2010-2011 NHL Season Thread

[Alderaan]

If you haven't seen many Pens games this year, this is how we play.

Crosby's line scores and the other 3 lines kinda just beat everyone up.

[Callisto]

lol...how does Orpik get away with that? Not saying he was wrong to do it, but he skated from the top of the circles to smash Powe into the crossbar after the whistle was blown...

[Alderaan]

Called it.

In all honesty, Pens entire gameplan revolves around keeping the puck in the offensive zone. Flyers just took it to us and cut off the long passes.

Also despite Malkin's 2 goals, he also turned the puck over at least 5 times with dumb passes up the middle.

[Bregor]

Good game, impressed by Philly's defensemen, especially Meszaros. Letang was really good for the Pens, but I'm not seeing what's so special about Goligoski.

[bluefan]

About time Toronto and Edmonton start playing like real Canadian teams. Great game so far.

[isladar]

About time Toronto and Edmonton start playing like real Canadian teams.

Sticking their tongues out?

[bluefan]

Sticking their tongues out?

Hard hits, great passes and great goals.

Beautiful goal by Toronto (slap pass) to make it 2-1 Leafs.

[bluefan]

Oh God, Orr destroyed him lol.

This game is awesome!

[Sepukku]

Good game, impressed by Philly's defensemen, especially Meszaros. Letang was really good for the Pens, but I'm not seeing what's so special about Goligoski.

.................................................. ...............

Are you for real? I would call that one of the worst games for Letang all year and I would say Goligoski was sadly our best defenseman (in defensive regards) tonight. Orpik was trying to become a puck-mover and doing too much with the puck and not enough with his muscles until 2:30 left in the game when he almost took a penalty for it. Martin had about 50 turnovers, Engelland played like ass as always - if Deryk Engelland isn't fighting, he isn't succeeding at something. Michalek was okay I guess. Spoken like a true Caps/Green bootybiter, you're impressed by a D-man jumping up even when it isn't warranted, taking bad shots, making bad passes, and getting caught.

Kris Letang had (or at least is credited with only this many) 2 turnovers and was a -1. He's also credited with 3 missed shots - I feel it was a couple more than that - and that doesn't even include the couple times he shot it into Flyer shinpads. The kid cannot shoot. He's good in the shootout, yes, but getting a goalie to go the wrong way and flipping a backhander in from 10 feet away =/= shooting from the point. Goligoski every year has a miles higher shooting % and outscores Letang in goals. Goligoski had a -1, but so did Geno/Sid, and all three can thank Deryk Engelland for fucking staring at the puck lost in those feet during the 1st goal, just letting his man Giroux just stand by the side of the net unguarded. Kris Letang has been playing good this year, but tonight he played like ass and if you think Letang was the better defensemen tonight, you ought to be dragged out into the street and have a Tampa Bay BOLTS third jersey burned into your flesh.

And Deryk Engelland was fucking ass, Im so glad Bylsma took him out of the game and just went with a 5-man D rotation, fucking garbage. Engelland had 9 minutes of ice-time, 2nd least by Penguins D was his partner, Goligoski, who still had 18:48 and I garuntee Engelland had maybe 2 minutes on the ice after the 1st goal.

[Sepukku]

Also despite Malkin's 2 goals, he also turned the puck over at least 5 times with dumb passes up the middle.

Malkin is still fucking garbage, 2 goals be damned. Doesn't hustle defensively and he isn't a 5 on 5 scoring threat anymore/still (since 2008-2009). But all the Pens fans are like OMFGWEGOTMALKINBACKNOWALLWENEEDISSTAAL, OMGLOOKMALKINGOT2GOALS, OMGNOWIFONLYSIDWOULDVESCORED - NO, SHUT THE FUCK UP. HOW ABOUT SOMEONE BESIDES SID OR GENO SCORE? OR HERES A BRAIN BLASTER - HOW ABOUT MALKIN STOPS TAKING STUPID FUCKING PENALTIES EVERY FUCKING GAME - HE IS SO UNDISCIPLINED IT ISNT EVEN FUNNY. Stupid fucking fair weather faggles and puck bunny sluts drooling over Malkin's 2 goals but already forgot he took a stupid, unneccesary penalty to cause the Flyer's 3rd goal on the PP. OH, and did anyone else notice Malkin with his stick not down on the ice as the puck went right by him and out of the Flyers zone at the blue line with 30 seconds left? MALKIN IS A PLAGUE UPON THE TEAM AND I WOULD *GLADLY* TRADE HIM STRAIGHT UP FOR A REAL TWO-WAY CENTER LIKE KESLER.

[Sepukku]

What kind of bullshit call was that, giving Cooke 2min when he's pounded by 4 Flyers?

IM *STILL* TRYING TO FIGURE THIS ONE OUT. WE DIDNT SHUT UP ABOUT THAT ONE FOR TEN MINUTES, EVEN THOUGH WE KILLED IT. COMPLETE PERPLEXMENT.

[Glowstickthetaru]

... I think there's more Leaf fans than Oiler fans in EDM tonight. The place went nuts with TOR's 4th goal. That's gotta mess w/ the Oiler's heads.

[Bregor]

Are you for real? ... Spoken like a true Caps/Green bootybiter, you're impressed by a D-man jumping up even when it isn't warranted, taking bad shots, making bad passes, and getting caught.

I'll take this with a grain of salt since I know Goligoski's your boy and all, but yes I am for real. Goligoski wasn't bad by any stretch but he wasn't really visible either. Just thought Letang was much more confident with the puck. He's a better skater, had better command of the point on the PP and he exits his own zone well. Both of them were -1 with a PPA. Not his fault his forwards couldn't score even strength tonight. Letang had 7 more minutes of ice time, including almost 4 minutes of PK. You can't really say the PK was bad either because Philly's one goal was a fluke deflection. They did a good job of keeping the puck on the perimeter. I dunno, with how much I hear about Goligoski maybe I just expect some hybrid of Paul Coffey, Al MacInnis and Scott Stevens and I didn't see it tonight. He's good I guess, but it doesn't mean Letang isn't your best defenseman.

And yeah Orpik had a bad game. I think he drew that hook from Briere? That was about it. Martin was meh too. Michalek had some good defensive plays.

[Sepukku]

I'll take this with a grain of salt since I know Goligoski's your boy and all, but yes I am for real. Goligoski wasn't bad by any stretch but he wasn't really visible either. Just thought Letang was much more confident with the puck. He's a better skater, had better command of the point on the PP and he exits his own zone well. Both of them were -1 with a PPA. Not his fault his forwards couldn't score even strength tonight. Letang had 7 more minutes of ice time, including almost 4 minutes of PK. You can't really say the PK was bad either because Philly's one goal was a fluke deflection. They did a good job of keeping the puck on the perimeter. I dunno, with how much I hear about Goligoski maybe I just expect some hybrid of Paul Coffey, Al MacInnis and Scott Stevens and I didn't see it tonight. He's good I guess, but it doesn't mean Letang isn't your best defenseman.

And yeah Orpik had a bad game. I think he drew that hook from Briere? That was about it. Martin was meh too. Michalek had some good defensive plays.

Goligoski unfortunately is still not quite developed all the way defensively (although has improved greatly each of the past 2 seasons, even if fair weather fans are still stuck in their perception of his defensive confusion as a rookie back then) and is the youngest and most inexperienced defensemen not counting whichever AHL jokester we currently have called up (Engelland, Lovejoy, or Hutchinshit), so he gets the 3rd line pairing with that rotating person, which means less chemistry and less ice time. Hes also been demoted from 2nd to 3rd in the PP d-man rotation since a terrible pinch on the point vs Boston a month ago, so that cuts into ice time and offensive oppurtunities.

As for talent, Goligoski is better than Letang at skating - if that was your only game seeing them since they both took their big strides this year, I can see why you'd think Letang is better but Goligoski is very fast and can make very impressive cuts or long sweeping turns. Hes very slippery, other teams have an extremely hard time forechecking him once he recovers it in our end and he sorta bounces off checks like a tiny running back slips off tackles. I remember one time he was in the corner and about to get sandwiched from a guy coming down from the faceoff circle and another one pursuing around from behind the net and at the last second, with his face to the boards, pushed off with 1 foot and jumped backwards between the closing space between the two defenders and they ran into each other, he picked up the puck, and began bringing it up ice.

Undisputably, Goligoski is the better shot but he has no slapper. Its all wrist shots with him, but he fires it like a laser guided missile. So Al MacInnis, no. Scott Stevens? Hes a shrimp and rarely checks (although can muscle decently around the net due to his leverage and being able to get under people's center of mass), so not Scott Stevens-ish either. Paul Coffey would be the closest of the three, I guess.

As for Orpik, on the second goal, it was initially a 2-on-1 but someone was hustling back at full speed and dove to take away the pass, but Orpik stopped and began to go down like he too was going to take away the puck and that let Zherdev walk in front and pick his spot. I'm still scratching my head as to WTF Orpik was doing there.

[Anton]

Leafs played a fantastic game, reminiscent of the 4-0 start that looked so confident on the ice. They moved quickly, they made fast and smart passes rather than risk turnovers, they bullied Edmonton at both sides of the ice... Reminds me of a day when the Cup was thought to be ours. Final score: 4-1

The veterans came up big tonight. Giguere played a solid game, Phaneuf made it to the scoresheet for the first time, Grabovski was everywhere doing everything, and the team responded well to it. Passing % skyrocketed. Perfect PK. 2/4 on the PP. Hall got his bell rung repeatedly. Even Fuckface got an assist.

Good return to form, how long until we forget how to do this? Calgary on Thursday

[Ishido]

Lebda has a point! Give that man a raise and extension!

[Palin]

Leafs played a fantastic game, reminiscent of the 4-0 start that looked so confident on the ice. They moved quickly, they made fast and smart passes rather than risk turnovers, they bullied Edmonton at both sides of the ice... Reminds me of a day when the Cup was thought to be ours. Final score: 4-1

The veterans came up big tonight. Giguere played a solid game, Phaneuf made it to the scoresheet for the first time, Grabovski was everywhere doing everything, and the team responded well to it. Passing % skyrocketed. Perfect PK. 2/4 on the PP. Hall got his bell rung repeatedly. Even Fuckface got an assist.

Good return to form, how long until we forget how to do this? Calgary on Thursday

Just gonna make a WILD speculation that you'll fall behind to Calgary then battle back to win in OT. The Leafs nation will rejoice and plan the parade until you face a team who knows how to actually play the game and then you'll lose 3 straight.

[Chips]

Lebda has a point! Give that man a raise and extension!

If Lebda gets an extension, I cease being a Leafs fan. Also, good to see Giguere play a solid game for once.

[Palin]

Also I think Sepukku is the most pessimistic fan I've ever seen of a team coming off a 12 game win streak. I like it sir!

[Flarega]

He just angry cause jonathan quick sting dey ass.