Pens vs Rangers 12-5-17

[fractalsteel]

Hard to get excited about the game considering the Steelers game last night.
Just too tired from staying up late then getting up for jury selection this morning.
Anyway I hope to see the continued effort that was have seen from the birdies the past few weeks. The defense has been sound and they Pens are getting scoring from the superstars and secondary players. Shit, even Letang is playing much better lately.
A melt down by King Henrik would make it an enjoyable night.


Penguins projected lineup

Conor Sheary -- Sidney Crosby -- Patric Hornqvist

Jake Guentzel -- Evgeni Malkin -- Phil Kessel

Carl Hagelin -- Riley Sheahan -- Bryan Rust

Tom Kuhnhackl -- Carter Rowney -- Ryan Reaves

Brian Dumoulin -- Kris Letang

Olli Maatta -- Matt Hunwick

Ian Cole -- Justin Schultz

Tristan Jarry

Casey DeSmith

Scratched: Greg McKegg, Chad Ruhwedel

Injured: Matt Murray (lower body)

[Donnie Brasco]

Pens usually own Henrik...

[fractalsteel]

King is a scratch tonight.
Pavelec(?) with the start and his record is abysmal.


Another thing that has lingered but is now settled. Malkin asked Mario earlier in the year if he could take a leave from the team to represent his country in the Winter games. With the total ban of the Russian Olympic team you have to assume that Malkin won't be going to Korea.

[bradshaw2ben]

King is a scratch tonight.
Pavelec(?) with the start and his record is abysmal.


Another thing that has lingered but is now settled. Malkin asked Mario earlier in the year if he could take a leave from the team to represent his country in the Winter games. With the total ban of the Russian Olympic team you have to assume that Malkin won't be going to Korea.

Poor Geno-- this was the year he was finally going to be the man for his national team.

[Louis Lipps Service]

GOOOOAAAAALLLLL!!!

[Louis Lipps Service]

What’s the over/under on number of games before yinzers get the old Goalie Contraversy Machine fired up?

[fractalsteel]

Weird period. To open the first two lines were really crisp. I thought the second line would break through early. Then Sid had to go to the locker room for a skate issue and his absence forced Sullivan to make some shifts. I think he moved Kessel up to the top line and from that point the second line struggled to even get the puck out of their own end.
Sid missed 3-4 shifts and it killed the early mo for the birdies.
Jarry was the man for sure.

The bad news is that Schultz looks to be hurt, the kind where he misses time.

The Rangers are working two areas in the OZ-behind Jarry and the net and from the points. The Pens swarmed the middle of that but were not good in getting to bodies around the net. Reaves just alluded to such in the interview.

[swissvale72]

SportsNet in Canada carrying the game. Bonus for me...able to watch Steelers/Penguins in my PEI cottage on consecutive nights.

[fractalsteel]

SportsNet in Canada carrying the game. Bonus for me...able to watch Steelers/Penguins in my PEI cottage on consecutive nights.

Hardnosed used to say that there was nothing better than a Pens game right after a Steelers victory.
I'm still amped about last night.

Schultz is back-relief.

[Louis Lipps Service]

SportsNet in Canada carrying the game. Bonus for me...able to watch Steelers/Penguins in my PEI cottage on consecutive nights.

Hardnosed used to say that there was nothing better than a Pens game right after a Steelers victory.
I'm still amped about last night.

Schultz is back-relief.

I'm not emotionally ready for two serious injuries in 2 nights, so that's good.

[Louis Lipps Service]

And back to the dressing room for Schultz.

[swissvale72]

Some chances for Ryan Reaves tonight.

[Louis Lipps Service]

GOOOOAAAAAALLLL!

[swissvale72]

Kessell....what a fuckin shot that guy has!!

[fractalsteel]

Expect a makeup call after the weak penalty called when Rust was 'tripped'. That is how it goes now in professional sports.

[Louis Lipps Service]

GOOOOOAAAAAAALLLLLLL!


Kind of shocked Horny scored that one. Breakaways aren't normally his thing. Usually needs someone punching him in the back of the head to score.

[Obviously]

Letang should consider retirement.

[swissvale72]

Own goal to put Blueshirts ahead.

[Hacksaw Jim Duggan]

Microcosm of Letang's season. Hard to not get frustrated with how bad he's been this season. If that were any other defender, I'd probably shrug it off and just say "well, it happens" on that goal. He still owes the team for getting absolutely walked for a goal earlier in the game.

Jarry is doing his best Fleury impression this game. He's gotten spectacular saves on one end, and the other he forces the puck into his own net.

[swissvale72]

Microcosm of Letang's season. Hard to not get frustrated with how bad he's been this season. If that were any other defender, I'd probably shrug it off and just say "well, it happens" on that goal. He still owes the team for getting absolutely walked for a goal earlier in the game.

Jarry is doing his best Fleury impression this game. He's gotten spectacular saves on one end, and the other he forces the puck into his own net.

Yeah, he's sprung some leaks....looked like he was trying to avoid the puck on the last goal.

[Obviously]

And Letang just misfired on a one-timer.

[Obviously]

Well shit.

[Hacksaw Jim Duggan]

Frustrating game that probably should have been a 7-2 type victory. Leaky goals, leaky defense, and a lot of posts.

Crosby looked like dog shit. Letang is dog shit. Shit effort all around (except Hornqvist).

[Orangesteel]

Weird game. Pens looked awesome for a lot of it then some poor defensive play in our end.

The shift around the 9 minute mark in the 3rd period was fantastic. Hunwick busted his ass at the blue line and kept it in the zone 3 times and we still couldn’t put one in.

Hunwick is really starting to impress me. I agree that it was a very mediocre game by Crosby standards.