Pretty slow commute!Take it to the streets(in yer area)
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NHL Season 2018-19
- Thread starter MJ5150
- Start date
I'm not sure which Pens team took the ice this afternoon in Pittsburgh. That was weird.
-Mike
-Mike
I'm not sure where Sid's head was during each of the two Flyers goals. And Kessel had one of his worst games in a long time...couldn't hold on to the puck at all, gave it away so often I had to make sure he wasn't wearing orange and white. Murray was spectacular for most of the game, gotta give him credit. Outdoor game deja vu all over again!
That Flyers/Pens game was exciting. I kept thinking of Mike (@MJ5150) and his love of low-scoring games. Both goalies played strong games. And for me, it was an enjoyable sight seeing a Pens/Flyers game where Crosby, Guentzel, Kessel, and Hornqvist didn't score a goal.
Too little, too late for the Flyers. No playoffs for them, but good effort nonetheless...
Too little, too late for the Flyers. No playoffs for them, but good effort nonetheless...
Yes sir, that was a fun game to watch. 1-0, and I thought to myself...this game is awesome. Perfect ending.
I turned my eyes away for a few minutes, then it was 1-1. As the third hit 00:00, I resigned myself to it being an OTL for the Pens.
-Mike
Ha ha! You're so full of crap, Mike! Whining about "how bad" the Pens look while they just keep racking up the Cups. I was just glad it didn't go to a shootout. That's usually a loss for the Flyers. Although Hart DID look good last night...
The Pens are becoming quite adept at not playing 60 regulation minutes in one game as the season winds down.
-Mike
-Mike
Exactly. I was going to post about the alarming trend of playing about 57-58 minutes, having a one-goal lead, only to let the opponent tie it very late, and pee it away in OT. (In this case a shootout...no difference).
Although I still feel good about the Pens making the post-season, Carolina (with two games in hand) may very well bump them down into the Wild Card slot.
And @MJ5150, you gotta give Jack Johnson his due...his 'save' on Aho during the OT power play was one of the best saves of the night.
Too bad it ended up not making a difference.
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The B's played their most complete game of the season last night against the Islanders - a 5-0 shutout. Rask didn't have to make many stops, but he had a couple of big ones when the game was still in doubt. B's got some puck luck too - the first goal looked like it was going wide but the goalie deflected into the net and the second goal was on a very bad turnover in front of the NYI net and the third was on the end of a PP where DeBrusk came out of the box and had a breakaway; when the Islanders had a scoring chance, the puck found Rask's glove.
Pastrnak in his first game back skated well, and got some shots off, but looked a bit rusty. Fortunately, he has time to get his timing back. DeBrusk, in his second game back, looked very good.
After the B's dominated the first period, Matt Martin asked for, and was granted, a fight with Zdeno Chara right after the puck drop. Z dropped him once and Martin bounced up for more. All I could think of is that the line between brave and foolhardy is a thin one, but Martin did what he thought he needed to get his team going - it didn't work but you have to admire the guts it takes to even try. Fortunately, neither appeared to be any worse for the wear.
Pastrnak in his first game back skated well, and got some shots off, but looked a bit rusty. Fortunately, he has time to get his timing back. DeBrusk, in his second game back, looked very good.
After the B's dominated the first period, Matt Martin asked for, and was granted, a fight with Zdeno Chara right after the puck drop. Z dropped him once and Martin bounced up for more. All I could think of is that the line between brave and foolhardy is a thin one, but Martin did what he thought he needed to get his team going - it didn't work but you have to admire the guts it takes to even try. Fortunately, neither appeared to be any worse for the wear.
I kept thinking, "Bite his hand! Bite his hand!" (Chara's left hand holding Martin at bay). That would have been the only counter offense Martin had. When your opponent is that much larger and longer than you are, you can't fight conventionally, as Martin found out. But he did bounce back up rather quickly.
Well, Leafs looked a bit better last night, but still seem quite a bit removed from their play earlier this season. If they don't figure things out and loose in another first round debacle (which looks quite likely...) methinks Babs days are numbered. Interesting factoid....Leafs are the only team which has not had a game go to a shootout this year.
Are you kidding me? Geez, and y'all think us Penguin fans are hypercritical!
What Babcock has done in the couple of years is pretty remarkable, IMO. Especially when you consider what he had to start with. As long as they don't give away another game 7 with a 3 goal lead (2013), I'd guess he's safe.
Nah, biting is too close to licking which I understand that the NHL has a zero tolerance policy about.
Nope. Look at the Leafs record against non-playoff teams. Very good. And look against playoff teams. Under .500. He insists the players play his system, or they do not get ice time. His theory about defending the zone is that you do NOT body check the opposition, because that also takes you out of the play. There is some merit to that, and it works very well against weaker teams (see Leafs records against pretenders), when you play a better team (see Leafs records against contenders) it results in opposing teams easily cycling around in the Leafs zone until they get a good scoring chance. Unless your goalie is super hot (and Freddie has been for most of the season) you find yourself always playing from behind, hoping all that offensive talent can outscore the other team. That doesn't usually happen against better teams. He also insists on the off side winger breaking for the other teams zone as soon as Leafs get possession in their own zone. Other teams have picked up on this and now the stretch pass is no longer available, resulting in all those give-aways where the Leafs D throws the puck right up the middle of the ice. Babs has been a great coach for Team Canada, but in reality anyone could coach those teams, all you have to do is open the gate and say "Go get them!" Look at the last two playoff seasons....Leafs run into a bigger heavier team in the first round with very predictable results. To remedy that, Leafs have gotten even smaller and lighter....And I fear another repeat in the first round this year.
Systems are great-'til everyone else figures out what you're doing and how to counteract it.
You bring up lots of good and valid points for sure, but I bet every team's fans can pick apart the negatives in anyone's system, etc. (Except perhaps the late 70's Canadiens...) Even during the Pens' two Cup runs in '16 & '17 there were noticeable weaknesses and unfavorable stats. Ditto the 80s Oilers. Stats don't lie but neither do they tell the whole story.
Despite both of us having doubts and frustrations about our respective teams, I'm still psyched to see the playoffs start. (Even though I see Tampa Bay steamrolling through the East.)
