Stanley Cup Playoffs 2014 - 2015 Discussions, Predictions & Game Chat II

[Bleedred]

Schneider is legit the second most talented goaltender Hitchcock would have ever coached.

The guy won a Jennings Trophy with two clowns from Philly that washed out of the league within a couple seasons, and with Halak and Elliott (LOL) in St Louis.

If he can get us back to only allowing 25 shots per game, we might be a playoff team if we had at least the 20th (approximately) best offense in the league.

 

[ForeverJerseyGirl]

While I'm really not a fan of Hitch, I think we should worry about getting to the hump before we worry about getting over it.

And Hitchcock has won a Cup as a coach even if it was back in 1999.

 

[Bleedred]

And Hitchcock has won a Cup as a coach even if it was back in 1999.

And with the only REALLY GOOD goaltender he's EVER had.

Kinda hard to get back there with Cechmenmaniac, Bob Resche, Antipasto Teriyaki, Brian Elliott (his fault for playing him over Halak that one year though), and rookies like Jake Allen and Steve Mason. And Ryan Miller, who totally fell off the face of the earth the day he arrived in St Louis.

Hitchcock might even be able to get a good year out of Wedgewood.

 

[Bleedred]

LOL Pens management supposedly saying this performance was all about injuries.

Injuries are why Crosby had points in only 2 of the 5 games?

Injuries are why Malkin didn't register a SINGLE point in the series?

Injuries are why Paul Martin and Ben Lovejoy looked like pieces of my favorite brand of toilet paper in the crease?

 

[ForeverJerseyGirl]

LOL Pens management supposedly saying this performance was all about injuries.

Injuries are why Crosby had points in only 2 of the 5 games?

Injuries are why Malkin didn't register a SINGLE point in the series?

Injuries are why Paul Martin and Ben Lovejoy looked like pieces of my favorite brand of toilet paper in the crease?

Penguins can't admit that Crosby and Malkin continue to fail them. Two "generational" talents on one team who will probably retire with one Cup and lots of regular season trophies. They should be ashamed of themselves, but instead Crosby likes to blame his teammates for his own playoff ghost appearance.

 

[Bleedred]

Penguins can't admit that Crosby and Malkin continue to fail them. Two "generational" talents on one team who will probably retire with one Cup and lots of regular season trophies. They should be ashamed of themselves, but instead Crosby likes to blame his teammates for his own playoff ghost appearance.

A lot of people say they lack depth on forward behind Crosby and Malkin, but those two were a joke this series. Crosby was also abysmal and invisible for most of last year's Rangers series too.

MAF was their best player this time and Disco Dan and Shero are gone.

Just a really horrible performance from Malkin and Crosby.

The Malkin Dead.

 

[Davegarri]

Some people like to yell at me and call me stupid when I say this, but Malkin has to go off that team. He only really performs when he's the number 1 guy (when Crosby is hurt). They have no depth behind them and no defense to help Fleury.

Shipping out Malkin can bring in a real nice return and arguably make them a more well-rounded team.

Edit: I also question Crosby's captaincy abilities. He doesn't seem like he's the best candidate for the C. Just because he's the best player doesn't necessarily make him the best choice for the C. Something about him just doesn't seem like a good leader. No one on that team does.

 

[Camille the Eel]

Crosby really isn't the same player he was when he first came into the league. Time was he was the best forward in the NHL and almost anyone would have agreed; five years ago when he won the gold medal for team Canada in OT (at Vancouver, or Turin?) he was still at that level. Very few observers would agree to that now; they'd put him in a top group but not over the top. His skating has deteriorated and also the legacy of concussions may have something to do with it.

Malkin was hurt I think. With about two weeks left in the season Chris Kelly stepped into him just over the blue line in a Boston game and he took a knee injury.

But overall the off season moves didn't work out for the Pens and left them a much weaker club. Dan Bylsma doesn't look so bad now, the worst thing about his clubs was indiscipline. Neal, Niskinnen, Orpik and others were missed. The GM takes a lot of blame for this year, when seriously they should have missed the playoffs. When they had injuries they didn't appear to have much on the farm either. Letang had serious health issues this year and is also aging, who expects him to return to youthful form? He too is on the downward arc. If they are honest with themselves, it's a team that needs to start rebuilding.

Pitt not only has little forward depth behind Crosby and Malkin but their defense is also seriously unsteady. That was a big difference in this series. The Rangers D cleared everyone away from Henrik. Not so with Pitt. You saw that on both overtime winners in the last two games.

 

[ForeverJerseyGirl]

Some people like to yell at me and call me stupid when I say this, but Malkin has to go off that team. He only really performs when he's the number 1 guy (when Crosby is hurt). They have no depth behind them and no defense to help Fleury.

Shipping out Malkin can bring in a real nice return and arguably make them a more well-rounded team.

Edit: I also question Crosby's captaincy abilities. He doesn't seem like he's the best candidate for the C. Just because he's the best player doesn't necessarily make him the best choice for the C. Something about him just doesn't seem like a good leader. No one on that team does.

I don't think you're crazy about the Penguins improving if they could ship out Malkin. Malkin and Crosby obviously hasn't worked, and even in the playoffs, those two don't even reliably produce offensively, which is the minimum you'd need for spending that much cap space on those two. Malkin would bring a nice return, and they could diversify their assets, strengthening their defense. Malkin sells a lot of jerseys and tickets and nobody wants to trade a "generational" player, so Malkin probably will never be traded (especially since he probably has some form of no trade clause), but if he was I think the Penguins might do better. But who even really knows because the Penguins are such consistent disappointments that it's hard to really believe that they'll ever improve in the playoffs.

I don't have that high an opinion of Crosby's leadership skills either. Crosby shows very little leadership in important games. For instance, tonight, he should have been the best player for the Penguins since he has the most natural talent, and yet he was invisible for the most part. Then last season he was laughing as the Rangers won Game 7 after another humiliating playoff collapse for the Penguins. Also him yelling at Dan Bylsma on the bench that series was totally out of line and childish. When a team crumbles over and over, the captain has to take a lion's share of the blame, especially if the captain is supposed to be the best player on the team.

 

[Bleedred]

I don't think you're crazy about the Penguins improving if they could ship out Malkin. Malkin and Crosby obviously hasn't worked, and even in the playoffs, those two don't even reliably produce offensively, which is the minimum you'd need for spending that much cap space on those two. Malkin would bring a nice return, and they could diversify their assets, strengthening their defense. Malkin sells a lot of jerseys and tickets and nobody wants to trade a "generational" player, so Malkin probably will never be traded (especially since he probably has some form of no trade clause), but if he was I think the Penguins might do better. But who even really knows because the Penguins are such consistent disappointments that it's hard to really believe that they'll ever improve in the playoffs.

I don't have that high an opinion of Crosby's leadership skills either. Crosby shows very little leadership in important games. For instance, tonight, he should have been the best player for the Penguins since he has the most natural talent, and yet he was invisible for the most part. Then last season he was laughing as the Rangers won Game 7 after another humiliating playoff collapse for the Penguins. Also him yelling at Dan Bylsma on the bench that series was totally out of line and childish. When a team crumbles over and over, the captain has to take a lion's share of the blame, especially if the captain is supposed to be the best player on the team.

I think their core needs to be blown up (2002 Devils offseason style), just semi blown up like Lou did late in the 01-02 season and into the 02 offseason.

I know it won't be, but I don't see them winning another cup with this core.

They ain't winning anything with ''The best damn GM that ever sucked'' running things either. Though I really don't expect him to be there long.

They did lose some of the core already with Bylsma and Staal outta there the last couple years. They also got rid of Neal, though he wasn't a part of that cup team.

Get rid of Martin too. I'm not quite suggesting that the Devils early exit playoffs (which he was a part of nothing but during his time as a Devil) curse followed him to Pittsburgh, it is funny that the Devils actually made it further in the playoffs after he left than he did with the Penguins. And yes I realize that we've missed 4 of the 5 years since T. P. Martin left, it's just funny that he didn't do a whole lot of winning himself.

He was also HEAVILY discussed as a buyout candidate after it was announced that there would be two amnesty buyouts per team in the new CBA. I was actually called ridiculous for suggesting that he would be bought out. Then he had that good season after the lockout and the buyout talk was all swept under the rug and forgotten about. Did the Pens even use a buyout anyway? I don't seem to remember them using both. Did they even use one of them?

 

[Maine Fan]

I am not surprised the Rags won the series but I am surprised that every game was won by one goal and that four out of five games were 2 vs 1 games.

 

[Better Call Sal]

Every damn year, I think to myself "The Blues have too much talent, they have to put it all together at some point." And I pick them to make the Finals.

Every damn year, I look like a fool.

Prove me wrong, and win these next two games you underachievers!

 

[DenisSamson3]

Schneider is legit the second most talented goaltender Hitchcock would have ever coached.

The guy won a Jennings Trophy with two clowns from Philly that washed out of the league within a couple seasons, and with Halak and Elliott (LOL) in St Louis.

If he can get us back to only allowing 25 shots per game, we might be a playoff team if we had at least the 20th (approximately) best offense in the league.

Who is first. Belfour?

 

[DenisSamson3]

Also Malkin with no points in the playoffs. I could probably believe no goals in 5 games, but no points? Rangers did a good job shutting Pittsburgh down. Malkin did have a few decent chances.

 

[TheUnseenHand]

Also Malkin with no points in the playoffs. I could probably believe no goals in 5 games, but no points? Rangers did a good job shutting Pittsburgh down. Malkin did have a few decent chances.

See I would give credit where it was due if it was due, but the rags didn't really shut Malkin down. Malkin just didn't try. He was either pretty injured or played the most pathetic playoff series ever. The rags didn't have to shut him down. He shut himself down.

St. Louis is going to murder my bracket...

 

[ForeverJerseyGirl]

I am not surprised the Rags won the series but I am surprised that every game was won by one goal and that four out of five games were 2 vs 1 games.

Yeah, that was all Fleury. I'm shocked he turned in a good playoff performance. Pity the rest of his team didn't know it was playoff time or else wanted to golf instead.

Also, it was the Rangers looking kind of anemic. I hope they take that lack of energy into all future rounds they compete in.

 

[StvBroDan]

April 25th

Washington at NY Islanders, 3:00 PM
Detroit at Tampa Bay, 6:00 PM
Nashville at Chicago, 8:00 PM
Vancouver at Calgary, 9:00 PM

 

[ForeverJerseyGirl]

April 25th

Washington at NY Islanders, 3:00 PM
Detroit at Tampa Bay, 6:00 PM
Nashville at Chicago, 8:00 PM
Vancouver at Calgary, 9:00 PM

Go Washington!
Go Tampa!
Go Chicago!
And go Vancouver because I was stupid enough to predict you winning a series!

 

[glenwo2]

Go Washington!
Go Tampa!
Go Chicago!
And go Vancouver because I was stupid enough to predict you winning a series!

And also :


Go JerseyGirl!

 

[StnTwnDevil]

LOL Pens management supposedly saying this performance was all about injuries.

Injuries are why Crosby had points in only 2 of the 5 games?

Injuries are why Malkin didn't register a SINGLE point in the series?

Injuries are why Paul Martin and Ben Lovejoy looked like pieces of my favorite brand of toilet paper in the crease?

In all seriousness, Penguins played very well. I really don't see what you are talking about. Rangers scored only 9 goals in 5 games and the Pens took away their speed the entire series. They gave themselves a good chance to beat one of the best teams in the East. It's hard to not see how injured the Pens were as well. 3/4 of their D were injured.

 

[StnTwnDevil]

Go Washington!
Go Tampa!
Go Chicago!
And go Vancouver because I was stupid enough to predict you winning a series!

I'm in the same boat as you. Except I picked the Wings to win in 7. I think that could go either way.

 

[ForeverJerseyGirl]

And also :


Go JerseyGirl!

Thanks! My bracket and I need our own cheering squad.

 

[ForeverJerseyGirl]

I'm in the same boat as you. Except I picked the Wings to win in 7. I think that could go either way.

Wings and Tampa could definitely go either way. It's been a back and forth kind of series with each game looking very different.

 

[Bleedred]

Who is first. Belfour?

Yup.

That's the only legit one he's ever had as a starter.

 

[Devils Dominion]

I'm 2 for 2 so far.

Look for NYi to force a 7th game while the Rags rest up.