NHL Play Off Prediction thread
- Thread starter Gil T.Azell
- Start date
I like that the series is tied, but I really won't believe in the team until they win at the Joe.
If neither team loses at home, then the Wings win the Cup.
I was far more impressed with how Detroit played in Pittsburgh than with how Pittsburgh played in Detroit.
I have a little more faith that the Pens may pull this off, now that they tied it. It seems that Dan Bylsma's mixed/juggled lines are now starting to mesh. The Penguins seemed uncomfortable with the line juggling in the first two games, but now they are showing some chemistry.
I think that the Wings -- having older and more experienced players -- are more apt to respond well to the mixing-and-matching of lines. However, with 4 games under their belts, the young inexperienced Pens may have finally adapted and are feeling a bit more comfortable. Playing at home helped, but I think the fact that the Pens had 3 and 4 games' worth of experience with line juggling is also a reason they won the past 2 games.
The other big improvement is in the give-aways...Pittsburgh only had a few bad give-aways in games 3 & 4. Last night (game 4) Detroit looked like Pittsburgh did in the first two games with several really bad give-aways. Rob Scuderi (who otherwise has played very well) had an awful turnover last night, but for the most part the Pens played a much more disciplined game than the Wings. The Wings looked a bit disjointed.
I think that the Wings -- having older and more experienced players -- are more apt to respond well to the mixing-and-matching of lines. However, with 4 games under their belts, the young inexperienced Pens may have finally adapted and are feeling a bit more comfortable. Playing at home helped, but I think the fact that the Pens had 3 and 4 games' worth of experience with line juggling is also a reason they won the past 2 games.
The other big improvement is in the give-aways...Pittsburgh only had a few bad give-aways in games 3 & 4. Last night (game 4) Detroit looked like Pittsburgh did in the first two games with several really bad give-aways. Rob Scuderi (who otherwise has played very well) had an awful turnover last night, but for the most part the Pens played a much more disciplined game than the Wings. The Wings looked a bit disjointed.
If neither team loses at home, then the Wings win the Cup.
I was far more impressed with how Detroit played in Pittsburgh than with how Pittsburgh played in Detroit.
Did you watch the game last night? Detroit looked like an old, tired team that continuously gave up the puck and made mistakes, which is very un-Red Wings. They also gave up 39 shots, many of them great chances - it could have easily been 6-2. The Pens really deserved the win last night, maybe not so much game 3 though.
That Kennedy goal was unreal, tic tac toe, what a pass by Crosby.
If neither team loses at home, then the Wings win the Cup.
I was far more impressed with how Detroit played in Pittsburgh than with how Pittsburgh played in Detroit.
Did you watch the game last night? Detroit looked like an old, tired team that continuously gave up the puck and made mistakes, which is very un-Red Wings. They also gave up 39 shots, many of them great chances - it could have easily been 6-2. The Pens really deserved the win last night, maybe not so much game 3 though.
That Kennedy goal was unreal, tic tac toe, what a pass by Crosby.
That's what pissed me off, they were just being lazy and sloppy as hell. That Zetterberg screw up just shouldn't have happened.
The Red Wings shouldn't have been embarassed like that. They are way better than how they played last night. That was a disgrace.
Not to take anything away from the Pens, they're a good team, but the Wings are better in general and shouldn't be in a tied series right now.
That's exactly why assists are just as important as goals in the personal stat called "scoring".
Ovechkin fans usually scoff at the fact that Crosby's assist-to goal ratio is about 2-to-1, while Ovechkin's is about 1-1...However, an assist like that one last night shows why a great assist can be just as important as scoring a goal.
Tyler Kennedy deserves credit for finishing the deal, but that goal was able to be scored mostly because of that amazing set-up. Crosby's stick was like a billiard table bumper.
And not to take anything away from the Wings, but the Penguins' mistakes (the give-aways) in games 1 and 2 were very uncharacteristic of the Pens, and they should not have been embarrassed like that (actually, the Pens didn't play poorly in much of games 1 & 2, but had too many untimely lapses in discipline).
The disciplined Penguins we saw in games 3 & 4 is more like the team we saw all spring.
If someone thinks the Penguins played to their usual level in game 1 & 2, then that person has not been watching the Pens since Dan Bylsma took over.
Unlike you, I'm not surprised the series is 2-2. I think the Pens and Wings are more evenly matched than many Red Wing fans think. My original prediction was Pens in 6 or Detroit in 7.
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You can't really blame them, the guys on the ice have played a ton of minutes covering for the injured players, and that decision to make the first 2 games back to back was brutal.If neither team loses at home, then the Wings win the Cup.
I was far more impressed with how Detroit played in Pittsburgh than with how Pittsburgh played in Detroit.
Did you watch the game last night? Detroit looked like an old, tired team that continuously gave up the puck and made mistakes, which is very un-Red Wings. They also gave up 39 shots, many of them great chances - it could have easily been 6-2. The Pens really deserved the win last night, maybe not so much game 3 though.
That Kennedy goal was unreal, tic tac toe, what a pass by Crosby.
That's what pissed me off, they were just being lazy and sloppy as hell. That Zetterberg screw up just shouldn't have happened.
The Red Wings shouldn't have been embarassed like that. They are way better than how they played last night. That was a disgrace.
Not to take anything away from the Pens, they're a good team, but the Wings are better in general and shouldn't be in a tied series right now.
They'll probably rebound huge though.
I'd be uncomfortable too, given that Therrien had engaged in game-after-game-after-game of impotent line juggling during his last months. There's a bad psychological connection to it that needs to be broken. Not to speak ill of Therrien, whose solid defensive system Bylsma has built upon rather than replace, but Bylsma has a far better sense of what his players can do and how to get them to work together.
My Prediction...
The winner of tonight's game 5 will be the eventual winner of the cup.
Here's why:
Both teams are in a volatile state right now and anything can happen tonight. However, I think both teams will calm down enough after tonight that the home teams will win game 6 in Pittsburgh and game 7 in Detroit (if necessary).
Therefore, if Pittsburgh wins tonight, I think they will win the cup at home in game 6. If Detroit wins tonight, the Wings will lose game 6 in Pittsburgh, but will then win the cup at home in game 7.
The bottom line is that if the Pens want to have any chance of winning the Cup, they need to capitalize on the relative "disarray" of the Wings and win tonight in Detroit.
The winner of tonight's game 5 will be the eventual winner of the cup.
Here's why:
Both teams are in a volatile state right now and anything can happen tonight. However, I think both teams will calm down enough after tonight that the home teams will win game 6 in Pittsburgh and game 7 in Detroit (if necessary).
Therefore, if Pittsburgh wins tonight, I think they will win the cup at home in game 6. If Detroit wins tonight, the Wings will lose game 6 in Pittsburgh, but will then win the cup at home in game 7.
The bottom line is that if the Pens want to have any chance of winning the Cup, they need to capitalize on the relative "disarray" of the Wings and win tonight in Detroit.
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Huge game tonight. I'm hoping a day off and trip back to Detroit, as well as the return of Datsyuk will help the Wings turn things around. They have some awful giveaways in Game Four, and can't continue to do that if they want to win.
I pretty much agree with what you just said. This whole stanley cup, I've been saying that the Pens need to find a way to win at the Joe. When everyone was saying that this series was over after Detroit won the first two, I was like, they haven't played in Pittsburgh yet. I think this is a bigger game for the Pens than the Wings. If the Pens win, they did manage to keep Detroit down they have all the momentum in the world for Game 6. If they don't, than winning this series might be near impossible. Even if they did when game 6, doesn't detroit have an absolutely outrageous record to close out series'? I really hope the Pens pull it off tonight.
Wow the Wings have jumped out to a big lead...
Holy shit. Didn't see that coming at all.
What's worse than "pwned", because that's what Pittsburgh got tonight.
Three games in Detroit, and Pittsburgh only scored two goals. Regardless of what happens in Game 6, the Cup is staying in Detroit. Crosby should not have touched the Prince of Wales Trophy.
Three games in Detroit, and Pittsburgh only scored two goals. Regardless of what happens in Game 6, the Cup is staying in Detroit. Crosby should not have touched the Prince of Wales Trophy.
Well, I think it's safe to say unless there is a miracle, the cup is staying in Detroit.
Huge win by the Wings tonight. But I'm not counting Pittsburgh out yet. Hopefully Detroit carries some momentum over to Game 6.
It's not looking good for the Penguins...
I haven't given up hope yet, since I know they are an excellent team (based on the rest of the season/playoffs) -- however, if they play game 6 or 7 the way they played game 5, they don't deserve to win the cup.
The best-case scenario is for the Pens to hold Detroit down at home in game 6 (like they did in the other two games in Pittsburgh), and hope that game 7 is becomes a wild "anything-can-happen" type game...
...although as I said before the finals started: if it goes to 7 games, Detroit would probably win it.
I haven't given up hope yet, since I know they are an excellent team (based on the rest of the season/playoffs) -- however, if they play game 6 or 7 the way they played game 5, they don't deserve to win the cup.
The best-case scenario is for the Pens to hold Detroit down at home in game 6 (like they did in the other two games in Pittsburgh), and hope that game 7 is becomes a wild "anything-can-happen" type game...
...although as I said before the finals started: if it goes to 7 games, Detroit would probably win it.
I hope there's a game 7, makes for some great and entertaining hockey.
All the Pens have to do is stay out of the box, you give a team like the Wings 8 power plays and you're done. And they took some STUPID penalties. Clean that part of the game up and you'll be heading back to Detroit.
All the Pens have to do is stay out of the box, you give a team like the Wings 8 power plays and you're done. And they took some STUPID penalties. Clean that part of the game up and you'll be heading back to Detroit.
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