Exactly. There is no reason we should try to "match" them. When we do that we get sucked into a game that does not utilize our skill and gets us off our game which has gotten us to this point in the first place.
- kgrpitt

I don't think Boston has been all that physical. Every game I've seen from Lucic versus the Pens he's been surprisingly passive. Same with a couple of their other big guys. Maybe the words are "under control". Credit to them.

Just because I am bored, and there should be a new blog up soon :

Evgeni Malkin with various animals...









And still one of the best pictures on the internet

- rival22

Wow, that one with the lion is a little disturbing.

Wow, that one with the lion is a little disturbing.
- MadCap2008

now this is my kinda post

Putting a sad Flower in the net is playing with fire. IMO he has done nothing to show he is capable of playing in these playoffs. Meanwhile 92 is the only reason we have come this far.

The Penguins need to be almost perfect and even 1 bad goal by Flower crushes the team that has clearly little faith in the guy.

I'd stay with Vokoun and in the event of a loss then there really is nothing left to lose. Flower would get the call in game 4.

I hope I'm wrong about Flower, but game 2 he had a chance and pooped the bed.

First, let me say that if I was Bylsma I would start Vokoun tonight. He has clearly been the MUCH better goalie of the two and he gives the Pens the best chance to win. That said, if, and its a big IF, Bylsma believes for whatever reason that he can't win the Cup with Vokoun then tonight is the time to get Fleury back in. He has basically owned the Bruins throughout his career, especially in Boston. I am not saying the Penguins should go back to Flerury and away from Vokoun, but if they are going to do so at any point now would be the time that makes the most sense.

I don't think Boston has been all that physical. Every game I've seen from Lucic versus the Pens he's been surprisingly passive. Same with a couple of their other big guys. Maybe the words are "under control". Credit to them.
- madmike71

I don't think they have been either yet we keep dressing Eng. Get Despres in there.

Side note, Im really not a fan of Jokinen's game in this series. I understand dressing him for faceoffs but he took 4 draws last game? Bench him.

Putting a sad Flower in the net is playing with fire. IMO he has done nothing to show he is capable of playing in these playoffs. Meanwhile 92 is the only reason we have come this far.

The Penguins need to be almost perfect and even 1 bad goal by Flower crushes the team that has clearly little faith in the guy.

I'd stay with Vokoun and in the event of a loss then there really is nothing left to lose. Flower would get the call in game 4.

I hope I'm wrong about Flower, but game 2 he had a chance and pooped the bed.
- Sell My Monkey

coming in cold when he hadn't played in a month isn't easy either

First, let me say that if I was Bylsma I would start Vokoun tonight. He has clearly been the MUCH better goalie of the two and he gives the Pens the best chance to win. That said, if, and its a big IF, Bylsma believes for whatever reason that he can't win the Cup with Vokoun then tonight is the time to get Fleury back in. He has basically owned the Bruins throughout his career, especially in Boston. I am not saying the Penguins should go back to Flerury and away from Vokoun, but if they are going to do so at any point now would be the time that makes the most sense.
- TheGreatNumber8

Contradicts one another. Pens can't play for the Cup if they lose tonight IMO.

It was a perfectly placed shot if you ask me
- Killian

No such thing as a perfectly placed shot from that spot on the ice and no screen. Angles angles angles.

coming in cold when he hadn't played in a month isn't easy either
- Rayven

exactly. you guys keep saying that Fleury had his "chance", but to me, that was no chance at all. a chance would've been letting him start the game. then had he got yanked, there would be NO QUESTION that Vokoun is in net tonight.

instead, he gets thrown to the wolves already down 3 goals when he hasn't played a game in a month. the team was playing horrible in front of him. they didn't even show up for game 2, and you guys call that a chance?

Fleury has never had this happen to him in his career. before these playoffs, he had started every playoff game since 2007. this is the first time he's rode the bench, and it's time to find out how he reacts to it.

His chance will be tonight when hopefully the team in front of him decides to play like the team we watched all season long. then we'll see how well Fleury does.

No such thing as a perfectly placed shot from that spot on the ice and no screen. Angles angles angles.
- Gunner Staal

Unless your name is Kennedy. haha

Unless your name is Kennedy. haha
- kgrpitt

coming in cold when he hadn't played in a month isn't easy either
- Rayven

But the goal to Marchand was goaltending 101....he did take the proper angle on the shot and, frankly, wasn't close. It may have been a perfect shot, but 99 out of 100 NHL goaltenders don't give a shooter anything to shoot at from that angle. That Marchand had anything to shoot at at all was inexcusable.

It was a perfectly placed shot if you ask me
- Killian

Watch it again. It was a horrendous goal to allow.

Penguins goaltending situation is not that different than when the Wings benched Hasek and all his cache for the boring but effective Osgood.

Regardless of what happened in that game. Or the Islanders series. Or the Flyers series last year... Marc Andre Fleury will be in goal tonight so don't be surprised and you should start giving him support now because if we are going to get back into this series, he's going to have to be the guy to do it.

Watch it again. It was a horrendous goal to allow.
- Oneonta Penguin

Pretty much as brutal as it gets. Only thing I can think of that would be worse would be to let in a goal from behind the net.....so.....

Precisely my thought process. 3-0 in the regular season because the Pens ran circles around them with their speed. Pens aren't the fastest team but comparatively we are much faster than the Bruins.
- kgrpitt

I agree with you and what you are saying. That said, Boston is a different team. When we beat them in all three games in the regular season, Lucic was fat, out of shape and didn't care. He was the biggest disappointment in the NHL. Now, he seems to care. He changes things a little. Then again, I'm reminded, we didn't play those three games with one of our top three players in the NHL.

We have to use our speed; forget matching Boston physically and make them chase us around. Make them play our game instead of them making us play their's.

I agree with you and what you are saying. That said, Boston is a different team. When we beat them in all three games in the regular season, Lucic was fat, out of shape and didn't care. He was the biggest disappointment in the NHL. Now, he seems to care. He changes things a little. Then again, I'm reminded, we didn't play those three games with one of our top three players in the NHL.

We have to use our speed; forget matching Boston physically and make them chase us around. Make them play our game instead of them making us play their's.
- Oneonta Penguin

Succinctly put. Why play their game? Take them out of their comfort zone.

everyone but Iginla, Malkin, and Martin at gameday skate

exactly. you guys keep saying that Fleury had his "chance", but to me, that was no chance at all. a chance would've been letting him start the game. then had he got yanked, there would be NO QUESTION that Vokoun is in net tonight.

instead, he gets thrown to the wolves already down 3 goals when he hasn't played a game in a month. the team was playing horrible in front of him. they didn't even show up for game 2, and you guys call that a chance?

Fleury has never had this happen to him in his career. before these playoffs, he had started every playoff game since 2007. this is the first time he's rode the bench, and it's time to find out how he reacts to it.

His chance will be tonight when hopefully the team in front of him decides to play like the team we watched all season long. then we'll see how well Fleury does.
- Killian

Do we need the beachball pics to help you remember Killian? 29 put in 3 goals ON HIS OWN NET vs the Islanders. He is not right mentally to get the nod, however with HCDB being the deer in the headlights coach that he is, then I certainly wouldn't put it past him.

Either way, I trust Vokoun to give us a consistent start, Flower I have Zero confidence in that he doesn't allow 1 or 2 extremely soft goals that effectively ends the season. If I am wrong then I hope you are right about Flower, I just don't see it.

Do we need the beachball pics to help you remember Killian? 29 put in 3 goals ON HIS OWN NET vs the Islanders. He is not right mentally to get the nod, however with HCDB being the deer in the headlights coach that he is, then I certainly wouldn't put it past him.

Either way, I trust Vokoun to give us a consistent start, Flower I have Zero confidence in that he doesn't allow 1 or 2 extremely soft goals that effectively ends the season. If I am wrong then I hope you are right about Flower, I just don't see it.
- Sell My Monkey

There is no denying that Flower has been subpar recently in the playoffs. He was horrible against the Flyers last year and against the Islanders this season. He wasn't very good in game 2 vs Boston. But how good was the team in front of him in all these games? The team collectively played MUCH BETTER when Vokoun was in the pipes. If the team plays that way in front of Fleury tonight, I think we will see vintage MAF and the goalie that won us the cup in 2009.

this game day skate is really making me nervous

I could understand it if the Pens had dropped game two to tie the series against a weaker opponent, and wanted to get their starter going. But this is Boston, they're a damn good team that's shown poise since the first round. I really don't see them cutting the Pens any breaks. Now's not the time to get somebody going, now's the time to play whoever gives you the best chance to win.
- BulliesPhan87

It was a nailbiter.

Wow, that one with the lion is a little disturbing.
- MadCap2008

Because there's another guy there telling him to stop?