Game Thread: The Rivalry

[DoobeeDoobeeDoo]

Philadelphia Flyers
Overall record: 6-10-1 (13 points, 38.2 pct)
Road record: 3-3-1 (7 points,
Last 10: 5-4-1 (11 points,
Streak: +2
GFA: 1.82
GAA: 2.59
PP%: 11.9%
PK%: 85.5%
Projected lineup:
L1: Scott Hartnell - Claude Giroux - Jakub Voracek
L2: Brayden Schenn - Vincent Lacavalier - Wayne Simmonds
L3: Matt Read - Sean Couturier - Steve Downie
L4: Zac Rinaldo - Adam Hall - Jay Rosehill
D1: Kimmo Timonen - Braydon Coburn
D2: Nicklas Grossmann - Mark Streit
D3: Luke Schenn - Erik Gustafsson
G: Ray Emery

Pittsburgh Penguins
Overall record: 11-6-0 (22 points, 64.7 pct)
Home record: 7-2-0 (14 points,
Last 10: 5-5-0 (10 points,
Streak: -2
GFA: 2.88
GAA: 2.35
PP%: 21.7%
PK%: 83.7%
Projected lineup:
L1: Chris Kunitz - Sidney Crosby - Pascal Dupuis
L2 Jussi Jokinen - Evgeni Malkin - James Neal
L3: Beau Bennett - Brandon Sutter - Matt D'Agostini
L4: Jayson Megna - Joe Vitale - Craig Adams
D1: Olli Maatta - Kris Letang
D2: Brooks Orpik - Deryk Engelland
D3: Matt Niskanen - Robert Bortuzzo
G: Marc-Andre Fleury

Series notes
All-time: Flyers lead series 142-85-8 plus 30 ties
Last season: Pens won series 3-1
Last meeting: 10/17/13 @ Philadelphia, Pens won 4-1

Doob's take
Pens have the better overall record, Flyers are the hotter team, but none of that really matters in this rivalry. I expect a closely contested game regardless of the situation. Nothing left to say about this rivalry which hasn't been said already. Doob picks the Pens to win 3-2.

 

[I_Shall_Return]

I have been looking forward to this rivalry match up for a while! Both teams have a lot of talent. Fun, fun, fun! Watch our boy Vinny, he's definitely been a beast on the ice & is on a streak! I can't believe he missed some time & still has 1/2 the goals that Stamkos has. That says a lot about his new life as a Flyer!

 

[DoobeeDoobeeDoo]

I have been looking forward to this rivalry match up for a while! Both teams have a lot of talent. Fun, fun, fun! Watch our boy Vinny, he's definitely been a beast on the ice & is on a streak! I can't believe he missed some time & still has 1/2 the goals that Stamkos has. That says a lot about his new life as a Flyer!

Yeah, Vinny has been really good for the Flyers, I thought it was a good signing for the Flyers. Only problem with Vinny in Tampa was that he was making too much money.

 

[I_Shall_Return]

He wasn't scoring like he's doing for the Flyers. He looked to pass the puck more with the Bolts. Now, he seems like he's going to the net a lot more. I love to see him shooting the puck! I predict a very hard fought close game tonight! Gonna be fun!

 

[DoobeeDoobeeDoo]

He wasn't scoring like he's doing for the Flyers. He looked to pass the puck more with the Bolts. Now, he seems like he's going to the net a lot more. I love to see him shooting the puck! I predict a very hard fought close game tonight! Gonna be fun!

True, seems rejuvenated with the change.

 

[I_Shall_Return]

Wow! 12-4 shots on goal already, Pens advantage!

 

[Todd1a]

it's a shame vinny was over paid by dumb owners in tampa vinik and yzerman and no choice but to buy him out. good to see he is having a good season so far!

 

[Vadered]

Was a great game. I think the teams were pretty even - the Flyers played better for most of the game, but the Pens had some chances they REALLY should have had. I could have seen your 3-2 prediction, Doob. Glad it turned out on our side (seriously, we need the points), but was a good game.

 

[DoobeeDoobeeDoo]

We need someone to get in front of the net. So sick out outshooting people all game and not scoring goals. Goalies see everything we shoot at them. Markstrom, Giguere, Reimer, Halak, Lundqvist, & now Emery. We outshoot, outplay everyone and every goalie steals games from us. Why? Because they see every shot all the way thru.

 

[element1286]

We need someone to get in front of the net. So sick out outshooting people all game and not scoring goals. Goalies see everything we shoot at them. Markstrom, Giguere, Reimer, Halak, Lundqvist, & now Emery. We outshoot, outplay everyone and every goalie steals games from us. Why? Because they see every shot all the way thru.

The breakout is a disaster, last night the Flyer's used the Penguins 'stretch pass or die' breakout against them. They pressured the d-men and forced the spacing between the defense and the forwards to become to great. The two likely results of bad spacing, 1) d-men turning the puck over in the neutral zone because they can't complete the long pass 2) no forecheck because if they do complete the long pass it is not in rhythm, thus throwing the forwards forecheck timing off, the puck then goes behind the net, and is an easy out for the defensive team.

This happened the entire night, no change was made until the the middle of the third period, and even then it was only sporadic. The Penguins need to learn to do a controlled breakout, good teams can play multiple styles and be successful, the Pens cannot do that right now. It's either 'get to our game' and win or lose.

That being said, the Flyer's are truly an awful team, the Pens played like garbage outside the first 10 minutes, and still should have won 4-2.

 

[DoobeeDoobeeDoo]

The breakout is a disaster, last night the Flyer's used the Penguins 'stretch pass or die' breakout against them. They pressured the d-men and forced the spacing between the defense and the forwards to become to great. The two likely results of bad spacing, 1) d-men turning the puck over in the neutral zone because they can't complete the long pass 2) no forecheck because if they do complete the long pass it is not in rhythm, thus throwing the forwards forecheck timing off, the puck then goes behind the net, and is an easy out for the defensive team.

This happened the entire night, no change was made until the the middle of the third period, and even then it was only sporadic. The Penguins need to learn to do a controlled breakout, good teams can play multiple styles and be successful, the Pens cannot do that right now. It's either 'get to our game' and win or lose.

That being said, the Flyer's are truly an awful team, the Pens played like garbage outside the first 10 minutes, and still should have won 4-2.

If it were just the Flyer game I would be fine with outplaying them and losing. At the same time, look at all these recent losses where we outshoot everyone and then give up the 1st goal and then go on to lose the game. It's not just bad luck, it's the fact that opposing goalies see all the shots we take all the way thru. We got no one stand in front of the net. Kunitz used to be that guy but not anymore. I don't think we got anyone on the team who does that. All we do is pass & shoot. No screens, no deflections, no rebounds, can't survive on just pretty goals, we gotta be able to play the ugly game once in a while.

 

[element1286]

If it were just the Flyer game I would be fine with outplaying them and losing. At the same time, look at all these recent losses where we outshoot everyone and then give up the 1st goal and then go on to lose the game. It's not just bad luck, it's the fact that opposing goalies see all the shots we take all the way thru. We got no one stand in front of the net. Kunitz used to be that guy but not anymore. I don't think we got anyone on the team who does that. All we do is pass & shoot. No screens, no deflections, no rebounds, can't survive on just pretty goals, we gotta be able to play the ugly game once in a while.

This is just a symptom of the problem. The Pens offense is now 'rush-based,' they don't generate a forecheck, and don't possess the puck, they rely on breaking through in the neutral zone, and gaining the line with speed. When you don't posses the puck, getting to the front of the net is not possible. They can't simultaneously have an offense based on the rush attack and have someone in front of the net, it's not possible.

 

[DoobeeDoobeeDoo]

This is just a symptom of the problem. The Pens offense is now 'rush-based,' they don't generate a forecheck, and don't possess the puck, they rely on breaking through in the neutral zone, and gaining the line with speed. When you don't posses the puck, getting to the front of the net is not possible. They can't simultaneously have an offense based on the rush attack and have someone in front of the net, it's not possible.

True, but there are times when we control the puck in the other team's zone and we don't have anyone in front of the net in those situations either.

 

[element1286]

True, but there are times when we control the puck in the other team's zone and we don't have anyone in front of the net in those situations either.

That's fair

 

[DoobeeDoobeeDoo]

I just don't get what's so hard about going in front of the net. Only guy who does it is Glass. Other than that everyone is way out in the perimeter. Pens could pay me the league minimum and I'll go in front of the net for them. Sniping without screening isn't a good way to score on NHL goalies in the Doobster's opinion.

 

[DoobeeDoobeeDoo]

Maybe it's time we think about rebuilding. Keep Sid, Geno, trade Tang, keep MAF (I like MAF). Tank next season to get Connor McDavid, and we'll be back on top in no time. The Doobster is all about tanking in 2014-15.

 

[DoobeeDoobeeDoo]

I think Connor McDavid would look rather good in a Pens jersey...

 

[scoutyjones2]

Time for Abylsma to go...he has a rack full of talent and they can't even clear their zone, get sustained pressure or run a power play. And again, why the fuck is Bortuzzo on the ice? Malkintent is garbage, Letang needs to be made a forward....Neal is shit. The only line barely worth a dam is Crosby's...and that isn't all that impressive.


I spit up thinking that this is supposed to be a better defensive team this year...they suck. I haven't seen a team be so inept at passing and moving up and out of their zone than the Pens...it's horrid and really pisses me off!

 

[thedddd]

Time for Abylsma to go...he has a rack full of talent and they can't even clear their zone, get sustained pressure or run a power play. And again, why the fuck is Bortuzzo on the ice? Malkintent is garbage, Letang needs to be made a forward....Neal is shit. The only line barely worth a dam is Crosby's...and that isn't all that impressive.


I spit up thinking that this is supposed to be a better defensive team this year...they suck. I haven't seen a team be so inept at passing and moving up and out of their zone than the Pens...it's horrid and really pisses me off!

At the end of the 1st Period I was like I can't take this anymore it was so brutal.

 

[thedddd]

I think Connor McDavid would look rather good in a Pens jersey...

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Good one.

Better watch out if that comes true that wacko Alex Jones might get on the case.