Capitals/Penguins Head-to-Head
The fantastic Seth Rorabaugh at the Post-Gazette's Empty Netters blog saved me a lot of work has the individual numbers from the season series between the Caps and Pens. It's a different Pens team now, to be sure... but it's the same Pens goalie.
10 months ago
J.P.
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Interesting numbers. It looks like Crosby and Malkin should be benched with Garon being the starting goalie. Brooks Laich is going to destroy MAF. You read it here first.
by zephyr on Apr 29, 2009 10:40 AM EDT reply actions 0 recs
Apparently a penguins fan thinks along the same lines you do…
Wintermute wrote: Based on those stats, the Pens should totally start Garon in net and sit Crosby and Malkin.
by Yoshietree on Apr 29, 2009 10:41 AM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
I think that’s the only reasonable course of action to take. Hopefully the rookie coach is smart enough to do so.
Japers' Rink: Hockey blogging from the most powerful city in the world
by J.P. on Apr 29, 2009 10:46 AM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
Well, obviously. Dan Bylsma will lose all of the respect he’s built up with his team if he doesn’t do the responsible thing, and sit out those clearly underachieving players. They’re a clear detriment to the team’s philopshy of not sucking, and if he plays them, it will be a disgrace to the game we all know and love.
by DrinkingPartner on Apr 29, 2009 11:24 AM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
I mean the numbers make easy conclusions…haha. Didn’t see he posted the exact same thing I thought, oh well…
by zephyr on Apr 29, 2009 10:56 AM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
The numbers look typical for a small sample size. I think the most intriguing numbers were the big minues in front of some of the Pens, but also that Max Talbot was +2. He may be their version of Callahan and bears watching despite his reputation. Matt Bradley is from the same cloth as those two… should be interesting.
And yeah, they shouldn’t play Malkin at all (pleasepleaseplease…he’s scary good.)
Let's go Caps!
by MikeL-Caps on Apr 29, 2009 10:47 AM EDT reply actions 0 recs
I would rather face MAF than Garon – Garon is an unknown, and who knows what might happen? MAF is a mediocre goalie who can shine when his defense keeps the other team’s offense to a minimum. I see the Caps lighting his ass up.
I'm so sick and tired of the refs explaining the calls like this is the NFL.
by Whiter Mage on Apr 29, 2009 10:49 AM EDT reply actions 0 recs
How is Garon an unknown? He’s probably let up 500-600 goals in his NHL career and has been in decline the past few years.
There should be plenty of video to go through on him.
by zephyr on Apr 29, 2009 11:00 AM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
He’s a relative unknown to these Caps. Also, he catches right, which has seemingly been a problem in the past to Caps shooters. I’m not really too worried about it, because 1 – he’s mediocre and 2 – he’ll only see ice the same way Valiquette did.
I'm so sick and tired of the refs explaining the calls like this is the NFL.
by Whiter Mage on Apr 29, 2009 11:12 AM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
Ahh gotcha. I agree with Yoshi though he’s the Pens number 1 thick and thin.
by zephyr on Apr 29, 2009 11:32 AM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
It’s a moot point though. The chances of the Caps facing anyone other than MAF are beyond slim to none.
by Yoshietree on Apr 29, 2009 11:13 AM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
Garon couldn’t hold MAF’s jock, nor should he try to. Why are we even talking about this? Garon playing = series over.
Russian Machine Never Breaks
by macvechkin on Apr 29, 2009 3:21 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
We were talking about it as a joke =D because his SV% is 100% against the Caps.
by zephyr on Apr 29, 2009 4:26 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
My bad! I thought someone was seriously implying the Pens could/should consider Garon and that he’d be a tougher get than MAF. :-)
Russian Machine Never Breaks
by macvechkin on Apr 29, 2009 4:29 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
Garon playing = series over.
Just like we all thought that if Theo wasn’t starting the Caps hopes were over!!!!
by Fehr and Balanced on Apr 29, 2009 8:53 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
Slight difference between a Garon and a Varly.
And yes I was one of the one’s veheently opposed to bringing Varly in unless the series was all but over.
by Yoshietree on Apr 29, 2009 11:39 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
Might want to ask the Flyers about how good MAF is. I didn’t see the game, but he nearly put up 50 saves one night last series. He must have done something right.
The Caps have lit him up before, and he’s not Lundqvist, but he can play and has been good in the playoffs.
by grapejoos on Apr 30, 2009 12:16 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
I’d rather have seen PIT in the ECF but I don’t mind facing them now. You know the Caps will come out fired up in every game because they never lie down for PIT. The Caps won’t be the favorites either so they’ll play with the underdog mentality rather than the “we got this in the bag” mentality that leads to problems. MAF played well for PIT in a couple games but he also had some bad games. If Jeff Carter doesn’t pull a Nikolai Zherdev disappearing act then that series goes at least 7.
by Fehr and Balanced on Apr 29, 2009 11:03 AM EDT reply actions 0 recs
I’d rather have seen PIT in the ECF but I don’t mind facing them now.
That was kind of my thought as well…but with the emotional high the Caps are going to be on, I can’t think of a better time to bring the Guins into DC.
by Yoshietree on Apr 29, 2009 11:16 AM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
I see Fleury as a pretty typical NHL starting goalie. He’s good, and can be spectacular at the top of his game, but he’s also beatable. He’s like a Marty Turco or Nikolai Khabibulin. At his best, he can be scary, but he’s neither always at his best nor scary.
That being said, the Caps have been beaten in series by Penguins’ certain future hall-of-famers named Ron Tugnutt, Ken Wregget and Johan Hedberg, so anything can happen.
by katzistan on Apr 29, 2009 11:07 AM EDT reply actions 1 recs
Fleury stole at least one game that I saw versus the Flyers. He’s not as consistently good as Lundqvist is, but he can be brilliant at times. He can also be a sieve, of course.
IIRC, he was quite good last year during their playoff run, right up until the REd Wings showed up. Then he reverted to borderline ordinary/kinda sievish play.
You know what I’m hoping for, personally.
by fat_daddyo on Apr 29, 2009 11:22 AM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
Fleury was pretty good against the Red Wings, too, .923 save percentage and 2.51 GAA.
by David M. Getz on Apr 29, 2009 11:35 AM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
Huh, I did not realize his numbers were that good. Those are respectable stats.
My impression was he let in some bad ones during the course of the series – but that’s all it is, an impression.
I think he’s going to be pretty good for the Pens during the series.
by fat_daddyo on Apr 29, 2009 11:40 AM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
I agree with FD. His numbers were fine but he let in some awful goals that were very costly. Hudler (maybe Filpula) backhand shortside over the glove was a terrible goal against. So was the series clinching goal that he put in on himself. The whole playoffs I thought the PIT D did a very good job at keeping shots to the outside. I don’t think he was tested all that much. You can’t argue with his numbers but I think there is more to the story.
by Fehr and Balanced on Apr 29, 2009 11:53 AM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
Neat, Washington v. Pittsburgh in the NHL and AHL. Hadn’t even made that connection until just now…
by DrinkingPartner on Apr 29, 2009 11:32 AM EDT reply actions 0 recs
I noticed that last night. Scary how closely attached Washington and Hershey are, isn’t it?
"It is better to die on your feet than to live on your knees." - Delores Ibarruri
by gotsparkly on Apr 29, 2009 12:00 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
After the soap opera that was the Washington-NY series, I was hoping for a nice hockey-only matchup against the Devils. Now it’s going to be Days of Our Lives on steroids for the next two weeks. And of course, all the local Penguin fans who will start crawling out from under the sink. OTOH, we will get to see this a few hundred times.
by b.orr4 on Apr 29, 2009 11:46 AM EDT reply actions 0 recs
The Devils would've been Rangers Part 2
Meaning some ugly games, suffocating defense, and a world-class goaltender. Our styles don’t match up well.
Pittsburgh, on the other hand, is an ideal match-up. Of course they’re scary and good BUT we always play better with more uptempo teams…also, we’ve seen throughout the season that the Caps always play UP to the competition while playing DOWN to the lesser teams. Our big players love the big stage, and there’s no bigger stage at this point than a series against Pittsburgh. No stinkers this round, I can feel it. Not saying we’re gonna walk away with it, but I see a more consistent all-around effort.
It’s often been said, a true Cup contender usually faces its hardest hurdle in that first round. Although it gave me great agita and nervous moments, I am glad that we had to eke out a tough 7-game series rather than have a ho-hum sweep like Boston. We were all concerned about the lackadaisical play towards the end of the year, no sense of urgency, etc. That series certainly woke us up (one would hope)… we faced adversity, we overcame it, and we’re going into this series with the right frame of mind.
by DonnieKnutts on Apr 29, 2009 12:15 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs
You gotta watch more NJD this year. This ain’t the late 90’s Devils. I can’t blame you for not watching CAR/NJD since it was head to head with the Caps but that series was back and forth offensive hockey the whole time. Considering the relative offensive depth and the fact that Brodeur was human for most of that series I would prefer NJD.
by Fehr and Balanced on Apr 29, 2009 8:55 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
Is anyone else here still simply stunned that we’re in the 2nd round? God, what an amazing team we have.
by DrinkingPartner on Apr 29, 2009 12:24 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs
Yes, still stunned
I had this terrible feeling that somehow Avery would get the GWG and I’d take the image of him celebrating in front of our bench as a scarring memory to the grave. Longtime Caps fans know to expect the worst, and that was the absolute worst scenario possible. The last five minutes of the game last night were electric. When the final horn sounded I literally yelled at the top of my lungs. What a feeling.
by DonnieKnutts on Apr 29, 2009 12:28 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
The Caps beat a team with no offense in seven games. Amazing might be a bit strong, but a great comeback and a great feeling nonetheless.
Sorry, don’t mean to piss in anyone’s Cheerios, but if the Caps are as happy to be in the second round as we are for them to be, they’ll be smoked by the Pens.
Japers' Rink: Hockey blogging from the most powerful city in the world
by J.P. on Apr 29, 2009 12:33 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
I think a lot of the happiness is because the team came back like they did last year, but changed the result, thus earning redemption.
by Ovechwin on Apr 29, 2009 12:51 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
I agree. Standings and regular season meetings do not mean as much when it comes to the playoffs. Even in the NFL, we saw the Giants who were hot at the end of the season and in the playoffs beat the undefeated NE team. The Pens and Canes seem to have the “hot stick” right now.
With that being said, I totally beleive the Caps play to their opponents level. I am not sure why, but they lost games to the Panthers (blown out), the Thrashers, and the Kings that had me scartching my head. Then they make Boston look silly at times and beat Detroit. I think the rivalry and emotions will carry the Caps game to another level and not let the Pens dictate the game like the Rangers did last night.
by CapsFan on Apr 29, 2009 1:05 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
Yeah, the hot Giants beat the Pats, but this year the Steelers were consistent over the entire season, had to play a lot of very good teams, prevailed, and won the Super Bowl. I’d rather see the Caps take the latter route. They were great against good teams all year and they were relatively consistent all season.
by Fehr and Balanced on Apr 29, 2009 8:57 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
The Caps beat a team with great Defense in seven games, too, JP. There’s no other goalie left in the playoffs like Lundqvist in the East, regardless of Thomas’ Vezina nod.
I’m not nearly as afraid of the Caps not scoring against the Pens as we became in this last series.
by DrinkingPartner on Apr 29, 2009 1:09 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
“…became of the Rangers in this last….”
by DrinkingPartner on Apr 29, 2009 1:10 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
However…that Vezina nod is in part based on superior TEAM defense, which the Bruins are just as good at, probably better.
Russian Machine Never Breaks
by macvechkin on Apr 29, 2009 3:22 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
The Pens gave up a lot of chances to PHI. If MAF doesn’t stand on his head and Jeff Carter doesn’t go invisible that is a different series. The Caps should get more offensive chances than they saw the last 7 games. Let’s hope they bury them.
by Fehr and Balanced on Apr 29, 2009 8:58 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
‘zactly. Any celebration in that locker room of ’not screwing the pooch’ that goes beyond this afternoon is a certain recipe for another 3-1 deficit.
Russian Machine Never Breaks
by macvechkin on Apr 29, 2009 3:24 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
Yeah, I’m putting a personal (and perhaps blog-wide) moratorium on celebrating Round 1 as of tomorrow morning. There’s work to be done.
Japers' Rink: Hockey blogging from the most powerful city in the world
by J.P. on Apr 29, 2009 3:29 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
Weren’t we all expecting a first round win? And saying the season was a disappointment if we lost in the first round? Why should we be celebrating excessively? I’m happy we finished a 1-3 come from behind series win but we really shouldn’t have had to do that. We need to keep the momentum and the effort going or I’m going to be just as mad a week from now as i was a week ago.
by Fehr and Balanced on Apr 29, 2009 9:00 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
Right. That’s my point.
Japers' Rink: Hockey blogging from the most powerful city in the world
by J.P. on Apr 29, 2009 10:31 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
Lets hope the team gets over it quick, cause I sure won’t.
12 more!
by snowburnt on Apr 29, 2009 12:51 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
Oddly? I already have. I’m already thinking about the Pens more than about having won. I guess my attitude is awesome, we won, that was fun and LOUD. Next!
"It is better to die on your feet than to live on your knees." - Delores Ibarruri
by gotsparkly on Apr 29, 2009 12:56 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
It took so much restraint to avoid all scores and watch that game on DVR. My wife said “how can you not just go look up the final score”. 2 minutes later Fedorov scored and i went nuts. i replied to her “Because I wouldn’t feel like this if I had just looked up the final score online”. What a great win and feeling!
by sincitycapsfan on Apr 29, 2009 12:29 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs
Are my eyes deceiving me? Are all of our players listed really even or + in +/-? Considering how much we score on power plays, and how our high octane offense sometimes creates huge holes in our defense, I am shocked by there not being any negatives there.
by HateOffSeason on Apr 29, 2009 2:28 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs
The Caps really dominated the Pens this year. It was a lot of fun (but means nothing now).
by Scott in Shaw on Apr 29, 2009 2:30 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
I get that, but the caps have done so much scoring on the power play this year that there were a lot of games which we won 6-4 etc…where there wasn’t a plus player out there.
We must not have only dominated Pitt in general, but also specifically in 5v5…which is a very good thing.
by HateOffSeason on Apr 29, 2009 2:59 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
Yeah but you have to take the Penguins PP into account also…they only scored 11 goals in the 4 games against the Caps (12 if you count the shoot out victory). Of those 11, 6 of them were on the PP (they were 25% against the Caps)..that says a few things me…1) The Caps are going to have to be very good on the PK, 2) 5-on-5 play was pretty good in the defensive zone and 3) The Caps are going to have to stay out of the box.
by Yoshietree on Apr 29, 2009 3:50 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
I’m extremely concerned about the PK after playing against a junior varsity power play for the past two weeks. We can’t be taking penalties Must stay out of box.
Russian Machine Never Breaks
by macvechkin on Apr 29, 2009 3:55 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
Just remember that the way in which we win is of no consequence, only that we win.
by DrinkingPartner on Apr 29, 2009 4:28 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
Only meant that it was a major step up in class…and also taking a parting shot at the Rags PP.
Russian Machine Never Breaks
by macvechkin on Apr 29, 2009 4:31 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
Pens power play looked awful against the flyers too
by snowburnt on Apr 29, 2009 5:14 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
…and our D (especially the low pair) has looked better than it looked all year.
by Fehr and Balanced on Apr 29, 2009 9:02 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
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Southeast Standings
| GP | W | L | OTL | PT | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Washington
|
70 | 47 | 14 | 9 | 103 |
|
Atlanta
|
69 | 29 | 29 | 11 | 69 |
|
Tampa Bay
|
69 | 28 | 29 | 12 | 68 |
|
Florida
|
68 | 28 | 30 | 10 | 66 |
|
Carolina
|
69 | 28 | 33 | 8 | 64 |
(updated 3.18.2010 at 9:02 AM EDT)
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