Game 3 Recap: Out Montreal'ing Montreal. Malkin, Fleury, Pens WIN

Hey, GoPenguins, congratulations on being first and finding the gray cloud behind the silver lining of tonight’s victory!

Sid is fine. He was great defensively and his line was probably our best at even strength. He basically created the GWG by drawing the penalty and creating the screen in front (that shot doesn’t go in without the screen; I hope the Caps/Ovechkin were taking notes on that play). It bothered me that Vs. used a graphic of shot totals to make a point that the Habs D were shutting him down. That’s the very reason he’s the best player in the world – he scored 50 goals this year, but he’s still at least in the top three, in terms of play-makers, in this league. Besides, he doesn’t need stat numbers to be effective, as was proven tonight.
As long as he’s creating chances, Sid will eventually get through. Luckily for him, Geno (and Flower!) finally stepped it up and took some pressure off of him. Thank you, Geno!

I definitely wouldn’t say he’s been invisible, and he won a very important faceoff tonight…but it’s the time of year we need the goals. Just concerned I guess.

right, I think we all saw the poor attempts at screening Halak.

I am reminded of Detroit in both of the last two cup series. Amazing skill at getting in front of the goalie. In those series, it seemed like MAF always had a red jersey in his sight line.

Why can’t we do that?

Crosby was also playing good defense, blocking shots and getting it out of our zone when nobody else could get it past the Habs. And even when the puck doesn’t go in for him, his offensive efforts help the team because the Habs have to follow him around. He does so much more than score.

I was wondering that too…why Staal made the trip to Montreal with such a serious injury. My guess would be to inspire the guys, that if they can make it past this round, they should be getting him back. Motivation perhaps?

lol. looking ahead just a bit, are we?

Yeah, thinking a little ahead, but funny you mention it because this game really reminded me of game 3 of that Hawks-Pens series. Pens came out in total clamp down mode and pulled the shutout. Not exactly the same tonight, as the Habs definitely had the better of things in the first period, but they were not much of a threat after that.

The biggest assumption is that Chicago makes it through! Vancouver is tough, and it looks like Chicago isn’t going to make it out of Round 2! Also, the Sharks are looking good. Up 3-0 on the Wings. I just got through watching the Wings lose game 3 in overtime. Rafalski was trying a new way of preventing a 2 on 1. He decided to point his stick at Thornton while Jumbo Joe slid a pass right in front of Rafalski to an open Marleau to seal the game. And then, Rafalski learned his lesson. Something like whenever you point at someone, you have three fingers pointing back at you? Don’t know where I was going with that, other than to laugh at the Wings for being up 3-1 in the 3rd to losing it in OT.

Pssh he doesn’t care about that…he wants that big, silver shiny thing! I’m sure he’ll gladly take the Smythe as a bonus though.

He only wants the Conn Smythe because that is typically given to a player on the team that wins the Cup. He is FAR more concerned about the Cup than the Conn Smythe

rec’d

Letestu looked comfortable with Cooke and Kennedy, but he needs to be taken out of the lineup ASAP in my opinion. He was in the right spots at the right times, but I thought he was weak on the puck, and saw a bunch of shots dribble off his stick. The kid doesn’t have the physical build yet to play in the NHL, even if he does have hockey sense. My vote is for Tangradi! :)

I know we are inviting the wrath of a certain fan of a certain other team just by talking about him, but I totally agree about Cooke. Just when I think he is playing his best, he steps up his game a little bit more.

I just read in the Tribune that Malkin and Crosby had practiced this play, with Crosby serving as the screen for shots coming from the point.

So Crosby was implementing something they had worked out in practice, and the result was a goal. Then announcers and reporters point out that Crosby failed to score and wonder what is wrong with him. They just don’t know what they are talking about.

You’re right: he was a +1. But if anyone could do it, I’m sure it would be Crosby: he has super powers!

He has always had a confidence problem that is why he is so streaky

I thought what got Malkin going was that shift where he came out and the Habs were all pooped so Geno was flying around untouched. But I still contend that I didn’t see much different from him last night compared to the rest of the playoffs, meaning that I don’t think he has been playing as poorly as some seem to think nor do I think he is playing his best hockey. If he doesn’t get that pp goal, I don’t think too many people would be praising him for “flipping the geno switch”.

I’m really interested to see how Martin & the Habs respond in the next game. I respect what I’ve seen of Martin as a coach, and I expect him to put together a game plan that’s aimed at changing things up on the Pens, and taking away what they did in the later parts of last night’s game. I’m also interested to see how Bylsma responds — both heading into the game, during the game, and after the game.

The coaching duel in this series fascinates me!

Fluery has played fine. halak has just been the best in the playoff until this point. I hope MAF is hitting hi sstride right now at the best time

Yes, I was screaming at the tv for them to get back to working it between Gonch and Malkin to set up the big shot, but first we had to watch as Sid tried the pass across to GoGo that he never seems to be ready for….sorry Alex, just calling it like I see it. So I was very happy when they got things set up, even if it took Gonch a couple of tries to get it on Geno’s forehand. I get that you want to get movement on the power play and all that, but when you have guys who can blast it like Malkin and Sarge, that’s a pretty nice weapon to use.

Hm. I think the general attitude of Habs fans is just to be proud of your own team, and to celebrate the sport. Yeah, they boo Crosby: but more than anything, they’re just enjoying all parts of the game — including the mass trash talk, and being that extra man on the ice.

And yeah, Crosby helped win the gold medal — but all is fair in love and war, right? And this, right now, to Habs fans? It’s war. I get all confused when I think about Mike Babcock these days. I feel like I should like him, what with all the gold medal coaching and all. But I don’t. The Wings are stupid.

And finally — be careful with comments about French Canadians not considering themselves part of Canada. Besides the fact that there are plenty of Habs fans all across the country, both francophone and anglophone, the whole Quebec-Canada issue can get a little touchy.

Anyway … just some thoughts in response.

I agree. Game 3 was obviously huge, but either way one team was going to come out ahead 2-1. The outcome of game 4 can really give the series a completely different complexion, depending on who wins. If we go up 3-1, the Habs are already starting to run out of gas and I doubt their ability to come back. If it is 2-2, then get in the fast lane because the bingo game’s ready to roll.

This is such a prime example of a post that states what is totally obvious, but as someone who is going to game 5, I really hope we are playing with a 3-1 lead by that time!

Awesome!

nice. very nice!

Cool!

nice little fact

Pittsburgh is hockey tahn.

Actually Pittsburgh Had a hockey team in 1895 at the Schenley Park Casino

“This is how you expect playoffs to be,” winger Matt Cooke said. “We like to fly high, for lack of a better term, score a lot of goals, but we realize that’s not the way playoffs are.”