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McBain. PENS LOSE.

Saturday, 20 March 2010 05:59 pm
Written by Pensblog Staff
66 Comments

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If this is some run-of-the-mill 1:00 game in January, who even cares.
But the implications alone made a game like this huge.

And it didn't disappoint.

The Pens at least got a point. In a month, we won't be able to use that as a crutch.
In fact, if the Pens lose a game like that in the playoffs, people commit suicide.

The Canes are on a magical mystery tour right now.
Their last three games have all been OT wins, twice against the Pens, once against the Caps.
They are like 6 points out of a playoff spot.

They'd have to get lucky, but teams like that are why having a high seed doesn't matter.
Playing a hot team like the Canes in the first round is bad news.
But on the other hand, Montreal, who is red hot, can go into fifth place tonight with a win.

Bottom line on all of this is, no matter what, there are no good matchups in the first round.
The key is just to be playing good hockey.

And the Pens will have that chance to get rolling this week.
All hate, all the time: Monday till next Saturday.

Buckle up.



first

Everyone in the world knew there would be some type of letdown, but early on it wasn't that noticeable.
Dupes was flying around as usual.

Ray Whitney, better known as the Wizard apparently, starts making plays.
What an annoying human.

FSN brings some type of new camera view to the fold.
No clue wha'ts going on.

Malkin makes his first appearance of the game
. He almost beats Legace, who was sharp in the first.

Crosby on PCP, does some unreal spin move. Barely missing Gonch coming down the slot.
Canes pick the puck off.  Harmless play turns into a Goal.


1-0 Canes.

Canes start to take over, but they really don't get much to the net so whatev.

picture 15

 

Tall Cathy from Kiss FM rocking Charlie on My Pittsburgh TV.

second

More of the same crap to start the second.
Orpik destroys some dude.

Canes still taking over.  No clue why they didn't play like this all year.
Finally the Pens get the juices flowing with TK getting a semi-breakaway.

Kunitz and Gonch draw up the ol' back door play, and Gonch centers it in front. Pens start wacking away.
Later, TK flies into Legace like a cruise missile.
Legace acts like he gets shot.

Penalty on TK.  Interference?  Really?  Looked like roughing, if anything.  The whistle had blown.
Midway through the powerplay, Legace taps out, and Peters Twp.  comes in.

Looks like Legace really was hurt.No word yet if everyone is going to flip out now and request the NHL to look at knee shots to goalies now.

Back to the penalty kill, Pens get it done.

 

But right back the Canes spring Chad Larose on a breakaway.
MAF puts him in the figure four, and Larose misses.

You could sense the Pens need a powerplay, and finally that's what they got.
Pens get one chance on the Powerplay, but the rest of the time they look awkward.

Penguins all over the place. TK draws another penalty. And this time the Pens cash in.

Crosberry finds Poni on the rush. Poni makes a nasty pass to Jordan Staal.

 

1-1

Another 20-goal year for Staal.


Malkin almost scores to answer Staal.  Nope.

third

Frantic pace to the third.
MAF makes a big save.
On the Pens end, Geno puts the puck on a silver platter for Tenk, but he can't finish.

Rupp suplexes a Cane. Penalty. Some guy named Mcbain on the Canes.

The PK does a great job. But Whitney draws a penalty on Staal. 5-on-3 for the Canes, and the Pens shut it down. Then they kill the rest of the second penalty.  Unbelievable penalty kill this year.

Tenk gets another unreal chance, but no dice.
Penalty gets called on Erik Cole. We hate Erik Cole. But what an awful call.

But don't worry.  Go-Go takes a really bad penalty, interfering on Sutter.

4-on-4, Pens get a chance.  Peters makes a save on Crosby.
Pens back on the penalty kill, with Malkin and TK manning the points. Yikes.

Killed again.

Back and forth, great action. MAF sharp.

And then it happens...

Poni works his ass off keeping the play alive. Tenk drops it to Malkin.

Top
Fucking
Shelf


What a digusting shot.  2-1. What a play by Poni to keep life alive.


But hold onto your sac. pitklnasfndlaknnen buries one on MAF.  2-2. Stunned.

Pens come right back and start working.
Dupes destroyes Mcbain, but it's a penalty because of all the bitching about players getting hit from behind.
Horrible call.  Maybe the NHL just shouldn't have contact anymore.

Pens kill it.  AGAIN. Unreal.

A mad dash to the finish the last 30 seconds. Kunitz has a chance, no dice.
OT city. Take the point.

overtime

Great action in OT.
Just insane play.

Tenk laid his life on the line.  But the puck bounced to Mcbain.

.9

Game.

 

 

 

 

 

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Comments  

 
#1 SuperstarMax 2010-03-20 18:14
Fuck
 
 
#2 SidMalkinFleury 2010-03-20 18:56
Yes. Fuck indeed.
 
 
#3 Citizen Candyland 2010-03-20 18:58
Yeah, fuck it.
 
 
#4 FDeuce 2010-03-20 20:10
Shit
 
 
#5 TheTaxidermist 2010-03-20 20:27
Twiddle sticks.
 
 
#6 TheTaxidermist 2010-03-20 20:29
.9

The amount of time left on the clock in OT when the Canes scored.

It's also the blood alcohol content of Khabibulin when he got arrested for DUI.
 
 
#7 NCPensFan 2010-03-20 21:11
This is the kinda stuff that i hate about this part of the season. when all the bandwagoners in NC come out saying how hardcore they are about the canes. As a Carolinian who is nothing but black and gold in hockey this hurts.
 
 
#8 eurydice_krg 2010-03-20 21:14
Time for crazy prediction time....I am mildly psychic from time to time....

Canes are going to make the 8th spot and eliminate the Caps in the first round.

Devils are also going out in the first round because they only bring their shit against the Penguins (and in the process, Kovalchuk will break his neck on his latest attempt at drawing a penalty and Brodeur will rupture something after playing in one game too many).

Red Wings will be leapfrogged by Calgary and miss the playoffs in a tiebreaker.


This may all be wishful thinking, but as things stand with me right now, I need to be fucking optimistic.

As for the Pens? Hate makes you stronger boys, and we've plenty of hate coming up next week.
 
 
#9 FDeuce 2010-03-20 21:26
conklin shutout the devil.
 
 
#10 eurydice_krg 2010-03-20 21:26
Quoting FDeuce:
conklin shutout the devil.


Penguin in disguise.
 
 
#11 Tangers GoGo Lounge 2010-03-20 21:41
We are pretty lame right now. Looks like we are just going thru the motions with a minimal amount of intensity. It is also becoming painfully obvious HCDB has no clue how to tweak his system against a trap. Wake me up when the playoffs start. Watching reg season games at this point is just frustrating.
 
 
#12 Tangers GoGo Lounge 2010-03-20 21:43
Can we get an picture of Admiral Ackbar and HCDB fused together?!?!?
 
 
#13 Fielding Yost 2010-03-20 22:49
JLeo is scoring next game. I'm calling it.
www.youtube.com/.../
 
 
#14 44FreeCandy 2010-03-20 22:58
Easy people... stay away from those bridges. Remember, when times get tough, refer to the manual: www.arethepensgoingtobeok.com/
 
 
#15 firefox91 2010-03-20 23:28
Quoting 44FreeCandy:
Easy people... stay away from those bridges. Remember, when times get tough, refer to the manual: www.arethepensgoingtobeok.com/


Whoa, I don't think anyone is getting that far off the chart are they? Shit, I understood when the Pens were 10th place last February. But shit, we are well inside the playoff picture. We are making the playoffs and then the rest of the world will explode. A couple of years ago, everyone was knocking the Pens for lack of playoff experience. Clearly they got some because the last 2 years, they have more experience then pretty much every other team except Detroit who they are essentially tied with. The playoffs are where these Penguins really start turning up the gas. Do yourself a favor and stay in the car when your Steelers friend fan gets out on the Liberty bridge. You have a reason to drive off, that poor bastard doesn't.

LETS GO PENS!
 
 
#16 Little Artie 2010-03-20 23:38
As "someone" previously said, "6-2-2 since the Olympic break." What's more, undefeated against teams not from NJ or Carolina. Both of the Carolina games were winnable, but give the Canes credit for being a hot team, and I'd like to see the Pens play better against the trap, but all in good time...all in good time.
 
 
#17 Joe Who 2010-03-20 23:44
Hate week means never saying you're sorry for wheeling old people down a flight of stairs.

Get your hate on

i38.photobucket.com/.../...
 
 
#18 debrisslide 2010-03-21 00:03
Quoting Tangers GoGo Lounge:
We are pretty lame right now. Looks like we are just going thru the motions with a minimal amount of intensity. It is also becoming painfully obvious HCDB has no clue how to tweak his system against a trap. Wake me up when the playoffs start. Watching reg season games at this point is just frustrating.


uhhhhhhhhhhhhhh hhhhhhhhhhh what

Seriously, that kind of bitterness when your team is in all likelihood making the playoffs and has every chance in the world to make the necessary adjustments and take it to another level is just inexcusable. If you want a "frustrating" regular season try being a fan of a team that isn't making the playoffs. OH WAIT that was the Pens a few years ago. Joke.
 
 
#19 jrolley325 2010-03-21 00:44
Zetterberg just beat Luongo with .3 seconds left in OT.
 
 
#20 Dionstops50 2010-03-21 01:03
MAF is the weak link. He is simply not in the the games. At least one, and often two soft goals every game. He may be better than some goalies in the league, but the rest of the team carried him to the Cup last year. We have the best players in the league, and he is letting them down. A change is needed.
 
 
#21 jayness 2010-03-21 01:18
bitchbitchbitch whatev.

Bring on Detroit.
 
 
#22 Citizen Candyland 2010-03-21 01:22
Quoting eurydice_krg:
Time for crazy prediction time....I am mildly psychic from time to time....

Canes are going to make the 8th spot and eliminate the Caps in the first round.


Interestingly enough about the psychic thing, it's not the first time it's ever happened to me but I had a dream last spring that the Pens beat the Wings for the Cup in stunning fashion, it was so real I was disappointed when I woke up. No dreams about the Pens this year, but I did recently dream that the Caps got upset by a lower seed. So maybe we are on to something. Do it Carolina. Or whoever.
 
 
#23 Nic in Nebraska 2010-03-21 03:10
Quoting Dionstops50:
MAF is the weak link. He is simply not in the the games. At least one, and often two soft goals every game. He may be better than some goalies in the league, but the rest of the team carried him to the Cup last year. We have the best players in the league, and he is letting them down. A change is needed.


To be perfectly honest, Fleury was the best player for the Pens on Saturday.
 
 
#24 I Have Kasparaitis 2010-03-21 03:38
Quoting Dionstops50:
MAF is the weak link. He is simply not in the the games. At least one, and often two soft goals every game. He may be better than some goalies in the league, but the rest of the team carried him to the Cup last year. We have the best players in the league, and he is letting them down. A change is needed.


Seriously? Uhh, Game 6 and Game 7 were unreal perfomances by him both the year we lost and the year we won the Cup. That's ridiculous. I think he played very well on this game and he got a hell of a lot more stable during the Boston game. Did you see our D before? Against the Devils, MAF was good, then our TurnoverCity and we left the best player of that game (MAF) out to dry. MAF is rated as one of the top goalies in the League and always steps up in playoffs. Frankly, I'm not sure where you are seeing this. You can't judge a goalie purely on stats because if you let an opposing player get a break away it may be the goalie's job to stop the puck, but it's the defenses job to make sure it does not happen. At this point, MAF is starting to get it back going for playoffs. There isn't anyone affordable with the cap that I want, and I see no reason to get rid of him after he was able to rebound from that horrible Game 5 and win it. Love Luongo but he couldn't bounce back after a few games against the Hawks, takes a lot of character and a championship mindset to do what he did. No way we get rid of him for a long ass time.
 
 
#25 moves66 2010-03-21 04:51
Quoting Dionstops50:
MAF is the weak link. He is simply not in the the games. At least one, and often two soft goals every game. He may be better than some goalies in the league, but the rest of the team carried him to the Cup last year. We have the best players in the league, and he is letting them down. A change is needed.

C'mon man, just shut up.
 
 
#26 rico 2010-03-21 04:52
rupp, BJ, leo, poni, pens' best acquisition this year is tony granato. PK is awesome. always hated that passive box. last year disco unleashed the forecheck, this year, granato turned the PK up to 11. PP is finally starting to come around. if this team can get the forecheck in gear for the playoffs, it's lather, rinse, repeat. but we're not there yet.

and fleury is fine. he's been getting hung out to dry by his defensemen - especially against trapping teams. last year he fluctuated between good and fucking awesome. no other goalie has his ability to bounce back from bad games. i'm more concerned with the defensive coverage & clearing pucks than with the goaltending.
 
 
#27 Ddevil00 2010-03-21 05:10
Quoting Dionstops50:
MAF is the weak link. He is simply not in the the games. At least one, and often two soft goals every game. He may be better than some goalies in the league, but the rest of the team carried him to the Cup last year. We have the best players in the league, and he is letting them down. A change is needed.

Are you kidding? lol..
 
 
#28 firefox91 2010-03-21 08:59
Quoting Dionstops50:
MAF is the weak link. He is simply not in the the games. At least one, and often two soft goals every game. He may be better than some goalies in the league, but the rest of the team carried him to the Cup last year. We have the best players in the league, and he is letting them down. A change is needed.


I changed my mind. You can go ahead and jump off that fucking bridge. We'll give your seat to someone that can brush of a tough loss.
 
 
#29 Macallan 2010-03-21 09:31
The Pens used to have a McBain. Late 80's as I recall. Any relation?
 
 
#30 J.S. 2010-03-21 09:59
Quoting Macallan:
The Pens used to have a McBain. Late 80's as I recall. Any relation?


Bibs mentioned that he played with a McBain in Pittsburgh and that it was no relation.
 
 
#31 Macallan 2010-03-21 10:11
Ah. Thanks. I got to see very little of the game, hear less on the radio, and missed that.
 
 
#32 Macallan 2010-03-21 10:16
Related to nothing, I spent last week in Chicago for work. I am now ready to put forth the theory that the city has the highest Unreal Shirt levels per capita than any other.

Any thoughts?
 
 
#33 J.S. 2010-03-21 10:19
Quoting Dionstops50:
MAF is the weak link. He is simply not in the the games. At least one, and often two soft goals every game. He may be better than some goalies in the league, but the rest of the team carried him to the Cup last year. We have the best players in the league, and he is letting them down. A change is needed.


Enlighten us, and who do you suggest plays?

As much as I like Johnson as a backup, I'm not putting my Cup hopes on him. Thiessen? Curry? One is a sub-.500 goalie in the AHL and the other has had multiple chances to make the team as a backup. If you're looking for options outside the organization, you do realize that anybody who joins the team as a free agent is not eligible for the playoffs, right? Aside from Philly, who has been pounded with injuries in the goalie department, who the hell would want a goalie who has sat out 80% of the season?

Like it or not, those are your options for post season play. Or you can jump on another team's bandwagon if you don't like Fleury as your goaltender. It doesn't make a shred of difference to me.
 
 
#34 44FreeCandy 2010-03-21 10:28
Quoting Dionstops50:
MAF is the weak link. He is simply not in the the games. At least one, and often two soft goals every game. He may be better than some goalies in the league, but the rest of the team carried him to the Cup last year. We have the best players in the league, and he is letting them down. A change is needed.

Where's Fleuryous when you need her? Haha she'll rip this guy a new one.
 
 
#35 Tangers GoGo Lounge 2010-03-21 10:36
Quoting Dionstops50:
MAF is the weak link. He is simply not in the the games. At least one, and often two soft goals every game. He may be better than some goalies in the league, but the rest of the team carried him to the Cup last year. We have the best players in the league, and he is letting them down. A change is needed.


Look, I'd be the first to tell you that MAF has reg season consistency issues. Yeah, there are some soft goals and sometimes it seems he has his head up his ass....but come playoff time, he'll flip the switch and lock it down. Reminds me a lot of Tommy B. He's just a big game goalie...not much else (see abysmal regular season shutout stats).

Again, just counting down to the playoffs at this point...and the only kryptonite for the Pens right now is the trap...but better to figure that out with the few games we have left.
 
 
#36 Rage 2010-03-21 11:03
Now, now, everybody...we can't pillory someone for having an opinion about a(ny) player who may be putting on a shit show for whatever reason. It happens to everybody so it's part of our job(bber)as paying customers to voice our dissatisfaction . If you were eating in a restaurant and ordered Prime Rib and the chef sent you a deep-fried rubber band, you aren't going to eat that shit while saying you're sure that's the best the restaurant could do for a chef who may just be having an off day. Fuggnaw. HOWEVER...
What we say about the Pens doesn't mean jackshit to anybody outside of c-blog either, especially to the Pens organization...amirite? So basically...

Go Pens
 
 
#37 Rage 2010-03-21 11:05
Quoting 44FreeCandy:
Where's Fleuryous when you need her? Haha she'll rip this guy a new one.


Fleuryous is far too refined a lady to react in such a manner in regards to a fellow Pens fan's opinion. We have all seen Fleury shit the bed from time to time, just as we have seen him standing on his head. All is well.
 
 
#38 akus 2010-03-21 12:10
@Dionstops50,
If that is your criteria, that MAF is the weak link because he lets in at least one or two soff goals every( ummm, every game,c`mon now),then you better call Geno out too.
He is not leading the league in points like he did last year,so is he another weak link?Damn he must be a soff player. How about calling out the D ?

There is not a goalie in this league that has not let in a soff goal, though i disagree with your every game comment.If there are, he would not be playing in the NHL, but there are exceptions.
*see the city of Philadelphia*

But even that soff goal stuff is something that Philly can not do a thing about now.


Let's look back at the goalies on SC winning teams since MAF has been in the league and tell me who you would rather have since you suggest a change is needed. As J.S. said, seeing the goalie situation in the Pens organization i am not sure who you would rather see playing.


But let's pretend we could get the goalie of your choice to replace MAF,
here we go.....
2004=Khabibulin
2006=Ward
2007=Giguere
2008=Osgood.

Have you watched any of these goalies this year? How about last year? The year before?

Oh,one more thing,Captain Crosby had this to say about MAF's "soff" goals,

Quote:
Crosby absolved Fleury, who made 26 saves, of any blame for the loss.

"He was really solid for us," Crosby said. "Again, it's just a bad break there on the last one. He certainly deserved better."


~~

Maybe it is time for a new episode of,
Law and Order:The Pensblog Unit.
MAF versus The Rest.
 
 
#39 DD7 2010-03-21 12:19
Just want to say if facebook is correct happy birthday akus if not just ignore me
 
 
#40 TheFandangler 2010-03-21 12:23
Quoting Rage:
Now, now, everybody...we can't pillory someone for having an opinion about a(ny) player who may be putting on a shit show for whatever reason. It happens to everybody so it's part of our job(bber)as paying customers to voice our dissatisfaction . If you were eating in a restaurant and ordered Prime Rib and the chef sent you a deep-fried rubber band, you aren't going to eat that shit while saying you're sure that's the best the restaurant could do for a chef who may just be having an off day. Fuggnaw. HOWEVER...
What we say about the Pens doesn't mean jackshit to anybody outside of c-blog either, especially to the Pens organization...amirite? So basically...

Go Pens


Ahh...That redneck rationalism always goes down smooth.
 
 
#41 steelcity212 2010-03-21 12:29
Quoting akus:
Maybe it is time for a new episode of,
Law and Order:The Pensblog Unit.
MAF versus The Rest.


 
 
#42 FreeCandy77 2010-03-21 12:50
I say good for Carolina...let them get in that 8th seed and beat the Caps or atleast take em to 7 games.
 
 
#43 iadjustu 2010-03-21 12:53
Hey, they have a Crosby game worn jersey from the olympics on Ebay.
Item # 170460157329.
We should have a contest to guess what this will end up selling for....it has 5 days left.
 
 
#44 FreeCandy77 2010-03-21 12:55
that leopold cartoon posted in comment #13 is epic!
 
 
#45 stokes 2010-03-21 12:56
@Dionstops50:

dont comment unless its intelligent. that was ridiuclously stupid.
 
 
#46 Rage 2010-03-21 13:11
Quoting TheFandangler:
Ahh...That redneck rationalism always goes down smooth.


Rednecks don't use terms like "pillory", however, considering the source, I'll allow it.

wooooo
 
 
#47 CuntwaterMcGee 2010-03-21 13:19
Quoting Ddevil00:
Quoting Dionstops50:
MAF is the weak link. He is simply not in the the games. At least one, and often two soft goals every game. He may be better than some goalies in the league, but the rest of the team carried him to the Cup last year. We have the best players in the league, and he is letting them down. A change is needed.

Are you kidding? lol..


I was wondering the same thing. I was expecting to continue reading and have some indication of sarcasm. But nothing. Holy shit.
 
 
#48 ChikkaChiChi 2010-03-21 13:24
Holy Dicktoucher alert.

arethepensgoingtobeok.com

I'm still confident in the prediction algorithm.
 
 
#49 CuntwaterMcGee 2010-03-21 13:24
Quoting steelcity212:
Quoting akus:
Maybe it is time for a new episode of,
Law and Order:The Pensblog Unit.
MAF versus The Rest.




hahaha hell yes
 
 
#50 steelcity212 2010-03-21 13:38
i hope to god marc savard isnt watching the bruins game right now. those jerseys may give him a seizure.
 
 
#51 loco4pens 2010-03-21 14:01
Quoting steelcity212:
i hope to god marc savard isnt watching the bruins game right now. those jerseys may give him a seizure.

I laughed at this. Does this make me a bad person?
 
 
#52 Sabrejets 2010-03-21 14:09
Quoting 44FreeCandy:
Easy people... stay away from those bridges. Remember, when times get tough, refer to the manual: www.arethepensgoingtobeok.com/


I visit the site periodically and have referred others, this is a great public service.
Hey, did yinz know there's another Staal that plays for Carolina?
 
 
#53 NCPensFan 2010-03-21 14:36
Quoting Sabrejets:
Quoting 44FreeCandy:
Easy people... stay away from those bridges. Remember, when times get tough, refer to the manual: www.arethepensgoingtobeok.com/


I visit the site periodically and have referred others, this is a great public service.
Hey, did yinz know there's another Staal that plays for Carolina?


fully aware of that other staal in carolina since he averages a point everytime he has played us in his career. I was in Raleigh for the last game and this OT loss feels just as bad as the last two I was ACTUALLY there to see in person.
 
 
#54 akus 2010-03-21 15:06
Quote:
Hey, did yinz know there's another Staal that plays for Carolina?


Say what you will but the dude plays for New York.

~~
Can we get a
Sather sucks,chant?

~~
@DD7,
Yep,thanks.
 
 
#55 akus 2010-03-21 16:29
Quoting Larry R.:
Will Caps fans ever get over their inferiority/loser complex? Jeez, all this guy ever does is call out the Pens or post Pens bashing stuff. Hack...
washingtoncapit alsblog.blogspot.com



I have not read that because it gives that blogger hits and it certainly is what he is lookin for.
If i remember correctly he also wrote a piece about Sid and the Olympic which was mentioned here by one of the cbloggers.

I had enough of the Caps.
Read what Teddy wrote in his blog that has been posted over @KuklasKorner.
The Rah, Rah, Sis Boom Bah,we are the best,better-than-you,hey-look-at-us shit.

Teddy, how big is that cigar you smoke that enables you to blow smoke up your fans ass?
 
 
#56 Rage 2010-03-21 17:46
Quoting akus:
@DD7,
Yep,thanks.


...and just for you, Akus, my friend:

www.youtube.com/watch?v=L-28jAoTPFw

Watch it all
 
 
#57 Sabrejets 2010-03-21 17:50
Do Carrot and Unreal still attend games?
I've not seen a picture of them on here in forever. Just sayin'/askin'
 
 
#58 Hoss5741 2010-03-21 20:15
Quoting Rage:
Quoting akus:
@DD7,
Yep,thanks.


...and just for you, Akus, my friend:

www.youtube.com/watch?v=L-28jAoTPFw

Watch it all

Well played
 
 
#59 Nulpher-BANNED- 2010-03-21 20:36
Quoting Dionstops50:
MAF is the weak link. He is simply not in the the games. At least one, and often two soft goals every game. He may be better than some goalies in the league, but the rest of the team carried him to the Cup last year. We have the best players in the league, and he is letting them down. A change is needed.


So who do you suggest? Sebastien Caron?

That being said, Gilles Meloche is in the best shape of his life... just sayin. ;)
 
 
#60 Dalliquippa 2010-03-21 21:02
Happy Birthday, Akus. May you get everything you wish for and have a wonderful year.
 
 
#61 Stoosh 2010-03-21 21:36
Quoting Nulpher:
Quoting Dionstops50:
MAF is the weak link. He is simply not in the the games. At least one, and often two soft goals every game. He may be better than some goalies in the league, but the rest of the team carried him to the Cup last year. We have the best players in the league, and he is letting them down. A change is needed.


So who do you suggest? Sebastien Caron?

That being said, Gilles Meloche is in the best shape of his life... just sayin. ;)


That's the thing, Nulpher...MAF critics seldom ever suggest anyone better because they fail to realize there really isn't anyone out there who you could plug in and definitively say IS better.

Luongo? I'll see Luongo's career playoff series record of 2-2 and raise him Fleury's playoff series record of 7-1 over the last two years. Luongo has never sniffed a conference championship series, while Fleury's already not just played in two...he's won two of them. Luongo hasn't yet earned the right to be called anything better than average once the calendar flips to late April/early May.

Brodeur? Has anyone seen him play the last two playoff seasons? Two years ago, the Devils lost to the Rangers in five games in the first round. Brodeur allowed 19 goals in that series. That Rangers team moved on to play the Pens in the next round and was held by Fleury to 12 goals over five games. Last year, Brodeur allowed the Canes to score four goals three times in their seven-game series.

Nabokov? Has anyone seen HIM play the last two playoff series?

Lundqvist? Not after the Pens systematically exposed every hole in his game two years ago. He hasn't really carried the same aura of dominance that he had before that series.

Fleury isn't above criticism...no player is. Fleury's reg. season numbers could be better, although it's interesting that his .906 save percentage this year is just barely worse than the .908 save percentage he posted last year in the playoffs.

It's a team game and therein lies the answer. You can seldom point the blame for a team's successes and failures at one person. Maybe it's not so much Fleury's fault when you've got the defense committing mind-numbingly bad turnovers with the puck on their way out of the zone. Maybe it's not so much Fleury's fault when the offense can't generate more than two goals against an opposing team's backup and/or third-string goaltender.
 
 
#62 fleuryous 2010-03-21 21:58
Quoting Stoosh:
Nabokov? Has anyone seen HIM play the last two playoff series?



Dear, it's not even the playoffs...has anyone been watching him since the Olympics? I think that Canada game destroyed him, poor guy. I like him (omgoggoaliewho relolz), but that man is being obliterated.

And Rage...I'm not a refined "lady" by any means--I've just gotten used to the fact that no matter what I say, people are going to trash Fleury. I'm just wasting my breath...er...finger energy. Sometimes, Fleury doesn't play well, sometimes he does what he needs to in order to get a win, sometimes he is PHENOMENAL (I love those times).

But, as Stoosh said (commit TOTALLY by the way), there really aren't many "elite" goaltenders I'd have in net right now, other than Fleury. Fleury's my boy, and I'm behind him every step of the way...whether he's lit up for ten or ends some joke's dream.

Not saying you guys are Fleury haters, but I am an eternal optimist and always see the bright side of things. And I know the next game, he'll make up for it. Always think that way. Because I believe in that boy.

And I believe in this team. AND I HATE DETROIT (Sorry, JJ).

This next week is going to be fuuuuuuun.

Go Pens!

[If someone doesn't keep Holmstrom's ass out of Fleury's face, I will suit up myself and ruin his day.]
 
 
#63 fleuryous 2010-03-21 22:00
OH! And I know it's a Pens blog, but I GOTTA say congrats to Teemu Selanne for #600--couldn't happen to a better guy in the NHL right now. Class entirely.

Go Pens.
 
 
#64 Birdman27 2010-03-21 22:45
Now if we could just avoid the Devils and Canes for the rest of the season, we'll be all right!


Casey, Osgood, Howard, Theodore, Varlamov, Neuvirth?, Emory, Boucher, Leighton........


Can anyone name a single goaltender the Pens are facing this week!?!


The Casey reference was from the video, but you could probably pull him out of retirement and stick him on the Caps or Flyers and it would be an instant upgrade.
 
 
#65 Nulpher-BANNED- 2010-03-21 22:46
Quoting Stoosh:
That's the thing, Nulpher... **Snipped to save scroll wheels*


Commit.
 
 
#66 Birdman27 2010-03-22 00:28
Quoting fleuryous:
OH! And I know it's a Pens blog, but I GOTTA say congrats to Teemu Selanne for #600--couldn't happen to a better guy in the NHL right now. Class entirely.

Go Pens.




Its also nice to see him still rocking that old 90's style Jofa helmet that Buries It and JJ used to wear. I still have one of those helmets myself and still wear it sometimes.
 

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