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Thread: What is Pittsburgh to do?

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    Default What is Pittsburgh to do?

    Even though the series is tied 2-2 and it is still anybody's series. It always is. Pittsburgh seeems to be in a bit of trouble. They have aomg 2 of the best centers in the world in Evgeni Malkin and Sidney Crosby, and they just have crazy talent all over the place. But, I won't continue with that here.

    The Flower is being replaced for Game 5. Already. Against the Islanders. Not a blow to Islanders fans, but I'm sure you understand. This series was a predicted sweep by the Pens or a 5 game exit for the Isles. It's going to game 5, and no victor is clear. Vokoun will be in relief for The Flower tonight. Vokoun has some impressive regular season stats against the Islanders, but this is the playoffs. Ready for my bold prediction? I'm just going to throw it out there.

    The Islanders take these next two games to win the series.

    That's right. The Islanders have chased Fleury out of the net (although his 26 save shutout in Game 1 was pretty nice). I don't believe that Vokoun will get the job done tonight, and the Islanders will bring it. When (if) Vokoun loses this game tonight, the Flower will be in net for Game 6, obviously, but he again, will not get the job done. Now, if this comes true, I pose a question to you.

    Do the Pens trade MAF in the offseason, along with Evgeni Malkin (because let's face it, Malkin and Crosby are at their best when the other superstar isn't playing and reducing their ice time.) I believe both of those players could flourish on a different team. Like, maybe Malkin going to a team like Toronto, or Montreal. Fleury going to maybe the Islanders, Jets, Chicago. I think that would work out to a great benefit to the receiving team, and the Penguins. Think about what the Penguins could get for that amount of talent. First round picks, depth players, another star goalie.

    Tell me what you think, because I'm running this on way too long. Sorry about that.
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    Puck possession and positioning. Play to their strengths.

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    I will bet any money i have that the Pens will not trade Malkin this summer. They might trade him later but only if he doesn´t sign a new contract and actually i´m sure he will.

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    Quote Originally Posted by Ross The Boss Palmer View Post
    Puck possession and positioning. Play to their strengths.
    Well the Pens were really outplaying the Islanders when it came to exactly that. The goals they scored were a result of good passes and great positioning.

    So all they need to do is start playing defense, finish checks and stop turning over the puck.

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    Quote Originally Posted by TheTampaBayManiac View Post
    Even though the series is tied 2-2 and it is still anybody's series. It always is. Pittsburgh seeems to be in a bit of trouble. They have aomg 2 of the best centers in the world in Evgeni Malkin and Sidney Crosby, and they just have crazy talent all over the place. But, I won't continue with that here.

    The Flower is being replaced for Game 5. Already. Against the Islanders. Not a blow to Islanders fans, but I'm sure you understand. This series was a predicted sweep by the Pens or a 5 game exit for the Isles. It's going to game 5, and no victor is clear. Vokoun will be in relief for The Flower tonight. Vokoun has some impressive regular season stats against the Islanders, but this is the playoffs. Ready for my bold prediction? I'm just going to throw it out there.

    The Islanders take these next two games to win the series.

    That's right. The Islanders have chased Fleury out of the net (although his 26 save shutout in Game 1 was pretty nice). I don't believe that Vokoun will get the job done tonight, and the Islanders will bring it. When (if) Vokoun loses this game tonight, the Flower will be in net for Game 6, obviously, but he again, will not get the job done. Now, if this comes true, I pose a question to you.

    Do the Pens trade MAF in the offseason, along with Evgeni Malkin (because let's face it, Malkin and Crosby are at their best when the other superstar isn't playing and reducing their ice time.) I believe both of those players could flourish on a different team. Like, maybe Malkin going to a team like Toronto, or Montreal. Fleury going to maybe the Islanders, Jets, Chicago. I think that would work out to a great benefit to the receiving team, and the Penguins. Think about what the Penguins could get for that amount of talent. First round picks, depth players, another star goalie.

    Tell me what you think, because I'm running this on way too long. Sorry about that.
    Quote Originally Posted by Dennis4022 View Post
    I will bet any money i have that the Pens will not trade Malkin this summer. They might trade him later but only if he doesn´t sign a new contract and actually i´m sure he will.

    Ah I didn't read the original post at all, late night early morning, my bad.

    The Pens will stay the course. Trading Malkin isn't going to happen, if anything they will may bring Gonchar back if possible. They have a great friendship from what I understand.

    MAF could go but I have a hard time seeing that happen as well. With the core that Pittsburgh has, great players will continue to want to sign below market price in order to have the annual opportunity to win the cup. The last thing they should do is blow up their core as it enters its' prime. Fleury is still young but his playoff performances from the past two seasons are leaving some rather large questions.

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    Even if the Pens wanted to trade away Fleury they just can´t. Look at Luongo he´s only making 0.3 more than Fleury and the Canucks couldn´t even trade him.

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    Quote Originally Posted by Dennis4022 View Post
    Even if the Pens wanted to trade away Fleury they just can´t. Look at Luongo he´s only making 0.3 more than Fleury and the Canucks couldn´t even trade him.
    Luongo will be 43 years old when his contract ends, Fleury will be 31. Completely different scenarios and it's the term of the contract that makes Luongo's contract horrible and pretty much untradeable. Besides, Luongo makes $6.7 million for the next 5 years so the difference in actual dollars to Fleury is much bigger than $0.3 million.
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    Quote Originally Posted by Dennis4022 View Post
    So all they need to do is start playing defense, finish checks and stop turning over the puck.
    Totally agree with this. I think that all the talk of MAF being a bum is really overdone. Yes, his team is stacked: offensively. The Pens have, by and large, not had a very sound defensive team for quite a while.

    MAF has let in a few flukey/softies for sure in this series. But all goalies do that from time to time. For the better part of a month and a half now, the Pens have been committing far too many horrid turnovers when breaking out of their zone, through the neutral zone, or at the opposition blueline.

    He's no Lundqvist (really, nobody else in the league is on that level IMO), but I'd be very interested to see what MAF could do if he had (for example) a couple Girardis, Marc Staals and even Ryan McDonaghs patrolling the blueline -- or more importantly, the top of his crease and low slot. It must not be overlooked that many of the statistically elite goalies in the league also play with pretty elite defensive D-men or team defensive systems (e.g., Rangers, Kings, Hawks, Blues, Bruins, etc.). MAF and the Pens do not.

    Now, that's not to completely absolve Fleury here. But I believe that this is often overlooked when discussing which goalies are perceived big gamers and which ones are choke artists.
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    I think people are over analyzing and giving the Islanders waaaaaaay to much credit. Don't get me wrong they are playing well.. but it's more of the Pen's goaltending being non-existent. I don't understand how people fail to realize that proabbly 50% of the Islanders goals have been BRUTAL.. I mean my 5 year old cousin could have stopped them. When Okposo is scoring off the boards and from behind the net it absolutely demoralizes the Pens. No more of that bullshit and the true colors will show tonight. With Vokoun in net now.. the Pens are getting a consistent goaltender with a strong mental game. They will win tonight by 2 or more and wrap it up in New York. Then people will stop questioning the Pens...

    I've played high level hockey/soccer my whole life.. even on the national level at one point. The worst thing for a team in either sport is when your goalies confidence is shattered. As a team if you have no confidence in your goalie you change the way you play, second guess your passes or positioning in order to compensate for your weakness in the net. The Pens don't need a spectacular performance from Vokoun.. they just need him to play mediocre and stop simple shots. If he can do that the Pens will win big tonight and put all their critics to sleep.

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    PS: Also wanted to mention that Vitale, Kennedy, and Despres have all been added to the lineup for tonight.. Expect a faster Pens team and I predict a solid game from Tyler.
    Last edited by L2TG; May 9, 2013 at 11:04 AM.

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    I know it's because of his last name, but "The Flower" has to be the worst hockey nickname ever.
    GO WINGS!

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    Quote Originally Posted by TheTampaBayManiac View Post
    Ready for my bold prediction? I'm just going to throw it out there.

    The Islanders take these next two games to win the series.
    That is pretty bold, but sorry TBManiac, that isn't going to happen.. A move like this will wake the Pens up. They probably feel embarrassed and will romp the Iles tonight. I predict the Pens win tonight 6-2. Now thats bold!!
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    Quote Originally Posted by Zorro View Post
    That is pretty bold, but sorry TBManiac, that isn't going to happen.. A move like this will wake the Pens up. They probably feel embarrassed and will romp the Iles tonight. I predict the Pens win tonight 6-2. Now thats bold!!
    I'm with you Zorro.. I'm feeling 5-2. Once the Isles realize they can't score from behind the net anymore and the Pens go up 2.. then it will be 3, 4, and KO. Much easier to win a game when you can score and not be scored on 30 sec after from the bleachers.

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    Tyler gets it started baby!!!! Woooooooo!!! Vokoun playing like an NHL goaltender keep it up boys!

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    Okay, I was wrong. But making those "bold" predictions are always fun, and feels pretty good when you're right. But I was wrong, and everyone else was right, lol. Vokoun was great.
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    Quote Originally Posted by TheTampaBayManiac View Post
    Okay, I was wrong. But making those "bold" predictions are always fun, and feels pretty good when you're right. But I was wrong, and everyone else was right, lol. Vokoun was great.
    Feel free to make more of them, but please make sure to be wrong if it´s against the Pens ;-)

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