2008 Stanley Cup goes to...

[Bengal]

Looks like more of the same in Game 2. I'm not seeing any intensity from the Pens at all. Maybe they can pick it up in the 2nd period. Doesn't look good when your first shot on goal is more than half way through the period though.

[thetroy]

They have time to make a game of this one. It's looking closer now.

[Bengal]

They may have got better looks in the 2nd, but did nothing with them. They really need to turn it on now. This is a very important game in the series for both teams.

[Bengal]

3-0. Ouch. Looking pretty tough for the Pens at this point. They really needed this game, just didn't have the drive.

It's hard to go against Detroit. They have them so far in defense, Detroit is killing them there. Strange since the Pens were/are a great defensive team. They just haven't been this series.

That last "hit" on Osgood which caused all the Rabble-Rabble was a good piece of acting by Ozzie. You have to love or hate that about him, he is a good actor.

[thetroy]

Another shutout!

I was surprised to see Datsyuk actually take a penalty. It was also fun to see him swinging at Roberts near the end - he put Roberts on his ass!

[Rupe]

Not to take anything away from Detroit as they are playing great hockey but the Pens just don't look good. The Wings could probably leave a cardboard goalie cutout in net since the Pens can't seem get off any shots that don't hit the boards or glass.

I think Osgood was nominated for an Emmy after that performance at the end.

[Bengal]

Rupe,
I agree with you on both points. The Pens look slow, slower than they've been all playoffs. And Ozzie is a good actor.

[goodwood]

The Penguins are being outplayed in every facet of the game. I am usually a Roberts fan but him taking head shots at people is completely classless. I laughed at Osgood's acting...the funniest part about it is the press asks people like Crosby about it...yeah, Crosby the alternate on the Olympic diving team.

The Penguins can still make a series of this but it will be difficult. Playing on their home ice will be a big boost for them. Here's the big statement though: right now they are embarrassing themselves by what they are saying in the media and their on ice play is embarrassing as well. Right now they are not in a winning mindset and that can get a lot worse if they don't do an 'about face' right now. Suddenly, a beacon of light shines brightly on their WEAK first opponent...their below par second opponent and their beat-up third opponent.

The best team that either of these teams faced is Dallas...and I think that Dallas would have also beat Pittsburgh in a seven game series...but that is out of the equation now.

I had picked Detroit in 5 games way back in the beginning of the third round...I still think that Pittsburgh has the talent to win a game or two...the talent on that team cannot be completely shut down can it?

[atomic charvel guy]

owned, in every area of the game. Detroit is a lot better than everyone thought, President's trophy and all.
I still think Crosby looks like that Napolean Dynamite guy with his rabbit teeth-lol
Malkin and Hossa were completely shut down, i haven't seen the Pesky Penguins get that kind of a thrashing in a while.

[nor]

Credit the coaching of Detroit - making my Pens look like a pick-up team...

[atomic charvel guy]

have to meet the opposition at the red line not the blue line and good things always seem to happen.
Flippalooper's (sp.-lol) goal to make it 3-0 was like an Ovechkin -Bobby Orr special

[CharvelRocker]

Detroit is doing what the Flyers SHOULD of done. They're giving a 110% on the ice and roughing up the Pens. I also think the Penguins are a bit of a cocky team anyway when you factor in Fleury, Crosby, and Malkin. Speaking of Malkin, he hasn't been the same since getting decked in Game one of the Flyers series. Nagging injury maybe? He's not getting the chances, his shots haven't been great, and in game one he would of not of normally gotten robbed of the puck.

Hossa is... Hossa. I've noticed the past couple years he's been really streaky, which could be why he is turning into a journeyman. I used to like his style of play and be impressed. Meanwhile, I think Crosby is a good team player, but he doesn't scream captain like Roberts or someone with experience and guts. He makes the people around him better, like Gretzky, but I don't think "Sid the Kid" is the one to lead your team.

I think Detroit though is also proving why experience is so important. They're always in the right place at the right time, they're smart, and they just have a great grasp of the game and how to bring it. The Pens are not out of it though. If they can bring a good game and at least have a close Game 3, they'll be in it by the skin of their teeth. The Pens are a good team, but they have some serious holes in their personnel, and the fact they can barely muster 2 lines of scoring is hurting them as well I think.

[goodwood]

Flippalooper's (sp.-lol) goal to make it 3-0 was like......Bobby Orr special

That's exactly what I thought when he went horizontal in the air!!

[goodwood]

Detroit is doing what the Flyers SHOULD of done. They're giving a 110% on the ice and roughing up the Pens.

The big issue there is that Philly didn't have the defense that Detroit has. The Detroit defense is the best, and people will say it is the best but they do it quietly all year long and into the playoffs. Zetterberg and Datsyiuk and Frantzen all getting the press coverage and the D keeps standing tall. Nobody ever talkls about D unless they are scoring goals or making hits. The hits are a one time headline and the only thing that will keep them in the limelight is if they are scoring significantly. Nobody heard of Green (Washington) until the playoffs even though he led the NHL in goals for a D man. If he would have had 40-45 then people would have heard more often. So...the point is that it all comes down to personnel.

I also think the Penguins are a bit of a cocky team anyway when you factor in Fleury, Crosby, and Malkin. Speaking of Malkin, he hasn't been the same since getting decked in Game one of the Flyers series. Nagging injury maybe? He's not getting the chances, his shots haven't been great, and in game one he would of not of normally gotten robbed of the puck.

I think they are cocky for sure. Malkin shut down? Like someone hit the 'off' switch. He's like a Marshall tube stack...on 'bypass'...lots of expectations but nothing coming out of it.

Hossa is... Hossa. I've noticed the past couple years he's been really streaky, which could be why he is turning into a journeyman. I used to like his style of play and be impressed.

Hossa was big in the regular season while he was in Ottawa and then he'd get nothing in the playoffs. Ottawa had other troubles years ago with high priced deadweight like Yashin...who knows what happened to that team halfway through this year?

Meanwhile, I think Crosby is a good team player, but he doesn't scream captain like Roberts or someone with experience and guts. He makes the people around him better, like Gretzky, but I don't think "Sid the Kid" is the one to lead your team.

Crosby is still so young that he could morph into anything so I certainly wouldn't count him out. I saw less diving from him this season so maybe he's turning the corner. I agree that he doesn't scream captain (or leader) but the one thing that doesn't add up with him is - look how calm and soft spoken he is off the ice...then look at the full blast WHINE on the ice. I can't stand that. I don't recall when the NHL got full of these people but a few years ago it just seemed like a sudden shift. I hate that. Look...calls don't get reversed...be a man...go out and do what it takes...crying doesn't help.

The Pens are a good team, but they have some serious holes in their personnel, and the fact they can barely muster 2 lines of scoring is hurting them as well I think.

Back to personnel...AND coaching...I think they had 4 strong lines prior to meeting Detroit. Also Detroit is displaying a lot of discipline...difficult to get all of those power plays when there aren't that many penalties. Then when the penalty kill consistently shuts your power play down...that's gotta be a confusing situation for them. To me the Penguins expression on the bench a lot of the times is like "what can we possibly do?"

Steep hill. Very steep. Therien had better come up with a plan. It would be interesting to see Detroit navigating Pittsburgh's trap for a change.

[atomic charvel guy]

Let's not forget that the west is stronger than the east from top to bottom, and the Pens have not seen a team like this yet this season. If they don't win, hell if they don't score 1st in the next game, they are looking up a large mountain to climb because 3-0 is a hole that would not only take the penguins to play out of their tree, but also for detroit to play that badly for them to come back from that deficit. If detroit withstands the onslaught and the first of the power plays that pitt. will get, they could be in the drivers seat. Malone was detrimental with his 4 penalties yesterday, some of them just stupid as they came at times of penguin powerplays. It's no embarrassment to lose to this detroit team, they have impressed the hell out ofme so far. Staal needs to help out more, when you have Gill skating out and just throwing the puck nowhere down the ice that's playing right into detroits hands. Detroit's passing looks like the Pens passing earlier in the playoffs. Tape to tape and long distance, their passes have been unreal along with puck control. People say of the missed opportunites of the Penguins, there's a flip side to that , there were plenty of time where Detroit could have run up the score if not for Fleury. It's not over until someone loses on their home ice. Psyched there's no long wait and the game is tomorrow.