Pre-Game Talk: Pre-Game Thread: Game 7!

[Thirty One]

I'd like to think MSL will stand up in front of the team before game 7 and deliver a motivational speech for the ages.

 

[chosen]

I'd say 50-50.


last 2 games dont matter IMHO...this is a different animal..for the first time all series the Pens have THEIR backs against the wall...2 of the greatest players in the world on their roster and a lot of pride.

and theyre at home

and there's the refs..

50-50.

Did you see my PM?

 

[mrhockey193195]

I hate to be that guy...but anyone notice that this series has gone the way of the 1994 SC finals, but only backwards? We win game one in OT on the road (like Vancouver did), then Pittsburgh comes back and essentially dominates the next three games (like we did in 1994), then we bounce back with big wins in game five on the road and six at home (like Vancouver did)...

Doesn't bode well for game 7 in Pittsburgh, huh

 

[Jersey Girl]

Had a dream last night Boyle scored the game seven OT winner. It was a scramble in the high slot near the circle, Boyle swept it through traffic, through Fleury, and into the net. It was so clear! Not kidding...and I cannot remember the last time I dreamed about hockey.

That said, the dream was so clear the Rangers were wearing blue and Pittsburgh white, It was definitely a series winner, so not sure what it all means - probably that I'm too emotionally wrapped up in this series and my mind can't turn it off!

 

[Callagraves]

The pessimist in me voted but the optimist in me will be watching the game.

This sounds kinda dirty.

 

[Vinny DeAngelo]

Let's get Bylsma fired!

LGR!

no then how else will be able to beat them

 

[sark76]

Not to be a stickler, but is this the appropriate thread title given the St. Louis' family circumstances?

I don't think a cause of death was given was it? If it wasn't a heart attack, or if we don't know...you just can't make that connection.

I mean thats kind of like being offended if someone said something like "our momentum really died out there." unless of course she did pass from a heart attack...then and maybe only then could I see some relevance.

 

[nevesis]

Henrik Lundqvist is 4-0 with a 0.75 GAA, a .973 save percentage and one shutout in his last four Game 7s.

 

[Pizza]

I hate to be that guy...but anyone notice that this series has gone the way of the 1994 SC finals, but only backwards? We win game one in OT on the road (like Vancouver did), then Pittsburgh comes back and essentially dominates the next three games (like we did in 1994), then we bounce back with big wins in game five on the road and six at home (like Vancouver did)...

Doesn't bode well for game 7 in Pittsburgh, huh

GAD!!!

You totally bummed my high bro.

 

[Greg02]

I don't think a cause of death was given was it? If it wasn't a heart attack, or if we don't know...you just can't make that connection.

I mean thats kind of like being offended if someone said something like "our momentum really died out there." unless of course she did pass from a heart attack...then and maybe only then could I see some relevance.

According to at least this it was.

 

[Inferno]

Did you see my PM?

Yeah, I still think he's super overrated.

 

[gardenparty]

A one game, winner-take-all "Fleury vs Hank" with everything else being more or less equal (which I expect it to be), I'll put my money on Hank!

Again, score first to plant that seed of doubt in the Pens and their fans, continue to frustrate Sidney, don't give Malkin room, don't take dumb retaliatory penalties (which the refs will be looking for), forecheck aggressively, and we should be fine.

 

[Riverdale]

Henrik Lundqvist is 4-0 with a 0.75 GAA, a .973 save percentage and one shutout in his last four Game 7s.

Regular season goaltender

Doesn't step it up when it matters

 

[sark76]

According to at least this it was.

uhhhh...yeah...maybe then, I'm not usually that guy and I doubt the team would read this website anyway but...yeah...maybe it's a bit unintentionally insensitive.

 

[sark76]

no, i just did.

its not Private though, its a visitor message...FYI..so everyone can see how big a schmuck youre being.


And yeah, I still think he's super overrated.

so good it apparently had to be said twice.

 

[HockeyBasedNYC]

If the Rangers score 3 goals or more theyll be playing Boston or Montreal on Friday

 

[Glen Sathers Cigar]

Upside if the Rangers lose, they don't need to give Tampa Bay an additional conditional 1st round pick.

Ugh.

 

[Jersey Girl]

Upside if the Rangers lose, they don't need to give Tampa Bay an additional conditional 1st round pick.

Well, for the sake of accuracy the second round pick we gave Tampa for St Louis this year becomes a first if we make the ECF this year. You're making it sound like it will cost us an additional first round draft pick on top of what we gave up.

So if we lose tomorrow night Tampa will get our second round draft pick this year which I believe will be approximately #18 in the second round, #48 overall. If we win tomorrow night Tampa does get our first round draft pick this year INSTEAD of our second round pick, which would be #27-30 overall. So Tampa will basically move up 20 draft selections in this year's draft if we win.

 

[HockeyBasedNYC]

Imagine if Nash netted a double OT winner, hah.

 

[FultonReed]

tickets for this are actually decently priced. shame i don't live anywhere near Pittsburgh...

 

[Placid]

Im scared. Not so much of the Pens, but more about what kind of team the Rangers will field. If they have another game with effort of the type that we've seen in the last couple of games, we should win.

If they dont...

 

[aufheben]

I know we say this before every single game, but if there was ever a time for Nash to dominate, it's now.

 

[Killem Dafoe]

I changed the title of the thread. I think given the circumstances we should probably just avoid a thread title like that altogether.

 

[pld459666]

Not trying to be an ahole but that means you are not very confident.

I am

But as stated, the better teams don't always win Game 7's.

It has nothing to do with being confident or not.

Can we get the same bounces we got last game, ie instead of Brassard stuffing home the little hand bunt does that puck bounce over his stick and get cleared?

Does the goal off MSL's leg deflect wide?

These are things that are not controlable...at all.

So while I am confident that if both teams put forth their best efforts the Rangers have a good shot at winning.

However, the truth of the matter is that the game is a toss up, the fact that one goal has seperated these two teams ALL SEASON makes me scared that game 7 can go either way.

 

[sark76]

I really think scoring first is the key, I mean it always is but more so against the penguins at home. They are a different bunch then our fans at msg although the outcome can be the same. I think Rangers fans just get disheartened quickly because we've had a lot of agonizing disappointments lately...I think a lot of the penguins fans are fans because they do have a very talented team and are used to winning. Seems to me that similar to msg...the crowd at Consol Engergy Center can be nullified even easier / faster. Before anyone gets too upset, yes I'll admit that I am generalizing and no one should take this personal. I know both teams have loyal rabid fans...sadly the seats aren't usually filled with those people anymore...especially a higher cost, more highly coveted playoff ticket. Go out set the tempo...frustrate the easily frustrated Penguins and they and their fans can crack.

And lets all remember win or lose this team really proved a lot and showed resiliency in tough conditions. Our best player was a skating around with scrambled brains for the first 4 games, we were missing one of our goal scoring leaders, Nash is in the slump of probably his entire hockey carer, they've played like 15 games in 20 nights, we're playing arguably one of the top 3 teams in the league, and hate to saying it but there is always that thing with the refs when you play the penguins. That's a lot of good things to take away from this series if we don't move on. You also gotta be happy with our less raw talented offensive and defensive players for REALLY stepping up their game and showing TONS of heart. Player like Carcillo, Boyle, Klien...without them we wouldn't have made it past the first round. Especially Carcillo, he really has no business being such as hero for this team in the stat columns. Just goes to show you how important heart is. I'll be ecstatic if they win, I'll be crushed it they lose...but this year is different somehow and I feel a lot better about the team than I have in past years.