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)

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**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"**

At least the Pens aren't playing Detroit, plus a thought on Jarome Iginla

By Finesse (follow me on Twitter)

We lamented the Pens' bad Game 3 loss, then quickly regained our perspective and realized things weren't that bad.  More evidence that things aren't that bad:  The Pens could be playing the Red Wings.

Good read from Dejan Kovacevic about the Pens' misuse of Jarome Iginla, especially on the power-play.  As we wrote yesterday, there's simply no point in having him stand on the goal line feeding Letang and Malkin for one-timers.  Beyond his points, Iginla had a dramatic effect on the Islanders series -- you'll recall he almost killed Evgeni Nabokov in the first period in Game 1.  And then the Pens went on to score at will against Nabokov for the next 6 games.  Coincidence?



There's an argument that was the simplest yet best play the Pens have run all postseason.

Again, please.

Podcast: Disgusting loss; Pens fall, 2-1 in double OT

Just a ridiculous game to lose on every level. Experience it all over again with 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"**

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.