Round 2 Game 4 Preview: Penguins/Capitals
by FrankD on May 8, 2009 1:00 PM EDT
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PrintPittsburgh is looking to complete the home series tonight and send this thing back to Washington all tied up at two. As you may already know Game 5 is scheduled for tomorrow at the Verizon Center and may carry some extra implications in terms of fatigue and durability as the second half of a back-to-back.
But before we get into tomorrow's game we have to look at tonight's action.
Sidney Crosby is asking the Pens to play like they're desperate again. Hey, it worked in Game 3 and may just be the thing to get them through this series. Sid also feels Pitt has out-worked Washington in every aspect of the series, something that is easil debatable from both fanbases.
In that respect, Pittsburgh's site may have some locker room material to provide:
"They can think what they want to think. It's not about (outplaying a team) ... it's about scoring at the right time, it's about making the big save, it's about coming through in the clutch. ... I'd much rather be where I am right now than where they are."
Bruce Boudreau
Capitals Head Coach
Surely the Pens would like to be where the Caps are too...
Although the Penguins did a better job of limited Alex Ovechkin's scoring chances in G3, OV still managed to pick up the first goal of the game after Marc-Andre Fleury was victimized by a bizarre bounce off the boards. Like it or not, he still managed to get in the right place at the right time to allow Washington to jump out to an early lead.
Pitt's gameplan will likely be similar to that of G3 in terms of shutting down Ovechkin but may even have a few adendums. As in continuing to limit Washington's PP chances, especially in the dying seconds of the third while trying to hold onto a one-goal lead.
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Bruce Boudreau=the master of the obvious
by pretty boy floyd on May 8, 2009 1:22 PM EDT reply actions
Dear Bruce,
You are correct that you are in the better position. However you are very wrong as well. You see, the seven game series is used in order to be certain that the better team moves on. They play best of seven specifically so that it is not solely about scoring at the right time and coming up with big saves but instead about which team outplays the other. I have said before, that I don’t think Washington is built for a seven game series. Thus far they have proven me wrong, but this thing ain’t over and if Pittsburgh wins tonight Washington is in deep trouble.
Sincerely,
Pensfan024
I don’t think he ever said it was over. Obviously he recognizes there is a lot to be done since this series is a mirror image of the Caps’ first round, in a lot of ways. I disagree with your characterization that scoring at the right time and getting big saves isn’t what is important in the playoffs. That is hugely important, as all 3 games this series can attest (as well as a cursory look at your first round, MAF on Carter game 2, Fedostanko scores right after the fight in game 6). Big plays at the right time are a big part of any series. Think about the Houston v. Chicago World Series a few years ago. All 4 games were close and could have been won by either team, but Chicago got the clutch plays when they needed them, thus, Chicago was the better team.
I won’t deny that clutch goals and big saves are important. But I feel those things are important in specific games more than the series itself. Nor do I mean that a team can’t “steal” a series solely with big goals and saves. Look at the ‘60 Pirates who clearly were outplayed by the Yankees but still won the series. But generally speaking if one were to look at the stat sheet for this series without seeing the goals, they would think the Pens were winning. This is because generally speaking the team that wins the TOP and SOG battles wins the war. And…I personally think it is foolhardy to rely on “timely goals” and “big time saves” as a strategy. Now, having Ocho gives Boudreau a nice wild card, because my heart stops every time he shoots, but I still don’t think relying on him to score game winners is the best strategy.
Except for game 3 I don’t really think you can say one team clearly outplayed the other. Did the Pens play well enough to win games 1 and 2? Yes, but obviously so did the Caps. Game 3 is one of those games that the coaches just throw the film out. The Caps know that they didn’t give a good effort and I don’t expect to see that again. You can say that the team that wins TOP and SOG usually wins the series, but I counter that the team that gets the better goaltending usually wins the series. I think it’s a false distinction to say that “it matters in specific games more than the series itself.” Specific games make the series, as your ’60 Pirates example illustrates. Every specific game a team needs to go out and play well enough to win, and that includes big saves and timely goals. These teams are extremely evenly matched and I expect to see competitive games for as long as the series lasts.
This entire series has been about getting the right goal at the right time. Boudreau is pretty accurate when he said timing is a factor but I think both he, the Caps, Bylsma and the Pens know this thing is far from over.
Follow the Penguins on SBN @ Pensburgh.com and twitter.
“I’d much rather be where I am right now than where they are.”
The Penguins have out-shot, out-hit and generally out-played the Capitals. The Penguins are at home. The Pens got Malkin going last game while the Caps #2 gun Semin has been quiet.
From the macro-view, of course it’s better to be up 2 games to 1 rather than be down 1-2. But from the situation at the ground level, I’m comfortable with where the Pens are right now.
“I’d rather be up 3-0” said Ji….. Hooks Orpik
by French for The Tang on May 8, 2009 1:41 PM EDT up reply actions
I don’t think either team should be unhappy with where they are. After 3 games someone has to be winning 2-1 (at least). This series has been close and is still up for grabs. I really don’t think what he said is bulletin board material. I don’t think either team needs any more motivation for this series, both teams seem to always show up and play hard when they face each other. This weekend should be entertaining.
Eh, it could pose as material if the Pens wanted it to. I mean it’s obviously not the ideal “We’re going to destroy them” sort of stuff but it’s not far fetched to think the Pens could find a way to rally behind him saying he’d rather be in the Caps’ position than Pitt’s. Maybe something like, “Oh yeah? How bout we change that.” It’s a stretch, I know, but if Sid’s saying the Pens need to play as if they’re desperate then it just might help.
Follow the Penguins on SBN @ Pensburgh.com and twitter.
Maybe in another situation it could. But when you already have the history of these teams, with all the documented feuding, etc., and you have Crosby texting that he is looking forward to the Caps (Rashard Mendenhall anyone?), and all the hype that goes along with Caps/Pens I just don’t think this even registers.
what news orginization reported this texting thing. also is it at all posisble that he could have been looking forward to matching up against ovie?
by oldtimehockey09 on May 8, 2009 5:16 PM EDT up reply actions
Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. I’m not making a definitive statement on his motivation, I’m just saying that the text is more likely to fire up another team than what BB said. Crosby could have a lot of reasons he might like to play the Caps. Personally, I don’t really care what his reasons were because the text doesn’t bother me. It’s just an example of something more Bulletin Board worthy than BB’s comments.
thanks for the referance. i had heard about this but couldnt find anything valid supporting it. glad to know its not another internet rumour
by oldtimehockey09 on May 8, 2009 5:36 PM EDT up reply actions
thanks bruce
From being in locker rooms i speak from personal experiance when i say that your always wondering what the other side is thinking. that being said if the pens need BB material to get motivated for each game then theres something wrong. Its the playoffs. ferh is absolutly correct, this series has been fantastic and every game imo has been an instant classic. its pens caps, given the history between the two teams the always play each other hard. i look forward to pens caps much more then pens flyers. yes the flyers are instate rivals but pens caps imo is one of the best rivalries in the nhl…glad its finally getting rekindeled.
Am I the only one who thinks Bruce Boudreau bears a distrubing resemblance to an Oompa Loompa? Like, he’s one bad Hollywood Tan away from looking like he escaped from the reunion sequel of Charlie and the Chocolate Factory? I don’t think I’ve ever seen a human being as perfectly round as he is. It’s insane. (Sorry about that. ADD rears it’s ugly head once more.)
Aside from my bizarre observations, I will say that I wish every coach, not just Bruce Boudreau, would be better served keeping their thoughts and opinions to themselves because they will only make you look stupid. To this day I still hate Ken Hitchcock, who coached the Dallas Stars back in the day when the Devils beat them in the ‘00 Cup Final, for saying, before the series had even started, that Scott Stevens’ sole purpose was to ‘take people out’ and that for every Star Stevens took out Derian Hatcher would take out two Devils (as an interesting aside, in Game 6 Petr Sykora, then a Devil, had to be taken off the ice on a stretcher after Hatcher viciously slammed his thug elbow into Sykora’s head in the neutral zone).
I mean, seriously, if Hitchcock hadn’t already handed the Cup to the Devils when he made that idiot comment of his, Derian Hatcher lost it the second Sykora’s teammates watched as he was wheeled off the ice on a gurney. What. An. Idiot. I suppose the point of that little anecdote was do not hand the other team the shovel with which they will bury you. Hitchcock and Hatcher were too stupid to learn that lesson the first time around with the Stars and would make the same mistake years later when both were with Philadelphia. Because Hitchcock couldn’t keep his innane comments about diving to himself and Hatcher felt the need to welcome a teenaged Sidney Crosby to the NHL with some impromptu, on-ice dental work, Flyers fans have been forced to pay the price for their stupidity for the past two postseasons in a row. Just like old times.
Flyers fans have been forced to pay the price for their stupidity for the past two postseasons in a row.
It’s a real stretch to attribute that to Hitchcock. He’s been gone from PHI for a while now and Hatcher didn’t even play this year. I’d say Crosby derives more motivation from Mike Richards than Hitchcock and Hatcher combined.
I could be mistaken, but I believe Hitchcock, when he was the head coach of the Philadelphia Flyers, was the first to label Sidney Crosby, who was a rookie at the time, a diver after Crosby scored the game winning goal in his first career game against the Flyers, a knock the Philadelphia fanbase seized upon with the ferocity of a thousand blood sucking leeches. I don’t recall if that was the game in which Hatcher mugged Crosby, but I think it is safe to say neither Hitchcock nor Hatcher wasted any time in giving Crosby ammunition to fuel of the fire of the rivalry that has always existed between the Flyers and the Penguins. Dating back to that first game, Crosby has always played brilliantly against Philadelphia (and he certainly isn’t the only NHL great who plays some of his best hockey against the Orange & Black – Martin Brodeur, who has over 550 career regular season victories in the NHL, has won more games against the Flyers than any other opponent, and nine of his 101 career shutouts have been against Philly, the greatest number of times he has shut out any NHL team. Is it just me or do the Flyers have a habit of making enemies? Heh.)
Not for nothing, but in between “it’s about coming through in the clutch” and “I’d much rather be where I am right now than where they are,” Boudreau said, "We can play better, they outplayed us yesterday, but "
Odd that the quote on the Pens’ site left that out, as I think it softens it a bit by acknowledging what everyone saw.
Japers' Rink: Hockey blogging from the most powerful city in the world
That’s true, but similarly, Crosby’s “hat” statement wasn’t as cold as it seemed when written out. Hockey players aren’t politicians—they don’t know the pitfalls of the out-of-context statement quite as well.
When it all comes down to it, this is all just talk anyways. Kind of like that 17y.o. on the Pens message board. They still gotta play the game.
Re: that kid
Play the game. Go to jail. Same thing ;-)
Follow the Penguins on SBN @ Pensburgh.com and twitter.
That’s true, but similarly, Crosby’s "hat" statement wasn’t as cold as it seemed when written out. Hockey players aren’t politicians—they don’t know the pitfalls of the out-of-context statement quite as well.
Yeah I agree with what you mean. I don’t think the Pens are going to use this Boudreau quote to fire them up. All things considered they would want to be up 2-1 instead of down.
I thought it really would have been amusing if they did a PA announcement like Crosby wanted that said “Ladies and Gentlemen, the Pittsburgh captain has requested you immediately toss your caps to the ice after a hat trick as to not delay the game”….I’m sure that would have gone over really well.
i kinda agree with the caps coach
his comment was in response when asked about some of the pens take that “yeah, we’re down 2-1, but we’ve won our home game and we’re doing good stuff.”
but i’m gonna hafta agree that the scoreboard is more important than the “other stuff” you accomplished in the game. kinda like how bill cowher once said something along the lines “if you start paying attention to stats at the end of the game, then you probably lost the game.”
i think we arent in a bad position, but there still a long road ahead
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