My Thoughts - vs. Rangers (W! 3-1)

-Just a solid game all around from the Pens. MAF was good, the D played well, and the offense was there when they needed to be.

-Another great game by MAF. The only goal he let in was a little soft, but Gaborik lasered it past him. Other than that, he made the saves he needed to—simple as that.

-Duper quietly had a nice, two assist game. The man is just playing great hockey right now; however, not a lot of people seem to be noticing.

-Letang continues to impress. It’s becoming clear that this isn’t some hot streak that he’s on, this is the new and improved Tanger. $10 bucks says he missed the net on that shot that lead to his goal last season.

-Speaking of hot streaks, Crosby is on a pretty big one right now. He played really well, but, at the same time, the Rangers did a pretty good job of keeping him contained. He also had an excellent night in the faceoff circle, winning 74% of his draws. None of that will matter, though, because his alleged slew foot will take all the headlines.

-Malkin was pretty invisible, which was pretty disappointing. He went on a hot streak a few weeks ago and it was great, but he needs to start being much more consistent. Let’s go, Geno.

-This isn’t breaking news, but the defense is really good at moving the puck. Tonight, they especially seemed to use that skill.

-The PK kept the Rangers at bay late in the game. They’re playing amazing right now.

-Kunitz couldn’t make a pass, shoot a puck, or take a pass tonight. After a great game against the Flames, he looked all out of sorts in this one.

-Talbot is back to being Max Talbot again. I’m so glad to see that, especially since this is a contract year for him.

-I don’t think Conner will be going back to the AHL, even when Staal comes back. The third line has been too good.

-Orpik has very quietly had great defensive games lately.

-Seems like Michalek has found his groove as well.

-Looking forward to meeting the Thrashers on Thursday!

My Thoughts - vs. Flames (W! 4-1)

-Another great game by the Pens. This was totally a vintage Dan Bylsma game. The Pens spent more than the desire 70% in the Flames zone.

-If anyone went into this game wondering if Brent Johnson was going to be rusty, he answered all your questions. To me, Beej is a perfect backup—he makes all the saves he needs to in order to give his team a chance to win. I can’t recall any spectacular saves, but he made almost all the stops he needed to. It was looking like he was going to steal the show this afternoon, but someone else ended up stealing it from him…

-The player would be Sidney Crosby. To me, he still looks like he’s laboring a bit and his faceoffs were once again below 50%, but that didn’t stop him from getting the job done today. Don’t look now, but Sid’s now in first place in the league scoring and is only 3 goals behind Stamkos for the goal scoring lead as well as only two behind Sedin for the assist lead. What a season 87 is having thus far. Oh…that point streak? 12 games. Congrats on 200, Sid!

-Something interesting: For the past three seasons Sid has had a hat trick on November 29, 2008 then another on the 28^th of November in 2009 and today on the 27^th in 2010; all of them at home too. In the first of the two seasons, it was after that that Sid went on a hot streak. The difference is, this year; he’s already on a hot streak.

-If anything, I thought it was Geno that was galloping today and, if I had to guess, I would’ve said it was him that would’ve had the HT. Sometimes, it just doesn’t work for you. I’m pretty sure Geno’s had a lot of fun against the Rangers in his career, so look for him to light it up on Monday.

-You know, Kunitz looked absolutely terrible in the first and part of the second period. He couldn’t take a pass, he and Sid weren’t on the same page, the list goes on and on. However, he had a great rest of the game; with that beautiful pass on the first Crosby goal and he was in front of the net for the second one. Great recovery by Kuni today.

-After this game, all the talk will be about Sid, but what about Letang? He’s awful quietly climbed up the ladder of scoring for defensemen. What a season by Tanger.

-The third line continues to impress. It seems like they’ve officially become the second PP unit as well and they sure deserve it.

-I was glad to see Engo back in the lineup today. He saved a goal and he also had a nice fight…keep him in the lineup, please.

-Brooks Orpik, rather quietly, did a very nice job on Iginla and recorded two assists.

-Seriously, what more can you say about the PK?

-On the contrary, you can talk a lot about how much the PP has improved. If can say so myself, for the past 5-10 games they’ve looked like they were ready to break out. Now, it seems like they’ve finally figured out how to give a good effort all the time instead of just some of the time. 

-Great win! Looking forward to Monday!

My Thoughts - (The Short, After Holiday Edition) vs. Senators (W! 2-1)

-Another great game. Judging by the score, it would appear that this game was another defensive struggle, but it wasn’t that at all. This game was begging to be a 4-3 or 5-4 or more final, but Marc-Andre Fleury and Pascal Leclaire wouldn’t let that happen.

-Once again, what a game by Flower. For reals this time, he needs a break. He’s playing great, but it’s time for a rest. As for the game, it was a lot like Buffalo. He had a few fantastic saves, but, for the most part, he made the saves look easy because he was in such great position. It’s 3-0 (at least) by the end of the first if the Flower of old had shown up. He’s on a roll right now.

-Pascal Leclaire, like Flower, kept his team in the game. After the first period, the Pens came after him with shot after shot. The Pens failed to capitalize on the rebounds he was offering in the first and Leclaire had corrected it by the second. Leclaire, also like Flower, had a few fantastic saves, robbing Crosby among others.

-Seems like people love to rag on the PP so much that they’ve forgotten what a great PP looks like. For the past 5-10 games, everyone’s been like “oh, the PP sucks…wait, what?” Folks, this is what a great PP looks like and it’s right under your nose. The Pens aren’t going to score on every chance, however, it seemed like they did today. If it’s going to take an exceptional effort (like the one today) for the fans to realize that the PP doesn’t suck after all, then so be it. But, it’s time to stop whining about the PP.

-What more can be said about the PK? Those guys have played together for so long (3 season now), that they’re just telepathic out there. FSN pulled out a great stat the previous game that the PK was clicking at 93.4% since Michalek’s been back. Coincidence? I think not.

-Dupuis very quietly had a great game this afternoon. He was a monster on the forecheck and almost had a few goals.

-TK easily had his best game of the year.

-Gogo had a very nice goal, but I still hate the Lovejoy-Gogo pairing. It sucks—plain and simple. I have no idea why Engo was scratched.

-Crosby and Malkin both had pretty good games. Sid still looks slowed, and Geno has a lot of room  to improve, but the team is winning so I think it’s okay to let those details slide.

My Thoughts (The Shorter, Holiday Edition) - @ Buffalo (W! 1-0)

-Wow.  What a game by MAF. He’s starting to look like Beej did at the start of the season. A few real nice saves here and there, but he made most saves look easy because his positioning was great. The Flower got this W for the Pens tonight. Still what is this, his 6^th straight game? I’m sure it’s pretty tough to sit a goaltender after a shutout, but I think he needs a rest.

-Despite the 1-0 final, the game was pretty back and forth. In a nutshell, it was about as entertaining as 1-0 games get, but it seemed like the overall D for both teams covered up for their mistakes.

-That Crosby guy? Yeah, he made the Sabres pay for one of the most glaring mistakes they made all game. Honestly, besides that play, I didn’t think Sid looked as sharp; seemed like he was slowed down a bit. Nonetheless, his defense in the last five minutes of the game was absolutely clutch. By my count, it was two blocked shots and a takeaway.

-Malkin was fantastic on offense tonight. 6 shots on net and a lot more setups. It’s too bad that he had no points to show for it, but he definitely will if he keeps playing like he played tonight.

-Man, Letang was just flying; joining rushes and, like Malkin, he also had 6 shots. We’re watching Letang bloom this season and, boy, am I having fun.

-After being scratched in the previous game, Engelland came back strong. Whether is was for the Dad’s trip or not, it seemed like he wanted the coaches to know that it’s not okay to scratch him again.

-Matt Cooke was in everyone’s face. That’s his job.

-How about Super Duper? A goal and six shots. The stats won’t tell you this, but he was a beast on the forecheck tonight.

-That’s all for now; have a great holiday, everyone!

Apologies For Not Posting

I didn't post "My Thoughts" on Monday because I had homework and I was leaving for Thanksgiving the next morning.
I should definitely be posting tonight, though.

Have a Happy Thanksgiving, Everyone!

My Thoughts - vs. Carolina (W! 5-4 SO)

-Well, after a great defensive performance against Vancouver on Wednesday, the Pens and Canes treated us to a back and forth shootout (literally and figuratively). This is one of those games that the fans love, but the coaches hate. What matters is the two points we got in the end.

-Flower certainly wasn’t as sharp as he’s been in  the last few games, but don’t let the 4 goals that he gave up fool you; he made some a bunch of great saves in this game plus an awesome toe save on Jokinen to seal the W. Two full days off will do him good, though.

-Justin Peters has put up a couple of good performances against the Pens in the past, but he didn’t look sharp to me at all.

-Kunitz was a monster tonight. He made some athletic plays, chipped in with two goals, then went back to “normal” Kunitz with a few good hits. Not that he hasn’t been good this season (he’s done quite well, actually), but I want to see more games like this from him.

-Sid was, once again, flying in this game. He had a hand in all of the Pens goals (to extend his point streak to 8, I might add) and chipped in a shootout goal. He was also great down low in his own zone towards the end of the game. What can I say? We’re seeing fantastic hockey from him right now. Every time he steps on the ice, it seems like the Pens get a good chance.

-Malkin had a great game as well. He was on the puck and was creating things. Seems like he’s finally starting to get out of that funk that plagued him last season and earlier this season.  He got his 400^th point tonight in 329 games played; wow, congrats!

-I noticed that Sid and Geno tried to go one on four or one on three more than a few times tonight. I think only Sid got one clear shot on net, but the rest, more often than not, led to the Canes getting it out of their own zone. There’s nothing shameful about dumping the puck in the zone, guys.

-It was interesting because, to start the third period and forward till the end of the game, DB switched up the second line. He put Asham on the fourth line, Talbot at center on the second line, with Geno and Cooke on the wings. I have no idea why he’d want to put Geno back at wing or why he’d want to take Asham off the second line. The only reason that I can think of was that he was trying to reward Talbot, who had quietly had a nice game to that point. However, DB usually only does that when the game is pretty much out of hand instead of when the game is tied and the Pens are entering the third period. Weird. I don’t know if I like the move. Oh, and Geno was at wing in the OT period as well, sometimes even without Talbot at center.

-Everyone was so shocked that the Kuni goal counted that it seemed like they forgot it was a PP goal. It’s was definitely nice to see the PP convert in big situations. I love the movement that the Pens have on the PP right now.

-The defense was definitely not as good as they were in the Vancouver game. Still, it’s so much better than what we’ve seen in some of the other games this past season.

-I’m starting to feel bad for the new third line. They’ve been working their asses off every game and don’t have any points to show for it. Their puck possession in the opposition’s zone is certainly having an impact on the games, though. Hopefully, they’ll start getting rewarded soon.

-I thought Michalek had a very nice defensive night.

-The PK: solid as always.

-4-0-1 in our last 5 games! Let’s keep it going!

Please Tell Me Crosby's Not Trying to Grow a Mustache

So, I was watching Sid's pre-game interview this morning and I noticed something on his face...

Ew.
Why even bother? Just...why?

My Thoughts - vs. Canucks (W! 3-1)

-What a statement game this was. The Pens played a great game till the final horn sounded. They’ve been playing great hockey for about a week now.

-Marc-Andre Fleury was awesome. When the D left him out to dry, he made all but one of the crucial saves. He had a few great saves , but for the most part, he was just solid. This is MAF we all are used to and expect to see.

-The PK unit did a great job. The Canucks have the best road PP, and the Pens pretty much stoned them. They got a few good chances, which Fleury made sure didn’t go in, but on the majority of the plays, the Pens got the puck down the ice before the Canucks even had a chance to set up.

-I thought Sidney Crosby was the best skater on the ice tonight. He was absolutely flying out there. It really seemed like he wanted to prove a point; maybe send a message to Sedin. Whatever it was, Sid looked awesome. There was about six or seven times where DB put Sid out there to only take the defensive zone draw-he must’ve won at least 4 or 5 of them. Too bad he couldn’t get that empty netter. Oh, and he’s got a 7 game point streak going.

-Max Talbot is back to being Max Talbot. He’s that feisty player that will get on your nerves, and then chip in occasionally on offense. Tonight, he was tenacious on the PK, had a nifty feed along the boards to Sid and showed his quick hands (yes, hands) with the wraparound goal.

-Brooks Orpik was great. He pretty much shutdown the Sedin line. He pretty much had his most physical game of the season. I’m going to be Capt Obvious here and say that when Orpik’s playing a physical game, he’s playing his at his best.

- I tell you what, for the way the defense played against Boston a week ago; they’ve had a clear defensive game plan for every game after that. Or, maybe they’ve just executed that game plan better.

-Towards the end of the third, you could just see how frustrated Henrik Sedin was. That’s what the Pens D did to him tonight and that’s why Shero spent all that money on July 1^st.

-He lost the puck on the Hamhuis goal, but I thought Letang played well. His skating looked great and he really looked good getting the puck out of his own zone.

-That was a very nice effort that Asham gave on the goal he scored. I still really like him on Malkin’s line.

-I thought the third line, once again, quietly had a nice game. They haven’t produced any goals as a unit, but they look great together.

-Even though the PP didn’t produce, I thought their only real opportunity of the night was a good one.

-Engelland had a poor night it seemed like.

-I thought Dupuis nor Kunitz had a very good game.

-I want to say that Malkin had an okay game, but I didn’t think he looked good out there at all. He created a few chances, but mostly coasted through the game. He had more than a few blatant turnovers early in the game. Then, later on, would make passes outlet passes out of his own zone to teammates that were covered, which would lead to a turnover. And 0-8 in the faceoff circle? He’s got to be better.

-Remember last year how the Pens would beat up on bottom feeders and had a sub-.500 record against team ahead of them in the standings? I think this is a sign that that’s changing.

My Thoughts - vs. Rangers (L 3-2 OT)

-Well…this game was weird. It looked like it could end up being a 1-0 defensive game, but ended up being absolutely nuts.

-Lundqvist was awesome in this game. He got  rattled by the Kunitz goal (not his fault) enough to give up a goal to Cooke. Other than that, he was great and even though he floundered late, he definitely kept his team in the game.

-Fleury can not be blamed for any of the goals he gave up. Two went off defenseman and on the other, he was left out to dry. He was solid tonight and, like Lundqvist kept his team in the game. Except, he kept in the game for a longer amount of time than Lundqvist…if that makes sense. He was good tonight. Leave it at that.

-I thought Sidney Crosby had an excellent game. He couldn’t extend his multi-game point streak, but that was bound to end sooner rather than later and his 6 game point streak is still intact. He was a ridiculous 25 of 32 in the face-off circle tonight (78%), made a whole bunch of crisp passes, and was a monster on the puck. He had a  few good chances to score a goal but couldn’t get it by Lundqvist.

-Malkin had a pretty good game as well. He definitely wasn’t as good in the second half of the game as he was in the first half. In the first half, he was absolutely flying. Making crisp passes as well as controlling the puck. He made  a bad pass to set up the Marc Staal goal, but that was really just one mistake and the goal was pretty fluky. In no way am I trying to make excuses for him, he shouldn’t of made that pass.

-Crosby: 29:45, Malkin: 27:18, and Letang: 31:41 of ice time. These guys better get maintence days if the Pens practice tomorrow.

-For some of the flak Letang took this morning, he played a damn good defensive game tonight.

-The Pens played a good defensive game overall, but the one glaring mistake cost them the game.

-You know, just about every chance the Rangers had went in. The Pens carried the play for the overwhelming majority of the time.

-Even with his goal, Kunitz did not have a good game. He could not take a pass tonight.

-I thought Letestu quietly had a nice game. He had a few chances and he and Conner were tenacious on the puck.

-Marc Staal had an up and down game. Some great defensive plays, then two penalties, then a goal.

 

-The PP was hit and miss. When they looked good, boy did they look good. When they looked bad, boy did they look bad. This may not be a popular opinion, but the PP looks so much better this year than it did last season. Movement is so much more of an emphasis; when the Pens actually give a good effort, they look great. Last season, they would have the puck in the zone and they would still look terrible. This year, the only problem seems to be is effort  at times and maybe the entry, but the Pens are very close to having a great PP.

-The Pens played a good game. They have a lot of positives to look at before the next game.