Good day Penguins nation and welcome to the latest Big Dave's Pens Pregame. Glad to have you aboard for another afternoon of Penguins hockey. Today, the hometown boys look to close out the series and eliminate the New York Rangers from the Stanley Cup Playoffs.
Puck drops on Penguins/Rangers at 3:00pm today, but the Pregame is live now....
Today's "Big Dave's Gameday Jam" was once again selected by @pensfan2259. He's 1-1 when picking songs for the Pregame, so I'll let him have the chance to get above .500. Today, he has selected "The End" by The Doors. Arguably one of the greatest song writers of all-time, Jim Morrison and the Doors have been iconic for over 50 years now. This song is one of their biggest hits and very well could personify the Rangers/Penguins series well if the Pens get another win today. Enjoy it!
The State of the Penguins
That is the word that would best describe the Penguins 5-0 shutout win of the Rangers on Thursday night. I was concerned that the Rangers would come out swinging in Game Four and try to put the Penguins up against the ropes. Instead, the Pens came out and delivered a couple devastating blows to the Rangers playoff chances.
The Penguins took a commanding 3-1 series lead in the win, thanks to a complete team effort. Matt Murray would be the first place to start. The 21-year-old rookie once again proved he has ice water in his veins as he pitched a 31-save shutout in just his second playoff start. I still think Marc-Andre Fleury will be the defacto number one starter when he is ready, but that is not discounting the body of work Murray has put forth all year.
Then there was Evgeni Malkin. The Russian superstar has not played much over the last two months, and his play in the first two games reflected as much. He was completely underwhelming in both games, despite two assists in Game Two. Thursday night however, was another story. Malkin was a key cog in the Penguins offensive dismantling of the Rangers. He had two power play goals and added assists on two others. He looked dynamic, which if he keeps it up, makes this team a lot more scary.
Finally, you have the play of the role guys. Conor Sheary impressed again. He scored a beautiful short-side goal to give the Pens a 3-0 lead in the first period and finished the game with a goal, two shots and nearly 15 minutes of ice time. Eric Fehr was also impressive, scoring the opening goal and finally looking like the player we had seen for years in Washington. He played to his size, was great in the dirty areas and added the goal. Last, but not least, the trio of Brian Dumoulin, Ian Cole and Ben Lovejoy were outstanding from the blue line. Dumo and Lovejoy added assists and the trio combined for two hits and seven blocked shots. They were instrumental.
Today, the Penguins have the chance to close out this series and advanced to the second round of the playoffs. The Rangers are down, but they sure aren't out and to think so would be a detriment to this team. The Penguins must play with the same intensity and desperation they have these past two games. If they can do that, the Rangers will be, as former player Mike Commadore so eloquently puts it "packing your shit."
The End of the Road?: The New York Rangers
It has been an up-and-down year for this team and there is no discounting they are far from the powerhouse they were just two years ago when they made the Stanley Cup Finals. Back then, Henrik Lundqvist could steal a series with ease, now, he can barely take a game.
Lundqvist has struggled immensely in this series. He allowed four goals on eighteen shots last night and gave up three goals in the loss Tuesday as well. He hasn't looked like the dynamic, Vezina winning goalie we have often seen dominate the spring games. Instead, he has the thousand yard stare in his eyes and wondering if this is indeed the end.
Then you have the rest of the team. Besides Derick Brassard, who I feel has been outstanding all series, the Rangers have had very underwhelming performances. Rick Nash has been a complete bust in New York, and despite having three points in the series, hasn't played great. Mats Zuccarello has been invisible besides when he is trying to goon-it-up after whistles and before puck drops. Derek Stepan has been quiet since his two goal performance in Game One and Chris Kreider has done nothing of consequence all series long.
This is an aging team. They have looked slowed by fatigue and injury more and more as the series has gone on. They will not go quietly, and for the Penguins to think they would is an insult to the Rangers. But this is not the same team that took out the Pens in five last year and this is not the same team that could rally to come back from a 3-1 deficit. They will fight hard and go down swinging, but I expect them to go down nonetheless...
Playoff Scoring Leaders:
- LW Rick Nash - 3pts (1G-2A)
- C Derick Brassard - 3pts (1G-2A)
- C JT Miller - 3pts (3A)
- C Derek Stepan - 2pts (2G)
- RW Mats Zuccarello - 2pts (1G-1A)
Injury Report:
- D Dan Girardi (undisclosed) is likely OUT tonight. The veteran defenseman has struggled this year and hasn't played often over the last few weeks with various injuries. There is no timetable for his return at this point.
Projected Lines:
- Chris Kreider - Derek Stepan - Rick Nash
- JT Miller - Derick Brassard - Mats Zuccarello
- Oskar Lindberg - Eric Staal - Jesper Fast
- Tanner Glass - Dominic Moore - Viktor Stalberg
Projected Pairs:
- Marc Staal - Ryan McDonagh
- Keith Yandle - Kevin Klein
- Brady Skjei - Dan Boyle
Henrik Lundqvist is expected to get the start in net tonight.
News & Notes From Around the Penguins
- G Marc-Andre Fleury is OUT today. He did not participate in team practice yesterday, but he did do some skating beforehand. The Penguins have not announced whether he has had a set back or not, but one could guess that is the case since he hasn't practiced most of the week.
- F Beau Bennett (upper-body) is OUT today. No updates on his status.
Miscellaneous Notes:
- The Penguins are 9-3 all-time when leading a series 3-1.
- Thursday was a game of firsts for several Penguins players.
- G Matt Murray earned his first playoff shutout.
- F Conor Sheary scored his first playoff goal.
- F Eric Fehr scored his first playoff GWG goal.
- D Brian Dumoulin earned his first point with an assist.
- G Matt Murray earned his first playoff shutout.
#AskBigDave
Wow, that is a tough one. I think the Penguins as a whole have all played pretty well over the course of this series. If I had to pick someone, I think I would pick either Olli Maatta or Chris Kunitz.
I would put Maatta on their because of his play in Games One and Two specifically. He was not very good in either. He looked better in Game Three, though the Rangers did attack him a lot on the rush and looked solid last night in Game Four. I think Maatta is just running on fumes, but he is still a talented piece if utilized correctly. A bonus for the Pens is if they get a lot of power play minutes, they can give Olli a rest during that time.
Chris Kunitz has probably been my biggest disappointment this series and even this season. I hoped last year was just an injury plagued season that resulted in a down year. I think he is simply just in decline. He has done little to impress me over the course of the season and in this series. The Penguins could certainly benefit from him having a big run down the stretch of the playoffs. Playing with Malkin could help, but he wasn't exactly lighting the world on fire playing with Sid before this move.
From Todd. W. on Twitter: "We have been here before and come up short. Is Sullivan the coach to keep the focus?"
Todd, I am assuming you mean having a 3-1 series lead over the Rangers in the playoffs and coming up short in the past. That is very true. However, I do believe this is a much better Penguins team and I don't anticipate that happening again in this series.
For one thing, I think this is a much deeper Penguins team. The one that lost a 3-1 series lead was essentially a two-line team with a lot of injuries on the bottom six and blue line. This team has four legitimate scoring lines, plenty of depth on defense and finding a ton of success with two back up goalies in net. Imagine if Fleury was playing. So in that regard, I have little concern about them blowing this series.
The other is what you mention in your question, Mike Sullivan. Sullivan is one hell of a hockey coach and the perfect man for this job. He expects a lot out of his players, but more importantly, he gets it from them. He had conversations with Sid, Geno, Tanger during this series and both have only gotten stronger as the series has gone on. He will keep these guys focused, intense and playing with the desperation necessary to win a playoff series. I expect him to get it done.
From LetsTalkPens on the Tweety: "If you could build a franchise around any goalie in the NHL, who would it be?"
Oh wow... That is a really, really tough question to answer. There are probably three names I would toss around for this to be completely honest.
The first would be Los Angeles goalie Jonathan Quick. I absolutely love his game and I think he is one of the best goaltenders in the league. He doesn't get a ton of accolades unless the Kings win the Cup, but he is a two-time Stanley Cup champion, a US Olympian and a Conn Smythe winner. He is the real deal and he would probably be my top choice to start a franchise with in net.
Next, I would probably say Ben Bishop in Tampa Bay. I think he is a really talented goalie and his big, 6-6 frame takes up a lot of room in net. He is pretty durable and has performed well in big game situations. I think he is really solid and another no brainer choice to start a franchise with.
Finally, if you wanted to go young and have a goalie for close to two decades, I would definitely say our own Matt Murray. Murray is incredibly impressive, but I am not willing to call him the next Marty Brodeur or Patrick Roy until we see this level of success over a couple seasons. That being said, Murray has taken every opportunity he has been given in this organization and run with it. He is something like 11-4-1 this season (including playoffs) with two shutouts and a minuscule goals against average. He has ice water in his veins and really handles the position well. I'd love to have him as a young goalie when starting a franchise.
Projected Lines & Pairs
- Conor Sheary - Sidney Crosby - Patric Hornqvist
- Carl Hagelin - Nick Bonino - Phil Kessel
- Chris Kunitz - Evgeni Malkin - Eric Fehr
- Tom Kuhnhackl - Matt Cullen - Bryan Rust
Pairs:
- Trevor Daley - Kris Letang
- Brian Dumoulin - Ben Lovejoy
- Ian Cole - Olli Maatta
Matt Murray should be between the pipes again tonight.
My 3 Keys to the Game
2. Power Play: The Penguins were three-for-six on the man advantage in Game Four. Wowza! When was the last time that happened? The PP is always important, but with the Rangers' backs against the wall, they will likely take a ton of penalties in this one, especially if they find themselves down early. If that is the case, the Penguins need to take advantage of the PP and end the Rangers that way.
3. Net Front: The Penguins had good net front presence in Game Four and it worked in their favor. They scored five goals and had Lundqvist gone after just 25 minutes of play. The Penguins need that same success tonight if they hope to end the series, and the key is getting in Lundqvist's kitchen and making him uncomfortable. Get him off his game and the Rangers are dead in the water.
My 3 Penguins to Watch
2. Nick Bonino: Has been kinda quiet in the playoffs, but I think he is due for a big game. I think he, Kessel and Hagelin hook up for some magic in this one and add a couple points to the board. Also, I am looking for Bones to be key in the faceoff circle.
3. Chris Kunitz: I have been less than impressed by Chris Kunitz all year and my feelings are no different in the playoffs thus far. But I am alright with being proven wrong. I'd love to see Kunitz have a huge game today and send the Rangers packing. He keeps getting set up for good chances, he just needs to bury one. Maybe it gets him going again.
What to Know for Attending/Watching/Listening
- Puck drop is at 1:30pm with the doors to CEC opening at 3:00pm.
- The Penguins will wear their "Pittsburgh Gold" jerseys tonight.
- Stop by Pens Gear tonight for the gameday special. Tonight, stop by and get 25% off Pittsburgh Gold Third Jerseys! Saturday only.
- Its a giveaway night at CEC. All fans in attendance will receive a Pittsburgh gold playoff t-shirt and a gold "Lets Go Pens" rally towel, pictured above. Shirts and towels are courtesy of UPMC.
- The Penguins will create a Fan Zone outside CONSOL Energy Center that will be activated starting at 5 PM on Wednesday. There will be different activities at each of the arena’s three gates as well as food trucks and tents lined up along Centre Avenue. These areas will feature DJs, refreshments, interactives, face painters, special kids’ activities and appearances by Iceburgh and the Penguins’ Ice Crew.
- Trib Total Media Gate – Bud Light Party Plaza, DJ, Interactives
- Peoples Gate – Kids’ Interactives, Face Painters
- Verizon Gate – Miller Lite Party Plaza, DJ, Interactives
- Interactives will include Top Shot, Sauce Hockey, Corn Hole, Face Painters and a Penguins inflatable.
- “The Bulliest Dozer,” co-written by Penguins center Eric Fehr, is now available for sale at the Pittsburgh Penguins Foundation’s silent auction stand outside of the First Niagara Club. This children’s book about why bullying doesn’t pay is signed by Fehr for just $20. You can also purchase the book by using the Foundation’s mobile bidding app at http://bidpal.net/pens
Here is what you need to know for WATCHING tonight:
- The game will be nationally broadcasted on NBC at 3:00pm.
Here is what you need to know if you're LISTENING to tonight's game:
- 105.9 The X, the Penguins app, the Penguins website and iHeart Radio app are all places you can pick up the game tonight.
- Mike Lange and Phil Bourque will have the game call beginning at 3:00pm.
- Penguins Pregame will precede the game coverage at 2:00pm. Josh Getzoff will host.
- Penguins Hot Line will follow the game action.
Pens Points:
- Game Attendance: 50pts
- Concession Purchase: 10pts
- Merchandise Purchase: 10pts
- Pens Radio Keyword: 5pts