Faceoff Factor

Pens/Flyers Game 3 Grades

Mike Adams | Grade "A" Reviews

May 14, 06:01 PM | Hype this story!

Dee-fense! Dee-fense!

Offense: B-

It wasn’t the best of games offensively. There was never really any flow at all. The Pens got chances here and there, and managed two non-empty-net goals at even strength. The goal by Hossa was just pure brilliance on his part. He took the puck at his own blue line and skated over the Flyers’ line. Using a d-man as a screen, he ripped a wrister back the other way and caught Biron moving with him. A goal-scorer’s goal, that one. The other one resulted from Malkin stealing a Steve Downie (more on him later) pass and taking it up ice. After a couple bounces, it ended up on Sykora’s stick. He made a beautiful backhand pass to Malone before getting cheapshotted, and Malone backhanded it past Martin (not as good as Brodeur or Gerber) Biron. Once the Pens got the lead, I wouldn’t say they quit trying to score, but they did concentrate on defense. Hossa closed it out with an empty-netter. The transition and forechecking games weren’t top-notch last night, but they still scored four. What does that tell you?

Defense: A

This might sound like hyperbole, but this was one of the best defensive games I have ever seen this team play, especially in the playoffs. They gave the Flyers absolutely nothing all night. They got the lead and then went into the trap, which they have perfected. It has to be like skating in seaweed trying to attack them right now. They are executing perfectly. They disrupted nearly every Flyer rush. They rarely allowed the Flyers easy entry into the zone. They hit. They blocked shots. They clogged lanes. They moved the puck swiftly out of trouble when Fleury allowed a few loose rebounds. It was just brilliant. Even Biron might have allowed only one goal playing behind this defense. I just cannot say enough about how disciplined The Genius has them playing. Why, if this keeps up, they will join the ranks of ruiners of hockey.

Power play: A

Once again, the power play came through at a key time. It was near the end of their first chance, and a mixed-up unit was out. One-touch passes by Gonchar and Sid found Whitney all alone in the left circle. He just shot it in front, and it went in off Jason Smith. The other two power plays were uneventful, as one lasted only a few seconds. But the damage had been done.

Penalty kill: B

Well, they technically killed all three penalties, but the lone Flyer goal was basically a power play marker, as it came only seconds after a Hossa penalty had expired. Malone and Malkin failed to have their heads on a swivel and allowed Richard Junior to sneak in from up high and put a rebound past a scrambling Flower. Other than that lapse, the PK was very good on the other two, again one of which was short. It was just an extension of their overall defensive effort in that they kept everything to the outside and cleaned up their own end brilliantly.

Goaltending: B

Maybe he has spoiled me, or maybe I’m being a bit harsh, but I didn’t think Flower was at his sharpest last night. He was allowing juicy rebounds. On the goal, he overcommitted on Prospal at the left post and then had to scramble to stop the wraparound. He did, but kicked the rebound out front, where he was in no position to stop it. But that was it. The defense buckled down and cleared the rebounds away. It says something that even when your goalie isn’t quite “on,” you still only give up one goal.

Overall: A

This was a defensive masterpiece. It was amazing to watch. The announcers kept marveling at how well they played defensively, as if they were surprised. While this was one of their best efforts, it is not that much unlike how they played the whole second half. I just absolutely love what The Genius has done with them.

And now, the rest of the story…

Sergei Gonchar: A

He has been nothing short of phenomenal this postseason. He is now officially out of the doghouse forever. That play he made on Richards was incredible. He dove to break up the breakaway, and got puck before skate to avoid a penalty.

Marian Hossa: B+

He scored two goals, one of them brilliant. But he also had several horrid, lazy giveaways of the type that will kill you against a good team.

Evgeni Malkin: D

He wasn’t invisible, but he was close. He also tried an impossible pass that caused a 3-on-1 to go awry.

Flyer “Fans:” F

In Game two, Braydon Coburn gets hurt and Pittsburgh fans cheer him as he leaves the ice. Last night Petr Sykora takes a cheapshot and is helped off, to a cacophony of boos. Stay classy, Philly, stay classy.

Icehole of the Game

Maybe we should call this the Ryan Hollweg Award today. For the second time in the playoffs, a Penguin opponent is the Icehole for both teams. This time, it is the classless piece of trash called Steve Downie. First, I would like to publicly thank that brilliant oracle behind the Flyer bench, the Professor of Goonism, for basically handing the Pens two games by playing this clown. He is the Flyer Icehole because he again had a hideous giveaway that gave the Pens a goal. He is the Pens’ Icehole for the cheapshot he laid on Sykora a good two seconds after the puck was gone. I would ordinarily demand a suspension, but not this time. The penalty should be that he be forced to play at least 20 minutes in Game 4. No telling how many goals that would give the Pens.
0000
Mascara: F

Okay, it looks great on women, but it has no place on the ice. Makeup calls are just so ridiculous. Danny Boy Briere gets whistled for a questionable hooking call, so what happens? A mere 25 seconds later, the same ref mysteriously spots a Hossa “hook” to even things out. The first one was debatable; the second call was nowhere near a penalty.

Striped Buffoon Huh? Call of the Game

This one goes to the NHL. There were six minors handed out in this game, all by Kevin Pollock. That’s fine, you could say he was doing his job. But what about Blind McCreary at the other end? You mean to tell me there wasn’t one infraction worthy of a call at his end??? Not a one? The league can preach and preach till they’re blue in the face about being consistent with calls, but it will not matter unless they quit assigning the old guard like McCreary to call playoff games. I’m not whining about this from a Penguin perspective. He was equally blind both ways. But seriously, if a guy isn’t willing to call even a single penalty, why is he being paid to officiate? And they wonder why it’s called a Garage League?

A guide to the game grades can be found here.