With the caveat that the regular season is relatively meaningless and they're still the Champs until someone beats them in the playoffs...
Pens' record against the 6 teams ahead of them in standings: 0-10-2. GF: 1.25 per game, GA: 3.92 per game, PP: 1-for-44 in those games. Wow.
I'll go back to letting sleeping dogs lie now
almost 2 years ago
Hooks Orpik
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Buy or sell: The Penguins are in trouble for the playoffs when they see a team like New Jersey or Washington?
Wayne Gretzky had it wrong: 100% of the shots Gary Roberts doesn't take DO go in.
Sell: A 7 game series is fundamentally different than a regular season game.
Pensburgh.com
Hockey belongs to the Cartoon Network, where a person can be pancaked by
an ACME anvil, then expanded – accordion-style – back to full stature, without
any lasting side effect.
- Steve Rushin
by Hockey Beard in SLC on Mar 18, 2010 11:19 AM EDT up reply actions
I tend to agree. The Pens were 1-3 against Washington last season, and the only win in a shootout, at that. Several games the Caps blew the doors off the Pens and we all saw how that one turned out.
I do think it’s troubling though the stat he dug up, but 50% of those games are against Martin Brodeur and the Devils. Not too many look good there.
Wayne Gretzky had it wrong: 100% of the shots Gary Roberts doesn't take DO go in.
by Hooks Orpik on Mar 18, 2010 11:26 AM EDT up reply actions
I was also startled by the stats…more specifically how poorly we do against teams whose base D is the trap (or a variation).
It is comforting knowing that any other team who tries to throw the trap at us without really perfecting it beforehand will most likely get burned by our skaters…unless our blue line plays like they did last night.
Pensburgh.com
Hockey belongs to the Cartoon Network, where a person can be pancaked by
an ACME anvil, then expanded – accordion-style – back to full stature, without
any lasting side effect.
- Steve Rushin
by Hockey Beard in SLC on Mar 18, 2010 12:50 PM EDT up reply actions
Devils fans chant “YOU CAN’T BEAT US!”
I chanted “WE WON’T HAVE TO!”
Someone else though is gonna have to step up and cause them to choke since Carolina won’t be doing it this year.
by lostprophetRJX on Mar 18, 2010 11:41 AM EDT reply actions
Keep dreaming.... I guess you don't care since your probably one of the million bandwagon Penguin fans...
by RolliePollieKovy on Mar 18, 2010 4:23 PM EDT up reply actions
There’s plenty of room if you want to hop on board.
by PensAreYourDaddy on Mar 18, 2010 6:39 PM EDT up reply actions
Sell
The things the Pens do well – forecheck hard, possess the puck, pile up the shots – are particularly effective in a playoff series. They’ve looked bad before, but turned it around when it counted. Myself, I think they’re mainly biding their time.
The 0-6 against NJD isn’t particularly great, but it’s not particularly worrisome either, if I’m a Pens fan.
"You want to start being part of the Rink? Fine, but more’s expected of you than John/Jane Cap Fan. Carry the cause of informed discussion to the unwashed masses and don’t crap in the yards of other SBN sites if you decide to go over there. They’re passionate about their teams too, no need to troll elsewhere and/or be a sore winner." --BP
Good point. I am concerned that New Jersey’s team defense (plus Brodeur) has really been a nut the Pens haven’t cracked. They fire off shots, but don’t seem to hit paydirt. If it happened once or twice you can write it off, but all 6 games were in similiar fashion. That can’t make a Pens fan happy, but what can you do.
I agree with you for biding their time. This team’s played 280 games of meaning since October 2007, by and away more than any other Eastern team. Plus with the “Stanley Cup champion” target on their back, they get every team’s best shot every night, that’s no joke either.
Continued defensive breakdowns are troubling, if they tighten up I think they’ll have a chance. Time will tell.
Wayne Gretzky had it wrong: 100% of the shots Gary Roberts doesn't take DO go in.
by Hooks Orpik on Mar 18, 2010 12:06 PM EDT up reply actions
Six games sounds like a lot, but assuming that the games are essentially a coin flip (two good teams, etc.) a run of 6 is 1 out of 64 outcomes. 1.56% probability, so long odds, but definitely not out of the realm of the possible.
Regarding the D, imo the Pens have always been a team you can score on a little bit. The forechecking wears you down so much, that doing it 4 times in a 7 game series is more problematic.
I (still) fear the Pens, if it’s any consolation to you.
"You want to start being part of the Rink? Fine, but more’s expected of you than John/Jane Cap Fan. Carry the cause of informed discussion to the unwashed masses and don’t crap in the yards of other SBN sites if you decide to go over there. They’re passionate about their teams too, no need to troll elsewhere and/or be a sore winner." --BP
Hooks -
Thanks for putting the “meat” in context and not just cherry-picking the stats. I absolutely believe that the Pens have shown that the regular season doesn’t mean much and fully expect them to step it up when it matters. They’re still the Champs…
Japers' Rink: Hockey blogging from the most powerful city in the world
No problem. For as much research as you did - and for as good as the nugget you dug up is- the least I could do was give you the proper context.
Wayne Gretzky had it wrong: 100% of the shots Gary Roberts doesn't take DO go in.
by Hooks Orpik on Mar 18, 2010 12:20 PM EDT up reply actions
Word, homey.
Btw, without even looking (or remembering it), I correctly guessed who the one power-play goal was against. Why, the Caps, of course.
Japers' Rink: Hockey blogging from the most powerful city in the world
The only part of that stat that worries me is the six losses to the Devils, otherwise I’m not horribly concerned.
To wit: The loss to the Sharks, a 5-0 blowout, came when we were riddled with injuries. The Blackhawks game was an evenly played one goal affair through 60 minutes.
As for the Capitals, eh. Last year’s season series against them proved that the regular season isn’t horribly important when it comes to a playoff series. That and the season series isn’t over yet anyway.
The good news is we still have 2 games against the Caps, in other words, a chance to make it 0-12-2.
by PensAreYourDaddy on Mar 18, 2010 1:30 PM EDT reply actions
Meh
Don’t we also have to take into consideration that we were devastated by injuries early in the season? I distinctly remember our entire D core being out for a game against the Devils early in the season.
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