Bring on the Capitals

In last night's pair of series deciding games the Carolina Hurricanes beat the New Jersey Devils and the New York Rangers were put away by the Washington Capitals. This brings about a second round matchup of the Caps for Pittsburgh. Game 1 is on Saturday. Full series schedule is as follows:

Sat 5/2 @ Washington 1pm NBC
Mon 5/4 @ Washington 7pm Versus
Wed 5/6 @ Pittsburgh 7pm Versus
Fri 5/8 @ Pittsburgh 7pm FSN
Sun 5/10 @ Washington* 7pm FSN
Mon 5/11 @ Pittsburgh* TBD FSN
Wed 5/13 @ Washington* 7pm FSN
* - if necessary

Today's Penguin's Links

Yahoo Sports

Dan the Man has a new title

Pittsburgh Tribune Review

Starkey: Talbot 'wore the cape'

ESPN

Game 6 will leave mark on Pens, Flyers

THEPensblog

Our friends over at THEPensblog are having some squatter issues. Go lend them some support or encouraging words here

Latest thoughts:

Who's it going to be in round 2? Voice your predictions by leaving a comment below.

My thought is that Carolina will prevail and that the Rangers will outduel the Caps

Two game 7's in one night...is that some great damn hockey or what?!?!?!

Pens win game 6, series.

The Pens took the series out from under the Flyers Saturday in game 6 of the series, 5-3. Pittsburgh had a rough start, coming out an being down 3-0 by the time the the second period was 4 minutes underway. It looked at if there would be a game 7 in Pittsburgh Monday evening. But before the Flyers could wrap up the game, Philadelphia forward, Daniel Carcillo, decided to pick a fight with Pittsburgh's Max Talbot:



Well good old Max took a beating for his team and the team noticed. The Penguins scored 5 unanswered goals and took the series 4 games to 2.

Pens goals were scored by Crosby(2), Eaton, Fedotenko and Gonchar.

How stupid. Your team is up 3 zip in a playoff game, that could extend your season by one game or even an additional series, and one of your goon forwards goes out on the ice and picks a fight. This fires up your opposition and they come alive in a game that previously looked like they have little interest in, and score the next 5 goals to secure a win and take the series.

This all goes back to the fact that the Flyers organization never instills in their players any sense of discipline. They are permitted to go out on the ice, play the game with reckless abandon, and take pot shots at the opposition without consequence. Philadelphia has more players suspended by the league every year than any other team. And until these guys learn how to control themselves on the ice and keep their emotions in check, they will always be susceptible to break downs such as the one that caused their demise on Saturday.

Tell them goodbye Max:



Next up for the Pens is unknown. It could be Boston, New Jersey, Washington or Carolina depending on who wins their repsective game sevens tomorrow evening. Personally, I would love a Capitals/Penguins series so let's root for the Hurricanes to stick it to the Devils and for the Caps to beat the Rangers.

Today's Penguins Links

Mondesi's House

More on the Morons

Here is some examples of the true class that Philly fans show visiting teams fans.

Pittsburgh Tribune Review

Donnellon: Crosby goal still perplexing Flyers (from Philly.com)

Prisuta: Benchmark decision, Sykora replaced with Satan?

Sykora is scratched for tonight's game

Trib

Petr Sykora is apparently a healthy scratch for tonight's game 5 against the Flyers.

Today's Penguins Link - and a few Flyer's ones too.

ESPN

'Smiling Assassin'? Hey, for Fleury, it fits

Pittsburgh Tribune Review

Crosby's Game 4 goal disputed by Flyers

Penguins ruining 'rivalry' with Flyers

Philly.com

Flyers put themselves in tough spot

The 700 level

MAF Steals One for the Pens, Flyers Down 3-1... Plus: Further Review of the Crosby Goal

On Frozen Blog

A Modest Proposal: Best of One Hundred and Eleven Between the Flyers and Pens

Flyers Fans - stop the whining

I've heard and read enough. Philadelphia fans this is for you - and I invite all of you that I know are reading this blog to email me and tell me where I can put my opinion - it is time to stop complaining about the officiating or your percieved notion that the Penguins are the golden team in the NHL. It is all wrong!

So there is a controversy on whether or not Crosby's goal should have stood. It never would have happened if Timonen wouldn't have turned the puck over at the blue line.

How about the one that the Flyers are viewed as goons so the referees give more power plays to the opponenet? The Flyers had 8 power plays last night. Eight! and still zero power play goals.

And how about that Philadephia performance in game one. They really gave it their all, didn't they?

Hard to get a win against a hot goaltender? It is the playoffs. Every team has a hot goalie or they do not belong in the post-season.

Bad puck bounces? Please. If a player gives it his all to get to a loose puck then that player has a 50/50 shot just like any other player.

Is there something I'm missing?

Oh yeah, this one. The better team will always win in a 7 game series. So here is all the Flyers have to do. Win three in a row. Which might have been a much easier task if two of those were in Philly. Unfortunately the Flyers could not manage to gather a single point in either of the last two games of the regular season to earn home ice for round one. An overtime loss would have done it people. One point could have changed the entire first round for your team. Period. End of story.

White Out for Game 5

The Pens are calling for a white out for tomorrow nights game at Mellon Arena. Each fan entering the gate will recieve a white t-shirt courtesy of Starkist and a white "rally" towels from the Pittsburgh Tribune Review.

Three Down, One to go

Marc Andre Fleury pushed the Flyer to the brink of elimination with his world class performance last night. Fleury stopped 45 of the 46 Philadelphia shots including a few breathtaking chances late in the game. Even if there still was any doubt that Fleury is a franchise goalie then it should now be removed. This man can carry the team as far as they are determined to go.

Pittsburgh won the game 3-1. Pens goals were scored by Crosby, Kennedy and Talbot chipped in an empty netter to close out the game.

The Pens couldn't manage to keep themselves out of the penalty box though. They racked up 16 penalty minutes throughout the game but were able to keep the Flyers lethal power play unit off the board with top notch penalty killing. This could be worrisome in any possible future matchups.

What's wrong with Petr Sykora? He is quite obviously injured in some way. He has been a non-factor for the entire series and during the game last night the camera isolated on him and it appeared as if he was favoring his right side. Perhaps a rib or shoulder injury?

Game 5 is Thursday night at the Igloo. Let's close this thing out and have a few days rest before the next series. Philadelphia will be as desperate as ever to put another win in their column. The best situation may be to keep the game close all the way to the end then finish it off. This will keep the goonishness out of the game and permit the Pens to play the game that they want while not having to worry about Philadelphia taking too many chances at getting the puck in the net.

Today's Penguins Links

AP courtesy of Yahoo Sports

Feisty Flyers are back in series against Pens

philly.com

Flyers know momentum can be fickle

Pittsburgh Tribune Review

Hartnell 'mane' agitator for Philadelphia

Flyers are still feeling the pressure

Still Halfway to Four - Flyers Win Game Three 6-3

The Pens got suckered into playing the chippy, physical game that Philadelphia wanted them to play and they spent 30 minutes in the penalty box. Much like in previous games against the Flyers, once this happens, Philly has the advantage. Pens lose 6-3.

The Pens got goals from Malkin(2) and Scuderi.

Game 4 is coming up Tuesday night and the players are vowing that this will be a much different situation since they know what they neet to do. Now if they go out on the ice and do so it should be a better game.

Half Way to Four - Pens win 3-2 in OT

It was one of the most intense 15 minutes I had ever witnessed in a hockey game. The first period of last nights game was filled with crushing hits, blazing speed and superb finesse by the Pens. Unfortunately the Flyers scored the opening goal to take the lead, otherwise this may have been an entirely game that it actually was. As it is the Penguins did not give up and they eventually came out on top at 18:29 of the first period by trade deadline pick-up Billy Guerin. Guerin also scored the Pens first goal in the second and Malkin added the game tying goal in the third with 4:37 remaining in regulation.

The idiocy of Flyers right wing Claude Giroux slashing penalty gave the Pens a 5-3 power play advantage which led to the game winning goal by Guerin.

All in all a very nice effort by the Pens. They now have a 2-0 lead as the series shifts to Philadelphia. Game 3 has now become an absolute must win for the Flyers and the Pens are saying all the right things about going to Philly in hopes of splitting when every person listening to the media reports knows that what they really mean is they intend to win both games and end this series a week early!

Game 3 is Sunday afternoon at 3 pm on NBC.



The Idiot of the Week award goes whomever the executive is at NBC that made the call that the Penguins were not allowed to broadcast tomorrow's game on the outdoor big screen. The fact that the Pens do this is a tremendous idea for both fans and the team. Not only does it give fans a place to gather for away games and those that are unable to get tickets to home games, but it also gives the players a sense of how much they are appreciated by the large groups that come down to the arena just to watch the game on the outdoor screen. I would call for a boycott of all NBC programs but they kind of have us all by the balls since games 3 and 6 are scheduled to be broadcast. Some the bast I can say is don't watch anything on NBC besides the Penguins games.

Game One Goes to the Good Guys 4-1

Even as the game was near ending and the Flyers returned to their Broad Street Bully ways, there was never a doubt, from the opening face-off, that the Pittsburgh Penguins would emerge as the victor of game one. Philadelphia did their best to insure that the Pens would remember the last few minutes of the game by throwing as many punches and cheap shots as they could.

One win down! Three to go!

Pens goals by Crosby, Kennedy, Malkin and Eaton.

Here's my take - Pittsburgh was quick, offensive minded, they crashed the net, they finished their checks and played a nearly flawless game in front of Marc Andre Fleury. The Pens took advantage of Philadelphia's 35 penalty minutes, scoring the opening goal of the game at 4:41 of the first and wearing down the Flyers forwards with their speed and relentless offensive attack. The Flyers were very good at allowing all of the above to happen at the will of the Pens.

Biron looked rattled. The goals the Pens scored were all solid goals but Marty seemed nervous and even, at times, lackadaisical. I've no doubt that, despite if he turns in a solid performance in game 2, he will sit down for the rest of the series thereby seriously reducing his value on the open market this summer. Which is why I think that we will see Biron at the top of his game Friday night at the Igloo.

Game 2 will most likely be very different. Philly now knows what to expect - why they didn't after 6 regular season games I have no clue - and will be an entirely different game. The Flyers will be more aggressive, make better decisions to keep away from the sin bin and go to the net often and with purpose. It will be a much closer game this time as it should be since Philadephia needs to be more desperate.

But when the final seconds tick away Friday night, Pittsburgh will emerge with a win in game 2 and a 2-0 series lead to take to Philadelphia on Sunday.

Today's Penguins Links

Have the Flyers called it quits?

philly.com

Daniel Carcillo gets a time-out (or should Carcillo really have suckered Talbot with NHL Commish Bettman in attandance):

Yahoo Sports

Should the Flyers just give up?

Puck Daddy


Pens speed burying Flyers:

Yahoo Sports