Game Thread: Pittsburgh Penguins(1) vs. Columbus Blue Jackets(WC 1)| ECQF

[thedddd]

The powerplays are 17 to 14 for the series. If it was 17 to 1 or 17 to 5 then I understand but in game one Columbus had more PP opportunities.

^ BTW....The reason the Pens are taking more penalties is the defense has been awful and Scuderi alone took 3 in three games. He had 1 all season long.

 

[Winged_Wheel88]

 

[pixburgher66]

So one series is exactly one penalty behind and the next closest is four behind. That isn't some drastic difference. And it isn't the reason why Columbus finds themselves trailing 2-1 in this series. Like I said, all four goals scored by Pittsburgh in game 3 were scored 5v5. Columbus also had the man advantage more often from the second period on to the end of regulation, which also coincides when the Pens scored their four goals. It just isn't a valid reason for why they lost. There's no conspiracy. The refs are bad at what they do. It is a horse that has been beaten to a bloody pulp in every post-season.

The issue has been really more about when they occurred. Simply getting the other team down a person for 2 minutes is helpful, takes them off their 5v5 game. I don't think there's any conspiracy...but I'm going to complain about the amount of calls they've made. Again, they're putting themselves in the forefront of the series. I mean, you and I both know how annoying it is to watch interference run rampant (HI DETROIT!) and go uncalled, but man it's no less annoying to watch every bump, snow, and stick tap get called. When you look at those numbers you'd think this series was filled with fights and hacks and whacks, but...it hasn't. Heck, they've let some borderline HITS go...but you touch someone who passed the puck between .02-1 second ago? TO THE BOX YOU HOOLIGAN!

 

[dash]

I'm predicting the final score will be 4-3 tonight...

 

[sabresfaninthesouth]

The issue has been really more about when they occurred. Simply getting the other team down a person for 2 minutes is helpful, takes them off their 5v5 game. I don't think there's any conspiracy...but I'm going to complain about the amount of calls they've made. Again, they're putting themselves in the forefront of the series. I mean, you and I both know how annoying it is to watch interference run rampant (HI DETROIT!) and go uncalled, but man it's no less annoying to watch every bump, snow, and stick tap get called. When you look at those numbers you'd think this series was filled with fights and hacks and whacks, but...it hasn't. Heck, they've let some borderline HITS go...but you touch someone who passed the puck between .02-1 second ago? TO THE BOX YOU HOOLIGAN!

That's pretty much it. The CHI/STL series has been way more physical, so a lot of PPs is expected.

 

[pixburgher66]

Also, I want more 5v5 play...because looking at stats (even considering that the Pens had an advantage in game 3 BECAUSE of having so much PP time), the Pens have been the better team even strength. The biggest narrative going out there is how the Jackets have clamped down on the top 2 lines...but when you look at some advanced stats, it's not true. Have they been scoring goals? No. But their possession numbers have been slanted 5 on 5. Also, man Brandon Sutter is taking the hard shifts.

2014-04-23: Penguins at Blue Jackets Advanced Stats Preview | Extra Skater

^^Amazing that chart hasn't looked that good in a long, long, long time.

 

[evolver115]

See, I disagree when people say that this isn't a physical series. C-bus piled up over sixty hits in game three. Sixty! That is a pretty good indication of just how physical the series has been.

 

[sabresfaninthesouth]

See, I disagree when people say that this isn't a physical series. C-bus piled up over sixty hits in game three. Sixty! That is a pretty good indication of just how physical the series has been.

I didn't say it wasn't physical, just that the CHI/STL series has been way more physical. That series has been brutal.

 

[pixburgher66]

I'm predicting the final score will be 4-3 tonight...

And the team who scores the most will win.

 

[dash]

When in doubt, ask Olivia


/Man, did I have a crush on her...

 

[Darkstone42]

Also, I want more 5v5 play...because looking at stats (even considering that the Pens had an advantage in game 3 BECAUSE of having so much PP time), the Pens have been the better team even strength. The biggest narrative going out there is how the Jackets have clamped down on the top 2 lines...but when you look at some advanced stats, it's not true. Have they been scoring goals? No. But their possession numbers have been slanted 5 on 5. Also, man Brandon Sutter is taking the hard shifts.

2014-04-23: Penguins at Blue Jackets Advanced Stats Preview | Extra Skater

^^Amazing that chart hasn't looked that good in a long, long, long time.

I noticed that last game. The top two lines were hemming the Jackets in their zone, keeping the puck low, and generating a few very good chances, but not necessarily scoring. I remember one in particular where Stempniak was set up cleanly in front of the net, but his stick broke on the shot.

Our forwards have been good this series, aside from foolishness by Crosby and Malkin from time to time trying to create when there's nothing there. Our defense has not been very good, though, and that's a large part of why the Jackets are in it. They're doing a good job of hitting our defense and pressuring them to get them off their games, but with the guys we have back there, a rookie, two guys rusty from long injuries, and two guys who simply have no talent handling the puck, the gameplan writes itself.

 

[pixburgher66]

See, I disagree when people say that this isn't a physical series. C-bus piled up over sixty hits in game three. Sixty! That is a pretty good indication of just how physical the series has been.

Yeah, but I can't think of a bad hit. Some that were perhaps a cross check, some rattlers, but none that worry me going forward. Every hit in the Chicago series makes me think someone is going to die. The refs have to keep that one in check just to make sure a bomb doesn't go off.

 

[pixburgher66]

When in doubt, ask Olivia


/Man, did I have a crush on her...

 

[dash]

^

I got chills, they're multiplying...

 

[evolver115]

I didn't say it wasn't physical, just that the CHI/STL series has been way more physical. That series has been brutal.

No, i don't agree. Blues v Hawks has had dirty plays in it. Seabrook's hit on Backes being the ugliest of them. Yet, I wouldn't say that the Jackets v Pens series has been any less physical. It just hasn't had any egregious dirty plays in it... yet.

C-bus has taken it upon themselves to punish the puck carrier at every opportunity, and they're doing just that.

 

[dash]

It's been a great series to watch thus far, that's for sure. No lead is safe.

 

[pixburgher66]

No, i don't agree. Blues v Hawks has had dirty plays in it. Seabrook's hit on Backes being the ugliest of them. Yet, I wouldn't say that the Jackets v Pens series has been any less physical. It just hasn't had any egregious dirty plays in it... yet.

C-bus has taken it upon themselves to punish the puck carrier at every opportunity, and they're doing just that.

My point about it is that just because there's a lot of hits does it mean there have to be a lot of penalties. In the Chicago series there are a lot because 1) they're calling the dirty hits; 2) there's rough play following those dirty hits; and 3) refs calling things to keep the game in check. In that series I can understand calling a few extra penalties just because they have to to prevent carnage.

Also, I'm okay getting outhit a bit, because as the saying goes: gotta have the puck to get hit. It benefits Columbus on the forecheck and in pressuring the D when moving the puck, and I can't really recall seeing them put themselves out of position badly to make hits.

 

[Darkstone42]

It's been a great series to watch thus far, that's for sure. No lead is safe.

Specifically, 3-1 leads are recipes for disaster.

 

[forty_three]

Meh, I'm not saying it's a conspiracy, but it's an interesting statistic to show the differences between series. During the regular season, Columbus was shorthanded 9th most in the league and Pittsburgh 9th least and yet they have the highest combined PP number in this playoffs.

Normally people complain that they don't call penalties consistently in the playoffs from the perspective that they let too much go. But in this case, Pittsburgh and CBJ combined for an average of 6.5 PPs per game during the regular season, but they're averaging over 10 per game in this series.

Bluejackets averaged 3.41 PP against/game in the regular season. And they have changed zero in their game except for Dubinski in game one, and a meeting with some teammates and a coach got him to stop doing that.

Blue Jackets are a hard team to play against, but they play it mostly clean.

The issue has been really more about when they occurred. Simply getting the other team down a person for 2 minutes is helpful, takes them off their 5v5 game. I don't think there's any conspiracy...but I'm going to complain about the amount of calls they've made. Again, they're putting themselves in the forefront of the series. I mean, you and I both know how annoying it is to watch interference run rampant (HI DETROIT!) and go uncalled, but man it's no less annoying to watch every bump, snow, and stick tap get called. When you look at those numbers you'd think this series was filled with fights and hacks and whacks, but...it hasn't. Heck, they've let some borderline HITS go...but you touch someone who passed the puck between .02-1 second ago? TO THE BOX YOU HOOLIGAN!

Also, I want more 5v5 play...because looking at stats (even considering that the Pens had an advantage in game 3 BECAUSE of having so much PP time), the Pens have been the better team even strength. The biggest narrative going out there is how the Jackets have clamped down on the top 2 lines...but when you look at some advanced stats, it's not true. Have they been scoring goals? No. But their possession numbers have been slanted 5 on 5. Also, man Brandon Sutter is taking the hard shifts.

2014-04-23: Penguins at Blue Jackets Advanced Stats Preview | Extra Skater

^^Amazing that chart hasn't looked that good in a long, long, long time.

Advanced stats are fun, but numbers can't account for everything. In this series, there have been +/- 5 minutes of time in which the Pens have scored 5 goals (yes, a bit cherry-picky, bear with me). And the Jackets are completely at fault for letting the wheels fall off the wagon. 2 of those were Power Play goals. Had the Jackets controlled those five minutes as well, we are at a VERY different place right now. Involving brooms.

But what the stats don't show and never can show is what happened to allow those 5 minutes to have the roof collapse in on the Jackets. Did they not attack like normal because every little thing was getting called? Did the coach admonish them to slow the game down? We don't know. What I do know is that the biggest BS penalties all came at times that completely disrupted the Jackets game, and the non-calls (trip in the third while Jackets on PP and buzzing) also came at times that were much more favorable for one side. And against a team as talented as the Pens, simple mistakes can be deadly. And for that minimal amount of time, the Jackets stopped playing their game.

It is not a conspiracy. It is negligence and grandstanding by the stripes, and the Jackets failed to stay the course. But the fact that certain teams always seem to benefit (looking at you too, Habs and Wings) is just annoying. Because my team isn't one of them.

I noticed that last game. The top two lines were hemming the Jackets in their zone, keeping the puck low, and generating a few very good chances, but not necessarily scoring. I remember one in particular where Stempniak was set up cleanly in front of the net, but his stick broke on the shot.

Our forwards have been good this series, aside from foolishness by Crosby and Malkin from time to time trying to create when there's nothing there. Our defense has not been very good, though, and that's a large part of why the Jackets are in it. They're doing a good job of hitting our defense and pressuring them to get them off their games, but with the guys we have back there, a rookie, two guys rusty from long injuries, and two guys who simply have no talent handling the puck, the gameplan writes itself.

I would not say the D has been bad. I think they underestimated the Jackets ability to spread them thin. They've looked bad, not because they playing bad. But because they are being played.

 

[Darkstone42]

Specifically, 3-1 leads are recipes for disaster.

Wait, should the Penguins lose today? If they go up 3-1 in the series, it all but guarantees they'll be eliminated!