GDT: PITTSBURGH PENGUINS vs MONTREAL CANADIENS - SERIES THREAD

**rainman67ko** · 05-08-2010, 10:09 PM

Originally Posted by RGM81 View Post

A couple things I noticed throughout the game:
1. Habs transition game is an absolute mess without Markov. So many neutral and defensive zone turnovers, many brutal at that. They have to start getting the puck out of the zone on the first opportunity or they're going to get buried.
2. The primary reliance on 9 forwards is having an effect on their performance - guys like Pleks, Cammy, Gomez, and Gionta have to be burning out a little bit. AK46's floating continues so he's still all right.
3. The loss of Gill, should he miss Game Six, could be a catastophe on the back end. They're already down Markov & Spacek, the two main PP guys, so to lose half of the PK/shutdown tandem would be devastating.
4. I still believe that this series is going to go 7 games.

Bravo to Fleury for a virtuoso performance in goal tonight. He definitely earned the first star of the game.

I've been noticing the tendency to cycle or reverse in their own zone rather then quickly outlet pass since the last series against Washington.
Point taken.
Agreed.
I sure hope not though if it does I will be at the game.

Regarding Crosby - He is but one player and brings several intangibles that do not show on the score sheet but he is due a huge breakout.

Sidney Crosby - LAST FIVE GAMES

G
A
P
+/-
PIM
PP
SH
S
S%
SHFT
TOI
FO%

May 08 '10 MTL @ PIT
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
1
0.0
23
20:33
38.9

May 06 '10 PIT @ MTL
0
1
1
0
0
0
0
5
0.0
21
22:15
50.0

May 04 '10 PIT @ MTL
0
0
0
1
0
0
0
1
0.0
23
22:17
61.9

May 02 '10 MTL @ PIT
0
0
0
-2
0
0
0
1
0.0
27
24:30
58.8

Apr 30 '10 MTL @ PIT
0
2
2
1
0
0
0
1
0.0
27
21:08
52.4

**JTPens58** · 05-09-2010, 12:19 PM

Originally Posted by rainman67ko View Post

TONIGHTS THREE STARS -

THREE STAR SELECTIONS

VIDEO ›

1st Marc-Andre Fleury
Goalie - PIT
SAVE PCTG: 0.970

VIDEO ›

2nd Sergei Gonchar
Defenseman - PIT
GOALS: 1 | PTS: 2
ASST: 1 | SOG: 2
+/-: 1

VIDEO ›

3rd Kris Letang
Defenseman - PIT
GOALS: 1 | PTS: 1
ASST: 0 | SOG: 2
+/-: 0

Personally I would have switched Letang and Gonchar. Yeah, Gonch had two pts, and got the GW goal, but Letang made two great defensive plays that prevented two goals in the game. A much improved Kris Letang from the game before. In his honor (as well as the other two stars)

**rainman67ko** · 05-09-2010, 01:51 PM

And that would have fit the card better too

Nice patch card.

LeTang is much improved over last game and last year as well. Some other markedly improved players since last years run include Dupuis, Adams, and Crosby of course. Though Crosby has been absent on the score sheet this series he is playing hard IMO.

**JTPens58** · 05-09-2010, 02:34 PM

Originally Posted by rainman67ko View Post

And that would have fit the card better too

Nice patch card.

LeTang is much improved over last game and last year as well. Some other markedly improved players since last years run include Dupuis, Adams, and Crosby of course. Though Crosby has been absent on the score sheet this series he is playing hard IMO.

I would agree on all points. Letang already has more goals in the playoffs (4) than he did all year (3). That includes 3 PP goals compared to the goose egg he put up in the regular season. Same improvement can be said of Adams, with 2 goals in the playoffs compared to zero in the last 100+ regular season games.

Talbot is another guy who has really stepped it up in the playoffs, although a lot of that is due to finally be healthy.

It's contributions from the role players that can often tip a series one way or another - both Fleury and Halak are playing well, Cammy keeps scoring, and even though Crosby isn't lighting up the score sheets, he is doing a lot of things right to help others tickle the twine. As for Malkin, I've been mostly unimpressed with his play. He's shown moments of his greatness, but overall...he's got regular-season-Letang-itis in he keeps missing the net with good looks, and his defense hasn't been all that impressive. Last year he was ramping up his game, often winning games for the team. This year, while he has been a big key for the PP success, the rest of his game just hasn't been as 'amazing' as last year. And when Sid isn't showing up on the scoresheet, we need Geno to step it up.

Says a lot for the Pens to be up 3-2, given what I said above.

**Pheebs888** · 05-10-2010, 12:38 PM

how ready for the game am i? GO HABS GO!

**sholi2000** · 05-10-2010, 01:06 PM

Canadien win by two.

Is the reason Plekanec is playing like a little girl again because he's a free agent in mere weeks and does not want to get hurt? Thomas, we need you to be big tonight.

Halak do me a favor, that blue stuff in your crease isn't glue, you can move out of it to cut down the angles.

Defense, good luck to you, but it would help if they were all healthy again.

Forwards, if each one of the top six score a goal then the game is won, let"s go stop making Fluery look like a freakin genius.

I believe They Can Win This Game!!! The Pens have showed me nothing that makes them a better team than the Canadiens. Sure they are winning, but not we're talking down to the wire wins here.