12 replies to this topic

[Dark Knight]

Please post your thoughts, pictures and comments on tonight's game in this thread.

Pittsburgh at Washington

[DropThePuck]

TSN's Ice Chips

Forward Erik Christensen was scratched for Tuesday's game. - L.A. Times

Centre Marc Savard should be ready to play against the Hurricanes in Game 7 of the Eastern Conference semifinals series despite injuring his leg Tuesday night. Coach Claude Julien said afterward that Savard is fine and it was his decision to send Savard back to the locker room. - Boston Globe

Forward Ryan Bayda was back in the lineup for Carolina after missing two games with flu-like symptoms. Defencemen Frank Kaberle and Tim Conboy, along with centre Dwight Helminen, were all healthy scratches. - Herald-Sun

Defenceman Brian Rafalski was back in the lineup for the Wings for the first time in this series. Rafalski had been out with an "upper-body injury." - Detroit News

Rookie defenceman Jonathan Ericsson was also in the lineup. He had suffered an injured right foot in Game 5 and did not practice Monday. - L.A. Times

Defenceman Sergei Gonchar practiced on the first power-play unit on Wednesday but head coach Dan Bylsma was non-committal on his status for Game 7 tonight. He will take the warm-up and will be a game-time decision. Byslma would not reveal whether he would revert to six defencemen or go with seven, making Gonchar a power-play specialist. Gonchar did not talk to the media following today's skate. - TSN

Possible Lines - Game 7 vs. Capitals

Forwards:
Kunitz - Crosby - Guerin
Fedotenko - Malkin - Satan
Cooke - Staal - Kennedy
Adams - Talbot

Defence:
Orpik - Letang
Gill - Scuderi
Eaton - Boucher
Goligoski

Goaltender:
Fleury
Garon

Possible Scratches:
Dupuis, Sykora, Godard, Gonchar

David Steckel will likely remain on the reunited energy line for Game 7 on Wednesday. - Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

Possible Lines - Game 7 vs. Penguins

Forwards:
Ovechkin - Backstrom - Kozlov
Fleischmann - Federov - Semin
Laich - Steckel - Bradley
Beagle - Gordon - Clark

Defence:
Morrisonn - Green
Poti - Jurcina
Erskine - Pothier

Goaltender:
Varlamov
Theodore

Possible Scratches:
Fehr, Schultz, Brashear, Sloan, Nylander

[DropThePuck]

Pittsburgh Penguins coach Dan Bylsma is no stranger to Game 7s. He played in three, including with the Anaheim Ducks in Game 7 of the 2003 Stanley Cup Final against the New Jersey Devils.

In fact, Bylsma had a tremendous opportunity in a scoreless first period, when he had a shot from in close that missed the mark.

"The memory still haunts me," Bylsma told reporters.
...
"I think the tough part about Game 7s and situations like this is the down time," Bylsma said. "Yesterday was a particularly hard day in terms of the thoughts in your head, getting focused, the anticipation of the following day. Once you get to the rink today, you get into your normal routine and things start to slow down and it's more what you expect."

<NHL.com link>

[DropThePuck]

Whoa! The red sea isn't having much of a positive effect on home ice ...

Midway through the 2nd period ...

4 - Crosby, S. (PPG, 12:36 in 1st), Adams, C. (12:44 in 1st), Guerin, B. (00:28 in 2nd), Letang, K. (02:12 in 2nd)
0


Hmmmmm, with that tshirt editorial in the background, this probably is not a photo that the NHL will pick up ...


Alex Ovechkin #8 of the Washington Capitals is stopped by Marc-Andre Fleury #29 of the Pittsburgh Penguins during first period action in Game Seven of the Eastern Conference Semifinal Round of the 2009 Stanley Cup Playoffs at Verizon Center May 13, 2009 in Washington, DC.
(Photo by Bruce Bennett/Getty Images)


Alex Ovechkin #8 of the Washington Capitals checks Sidney Crosby #87 of the Pittsburgh Penguins during Game Seven of the Eastern Conference Semifinal Round of the 2009 Stanley Cup Playoffs at Verizon Center May 13, 2009 in Washington, DC.
(Photo by Bruce Bennett/Getty Images)


Simeon Varlamov #40 of the Washington Capitals fails to stop a first period goal by Sidney Crosby #87 of the Pittsburgh Penguins during Game Seven of the Eastern Conference Semifinal Round of the 2009 Stanley Cup Playoffs at Verizon Center May 13, 2009 in Washington, DC.
(Photo by Bruce Bennett/Getty Images)



Pittsburgh Penguins left wing Matt Cooke (24) and Washington Capitals defenseman John Erskine (4) collide during the first period of Game 7 of an NHL hockey second-round playoff series, Wednesday, May 13, 2009, in Washington.
(AP Photo/Pablo Martinez Monsivais)

[Dark Knight]

Varlamov out Theodore in...

[Always Mighty]

Wow, 5-0. Didn't see this coming. The Caps are getting absolutely steam rolled in this game.

[Still MIGHTY]

5-1 in the 2nd intermission...

I was rooting for the Caps too.

But either way, this game is such a letdown for a Game 7 especially the way this series had been going along

[Sojourn]

The one goal they have was almost a pity goal too. Fleury, behind the net, passes it to Ovechkin who just puts it into an empty net. Not even a real celebration from him. Ovechkin and Green are absolutely atrocious defensively.

[Dark Knight]

For all the hype about this game it fizzled almost as quickly as it started. Pittsburgh wins 6-2 and advances to play the winner of the Boston-Carolina series.

[DropThePuck]

Crosby, S. (PPG, 12:36 in 1st), Adams, C. (12:44 in 1st), Guerin, B. (00:28 in 2nd), Letang, K. (02:12 in 2nd), Staal, J. (11:37 in 2nd), Crosby, S. (PPG, 02:02 in 3rd)
Ovechkin, A. (18:09 in 2nd), Laich, B. (06:36 in 3rd)

Prior to heading to Verizon Center for Game 7, Alex Ovechkin sat in front of the television, staring at the Detroit Red Wings throttling the Colorado Avalanche in Game 7 of the 2002 Western Conference Final.

He should have changed the channel.

"Detroit went up, 4-0," Ovechkin said late Wednesday night, "and after that, I thought, 'Jesus, it can't be like that.'"

Unfortunately for Ovechkin and the Washington Capitals, it was almost just like that.

<NHL.com link>


Washington Capitals' Alex Ovechkin (8), from Russia, shakes hands with Pittsburgh Penguins' Sidney Crosby (87) following Game 7 of an NHL hockey second-round playoff series, Wednesday, May 13, 2009, in Washington.
(AP Photo/Bruce Bennett, Pool)


Pittsburgh Penguins' Bill Guerin (13) celebrates his goal with Chris Kunitz and Sidney Crosby (87) against the Washington Capitals during the second period of Game 7 of an NHL hockey second-round playoff series, Wednesday, May 13, 2009, in Washington.
(AP Photo/Nick Wass)


Washington Capitals center Nicklas Backstrom, from Sweden, hits the ice after colliding with both Pittsburgh Penguins center Evgeni Malkin (71), of Russia, and Capitals left wing Alex Ovechkin (8), from Russia, during the second period of Game 7 of an NHL hockey second-round playoff series, Wednesday, May 13, 2009, in Washington.
(AP Photo/Pablo Martinez Monsivais)


Washington Capitals defenseman Milan Jurcina, right, from Slovakia, collides with Pittsburgh Penguins left wing Ruslan Fedotenko (26), of Ukraine, during the first period of Game 7 of an NHL hockey second-round playoff series, Wednesday, May 13, 2009, in Washington.
(AP Photo/Pablo Martinez Monsivais)

[QuacksMeUp]

Congratulations to Kuni and his mates!

[M T]

And Congrats to Bylsma!

[QuacksMeUp]

And Congrats to Bylsma!

I would suggest him for Coach of the Year!