Official Pens 1st Round Playoff Thread

[theoneandonly]

after round 1 Pens games will be on NBC network.... if the Pens ever make it out of round 1 again.

[Eaglealum]

Who would have believed that after the regular season and all the additions, Two weeks into May the Pirates were playing better than the Pens... Wow!!!!!

[Coach]

I think people are scared now! Let's hope the Pens don't play like that scared/nervous because that's when you get beat...especially against a real young team that is starting to believe and is too dumb to realize they shouldn't win.

[theoneandonly]

still a race to 4. gonna jump on TVs back and win 5/6. this team is capable of great things if they get back to work and stop playing like a series win is a given. no reason to give up yet. LGP.

[Coach]

Now that was a better performance!

[WPIAL~Titan]

Played lights out in 2nd period. Need to finish this team off in 6. First period was poor tonight. Vo was solid in goal. MAF doesn't sniff the ice again until Vo struggles.

[Coach]

Bylsma made some good moves....he got lots of flick for TK being in over Jussi but it worked out.

[KirkHerbstreit]

Hockey is so much about confidence. If you don't feel like your goalie is going to make a key save, you probably don't pinch in the neutral zone. You don't try to keep the puck in. You back pedal allowing the other team alot of speed in the neutral zone. This happened for a lot of the series and the Islanders looked fast. The first period tonight the islanders looked just as fast. The confidence was not there. They had chances. Vokoun made a lot of big saves in the first and closed the door, TK got a huge goal, and the confidence of the Pens rose. As the game wore on, I think the Pens confidence rose. I think this spreads from the goal out. It won't be said in the media. These guys love Fleury. He is a great guy. But, after 4 years of watching these types of gaffes happen it affects the team.

[Crimson's Ghost]

IF the Penguins can win 1 of the next 2 games, they will see the Senators for certain. Hockey re-seeds, and they are the 7 seed.

[theoneandonly]

Excellent move by HCDB inserting not only TK but Joe Vitale into the lineup last night. Those two brought the energy and speed early and I firmly believe that is what got the ball rolling in the right direction for the Pens. I'm not a big TK guy at all... it's gonna take a Max Talbot Game 7 from him and even then I still may not like him but for whatever reason he seems to bring it in the playoffs. It appeared that being benched for 4 games lit a fire under his **** and hopefully that continues.

Pretty important to get up early on the Island... that crowd is going to be 100% out of control. Stick to the game they showed in games 1/5 and good things will happen.

Lets go Pens.