Seven Penguins who are having themselves a playoffs
by Hooks Orpik on May 14, 2009 3:07 PM EDT
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PrintWinning two rounds is big and takes contributions from up and down the roster. Here’s seven guys who’ve earned kudos.
+ Sidney Crosby – Obviously the man last series.
+ Kris Letang – Last season Letang had 0 goals, 2 assists in the playoffs over 16 games. This year, through 12 games, Letang’s got 3 goals and 6 assists. Huge reversal, and ‘Tanger appeared to fight through what could have been a shoulder injury early in the Caps series without missing a beat.
+ Bill Guerin – Billy G bombed as a playoff rental for
+Mark Eaton – Eaton has scored 4 goals in 139 regular season games with the Penguins in his career. He’s got 4 goals in 13 games this playoff and is showing a lot of poise carrying the puck. Who knows how long this uncharacteristic offensive outburst will last, but it sure is nice. Eaton’s +/- rating is a +6, impressive since the next best Penguin defender is a +2.
+Ruslan Fedotenko – Before this playoffs, Fedotenko had 4 assists in 53 career games. He’s got 4 assists and 4 goals in 13 games this spring. Fedotenko is playing like a legit top six player, and he’s bringing a physical aspect too; his clean hit on Eric Fehr knocked the Cap out of the playoffs. With the disappearance of Petr Sykora the Pens desperately needed someone to step up and produce on Malkin's line. 'Tank has answered that call.
+Evgeni Malkin – Again almost quietly Malkin has 19 points in the playoffs, just two less than the more celebrated
+Rob Scuderi/Hal Gill pairing –It’s a little weird to say Rob Scuderi and his partner Hal Gill did a good job on Alex Ovechkin, since the guy got 14 points in 7 games. But Scuderi and Gill really did to a good job on AO. They gave him about nothing in terms of a gap as Ovechkin was bringing it up, he had no room. They used sticks and reach to keep knocking the puck away from him. They stepped in front of his shots to block or deflect them away. They kept AO’s chances to the outside and bad shooting angles for the most part. In the first series they did the same to Jeff Carter (0 goals). The Pens are gonna need their shutdown D-men for either Eric Staal or Marc Savard’s line next series.
So who'd I leave off? Am I a dope for not mentioning Sergei Gonchar? A certain goaltender who's won 8 playoff games? Anyone gonna give some love to Satan for his bounce back and perseverance he's shown lately? Honor your seven Penguins in the comments if you wish.
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His numbers were not huge, but I thought Kennedy had a really solid series. He set the tone that the Pens were going to outwork the Caps down low and force them to work in their own end when their obvious preference was playing fast and attacking on offense.
I'll second the nomination
Sure he can score goals, but can he cook?
by Phantaskippy on May 14, 2009 3:58 PM EDT up reply actions
I was going to give the 3rd line a nod here, but I figured I already lumped Scuderi/Gill together and didn’t want to push it with another group award.
And while Cooke-Staal-Kennedy had some very good shifts cycling the puck and killed penalties and threw hits around, their on paper stats aren’t that good. The trio combined in the Washington series for 3 goals, 3 assists and a hideous 12 +/.
Of course they bring more to the table than just pure stats, but I’d still hope to see a little more production out of them. Hopefully they kick it up a notch and I’d love to include them next time.
I think the +/- stat can be a bit decieving. I’m not entirely sure, but I think it only pertains to even stregnth goals for or against, right? If the Penguins third line (Cooke-Staal-Kennedy) played most of their even strength minutes against the Washington’s top line (Ovechkin) their primary function is probably less to score goals than it is to play well defensively by supporting the defensemen and playing keep away with the puck but cycling in Washington’s defensive zone and wearing down the Capitals defenders. A highly skilled, pure goal scorer like Ovechkin will always put up points regardless of how well he is defended against, but just because a few go in at even strength (causing a negative +/-) does not mean the checking line played poorly. If anything, the defensive play of the third and fourth lines as well as the defense did a good job of limiting Ovechkin’s chances. But a line that is used primarily to defend and doesn’t contribute more than secondary scoring at best probably will not have the best +/-.
I'll give Satan some love.
Not so much the playoffs, but this last series he was great. The pens have few players able to pull off assists like his best this series, he has been great on offense. As much of a bust as he’s been all season, give the man credit, we may not have taken that series without him.
Sure he can score goals, but can he cook?
Miro has been a class act since getting sent down, his inevitable call up only to be a healthy scratch, then being put on the third line. His ability to play on any line in any situation has made the third and fourth lines a scoring threat.
" I AM CAPATIN CHAOS, and this is my trusty Sidekick cato. Say hello Cato"
Dom Deluise 1933-2009, Cannonball run
by oldtimehockey09 on May 14, 2009 4:08 PM EDT up reply actions
im thinking had satan not lost an edge on that onetimer last night, it would have gone through the net and killed the light operator guy
" I AM CAPATIN CHAOS, and this is my trusty Sidekick cato. Say hello Cato"
Dom Deluise 1933-2009, Cannonball run
by oldtimehockey09 on May 14, 2009 4:28 PM EDT up reply actions
I think he is also resposible for getting Fluery into game mode. He does that little jokey, pokey thing with him before they go onto the ice.
The first time I found about that I was like, that is such a boy thing to do. I remember my brother used to play road hockey with his friends in the street in front of our house and once, when I was sitting in the kitchen doing my homework, the door to the garage banged open and my brother tried to crawl in before several pairs of hands reached in and dragged him screaming out of the house, slamming the door shut behind them. I, of course, ignored it, but it has never ceased to amaze me how boys can be best friends and whale on each other like that. Perhaps it’s how they show affection.
cuz its fun silly
" I AM CAPATIN CHAOS, and this is my trusty Sidekick cato. Say hello Cato"
Dom Deluise 1933-2009, Cannonball run
by oldtimehockey09 on May 14, 2009 11:10 PM EDT up reply actions
Malkin is definitely playing well lately. It hasn’t translated into flashy goals-scored numbers, but he’s putting up the points, and a lot of the great things he’s been doing don’t show up on a scoresheet. Last night he was a menace on the forecheck, using his size and reach to make life miserable for the Caps defense; and I loved him blocking a shot with the team up 4-0. I really like that he still contributes a lot even if he’s not piling up goals.
P is for Latrobe.
I have incredible confidence in Malkin when he goes into corners after pucks and/or bodies. He gets the puck out cleanly and to an ally on almost every occasion. puck control is obviously a huge factor any time a team wins 6-2, and Malkin has been a huge contibutor in that category.
-David
sixminutecynic.blogspot.com
www.piratesmix.com.
by pascaldupweevil on May 14, 2009 7:11 PM EDT reply actions
he reminds me of mario in that respect (diging pucks out of corner scrums) mario would just sit and wait, then wha, in one motion he picks it out of the pile and heads to the net
" I AM CAPATIN CHAOS, and this is my trusty Sidekick cato. Say hello Cato"
Dom Deluise 1933-2009, Cannonball run
by oldtimehockey09 on May 14, 2009 10:11 PM EDT up reply actions
grrr, *wham
" I AM CAPATIN CHAOS, and this is my trusty Sidekick cato. Say hello Cato"
Dom Deluise 1933-2009, Cannonball run
by oldtimehockey09 on May 14, 2009 10:11 PM EDT reply actions
I don’t think there is a single person left in Washington D.C. wondering what, exactly, is so special about Sidney Crosby after this series. He was the best player on the ice for either team from the opening puck drop to the sound of the final buzzer at the end of Game 7. It’s almost an understatement to say the Penguins struggled for much of the regular season, handicapped by a combination of losses personnel losses to free agency and player injuries, none more debilitating than the shoulder injury suffered by Sergei Gonchar, the anchor of the Penguins defense corps. When Michel Therrien was fired back in February with the Penguins sitting in 10th place in the Eastern Conference and several points out of a playoff position with only 25 games left, I read many articles criticizing both management and the players, the harshest of which seemed to be directed at Crosby himself. Many sports writers called into question whether or not he was worthy of his billing as one of the best players in the NHL because of his inability to find chemistry with either Miroslav Satan or Ruslan Fedotenko who had been brought in during the offseason to play on Crosby’s wings. His leadership was also called into question, with many people wondering if a 21 year old had enough experience to captain a team in the NHL. If his performance in the second round series against Washington is not enough to silence the critics and doubters, nothing will.
with all the hype in this series, Sid was constantly baited into treating the series like personal showcase to prove who’s most elite. Sid never bit — he showed tremendous focus and perserverance, and never once put his ego ahead of the team. I find this most encouraging, as the battles will get even fiercer and his leadership will be an even bigger factor. He put on a show and on individual skill level he was probably a wash with Ovechkin, but his play and demeanor showed more intangible qualities than his opponents and was likely the difference.
by chicos_pants on May 15, 2009 10:28 AM EDT up reply actions
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