As will the Pens Lundy. First goal is so huge tomorrow night for many reasons... MAF's confidence. The Pens confidence. The fans getting uneasy in the stands. Panic setting in for the Pens. The Pens can start to take stupid penalties and get frustrated. All things that happen if we score first. If they score first it is a way different game as they can relax a little and play with the lead. Plus we have a lot of game 7 experience...they do not. If we score first it realy sets up nicely for us with our game 7 experience and the MO we'd have. HUGE!!!
Momentum isn't really on either side in a game 7, the Rangers have an emotional few wins to get back to this point, but Pitt also can now use the same mindset after dropping two in a row. The pressure may be more on them but it's now even since the Rangers want to complete the job.
As we sit here on gameday I have to admit I don't have a real strong feel for this one either way. Similar to game 7 of the Flyers series, I can see this one going either way. A couple of points on both sides. Pitt's side: 1. They have the 2 best players in the NHL, or worst case 2 of the best 3 or 4 players in the NHL. At anytime both or 1 of those guys can go off and carry the Pens to a win almost singlehandedly. 2. It is not easy to win a game 7 on the road. That is where the home team has the biggest edge IMO...game 7. 3. After poor performances in games 5 & 6, law of averages may say Pitt is due for a big effort tonight. You have to figure they are going to come out on fire to ensure they don't have another start/game like the last two games. Our side: 1. We have a huge edge in goal. Hank is playing some amazing hockey right now. MAF has allowed a few soft goals the past two games. That is a clear edge to us, and in hockey when you have a big edge in goal that is a huge help. We need to pepper MAF with shots and never stop. 2. Just about all the pressure is on the Pens. I know we want to win also, so one can say we have pressure as well, and we do but not close to the pressure the Pens have on them as the fav, with 2 stud players, and being home, and knowing a loss and there could be big changes in Pitt, and having had a 3-1 lead in the series this would be an epic collapse. So they play this game under huge pressure IMO. Will they be tight in front of their crowd? 3. The Pens are on edge. We have seen it the past few games when they have done many stupid things. The Pens are the bullies who take their ball and go home when things don't go their way. They start to play a sloppy undisciplined game when things don't go their way. They get WAY off their game when things don't go their way. And it REALLY hurts them. They are at that point right now, and we have seen it the past two games. Will they fall over the edge in game 7 OR will they right the ship and play with the poise needed in a game 7. 4. We have a huge game 7 experience edge. We are 4-0 since 2012 in game 7's, including one on the road. The Pens have not been great in game 7's since 09 with Cindy and Malkin. Knowing how to play in and win game 7's is a clear edge for us IMO. So put it altogether and I am torn. I do truly feel that the start, and then the first goal, will go a LONG LONG way in determining the winner of this game though. If we can get through the first 7-10 minutes with a lead or tied I think edge goes to us. The longer we play with the lead or tied I think the better chance we have, and the more nervous the Pens and their fans get. So another good start would be huge for us, especially since the Pens have focused on getting out fast after the past 2 games. If we can start fast again the doubt starts early for the Pens. On the flip side, when you have Cindy and Malkin, and they have not played well the past 2 games especially, you wonder if they are due for a big performance in a must win game 7 on home ice. I will sit back and watch and enjoy and see how it goes. Because going in I just don't have a real strong feel either way. I do think we can certainly win, but outside of that I just don't know. We'll see how it goes.
Which ever team comes out and is more physical will win. That's the way this series has gone so far. Would love to see Moore out there for the starting faceoff against Crosby, pestering him from the get go and getting him frustrated right from the start.
Chuck, good analysis but I think your giving the pens too much credit. You were right initially when you thought they are just not that good. They aren't. We are 2-0 with our power forward back in the lineup Mr Kreider beating pens all over the ice and meeting them in the corners with bad intentions. And don't forget the rangers biggest wild card. He wears 61, goes by the name of Nash and will be a big factor tonight IMO.
Actually, I don't think I have given anyone too much credit. Just making some comments in favor of both teams. I think that is pretty fair, and that is what I am trying to be. And we are 2-1 with Kreider. He was in for game 4. And lastly on Nash, sure he can score tonight. But at this point I am certainly not holding my breath. He has been pretty bad the past few games IMO. But I sure would love for him to score tonight. I think it would be HUGE for him and the team. Provide a huge lift. Prior to this series I said if Nash can't score against the Pens he has big issues. Well...
Chuck, game 4 doesn't count as 1 game mulligan to get the rust off. LOL. Nash hasn't scored yet but last few games has been doling out some big hits
i think everyone here knows how much of a homer i am with my game predictions. Tonight I am concerned. Anytime you have a one game winner takes all, what i look at is who has the best player...that is Pittsburgh. Not only do they have the best player between the two teams, they also have the second best player between the two. If Rick Nash plays hard and drives to the net and plays the way he all think he can be..i would still rate him as the third best player. Now we do have an overall edge on the blue line (as long as orpik is definately out), I still worry about Kris Letang. He is a very mobile defensemen that can join the rush with a decent shot. Who are we going to see tonight, the McD of the past two games or the McD that gave up a soft goal when Malkin skated around him? If Ryan can put the pain aside one more night, I am very confident in the defense, if not..if he and Girardi, (with Staal) have an average or below average game, this could be ugly. I am not worried about Hank. He is elite and it all comes down to the guys in front of him, will there be any more deflections off our guys into the net tonight? He will not give up more than 2 tonight. Will MAF be the kind of goalie that showed up pitching back to back shutouts? I highly doubt it. If the Rangers can sustain the pressure and forecheck this Pens team will start turning the puck over, like the past two games. Emotions... High on both sides. I dont buy into one team or another feeling more pressure. Win and you stay, lose and go home, dont care if the game is played in Pittsburgh, NY or Alaska. One thing that has improved with this Ranger squad, the ability to send out 12 forwards and have confidence, that is always the key in a road game. The ability to use ALL 6 dmen also has saved this team. If we can keep Cindy from going nuts we will win....I just dont know.
I agree with a lot of what you said Al. I truthfully do not know either. Torn on this one. Can see either team winning. The fact that they are home, and have the two best position players (Hank may be the biggest weapon/plus in the series) is an edge for Pitt. Plus being home in game 7 is a real big edge. So the Pens have a lot going for them tonight, that's just the truth. We also have a lot going for us. Hank. Game 7 experience. I do think we have less pressure on us due to them blowing a 3-1 lead and the fact that they know a loss tonight and changes are coming in Pitt. Plus we are flat out deeper than Pitt. We can roll 4 lines strong. We can roll 6 dmen strong. Pitt cannot do that. In game 7 on the road that is a big edge for us (double so if Orpik is out...I said before the series that would be a big loss for them as their only physical dman). I think the keys to me are the start/first goal. And getting a lot of shots on MAF. We have to give him chances to allow the typical MAF soft goal. That is huge. We must shoot, shoot, and shoot some more on MAF. Pepper him all game long. Excited for tonight. Great opportunity. One that we should fully embrace.
i think you forgot one thing, the pens are bad at game 7's. we are good, that is a key factor, they could have crosby who has 10 goals in past 42 some odd games but truth be told is he is in a slump compared to his standards ( he usually is above 1 PPG in playoffs and is at .7) He isn't the one im worried about its malkin who IMO is better then crosby. MAF is terrible this is the game where he loses his job moving foward, the pens will lose my guess is 2-1 in OT or regulation, the blame will be on him as it usually is in goalie world he will be replaced next year. I also believe the best player on both sides is HANK, because in a must win game he is the x factor, he can easily steal a game. The main key to the game is turnovers, we can't be that team like in game 4 turning the puck over in the neutral zone over and over and over because that is going to lead into goals by the pens.
MAF is a big key. His sv % in the last 2gms has been under .900 and that's why the Pens didn't win, b/c our goalie stopped his shots but theirs didn't. If his poor play continues in Gm 7, and there's a good chance it will, then we will come ahead as we fully expect Henrik to continue his strong play.
Right, which is why a key to me is getting a lot of shots on MAF. The more shots on him, the more times we make him handle the puck, the higher the chance he pulls a MAF and allows something soft. If we don't make him play the puck/make saves it doesn't matter. And I agree Sleeps...always felt Malkin is a scarier player than Crosby. His size alone makes him a real tough check. He concerns me way more than Cindy.
My point was/is that Crosby IMO is more of a concern because Malkin already is clicking, to add to that would be the end of the rangers season, can't have both have a great game, can survive one of the two. Really need Nash to be Malkin's equal tonight Sent from my Venue 8 3830 using Tapatalk
Neal is the one you have to watch out for in the middle of the ice, he worries me more than the others. The Ranger dmen have to do a solid job just getting pucks out and not fumbling around.
