The best defensive game I have ever seen against Ovie was (don't laugh) Craig Rivet when he was the Captain in Buffalo. Every shift, Rivet was no less than two feet away. There was no gap to be closed, the stick was super active, and the gloves were making contact with the chest whenever the puck was around.

I saw a game where Phaneuf was matched up with Ovie and it was a very entertaining affair. They both lit each other up in open ice a few times. Long and short, Ovie walked Dion four or five times.

- Johnny Wrath[url]

Looked like Dion only did half the job, but still it looked like Ovi wasn't enjoying it & looked for revenge a few times - now have 2 guys doing that (not at the same time) in different shifts & Ovi will blow up get off his game & spend some time in the box - right where we want him.

The Caps have just turned into the Flyers mark II with more skill - complete poop stirrers when the games are tight. How many fights did they have against Columbus the other night ( Blue jackets aren't much better I suppose), I think they think that will win them the cup. Turning a good team into the goon squad - well done Bazza!!!

Orpik's time had come to leave, but the one things folks can't take away from him is that even at the end of his run in Pittsburgh, he was Ovechkin kryptonite.

Ovechkin had 1 goal and 14 shots against the Penguins in four games last year, with Orpik shadowing him. This year in four games against the Penguins, he had four goals on 27 shots.
- hardnosed

He was very good at limiting Ovie. I would like to think that Letang is a better skater and probably could handle him over 7 Games but I really haven't ever seen Letang do that with anyone else let alone the NHL's scoring leader.

It's also all about the PP. Ovie has 19 PPG this season. Sid has 20 goals on the season, 9 of which are PPG.

Orpik's time had come to leave, but the one things folks can't take away from him is that even at the end of his run in Pittsburgh, he was Ovechkin kryptonite.

Ovechkin had 1 goal and 14 shots against the Penguins in four games last year, with Orpik shadowing him. This year in four games against the Penguins, he had four goals on 27 shots.
- hardnosed

Let's hope the new coaching staff has taken note. Guys a freak but he can be contained. Despres would have been a good man for that job, along with Adams (if he ever sees the same ice time), or now Comeover although we don't want our better players in the box with him or flat out on the ice.

I'd like to see Winnik-Spaling-Bennett the rest of the way. And, after the season, trade Sutter and tell Adams, Downie, and Lapierre see ya

Watching last nights game I felt our D was a 1 man Letang show. None of the other D really did anything that was memorable.

BB, Sutter, Spaling, Max, are just not good hockey players. Haven't seen enough of Winnik to know yet, but even Comeau is nothing special. Thats just still a bad bottom 6.

He was very good at limiting Ovie. I would like to think that Letang is a better skater and probably could handle him over 7 Games but I really haven't ever seen Letang do that with anyone else let alone the NHL's scoring leader.

It's also all about the PP. Ovie has 19 PPG this season. Sid has 20 goals on the season, 9 of which are PPG.
- Johnny Wrath

Wasn't Scuds billed as a shutdown Dman during the cup run? OV had 8 g's in 7 games that year. I don't really think anyone shutdown OV that series.

He was very good at limiting Ovie. I would like to think that Letang is a better skater and probably could handle him over 7 Games but I really haven't ever seen Letang do that with anyone else let alone the NHL's scoring leader.

It's also all about the PP. Ovie has 19 PPG this season. Sid has 20 goals on the season, 9 of which are PPG.
- Johnny Wrath

Ovi has a job & that's score goals. Sid has a bigger responsibility with the team. How many goals has Backstrom scored (does Backstrom C Ovi?). Plus Ovi is a freaken scoring machine - can't compare the 2 in my opinion.

Looked like Dion only did half the job, but still it looked like Ovi wasn't enjoying it & looked for revenge a few times - now have 2 guys doing that (not at the same time) in different shifts & Ovi will blow up get off his game & spend some time in the box - right where we want him.

The Caps have just turned into the Flyers mark II with more skill - complete poop stirrers when the games are tight. How many fights did they have against Columbus the other night ( Blue jackets aren't much better I suppose), I think they think that will win them the cup. Turning a good team into the goon squad - well done Bazza!!!
- Aussiepenguin

I prefer the old Devild model of 3-on-1. Jagr over the boards? Here comes Jay Pandolfo, Randy McKay, and your friend and mine, Ken Daneyko.

Anyone listening to MM?

Marginal players getting away with stuff in the playoffs? Call more power plays? You know what, Josh Yohe? You're marginal, a bastion of bad writing and poor English. And heft over thy belt.

I really don't like games that are heavily partitioned by special teams. Momentum, rolling lines, tactical play, and will are what playoff hockey is about. Certainly if a team is pushing the refs to call them for something, the PP has to score but I don't want to see a playoff game with 9 power plays for the sake of inflated scoring numbers.

Edit: Says HCMJ worked the team too hard in training camp and that may have factored into the tired Penguins last night after what, two days off? This guy votes on awards. WTF.

I prefer the old Devild model of 3-on-1. Jagr over the boards? Here comes Jay Pandolfo, Randy McKay, and your friend and mine, Ken Daneyko.
- Johnny Wrath

Maybe not 3 on 1 all the time, but I've thought that they should run the hockey equivalent of a box and 1 (guess it would be triangle and 1?) on the PK against the Caps. Triangle shaped zone with a forward up top and two defensemen down low, and then one forward "guarding" Ovechkin one on one. Never rotating, never even shifting if the puck is on the other side of the ice, just basically posting up next to Ovechkin for the whole kill.

Maybe not 3 on 1 all the time, but I've thought that they should run the hockey equivalent of a box and 1 (guess it would be triangle and 1?) on the PK against the Caps. Triangle shaped zone with a forward up top and two defensemen down low, and then one forward "guarding" Ovechkin one on one. Never rotating, never even shifting if the puck is on the other side of the ice, just basically posting up next to Ovechkin for the whole kill.
- hardnosed

That's a good idea. It would take Ovie out of the play and be a 4-on-3. The player who gives Ovie the open lane is Mike Green, but I would take my chances with Mike Green sooner than Ovie. As long as the play doesn't break down to the extent that there is a passing lane for Ovie, we're good.

That's a good idea. It would take Ovie out of the play and be a 4-on-3. The player who gives Ovie the open lane is Mike Green, but I would take my chances with Mike Green sooner than Ovie. As long as the play doesn't break down to the extent that there is a passing lane for Ovie, we're good.
- Johnny Wrath

And the other thing it would do is get into his easy-to-get into head. I was thinking it the last time the Penguins played them because the PK was extremely aware of and was trying to jump the pass to him, but it was more of a pop-out, get back into coverage kind of thing and it didn't really work.

Certainly not saying they should do it on every kill, but it's the bread and butter of their highly effective power play.

Stamkos could get the same treatment if it came to that.

And the other thing it would do is get into his easy-to-get into head. I was thinking it the last time the Penguins played them because the PK was extremely aware of and was trying to jump the pass to him, but it was more of a pop-out, get back into coverage kind of thing and it didn't really work.

Certainly not saying they should do it on every kill, but it's the bread and butter of their highly effective power play.

Stamkos could get the same treatment if it came to that.
- hardnosed

Maybe. Stamkos isn't as stationary as Ovie, so it could get complicated. Tampa has a bit more diverse scoring, at least during the regular season.

How would you feel about flipping that triangle and having one man at the net, one man on Ovie? That's almost like having 2 men down low in the box. I'm not sold on Mike Green defending and the Cap's goalie; I would have the three non-shadows be extremely aggressive with the Caps at the blue line and try to force shorthanded opportunities.

Non-sequitur but how about Jason Botteril? I think he really showed his value this season as the Penguins upgraded their bottom six, PK, and defense pairings with literally no cap room. GMJR did the horse trading to be sure but that's a people-people relationship thing. Botteril must have the most obscene dashboard of liquid cap heat graphs running SQL like crazy.
- Johnny Wrath

I agree. Im looking forward to him taking the reigns full time. He and GMJR have really been able to balance out our forward grouping in a short time span. Sure we have some holes to fill, but I still think we are better off talent wise than 90% of the teams out there between 87,71,58 and 29.

You sir are a moron
- dbell646

I actually agree with him, at least in regards to this season. Malkin has been much more consistent this season while Crosby has scored in bunches and then gone scoreless in bunches. You notice Geno on every shift he is out there.

Sutter is the only bottom six guy producing any offense, so let's drop him down a line.

Sterling logic.
- hardnosed

Im usually all about bashing you for your Sutter love, but when you're right, you're right. Sutter is the only guy on the bottom two lines making anything happen right now, and that's with his horrible board play. Dropping him down at this particular time would be silly.

Now if his play tails off again, which I fully expect it to, then Im on board with switching things up. I hope he proves me wrong and nets 10 more this season.

Farva from Super Troopers!


- chimpira

I don't want a large Farva, I want a liter of Cola!

Maybe not 3 on 1 all the time, but I've thought that they should run the hockey equivalent of a box and 1 (guess it would be triangle and 1?) on the PK against the Caps. Triangle shaped zone with a forward up top and two defensemen down low, and then one forward "guarding" Ovechkin one on one. Never rotating, never even shifting if the puck is on the other side of the ice, just basically posting up next to Ovechkin for the whole kill.
- hardnosed

I thought this was basically what they did last time with some slight rotation. Scuds was up on him almost the whole time until he slammed that one right past them.

Team didnt show up last night, got out worked and got the result they deserved.

Next game is against a top team in the league, we will want to measure ourselves so I imagine we will see a more complete game tomorrow.

Im usually all about bashing you for your Sutter love, but when you're right, you're right. Sutter is the only guy on the bottom two lines making anything happen right now, and that's with his horrible board play. Dropping him down at this particular time would be silly.

Now if his play tails off again, which I fully expect it to, then Im on board with switching things up. I hope he proves me wrong and nets 10 more this season.
- thickman1178

Even his "advanced" stats are pretty good over his last 4-6 games.

(Another issue I have with advanced stats - the "close" filter for adjusting Fenwick due to "scoring effects" is set as a one-goal game in the 1st and 2nd periods or a tie game in the 3rd. That's pretty unsound. Not all teams pack things in with a 2 goal lead in the first. Not all teams pack things in with a 1 goal lead in the 3rd. I just don't see how throwing out all that data for subjective "score effects" makes any kind of sense.)

I thought this was basically what they did last time with some slight rotation. Scuds was up on him almost the whole time until he slammed that one right past them.
- thickman1178

That was on a 4 on 3, IIRC, so it's Scuds' responsibility to shift up until the forward can get over, then slink back.

I don't want a large Farva, I want a liter of Cola!
- thickman1178

You misspelled Literacola.

who cares. the team is set. lets cross the hot buns and bind together in this mystery tour of 2015.

So weird seeing Bortz playing with a Blues jersey on, depressing actually. I hope he drops the gloves with any Flyer that wants to go tonight and dusts them. He's paired with Jackman, looks good so far.

So weird seeing Bortz playing with a Blues jersey on, depressing actually. I hope he drops the gloves with any Flyer that wants to go tonight and dusts them. He's paired with Jackman, looks good so far.
- Dcoms

Bortuzzo is a quality lockeroom guy but his play has been subpar for a while now. O only wish good things to him moving forward.