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The Official 2012 NHL Stanely Cup Finals Thread

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#583
Lazarus.Bird said:
Fleury has had a shaky post-season this year, and he's certainly not the best goalie in the league, but I think people are quick to criticize him. Obviously when you put up the numbers he did in the first 3 games, criticism is warranted, but the games don't fall completely on his shoulders.

After the game last night, the media kept trying to bait Brooks Orpik into saying Fleury was back in form for Game 4, implying he played awful in games 1 through 3. This seemed to piss Orpik off pretty bad, sending him on a tirade about how terrible their defense had played and left him hung out to dry. He has the support of his locker room 100%, has a SC ring, and was phenomenal last year when the Pens were in the playoffs minus the super stars.

That said, he's got a lot of stuff to work on. He has always been plagued with letting in weak goals from time to time.
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Fleury was awful in the first three games. And so was the Pens defense. I'm fine with Orpik deflecting an opportunity at criticism, but the criticism would have been justified (though probably not productive for the team).

The biggest thing the Flyers ought to be worried about is that after the first period, Fleury looked good again. If he gets his game back, the series is going to be much harder for the Flyers.
 
#585
Hollow Man said:
Fleury was awful in the first three games. And so was the Pens defense. I'm fine with Orpik deflecting an opportunity at criticism, but the criticism would have been justified (though probably not productive for the team).

The biggest thing the Flyers ought to be worried about is that after the first period, Fleury looked good again. If he gets his game back, the series is going to be much harder for the Flyers.
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I still don't see this. Of course he looked good in the second. The puck was in the flyers end on powerplays the whole period. I think he got a boost from the win, but he didn't have a type of game that makes me think hes back. The rest is just guessing what he will do. Both goalies have been a mess, both have the ability to be amazing, but neither has done that yet.
 
#591
Broadstbully22 said:
And wasn't that the head shot he took that wasn't called?
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Went over the game on the DVR tonight... (guess I'm a sadist) 2 headshots.

At about 8:21 left in the first period, Grossmann goes back for the puck, he moves it up the boards and Kennedy comes right at him with what looks like both fists in front, he nails him right in the head. Grossmann staggers immediately, then he is seen flexing his jaw on the bench after the play.

Interestingly, there is a face off at the blueline, left side, just before the hit. Kennedy skates up to Malkin, then switches spots with Letang (so, he basically moves back further and a bit toward Grossmann's (the right, or "open") side of the ice). Malkin wins the faceoff to the back left, Kennedy gets a "running start" on the dump in by the dman and crushes Grossmann in the head after he retrieves it.

Malkin threw a flying elbow shoulder at Grossman's head near the 16:00 mark, knocking him woozy in the corner. It wasn't a bodycheck - it shouldn't count as a hit - all he connected with was Grossman's head.

The Pens targeted the Flyers #1 defenseman and it didn't get picked up by the refs. Grossman wound up playing only 8:54 when he normally plays close to 20:00.
 
#592
Interesting happening in Washington. With 9.5 seconds left in the game, one more faceoff in the Washington defensive zone with the Boston goaltender pulled, the clock didn't start for a few seconds after the faceoff. Gave Boston a few extra seconds. Doesn't matter after all since they didn't score to tie it, but whoo boy!
 
#593
WOO CAPS!

I only saw the third period, but it looks like it was a tough, hard-fought game the whole way. It's disappointing that the Caps can't put more shots on Thomas (particularly since the Bruins are putting so many on Holtby), but I'll take the two goals we got. And how about Holtby? Kid's not so bad, eh? His emergence was the reason we traded Varlamov in the offseason; even before we signed Vokoun, Varlamov became expendable when Holtby showed that he was ready to back up Neuvirth. Hell, Holtby may be the #1 Caps goalie next season!
 
#594
mkandolf said:
Interesting happening in Washington. With 9.5 seconds left in the game, one more faceoff in the Washington defensive zone with the Boston goaltender pulled, the clock didn't start for a few seconds after the faceoff. Gave Boston a few extra seconds. Doesn't matter after all since they didn't score to tie it, but whoo boy!
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Yeah, that delay in the clock was very scary. Not sure what happened, but I cringe to think of how it would have been sorted out by the refs and the league if the Bruins had tied it up during that span.
 
#596
The WAS/BOS series is what I wanted the PHI/PIT series to be. Great game tonight. I love how Holtby is playing and Ovechkin has come alive. He's all over the ice.

Excellent defense and goaltending in New Jersey too. Brodeur was on fire.

Going to OT in Chicago......awesome possum!!!!!

-Mike
 
#597
Not the result that I was hoping for, but the B's - Caps was more of what I expect from playoff hockey - tight, hard-fought but not chippy. The Caps went back to the game 1 and 2 style of tight defense and hope to win 2-1. It worked tonight with some help from some fine goaltending This is the style of hockey that gives the Caps their best chance against the Bs - I was hoping that they would continue the trend they started in game 3 of getting away from it, but, to their credit, they seem to have bought into it. I still think the B's will pull this out, but it is even going back to Boston and anything can happen.
 
#600
Man, I thought Crawford should have had that shot that won the game for Phoenix in OT. It's fun to see a team of mostly no-names (Shane Doan, Ray Whitney, and Mike Smith excepted) take on a team of stars like Toews, Kane, Sharp, Hossa (not tonight...), Keith, and Seabrook.
 
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