Pens/Hurricanes Game 4 Grades
Mike Adams | Report Cards
May 27, 10:28 AM | Hype this story!
New night, new hero
This time, Marc-Andre
His goaltending sends Canes home
Pens head for Finals
Offense: B-
It certainly wasn’t their best effort. They didn’t have nearly as many periods of sustained pressure, nor did they have as many good chances, as they had in the previous games. Instead, they did just enough to get the job done. Boucher made a great shot pass to set up Fedotenko, Sid and Guerin combined for a beauty, then Max somehow floated one by Cam Who?
Defense: A-
The defense was nearly perfect. The only nitpick was that they spent more time in their own end than they usually do. But then, Carolina was desperate, so that was almost expected.
Yeo play: D
The only thing the power play did most of the night is generate momentum for Carolina. They did have a few spurts where they looked good, but it was back to the future last night.
Penalty kill: A
The PK was awesome the entire series. They really allowed Carolina almost no good chances. And Fleury was there to stop those that did get through. Carolina never got any kind of slot presence established as the Pens kept everything to the outside. The up-ice pressure was tremendous. As much as anything, the PK was key in winning this series.
Goaltending: A
Fleury saved his best for last in the series. He had been merely average the first three games, but he was incredible last night. He just looked totally in control, even after Staal beat him with that wraparound early on. The Pens backed in much of the time due to Carolina’s desperation, but Fleury stood tall. He was controlling the rebounds well because of his calmness. He was the main reason they won this game.
Overall: A
Hey, they won to make the Finals, so how can it be anything but?
And now, the rest of the story…
Sid: A
He wasn’t dominant, but ended up with two assists, including a beautiful pass to Guerin on the eventual game-winner.
Geno: D
Didn’t really notice him much. I think the canes totally concentrated on shutting him down.
Max Talbot: A
After missing on all those glorious chances the previous game, he scored on a long floater last night. The hockey gods love guys like Max.
Bill Guerin: A
All my doubts about him have been erased. He sure has been clutch.
Ruslan Fedotenko: A
The Rus is loose. It’s the playoffs, so what else should we expect? The guy is just clutch.
Craig Adams: A
When Craig Adams gets two goals in a series, you know you’re in good shape. Okay, so both were empty netters, but who cares?
Hal Gill, Rob Scuderi: A
They rarely get recognized for what they do. But they have been tremendous all playoffs, especially in this series. Their work on the PK was virtually spotless. These two have just quietly done the job all postseason.
Cam Who?: F
As Razor said, that Talbot goal was “900 thread count soft.” That simply cannot happen in a playoff game.
Eric Staal: A
He was a mastodon last night. But where was he the rest of the series?
Poise: A
This might be the biggest difference between this year and last. A lesser team might have come unraveled after allowing the early goal. The crowd was going bananas. The Pens were shaken. But Fleury made the key saves to keep it close, the Pens eventually stabilized and coasted to victory. It’s just the whole, been there, done that thing.
Prince of Wales Trophy: A
Good job by Sid in touching it. The last time a Penguin captain did that, we all know what happened. Embrace history.
Striped Buffoon Huh? Call of the Game
They made perhaps “the worst call in the history of sport” (thanks, Coach Q.) by sending Geno off for roughing near the end of the first. Hey, Quenneville called a similar penalty to Matt Walker just that on Sunday, so why shouldn’t it apply to Geno? They were mugging him, and he takes one swipe in return and gets called. Worst in history? Indeed.
Monk Moment
Max’s goal fluttering by Cam Who?’s glove. I thought I was hallucinating for a second there. But once I shook the cobwebs out, I realized that a 10 mph shot had indeed eluded the great Cam Who?.
A Guide to the Grades can be found here
Comments
SprJudd
May 27, 11:02 AM
I don’t understand the big deal about not touching the Prince of Wales trophy. Last time I checked, this “long-standing” tradition originated in 1995. The reason Lemieux touched it in 1991 is because the New Jersey Devils hadn’t made it taboo yet. Since the Devils refused to touch it and won the Cup that year, all the Eastern teams that followed didn’t touch it.
Brixton Pen
May 27, 11:39 AM
Just to nit-pick. Talbot Scored before Crosby set up Guerin, Max’s was the game winner – nice way to win a series…
Ray aka WildcatRay
May 27, 11:55 AM
(Submitted this in the previous thread, so why not here, too.)
The Pens should embrace the trophy. The last I checked they won it back-to-back, a genuine accomplishment in itself!
(New content)
The “hidden vigorous” caught up with Ward. However, the fact is the Pens made him look ordinary compared to his hype. All those playoff series wins, winning the Cup as a rookie goalie considered, people forget that after winning the Cup, Carolina failed to even make the playoffs the next 2 years. That means a lot of “ordinary” goaltending.
I have to agree with the notion that the officiating has been spot OFF! It is obvious the officials are using something other than the rulebook to call the games.
Starting back at Game 5 of the Flyers series, one can make a case that the rules had little to do with what was being called and not called. Non-calls helped the Caps win Games 1 & 2 and other calls and non-calls helped make the other games of the series closer than they actually were.
Most disturbing is the lack of calling the knee-on-knee hits. These are seriously dangerous occurrences. Can you image the outcry if an Ovechkin, Crosby, Malkin, Cole, Eric or Jordan Staal, Hossa, Lidstrom or any other big name were to go down with a season ending knee injury from a knee-on-knee hit and, at best, the offender gets a 2-minute minor? (Heck, there already was when Gonchar first went down.)
Let’s hope that the Finals don’t turn on a knee-on-knee hit.
Pens1967
May 27, 12:34 PM
I don’t think I’ve ever seen it in print, but after years of listening to “the Gunner”, I believe the phrase is “hidden vigorish”.
Albert
May 28, 12:55 AM
Agree FULLY w/ Tom.
Well said.
DaBich
May 28, 06:48 AM
Bring it on, I’m so ready for this re-match!
Ray aka WildcatRay
May 28, 12:18 PM
@PENS1967,
I thought it was vigorish, too, but my spell-checker did not have it. Should have Googled it instead of just relying on the s-c. I have now added it. Thank.
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