Pens/Hurricanes Game 2 Grades
Mike Adams | Report Cards
May 22, 10:53 AM | Hype this story!
‘Twas The Geno Show
Oh, Sid? Scored first again
So much for second game Canes
As Pens take Game two
Offense: A
Who wouldda thunk it? Seven even-strength goals against Carolina and Cam Who? It was an odd game, though. Carolina actually seemed to carry the play for long stretches, but couldn’t score. Then the Pens would come down and pop one in. They were firing from everywhere on Cam Who?, and they were finding the net. Just an all-out assault. Geno, of course, led the way with three, but both top lines contributed mightily. And even the third line popped in the empty-netter.
Defense: D
Just one misplay after another, especially in the first period. They weren’t taking bodies or sticks in front (puck fixation as Razor called it). They chased guys behind the net, leaving the front wide open. The first period was by far their worst defensive period of the playoffs. Since Carolina was no better, you have to think the layoff contributed to it. Guys were too amped up and were chasing the puck like a bunch of peewees. But they stabilized things the final two periods. After allowing 14 shots in the opening frame, they allowed that same total over the last two combined.
Yeo play: C
They didn’t score while up a man, but they actually had some good chances. They gained the zone fairly easily. They set up pretty well. The only thing they failed to do was score.
Penalty kill: A
Tremendous effort. Granted, Carolina’s power play has been nothing but a huge pile of stink all post season. But the Pens gave them absolutely nothing. In fact, they generated as many shots while shorthanded as the Canes did while up a man (one). They attacked the fragile Hurricanes up the ice, and Carolina rarely even established the zone. And when they did, they got squat in terms of good chances.
Goaltending: C-
The bad Fleury showed up last night. He was not good in the first period, but at least recovered after that. In the first, he was popping out rebounds like the puck was a super ball. He just seemed jittery and lost. He might have been a goal away from getting yanked. But that goal never came, well, at least until way later. As the Pens settled down, so did Fleury. He played well enough to win from the first period on.
Overall: B
Again, the Pens didn’t play their best hockey. Again, they won. They were very leaky defensively in the first period. And the goaltending was not good early. But they put two great periods together after that.
And now, the rest of the story…
Sid: A
He was much better than he had been in Game 1. He was just making all the right plays. And once again, he scored the game’s first goal. That was his sixth lid-lifter of the playoffs, tying a record. He was dominant. But not as dominant as…
Geno: A
What an amazing game for him. He scored two Sid-like goals right around the net. He scored another on an unbelievable backhander. And he made the nice little play at center ice to spring Talbot on a breakaway. He did something almost every time he was out there. It was just one of those amazing games where he is just in a stratosphere all by himself.
Chris Kunitz: A
Finally, finally, he scored a goal. It was a nice shot by him. But he also added two helpers. He is indeed a guy that does all the little things. It was nice to see him get rewarded with a goal.
Kris Letang: D
He really struggled, and his brutal giveaway on a pass up the middle led to the Seidenberg goal.
Miro Satan: A
Who knew he could be a top-notch pugilist? He beat the crap out of Patrick Eaves. Way to go, Miro.
Eric Staal: F
Anybody seen him? Is Jordan just totally shutting him down?
Matt Cooke: A
Carolina has to be seething. Not only does the NHL not suspend Cooke for his hit on Cole, but then Cooke goes out and hangs three assists on them last night. I guess that was the hockey gods’ way of saying he shouldn’t have been suspended.
Cam Who?: F
So much for his playoff mystique. I gotta admit, I bought into it and he was the sole reason I picked the Canes in this series. They might still win (not looking good at all though), but what of Cam Who? In this series, he’s 0-2 with a GAA of 4.59 and a sterling save percentage of .875. Have they already broken him? Time will tell. But it sure is looking that way.
Striped Buffoon Huh? Call of the Game
Oh, there is so much to talk about. I used to like Marc Joannette. Maybe it’s that Kevin Pollock is dragging him down. But the last two times these guys have reffed the Pens in the playoffs, they’ve been awful. Happened again last night. You just never knew what they were going to call. Sid gets blatantly tripped, then trips a Cane. The only penalty goes to Sid. Joke. Cullen trips Sid. No call. Then Geno gets chopped down in the neutral zone with one of the buffoons staring right at it. Play on. If this crew makes the finals, there is something seriously wrong.
Monk Moment
Easy. It was Geno appearing out of nowhere to score the Pens’ second goal. The third line had been pressuring, but Staal went for a change. Geno just magically appeared on the doorstep and beat Ward on a rebound. Watching on TV, my first reaction was, “where did he come from?”
Icehole of the Game
Ryan Bayda. I’m at least happy the buffoons were onto him in giving him a match penalty. It was well-deserved. He just blatantly elbowed Letang on an icing play, then punched him in the face. I’m sure a suspension will be coming for “message-sending.” But how does it really hurt them to lose a stiff like Bayda? It would really hurt if they had to play a man short the next game.
A Guide to the Grades can be found here
Comments
DaBich
May 22, 12:42 PM
I’m looking for the fine on bayda as well.
And who knew that Miro could fight…hell froze over last night! :)
DAVID SCOTT
May 22, 12:49 PM
What about all the “if you can get away with it, we will do it” knee-on-knee hunting the ‘canes practiced last night? Adams gets his knee hunted in center ice, and the ref’s can’t see a thing? Then Geno gets flipped coming out of his own zone by a ‘cane hunting down HIS knee??!! You also mentioned the Tripping of Malkin later in the game that went uncalled.
Sid was getting mauled all night by Philly style “goonery” (is that even a word?) with elbows and sticks being used liberally (like a french chef laying on the butter!) without any calls.
As I watched the game, I felt that the refs weren’t going to call anything unless someone got killed…than the Crosby trip???
By the end of the third, when the Refs wated to keep the game from getting out of hand, it was TOO LITTLE TOO LATE! Even though we have seen that this type of play seems to draw the best out of Sid and Geno, this has to be addressed before the NL loses some of the greatest talent it has to injuries.
Something needs to be done before (or is it to late?) the NHL become the NBA of subjective, incomprehensible officiating.
Pens1967
May 22, 12:56 PM
“The Geno” play. I love it! :) When Malkin fills out a little more, he is going to be like Jagr – when he wants the puck no one will be able to get if off him.
Mike Adams
May 22, 01:15 PM
@ david,
Your are right on the hit on Adams (nice surname, by the way). It was a knee on knee. However, I disagree on the Malkin one. I did originally think it was indeed a knee hit. But Versus showed a replay that showed that whoever hit Geno (LaRose?) actually got him with a hip. So I can’t complain on that one. It was one of the few calls they got right all game.
PAT
May 22, 02:16 PM
Couldn’t agree more with comments on LeTang – should be an F though. He continues to make bad decisions and is afraid of any physical play. The Pens will need grinders if they plan on securing this series and being successful in capturing the cup – LeTang doesn’t fit the bill!
Moq
May 22, 02:20 PM
I’ve got to disagree with the evaluation of the officiating once again. All of the calls made were justified. They could have whistled a couple of extra ones as usual, but there were not excessive amounts of blatant none calls. If it’s offiated like this throughout, I’m fine with it. This is the playoffs, not a tea party.
The defensive problem reared its ugly head again, but it was improved upon as the game progressed. Too much staring at the puck and forgetting the potential puck recipient, and chosing the wrong exit strategy from the defensive zone too often. Improvement is needed to get anything in Carolina unless Crosby and Malkin brings their dominating “A”-game again.
If we’re going to use six defencemen in the near future, then Letang could be in danger of sitting a game or two. At least judged objectively on performance.
Jesse Marshall
May 22, 02:27 PM
I couldn’t disagree more about Letang. In fact, he’s been one of the more physical defensemen on the ice for the Penguins. He absolutely doesn’t shy away from physical contact and attempted to beat down by Ryan Bayda and Tim Gleason last night after getting an elbow to the face. Letang was third on the team in hits last night, pretty good for a guy that shys away from any physical activity.
His turnover was costly, but it was meant for Ruslan Fedotenko, who couldn’t corral. The blame lays mostly with Letang, but Tank has to have his stick down there.
Nathan
May 22, 02:45 PM
I agree with what you said Jesse, but I blame Fedotenko, then Malkin for that giveaway before Letang. He made a nice play to seperate the man from the puck and made a soft, slightly off-course pass that Fedotenko felt was slightly out of his reach and thought Geno would get it, while Malkin thought Fedotenko would get it, and also went soft on the play.
TheOneAndOnlySurge
May 22, 03:53 PM
Nathan nailed the turnover, it can be blamed on all three parties but either way Letang doesn’t deserve the downgrade. I actually thought Gill and Scuderi had trouble in the defensive end. They definetly changed things after the first but it could of been a little bit of trouble with bouncing pucks. Either way an intermission and they seemed to be back on track.
Ray aka WildcatRay
May 22, 04:05 PM
What concerns me the most is the frequency at which the Pens seem to lose their focus especially on defense and controlling the puck. A team with its collective heads in the game does not allow all those easy goals. A team with its collective heads in the game will rarely let the other team get to the front of the net with the ease that Carolina did. A team with its collective heads in the game does NOT give up goals as quickly after scoring as the Pens allowed Carolina to do last night.
I think it was asking an awful lot of Fleury to make up for the lapses of his teammates in front of him. Though the Pens only allowed one goal over the last two periods, they only dominated play after breaking the 4-4 tie. Granted, that was the most important time for them to dominate, but the long stretches where they did not dominate should be a concern for any team that considers itself a Stanley Cup contender.
TheOneAndOnlySurge
May 22, 05:09 PM
@Ray, very good points but as they say in hockey a bounce this way a boucne that way…I think you understand my point here. Early on in the first there where a lot bouncing pucks and both teams capitalized on them. This isn’t typical but when it happens, no matter how good your team is, the result is you usually run around a bit. There was no difference for either team last night as they both did it at one point or another. The difference started to come in the second. Pittsburgh started to limit the chances and shots that Carolina was getting, while at the other end continueing to generate the same chances as the first. By the time the third period was over they had generated a ton of offense while strengthening their D. Was it the best looking win, no but on a night when both teams started with a 5 goal first, Pittsburgh found a way to win and that is what makes you a Stanley Cup contender. Good teams always find ways to win and last night that is what Pittsburgh did.
bag o' pucks
May 22, 05:30 PM
The NHL rescinded the mandatory one-game suspension to Ryan Bayda for a match penalty. He’s been fined and will be in the lineup Saturday.
DAVID SCOTT
May 22, 05:45 PM
@MOQ, The difference between last nights game and the rodeo we saw before the lockout was…
The league says it is concerned about player safety. If that is the case, the blatant knee-on-knee hits, which are penalties and subject to supplementary discipline regardless of intent (see rule 50, http://www.nhl.com/ice/page.htm?id=26343), and the head hunting that Crosby had to face on multiple shifts (which the league SAYS it wants to crack down on) were left uncalled. If this is the standard, than the players will continue to commit these fouls and players (not just the superstars) will have their carriers shortened dramatically.
These calls need to be made (and I have seen a few that needed to be called against the pens as well, so I am not simply being a “Homer”) to protect the players and to establish the standard that ALL players will play under.
Since the “NEW NHL” has been installed, the rodeo has diminished and players are learning to play within that system. The game is faster and the skill level is showing.
That consistency is needed in the areas of dangerous hits, both for the integrity of the game and the players’ safety.
I don’t want to see “soft” hockey. Just clean, hard hitting hockey.
Moq
May 22, 08:12 PM
@David, I’m not really objecting to your argument of improving player safety. No one in their right mind can disregard that. I just don’t think that there were any knee-on-knee contacts in the game, though I would have to see the Adams situation again to be sure. As far as Crosby goes, I didn’t get the impression of him being a target of a headhunting expedition from Carolina. At the boards he gave back about as much as he received.
Concerning the league’s ambition to improve player safety, they appear to disregard it completely. They’ve refused to make head shots a punishable offence and the approach to unnecessary fighting have been nothing but undecisive at best. The same attitude is reflected in the policies of suspension. There’s no transparency or rule of law beyond subjective opinion. Reducing head shots and fighting would get my vote, so I’m far from a “hockey hardliner”, ie. physicality and toughness above everything else.
@Tom, I admit that singling Letang out among the defencemen is problematic. The Boucher-Gonchar collaboration that led to the 4-4 equalizer wasn’t exactly a thing of beauty either. Letang was responsible for making a risky play under pressure yesterday. He wasn’t the only one. I still think that Eaton makes him look better than he is, defensively. Sitting might be a little extreme just yet, but I don’t think he’s a certainty in the lineup.
emo
May 22, 10:49 PM
First off, a question: which fight was more surprising, Miro’s beatdown of Patrick Eaves, or Ryan Whitney laying the smackdown on Wade Redden? =)
I thought Letang made an excellent defensive play to use a body check to separate the Cane from the puck. I don’t recall with 100% certainty (and grainy internet replays don’t help any), but I thought he also made a decent chip ahead to Fedotenko, but for whatever reason, he couldn’t corral it, and it leaked out to Seidenberg. I don’t think it was as bad of a mistake as others make it out to be. Stuff happens.
I can spot positives and negatives, but I do tend to focus on the bright spots. That said, if you were going to single out a defenseman for a bad game, I don’t know how Hall Gill isn’t at the top of that list. On the LaRose goal, he had the puck on his stick with some time to make a play, but instead he blindly rapped it up the wall as hard as he could. Carolina maintained position and LaRose beat Gill to the front of the net and outworked him for the loose puck. The speed of the Carolina forwards is accentuating his lack of mobility at times. I hope he rebounds to have a better game tomorrow night. It would be a good sign if he showed up mad. When he plays with an edge, he’s much more effective but sometimes it’s like he forgets he’s 6’7”.
Maybe Russell Crowe could stop by the rink, go all John Biebe on Gill and remind him that he’s the big guy.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gb6NYuHJwW0
(Go to the 2:36 mark)
DaBich
May 23, 02:21 PM
I’m tired of you jaybirds nit picking Letang. The kid is 22 years old and playing with skill years ahead of himself. He’s a fine defensive asset to this team as well as progressing offensively. What do you want, egg in your beer? Give me a break.
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