Game 2 Key Developments
The Pittsburgh Penguins bounced back in Game 2 with a much stronger 60 minute type of performance to tie the series at 1-1.
Mike Sullivan, as expected, stuck with the same lineup and lines, minus some tinkering with the lines here and there as the game progressed.
The numbers might not show it as the Penguins and Canadiens played even in driving possession and high danger chances 5-on-5, but the eye test showed the Penguins talent really separated from the Canadiens in much longer stretches compared to Game 1.
There was a lot to like from the Penguins’ performance, though, even with Carey Price playing as well as he is, and he was the best player on the ice in Game 2, a 5-4 advantage in Goals For through two games isn’t something the Penguins should be patting themselves on the back for. Ideally with all the power play chances they’re getting and how strong the Penguins play was at times in Game 2, there were a number of opportunities to blow the Habs out and put some serious doubt in the Canadiens minds that they’re cooked moving forward.
Who didn’t see this coming:
He doesn’t have stunning statistics through two games by any means but Sidney Crosby has been great through two games, especially over the last five periods of play. Crosby set the tone for the night with a breakaway goal on Carey Price in period one.
Others followed suit in stepping up:
— Coming in losing seven straight playoff games, Matt Murray looked everything of the Matt Murray that led the Penguins to back-to-back Cups in 2016, 2017. He played big and that’s when he’s at his best. And what a drastic improvement with the rebound control from Game 1. Montreal has very few players who can create individual 1-on-1 offense. They have to rely on getting hard working goals off rebounds. There was just none coming off Murray in Game 2, until the late goal.
— Jake Guentzel scored an empty net goal and picked up a primary assist on Crosby’s breakaway goal. It was a stronger performance from Guentzel who was much more effective in creating time and space for himself. In game 1, he was getting bullied down low. Game 2, Guentzel put himself in spots to be more creative above the dots.
— Rebound game from Conor Sheary who turned defense into offense, setting up Jason Zucker from what ended up being the Game Winning Goal late in the third period. Zucker had a very strong game and was one of the best players on the ice. His puck-pursuit game was on another level.
— Key adjustment and an obvious one, Patric Hornqvist moving to the net-front on the power play. Didn’t lead to many pucks getting behind Carey Price, but there was a major difference in getting into Price’s sightlines and making him uncomfortable on shots 35-ft out.
— It’s a much easier matchup to be defensively responsible against a team with little individual high-end skill, than say the prospects of facing Lightning, Capitals, Bruins or Flyers in the next round which will be a different animal to deal with (if the Penguins advance), but Kris Letang has reamed himself in so far this series, avoiding the major blunder or two that often haunts the Penguins. It’s been the opposite with the top pair as Brian Dumoulin again in Game 2, didn’t look himself in the d-zone.
— The line of Patrick Marleau – Jared McCann – Patric Hornqvist was improved in around 7 minutes of ice time 5-on-5. Drove some offense, did the little things well.
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Beware of Mr Puffs!
I’m a Murray hater but I’m not putting this on him. Sullivan is stuck with three AHL Dman. Not much he can do there. But his terrible offensive personnel decisions are killing the team. Lafferty should skate with Bliegsr and Tanev. Sit Marleau and ZAR. Dress Rodriguez. Bump Sheary off Sid’s line.
MM wasn’t awful but he has to be stronger on the post. That Petry goal can’t happen. I get that it was a perfectly placed shot but at 6’4, if he isn’t already crouched, it probably hits his shoulder. I agree with the rest. I liked Lafferty’s game early, he’d probably look strong with the other two. I know McCann hasn’t been great but he couldn’t be worse than Marleau… putting Rodriguez in could even let him play wing if he’s simply struggling playing that spot. Trading Kahun was brutal, Sheary hasn’t been awful but he hasn’t been great and… Read more »
I will add i thought he rebound control did him few favours, at least early
Murray wasn’t bad 3 out of 4 goals were garbage
Hahah. That’s how I feel. All the Simon haters, where are they now. It’s gonna be a long off-season overhauling the defense.
I agree with sitting Marleau (I still think this was a panic trade, noise for noise sake), and sit ZAR. Leave Lafferty in and insert Rod (see what he can do). Move Tanev up to Sid’s line and/or try him with Malkin. Move Sheary (another panic trade) down to the forth line. None of this matters with that abysmal defense. Shultz, JJ and Peterson are garbage. Dumo has not looked great but he missed a lot of games during the season. He may be out of sync. He and Marino are the future of that back end. I would consider… Read more »
Ahaha murray hasn’t been the same since dad died. Try again. More like murray been shitt since fleury left. And same said this fraud will be exposed they shouldve have packaged him to Calgary have fleury few more year until he passed the torch to jarry
Yeah, bc that is who I want mentoring my future goalie.
“Now Jarry, the key to being a good goalie is having mental breakdowns and blowing playoff games bc we can go home early and it pisses off the guys in the locket room. Just watch me.”
Dude, just go to his house and blow him already. And don’t worry, when you come in his mouth it will defiantly go in!
He wasn’t good though. Not all on him. His rebound control was very bad again, I’m sorry, if he squares up on the shooter on the last goal, it would have hit him in the chest or shoulder. All the goalies protect the bottom and leave the top half of the goal wide open. Murray won’t be pulled. They need to scratch Johnson, move Rust to Sid’s line and Horny to Malkin’s line. Get McCann back in the lineup. He won’t scratch Sheary, his nieces husband. I think they win on Friday. It would be nice to get something from… Read more »
Murray was an .871 tonight… to put into perspective how bad this is?
MAF beat this twice vs Philly in 2012, one being a .880… that’s some bad goaltending
Murray has a better team Infront of him and playing vs a ahl team
Thanks for the stats mr boxscore
Once again you prove us to be a Tool
If you say so… I mean if a bunch of 33year olds making up the core is your idea of better…
Didn’t Neal score 40 that year… wasn’t Kunitz and Dupuis flirting with career highs? Wasn’t Jordan Staal our 3C? That team won 51 fucken games that year fuckface lol. Oh man you’re such a joke
Season and playoffs are different. Neal was dumber then Malkin and orpiG when it came to kill momentum. Penguins had too many of those type players oh and let’s not forget that dirt bag Cooke. So yea keep blaming fleury when you had clowns in front of his sucking out of Momentum on a nightly basis Team had no good structure. Uptempo pee wee hockey style And the minute penguins faced vs good coaches your DB boy was badly outcoached. Just like vs bruins and habs back then The team had soo many holes but morons and bandwagons like you… Read more »
Hahahahaha, absolutely pathetic. You’re an asss!
Excuses and hard ons for retired players… shut the fuckk up
Hey Tool how did murray look on Byron’s goal. Hope fat npl has the GIF of that
He looked MAF bad… like he look that awful on that play. Coincidentally we are three years removed from Murray’s second cup…
In comparison? Whew anyone here remember the absolutely embarrassment in the net vs Philly?
Crazy how history repeats itself
You remember the stupid team penguins also had with the washed up D squad along with your hero TK and your clown coach that had 0 game adjustments during games and fleury was overhausted thanks to the back up BJ that season. He often went back in the game because bj was bad during the season.
Always an excuse hey sam…
The core was younger, faster, had similar depth issues to what we see right now. It’s never not amazing to see the excuses you come up with… ignoring that Sid, Letang and Malkin were all in their mid 20s vs the closing in on mid 30s they are now… come on sammich… Let’s hear more excuses
#overhausted – whatever the fuckk that means
Team was not build properly
You shut down sid and Malkin and series were often over
They often had 0 secondary shots most shots were often from far and on goalie logo led by your boy TK
Lol, I guess that’s not possible this year… my god you’re pathetic. There is zero 3rd line and ZAR basically kills everything the other two do right now… AND they are no longer kids… I can’t say this enough. You’re literally making a case that this team is vastly superior to the one that MAF collapsed behind in 2012 lol. 51 games won, 8th best regular season defence. Had Jordan Staal as a 3C, had a great top 6 scoring group… Their top 4 D was strong and even Nisky turned out to be very solid player and started building… Read more »
Scum sully did everything in January to ruin their hot goalie and go back to murray. He did the same with fleury was obvious he had a short leash for him too. It is obvious scum sully has something for fraud murray. Hope they are both gone. The way I wanted db and shero canned same time
How much cock has ZAR sucked to get a jersey every night? How does that guy get a shift after taking the game deciding penalty
If the Pens get bounced and get the #1 pick this will be well worth it. Find out August 10th.
Best part you had McCann scratched and have bambi #43 in lineup still
Well Sid gets to play a hockey playoff game on his birthday. I smell hat trick.
Hey zerotool habs gave up their 2-0 lead yet won in overtime. Penguins were up 3-1 and end up losing the game thanks to fraud murray and your 9.5m Russian that killed the momentum . Tell us what was the magic number for your goalie tonight
The pens quit playing when it was 3-1. They have no one to blame but themselves. Will beats skill.
The Russian killed the momentum.
Not the first time he does that
He was awful tonight.
He had 0 points coming tonights game. Thank God he had one point on the pp tonight and let’s not forget a -2 and a dumb penalty sad part is he was shitt vs a ahl caliber team
Who should be canned end of the season fraud murray or scum sully. Or both of them
Murray will be gone. Jarry’s cheaper and maybe better at this point. I wonder if Jarry will play in Game 4
Watching Schultz play hockey makes me want to throw up. Time to scratch him.
I agree. Him or Johnson. They both stink.
Sadly, they are stuck with JJ unless they buy him out. At least Shultz can just walk.
What does Marino have to do to get Schultz’s ice time on PPs and as an extra man… ridiculous
ZeroTool loves him he was all over him
So I’ve been assigned this too! You’re a fucken fool…
Funny all the players that I said were frauds and you drooled on now you shitt on them too even trudeau. You are a Tool
Shultz, bylsma,kessel,sheary murray to name a few. All were flavors of the month yet you came over them on nightly basis and now you shitt on them. Typical average fan. Told you guys average fan takes about 2 years to see things clearly.
You’ve been saying the same shit about the same Guys for years and are fully reliant on the long game to feel “correct” This is why you’re a fucken moron. Every player you named played a major part of winning a championship you stupid assholle… that’s why you’re fucken wrong. As for politics… you were a Harper team guy that voted for another team because he was a bigger racist… how is that different from me moving away from the Liberals after watching Trudeau not get out of his own way? You’re a hypocrite… period. you cannot assess reality, there… Read more »
“Average fan takes 2 years” – Schultz and Kessel we’re here for 2 cups and you cried about them the entire time… as the team won… dumbfuck
He will not reply to this. He will start another post that has nothing to do with anything of importance. Same old Sam(e)… prove him wrong and he either leaves the same, predictable “insult” or he starts a new post about Canadian politics.
Npl please provide tonights magic number
Magic number for murray tonight ?
Terrible goal by Murray. Errey trying to defend Murray. He’s awful too.
Errey is the worst homer ever.
Seriously he must be blind
What was he looking at? Plays right in front of him.
That’s what happens when you take penalties. Wasn’t a pp goal but pretty close. They need a kick in the ass when this period is over.
Ugh
Bad penalty by Malkin. These penalties this period are getting out of hand.
9.5m goon. Hurts the penguins once again don’t worry guys few more pp and he will look like a hero
Schultz and Johnson on the ice for a goal. WTF was Schultz doing there? Tie the stick up if you aren’t going to hit him.
He is gone at the end of the season, thankfully. He served his purpose, now he looks lost.
Yeah I know, his game went to schitt
Safe to say murray is singlehandedly stealing this game for the penguins
Awe, poor Sam(e) is crying into his Big Boss Man pillow.
I bet you have Ghostbusters Mr puffs marshmallow pillow
Who the fuckk is Mr. Puffs? You really are terrible at this.
Thank fuck Blu showed up… ZAR is flirting with Adams type skill here
When McCann returns move Lafferty to ZARs spot… get the physical play with some sort of hands
Ahahaha sheary with his bambi legs falls and misses empty net
Sad all star team vs ahl team and need pp in order to get back in the game and win. I really don’t see penguins go far in playoffs
So leave. Go back to the Montreal board.
Wooooooooo… thanks Weber
Tied game, Sam(e) will now turn off his tv.
Go make some donuts you
Get new material.
Nice pass by the Russian. Thank God for the pp 9.5m investment
Wooooooooo Malkin! Hahahahahaha Weber takes a stupid as fuckk for that second one too hey
Wasn’t Malkin a 5on5 league leader this year?
Wooooooo! Horny baby! Malkin on the sheet
Weber takes 2 haha
Hope it’s not the case for tonight but so far team that scored first goal have won the game.
Took penguins 7min30 second to get their first shot on goal
Right Sam(e)…. keep pretending you are a Pens fan.
Montreal was up 2 nothing in game one you fucken idiot… pens came back
And they won.
Ya Pens erased the 2 goal lead… these first goal stats don’t mean much when leads can be erased like that IMO
Case in point lol
Yes and they still won
In the 90s and early 00s this mattered… this was something to give a shitt about because one is all you needed most nights. You’re using a dated mindset.
The Pens erased a lead and Murray blew it on the first good chance the Habs got in almost three periods.
Now it’s 2-1 Pittsburgh… because this is the league we are in since 05.
Mr consistent gives some juicy second and third chances there
Nice try scum sully. Now you may jackk off on your own tonight no bj by fraud murray
Fraudddd murray
Hope Malkin is back from Russia for tonight’s game. McCann scratched and you have that little gerbil #43 still in the lineup
Joe Biden loves the Habs
https://youtu.be/sh0jeZ25l-8
This the clown Zerotool first voted for and changed his socks on a regular basis
Oh Canada, no one gives a shit…
Oh chubby donut go back to work
Is your mom hungry again?
A: who fucken cares… it’s not illegal for his family to receive fees. The problem is he didn’t recuse himself for a decision that was made to use them… the Harper government, the one this stooge worked with, used this same charity all the time B: meh, not important for me to correct you on who I voted for at this point. You’re a stupid fucken **** and it’s like arguing with a piece of dog **** another dog has chewed on… C: why do you feel the need to continue to try and talk politics when you always come… Read more »
kris letang has reamed himself. sounds pretty accurate
Oh I think he meant reigned. Oh D!
Murray!! Woohoo!!!