Pre-Game Talk: Metro Division Final: (2) Rangers vs. (1) Penguins

[SingnBluesOnBroadway]

Dominic Moore is a nice player. But he's no Brandon Dubinsky.

Who suggested as much?

 

[CordPara]

The lack of the Rangers killer instinct might come back to haunt them because the schedule is just brutal. You can't help but think fatigue will play a factor.

That said, this Pitts team isn't as deep as the ones of yesteryear. Biggest difference is their depth upfront and on defense.

Pitts is two pairs deep on D, and has two strong top lines but does not have much going beyond that.

5 v 5, the Rangers are better, deeper, and have the horses to matchup and then some.

Two things the Rangers can't do are trade chances, and get into penalty trouble. Pitts has the firepower to make the Rangers pay.

Mac Truck and G can't have the series they did against the Flyers, because Crosby will make them pay.

The Rangers have the luxury of putting out McD and Staal in alternating pairs against Crosby and Malkin.

Nash needs to step up. The way he played in game 7 is how he needs to play every shift.

Mac Truck needs to get back to his A game.

AV will get match up advantages against Pitts lack of depth, but it will be up to the players to execute.

Heh.....well, believe me, the Pens also have no killer instinct. Seems few teams do. Chicago, LA, Boston are the only ones I can think of. The Pens are lazy until they are forced to not be. And then sometimes it is too late.

5 on 5 is mediocre this year.

But I will say, don't sleep on their D. They are deep and seriously pretty good, if not that physical. Letang can take over a game but he can also give a game away. The rest are solid, positional, D men who can shoot from the point.

To me the biggest advantage the Pens have is their PP. It is insane this year. If the Rangers take dumb penalties, they are in trouble.

The biggest advantage the Rangers have is in net. Fleury is still too shaky and not to be trusted. He can make an insanely acrobatic save look simple and then flub a simple shot from the blue line. Lundqvist is obviously going to be solid, no matter what.

Tough series to call but given the Pens recent success against the Rangers and given that they have home ice, I'll say Pens in 6.

 

[TheTakedown]

get to game 7 and we win. richy rich doesnt lose game 7s.

hank only loses one every 3 seasons, so theres that too :p

 

[TheTakedown]

If we win then yay! ECF! If we lose then yay! We keep our 1st! Win-win

best way to look at it, actually!

 

[Nanaki]

There are probably more fair weather fans in NY when the Rangers get going, just because hockey isnt taken seriously until the playoffs around here. Just saying. And it doesnt really happen until they get to the conference finals.

I remember there being a lot more hype the last two years starting this round with the papers and radio. The ECF is when local T.V. starts acting like they've cared all along when they don't even bother mentioning that the Rangers are in the playoffs before that. If you're going to ignore us, just ignore us.

 

[wolfgaze]

Not optimistic - but stranger things have happened....

Nash needs to start scoring ASAP, we also need scoring from MSL, and the powerplay needs to find its way because it was brutal against Philly.....

 

[Wolfy*]

It shouldn't be hard to beat these guys...

 

[True Blue]

Yes, and so far AV has done it with a team that was largely constructed with Torts at the helm.

This team is nothing like the ones that Torts coached.

Torts had years and shipped off players to bring in guys who fit his "style."

I do not think it was his idea to field lesser talented teams.

AV has adapted to the team. It will be interesting to see if there are a lot of moves this off-season or if this is the team AV wants to build around.

I am not arguing that AV has not adapted. What remains to be seen is if he can do any better than his predecessor.

Remember, this is year one of the AV era. Torts inherited this team with a lot of holes, but it took him 3 seasons to move past the first round.

In year 1 of AV, he had a more talented team than Torts ever had.

 

[True Blue]

Does anyone else think Ulf Samuelson is so instrumental to our team? I think he may get a gig as a head coach

I think that Ulfie has had a big impact on the defensemen.

 

[Miamipuck]

Thirty shots on goal. Zero goals. Shooting percentage of zero. Regular season shooting percentage of ten.

It's not like he isn't getting shots, and yes not all of them are "great scoring chances" but if he keeps getting the looks hegot last night the likelihood of his shooting percentage remaining zero is about as likely as it was MSL would never score with the Rangers.

I know I am in the minority but I am actually shocked he did not find the twine against Philadelphia and it says more about Mason than Nash if you were watching those games. Especially last night.

This is exactly what I think with respect to Nash. I think he played well, he certainly did everything in Game 7 but score.

 

[BarbaraAlphanse]

Carcillo needs to be on the 4th line in this series, if/when Kreider returns.

He single handedly can throw the entire pens team off their game. AV needs to know the advantages his personnel holds. Carcillo was public enemy #1 for the Pens when he was with the Flyers. Him and Talbot had wars.

Go read the Pens pre-game thread. They're all frustrated at the prospect of seeing Carcillo.

 

[Bluenote13]

This is a setup. You can't post this poll a day after we win a game 7, of course we are all going to be optimistic !

Rangers in 7

 

[Bumpus]

Pens on 4. We are no match for the likes of Crosby, Malkin, Rooney and O'Halloran.

You're joking, right?!?

That SOB absofrigginlutely hates us.



... That said, Pens in 6

 

[KreiMeARiver*]

That schedule is BRUTAL

Back to back games in 2 cities? Really? Pittsburgh Bettmans at work, here?

 

[Bumpus]

Carcillo needs to be on the 4th line in this series, if/when Kreider returns.

He single handedly can throw the entire pens team off their game. AV needs to know the advantages his personnel holds. Carcillo was public enemy #1 for the Pens when he was with the Flyers. Him and Talbot had wars.

Go read the Pens pre-game thread. They're all frustrated at the prospect of seeing Carcillo.

Technically, that would be Hartnell ... but, yes, we hate Carcillo too.

 

[BarbaraAlphanse]

Went 7/8 in picks last round. Would have been 8/8 if I trusted my gut telling me Pitt would beat CBJ. My head told me they'd be more vulnerable. Obviously not vulnerable enough.

I don't like making public predictions as I tend to jinx the team's I pick. That being said, I think some of you need to have a little more faith in the team.

It'll be a highly offensive series. Our defenses match up well. Our offenses match up well. We have a better goalie but they have a better power play.

Plenty of different ways this series can go. Hopefully we can get them back for '08. I still haven't gotten over that series loss.

 

[BarbaraAlphanse]

You're joking, right?!?

That SOB absofrigginlutely hates us.



... That said, Pens in 6

You know, I think having to deal with Giroux and Mason's diving antics, and the ref's support of that, really has prepared us to face Crosby and Co.

NHL loves you guys. Maybe not O'Halloran but in general, the calls tend to fall your way.

Having said that, I've never seen a more lopsided officiating job done, than our series against the Flyers. All 7 games with terrible calls against us. And to be honest, I rarely complain about the refs because if they're bad they're usually bad both ways.

Good test for what is to come for us in this series.

 

[Blueshirt Special]

It shouldn't be hard to beat these guys...

OK that's very disturbing...and funny

 

[BarbaraAlphanse]

Any idea why the team called Poo "Stupid Poo" when he got the broadway hat? Funny ****.

 

[Trxjw]

He's a hockey legend, both on the ice and in the front office.

And also, there aren't many bandwagon fans in Pittsburgh. I'm sure you're quite well aware of our success in many sports. We're not fair weather fans. Yeah, the Pens aren't an original six team like the Rangers, but they've been around since '67. They've been selling out arenas since '84. It's a pretty decent hockey town now.

The Rangers are like the 4th or 5th most popular team in the NY area, at least.

Pittsburgh, just like anywhere else, has a very large group of fair weather fans. The Steelers are an exception, but the Pirates and Penguins are certainly experiencing a resurgence in fan support that only came about in recent years for the Pens, and within the last two years for the Bucs. It's been quite normal for fireworks and after-game concerts to attract more fans to PNC Park than the game itself. Which is a shame because the food is great and the park is gorgeous.

When I first moved here in 2006, I could walk up to the Igloo at 6:45 and get a lower-bowl seat for next to nothing. There were regularly thousands of seats available. The Pens PR department did a fantastic job of reviving interest in the team over the last 7 or 8 years by focusing on the younger audience, and not trying to pluck people away from the "Stillers" anymore.

 

[Bleed Ranger Blue]

Pittsburgh, just like anywhere else, has a very large group of fair weather fans. The Steelers are an exception, but the Pirates and Penguins are certainly experiencing a resurgence in fan support that only came about in recent years for the Pens, and within the last two years for the Bucs. It's been quite normal for fireworks and after-game concerts to attract more fans to PNC Park than the game itself. Which is a shame because the food is great and the park is gorgeous.

When I first moved here in 2006, I could walk up to the Igloo at 6:45 and get a lower-bowl seat for next to nothing. There were regularly thousands of seats available. The Pens PR department did a fantastic job of reviving interest in the team over the last 7 or 8 years by focusing on the younger audience, and not trying to pluck people away from the "Stillers" anymore.

They also seem to have an endless loop of 80's Metallica in the arena, of which I am very jealous compared to MSG's catalog.

 

[Ian]

That schedule is BRUTAL

Back to back games in 2 cities? Really? Pittsburgh Bettmans at work, here?

Has more to do with the Dolan/Billy Joel cash grab. Should leave singer residencies to Las Vegas.

 

[eco's bones]

FWIW the Rangers are the team with the least amount of regular season points still left in the playoffs.

 

[Hunter Gathers]

I think that Ulfie has had a big impact on the defensemen.

Agreed completely. I think he's really helped Staal, especially. His positioning sort of deteriorated after his injury and Ulfie has him back on track. I mean, maybe that's just the general healing process and all but I'll give him credit for it since I feel it's due.

 

[Jersey Girl]

That schedule is BRUTAL

Back to back games in 2 cities? Really? Pittsburgh Bettmans at work, here?

Why is this an advantage for Pittsburgh?