Game 11: Pittsburgh Penguins 2 @ Los Angeles Kings 3 F/OT

[Little Psycho]

Every time I see #24 out there, I expect a wrap around.

 

[AlphaBravo]

Well it wasn't. All things being equal the Pens were the team up 1-0 and you guys were struggling to score goals. So by your logic the Pens should have shut out the Kings then. But stuff happens to swing momentum. My point was that Fleury basically scoring on himself, in fact I believe a Pens fan said something to that effect early on here before the game, helped give the Kings the confidence they needed.

As a Penguins fan it didn't surprise me that the Kings streak ended with Fleury in net.

You guys won the cup last year, have a great team this year, and are not rivals to the Kings. Is there any reason you feel that you have to come to the Kings board and justify the Penguins' loss on poor goaltending by MAF? Our roster right now, which was not deep to begin with, is woefully depleted with Quick, McNabb, Gaborik and Andreoff out and yet we still managed to win with a career AHL goaltender in the net. I will take that.

 

[AlphaBravo]

With each game, I am getting more and more impressed with Fobert. I did not know that he had a physical Matt Greene-like edge to him. He also has the composure and good stick work of Mitchell.

Although it is still too early, I am also impressed with Gravel. He had a good first game (along with his games last year) and appears to provide that quickness we need on the back end. This year's defensive corps definitely looks better than last year.

Right now we just have to hang in there and not be more than 10 points out of a playoff stop in January. With Quick, Gaborik and McNabb back we should actually have good offensive and defensive depth. The below could be our lineup once everyone is healthy:

Pearson-Kopitar-Purcell
Setoguchi-Carter-Toffoli
Brown-Dowd-Gaborik
King/Clifford/Andreoff/Shore/Lewis

 

[KingsFan7824]

With each game, I am getting more and more impressed with Fobert. I did not know that he had a physical Matt Greene-like edge to him. He also has the composure and good stick work of Mitchell.

Although it is still too early, I am also impressed with Gravel. He had a good first game (along with his games last year) and appears to provide that quickness we need on the back end. This year's defensive corps definitely looks better than last year.

Right now we just have to hang in there and not be more than 10 points out of a playoff stop in January. With Quick, Gaborik and McNabb back we should actually have good offensive and defensive depth. The below could be our lineup once everyone is healthy:

Pearson-Kopitar-Purcell
Setoguchi-Carter-Toffoli
Brown-Dowd-Gaborik
King/Clifford/Andreoff/Shore/Lewis

10 points out? That's way too many. I think in Friedman's last 30 Thoughts, or some article anyway, there was a stat that for some number of years now, if a team was more than I think 4 points out of a playoff spot on November 1st, they usually didn't make the playoffs. Then there's the Thanksgiving stat, where if you're not in the top 8 by then, you usually don't make the playoffs. So anywhere close to 10 points out in January, and they might as well call it a day for all practical purposes.

 

[JureEe]

You guys won the cup last year, have a great team this year, and are not rivals to the Kings. Is there any reason you feel that you have to come to the Kings board and justify the Penguins' loss on poor goaltending by MAF? Our roster right now, which was not deep to begin with, is woefully depleted with Quick, McNabb, Gaborik and Andreoff out and yet we still managed to win with a career AHL goaltender in the net. I will take that.

he has a point tho. Kings needed that first goal so that they could start playing again.. i am sure they were all extra nervous bcs of 3 games without any goal.

 

[Raccoon Jesus]

Well it wasn't. All things being equal the Pens were the team up 1-0 and you guys were struggling to score goals. So by your logic the Pens should have shut out the Kings then. But stuff happens to swing momentum. My point was that Fleury basically scoring on himself, in fact I believe a Pens fan said something to that effect early on here before the game, helped give the Kings the confidence they needed.

As a Penguins fan it didn't surprise me that the Kings streak ended with Fleury in net.

Them's the bounces, welcome to hockey.

The Kings, without Quick, Zatkoff, Gaborik, McNabb, Andreoff, and Gilbert, and with all top players shooting massively under averages, out-shot and out-chanced the Penguins and got enough to win. Is that the narrative you want to hear? I'll take it.

If you're just over here to give backhanded compliments and justify a loss, kindly see yourself out, because you're borderline trolling now.

 

[Raccoon Jesus]

he has a point tho. Kings needed that first goal so that they could start playing again.. i am sure they were all extra nervous bcs of 3 games without any goal.

Won't disagree with that. Simply disagree with the tone that the Kings were lucky enough to be on the same ice as the Pens when the flow of the entire game actually favored the Kings, goal-scoring slump or not. Suggesting that the game was handed to the Kings by MAF cheapens their performance.

Like I said, could go back through and itemize plays--Doughty gave Letang an easy setup for a goal. Forbort gave Crosby space for a goal. But there's no point in cheapening two teams going hard at it and one coming out with a win. Them's the breaks, as I said.

 

[PJ Kings Hockey]

I was referring to the first two goals.

But lets face it, you guys were struggling to score goals. Fleury helped out tremendously in giving your team confidence. The second goal was nearly as bad. Without those two it probably never gets to OT all things being equal.

Dowd looked like Voracek the other night. Not taking away from his goal at all. He cashed in on his opportunity.

I actually like the Kings and was impressed by their possession time. Definitely played better than I had be hearing lately. Like I said before, good luck the rest of the season. Unless of course we meet in the finals then all bets are off.

Any chance you can trade Fleury to the Western Conference, then? We'll take all the goal-scoring help we can get.

I knew going in we wouldn't win in regulation. I was confident the Kings would win in overtime, though. Seems that Pearson and Martinez are usually on the ice when an overtime GWG is scored. I fell asleep before the game was over and found out this morning that our 26 year-old rookie Dowd won the game. Nice.

Remember when our former defenseman Voldemort was good for scoring into our own net on a regular basis? Good times.

 

[lexlavender]

Some thoughts after watching the game live:

Dowd is fantastic. He's not exactly a stalwart defensively, but he and Brown make for a potent, pesty third line. Seto also looked more in his element on the third line, getting several scoring chances, and overall had a much improved game.

4th line looked really good, they seemed to get the most chances tonight.

2nd line looked okay. King is out of his element, but Carter and Toffoli played decently and had some good opportunities.

1st line was fine. Purcell did not seem completely out of place. He was making good passes, had good speed, and has good offensive instincts that we sorely need. Pearson was the weakest on the line, and particularly fumbly tonight with the puck. All in All, this line was kept from scoring by a matter of inches.

Doughty had a poor game by his standards, but Forbort is looking stronger everyday. The Muzzin martinez line isn't as dominant as it was last season yet, hopefully they'll get there. Gravel was surprisingly stout defensively, keeping up with Crosby during his patented puck protection (which I believe he's the best in the league at). I look forward to more of Gravel.

as a side note, Letang was beastly. I traded Matthews and Ekblad for him in my fantasy league, and I couldn't be happier

 

[BigKing]

Was at the game and watched some of the game when I got home. TV didn't pick up what went on after Sestito crushed Doughty.

Doughty came back to him to let him know he didn't like it. Sestito turned and was, obviously, ready to fight if Doughty wanted. That's not going to happen, of course, so Doughty did a little fake like he was going to do something and they kept jawing.

Dwight King (you can see him on the telecast skating out of the picture) skates over to Sestito. Here we go, right? They hadn't scored a goal in 10 periods so we aren't going to let Doughty get crushed by a thug, right?

Wrong. King went over like he was going to fight him and then just gave him a talking to or some ****. Unbelievable and completely unacceptable.

I'm not a Dwight King basher on this board, but they could waive him today and I'd be fine with it after that display last night. Wouldn't even care about not getting a draft pick back. So gutless from a guy who provides pretty much zero of anything else at this point. He's 225-230 pounds...at least drop them and hug him to death or something. It was infuriating.

As for the game, I love Dowd. Great play to get the puck across the ice and then what a pretty goal. Will go down as one of the highlights of the season for sure.

 

[WHOneedsSOX]

Some thoughts after watching the game live:

Dowd is fantastic. He's not exactly a stalwart defensively, but he and Brown make for a potent, pesty third line. Seto also looked more in his element on the third line, getting several scoring chances, and overall had a much improved game.

4th line looked really good, they seemed to get the most chances tonight.

2nd line looked okay. King is out of his element, but Carter and Toffoli played decently and had some good opportunities.

1st line was fine. Purcell did not seem completely out of place. He was making good passes, had good speed, and has good offensive instincts that we sorely need. Pearson was the weakest on the line, and particularly fumbly tonight with the puck. All in All, this line was kept from scoring by a matter of inches.

Doughty had a poor game by his standards, but Forbort is looking stronger everyday. The Muzzin martinez line isn't as dominant as it was last season yet, hopefully they'll get there. Gravel was surprisingly stout defensively, keeping up with Crosby during his patented puck protection (which I believe he's the best in the league at). I look forward to more of Gravel.

as a side note, Letang was beastly. I traded Matthews and Ekblad for him in my fantasy league, and I couldn't be happier

Letang is such an effortless skater. Looks like Carter out there skating except he's a d-man.

 

[Butch 19]

Re the Dowd OT winning goal: Fluery kind of "threw" his stick after Dowd beat him wide just before he flipped the puck in for the goal.

If Fluery had happened to knock the puck away with this thrown stick, do you think the refs would have had the guts to award the goal anyway?

Close call either way, but he did throw his stick.

 

[Trolfoli]

You have one person and one person only to thank for the win. Marc Andre "the Flake" Fleury.

Good luck the rest of the season.

Someone's a little salty from getting their butts stomped and Doughty spiking Crosby like a football.

The Pens got 2 goals against the Kings AHL goalie. Deal with it.

 

[HookKing]

Someone's a little salty from getting their butts stomped and Doughty spiking Crosby like a football.

The Pens got 2 goals against the Kings AHL goalie. Deal with it.

Not to mention that didn't the pens score right after TT got no double minor call after the nose job?