Faceoff Factor

Pens/Caps Game 7 Grades

Mike Adams | Report Cards

May 14, 10:39 AM | Hype this story!

Crosby dominates
Alex disappears
History repeats itself
Pens top Capitals

Offense: A

They came out firing on all cylinders. From the opening whistle, they just took it to the Caps. As Coach B. said, they were going north all night long. Just simple hockey, no fancy plays. Get the puck to the zone and either shoot it or dump it. It took seven games, but they finally broke Antimoose. Pucks were going in from everywhere. They didn’t take as many shots as they had in previous games, but they were on cruise control from the midpoint on.

Defense: A

They played very well defensively. Other than the Ovechkin breakaway in the first period, they really didn’t allow any quality scoring chances while the game was in doubt. It was partly because they kept the puck in the other end, but they also never got trapped in their own end.

Yeo play: A

A key power play goal at a key moment. Who knew they had it in them? They did pepper Antimoose on that first PP, but couldn’t get anything past him. They all of a sudden, Sarge fires from the blueline and there is Sid to once again bang home a rebound. Just for good measure, Sid scored another PP goal in the third when Ovechickensh#t coughed up the puck and gave him a breakaway.

Penalty kill: Incomplete

What can I say? No kills.

Goaltending: A-

It’s not how many goals you allow or saves you have, it’s when they happen. Fleury only had to make five saves while the game was in doubt, but one of them was probably a season-saver. With the score 0-0, Ovechickensh#t got a breakaway. The crowd goes crazy. He moves in, shoots, and it’s 1-0 Caps and there is bedlam in the building. The Caps have the momentum. But wait. It doesn’t go in. Fleury robs him with a scintillating glove save and it stays 0-0. Maybe I’m being overly dramatic, but that might well have been a season-saver right there. Who knows how this game goes if that goes in? The only reason he doesn’t get an A is the hideous gift-wrapping of that Ovechickensh#t goal. Just stay in the crease, please.

Overall: A

The Pens basically played a perfect hockey game. It reminded me of Game 6 against the North Stars in 1991. They go into enemy territory and quiet the crowd early, then just keep piling it on. At least they out them away quickly and mercifully, though they did make the Caps’ true fans sit through two horrid periods in order to salute their heroes.

And now, the rest of the story…

Sid: A

All he did in this series was solidify his credentials as the best player in the game today. He simply raised his game to a level we haven’t seen before.

Geno: A

Two more assists.

Jordan Staal: A

He evens cored a goal.

Craig Adams: A

Just for his last name. Oh, and because he scored a key goal.

Sarge: A

We can never again question this guy’s heart. For all Boudreau’s whining about injuries, nobody was more hurt than him. And he not only played Game 7, but contributed the slapper that led to the key first goal.

Rob Scuderi: A

For his work the entire series against the Ovechkin line.

Miroslav Satan: A

I have railed on this guy all year, but I have to give him full credit. When they sent him down, he could have taken his sticks and gone home to Slovakia. Or he could have gone to Wilkes Barre and just collected his paycheck. By all accounts, he did neither. He went there and played hard. And when he came back, he played very well in this series. He was competing for pucks, working hard all the time. And he ended up with four assists in six games. Job well done, Miro.

Bill Guerin: A

He’s got 9 points in 13 games in the playoffs. So much for that San Jose choke a couple years ago.

Coach B.: A

This guy just instills confidence. He has the players believing that what they do will work.

Ranking the Russians

Gonchar
Malkin
Aw, who cares about the rest?

Caps “fans:” F

Okay, this only applies to a small minority. Most fans stuck around until the end. But some actually started leaving in the second period. That can only be called disgraceful. I’m sure it was the bandwagoners. But still, you can’t even be troubled to stick around and salute the boys for all the fun they gave you this year? Pathetic.

Antimoose: F

Unlike the true Moose, he was unable to pull his team through a Game 7. He held the Pens at bay for six games. But once the dam broke, it was like all of Lake Superior just poured out. He didn’t have it last night, but what a show he put on for six games.

Versus: A

Rarely do I compliment these guys, but they deserve it for this series. For one, they made the decision to use the same announcers for all six games they had. It’s great to do that, as it adds to the continuity. And second, they gave us six games of Doc Emrick and Darryl (Razor) Reaugh. For my money, Razor is the best color guy going, though he can sometimes go a bit overboard with his dictionary sayings. But he’s very eloquent and very insightful. And there’s no better play-by-play guy than Emrick, especially when he gets the continuity of covering the whole series. Now, if you could just get those huge ads that obscure half the ice off the screen…

Striped Buffoon Huh? Call of the Game

I got nothing.

Monk Moment

18,277 people going from a frenzied din to dead silence when Sid scored the opening goal.

Minard Moment

Nothing. They played a very smart game without resorting to stupid passes.

A Guide to the Grades can be found here