Pens/Sens preview: the road behind us
by Hooks Orpik on Apr 12, 2010 12:33 PM EDT
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PrintRegular season matchups don't mean too much now, but it's the only thing we've got as the waiting game continues. So let's turn an eye back and check out how the four Pittsburgh Penguin/Ottawa Senator matchups.
Game 1: October 12, 2009. Pens roll over Sens 4-1
--Tyler Kennedy and Jordan Staal combine for three goals, Marc-Andre Fleury shuts the door with 30 saves on 31 shots to win the first game of the season just about a week into the young year. Pascal Leclaire was the goalie for Ottawa and Milan Michalek scored the lone Senator goal.
Game 2: November 19, 2009. Senators smoke the Pens 6-2
--This game came at about the height of the Pens defensive injuries. Only 2 blueliners from this November game (Mark Eaton, Sergei Gonchar) will be in the lineup. Still, on the strength of two Chris Phillips third period goals and Leclaire stopping 25 of 27 shots the Sens easily brushed aside Pittsburgh here.
Game 3: December 23rd, 2009. Celebrating Festivus in style: Pens destroy Sens 8-2
--Evgeni Malkin had a hat trick, Bill Guerin had 2 goals and 2 assists and Chris Kunitz went 1g, 3a as the Pens opened up a can just before the holiday break. Lost in all of this is Fleury stopping 45 of 47 shots.
Game 4: January 28th, 2010. Ottawa wins 8th straight, drops Pens 4-1
--Ottawa scores four unanswered goals on Fleury and his broken finger and splits the season series.
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We’ll have a lot more on that later, but I think the Pens will be fine. 5 game series.
"Don't matter who did what to who at this point. Fact is, we went to war and there ain't no turnin' back. I mean, s---, it's what war is, you know? Once you in it, you in it. If it's a lie, then we fight on that lie. But we gotta fight."
I think its a pretty even matchup actually. The sens have done a pretty good job on Crosby. really for his entire career. I think his PPG is lower against the Sens than any other team throughout his career so far. That being the case, Geno and Fleury are going to need to regain their Playoff form after mediocre seasons for both.
I’m really hoping that the Pens dont need to go down 0 2 or 3 1 to realize its time to get it going.
My gut feeling is Pens in 6.
I said it a couple weeks ago. The Devils and the Senators are the only 2 teams I was afraid of having to play. When the Sens are hot, they are hard to beat. Goaltending MAY be a problem if Elliot falters, but Spezza can, and has, beat the Pens all by himself. I remember the game last season he scored all 3 goals and beat the Pens 3-2 I think. He can be dangerous. I see the Pens taking it in 6.
LOL whatever they do they need to come out like their hair is on fire and no sloppy turnovers. They are capable of playing that way. WE want to see it
It's the playoffs, time to get your game face on
16 wins to go
by PensAreYourDaddy on Apr 12, 2010 1:16 PM EDT up reply actions
I find that offensive. JK.
Don't leave the duck there thats totally irresponsible. Put it on the swing it'll have much more fun. - Sleep Talkin' Man
by gingerredboy on Apr 12, 2010 5:42 PM EDT up reply actions
Not a whole lot to be gleaned from those regular season games. The power play will be a big factor, I think. Ottawa is top 10 in taking penalties, but also top 10 in killing them off. The Pens need to get it going with the man advantage, especially on the road. Their PP is 21% at home but only 13.4% away from the Igloo. If they can’t make Ottawa pay, then there will be no reason for the Sens not to take liberties in trying to stop Sid and Geno.
16 wins to go
by PensAreYourDaddy on Apr 12, 2010 1:23 PM EDT reply actions
In a perfect world, these playoff match ups are completely in our favor. Our unbeatable foes are playing the Flyers, who have the advantage of the Devils 5-1 in the season series. The Caps are playings the Canadiens who have been a thorn in Washington’s side all year long can have a very good chance of taking the Caps out. And us, we’re playing the Senators, who we’re split against in the season, but we obviously have the advantage. We just need to hope that this switch everyone is hoping for does get turned on, Poni can finally start to get in the fold with Geno, how seems like he, along with Sid are ready for the playoffs, and that everyone else stops mailing it in on some games, especially the D. And maybe if MAF stops buying product from PopRocks roommate. Other than that, I don’t see how this can’t go our way, at least in the first round. It’s going to be interesting to say the least.
"Half the game is mental, the other half is being mental." - Jim McKenny
Haha … just noticed your comment about my roommate ;)
He came home after the game on Sunday reporting that he’d “seen Crosby’s goal”.
I made the mistake of asking which goal he’d seen, and getting excited about the whole ‘50 goals’ thing.
I cannot even begin to describe the conversation that took place after that. I really wish I had recorded it so that I could share it with all of you. But be assured that sentences like “Hm. 50 goals. That sounds like a lot for one game.” and “What did he get five points for?” were uttered repeatedly.
Then for some reason, after trying to explain that the regular season had just ended and the playoffs (for hockey) would begin on Wednesday, I thought I could talk to him about the Rocket race, and how exciting Crosby’s performance was on Sunday.
Suffice to say, he didn’t get it.
Leafs fan living large in the Pitt and pretending like the drought is over. Go Pens!
Oh … and I forgot the best part! He was there with some girl he’s been trying to impress for a while now. It turns out she’s from San Jose, so she knows a thing or two about hockey. But only a thing or two. As they were both ‘under the influence’, I’m afraid neither his attempts to impress her with his hockey wherewithal, nor her attempts to bring the West Coast into the conversation were very successful.
It would all have been a little traumatic if it weren’t such a ridiculous scene.
Leafs fan living large in the Pitt and pretending like the drought is over. Go Pens!
Thanks for compiling this!
It’s kind of funny how the smallest margin between these teams in the season was a 3 goal difference. YIKES.
Silver Seven: the Daniel Alfredsson of Ottawa Senators blogs.
hey guys just a thought, I’m really happy Crosby won the Rocket Richard trophy but does it bother you he needed 10 more games than Ovi to win it? I hate Ovi and it bothers me that Caps fans will be able to claim that Ovi had 10 fewer games (6 games to injury) and still almost won it. Do you think we’ll see Crosby ever beat him in a 82 on 82 matchup and will Crosby ever catch up to him in career totals? Thanks guys peace, love the blog…
Sid only played 9 more games than Ovie
Doesn’t bother me at all. I could be very wrong, but I doubt you’ll find too many people arguing that Sid is a better pure goal scorer than Ovechkin. For Sid to even be close, 9 games or not, was pretty incredible.
9 games sounds like a lot, but it only worked out to an average of .69 for Ovie vs .63 for Sid. My quick math says that only works out to 5 more goals over a complete season, and Ovie had (I think) 4 more empty netters than Sid.
Considering that the argument could be made that Ovie cost himself 4 of those games due to suspension, plus I think some of his injuries were pretty much self inflicted, I’d say there isn’t much to argue about.
Ovie is a great goal scorer, and I wouldn’t bet on Sid beating him too many years, but this year he earned it.
16 wins to go
by PensAreYourDaddy on Apr 13, 2010 6:04 PM EDT up reply actions
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