Game Thread Game 6: THE WE WILL NOT GO DOWN WITHOUT A FIGHT GAME

The kings did a lot of crazy comebacks on their way to their cups. Who was the guy behind their bench?

 

No thanks on Ruff. Don't really love Sutter either. I think AV will be here anyway, so no point in really analyzing.

 

At the end of the day the players blew the games. Just as they did on ur SCF. Go back to game 1 of the SCF when D.Moore whiffed on a wide open net on a pass from MSL. That would have made that game 3-0 and maybe they hold on. Same crap this year (last year they got killed) with 6on 5 play. The series should have been over in 5. AV will be here next year hopefully they can add a piece

 

Ultimately the team needs a go to player. As they are they are a good support it cast. Take a chance on Kovalchuk who might have one last good season in him as a vet player. Atleast the guy is a threat on the PP... 3-39 lol

 

Hard to see Shero dealing him here unless you gave them a boatload. I'm not sure they can even afford him at say 5m with the RFA and defenseman situation. I wouldn't be surprised if he ends up staying in NJ.

 

I would stay away from guys like Kovalchuk as far as possible. They need to revamp the d and get guys who can play a two way game. That should be a priority. Kovalchuk does not play any defense.

 

Kovalchuck on the rangers makes way too much sense. He certainly would improve the nonexistent power play that cost you this series. But there's noway shero would deal him to the rangers to help them win the cup.

 

The PP did not cost us this series. We lost game 2 scoring 5 goals. We lost game 5 scoring 4 goals. Those were the two games that decided the series. We scored 9 goals combined. O was not the issue in this series, as it usually is in our playoff L's.

That doesn't mean we don't need to improve the PP or need a scorer, just means we didn't lose this series because of the PP or O.

 

I don't know, i mean 3/39 is pretty darn awful, and even one goal out of that 6 min in the 1st period and the momentum changes completely imo. It acts as a drain and gives the other team life. Next thing you know its 2 zip and a major climb.

 

PP was awful. They scored 1 goal against Montreal...did it cost us that series...NOPE.

And again we scored NINE...NINE...NINE goals in the two most important games in this series...NINE.

We are having two discussions here. Do we need to be better on the PP in general...YES YES YES. Did the PP cost us this series against Ottawa...NO NO NO.

Two separate points.

And game 6 was not where this series was lost. I know that is the easy game to focus on because it was the last game, and yes in GAME 6 the PP cost us, but we did not lose the series because of it. We lost the series in games 2 & 5, and because of awful personnel decisions by AV late in those games, and awful execution by the players late in those games, and Hank allowed 4 or 5 soft goals in those two games combined.

THAT is why we lost the series, not the PP.

 

I will disagree in that the pathetic PP cost them as not only did they not score but they allowed Ottawa to gain confidence in killing the penalties and which allows them not to worry about questionable calls...they know they can get away with more because the p.o. can kill them

 

3 or 4 pp goals dispersed throughout that series and they probably are now on the winning end. One of the bad losses probably dosen't happen, and maybe they end up winning games 1 or 6. So at least if the pp is not god awful it's probably enough to have them at worst playing tomorrow night.

 

If Gorton pulls the trigger and jettisons AV which would be the right move and contract extension means nothing as we saw with torts situation I'd like to see Messier who was interested in the job before they chose AV become the new coach if he's still interested and bring with him graves and leetch as his assistants. If AV back it will be the same shit again watching over rated veterans at the end of each game blowing leads along with no defense and an invisible power play.

 

i beg to differ about the power play not being a factor.

sure you got past the habs with only 1ppg but when push came to shove your down a goal in the third you get a power play and do nothing with it? thats when it comes up short and it really stings. what were the rangers last night 0-4? you lose a game by 1 goal and go 0-4 on the power play. thats huuuuuge!

 

All fair. I will disagree with you guys in terms of its affect on this series overall.

We led for 180 minutes, Ottawa led for 13 minutes, games 1-5. We pretty much dominated or worst case totally controlled games 1-5, yet trailed 3-2 in the series.
We scored 5 goals in game 2. We scored 4 goals in game 5.
We led game 2 by two goals with 3:19 left and blew it late and lost in OT.
We led game 5 by one goal with 1:19 left and blew it late and lost in OT.
This series was absolutely lost in games 2 & 5 not game 6.

So when I look at that list it is hard to say the PP is what cost us the series. I mean sure we could have scored 7 goals in games 2 & 5, but I am pretty sure we'd all feel good with 5 and 4 goals in those games, and leads very late.

But again I really think we are talking about different things. We disagree that the PP is the reason, or even a main reason, we lost this series. That doesn't change the fact AT ALL that the PP was horrific and needs to be improved BIG TIME. Also I would agree last night in game 6 the PP was a killer. I agree in that one game. I simply don't agree on the series as a whole. I would go through a long list of reasons why we lost this series before I got to the PP. On the list for game 6 specifically, the PP would be near the top.