A Date with Destiny
Stanley Cup Finals (2008)…
The Pittsburgh Penguins found themselves like Cinderella at the ball, in the Stanley Cup Finals facing the storied and formidable Detroit Red Wings. For me, it might as well have been USA versus USSR in the 1980 Olympics, it was that gut-wrenching.
We all felt the overwhelming crush of the first game and then the second when our boys found themselves slapped around the ice much like they were in the first round against the Senators the previous season. We stood behind them, willing them to fight to stay alive, and out of sheer will they scratched and clawed to make it a brave game.
We stayed up through the multiple overtime sets when Petr Sykora joked during an intermission that he’d score the sudden-death game-winner–and did.
Maybe, like me, you were one of the ones who got an interesting e-mail the next day from a friend with a doctored photo of Babe Ruth calling his shot superimposed by Petr Sykora at the plate, signaling with his hockey stick. It was inspiring.
Our boys had a chance.
Back in the ‘burgh, home ice, for Game 6 and a chance to even the series at 3 apiece. I never felt sicker than when that final horn blared the death knell of one hell of a season. It was hard to watch them, stunned, drained, shredded, slumped on the ice, backs against the boards. An epic denouement. Lord Stanley’s Cup was in our house but not in our hands. The photo of Evgeni Malkin standing alone near the Stanley Cup Finals ice stamp was a haunting and compelling image. The scene as all those whited-out Penguins faithful, with class, stayed and stood for the victor as the Red Wings relished in holding the Cup. We felt the sting as if we had been in those skates and sweaters, too.
And we vowed we’d be back.
Stanley Cup Finals (2009)
The path this year began in a high-powered, promising way with one of the best starts in franchise history, and then like that, the bottom fell out. Through 82 games of soul-searching, fumbling, struggling, but never saying die, they pulled themselves up by their skate laces. If nothing else can be said about this team (from the first to last guy), it is one seriously cohesive unit.
In the face of critics and nay-sayers and hand-wringers, they have managed to let it all roll off of broad, matured shoulders. Old souls in young bodies.
At last season’s end, fans and pundits worried out loud about the loss of Hossa, Roberts, and Malone, but as Mark Madden pointed out in his radio talk show on Friday, if Hossa stayed, we might be looking at key players with much shorter contracts and the possibility of Malkin going to another team.
Instead, the loss has paid dividends thanks to Ray Shero’s shrewd dealing:
- To join Sidney Crosby (who when his contract was due took less to make room to keep others in the future), contracts of 4 or more years for Evgeni Malkin, Jordan Staal, and Marc-Andre Fleury completed the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse, giving the Pens a solid corps, and defensive insurance in Brooks Orpik.
- Add to that the late season acquisitions of Bill Guerin, Chris Kunitz, and Craig Adams.
- What you find is depth from 1st line to last, especially as the prodigal son Miroslav Satan arose from AHL purgatory to show some of his best work all season in the playoffs.
Let’s not forget that every guy who played this year contributed mightily whether for every game or for a short stint.
- When Gonchar was down, Goligosky answered the bell. Philippe Boucher continues to sniper with a Howitzer.
- Cooke and Kennedy meshed with Jordan Staal to become one of the best shut-down third lines that could generate a spark with their grinding cycle work.
- Max Talbot and Pascal Depuis played anywhere they could be of service, getting time on every one of the four lines and contributing mightily in penalty-kill situations. An unfortunate injury sidelined Mike Zogomanis, but when healthy, he is one of the deadliest in the face-off circle.
- Eric Goddard and Paul Bissonnette enforced when it was needed, but they made skilled contributions as well.
- Ruslan Fedotenko has come on to be a force to be reckoned with in the playoffs and worked throughout the season to try to keep the team sparked and competitive.
- Kris Letang has grown in confidence and skill. He is fearless, and not to be outdone is Mark Eaton whose defensive skill has also morphed into an offensive threat.
- Rob Scuderi and Hal Gill have developed into a strong defensive pairing, facing the likes of Ovechkin and Eric Staal with little difficulty.
It’s scary just how calm and loose this year’s Pittsburgh Penguins team really is. And maybe it’s a little maddening for the reporters who try to get some juicy tidbit out of them in interviews. In the hopes of a spark, they ask about the re-match, feelings about Hossa, the adversity, back-to-back games or too much time between games, and always, they are left a little diappointed.
These players are even keeled, unflappable, and take it all in stride. It’s good to get back to the Stanley Cup Finals. They don’t think too much about the rivalry or how Hossa left. The adversity has made them stronger, and they know what they can do and the kind of character that’s in the locker room. Each knows he has a specific role to play and plays it with 110% intensity, stressing time and again the need to “play the right way.” Back-to-backs are the nature of the beast. They faced many during the regular season, faced them in the playoffs already. Not a big deal. And too much time? They’re glad it’s not a 10-day lay-off because, well, they’d rather be playing hockey.
They are a better, healthier, and more psychologically ready team than the Penguins of 2008, but they needed the early play-off spanking in 2007 to prepare them for the 2008 run, and they needed the 2008 finals defeat to prepare them for this run.
Yeah, that’s still hard to say (as a fan), but if we are going to be honest with ourselves as the Penguins have been with themselves, then we have to agree. This is going to be one hell of a series.
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Manhandled!! Pens Sweep Series 4-0
The Pittsburgh Penguins did it differently this year in many ways, including allowing themselves to touch the Prince of Wales Cup.
So did Mario Lemieux all those years ago–twice–and they went on to win the big one–Lord Stanley’s Cup.
The Penguins bought into a system and a new coach’s philosophy and with each win, that buy-in rooted deeper into the soul of the team. The Carolina Hurricanes played with a lot of heart and a lot of tenacity, but the Penguins also kept coming like any one of the Terminator movies. It was at once an awesome and frightening thing to behold.
Tuesday night’s game in Raleigh, NC showed the almost bottomless depth of the Penguins and their newfound love of the road, destroying the spirit of opponents on their ice. Malkin and Crosby were double- and at times triple-teamed, and still, scoring came in the forms of Ruslan Fedotenko, Maxime Talbot, Bill Guerin, and Craig Adams. Talbot and Adams both proved that no goal is an ugly goal, and every shot is an opportunity to score. This particular game was frenetic in its pace and bone-crunching in its physicality end to end.
Series Notables that Will Serve Well in the Stanley Cup Finals
- Solid goal-tending–Netminder Marc-Andre Fleury played his most complete game in this series, making the key saves he needed to make, managing the puck well, and staying sharp in his positioning in front of the net. However, he came up big in each of the four games.
- Scoring from 10 of their 18 position players (sans goalies)–Goal contributions came from Malkin (6); Crosby (4); Guerin, Fedotenko, Talbot, and Adams (2 each); and Kunitz, Kennedy, Satan, and Boucher (1 each). It’s hard to account for so many potential scorers, and while the defensive scoring was not as high as it was in earlier series, it exists and could rear up again in the finals.
- Defensemen in on the offense–Pens’ blueliners accounted for 24% of the shots on net, led by Kris Letang who had 11, followed by Hall Gill (6), and Sergei Gonchar and Brooks Orpik (5 shots each).
- Defense with the reflexes–Like a well-oiled machine, the Pens’ blueliners have become sharper and quicker with their feet and with their sticks. None has shined better in the latter category than Rob Scuderi whose poke-checking has been like a hot poker, serving to frustrate rushes into the Pens’ defensive zone. Whether it’s six defensemen or seven in the line-up, these guys work so fluidly in tandem that one would swear they are psychic. This kind of teamwork in the defensive zone makes for a very secure and composed Marc-Andre Fleury, and such sympatico will be critical in the final series.
Brothers’ Keeper: The Staal Tracker
Despite Eric Staal’s best efforts, “little” brother Jordan (all 6′4″, 220 pounds of him) was equally a man possessed, matching Eric’s intensity and surpassing it, attempting to hit everything in sight with a Hurricane logo. Jordan was not without his own scoring opportunities, having had two good chances and a handful of scrums in front of a nervous Cam Ward–just to keep it interesting. Eric was fast and wily, managing the Hurricanes’ lone goal early on a thread-the-needle kind of stuff of the puck between Fleury’s skate and the post on a wrap-around.
For the final time of the season, here’s how the Brothers Staal shaped up in Game 4:
- Goals/Assists/Points–Jordan (0/0/0), Eric (1/0/1)
- Plus/Minus–Jordan (even), Eric (-1)
- Total Ice Time–Jordan (19:33), Eric (22:30)
- Shifts–Jordan (24), Eric (30)
- Average–Jordan (:48 per shift), Eric (:45 per shift)
- Shots–Jordan (2), Eric (5)
- Hits–Jordan (5), Eric (0)–Jordan combined with Chris Kunitz (5 hits) and Brooks Orpik (4) hits for a total of 14 of the team’s 25 hits on the night (56%).
- Giveaways–Jordan (0), Eric (0)
- Takeaways–Jordan (1), Eric (1)
- Blocked Shots–Jordan (1), Eric (0)
- Faceoffs Won/Lost/%–Jordan (6/6/50%), Eric (13/10/57%)
Rumor has it that if the Chicago Blackhawks go gentle into that good night on Wednesday against the Detroit Red Wings, the Stanley Cup Finals Game 1 could start as early as Saturday, May 30.
The “Date with Destiny” draws closer.
Git ‘er Done
Here’s Why: Game 3
The stats show that the two teams were fairly evenly matched, except in a few categories:
- Shots–Pens (40), ‘Canes (34)
- Takeaways–Pens (9), ‘Canes (9)
- Faceoffs Won–Pens (28), ‘Canes (30)
- Faceoffs Lost–Pens (30), ‘Canes (28)
Paul Maurice, coach of the ‘Canes, noted in his press conference that 41 of their shots were either attempts that were blocked or missed shots. They simply were not getting through. Eric Staal and Ray Whitney have been kept fairly quiet, and for the most part, the Penguins have methodically forced play to the boards, limiting good open ice chances. In addition, the Pens’ forecheck has become so aggressive that it forces ‘Canes defenders to back deep into their defensive zone, leaving little visibility for netminder Cam Ward who is rumored to be playing hurt. Coach Maurice downplayed it reminding inquiring minds that at this time of year, everyone plays a little hurt.
Where the Pens had the edge was in their shot distribution through periods (16/15/9) versus the ‘Canes distribution (8/8/18), showing the machine-gun work of the Pens in the first 2 periods that got them the lead they needed while keep the ‘Canes shots in the single digits. it also showed the ‘Canes 3rd period desperation as they tried to rally something.
A surprising statistic is in the Hits department where the ‘Canes dominated, laying on 40 hits to the Penguins’ 24. Erik Cole led the way with 7 hits, followed by Patrick Eaves and Dennis Seidenberg with 5 each. Matt Cooke took first place honors with 5 hits, followed by Philippe Boucher and Ruslan Fedotenko with 3 each; another 6 Penguins put in their two hits’ worth. Another critical factor is that the Penguins’ power play continues to improve as they scored on two of four man-advantage opportunities for 50% in the game, scoring twice on four shots.
Brothers’ Keeper: The Staal Tracker
The brothers Staal continue to fight to cancel each other out, and the effect is more devastating on the ‘Canes side because Eric is relied on as a more offensively-minded forward whereas Jordan is a shut-down forward, and he is shutting it down.
- Goals/Assists/Points–Jordan (0/0/0), Eric (0/0/0)
- Plus/Minus–Jordan (-2), Eric (-3)
- Total Ice Time–Jordan (18:10), Eric (22:17)
- Shifts–Jordan (25), Eric (31)
- Average–Jordan (:43 per shift), Eric (:43 per shift)
- Shots–Jordan (3), Eric (6)
- Hits–Jordan (2), Eric (2)
- Giveaways–Jordan (0), Eric (1)
- Takeaways–Jordan (0), Eric (1)
- Blocked Shots–Jordan (0), Eric (1)
- Faceoffs Won/Lost/FO%–Jordan (6/7 for 46%), Eric (5/13 for 28%)
The Hurricanes will muster up every last ounce of will and determination to make this a knock down, drag out fight. The Penguins have to keep to their game plan, which they are getting better and better at doing, and as Brooks Orpik said, the Pens can’t let the ‘Canes get back into this series because a win will give them something to build on.
That being said, they need to “git ‘er done.”
Forecast: Hurricane Season Over!!
May 25, 2009 by Paul
Filed under Features, Highlights
On an exceptionally warm Saturday night in Raleigh, NC, hockey fans from both near and far descended upon the RBC center to have some fun and to watch Game 3 of the Eastern Conference Finals between the Carolina Hurricanes and the Pittsburgh Penguins. Making the 4+ hour trip down from northern Virginia, I was pleased to see the tailgate parties in full swing when I arrived 3-hours ahead of the puck drop. The air was filled with the smell of brats, burgers and beer, as a live band played outside of the Arena entrance. It was definitely a party atmosphere, and the overwhelmingly hospitable locals welcomed the hoards of Penguins fans who opted to spend their holiday weekend supporting their team’s quest for the Stanley Cup. It was the perfect prelude to a pivotal game. For the Hurricanes…..a “must win” and a chance to climb back into the series. For the Penguins…..the opportunity to put the Canes in a seemingly unrecoverable hole.
Once inside the Arena, the excitement was palpable. A sea of red enveloped the majority of the Arena as the Canes’ faithful showed their colors in support of the home team and twirled complimentary white towels in the air. Amidst the steady roar of the crowd and the undeniable sound of cowbells, you could occassionally hear “Let’s Go Canes” chants interspersed with an equally enthusiastic and clearly audible “Let’s Go Pens” retort. While certainly the minority, large throngs of Penguins fans were in attendance and wanted to be heard and seen. Many showed up with homemade signs in tow and Penguins paraphernalia clutched in their hands to show their support for the team. Of course, there were many obligatory “Let’s Go Pens!” signs. Others were more original, like the sign that read “Hurricane ‘Geno!”. Another claimed “Welcome to Evgeni-Stan!”, an incredibly appropriate and humorous welcome given his absolute domination of the Hurricanes in this series. My favorite sign, however, was clutched in the hands of a proud young boy that bore the logo of The Weather Channel, and read “Forecast: Hurricane Season Over!!” That sentiment, almost poetic, seemed more prophetic by games’ end after the Penguins once again dominated the beleaguered Canes into a 6-2 submission. Indeed, the Canes’ season is perilously close to being over.
Best Sign of the Night Award
The Russian Nightmare: Pens 7 – ‘Canes 4
First it was Crosby, then it was LaRose. Then it was Malkin. Then it was Jokinen. Then Pittsburgh blinked, and it was Seidenberg. And that was just the 1st period. Yes, it was going to be one of those nights. Both teams were playing fast and loose, with loose being the operative word. Neither Marc-Andre Fleury nor his counterpart at the other end, Cam Ward, was getting much help from the defense. Traffic jams kept clogging up the view in front of the net only to end in sudden explosions that set loose breaks to the opposite end like it was the Autobahn.
The 2nd period settled in. Defense on both sides got back to the plan, and the flow was less frenetic though the hits kept coming. It was nice to see Max Talbot reap a reward for all his diligent toiling in the traces as he picked up the Pens’ game-tying goal at 3:11 by showing, yet again, the strength of the Penguins early in periods. It wasn’t until :08 were left in the period before Chris Kunitz broke his long 19-game drought with the go-ahead goal.
In the 3rd, Patrick Eaves did his version of early-period scoring, pulling the ‘Canes even at four goals apiece. The Hurricanes were feeling pretty good about their prospects at this point, but they failed to take into account one small thing.
Evgeni Malkin was not finished.
Scoring two more goals on the night to notch the Penguins’ second hat trick of the playoffs, the Russian Nightmare lit up the Igloo sending a shiver down the spines of the ‘Canes and their fans. Malkin scores, he sets up goals, he shreds defenders from one end of the ice to the other like a pinball wizard, and the boy can not only hit but take hits, though his preference is to artfully dodge them, leaving his opponent at odd angles in the air or in a heap.
This is a proud opponent though, and the ‘Canes continued to battle and do what has brought them to this point. However, late in the 3rd period, with Cam Ward pulled and a 6th attacker on the ice, miscues sprung the Penguins’ Staal unit. A weak clear of the puck in the Hurricanes’ vulnerable defensive zone caught the very end of Jordan Staal’s stick as he managed to get it toward teammate Tyler Kennedy for the empty-netter, sealing the deal at 18:11.
So Much to Like–Take Your Pick
- Any one of Malkin’s goals which heightened in spectacular-ness with each notch.
- A blistering 42 shots (by period: 12/16/14) on net versus 28 (by period: 14/6/8).
- Even hits (again) at 29 apiece, but bone-crunching, brain-rattling and memorable on both sides.
- Kunitz finally getting that goal.
- Satan picking up a 5-minute FIGHTING major as he came to the aid of Kris Letang who suffered a head-hunting elbow by Ryan Bayda as Letang touched up for an icing call.
- 4th line effectiveness and multi-faceted impact versus the ‘Canes 4th line that saw little ice time.
- The Staal line accounting for 6 points (Cooke-3 assists, Kennedy-1 goal & 1 assist, Staal-1 assist).
Despite some sloppy play at times that will continue to be addressed and shored up by the vigilant Dan Bylsma and company, the Pens played a better 2nd period, weathered a couple of storms of the Hurricanes’ own, and came out on top in a way that is eerily reminiscent of that Game 7 against the Caps. It showed on the ‘Canes faces as the minutes waned.
Brothers’ Keeper: The Staal Tracker
- Goals/Assists/Points: Jordan (0/1/1), Eric (0/1/1)
- Plus/Minus: Jordan (+1), Eric (-2)–Jordan is gaining confidence. Eric shows frustration.
- Total Minutes: Jordan (18:43), Eric (23:30)–’Canes coach, Paul Maurice was turning over the top units rapidly with the 4th unit seeing limited time.
- Shifts & Average Shift Time: Jordan (25 at :44), Eric (29 at :48)
- Shots on Goal: Jordan (2), Eric (3)
- Hits: Jordan (1), Eric (0)
- Giveaways: Jordan (1), Eric (0)
- Takeaways: Jordan (1), Eric (1)
- Blocked Shots: Jordan (0), Eric (1)
- Faceoffs Won: Jordan (9), Eric (8)
- Faceoffs Lost: Jordan (6), Eric (15)
- Faceoff Percentage: Jordan (60%), Eric (35%)–Complete flip-flop from Game 1 and more in Jordan’s usual range.
With Malkin awakened and on a tear for which the Hurricanes seem to have no answer as of yet, this series could get a out of hand quickly. Still, Game 3 back at Carolina’s stomping ground with the home team down 0-2, recalls the Philly series in a mirror situation. A stung team coming home to an expectant and passionate crowd makes for the height of desperation. The chippiness of Game 2 will carry over though it may take a more measured and controlled form.
Will Eric Staal catch fire? Will Cam Ward right his ship? Will Malkin increase to an F5? Will Penguins from all lines and the defensive corps continue to contribute in waves of oceanic proportions only seen on the angry Bering Sea? Saturday at 7:30 will unfold to reveal some of those answers.
One in the Can: Pens 3 – ‘Canes 2
Game 1 in a playoff series is always a little surreal. Both teams come out sizing each other up, testing the waters, getting a feel for how they will set the tempo they want to set and executing. Given the hellfire and brimstone of Pittsburgh’s first two series versus the Flyers and Capitals respectively, Monday night’s game against the Hurricanes seemed a little tame by comparison.
This is not a complaint, and knowing how the ‘Canes got to this point, they are masters of illusion. As long as the Pens do not become mesmerized, they can dominate and succeed.
What Went Right
- Goaltending–First and foremost, Marc-Andre Fleury made it known early (and more often than some would like) that he was on his game and not to be trifled with. When the players in front of him were on assignment, he saw the puck and made the saves from any distance or lack thereof. There’s a lot of highlight reel footage.
- Keeping the puck north-south–Play moved swiftly up the boards and into the offensive zone. Dump-ins were controlled and forechecks were strong.
- Spreading it around: a winger, a center, and a blueliner–Right off the bat, the Penguins got goals from a diverse group. Miroslav Satan, whose play has continued to improve since about Game 4 of the last series, brought his game up to another level with a goal and some very active play. Evgeni Malkin continued to roll with a goal of his own, and defenseman Philippe Boucher joined in by contributing the team’s only powerplay goal. This is a good omen.
- Separation–All Pens players were on a mission to separate a ‘Canes body from the puck. When the Penguins did this, they won the puck, made the necessary transition up ice (from their defensive zone) or made a play to the net (in their offensive zone) with speed. While the hits were dead even between the Pens and ‘Canes, those of the home team were more memorable and jaw-jarring with the exception of Eric Cole’s longtime-coming payback hit on Brooks Orpik.
- Controlling the neutral zone–Penguins dominated the neutral zone, forcing the ‘Canes to slow down and try to break through into their own offensive end. When the Pens played a tightly controlled game, they virtually shut the the ‘Canes down. Their 12 shots in the first period were cut in half for the entire second period, and they were relegated to 7 shots in the third.
- The power play–After a dismal season and early playoff series on the power play, who would have thought that coming into this game, the Penguins’ power play would be a shade over a blistering 30%? After this game, with the help of blueliner Philippe Boucher, the Pens have registered a power play goal in each of the last seven playoff games. At this point, it is better to encourage it rather than to question it. They have weathered this particular storm at a time where the power play is crucial for a successful run deep into the playoffs.
Room for Improvement
Coming out with the win is key, and now the Pens have two days to look at the film and make adjustments. They might find that they are, in many ways, looking at mirror images of themselves. A few times, there were breakdowns where ‘Canes forwards were able to get behind the defense and buzz the net. They like to bring bunches to the front of the net, so Pens defensemen need to keep the path clear for Fleury.
The Penguins need to play smarter to decrease the number of giveaways–they had 9 tonight versus Carolina’s 2–and to increase takeaways–Pens and ‘Canes were nearly even at 2 and 3 respectively. Faceoffs could have been better, particularly in the defensive end, though the stat sheet shows both teams even at 50% apiece.
Lastly, the Penguins cannot let the Hurricanes hang out for long periods of time in their defensive end. Five-on-five and on the power play, the Hurricanes pass quickly and look for odd bounces anywhere in the zone, not just in tight to the net. If they are not alert, the Penguins could get burned on this, and because of this style of play, it is even more imperative that Fleury have a clear line of sight at all times. Communication and gap control are crucial.
Brothers’ Keeper: The Staal Tracker
The big story line in this series so far aside from Cam Ward versus Marc-Andre Fleury is that of the Brothers Staal, Jordan and Eric, literally squaring off against each other in this series. Again, Game 1 may have shown some nerves, but in looking at the entire game, Eric appeared to have been neutralized by the Penguins, and Jordan appeared to continue to be his dominating defensive self, anchoring the ever-consistent 3rd line. While of the same gene pool, Eric and Jordan have decidedly different styles, but it is still interesting to check in on the match-up during this series and compare how they fared in their previous series.
- Goals/Assists/Points: Jordan (0/0/0), Eric (0/0/0)–In their previous series, Jordan had 2 goals and 2 assists for 4 points while Eric had 4 goals and 2 assists for 6 points. They are just getting warmed up. The Pens did a good job keeping Eric away from the net, and the one time he got close, he was robbed by Fleury literally on the doorstep. For Jordan’s part, in the series against Washington, he was getting some decent numbers in the shots category, registering 3-4 shots on net. The ‘Canes kept him away from the net as well.
- Plus/Minus: Jordan (even), Eric (-1)–In their previous series, both were in the minus with Jordan at a -5 as his line was regularly matched up against Ovechkin who still managed to get on the board. If Eric is kept in check by Jordan’s line, then Jordan’s numbers should remain even or better.
- Penalties: Jordan (0), Eric (1, 2-minutes)–In the previous series, the numbers were reversed.
- Total Ice Time: Jordan (18:39), Eric (22:42)
- Shifts/Average Shift Time: Jordan (24 at :46), Eric : (25 at :54)–In the previous series, Jordan averaged about 25 shifts with a shade more ice time, and Eric averaged 29 shifts.
- Shots on Goal: Jordan (0), Eric : (3)
- Hits: Jordan (2), Eric (2)
- Giveaways: Jordan (1), Eric (0)
- Takeaways: Jordan (0), Eric (1)
- Blocked Shots: Jordan (1), Eric (1)
- Faceoffs Won: Jordan (6), Eric (14)–It was interesting to note that Jordan was getting kicked out of the faceoff circle regularly in this game when he was set to draw against his brother.
- Faceoffs Lost: Jordan (8), Eric (8)
- Faceoff Percentage: Jordan (43%), Eric (64%)–In general Jordan is usually pretty strong on the faceoff, averaging 47% in the last series with a number of games over 50%. His average of 43% in this game is one of his lowest. He will settle in and get to know the styles of those he draws against, so his percentage should bounce back up again. Conversely, Eric averaged 43% in his last series, and this game’s 64% is his highest.
All in all, the Penguins are off to a good start. With continued tweaking and shoring up, they are in good shape to take the series. The Hurricanes are a tenacious, proud team who remember hoisting the Stanley Cup three seasons ago. In the last two seasons, they missed the playoffs entirely, so to be here again, they, too, can smell the shiny metal of the final round. This series will heat up, starting with Game 2 Thursday night. Stay tuned.
A Tale of Two Teams – The Series Ahead
The similarities between these teams in the regular season now continues on in the playoffs. Both teams have overcome adversity and found success through the first two rounds of their playoff journey.
The Canes Journey
The Carolina Hurricanes have battled hard through the first two rounds of the playoffs. In the first round, the Hurricanes went the full distance and came back from a 3-2 series defecit to beat the #3 New Jersey Devils in 7-games. They outscored the Devils 17-15 in the series, with goaltender Cam Ward pitching one shutout. Two games went to overtime, with each team picking up a win. The Hurricanes then took on the #1 Boston Bruins. After losing the first game in Boston, the Hurricanes stormed on to win the next 3-games and put the Bruins on the ropes with the 3-1 series advantage. The mighty Bruins battled back, however, and forced game 7. Ultimately the Bruins took game 7 to overtime before the Hurricanes notched the deciding goal with just 1:14 left in the first overtime. The Hurricanes were actually outcored 17-16 in the round 2 series by the Bruins. Cam Ward pitched his second shutout of the playoffs in this series and the Canes found a way to win both overtime games against the Bruins. The top performers for the Hurricanes have been Eric Staal (9G, 4A) and Jussi Jokinen (6G, 4A). Sergei Samsonov has also been a factor on the scoresheet with 4-goals. Captain Rod BrindAmour only has 2-points (1G, 1A) in the playoffs, and is a -1. As a result, his ice time has been curtailed in these playoffs. He took a puck to the face late in game 7 against the Bruins and never returned. The extent of his injury is unknown, but reports out of Carolina indicate that he is hopeful to start in game 1 against the Penguins.
The Pens Journey
The Pittsburgh Penguins have also had to battle throughout the first two rounds, standing in stark contrast to last season’s relatively quick walk through the playoffs. In the first round, the Penguins faced their cross-state rivals in the Philadelphia Flyers. The Penguins dispatched the #5 Flyers in 6-games, outscoring them 18-16 and winning the only overtime match. The Penguins faced off against the #2 Washington Capitals in round 2 and took it the full distance to win the matchup in 7-games after falling behind 2-0 early in the series. The Penguins outscored the Capitals in the series 27-22 and won 2 of the 3 games that went to overtime. The top performers for the Penguins have been Sidney Crosby (12G, 9A) and Evgeni Malkin (6G, 13A). The two are #1 and #3 in the league in playoff points. Penguins star defenseman Sergei Gonchar missed games 5 and 6 after leaving game 4 with a knee injury sustained in a hit by Alexander Ovechkin, but returned in Game 7. With 10-points (2G, 8A), Gonchar is the 3rd most prolific scorer for the Penguins in these playoffs.
The Series Ahead
Following on the heels of the Penguins-Capitals and Bruins-Hurricanes series, this series promises to be every bit as exciting. Both teams are extremely fast and play an aggressive style of hockey. “You’re going to see fast hockey,” said Sidney Crosby. “Their D is in the play, they’re quick up front, they attack, they don’t sit back. I think that’s similar to the way we like to play as well.” The Hurricanes’ strength, much like the Penguins, is their ability to excel in this style of fast up-and-down game. The key for each team will be to find ways to counter that strength and stifle the speed of the opposition attack by forcing them to play in their own defensive zone. “You don’t want to get caught up thinking it’s going to be odd-man rushes back and forth,” Crosby said. “We want to work hard. We want to work smart. That’s going to be resolved by the two teams and the way they play but you’ll see fast hockey.”
Coach Dan Bylsma knows what his team has to do to be successful. “In order to counteract a team that is aggressive and wants to play a speed game and has some skill up front, the longer you can force them to play in the defensive zone the slower it makes their game and harder for their D to get involved and be up the ice. That’s our game – getting to the offensive zone with speed. When we’re playing our best we are keeping teams in their defensive zone and holding onto the puck, dictating the game by playing in their zone. That’s the way we need to play to have success. That’s the way we want to play. We don’t want a game that goes up and down the ice at electric speed. We can play that way, we have the personnel to play that way. We want to play that offensive zone game and when we’re not there we want to attack, get the puck and return there as quickly as we can.” You can rest assured that Paul Maurice, with 11 more seasons of NHL coaching experience than Dan Bylsma, is drafting similar plans on how to stop the explosive offense of the Pittsburgh Penguins.
The Hockey Gods Must Be Crazy
In my short blogging career, I’ve refrained from writing in 1st person, but on Game 7 Eve, I find myself feeling the pull of the fan side of me just as much as the analyst side. Driving in my car after work today, I knew hell had frozen over and pigs were flying because, for once, I was in complete agreement with both local sports commentators, Mark Madden and Rob Rossi, as they talked over the impending Game 7 on Madden’s radio show.
Here’s what made sense:
- Rossi–The key to the game is TRUST. The Penguins have to trust in themselves, trust in the system, and trust in the coaches. Goaltender Marc-Andre Fleury will be a monster in this game. While he has been criticized for the occasional soft goal, when going over his body of work, especially in big do-or-die situations, he rises to the occasion and gets it done just about every time. This will be such an occasion. He also has the ability to bounce back big after less-than-stellar performances.
- Madden–Chris Kunitz is not making the impact that he needs to and that he was brought onto the team for as one of Sidney Crosby’s wingers. While the hits have been spectacular, he often puts himself out of position–such a situation led to a Caps goal in Game 6. Jordan Staal is a big body that could more than adequately fill a Ryan Malone role; he needs to believe that and start utilizing his size and strength in front of Caps goalie Varlamov–a lot.
- Madden’s Line-up
Fedotenko–Crosby–Malkin
Kunitz–Staal–Guerin
Kennedy–Talbot–Cooke
Adams–Satan
The Malkin-Crosby pairing makes sense in that Ovechkin would eventually be overwhelmed trying to go head-to-head in a line against them. Malkin and Fedotenko can both handle Sid’s passes, which can be key in front of the net on tip-ins and weird bounces. Vice-versa, Sid’s no slouch in front of the net either as he’s proven in this series. Fedotenko has the hot hand right now, and this threesome could make for a pretty formidable line.
Staal centering Guerin and Kunitz is also a good choice. When Kunitz first arrived, Sid was out hurt, so he was put on a second line centered by Staal while Malkin centered the first line. Instantly, the chemistry was there and both Kunitz and Staal were very productive. That reunion could be the spark that gets Kunitz on the board–he’s due. Bill Guerin is another guy who knows how to play in front of the net and has shown some success doing that in the playoffs.
Talk about an energy line–Talbot centering, flanked by Tyler Kennedy and Matt Cooke is literally high-octane as all three are very similar in tenacity and style of play. Talbot has had a great series, and his efforts helped to spark Malkin. He has given 110% to the best of his ability. While Kennedy and Cooke have struggled, it is not out of the realm of possibility that one or both of these guys could figure in scoring in this game.
One change I would make, however, is to come back to four full lines of forwards rather than double-shifting one of the three centers with Adams and Satan. This would require reactivating Pascal Depuis, another hardworking energy guy, and having to go back to six defensemen. Craig Adams has had a solid series, playing a physical role and working hard on the boards. Miroslav Satan had his best two games of the entire season in 5 & 6, adding a rarely seen physical element to his repertoire.
It involves making a choice between the veteran Philippe Boucher with his explosive slapshot and the young Alex Goligoski’s offensively-minded defensive playing style. In agreement with Madden, running seven defensemen throws off the forwards’ rotation cycles and was the cause of a too-many-men-on-the-ice penalty, something the Penguins rarely did all year. That’s a penalty that can be ill-afforded in a series like this where one mistake can literally cost a team the game, and in this game’s case–the series.
Coach Dan Bylsma’s decision to use seven defensemen was a necessity. The team was in a back-to-back game situation, and the fact that Sergei Gonchar was lost so early in the previous night’s contest, caused Bylsma to have to roll his remaining five defensemen for a ton of minutes. They needed the burden of the next night to be shared in order to regain their own legs, particularly in the event of a Game 7 situation. It would not hurt to resume the make-up of 12 forwards and 6 defense.
Rob Rossi believes this team will win Game 7, that they have another level in them, and it is true. They need to stick to their plan and play for 60 minutes. The 2nd period has been make-or-break for them, and they are well aware of it. If they keep their shifts to 40-45 seconds instead of 1:05 or more, they will be able to sustain their energy and their tempo because when they play at that level, they dominate.
No time like the present.
Get One for the Sarge
On a high-intesity drama scale, the Eastern Conference Semifinals series between the Pittsburgh Penguins and the Washington Capitals continues to thrill. Game 4 saw a determined Penguins team once again at the mercy of the cruel humor of the Hockey Gods as another weird development put a Caps goal in the net only :36 into the game.
But the Pens seem to like it that way as goaltender Marc-Andre Fleury joked carefully afterward that that was the plan. One hates to put too much focus on the stat for trivia enthusiasts that in this series, the team that scores first loses, but that’s how it’s shaped up so far. It’s that kind of self-deprecating humor that keeps the mood light and the guys loose, and then it’s back to business.
In this game it was not a case of dueling hat-tricks between Alex Ovechkin and Sidney Crosby. Instead, it was a checklist of contributions from goals to helpers in a well-balanced effort. Guys like Pens defenseman Sergei Gonchar, Bill Guerin, Ruslan Fedotenko, and Max Talbot all scored goals. Others like Jordan Staal, Miroslav Satan, Chris Kunitz, and defenseman Rob Scuderi assisted to make it all happen.
Serious Stuff
The jury is still out on the knee-to-knee hit Alex Ovechkin took on Sergei Gonchar that put “Sarge” out of the game. The Penguins are not saying much on the subject–in interviews they said they had only seen the replay of it once, and many of them prefer to leave it up to the league and the refs. As Bill Guerin noted, it’s not up to him. The Capitals, on the other hand, saw it very differently.
In the post-game press conference, a clearly uncomfortable Ovechkin tried to explain it (several times) that the hit was an accident. His coach, Bruce Boudreau, cavalierly and unabashedly stated that if anyone (implying “with a brain”) looked at the tape, they would clearly see that Ovi led with the shoulder, and, in professorial fashion he proceeded with the physics lesson for the “rubes”: where the shoulder goes, the knee will follow. It was a good hit. Still, one would have loved to have been a Russian fly on the wall as Evgeni Malkin’s father was seen in animated conversation with Ovi after the game.
The league and the refs will ultimately decide, but as Jay Caufield from FSN-Pittsburgh pointed out, using the Donald Brashear 6-game suspension for his hit on Blair Betts as an example, it’s got to be consistent.
Taking his argument further, one need only go back to the Philadelphia series when Daniel Carcillo was suspended for a game after hitting Maxime Talbot in the back of the head with the butt end of his stick on a face-off. The Ovechkin hit on Gonchar clearly falls between these two incidents in terms of severity. The hit on Betts caused a concussion and broke occipital bones. The hit on Talbot did not cause injury but was a situation that could have gone badly. In the case of Gonchar, it is not known yet the degree of his injury, but the term ACL has been bandied about.
The Pens were a bit dazed upon that incident, but they played through it and maybe in spite of it–those band of brothers rallied so that Gonch’s loss would not be in vain. Tonight could easily be a carry-over of that spirit because it’s events like that which can galvanize a team, particularly one that seems to be improving and gathering strength with each period of play in this series. Game 4 was crucial and pivotal. The Caps are on their heels, and Varlamov may have spent Friday night sleeplessly replaying his performance on his second loss in a row.
Penguin Notables
- Coaching–There are many theories floating around about the idea of coaching face-offs. They are hard to accurately emulate in practice, so often, it is not something that is worked on to any major degree. However, Pens coach Dan Bylsma was seen working with Crosby in face-off style scenarios, giving Sid an idea of how to approach an opponent’s stance and positioning. The biggest difference between Michel Therrien and Dan Bylsma behind the bench is communication. Bylsma stays engaged with his players individually but not intrusively. One of the most maddening things about Therrien was that during times when he should have been in the ear of players, he was standing back, arms crossed, gazing out over the ice like a first row season ticket-holder. Bylsma has a talent for teaching on multiple levels.
- Face-offs–To piggy back on the previous comment about face-offs, in game 4 it was not always about winning the face-off. In one draw that Evgeni Malkin took, he intentionally deferred the win to his Caps opponent in favor of exploding past him to follow the puck, which he successfully gathered up after some jostling in the corner. This an excellent stratgey, showing once again that there is more than one way (the conventional way) to skin a cat even if it means sacrificing a stat. Whether this was an idea derived from a coach, a player, or both, it shows that these guys are becoming advanced students of the game–they are thinking out of the box and getting positive results.
- Hitting–When the Penguins control puck possession, whether in their defensive end or in the offensive zone, it all starts with physical play. The more Pens who hit a Cap off the puck, the more pucks come into the Pens’ possession. They have proven it time and again. This style of play disrupts the Caps’ flow and makes for tired, frustrated bodies. As soon as the Pens lay off the hits, the Caps come back and reset their speed game.
- Defensive Play–Given the way these guys played for much of the first 3/4 of the season, if anyone said that Rob Scuderi, Mark Eaton, and Hal Gill would be forces to be reckoned with this year, it would not have been believed. Their often sloppy and lacklustre play during that time was hard to watch, but these guys to a man have dug deep within themselves and found new life–in a huge way. Scuderi and Gill have been tasked with accoutning for Ovechkin, and Game 4’s performance showed that they are equal to the challenge, holding Ovi to only 2 shots in the entire game. To cap it off, Scuderi also figured in the scoring with 2 assists. The 3rd line looked more like themselves, and it is only a matter of time before they get on the scoreboard. Staal chipped in on the Fedotenko goal with some hard jabbing on the boards to break the puck free in the right direction. Marc-Andre proved solid once he got the fluke goal out of the way early in the game.
Keys to Game
It’s simple. Keep the pressure on. keep the hits legal but keep them coming hard and fast. The Caps are starting to hear big steps behind them every time they go to the boards for the puck. Keep up not only the profusion of shots, but follow on for the rebounds. Varlamov is brilliant up to two whacks at the puck, but as the numbers climb to three and four hits at it, he breaks down. Keep drawing strength from each other and take care of individual assignments. Basically, do the things that have translated into success, and do it for 60 minutes.
Band of Brothers: Pens 3-Caps 2 OT
“We few, we happy few, we band of brothers;/For he to-day that sheds his blood with me,/Shall be my brother…”–King Henry before the battle of Agincourt, Henry V by William Shakespeare.
While many hockey fans might not be familiar with this quote from one of William Shakespeare’s plays, it marks a great speech made by a young English king to an army that had all the odds going against it, in a word–adversity.
They were tested.
Landing in France with 12,000 men, by the time they reached the day at Agincourt, a field barely the size of a modern-day football field, they had dwindled to 5,900 mostly due to disease. On the day of battle, the English were outnumbered nearly 4:1 by the French army that stood between 20,000 and 30,000 strong. At the end of the day, the English were victorious, having lost only 112 men to France’s losses of between 7,000 and 10,000.
How did they do it? They played to their strengths and they kept it simple. To learn more, one need only go read the play or Google the battle, but fast-forward about 600 or so years to Wednesday night’s game against the Washington Capitals at Mellon Arena.
The opening minutes of the game did not look good for the Penguins as one of the most bizarre chain of events led to a stinging goal past the de-weaponed Marc-Andre Fleury by the dreaded Alex Ovechkin. The faces of the white-clad fans drained of enough blood to match their shirts and towels. It could have been the beginning of the end. The Penguins had been there before, last season, two weeks ago, all year…name the time.
But these were the Penguins, the Cardiac Kids who last year didn’t seem to know that they weren’t supposed to make it to the Stanley Cup finals, two games shy of the coveted cup of Lord Stanley, their grail. They sailed through the rounds until they hit adversity in the form of the Detroit Red Wings.
This year, they struggled through a lack-lustre season, but refused to give up, somehow found a way to keep themselves within reach though the odds were stacked against them (maybe 4:1). They entered the playoff standings better than bottom of the barrel and met adversity early in the form of the Philadelphia Flyers.
And they banded together under their newly-crowned Henry V. They kept it simple. They played to their strengths and tried to minimize and improve upon their weaknesses. The Caps came out swinging, and they hung with them in games that could have gone either way.
They were a little wounded with players like Evgeni Malkin, Jordan Staal, Ruslan Fedotenko, Tyler Kennedy, Pascal Depuis, and Chris Kunitz struggling to score, but they still fought to have an impact, to make a contribution, any contribution to help the team win. It paid off for Malkin spurred on by an inspired Maxime Talbot. The rest, encouraged, continue to persevere.
Their time will come.
If any team represents the spirit of sport, of the concept of team, of the sheer will to never quit no matter how bad it is or how dire it seems, it is the Pittsburgh Penguins. Time and again, unsung heroes have stepped up and made the difference. In this game, it was Ruslan Fedotenko and Kris Letang. Leaders have led and coaches have marshalled their troops to keep morale high and desire strong. They have carried themselves in a way that would make any parent of a young athlete proud to point to these players as role models, ambassadors of the game.
In listening to the interviews of the various Penguins players over the past several days, one thing is glaringly evident: there is a calm (not cocky) confidence. There is a belief in the words they are saying, something that is not usually the hallmark of the general interview where all the right catch-phrases are used in all the right places in a well-rehearsed tone.
But look on the bench. Their heads are up. They are alert, attentive, engaged, focused. Even when a player’s performance seems underwhelming to the average fan, it pays to look at the entire picture. From stars to 4th liners, they encourage each other and bolster each other. They back each other up, and they stand up for each other. They don’t shout at each other on the bench for not getting the puck enough. They don’t pull faces of taunting buffoonery, full of disrespect.
The entire picture shows what’s beyond the stats and what makes the stats possible–the players who struggle to score racing for pucks, trying again and again, getting physical, playing defense, working hard, fighting to win draws and clear pucks. The reward is that eventual goal or the helper that got them the win. Game 3 was as much a team win from a band of brothers who have grown together, struggled together and emerged all the stronger for it.
That’s what the Pittsburgh Penguins have.
That’s what gets Lord Stanley’s Cup.
