By Dejan Kovacevic | Trib Total Media columnist
WINNIPEG, Manitoba — Looking ahead to faceoff …
Game: Penguins (2-1) vs. Winnipeg Jets (1-1-1)
Time: 8:08 p.m.
Site: MTS Centre, Winnipeg, Manitoba
TV, radio: Root Sports, TSN Jets (Manitoba/Saskatchewan), WXDX-FM 105.9
Here is the official live summary.
Here is the the Trib’s Penguins page. I’m delighted to be here covering.
WINNIPEG JETS LINEUP (w/ jersey #)
Forwards
1st: 9 Evander Kane – 12 Olli Jokinen – 26 Blake Wheeler
2nd: 16 Andrew Ladd – 80 Nik Antropov – 18 Bryan Little
3rd: 23 Alexei Ponikarovsky – 8 Alexander Burmistrov – 13 Kyle Wellwood
4th: 17 James Wright – 19 Jim Slater – 22 Chris Thorburn
Scratch: 55 Mark Scheifele – 14 Anthony Peluso
Defensemen
1st: 39 Tobias Enstrom – 33 Dustin Byfuglien
2nd: 5 Mark Stuart – 6 Ron Hainsey
3rd: 24 Grant Clitsome – 4 Paul Postma
Scratch: 25 Zach Redmond
Goaltenders
Starter: Ondrej Pavelec
Backup: Al Montoya
IR:
20 Antti Miettinen (Upper body injury)
44 Zach Bogosian (right wrist surgery)
Jets stats
Goals – 1 Byfuglien, Kane, Ladd, Wheeler, Slater, Thorburn
Assists – 4 Enstrom
Points – 4 Enstrom
Top 6 forwards for PP TOI: Jokinen (3:57), Kane (3:25), Wheeler (3:21), Ladd (3:15), Little (2:58), Antropov (2:49)
TOp 4 forwards for PK TOI: Antropov (2:17), Burmistrov (1:31), Thorburn (1:15), Slater (1:13)
Top 4 defensemen for PP TOI: Byfuglien (6:05), Enstrom (5:47), Hainsey (2:09), Postma (1:52)
Top 4 defensemen for PK TOI: Hainsey (2:51), Enstrom (2:03), Stuart (1:48), Clitsome (1:35)
Team stats
Goals/gm: Pens 3.67 – Jets 2.00
Goals against/gm: Pens 3.00 – Jets 2.33
Shots/gm: Pens 32 – Jets 31.3
Shots against/gm: Pens 28.3 – Jets 32.7
Pittsburgh Penguins Lineup
Forwards
1st: Kunitz – Crosby – Dupuis
2nd: Kennedy – Malkin – Neal
3rd: Cooke – Sutter – Glass
4th: Tangradi – Vitale – Adams
Scratch: Jeffrey
Defensemen
1st: Orpik – Martin
2nd: Niskanen – Letang
3rd: Lovejoy – Engelland
Scratch: Despres – Bortuzzo
Goaltenders
Starter: VOkoun
Backup: Fleury
DK: Thanks for doing this, Eric, as always.
Glad to help out and give others some info on the opposing team.
Pens, at 2-1, are currently 7th seed in the Eastern Conference. Need a big win tonight.
Olli Jokinen is a Pens killer. Need to keep tabs on him.
I’m just glad Clarke MacArthur wasn’t traded to Winnipeg but yes, Jokinen is another guy who does well against the Penguins.
All this talk today about goal celebrations, two of my favorites
Darius Kasparaitis 2OT winner in Buffalo against Hasek
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vuVy1sk3Kds
Aleksey (Alexei) Morozov winner against Carolina
Embedded video! Nice!
I’ll be watching on NHL GameCenter tonight. I’d dearly love to listen to the radio audio with the video, but the radio feed last game was a minute ahead of the video. Kinda spoils it.
still amazes me in 2013, we still have problems with quality internet broadcasts for video and audio.
If you don’t see your current residence, please post where you currently reside
Dejan’s Lunatic Nation – at the Trib,
Arizona – Tucson, Chandler, Phoenix, Sunnyslope
Arkansas – Rogers
Austrailia – Mackay
California – Bakersfield, San Francisco, UNION CITY, Los Angeles, Newport Beach, Hollywood, Huntington Beach, Yuba City, Solana Beach, Yorba Linda, Yuba City*, Edwards, Long Beach, Modesto, Davis
Canada – Toronto, Winnipeg, Moncton – New Brunswick
China – Beijing
Colorado – Ft Collins, Estes Park*, Denver, Boulder, Colorado Springs
Connecticut – Cos Cob, Bridgeport, Wallingford, Norwalk, NEWTOWN
Costa Rica
Czech Republic
Delaware – Newark
Denmark – Greenland – Thule*
District of Columbia
Florida – Palm Harbor, Orlando, Valrico, Gainesville, Daytona Beach, Oviedo, Tampa, Jacksonville, Sarasota, Palm Beach Gardens, Cape Coral, Coco Beach (Major Nelson and Mary Ann), Niceville (Red Neck Rivera), St Petersburg, Pembroke Pines, Ft Lauderdale, Palm Beach Gardens
Georgia – Marietta, Atlanta, Sandy Springs, Acworth
Germany – Leverkusen/Cologne
Hawaii – Honolulu
Idaho – Mountain Home, Coer d’Aline, Mountain Home AFB*
Indiana – Indianapolis, Burns Harbor, South Bend, Bicknell, Ft Wayne
Iowa – Bettendorf, Humboldt
Illinois – La Salle, Peru, Payson, Chicago, Palatine (3 inmates there), Lincoln Park, Grayslake, Algonquin
Japan – Tokyo
Kentucky – Louisville, Bowling Green, Lexington
Louisiana – Slidell
Maine – Bangor
Maryland – Arnold, Odenton, Severn, Baltimore, Waldorf, Hagerstown, Chevy Chase
Massachusetts – Boston
Michigan – Kalamazoo, Eaton Rapids, Lansing, Ann Arbor
Mississippi – Biloxi
Missouri – St Peters***
Montana
Nebraska – Omaha
New Hampshire – Barrington
New Jersey – Chesterfield, Princeton, Roxbury, Lebanon, Lincoln Park, Berkeley Heights, Somerville, Hammock, Barrington, Delran, Pennsville
New Mexico – Mike
New York – New York, Smithtown, Manhattan, Long Island, Nyack
Nevada, Las Vegas
North Carolina – Asheville, Hickory, Charlotte, Raleigh, Charleston, Wilmington, Chapel Hill, High Point
North Dakota
Ohio – Cincinnati, Columbiana, Westerville, Green, Hilliard, Toledo, Louisville, Columbus, Perrysburg, Pickerington, Youngstown, Cleveland, Olmsted Township, Liberty Township, Warren, Oregon, Wintersville, Austintown, Wright-Patterson Air Force Base*, New Philadelphia, Powell, Canton, Salem, New Albany, Bloomingdale
Ontario – Muskoka
Pennsylvania – Downtown, Hopewell, Indiana, North Wales, Franklin Park, Forest Hills, Lansdale, Philadelphia, Du Bois, Reading, Crafton, Arnold, Wexford, Mt Lebanon, Canonsburg, Lancaster, Huntington, York, Boiling Springs, Philly suburbs, Morningside, Harrisburg, Lawrenceville, Bradfordwoods, Norristown, Hanover, Clearfield, Sewickley, DuBois, Plum Boro, Slippery Rock, Wilks-Barre, Sharpsville, Bessemer, Greensburg, Washington, Imperial, South Side, Duncansville, Newville, Sheppton, Grove City, Butler, Allentown, Ross Township, Blairsville, Flood City (Johnstown), Overbrook, Danny’s Hoagies, Baldwin, Economy, Sharpsville, Erie, North Huntington, Bellfonte, West Mifflin, Kennywood, Pleasant Hills, Beechview (Mad Turk, No 200), Macgunie, Mechanicsburg, Uptown, Cambria County, Mon Valley, Salisbury, Coraopolis, Emsworth, Cranberry Twp, Garrett, O’Hara Township, McCandless Township, 115 Federal Street, Bethel Park, Harrison City, Penn Hills, Kittanning, Dover, Lebanon, Upper St Clair, Rennerdale, Oakland, Scranton, Moon (RMU), State College, Erie, Penn Twp, Stowe, Elizabeth, Hermitage, Easton, Carlisle, Finleyville, Belle Vernon, Madison, Sellersville
The Philipines
Rhode Island
Singapore
South Carolina – Duncan, Longs, Columbia, Bluffton, Greensville
South Korea – Seoul, Mike
Sweden
Tennessee – Smithville, Nashville
Texas – Tyler, San Antonio, Belton, Houston, Katy, Plano
Utah – Salt Lake City, Provo
Vermont – North Bennington
Virginia – JAL, Hampton, Rescue, Richmond, Front Royal, Woodbridge, Suffolk, Warrenton, Springfield, Virginia Beach, Fairfax, Arlington, Yorktown, Henrico, Aldie, Manassas, Newport News
Washington – Seattle, Nine Mile Falls, Spokane, Sammamish
West Virginia – Martinsburg, Morgantown, Wheeling, Mt Olivet
Wisconsin – Madison, Oshkosh, Hortonville
Wyoming – Caspar, Lander
301 locations represented in the blog,
Honorary members
Beano
Lemonaid Guy
The Gunner
Mr Roberto Clemente
Mike Lange
13 countries
43 states, plus the District of Columbia
Two planets, at least confirmed
Honorable mention, England – London – Lisa
Asterisks denote confirmed hero’s, military, police officers or firemen/ladies
1/25/2013 6:11 PM
How do we get our picture loaded?
Gravatar!
Go to Gravatar.com and follow the instructions!
apparently, I can follow instructions.
LOL it’s very easy.
I think we’ll be trained on it soon, Eric. No phone poles or sand boxes involved, though.
I need some Navy SEAL training… but after I recover from this surgery.
If that’s about baseball, Lucky, can it at least wait until the morning while Dejan sleeps in until noon?
Yes, please. I’m in a happy place.
Really? You sure didn’t seem very happy this afternoon.
I stand corrected.
Pffft! Someone else needs corrected, Spunky, not YOU
At Gravatar.com, you enter your email address and upload a picture or avatar that you attach to your email address, and that picture/avatar follows you to any place that you comment, such as this blog.
I use different avatars in different places. Would gravatar change my avatars on Facebook and LinkedIn?
It would attach a specific avatar to a specific email address.
You can change it as often as you wish, so if you go from site to site, you’d have to visit Gravatar in between and change it.
I doesn’t affect my facebook pic, but I’m not sure about LinkedIn
DK: OK, I just did the Gravatar. Let’s see if it works.
Nope. Nothing yet.
it took about 3-4 minutes for mine to apply
Hey, there it is. It’s Gravatar.com if anyone else wants an avatar.
I checked my LinkedIn page, it wasn’t affected.
I just thought of something, Drew. You can assign different avatars for different email addresses. You can create a new email address for the blog and it would only show up here.
Dejan- not sure if this would create unforeseen problems for you here or not, but thought it better to convey this so you are aware that it could happen.
Testing
Well that didn’t work, or else it takes some time.
Success at last!
Testing the new format.
Testing the new parallel fun-house mirror universe.
One more time to see if Avatar kicks in.
Good to go! Ready for non-pennant winning season number 34 in a row.
Sabres third line center Steve Ott just tried to elbow Hurricanes defenseman Justin Faulk in the head and missed.
$1,000,000 says the NHL and Brendan Shanahan do nothing about it.
League legislates on injuries, not clear attempts to injure.
Capitals are a mess.
Stephen Gionta scores because two Caps went to Josefsson
Checking to see if photos can be imbedded:
http://triblive.com/sports/penguins/3336277-74/penguins-leafs-maple
Double-checking:
http://triblive.com/csp/mediapool/sites/dt.common.streams.StreamServer.cls?STREAMOID=ftLR5THodh22g7OsSClzs8$daE2N3K4ZzOUsqbU5sYtsO5C5Ll4eKiB9lVkpea47WCsjLu883Ygn4B49Lvm9bPe2QeMKQdVeZmXF$9l$4uCZ8QDXhaHEp3rvzXRJFdy0KqPHLoMevcTLo3h8xh70Y6N_U_CryOsw6FTOdKL_jpQ-&CONTENTTYPE=image/jpeg
DK: Embedding will be a problem if we can’t put size limits on both photos and videos. Otherwise, they’ll blow up every thread we have.
Sorry Dejan… still testing our parameters…
yeah, I posted the video and didn’t realize it was going to show the embedded youtube and not just the link.
Ooops LOL.!!!
Apparently not.
Wonder if those blue letters stretch all the way to Winnipeg….
Having fun with new toys
For sure.
3 things to watch
1. Stay out of the penalty box, too many penalties.
2. Lovejoy and Engelland need to get around 12-14 minutes each
3. Kennedy to take this opportunity and skate with it.
And Olli Jokinen!
yeah, shut him down and keep Kane away from Crosby.
No pre-game feed on NHL Gamecenter.
Game feed on! LET’S GO PENS!
Jets said they wouldn’t get into a skating match against the Penguins, those first three shifts were quick.
Crosby gets a quick sneaky pass from Kunitz and crazy angle shot and as expected, Pavelec can’t stop it.
1-0 Penguins
Crosby (2) from Kunitz and Letang
SID @ 4:26
1-0 Pens
Assists to Kunitz, Letang
Didn’t take long for Crosby to get his goal at MTS Centre
Sid’s rockin tonight.
That didn’t take long
8:45 first whistle of the game for icing against Winterpeg.
Kennedy taking WAY too long to shoot those passes, perfect for 1-timers… geez
twice, he’s setup for beauties and fails…. and THAT’S why I don’t want TK on that line and cannot wait for Bennett to get that weight back.
Penguins should have 3-4 goals already, Pavelec is swimming in the crease and Jets defense is turnover happy.
TK adding some zip to Malkin’s line. I like it so far.
Wow, terrible defense by Winnipeg… Byfuglien was out to lunch
2-0 Penguins
Crosby on backhand, thanks for Dupuis charging on the net.
looking at score sheet, how are they not giving Niskanen an assist on that play?
They updated it… now Niskanen on score sheet.
SID! 2-0! What a pretty goal!
Unassisted @ 15:02
Now Niskanen with an assist on the goal
They wanted to see Crausby I think they’re getting more than they wanted
Hey Root Sports… how about showing the whole roster before the game and not with 3:55 left to play in the first period with the scratches for just the Penguins. There’s another team playing that fans would like to know who is playing on what line and who isn’t playing.
So much for the HNIC producer making this a better telecast.
Vokoun, what an acquisition so far by Shero. He’s making this look easy.
That was an interesting late period line of Glass-Sutter-Crosby
Holy turnover by Cooke… wow that was brutal.
Last minute pressure from Jets resulting from misplay by Martin. Pens hang on. 2-0 after one period.
you think Martin misplayed his man before Cooke had the brutal turnover? I don’t think Martin did all that bad on that play.
Martin got beaten along the left boards by Kane. Led to a great scoring chance for Jets just before the whistle.
Before the horn, sorry…
Cooke’s turnover happened a split second after Kane beat Martin.
Reviewed the play on Gamecenter and Kane poked the puck past Martin and sidestepped him along the boards. Martin didn’t—or couldn’t— pinch him. Kane was on Cooke instantly and forced Cooke to play the puck quickly. If Martin pinches Kane there, Cook doesn’t get pressured into the bad pass.
Someone in Winnipeg likes tracking hits a little bit too much as stat sheet has Jets leading 17-9 in hits. They were physical but I don’t think 17 worthy. Geesh.
holy crap, they updated the stat sheet…Jets 23-13 in hits… seriously?
Testing 1 2 3 …
,,,and there it is. I’m back with the brethren.
Looks good.
After first period, let’s review 3 things to watch
1. Stay out of the penalty box, too many penalties.
Result – No penalties
2. Lovejoy and Engelland need to get around 12-14 minutes each
Result – Lovejoy 4:48 and Engelland 4:34
3. Kennedy to take this opportunity and skate with it.
Result – blew two great scoring chances for 1-timers and couldn’t pull the trigger
Root Sports back with UPMC propaganda during intermission…
Seriously, station is getting unreal ratings and this is what they are giving back?
Both teams are paying for turnovers
Mr. Details (Bylsma) might want to stress some changes to how the players are looking to pass the puck around the ice.
Early on this season, Pens have had some real bad passes that have resulted in goals against. Crosby was cherry-picking and Cooke couldn’t make the long stretch pass.
Kane scores to cut the Penguins lead to 2-1 at 1:10 of 2nd period, assists to Wheeler and Byfuglien.
Once, twice, three times my Kennedy…..
ewwww, another ugly turnover by Pens, Martin right to Wellwood’s stick.
Composure….. composure
So many takeaways for Winnipeg. Pens are gonna get bit if this continues.
now Kunitz with a bad one.
epidemic
I think my video is lagging behind yours, Eric, judging from our comments
Finally… a penalty. Pens on power play for 2:00 @ 11:51 of second period.
Don’t know if Bylsma is stressing long breakout passes or not but it appears he is because about two shifts ago, they had Martin and Orpik way low in defensive zone and three forwards over the red line. That’s a terrible gap.
Jeez, the turnovers. Is the ice OK there?
Selfish penalty by Malkin, out of frustration.
Composure….
Malkin to the box with another ill-timed penalty. Even strength
Malkin needs freaking Anger management. Talk about STUPID. Nice job Geno.
Those sulking penalties by Malkin can’t be tolerated…. time for teaching moment… Bench him for the remainder of 2nd period.
And just like that, a bad penalty and Byfuglien with a blast through screen… tied at 2
Byfuglien ties it 2-2 with Malkin in the box.
Sid is going to have to take over this game if the Pens are going to win this one
Can’t even be mad when Geno takes a bad penalty. It’s his move. It’s just what’s going to happen, like when Kovy was here. It bothers me much more when, say, Kunitz or Dupuis does it.
That makes as much sense as saying you can’t be mad at Ben when he throws an INT at the end of a game
I just accept it as part of his game. It doesn’t shock or faze me. Like when Mark Sanchez throws a crippling pick, or Romo gags in a key spot. It’s what they do!
@Eric
I wonder how much he got away with in the KHL that he’s now getting called for. Different styles of hockey; just wondering if he isn’t still some what in KHL mode
Those frustration penalties killed the Penguins last year and Malkin is at the age and experience that he needs to stop. It doesn’t look like Bylsma gets it.
Tangradi out there with Crosby?
Jets use their timeout
So one shift Byfuglien tries to take out Malkin’s leg the next he tries to take the elbows to Sid’s head. Someone needs to pay this guy a visit.
Sutter with a great chance, fans on the puck
Another freaking turnover. Ladd scores. 3-2 Jets @17:54 of 2nd
Vokoun with a game saver right there
Big time saves
….my goodness Engelland did nothing on that play and yes Lovejoy has his stick in the wrong spot as Ladd scores an easy one into a virtual open net.
Sick save by Vokoun after another turnover.
Letang cost the Pens at least 1 or 2 seconds by letting up on that icing
Pens trailing 3-2. More turnovers than Pepperidge Farm in that 2nd period.
No grit, no fight on this team. Its only game 4 and I’m already tired of these stretch passes.
Malkin had a really poor effort in his own end on that Ladd goal. Had one, maybe even two legit chances to get that puck away from the net, waved at it like a tourist instead.
Not a good showing by Malkin.
Who is coaching the Penguins, Eddie Olczyk?
I haven’t see this many terrible turnovers, long breakouts that don’t work, or really really bad defense to forward gap control…. my goodness, was Bylsma out eating poutine and drinking beer last night?
A lot of flaws being exposed tonight. Pens need help on defense, obviously, but there is a system flaw in the transition. The Flyers exposed it in the playoffs last year and the Leafs and Winnipeg exploited it this week.
Yep, same flaws as last season.
Last season, Penguins were 12th in NHL giving up 78 goals in 82 games.
This season, they have given up 6 goals in 3 2/3 games
Can’t be right. That’s less than a goal a game.
I’m REALLY p*ssed at these guys! Grrrr!
Hey now, Mother Theresa!
LOVE the avatar! SOOOO you!
lol Spunky will love it
She really is Mother T.
A.O.T.D.
(Avatar of the day).
LOL! I had this picked out way back when DK said Avatars would be coming.
Thanks Dave G
OK I will start using the reply button
Byfuglien was all over that clearing wrap around by Letang….
someone might want to tell Bylsma that teams do advanced scouting.
Bigfugginugly is all over the Pens…period!
This upgrade is sweet!
I wonder how much of the Penguins’ actual shortfalls are masked by having the talents of Crosby and Malkin on the ice.
I dunno, Dave, they played so much better the first 2 games. It’s like they switch gears totally. Frustrating.
That’s my point. Did they really play better, or did the other teams just not?
Time is critical to correct any problems this abbreviated season.
I think they played better…much tighter defensively and co-hesively. These guys tonight are sloppy. another dumb penalty.
Penalty against Engelland for high sticking. accidental.
Pens finally pressing. Neal hits the post.
I’d love to see Sid get the HT
Down to under 3 minutes
there’s the game for Winnipeg
Long pass for one-timer to Niskanen and Malkin can’t edge his way over to board?
Every issue from last season showing up in this one.
sad indeed
DK picked the correct final score. Wrong team on the end of it.
Hey Spunky!
Hey! Love that Mother T. pix.
Spunky, I think Mr. Kovacevic owes Groat an apology. If Groat doesn’t post for awhile, I’m gonna be upset.
I think DK misunderstood Groat’s post. It was a compliment not a dig about the forbidden sport.
I tried to tell him that…but he wasn’t paying attention.
A little late for that time out, Mr. Bylsma
I was thinking the same thing
Pens are now 2-2-0.
19 turnovers in this game for the Penguins.
NINETEEN
Pens with 9 giveaways and Jets with 10 takeaways
YIKES! That sucks
By comparison, Winnipeg had 8 turnovers – 7 giveaways and only 1 takeaway by the Pens. Sickening.
3 things to watch
1. Stay out of the penalty box, too many penalties.
Result – only 2 minors but Malkin’s selfish penalty because he got frustrated was a repeat of too many taken by him and others last season. Byfuglien scores on PP to tie game at two.
2. Lovejoy and Engelland need to get around 12-14 minutes each
Result – Lovejoy 13:44 and Engelland 13:41 – was better ice distribution but Engelland was a passenger for a goal and took another penalty. Lovejoy’s stick placement on Ladd goal was bad.
3. Kennedy to take this opportunity and skate with it.
Results – Blew 2 brilliant setups for 1-timers by being unable to pull the trigger, cutoff a pass from Neal to Malkin but he did look better and more active than Tangradi.
—-
3 goats of the game
#3 – Sutter – needs to get more involved, no hits, 25% faceoffs, and had a good scoring chance and puck waffled off his stick.
#2 – Malkin – another minus 2, really selfish penalty while on the PP, some bad defense, mentally off all game.
#1 – Bylsma – Did someone forget to burn the coaches bible by Eddie Olczyk because tonight’s long breakouts were some of the worst coaching designs that I’ve seen in years. Once again, Pens had 2-0 lead like last year and they blow the lead and lose the game. Defense is out of sync, no offense late in games. I know no one thinks it, believes it but the hot seat should be warm for Bylsma.
…..
Shero can’t wait forever, he’s going to need to find a winger for Crosby. Get a first line winger and move Kunitz back to Malkin’s line. It is obvious, Malkin and Neal need a defensive presence on their line. That will never come from Kennedy or Tangradi. Not sure Bennett is that guy as well and as much as I want him in the NHL, he’ll probably not get the weight/strength back in time for meaningful NHL action.
Actual 3 stars of the game
#3 – Byfuglien
#2 – Ladd
#1 – Kane
agreed!
Neither Martin nor Niskanen registered a hit tonight.
At what point does Bylsma realize the defense cannot handle the system he wants to play using the long breakouts? When will he realize teams have quality advanced scouts and the system hasn’t changed in four years?
Last year, teams simply baited the defense into long passes along the boards and quickly jumped the lanes to create the turnover and counter-attack up the ice with the three forwards behind the red line flat footed and a defense that is in no position to defend the rush.
The gap between the forwards and defense is too wide, too complicated for these defensemen to execute.
They don’t have the defensive depth to execute the system efficiently.
Which means Bylsma is Todd Graham trying to slam a square peg into a round hole.
I wasn’t pleased in the camp/practice watching them repeat the same breakouts, same long breakouts. I was hoping the practices that I missed, they would do something else but apparently, Bylsma is going to go down stubbornly and not adjust, just like Eddie Olczyk.
Team needs to get back to the simple hockey that was deployed when he took over for Therrien.
It’s all back to the same things we said last year. No Scuderis or Rupps to take care of business. And reacquiring Gonchar won’t solve anything.
I love Gonchar, but no thank you. I Cried when we lost Scuds.
Gotta say tho, that if not for Vokoun, score would have been 10-2
Pens with 10 blocked shots. Winnipeg with 17.
the lack of commitment, the lack of composure, the lack of defense, the lack of simplicity, the lack of power plays, the lack of adjustments and the lack of options is a bit of a concern.
It is only four games but there’s been little cohesion among Crosby, Kunitz and Dupuis. Those three haven’t had that many quality shifts, maybe tonight was their best in the first period with the two goals but after that, it was a quiet night.
On the second line, who is the defensive presence? It surely wasn’t Tangradi in the first three games and won’t be Kennedy. The Penguins can’t expect a guy who hasn’t played on his off wing to be able to adjust and manage the boards along left wing wall or get himself in a trigger position for one-timers.
The third line was messed up with Kennedy bumped up and Cooke shifted over to the right wing as Glass stayed at left wing. Sutter was quiet and could that have been result of playing with a new winger and another in a new position of sorts.
Lone guy I saw moving his legs all night was Vitale… a 4th line center.
Great analysis.
If I’m Bylsma, I’m already second-guessing that “two days off / no practice on the second day” policy.
I am no fan of Bylsma’s system of long breakouts, terrible power play scheme, and a lack of in-game adjustments.
When it is 2-0, on the road, and coming off a loss… you don’t back off the throttle but you sure as heck don’t just throw the puck around with 3 forwards standing at the opponents blue line and teams are easily jumping the boads to create turnovers. On the road, you back off, tighten the defense-to-forward gap and you bring the puck up the ice as a five man unit and get it deep.
What’s the term, grind them b****** down?
Well, that isn’t exactly grinding them down by losing the puck 19 times.
Let’s see if my mighty Gravatar appears…
The two best offensively gifted players in the world and yet we have our defensemen with their skates cemented to the blue line, or two feet outside, on multiple rushes. When was the last time we had a defenseman trailing the play and scoring from the slot? Two or three times tonight the puck trickles free in front of the Jets’ net with four Jets players facing their own goal and we don’t have a trailer on the play, or even within the television frame. Why wait until there are 4-5 minutes to go in the game before taking calculated chances? Bylsma — the guru of puck possession in the offensive zone in his first months on the job — has become too conservative, likely shell-shocked as a result of early playoff exits the past 3 years. We have become too content to play the very ineffective and incredibly predictable perimeter-oriented game.
Nice new layout for the blog.
Someday, I will teach my technology-challenged self to get an avatar…
test……
Oh well, off to bed.
avatars will wait for another time……….
I see on the scroll that the Nationals are adding President Taft to the Presidents’ Race this year. I’m thinking he’s not going to win too many races. Maybe the Pirates need to add Generals Washington and Braddock, Prime Minister Pitt, George Westinghouse, Andrew Carnegie, Andrew Mellon, Mr. Rogers, and Andy Warhol as rotating special guest racers at PNC Park. Think of the possibilities.
testing avatar…???
1 more try
Testing avatar…
Hey—look at that! this is cool!
I like that, Karen. Be careful, though, it’s not a hockey puck in the shape of a heart. DK might get mad.
HAHA! Right! But baseball is my one true love (I didn’t say the “Pirates,” now, did I?? OOPS!
Oh—how do you post emoticons, and can we edit our posts, or just cancel them??
Emoticons vary.
semi-colon, parenthesis =
or 
colon, parenthesis =
8, parenthesis = 8)
Jandy does something with a p) and gets a red mouth, but mine doesn’t work.
Don’t know about editing and cancelling yet.
And on an “uncool” note, the Pens STUNK again in the 2nd period. What gives??
In a normal season I would say “don’t press the panic button” but this is not a normal season and the turnovers and giveaways must stop or the playoff run will be short.
DK, not happy about the loss but thought you would like to know I was sharing the word about your blog. Had a layover in LV before my redeye home last night and caught the first period of the game with 6 guys from Winnipeg. Really good guys and I told them to check out your blog if they wanted to hear some out of town info.
Well there is always one. I created a gravatar account. Got to “Select a file from your computer.” Browsed to the jpeg I want. But when I select “next” the path disappears. I’ll keep trying.
But I’m in agreement. Any positives from the first two games were washed away with the horrible turnover fest of the past two. Yes, it’s only two games, but the ghosts of last season are currently haunting this team. They need to be excised.
Lucky,
Jandy’s p) thing is sticking her tongue out at something/somebody/Drew.
You’re correct, sir!