EQF (1) Pittsburgh Penguins vs (8) New York Islanders (Penguins win 4-2).

[bubbsy]

after this year and last year's playoff performances can we please take the "elite goaltender" tag off fleury? The guy can be a flat out disaster.

i thought i'd be all over the pens bandwagon for Iggy, but i think tavares has just been unreal so far, and find myself totally rooting for the underdog on this one.

[Erick Estrada]

Originally Posted by bubbsy

after this year and last year's playoff performances can we please take the "elite goaltender" tag off fleury? The guy can be a flat out disaster.

i thought i'd be all over the pens bandwagon for Iggy, but i think tavares has just been unreal so far, and find myself totally rooting for the underdog on this one.

Has he ever been considered truly elite? He's always been associated with elite due to where he was drafted and that one season when he won a cup but has he ever really played consistently at that level? Has he ever been one of those guys that immediatley comes to mind when the league's top goaltenders are brought up? I don't think so. Personally if you put him on the Flames he probably wouldn't look a lot better than Joey MacDonald. Probably time the Penguins started looking at upgrading the position as it would be unfortunate to waist the prime years of Malkin and Crosby with substandard playoff goaltending.

[Erick Estrada]

Originally Posted by zamler

One of MAF's better save attempts. Seriously he let in worse lol.

What goaltending school teaches that kind of positioning? I can't explain it as it's truly bizarre as he's facing behind the net. How does a former Stanley Cup winning goaltender put himself in that position as you won't find amateur goaltenders playing out of position like that.

[gargamel]

Originally Posted by loob job

Am i missing something here? If the Pens get beat out the first round our pick from them is no. 22. If the Blues get past the first round then the pens pick will be ahead of the blues. If the blues lose in the first round and montreal loses (which it looks like) then the Blues pick is 20 and the Pens is 22. So all that has to happen for the Pens pick to be better than the blues is blues win first round and pens lose first round.

Teams that lose in either of the first two rounds are all treated the same for draft purposes, so the Penguins pick would be either #25 (if Chicago loses in the first 2 rounds) or #26 (if Chicago makes it to the Conference Finals) if Pittsburgh loses in either round 1 or round 2. The St. Louis pick will only be worse than that if they make the Conference Finals.

[Sainters7]

Originally Posted by bubbsy

i thought i'd be all over the pens bandwagon for Iggy, but i think tavares has just been unreal so far, and find myself totally rooting for the underdog on this one.

Ya me too. Isles are the old man's team so I've always had a soft spot for em, but I thought the Iggy factor, plus me picking the Pens to win the Cup in my paid playoff pool would result in me pulling for Pitt, or at the very least, not caring either way. But I'm finding myself totally pulling for the Isles, especially the past couple games. The fact a Pens choke would snag us a better draft pick helps too.

What a fun series, I'd say its even in the ballpark of Pittsburgh-Philly last year.

[2macinnis2]

Watching this series has definitely has helped I think shed a lot of light as to why the Flames had been so underwhelming for so long... basically since the lockout.

Iginla was supposed to be our best player (and leader)??

[JohnnyB]

Originally Posted by 2macinnis2

Watching this series has definitely has helped I think shed a lot of light as to why the Flames had been so underwhelming for so long... basically since the lockout.

Iginla was supposed to be our best player (and leader)??

Well, that's being awfully unfair to the player Iggy was. He's not that player anymore, though he still has the skills to make some nice plays.

[Erick Estrada]

Originally Posted by 2macinnis2

Watching this series has definitely has helped I think shed a lot of light as to why the Flames had been so underwhelming for so long... basically since the lockout.

Iginla was supposed to be our best player (and leader)??

Not entirely fair considering Iginla's age and he was our best player for most of those years and just got overly burdened by lack of young up and coming players to pass the torch. I will say though that even I am shocked as how fast he's declined over the past couple of years given that he keeps himself in such good shape. He's not very impressive 5 on 5 at all.

[Mathalete]

It's not all about numbers, but he is one point off the league lead in playoff scoring.

And while he is not the player that he was in 2004, he is still a very valuable contributor to a team like Pittsburgh.

[JD]

Last night I thought Iggy was looking a little bit lazy in his own zone. At least one case where he was 5 feet from the guy that taps a puck in. No surprise, as he's played that way for the Flames for at least 5 years now. It's just disappointing to see him do it when he has this amazing opportunity to get his Cup. Offensively, he looks really good and has made some strong plays down low. Of course, none of this matters if Malkin and Letang keep throwing the puck back at the Isles. Those guys have been giveaway machines!

It's definitely easy to cheer for the Islanders. They remind me a lot of the way the Flames played in 2004... speedy forecheck, simply overwhelming the team that supposedly has more skill. And then there's the fans... just awesome so far. Those are what hockey fans look like! Beers in hand, jersey on back, screaming their lungs out. The atmosphere comes across so well on TV, can't imagine what it must be like in person. Well, maybe I would imagine it to be like the Saddledome in 2004.

[Flamenspiel]

Well it's pretty clear that Vokoun should be playing the next game

[t0rrent98]

Fleury and Price... the next Luongo. Always chokes during the playoffs...

[Phanuthier]

I think now that it looks like Pittsburg isn't the favourite to win the cup, I hoping for the Isles to take this and get the better draft pick. Its either cup or draft pick for me, and sorry Iggy but I don't think you'll be getting a cup on this team. Should have picked Boston.

[The Yen Man]

The Pens better hope Vokoun can step up, because they're not winning a cup with Fleury. Even if they make it out of the first round, I just can't see them going further with that type of goaltending.

[flamesfever]

I've always felt that winning the SC is from 50 to 75% goaltending.

[jhunt223]

Originally Posted by Mathalete

It's not all about numbers, but he is one point off the league lead in playoff scoring.

And while he is not the player that he was in 2004, he is still a very valuable contributor to a team like Pittsburgh.

His playoff point totals are in no way indicative of his play so far. I don't know if he just isn't trying, is just too old, is distracted by other things in his life or what, but he looks weak and so so slow. I guess it's not really his fault, but it's just so frustrating to watch since we always hear about how he's in such amazing shape. How exactly do they determine what kind of shape he is in? By checking out his bod during the pre season?

[puckluck2]

Originally Posted by jhunt223

His playoff point totals are in no way indicative of his play so far. I don't know if he just isn't trying, is just too old, is distracted by other things in his life or what, but he looks weak and so so slow. I guess it's not really his fault, but it's just so frustrating to watch since we always hear about how he's in such amazing shape. How exactly do they determine what kind of shape he is in? By checking out his bod during the pre season?

20 minute session with Bronzel.

[Tinordi]

Originally Posted by jhunt223

His playoff point totals are in no way indicative of his play so far. I don't know if he just isn't trying, is just too old, is distracted by other things in his life or what, but he looks weak and so so slow. I guess it's not really his fault, but it's just so frustrating to watch since we always hear about how he's in such amazing shape. How exactly do they determine what kind of shape he is in? By checking out his bod during the pre season?

Interesting how perspective changes things. Iginla's looked that way for the past two seasons at least.

[bluloc]

Originally Posted by puckluck2

You couldn't care less about Iginla yet you go out of your way to say "suck it Iginla".

Heat of the moment. Just happy that they lost. I'm sure Jaromes feelings weren't hurt by it.

[bubbsy]

vokoun confirmed starter for pens next game.