Opening Salvos
The Pittsburgh Penguins opened their 2009-10 season with their first back-to-back set of games, and their double-dose of New York opponents were chomping at the bit to get at the Kings of the Hill.
A home-opener of cosmic proportions ensued with the raising of the Stanley Cup banner for the last time in the Igloo. It was electrifying. It was nostalgic. And there were many “snapshots” one could call memorable:
- the roar of the crowd when Max Talbot came on the ice, the Game 7 hero;
- the look of sheer pride on Mario’s face;
- the ovations for Crosby, Malkin, Staal, and Fleury;
- the table holding up under the weight of the many coveted trophies earned through blood, sweat, perhaps some tears, and a whole lot of heart, bruises, and teamwork, or
- maybe it was watching that banner make its slow ascent to the rafters.
It was all good. Then the games began…
Quick Recap…
It was time for the teams to start lining up, a la the 2009-10 schedule, to see who could be the first to hand a loss to the Penguins. In their 3-2 win over the New York Rangers, despite some early jitters, the team settled down and got to work, and it promised to be a physical game with the Pens recording 41 hits, 10 more than the Rangers, but the most memorable “hits” came from a beauty of a fight between heavy-weights Donald Brashear and Eric Godard. The standard had been set.
In the second game, closing the first of 16 scheduled back-to-back games in the Pens’ schedule, the New York Islanders came out like they meant business, and it was a slug-fest to the bitter shoot-out end with the Pens prevailing. Everything was rocking and rolling.
Maybe it was the distraction of the Phoenix Coyotes’ administrative problems. Maybe it was the Coyotes’ well-executed neutral zone trap that took away the boards off of which the Pens love to race. Maybe, it was just a hiccup. The bright spot in the Pens’ first unceremonious 3-0 home loss was Jordan Staal’s face-off prowess, winning an impressive 12 of 13 draws (92%). That was about all that Coach Dan Bylsma had to smile about, except he wasn’t smiling. On the bench, as Evgeni Malkin slammed his stick and Jordan Staal looked to the heavens for answers from the hockey gods, Bylsma stood behind the duo surveying the ice with a look of ultimate disapproval.
Whatever was said in the space of time between the end of that game and the start of the next, the team regrouped to take on the hated Philadelphia Flyers. The game did not disappoint…ok…well…maybe it disappointed the Flyers’ fans as the Pens emerged victorious, but the Pens were back on track,…except for this nasty new habit of committing a ton of penalties.
The game against the Toronto Maple Leafs, who looked like a stronger team in the pre-season, displayed some of the Penguins’ abilities including a red-hot power play that notched 3 goals in their 5-2 win.
The Ottawa Senators were up next, and they exhibited signs of being a serious contender as Milan Michalek and Bill Guerin exchanged goals at the end of the 1st period within less than a minute of each other. That is until, Tyler Kennedy blazed 2 more goals past netminder Pascal Leclaire, and linemate Jordan Staal stuck the dagger in for his 3rd goal in 3 games, giving Pittsburgh a 4-1 win.
The latest game against the Carolina Hurricanes promised to be a dogfight as these teams met for the first time since the playoffs when the Pens swept the ‘Canes. The stats looked about as even as they could be in just about every category through 2 periods of play. But Eric Staal did not seem himself on the ice. The ‘Canes tried the Coyotes’ trick of putting on the neutral zone trap and stacking bodies across their defensive blueline, but the Pens, better prepared than before, stuck to the plan and chipped away to force a shoot-out win. Ray Whitney was a force to be reckoned with, and Cam Ward put on just as much of goalie clinic at his end as Marc-Andre Fleury did at the other, denying Bill Guerin’s sure goal from what looked like inches.
What Needs to Change…
The biggest, most glaring anomaly emanating from the Penguins team that fans have come to know and love is the profusion of penalties. In the first 4 games alone, the Penguins committed 36 penalties for 92 minutes, which translates into over 4 periods of riding the sinner’s pine. Forty minutes consisted of 7 fighting majors (5 minutes) from Eric Godard, Craig Adams, Mike Rupp, and Jay McKee as well as 2 misconduct penalties of 10 minutes each for Jay McKee and Chris Kunitz. Those guys aside, Evgeni Malkin surprisingly led the way with the most penalties (6), followed by Sidney Crosby and Brooks Orpik, each with 4 apiece. This hardly showed the disciplined play for which the team had become known.
The Good News…
There’s a lot more on the positive side even at this early stage in the season. Continuing with the penalty situation, in the last 3 games, the Pens have whittled down their wreckless infractions by more than half with 17 penalties for a total of 43 minutes. Only 3 fighting majors (5 minutes each) committed by Godard, Adams, and Rupp. Malkin managed only one trip to the sin bin as did Crosby, and Orpik avoided it altogether.
Face-offs–Clearly, the art of the draw has been discussed and worked on to the extent it can be in a non-real-game situation. Some set plays on the face-off have been incorporated, and with the vast improvement of the centers on the dot, puck wins have led to puck-possession and either some very good chances in the offensive zone or the ability to clear or transition out of the defensive zone. Of particular note among those taking the most draws:
- Sidney Crosby has won 88 out of 142 attempts (62.0%). He leads the league in the number of face-offs taken. His highest percentage so far came in the game against the Flyers where he won 21 of 24 (88%).
- Jordan Staal has won 53 out of 106 attempts (50.0%). His highest percentage came in the loss to Phoenix where he won 12 of 13 (92%).
- Craig Adams has won 37 of 70 for 52.8%.
Power Play–Really, the team is off to a decent start, picking up from where they left off in the playoffs. The Pens’ home power play conversion is 14.3% (2 home games), and their away conversion rate is 19.0% (5 games). Noticeably, they are moving the puck more swiftly, taking good shots, multiple shots, and getting one and sometimes two men in front of the net. Bill Guerin and Jordan Staal have both shared duties as the guy to set up on the netminder’s doorstep. Having Sergei Gonchar in the line-up from the get-go doesn’t hurt either, and he and Kris Letang continue to mesh from the blue line.
Penalty Kill–The Penguins have gotten off to a decent start with a respectable 84.6% kill percentage at home and 82.6% on someone else’s ice. As they reduce their time in the box, these stats should improve and break 90%. Bylsma continues to encourage the aggressive short-handed style with the likes of Staal and Cooke, Adams, Depuis, and even Crosby getting in on the fun.
Board Domination–In just seven games, the Penguins have notched 190 hits on opponents with a game high total so far of 41 hits at the expense of the New York Rangers. In the wrecking crew department, the team is averaging 27 hits a game from an average of 12 players per game. Chris Kunitz, Brooks Orpik, and Matt Cooke lead the way on a regular basis. And while hits are exciting to watch, the Pens are making a point of taking the body to separate man from puck and ultimately gain back possession. They are improving on that technique.
Protecting the Netminder–In blocked shots, the Pens are no less impressive. Through 7 games, they have blocked 127 shots, led by Jay McKee with 21 blocks and Brooks Orpik with 14. The team is averaging 18 blocked shots per game from an average of 9 players an outing. Speaking of netminding, Fleury looks like he only took a week off from the play-off form he was in this past spring. Already, he has made some spectacular point-blank robberies from opposing snipers. Most notably, he has improved on his puck movement. In the ‘Canes game, he looked extremely comfortable coming out of the safety of the crease to redirect play up ice, shortening the distance for his teammates, which saves legs. Particularly in this game, his play was reminiscent of Tom Barrasso during the Mario years, and that’s a very good thing.
Final Musings–The new acquisitions of McKee and Rupp have been good ones as they have clearly meshed quickly and easily into the Penguins’ system. They’ve chipped in with contributions in most areas of the game, making this team very deep and versatile through four lines of offense and three lines of defense. The scary thing about the Penguins is that they continue to get goal production from a wide range of players, not just from Malkin and Crosby. When this happens, it makes it very difficult for teams to strategize against them because literally every player on this team has to be considered a potential goal-scorer. So far, it’s been very exciting, especially with the team’s new record of 5 consecutive road wins. That kind of momentum is a confidence-booster, especially given the fact that they have a West Coast road trip coming up.
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Keeping the Faith–Who’s Giving Up?
Anyone disheartened by the 2 games to none deficit that the Penguins face has a pretty short memory and needs to take heart: Remember the Caps. For a little perspective, compare not only how close both teams were on the superstats sheets. Compare the stats of the Caps versus those of Detroit in their respective opening home-ice playoff series games, and what is revealed is just how many notches have been kicked up.
Games 1 & 2 Comparisons
While it is a bit tricky to look at stats textually, it is worth the effort because upon careful review, there are reasons to remain as confident as the Penguins are:
- Shots–Pens (72) vs. Caps (59) TO Pens (64) vs. Wings (56)–only 8 shots less over two games compared to the Caps series.
- Missed Shots–Pens (31) vs. Caps (23) TO Pens (18) vs. Wings (27)–Pens have brought down their missed shots total significantly (by 13) while the opponents they faced were in the mid- to high 20s.
- Hits–Pens (40) vs. Caps (51) TO Pens (72) vs. Wings (77)–While the Caps series appeared to be pretty heavy-hitting and physical, when compard to the Wings series, this is a huge statistic and speaks to the heightened physicality of this series. It also shows that the Pens are holding their own and giving as good as they are getting.
- Giveaways–Pens (16) vs. Caps (38) TO Pens (25) vs. Wings (41)–While the Pens have increased slightly in the number of giveaways, the Wings, surprisingly have given up the puck 16 more times, showing that the Pens are applying decent pressure and forcing turnovers.
- Takeaways–Pens (10) vs. Caps (24) TO Pens (17) vs. Wings (20)–Pens have improved on their takeaways in the Detroit series, up by 7 from the Caps series. Also, Detroit has managed four fewer than the Caps could against the Pens.
- Blocked Shots–Pens (37) vs. Caps (40) TO Pens (24) vs. Wings (21)–hard to tell from these numbers, but one possible reason for fewer blocked shots is that more shots may be coming beyond potential blockers where a defender is clearly beaten.
- Faceoff Percentage–Out of 121 draws, Pens (55 for 45%) vs. Caps (66 for 55%) TO out of 106 draws, Pens (43 for 41%) vs. Wings (63 for 59%)–There is room for improvement on the faceoffs; however, in Game 1 to Game 2 comparisons in each series, the Pens actually got worse in the Caps series going from 53% to 38%. In the Detroit series, the Pens improved considerably from Game 1 to Game 2, going from 29% to 53%.
What is Working and What Needs Improvement (Pros ‘n’ Cons)
- Shots are staying above 30. More couldn’t hurt, but play needs to be smart. If Crosby and Malkin (and Bill Guerin and Jordan Staal lately) are drawing two and sometimes three guys to them like bees to honey, that means their linemates and even a pinching point man are wide open on the weak side of Osgood. Plays like the Crosby to Guerin goal in Game 1 and the Fedotenko goal off a Malkin shot strong side that rebounded wide weak side are what’s called for. In the latter case, Feds didn’t sit and watch the beauty of Malkin’s shot. He took off for Osgood’s blind side and buried a weak but juicy rebound. This is what beat Washington’s Varlamov and Carolina’s Ward. This is what was starting to have Osgood look over his left shoulder on more than a few occasions in the latter half of Game 2. Good news for the Pens and something they can capitalize on.
- Hits are high. It does not matter how big a guy is, an older body taking those kinds of hits night after night in intense playoff finals mode is going to show the ill effects. The Pens need to keep pummeling; however, they need to get to the high side of their opponent to keep him from clearing the puck into the neutral zone for a rush the other way. Instead, they need to position checks in a way that forces Detroit to have to push the puck deeper in the ends of the rink whether in the offensive or defensive zone. The Pens started to make that adjustment in the 3rd period. They are also learning to elude hits, particularly the Pens defensemen when they go into their own end for the puck. They smartly let the Wings go in just ahead of them and then pin them to the boards and fight for the puck. Open ice hits–love ‘em when they are legal. Hossa and Zetterberg could stand to be on the receiving end of several more.
- Powerplay–Well…hard to do much when penalties are not being called. The bright side is that the one man-advantage situation the Pens had resulted in a goal, putting them at 100% for the game, which is a 100% improvement from Game 1.
- Penalties–Without delving too deeply into the debate over the refs swallowing their whistles as much as they have, the one thing the Pens need to do is to just play to the whistle regardless if they think the ref should have called something. Case in point: the Hossa slash on Pascal Dupuis. While appalling, Dupuis needed to play on and quickly because his delay and that of his fellow team mates gave the Wings an opportunity they capitalized on. Which brings up…
- Goaltending–The higher the stakes, the more it comes down to goaltending, especially in games (series) where all else is fairly equal and hotly contested. Something has got to give, and usually it is the goalie–who blinks first. Like Varlamov, Osgood is winning the battle between the pipes against his counterpart at the other end, Marc-Andre Fleury. However, like Varlamov (and Ward), he is human, and he can be shaken, rattled, and rolled–and beaten. He is starting to second-guess his saves. In Game 1, he was standing up confidently, absorbing shots, and deflecting any rebounds to the corner and out of danger. In Game 2, as the game progressed, he was letting more rebounds get away from him, and he was starting to flop and flail. This is good. Fleury needs to get back up to the low 90s in save percentage. The good news is that his record for consecutively poor games usually does not venture above two, and when he rallies back, he does so with a vengeance. That would be Game 3.
To think this Stanley Cup Final would be over in the Penguins’ favor in five games might be a little naive. However, in six is not out of the realm of possibility, but given how this series is so similar to the Caps series, one should not be surprised that this will go the full seven games. If that’s the case, which team does that favor? The longer the series, the more it plays to the Penguins.
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.
Turning Up the Heat in a Hot Kitchen
by Chaiwoman
Pittsburgh Penguins’ radio color analyst Mike Lange is fond of saying “…to take the heat out of a hot kitchen” during harrowing defensive stands, but he may have to amend that slightly as the Pens and their opponents are fighting fire with fire.
Penguins 6–Devils 1: The Pens cranked up the heat on the New Jersey Devils, and while one would think they could take it, it was no April Fool’s joke. The Devils clearly did not look like themselves that night, and the Pens, by contrast, looked possessed. Six guys figured in the goal scoring: Matt Cooke (11), Bill Guerin (20), Evgeni Malkin (34), Sidney Crosby (30), Jordan Staal (21), and Chris Kunitz (23). On top of that, 12 players assisted in those tallies with defensemen Sergei Gonchar and Hal Gill leading the way by contributing two assists each. Not to be outdone, even netminder Marc-Andre Fleury had an assist, his first of the year, on the Guerin goal.
The confidence of the defensive corps of the Penguins is evidenced in their plus/minus rating. The tandem of Gill and Rob Scuderi posted a +4. This is an outstanding improvement for the pair considering that in days of yore (pre-Bylsma), at the best of times they looked mediocre and at the worst of times shell-shocked. Many were the games when plays in front of Fleury by those two created incredible anxiety for the fans and heart failure for their netminder whose own confidence was shaky. The insecurity was palpable and hard to watch. Fast-forward to present day, and Gill and Scuderi have been reborn. They are as in sync as Siamese twins, playing the way many believed they could play, and Fleury has felt the effects translate to his own crisp game.
Penguins 2–Hurricanes 3 (OT): “Kickin’ it up a notch,” the Pens went into Carolina Saturday night. From the first puck-drop to the goal horn in the OT frame, it was such a firestorm of speed, shots, hits, and break-aways that FSN’s Paul Steigerwald and Bob Errey never had a chance to talk about anything anecdotal except during commercial breaks and intermissions. They were nearly out of breath as they tried to match their play-by-play calling with the speed of the game.
Crosby and Malkin were picking pockets like Fagin’s street urchins, generating chances. Tyler Kennedy had yet another solid game, which at least merits an honorable mention to the 3 stars of the game–all Hurricanes. Malkin’s failing to score on the penalty shot he was awarded was a bad break. However, Guerin’s disallowed goal was a result of a bad Kunitz penalty, which hearkens back to what Bylsma said days ago. It’s not so much about how many penalties they take, but the kind they are and when they occur. This was not a good penalty as without it, Guerin’s goal would have counted, and Jordan Staal’s goal, then, would have been the game winner.
A Hurricanes-Pens playoff round match-up would make for an exciting, heart-stopping, nail-biting, teeth-gnashing series. These two teams are about as evenly matched as any two could be, including their season-long ups and downs and the fact that each possesses an outstanding young goalie in Fleury and Cam Ward, energizing stars, and, oh yes, a Staal brother. Pens fans seem to travel well as the crowd appeared to cheer just as loudly for the Penguin goals as the home team crowd did for the ‘canes, showing some Pittsburgh faithful in attendance.
Penguins 2–Panthers 4: After a strong first period, notching a hefty 19 shots on netminder Tomas Vokoun, the second period saw the Pens experiencing fatigue. No doubt this was a result of the supercharged, all-out slug fest in Carolina just 20 hours earlier. It did not help that a flukey goal came off a misplayed puck by Hal Gill that popped up strangely and could not be cleared out. Add to this the fact that neither Crosby nor Malkin registered a point in this game or in the Carolina game, and both were a -2 at Carolina and -1 at Florida.
However, Coach Dan Bylsma has recognized the power of the Staal-Kennedy duo, putting just about every winger he could think of on the line to try to generate something. It worked for Pascal Depuis, and Staal was also part of the unit that netted Eaton’s power play goal.
While rest can renew tired legs and focus weary minds, it is still unacceptable that the power play produces so few chances on net. The Pens had 4 power play chances and registered only 3 shots with Mark Eaton scoring the sole power play goal. If they are not putting at least 5 shots on net per power play, then it is powerless. If not correctly quickly, such a situation will not bode well for a deep playoff run, let alone a Stanley Cup final. It cannot be stressed enough that Crosby is best working the end boards behind the goalie, forcing the goalie to split his attention to account for him. As soon as he is slides up on the half wall, he has much too much ice to play around with, and 99% of the time, he elects to pass.
The Therrien-era power play reared its ugly head in this game: the passing was excrutiatingly slow, and the player in possession of the puck held it entirely too long. The Panthers’ PK unit loved this because they hardly had to move. They could have killed a 10 minute penalty without a line change at that rate. So few shots on net leaves guys like Kunitz and Guerin with nothing to do, negating one of the biggest reasons they were acquired. Bottom line: Sid, more than any of them, must shoot.
All is not lost though. This team has proven time and again over the past three seasons that it has the collective intestinal fortitude to grind it out and push through a new growing pain. They are in position to have a date with destiny, to get back to where they were last season–maybe to avenge some unfinished business. The road is long and hard, and it will be a test for them and for their new coach, but as Bylsma said, going into the Hurricanes game, he put to them this question: “What mindset do we want to have going into the game?” How they respond 60 minutes at a time will determine their outcome.
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Critical Weekend for Penguins
After going 15-2-3 in their last 20 games, the Penguins are still not assured of a playoff berth. With just 5-games left to play, the Penguins could still finish the season as high as 3rd place or as low as 10th place in the East. This uncertainty underscores the importance of this weekend for the Penguins who hit the road against the Carolina Hurricanes on Saturday night and the Florida Panthers on Sunday night. A regulation win against both teams would clinch a playoff spot for the surging Penguins, but don’t expect it to be easy. First, the Penguins will play their first road game since March 12th after an extended 8-game home stretch in which they went 6-1-1. Second, they will be playing their first back-to-back games since March 14/15, and they have yet to win both when playing back-to-back games this season. Third, they will be playing against two fierce competitors in the Carolina Hurricanes and Florida Panthers. The Hurricanes are tied with the Penguins for the best record in the NHL over the last 10-games, and are riding a 7-game winning streak. The Florida Panthers, while not as successful over their last 10-games, are sitting 2-points out of a playoff position and are fighting for their lives.
Tonight’s game against the Carolina Hurricanes promises to be one of the best matchups of the season, as two of the hottest teams in the NHL face-off in what will undoubetdly be an intense, playoff style environment. In addition to winning their season’s best 7-straight games, the Hurricanes are also sitting on a franchise record 10-straight home wins; two streaks that the Penguins hope to bring to an end. The Pittsburgh Penguins (42-27-8/92-points) and the Carolina Hurricanes (43-28-7/93-points) are very closely matched and have a lot in common. The Hurricanes have only lost 1-game in regulation over their last 14-games played, while the Penguins have only lost 1-game in regulation over their last 16-games. Over the last 20-games, the Hurricanes have gone 15-3-2, while the Penguins have gone 15-2-3. Both teams also made a coaching change midway through the season, as the Canes fired Peter Laviolette and replaced him with Paul Maurice. As far as offense goes, the Penguins are 7th in the league with 3.1 goals per game, while the Canes at 16th have averaged 2.83. Defensively, the Canes are 10th with 2.7 goals against per game while the Penguins are 16th with 2.86 goals against. The Penguins’ improving powerplay should look to take advantage of the Carolina penalty kill which ranks in the bottom third of the league, however, the Hurricanes are one of the least penalized teams at home. All in all, I look for this to be one of the most consequential and exciting games of the season for the Pittsburgh Penguins.
On Sunday, the Penguins will match up against the rested Florida Panthers less than 20-hours after they finish their game against the Hurricanes. The Panthers, coming off from a 3-1 loss against the Atlanta Thrashers on Friday night, are currently sitting 2-points out of a playoff position with just 4-games remaining in their season. The Panthers will be highly motivated to pick up 2-points to keep their playoff hopes alive and will be looking to take advantage of a likely tired Penguins team. While the Panthers have given up the most shots of any team in the league, their goaltending has been outstanding. Tomas Vokoun ranks 2nd in the league behind Tim Thomas with a 0.925 save percentage, while his backup Craig Anderson is 3rd with a 0.924 save percentage. Offensively, the Panthers are a middle of the pack team in terms of goals scored. Look for a desperate game from the Florida Panthers, which could result in more scoring opportunities for the Penguins.
There’s no doubt about the critical importance of this road trip. With just 5-games remaining in the season, the Penguins need to look at “the next game” as the most important one of their season. That’s how they approached the 5-game, 5-win road trip in late February through early March that springboarded them into a 6-1-1 homestand, and a serious playoff contender. “We did a good job here at home,” Crosby said. “Now, we got a big test on this road trip. The challenges just keep coming for us.”
Let’s Go Penguins!
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