Pens 25-26 thread
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Pens and Oilers both started the season with known goaltending issue, so they traded their issues. Same result, both lose out in first round of playoffs with the "starting" goaltenders getting zero wins and benched to end each series. SMH
Both teams need new goaltending solutions via new blood from within or trade for playoff caliber starters.
Both teams need new goaltending solutions via new blood from within or trade for playoff caliber starters.
Some observations from the 4-2 series loss:
1) I honest-to-God thought Mantha was throwing the series in the first three games. Stupid penalties, poor decisions on the ice, giveaways. He was a shadow of what he was in the regular season. He ended up with 1 assist and was a -5 in 6 games, while being a minus player in 5 of those. Just pathetic, and it makes me wonder how a guy who was so consistent over 81 games could play this badly when it really counted.
2) I understand the move to go with Skinner to start the series. He had recent playoff success and a bunch of experience, including playing in Game 7 of the Cup Finals just last season. I can see why Muse stuck with him after game 2, a contest in which Skinner played well, but the team was shut out. I can see why he made the change after game 3, and Silovs was outstanding from that point on, allowing only 5 goals in 3+ games for a 1.52 GAA and a .939 save percentage. Hindsight is 20/20, but I can't criticize the approach with the goaltending. It made sense to me.
3) Dubas did a hell of a job this season for the most part, but acquiring Girard for Kulak was a mistake. Girard was basically invisible for six games with 0 points to go with a -1. He made several bad turnovers and added zero offense. I presume the reason they brought him in was to produce offensively. Kulak quietly put up one assist in four playoff games with the Avs, with a +2 while averaging over 20 minutes of ice time. I really think the Penguins could have used a bigger, more physical defenseman in this tough series against the Flyers. No idea why they traded for Kulak, watched him played excellently for them while he was in Pittsburgh, and then suddenly gave up on him. He was the exact kind of player they needed for the playoffs, not a tiny "offensive" defenseman.
4) Chinakov was amazing once he arrived from Columbus, but he disappeared in this series. 0 points and a -4 in six games. He had many good chances, but consistently missed the net, including one off the post in Game 6 which probably would have been all the Pens needed to take it back to Pittsburgh for Game 7. Not sure why they messed around and put him on Crosby's line later in the regular season and the first few games of the playoffs. Should have just kept him with Malkin to stay, as the two Russians exhibited early chemistry together along with Novak.
5) I can follow the logic of reuniting the fourth line with Lizotte returning to health for the playoffs. I know Soderblom had played well for the Penguins, and Brazeau hadn't had a great April, but you're going to give a guy who scored 17 goals and added 17 assists as a +5 in 64 games for you in the regular season a grand total of 8 minutes of ice time in the playoffs? I understand that somebody has to sit. But Brazeau had played on that third line efficiently with Mantha and Kindel for most of the season...why try to insert Soderblom there, who had been playing on the fourth line with other players? Yes, Elmer had a big goal in game 5, but I feel like Brazeau got a raw deal here.
It was a bitter end to a very entertaining (and unexpected) season. Had a lot of fun watching this team this year. I felt good when the Flyers became their first-round opponent -- careful what you wish for. I got to see the big three together on the ice one last time in New Jersey late in the season, and I saw my favorite player Malkin score a goal in person. Hopefully, it won't be his last regular season goal as a Penguin.
1) I honest-to-God thought Mantha was throwing the series in the first three games. Stupid penalties, poor decisions on the ice, giveaways. He was a shadow of what he was in the regular season. He ended up with 1 assist and was a -5 in 6 games, while being a minus player in 5 of those. Just pathetic, and it makes me wonder how a guy who was so consistent over 81 games could play this badly when it really counted.
2) I understand the move to go with Skinner to start the series. He had recent playoff success and a bunch of experience, including playing in Game 7 of the Cup Finals just last season. I can see why Muse stuck with him after game 2, a contest in which Skinner played well, but the team was shut out. I can see why he made the change after game 3, and Silovs was outstanding from that point on, allowing only 5 goals in 3+ games for a 1.52 GAA and a .939 save percentage. Hindsight is 20/20, but I can't criticize the approach with the goaltending. It made sense to me.
3) Dubas did a hell of a job this season for the most part, but acquiring Girard for Kulak was a mistake. Girard was basically invisible for six games with 0 points to go with a -1. He made several bad turnovers and added zero offense. I presume the reason they brought him in was to produce offensively. Kulak quietly put up one assist in four playoff games with the Avs, with a +2 while averaging over 20 minutes of ice time. I really think the Penguins could have used a bigger, more physical defenseman in this tough series against the Flyers. No idea why they traded for Kulak, watched him played excellently for them while he was in Pittsburgh, and then suddenly gave up on him. He was the exact kind of player they needed for the playoffs, not a tiny "offensive" defenseman.
4) Chinakov was amazing once he arrived from Columbus, but he disappeared in this series. 0 points and a -4 in six games. He had many good chances, but consistently missed the net, including one off the post in Game 6 which probably would have been all the Pens needed to take it back to Pittsburgh for Game 7. Not sure why they messed around and put him on Crosby's line later in the regular season and the first few games of the playoffs. Should have just kept him with Malkin to stay, as the two Russians exhibited early chemistry together along with Novak.
5) I can follow the logic of reuniting the fourth line with Lizotte returning to health for the playoffs. I know Soderblom had played well for the Penguins, and Brazeau hadn't had a great April, but you're going to give a guy who scored 17 goals and added 17 assists as a +5 in 64 games for you in the regular season a grand total of 8 minutes of ice time in the playoffs? I understand that somebody has to sit. But Brazeau had played on that third line efficiently with Mantha and Kindel for most of the season...why try to insert Soderblom there, who had been playing on the fourth line with other players? Yes, Elmer had a big goal in game 5, but I feel like Brazeau got a raw deal here.
It was a bitter end to a very entertaining (and unexpected) season. Had a lot of fun watching this team this year. I felt good when the Flyers became their first-round opponent -- careful what you wish for. I got to see the big three together on the ice one last time in New Jersey late in the season, and I saw my favorite player Malkin score a goal in person. Hopefully, it won't be his last regular season goal as a Penguin.
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Murashov is the solution for the Penguins going forward. 24-9-4 with a 2.20 GAA and .919 save percentage in Wilkes-Barre this season. He's ready. I would keep Silovs (he's an RFA) as his backup, and I think they'd be set at goaltender.
I dont get why everyone blames Skinner for those first 3 games. Those games could have been blowouts if he had not been good.
Doesn't really matter, he is gone anyways.
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kinda like RBs, goalies don't need years within a system. They just stop the puck.
I didn't blame Skinner for Game 2. Are you telling me you would have put him back out there for Game 4 after he had below an .860 save percentage for the second time in three games? He doesn't cover the bottom of the net like Silovs does....that became clearly evident later in the series.
Enter Murashov. Hopefully he'll have a successful run with the Baby Pens and ride that wave into the NHL in October.
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While we may point at the goalie being an issue in the series early on,let's not forget the Pens got shutout twice.
You can't win if you don't score,so it doesn't matter what the goalie does.
You can't win if you don't score,so it doesn't matter what the goalie does.
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I still think McDavid would look great in black&gold. He looked like a defeated man after the Oilers last game that ended the series.
Which is totally understandable given they go from losing two finals in a row to bounced in round one.
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He's amazing. He hasn't yet shown that "It" factor. Not sure what is missing. Is it the Oilers? Him? Not sure, but I would never put money on him.
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What's missing is the goalie
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Probably so. We know what that's like.
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It's different in the regular season when teams often lack intensity, but in the playoffs it is almost impossible to win a series when the other team's goalie is better than yours in that series.
Goalies have never won a game, but even the best have lost many. The Pens recent Cup wins were matched by excellent PO runs by MAF and topped off by Murray. Just look at their save percentages. I think it was the early 80 Islanders that last had a goalie duo on a Cup winner.
I gotta admit, I thought the crazy, zany Flower did not have what it takes to win the Cup. Happy that I was wrong !
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Well some of the greatest offensive talent to ever play the game,Mario,Sid and Jagr,have played for Pittsburgh and they've all won championships.
I think he needs a change of scenery. I can dream...lol
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Carolina is up 1-0 against the Flyers early in the 1st
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They got shutout 3-0.
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Carolina will hoist the cup this year, IMO.