Penguins in Complete Control with 2-1 series lead
My takeaway from the Penguins masterful 4-2 win in Game 3
Penguins – Sharks is going to be hell of a Stanley Cup Final and I can’t wait!
But, first back to the Eastern Conference Final.
For a series that saw the Lightning take Game 1 in impressive fashion, and Game 2 go to overtime, this one already feels like it’s over after three games.
Of course the series is not over but the Lightning are in a world of trouble. The Penguins have hit that peak performance level where their speed in all three zones starts to overwhelm the opposition and they get the opposition to start doubting themselves. It happened to the Rangers in Game 4 and a little to Washington in Round 2.
That’s the Lightning right now.
Pittsburgh’s speed through the neutral zone leads to the opposition panicking, case in point Braydon Coburn’s penalty on a streaking Carl Hagelin down the middle that saw the Penguins pretty much ice the game with a Sidney Crosby 4-on-3 power play goal.
The Penguins have played their A-game for significant stretches over the last two games. When they do, they’re just a better hockey club than the Lightning.
Ben Bishop potentially coming back for Game 4 isn’t going to solve Tampa Bay’s problems in slowing down the Penguins speed game. Goaltending isn’t their problem.
What they’re lacking is a go-to player they can count on to take over a game. Hello Steven Stamkos?
Tyler Johnson finally woke up in the third period and maybe the reunited Triplets line can be their saving grace for Game 4 but the Penguins put on the type of performance tonight where they just came out and delivered a message that you can’t play with us.
And the Penguins are doing it with Evgeni Malkin being arguably their sixth or seventh best forward and that might be generous.
How do the Penguins keep winning with little production from Malkin who ended a six game pointless streak tonight with a power play assist, but has no even strength points over his last seven games?
Phil Kessel, Nick Bonino & Carl Hagelin for one. Another series, another team having no answers for the HBK line.
Tonight should finally put an end to people calling the Bonino line the Penguins’ third line. It’s time they earn the respect of being called the Penguins second line at least.
As good as the Penguins were in carrying the play all night, this was still a scoreless game through the first 39 minutes of the game.
That was until Phil Kessel took the game over. Kessel continues to be a revelation and it’s came together for him at the right time.
What has brought out the best in Kessel is having the perfect linemates for him.
He has the player in Hagelin to chase pucks deep and create turnovers, opening space all over for Kessel to free lance to open spots and he has the perfect center in Nick Bonino who doesn’t need the puck and has exceptional vision and playmaking ability.
This all allows Kessel to play to his strengths in getting the puck with time and space.
Tampa Bay has no answers for the HBK line, Sidney Crosby is scoring in big moments and Game 3 was another example again that Matt Murray will shut you down at pivotal moments of a game. To read this insider news, subscribe to get “Inside Access”!
http://triblive.com/mobile/10497427-96/penguins-fleury-game
Help me out Stan. Who am I? First In 9 games
Where’s Sam? He trying to calm his fellow frenchie letang down?
DePaoli still thinks the Pens overhwelmed the bolts.
I mean they technically did in the end haha. #DePaoliKnew
Daley left on crutches
Foot though, not knee. That’s interesting. Wonder if it’s a high ankle sprain.
Maatta or Pouliot?
Frankie Leroux
being that the pens lost, the new article will appear before midnight. haha!
i knew the night was cursed from the beginning. callahan yanks down kuntiz behind the pens next and kunitz couldn’t clear. then callahan goes in front of the net and scores. sometimes you just have games like that. the lightning had the horseshoe tonight and malkin and letang were turnover machines on the PP. not a good equation for victory.
Letangs french bltchness taking a 4 minute penalty proves costly. Looks like all the other Penguins have developed some mental toughness except him.
letang is an Ahole. diego is right, it’s tough to be a fan of a jerk like him.
It would be a HUGE mistake to go with Fleury now. I was an advocate of the switch after game 2 but not now. It will suggest the Pens never had faith in Murray and were just looking for an excuse to make a change. This loss wasnt on him.
the only reason for a goaltender switch mid-series is to try to change the momentum. the series is even. murray will get the start in game 5.
Its the perfect time to go to him. Trust isnt the issue, Fleury is just a better goaltender.
dude, name the last goaltender st.bleury outplayed in the post season. bet you can’t. murray just outplayed lundqvist and holtby. they won’t go with bleury.
the question of the evening is who played like the bigger A hole…..letang or malkin?
Sid’s line was terrible tonight. Lots of blame to go around tonight.
Thanks to TK I mean sheary
Letang
Watch’s Kunitz’s goal. Bonino’s arms are raised before Kunitz even shots the pucks…not before the puck goes in, but before Kunitz even shoots. Really brave!
Great push at end. Pens got some bad bounces and calls. They win this series.
I agree. Pens in 6
That was my prediction. Worried about the loss of Daley though.
Dont worry, Letang will step it up. #Frenchpuke
I agree. Tampa is still good even without Stamkos and Bishop. 2-2 sounds about right. Everybody gave up on Tampa after game 3. They are the defending eastern conference champs.
“Its not fun if its not hard” – Mrs. Stanchion
Gross. A visual I would never want to see.
Playing 20 mins a game is not going to be successful strategy.
Tampa sat on it. Pens weren’t scoring 5 to win. Overall it was a joke effort.
Pens deserved to lose. Malkin and letang need blasted by the media but all we will read about in the morning is the “goaltending controversy”. It’s going to be annoying.
What contraversy? It’s Fleury’s team.
youre a fucking retard
Fleury looked ready and is obviously now the hot goalie.
Strong finish boys. Game 5 should be fun! Turn the series over to Fleury, the team obviously plays harder for him.
mstari is giving all the credit to sid’s speach after the 2nd
Nope already said he’s been invisible tonight. Comprehension isn’t your strength. Not surprised Simply Dusty.
Fleury is ready!!
Wait until Sid shows up
Ill take a one legged Daley over whatever dog shlt brand of hockey letang is playing tonight
I agree. His meltdown cost us a goal tonight.
This comeback ia ALL ON FLEURY!!
Don’t jinx it dumbass
Vern-o, no one believes that crap about moons and goochers anymore, it’s baby stuff!
He’s more of a village idiot.
Dumb ass
Letang is brutal. Get him off the pp
Next shot Tampa will score.
Please this pathetic power play won’t score.
Pens are going to make it 4-3 then st bleury will give up his signature turd.
Yoda is dedicated!
Let me guess Stan malkin is amazing just because he score one goal and the last 4 5 mistakes are nothing. P.S 1st goal in his last 9 game
Malkin scored lightning are screwed
Hey he shot the puck! Wow
I’ll wait for all the geniuses on here to tell me it’s is line mates
Malkin sucks
He needs to get better at doing the little things, that way his goal scoring droughts are more acceptable.
Letang did the right thing there and took a shot from Kilorn in front of the ref and they didn’t make the right call. Fuck it, next time two hand that fag.
If Tampa gets the next goal the tone for game 5 will get set.
Letang is about to go full Chernobyl.
Fleury looks sharp!!
Kessel!!!
Pens win in OT?
Madden and Rossi are striking each other off now.
For the record, I’m fine with st bleury going in. This game is over and it never hurts for the backup to get some work.
My man between the pipes!!!
Stan is your man.
I know your breathe is bad…because you brush your teeth with Crosby’s kock.
Hilarious still waiting for the proof. When Sid scores don’t cheer.
Trade Sid and Murray for Matthews and JVR!
The pens should be ashamed, especially malkin and letang. They have to have 10 turnovers between the two of them. They are really letting this team down tonight.
I feel the same way about Letang as I did James Neal. Just a hard guy to like. Such a boneheaded.
But he has good hair but no common sense. How is his breath?
So finally pens D will be vulnerable and now Fleury won’t be able to win game 5 and then people like yoda will blame Fleury not the vulnerable defense
The vulnerable defense is the French pussy Letang melting down.
It’s the final 4 of the playoffs….you’re gonna lose. Relax.
Grab your guitar and play sobe church music.
Ok??
Thanks Dusty.
Stick to blaming everybody else but sid.
Sid has been a no show tonight. I call him out all the time but you can’t provide any proof I defend him all the time. You are just like uncle Stan.
Losing Daley is going to be the worst thing about this game.
Yup. Looked serious. Enter pylon Maatta
And Fleury in game 5.
If murray comes out for the 3rd, i’m changing the channel.
No way. This isn’t on Murray.
Letang is a piece of shit. Hard to pull for that guy.
Love this ass kicking. Exactly what this team needed
The entire team has shit the bed tonight.
Not really. Mostly letang and malkin.
Who’s played well?
Malkin on LSD
Look a at that fat red skin guy
I don’t know what’s worst to watch Shultz choking on plays or npl in choking on a hot dog
Malkin needs benched in the 3rd
He is pissed because his comrades are in Russia and he is not
Pens miss on a 2-0.
We will see Fleury in this game. Suck it Yoda!
Glad you are happy.
I’m not happy just messing with you.
Malkin is a turnover machine. Wtf is up with that guy? He is on acid I think.
Wish other people sees that too specially Stan
What garbage. Turn it off.
Time to send Geno a message in the 3rd by Sullivan.
He has been fuck awful this game… This is unacceptable
Really? Who would you say has played well? This is a complete bed shitting by 23 players
Lmao, you’re right… Just a bad night for the guys, Geno is no different! Guys been fucking absent since game one in fucken Washington… As bad as the team has been he has single handedly destroyed a few PP chances. I’ve seen you bagging on people for not being able to be critical of Sid but I got news for you… You treat Malkin the way they treat Sid. Geno has not just been bad he’s been a detriment to the team. Between him and Letang I would check em both for TB coloured undershirts after the game
The teams been crap but the bar has been set by 1a Malkin and 1b Letang, it’s various levels of shit after those two
Lazy Russian hope you are enjoying him stan
Malkin with 4 turnovers on that PP. he is a lazy joke
I blame Shawn Michaels.
He is a bandwagon fan like npl
I blame this game on me staying in tonight… and Letang
Yep that 3rd goal is on 58. He is playing tonight like 2012 meltdown Letang. He needed to let them take their shot and let them even it up. Ulfie was great at that.
Mark my words clownss letang gone not this year cuz black mario sale team but next letang gone his not sully type player take bad penaltys like french hot dog cart
Give us 100 power plays, they don’t shoot they won’t score.
Yay another two minutes to watch Kris continue his epic fuck up game. Put Schultz on the fuxken ice
Fucking joke of a defense.
Letang is playing like an A hole. Nbc wants a long series too. The fix feels like it’s in tonight.
Nbc told the pens to play like shit? How do they get that type of buy in?
So the Pens would basically never lose if it wasn’t for “the fix”?
Dumbass Letang Frenching it up
Letang has been a pile of shit tonight!
Great another power play in which we won’t shoot.
Dude won’t shoot! He is worthless out there. He is no threat, they know he won’t shoot.
Letang is an absolute disease on the power play.
And malkin is an absolute cure on the power play
How many blows to the head can Murray takr before his marbles get knocked loose again?
Fleury time!
They so far came with the mentality the Lightning would just roll over.
WTF was Daley doing?
Old Kunitz has shown up tonight. He tripped over the air behind the net that led to the goal.
First shot boooooo blurray
Wow, good job Murray
Blurray
Anybody seen mrchady lately? I hope she’s alright.
Stamkos is clearly only concerned about his next paycheck. Canadian fraud.
Saving it for the WC
Nice article on nhl.com on Kessel by Dan Rosen
nobody on other sites ever says, “nice article on TIOPS by depaoli.” and certainly not on game days.
sorry saw you responded to my geno/sid full time… my reasoning is simply you made the strongest line the Bonino line and crosby and geno are constantly getting tryout wingers… sheary played ok the other day, rust is what he is a good bottom 6… the worry if playing sid and geno together before was that you put all that fire power on 1 line you dont have any depth scoring to play behind them.. you can properly cast the top 6 with your best 6 and have an excellent bottom 6 (and I do believe Kunitz is a strong… Read more »
Hey sammi… you still think Stamkos is coming back?
Wasn’t he originally scheduled to be out 3 months? I though that was the treatment plan, once he’s off them its just a few days until he can return safely. Still his conditioning won’t be there for the playoffs, it would take him several games to get his legs and timing back. I wouldn’t be to worried if he returned early.
If the pens keep this play up, they will need more than Stamkos to win this series.
Yup, he left April 4th… he would have to be a full month ahead of schedule to comeback.
Watching the SJ, STL game last night was like watching a pre-season game compared to the eastern finals…..i cannot see either team keeping up with he pens or tampa in the finals
Apologies too positive/off topic for this message board….let me prefface this and rip fleury, call the best player on the team currently (kessel) fat or talk about how we should get rid of sid or malkin….then make reference to the western final
I’m pulling for the Sharks to win the west… older legs in key positions lol
I agree SJ would be easier to wear down, they have better skill but like i said i cant picture either team skating with these teams…its just not the wests year
They had struggles vs Nashville due to the Preds team speed… Pittsburgh has way more fire power to go with the legs.
you also forgot how many empty seats they had man its conference final and you see so many empty seats
Since you didn’t answer when I responded before, why do you care if there’s empty seats? It clearly doesn’t seem to be having any effect on them?
I could care less about what the fans do empty seats or not this is the two teams playing i dont watch the crowed
Pens recalled 8 players and not 1 of them was named Sestito?
Big mistake.
Despres would kill himself trying to skate with this team.
Remember when Sam said Kessel would be traded this offseason? Hahaha
Watching sharks vs blues so many empty seats what a shame it’s playoffs and with so many empty seats
Would you say that there is so many empty seats?
I’d imagine the Bell Museum is pretty empty as well.
So many empty seats there
Why is it a shame? Is it effecting the product on the ice? Really doesn’t seem like it is considering SJ is 2 wins away from being in the Cup finals and is a contender every year. Does it effect the players ability to play well? Again doesn’t seem likely considering their position in the playoffs. Does it effect the owners ability to run the franchise? Again doesn’t seem likely considering they spend near the cap most years. Basically the number of fans in the stands has zero impact on anything.
https://45.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_m1cksegLcN1rs3cido1_500.gif
While were at it, can we talk about the Despres / Lovejoy trade again…
http://assets.sbnation.com/assets/2517035/despreshit.gif
https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-RaBo3PeN7iU/UT0l9rbOZsI/AAAAAAACINY/_gt26BD5CBU/s528/despreswaffle.gif
https://cdn1.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/j30DrLKgScZbxYMZf-fhpBlneZs=/cdn0.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/2503010/gerbehit.0.gif
https://i.imgflip.com/de2vv.gif
Sutter was in this play as well FTR ^
Bad trade
Watching Lovejoy do an admirable job now while Despres developed into a steaming pile of feces really makes it hard to continue to feel it was a “bad trade”. Inconsequential at worst.
Sam, tell us again how Sutter is better than Bonino.
Hahahaha. #Samknew
i bet sutter wouldve done just as good as bonino if he played with kessel and haggy dont you thin ? fat pig ? last i checked sutter was pens best player in the playoffs last 2 years he was here and had 19 goal as a 3rd liner
I love it when you talk dirty broken english to me.
He wasn’t the best player on any team. Ever. You’re a complete moron. At least admit when you’re obviously wrong. #samisadumbass
Sam would like Sutter because he’s a soft as pillows. It’s a trait popular with the French Canadians.
Played with 2 former Art Ross winners… may have seen them slide a bit but he wasnt turning heads with those two in Van. Its a piss poor argument. Bonino came in with the hope he could replace the O without being a possession black hole… he accomplished this. Plus we added Fehr for the remaining salary saved on Sutter. You lose this one too
I argue that if Sutter played with Hags and Kessel they both would suffer because Sutter can’t keep the puck.
first off i never said sutter is better all i said he never got chance to play with kessel and haggy type player on a 3rd line and people here threw him under the bus
kessel doing good because he is not facing vs the top Defense of other teams and most of his goals have been on powerplay
That guy Hedman that Kessel blew past must not be part of Tampa’s top defense…
“Sutter sucks because he never had a winger like Kessel”
“Kessel is only good because he plays against lesser defenseman and only scores on the powerplay”
#SamLogic
Oh for fuck sakes… that line 5 on 5 has been the reason this team is where it is and if you can’t even admit that just quit and go back to your dungeons and dragons because you clearly live in a fantasy world. Kessel is doing good because he is doing good… period. Yes he may have, on average, a little more room but at the end of the day that was the whole fucking point of creating a 2a;2b;2c dynamic… for the match up nightmare. Just think, he could be out there not owning the opposition on the… Read more »
Geno will be gone thanks to mario selling the team put things on hold but by next year he should be gone
Better to not add a timeframe there, so when he retires, you’ll eventually be right! Good for you, youre learning.
you honestly think malkin will retire as a penguin wow you must be a real joke but coming from you its expected
You’ve said every single season for the past 6 years that he would either get traded or go back to Russia. How is that working out? #samisadumbass
About as well as Yoda’s “fluery has played his last game as a Penguin” lol. Both may finally come to fruition but if you say anything long enough in this sport within reason it will happen lol
no i said it the year that rags knocked pens out the year db got fired that i give malkin another 2 years after that and he will be gone and last year already in the summer there was rumors he was not happy and might move then the mario selling team story came up and put things on pause along with new coaches but mark my words he wont last under sully he is clearly not sully type player as we also saw when team was winning the russian wasnt playing last 10 min of the period this proves… Read more »
“Mark my words that I will change the words you mark every year that I am wrong”
Now you’re resorting to lying. You’re an embarrassment to mankind.
You added a timeframe! Cmon Sammy, weve been over this… Try again, and once youre ready to move forward, well start discussing no movement clauses
Interested to hear Johns assortment of game notes that doesnt lead to a specific point, yet is somehow quite the concept.
I love this article’s Geno bashing now that Crosby woke up. Malkin is a top 4 TIOPS performer because he is doing the little things.
Has there been any update on Hornqvist?
with HBK line being a formidable top 2 line, why not throw Malkin and Crosby together full time? horni and kunitz can rotate as the other winger. Put Cullen and Fehr down the middle for your bottom 6 or if you dont want to break up the 4th line, you dress sundqvist, sit sheary and you have Rust Sundqvist and kunitz/horni for a make shift line…
Why change anything at all? We’re dominating and have 3 lines that cause all sorts of matchup problems. We have also tried that experiment countless times in the past and it never worked.
Agreed, with Crosby suddenly adding to the score sheet and Malkin seemingly looking like he is working through his lull why would we wanna suddenly mess with this?
DePaoli thinks the 24-hour news cycle is a farce.
d is so hyped for a potential pens sharks final that he doesn’t even bother with game day articles for the ecf.
My thought is Stankos doesn’t return. He needs 3 months of therapy at the very least
Solid game from Murray and a nice bounce back from his last several performances but they’re going to have to put some major work in with Muuray over the off season on his rebound control, I have absolutely no clue how someone can watch him play and say rebound control is one of his strengths. TB had 12 shots in the 1st period ad I counted 7 quality rebound opportunities.
1st goal was a soft one by Murray Solid game hmmmm few good stops but once again team played good in front of him
And his glove hand. We’re winning because we’re dominating offensively and defensively. Murray has bad rebound control, a below average glove and his lateral movement is looking less and less inpressive each game. Playing San Jose and their offensive firepower scares me with Murray in there.
Gove hand? They are shooting (and scoring) under his blocker
Murray has looked more like a rookie but he hardly seems like a train wreck wither. I think this description is a bit of an extreme the other way. Last night Murray looked as good as we seen through the Caps series, they had a ton of fire power too. I would imagine San Jose would present a similar overall threat in that series albeit with much older legs in some areas.
murray>st.bleury
You were doing well but in typical fashion the little green douchebag had to make an appearance
The flaw isn’t technically with his glove hand, the flaw generates because he drops his left leg early which causes the glove to drop to a lower position which is why people think he will be vulnerable high glove. I don’t think the glove issue is as big of a deal as people make it out to be and it should be easily correctable in the off season. I tend to agree with Maloni that the number of goals being scored through his body is far more concerning than his glove hand.
the first 10 mins tampax played good and if they scored few it wouldve been different story
difference is that Fleury would have let in a backbreaker in the first 10 minutes.
How about Kessel?
on the 1st pens goal, watch hagelin away from the puck. he totally faked out coburn at the top of the circle. hagelin faked that he was going outside like the play was going to be a 2-1. as soon as coburn started drifting that way with his back turned hagelin cut back into the middle. everyone is ripping on coburn but not giving hagelin credit. hagelin faked him out of his shoes going to the net. watch hagelin. he does the ALL the time. he is awesome at creating space for himself.
Great play by Hagelin but it’s also a signature play from a Dman that has had several moments like that through his career. Remember he was supposed to be the next Chris Pronger. It’s 6 of one half dozen of the other in this case… Great play Hags and Coburn being Coburn man lol
he is no chris pronger and while i like hedman, he’s not as good as chara was in his prime either.
Oh I agree to an extent… Hedman is already a better offensive player than Chara ever was, he just doenst own that bomb. Chara was a better defender but Dmen can sometime bloom late in that respect, dont forget Chara was a very late bloomer himself.
he is still 25 he has time
Chara is mean, Hedman not so much
Even Chara developed that chip overtime… I recall interviews with the guy where he stated he layed off a lot of shit because he was concerned about injury to others. That noted I doubt Hedman has the character to develop that chip on his shoulder. He could still develop into a dominant defender without the chip however… Lidstrom wasnt exactly feared out there.
To be clear I am not advocating that Hedman will achieve that level of play but I also wouldnt be too surprised to see him flirt with that level of D either
pens in 5
Feels that way… I had 6 but I prefer your call here
stamkos and Bishop will be in lineup soon so i say 6 as well
Stamkos isn’t playing in this series. Just gamesmanship by Cooper.
Did you see Bishop taking shots in practice? He had NO bend to his legs. Also, why would they want Bishop back, this kid has been playing great. Unless Bishop is coming back to play defense to help their pathetic defensive core.
I couldn’t think of a better expert to call in to educate the masses on the elasticity of an athletes legs then Simply Dusty
Get a better internet connection so you don’t double post.
I couldn’t think of better expert to call in to educate the masses on the elasticity of an athletes legs then Simply Dusty
Does it really matter? Do you honestly believe Bishop is that much better than what we have seen from Vas? Kid has lost his cool and Bishop is better at playing the puck but the lateral movement we are watching the Pens cause may not be improved on. As for Stamkos… I will believe it when I see it!