Dave Molinari @MolinariPG
No sign of Niskanen at CEC. Maybe he skated very early. Maybe he's taking day off. Maybe he'll be in game-day skate. Should know in an hour.
This game stinks; all of the pressure is on the Penguins, they need to win to preserve home ice. If the Flyers win it will take a monumental collapse for them to blow winning the series (see Penguins in 2000, up 2-0 on the Flyers and blow the series).
So, I was listening to Penguins Radio in the background at work today and I over heard them saying that
Sully and Letang will be on the point and Kunitz as the net front presents, who of Crosby, Malkin, and Neal sit?
I will personally rule out Malkin
so who sits? Crosby or Neal?
has anyone heard anything about this?
They are thinking about running 2 different PP units and giving each one 1 minute or so of time instead of having a stacked PP and using them for the full 2 min.
What is the mood of everyone about the game tonight?
For some reason I feel a little bit prepared for notgoodness. Not excited like I usually am.
But part of me also feels that they will use the loss as an intensity to win.
I'm feeling very pessimistic at this point in time. If we had more success against the Flyers during the regular season, and we didn't lose game 1 the same way we seem to lose just about every game against the Flyers, I'd feel more confident.
They are thinking about running 2 different PP units and giving each one 1 minute or so of time instead of having a stacked PP and using them for the full 2 min.
so they're only going to keep Malkin out there for only half the powerplay? that seems foolish to me.
maybe Malkin stays out for the full powerplay and the other 4 change?
I say sit Crosby over Neal considering Malkin and Neal's chemistry, and the fact that the powerplay was clicking when Crosby was out of the line up.
so they're only going to keep Malkin out there for only half the powerplay? that seems foolish to me.
maybe Malkin stays out for the full powerplay and the other 4 change?
I say sit Crosby over Neal considering Malkin and Neal's chemistry, and the fact that the powerplay was clicking when Crosby was out of the line up.
Only the Penguins could mess up a good thing. Without Crosby the Penguins powerplay is 5th best in the NHL.
We have Staal, Cooke, Kennedy, Dupuis. Add Crosby. Let Malkin double shift and play a point position.
There, you have two powerplay units. Crosby+Malkin together does not work and will never work. There is only one puck. Both guys play the same position. This isn't Mario on the left boards and Jagr on the right (btw, Mario and Jagr hardly played on the same powerplay unit until roughly 1997) it is two guys who both prefer and play the same spot.
Do what the Penguins of the early 90's did and have the powerplay come at you in waves. Right now, the last 45 seconds of a penguin powerplay is as dangerous as a Garter snake
I'm for taking Sid off of the 1st powerplay. The PP was clicking right before he came back. It has gone south since then. I have always thought Sid brings the PP down. He's best on the PP near the net. No one is better at deflections and cleaning up garbage. However, if they are not going to play him down low, for fear of his injury, then he needs to go to the half-boards on the 2nd PP. Double-shift Letang if you have to.
Taking Crosby off the top unit is an asinine notion.
Francis and Jagr were both lefties and they had a dominant PP when Lemieux was out and after he retired. Francis would play the point and down below the goal line.
