Post-Game Talk: Penguins 5, Flyers 1 - Pens Undefeated in 2018

[SEALBound]

No comment, only horror.

Nothing better than a good nickname. Staal was "The Gronk" IIRC.

In high school I hit a kid from behind who had to be taken off on a stretcher (totally fine, kid was a baby). After that I was called "Killer". Could be worse.

In a former life, I was listening to my ipod and the song "Cinderella Man" by Eminem came on. I rolled over and accidentally keyed my microphone. The ear bud was very close to the radio mic so EVERYONE on the channel could hear the song "Cinderella Man" playing...and they could see which radio it was coming from. Guess what my nickname became after that for the next 3 years?

Nicknames are one of the best parts about being on a team. I love hearing those inside tidbits.

 

[Jaded-Fan]

 

[Asuna]

Vegas plays a very defensive style. We don’t.

They are also probably the best coached team in the league this year.

Good on MAF though.

they definitely don't play a defensive style. they play a fast heavy forechecking game.

they just so happen to be good defensively as well.

 

[Gurglesons]

they definitely don't play a defensive style. they play a fast heavy forechecking game.

they just so happen to be good defensively as well.

They play an insanely defensive game. At the beginning of the year teams were getting less than 30 shots against them because they clogged up the neutral zone.

 

[Asuna]

They play an insanely defensive game. At the beginning of the year teams were getting less than 30 shots against them because they clogged up the neutral zone.

in october, they allowed under 30 shots, 3 times in 11 games. they were outshot in 6 of those games. not very defensive to me.

they don't allow a lot of goals because they reduce the number of high danger chances the opposition gets. they also have an insanely high sv% from their goalies. watching their games, nothing screams "insanely defensive system" to me.

 

[BigEezyE22]

Flower has never even wiped his own ass without help from elite team D according to som here...

 

[Randy Butternubs]

I thought Carcillo and Rinaldo were no longer part of that team.

 

[Dipsy Doodle]

His numbers will drop a little, but the games I have seen of MAF, he's been solid, he's making the saves he's supposed to make and he's seeing a lot of rubber in the process.

Not that I think we gave up the wrong player, we definitely did not. Murray is our guy and there are zero doubts about that. But for example, Murray sees an average of 25 shots a game, dreadful numbers, Jarry on average sees 23 shots against. Which is funny, this team was BRUTAL for the shots they allowed in the playoffs and according to the league, but this year, they're better at it while the D has been idiotic but our #1 is struggling and so everything just looks worse, Murray had a strong finish taking over from Jarry so I have zero doubts he won't right the ship and be the elite goalie we know he is.

MAF is doing well, good for him and his team.
Subban has played about as many as Jarry has (14 vs 13) and has solid numbers, Boston sure ****ed that one up, which is awesome of course.

But it should be noted.

Dansk faced around 22 shots per game avg.
Subban faced 23 shots per game, avg.
Fleury faces 32 shots per game, avg.

So while they played tight as hell in front of the rookies, they relax in front of MAF knowing he'll make the big saves and he has been. Why do people just not like to be happy for the guy? So much resentment.

PS: Lagace sucked, won games, but sucked, his numbers are horrible and he faced around 23-24 shots on avg. 6-6-1 with a 3.79GAA and .872 SV%...so tell me again about this Vezina thing.

There's no resentment. I'm saying that 10 games is too small a sample size to determine anything other than that a player has played great for 10 games, especially on a team where 2 other goalies have put up stellar numbers. And yes, Lagace sucked. He's also a 4th string minor league journeyman who can't keep his GAA below 2.50 even in the AHL.

The bottom line is that it's a 10 game sample size.

 

[SEALBound]

Flower has never even wiped his own ass without help from elite team D according to som here...

People will choose to remember MAF however they wish. Fact is, the majority of the time he was here, he was good for us. He was the franchise goalie from 2005 to 2017. That's nothing to shake a stick at. When needed, he did make some big saves. He played fantastic in 2008 and well enough in 2009 to get the win. He then got us to the ECF last year. He was a tremendous locker room guy and an extremely popular player with the fans. There's really no denying that. People want to remember the warm and cuddly, cheese'in Fleury and there's nothing wrong with that. When I think of him, a few of those moments will pop into my head. Same thing as Talbot. Remember that airplane scene on 24/7? Amazing.

But here's the other harsh reality. MAF was a sub par goalie in the 2010 playoffs. He was complete dumpster fire in the 2012 playoffs. I mean, the entire team had issues but MAF was the biggest one. He crapped the bed again in the 2013 playoffs when Shero sold the farm to load up. He had to be replaced by friggin Vokoun. In the 2014 playoffs, he was wretched against the CBJs. He got pulled then IIRC and cost us a couple games there. 2015 was awful for a lot of reasons but he was decent. 2016, Murray took over. In 2017, MAF came through but by then...everyone in their heart of hearts knew what the correct move was. Move the 32yo for a 22yo.

Fact is, for every great MAF moment or save there was an equally disgusting portion of play that cost us post season success in Sid and Geno's prime.

 

[Shady Machine]

Hey guys and gals, I missed the game. How did Fleury play?

 

[Old Gregg]

Hey guys and gals, I missed the game. How did Fleury play?

Better than Murray and Jarry

 

[edog37]

This was a glorious win....

 

[Pancakes]

Been a while since we had both Schultz and Letang in the lineup simultaneously, no? Maybe that will lead to more nights like this one.

 

[ColePens]

Discussion has seemed to move on. Closing this thread.