I hope to God this is the last time I see Ben Lovejoy in a Penguins uniform. At least Martin and Letang had more than 12 minutes of ice time to spread their awfulness over.
Bryz made the key saves. He kept us from getting a 3-0 lead. Stopped the game tying goal. And really gave the Flyers the confidence to jump up on the play.
On the other hand Fleury rarely saw the puck during the 1st, and managed to look terrible on every shot.
Its time for a Big Johnson. Time to give Flower a seat. So tired of this guy blowing it in the playoffs for us. No other team puts up with this crap.
I don't want to be that guy, the I Told You So guy, but...
Do you remember after the second Islanders loss, when the defense had just completely forgot how to play the game... this is after the 8-4 Ottawa game, and both Islanders losses...
I said that was the beginning of the end for Dan Bylsma in Pittsburgh. Because a week passed and he didn't make a single change, the defense got worse every game and he still sent them out there playing shinny hockey rather than defense-first, championship winning hockey. Who's in charge of that dressing room? Why do they only play one end of the ice?
Do you remember the 09 Final? Babcock tried to force the Zetterberg-Crosby matchup every single time he could, and Bylsma countered him. Bylsma has last change at home, and he kept putting Malkin out against Couturier, even when it was obvious who was winning that battle. That's not trust, or respect, that's either suicidal overconfidence or complete ignorance. That's Michel Therrien level ignorance of how the game is coached. Peter Laviolette is completely outcoaching Bylsma, and it makes me sick to my stomach.
I don't even hate most of the defense. Orpik, Michalek, Martin... they're all capable of playing good D, we saw it last year. But Bylsma doesn't want to. This has to be blamed on him. You can blame Lovejoy for not being good, but Lovejoy can only play as he's taught. And Bylsma has taught everyone to be weak in their own zone, and flatfooted in the offensive zone.
We've given up five breakaways. The Flyers haven't given up a single breakaway.
I could go on forever, but I think I'd rather write this team off. It's easier emotionally.
I wouldn't even know where to begin on the - parts of this game. Almost everyone sucked balls. Geno getting shown up badly by a gap-tooth rookie, atocious defense by forwards and dmen alike, Fleury leaking goals yet again in the playoffs, DB being inept at the coaching part of his job...
I don't understand how, or why, a team can stop working after 20 minutes of hockey. Unacceptable.
I don't think they stopped working. Both teams were going pedal to the metal for the whole game. The difference was that the Flyers were doing it effectively and the Penguins were just running around.
They better change their game quick. They think they can play run an gun with Philly and it's not working. They better start playing defense. 13 goals in a playoff game, LOL.
It's not the fact that they lost, it's the way they lost. Philly dominated in every department and Pittsburgh's defense is scared of them. It's over once that happens...just accept it.
Those 2-0 and 3-1 deficits against the Caps back in the day...it was different because they lost frustrating games. I had hope that they would come back because they were never dominated the way Philly is dominating us.
Malkin's totally nullified by a rookie, our defense looks like the Washington Generals - never mind the Capitals, Fleury is now incapable of making the game changing saves that Bryzgalov is, and Staal can't clear a puck or play defense to save his life.
points for the Generals reference. we aren't even the Harlem Globetrotters of hockey.
Being inundated with texts from Flyers fans saying that they'd be embarrassed to have a *****, heartless captain like Sid. Ah, please come back and win this series.
- "Are we going to be happy to play 8 minutes? I'm not going to be happy to play 8 minutes."
- "That defensive squad, I think their goal is to be the worst defensive squad in the league, and they are doing such a great job to be the worst defensive squad in the league. They turn the puck over, they have no vision, they soff. I've never seen a bunch of defenseman soff like this."
I think we all know who's call it is to play sloppy offensive hockey. This isn't DB hockey at all.
I'm not sure what to say. I've never seen a team just stop playing like the Penguins. I really think they can come back and win four in a row but at this point all i know is I hate their brand of hockey... even if they would have won tonight.
I don't mind losing to a quality team like the Flyers but the Pens are just spoon feeding them wins. What the heck is that all about?
I hope to God this is the last time I see Ben Lovejoy in a Penguins uniform. At least Martin and Letang had more than 12 minutes of ice time to spread their awfulness over.
But Steigerwald said that "all you need is Lovejoy."
Your D killed you this game. Hard to believe they could fall off so far.
Crosby has tried and tried and tried to carry this team on his back, but the D and MARC ANDRE SOFTIE ruins everything. I believe in him, i really do.I mean he is aStanley Cup caliber goalie.Bryz is worse than him and is still capable of keeping his team under 6 goals allowed. But the Flyers just wrecked Marc Andere`s confidence tonight. Give Brent Johnson a chance. Its not too much to ask...
Fleury is the most mediocre "elite" goalie of all time.
No, he had no defense to speak of but when was the last time he truly bailed us out in a big moment? Nearly setting the franchise record in wins is pretty deceptive when we're scoring 4+ goals per night.
I don't want to be that guy, the I Told You So guy, but...
Do you remember after the second Islanders loss, when the defense had just completely forgot how to play the game... this is after the 8-4 Ottawa game, and both Islanders losses...
I said that was the beginning of the end for Dan Bylsma in Pittsburgh. Because a week passed and he didn't make a single change, the defense got worse every game and he still sent them out there playing shinny hockey rather than defense-first, championship winning hockey. Who's in charge of that dressing room? Why do they only play one end of the ice?
Do you remember the 09 Final? Babcock tried to force the Zetterberg-Crosby matchup every single time he could, and Bylsma countered him. Bylsma has last change at home, and he kept putting Malkin out against Couturier, even when it was obvious who was winning that battle. That's not trust, or respect, that's either suicidal overconfidence or complete ignorance. That's Michel Therrien level ignorance of how the game is coached. Peter Laviolette is completely outcoaching Bylsma, and it makes me sick to my stomach.
I don't even hate most of the defense. Orpik, Michalek, Martin... they're all capable of playing good D, we saw it last year. But Bylsma doesn't want to. This has to be blamed on him. You can blame Lovejoy for not being good, but Lovejoy can only play as he's taught. And Bylsma has taught everyone to be weak in their own zone, and flatfooted in the offensive zone.
We've given up five breakaways. The Flyers haven't given up a single breakaway.
I could go on forever, but I think I'd rather write this team off. It's easier emotionally.
Bylsma didn't teach him to pass the pack to a Flyer in your own zone, DB still sucks though...
Lovejoy has proven in recent weeks and especially of late he has no business being on this roster. He's just not up to snuff, period. Had his shot. Time to move on from that option. In general regardless of outcome I believe the following guys are history after this playoff:
Lovejoy
Martin
Sullivan
Asham
and Bylsma if we lose this series.
and Michalek by next deadline if he doesn't man up. He's not playing to his level, that includes shot blocking.
"Here, we are leading 5-4, let me throw the puck into a Flyer and let him skate between me and my D partner and score"
"Oh, I'm supposed to be on Jagr? Well here let me go to the boards with him, let him own me in the puck battle, then instead of having the stick on the puck like I was taught in pee wee league, let me give Jagr all the space he needs"
Seriously, if he plays another game, Dan Bylsma needs fired.
And how about that big mighty PK of the Penguins? 2 Short handed goals against, yeah this team's going places.
Surprising, I liked Paul Martin's game tonight for the most part. But this team needs a giant overhaul. I mean, this team was picked to win the Stanley Cup, and they have all the talent they need, but if they get swept in the 1st round (which I think there's a chance) then players and coaches need to go.
Being inundated with texts from Flyers fans saying that they'd be embarrassed to have a *****, heartless captain like Sid. Ah, please come back and win this series.
Anybody who watched this game and concluded that Sid was the Pens problem must be an incurable idiot.
