Round Three: Canes vs Pens

[pensodyssey]

You're a flyers fan!

If I quit watching as soon as the Flyers were eliminated each season, the last Cup presentation I'd have seen would have been in '75 at Buffalo.

'We' as Canucks. Not sure if you know this, but it's sort of religion up there.

No such thing as 'religion' in that damn commie atheist gypsy country.

[otismalibu]

No such thing as 'religion' in that damn commie atheist gypsy country.

Religion is free up there. Just have to get on the 2 year waiting list.

[PghSteel-43]

I'm sure after Monday night, this story will be irrelevant...

Starkey: Hard to hate the 'Canes<http://www.pittsburghlive.com/x/pittsburghtrib/sports/s_625509.html

[PghSteel-43]

Gonchar practices, optimistic about playing Monday
Sunday, May 17, 2009
By Dave Molinari, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

Penguins defenseman Sergei Gonchar says he is optimistic about being able to play in Game 1 of the Eastern Conference final against Carolina Monday night at Mellon Arena.

Gonchar, who had been off skates for the previous three days, participated in the team's practice at Southpointe today, then expressed confidence that he'll be in uniform against the Hurricanes..

"It looks promising," he said. "I don't want to say anything (conclusive) right now, but there's a good chance."

Gonchar missed Games 5 and 6 of the Penguins' second-round series against Washington after a knee-on-knee hit from Capitals left winger Alex Ovechkin during Game 4. He returned for the Penguins' 6-2 victory in Game 7, but played little more than 15 minutes, barely half his usual workload.

Also, the Penguins recalled forwards Dustin Jeffrey, Chris Minard and Jeff Taffe, defenseman Ben Lovejoy and goaltender John Curry from their farm team in Wilkes-Barre, which has finished its season.

Dave Molinari can be reached at dmolinari@post-gazette.com.

First published on May 17, 2009 at 1:18 pm

http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/09137/970858-100.stm

[pensodyssey]

Despite what the versus announcers said, I thought Gonch looked a step slow and a little less assured out there tonight.  I think he's playing in a tonne (canadian spelling so otis can understand) of pain.

Hope the conspiracy theorists were watching tonight.  Obvious slash on Fleury leading to their second, and (to my eyes) an obvious hook/hold or whetever TF they're supposed to call when a guy gets his stick into the ribs on Malkin's breakaway.  Maybe not in the playoffs, but still.

Satan and Boucher are the kind of guys we need to score if we're going to win this thing.

Malkin's Mom got a little wiggle to her waving that towel, but you can't look at her face, because then you deal wth the unhappy prospect of realizing what #71 would look like if he was a girl.

[PghSteel-43]

If we plan on winning this series, Fleury is going to have to show up like that every night.  If it weren't for him, that game could have easily gone the other way and it would have been over after one period considering the amount of unbelievable saves he had to make in the first period alone.

At the opposite end, Ward is going to make this a tough one, but there were times when Carolina's play in the defensive zone looked completely flat.  We were beating them to pucks and getting prime scoring opportunities.  There is no doubt that Carolina is going to make this a series, but their defense is no match for our offense.  Break Ward and you break Carolina.

[Captain Chaos]

Great game by the Flower. He was the #1 star of the game. The Pens D were making some bad decisions trying to move the puck out to their own end and Fluery saved their asses on numerous occasions. I think Cooke got lucky on the knee-on-knee to Cole. Probably deserved at least an interference call. They didn't have a good replay of it, but it looked like Cooke saw Cole coming across the slot but Cole was looking the other way.

Matt Cooke puts knee on knee hit on Erik Cole

[Merman1983]

I don't think either team had a great defensive game. Fluery was the difference as his first period was one of the best I've seen a goalie play given the number of disgusting saves he was forced to make, and he didn't disappoint in the 2nd or 3rd either. Ward made a number of fantastic save as well, including the one on Guerin that would have made it 3-1 in the second period. This is the type of game that we are in store for in this series, so Fluery better be ready.

I agree Gonchar is only about 75%, but I would still dress him as a power play specialist and a 75 % Gonchar-defenseman instead of dressing another forward. He's just more valuable to this team than the Dupuis' and Godards of the world simply playing the point on the power play with a defensive shift when he can.

Brooks Orpik. Thanks for making Cole your bitch for the first 2 and half periods, but stay the fuck out of the box with 1:30 left in the third. As soon as Carolina went on the attack 6 on 4, I knew they were going to score at least one.

Definitely not a perfect performance, but a win is a win and it's just nice to be up in a series for once.

[PghSteel-43]

I felt the slew-foot on Ruutu was worse than the Cooke 'knee-to-knee' hit on Cole and definately deserved a penalty. 

Maybe I'm wearing the black and gold glasses on this one and while it would be nice to have a different angle of the hit, it appears to me that Cooke is going for the hip-check more than intentionally sticking out the knee (see Ovechkin cheap shot on Gonchar).  Cooke turns his hips at the last second.  It's not like he has his legs apart.

[PghSteel-43]

Definitely not a perfect performance, but a win is a win and it's just nice to be up in a series for once.

I agree.  Definately not one of our better games, but you can't win them all by a score of 6-2.