Game 3: Pens vs. Preds. Who wins?

[BobPSU92]

The Pens are up 2-0. Do they win tonight in Nashville and put a stranglehold on their opponent or do the Preds step up in front of their home crowd and get back into the series. 3-0 or 2-1?

One way to look at 2-1 is the Pens finally deciding to win a Cup at home. Seriously, I expect the Preds to be fired up and to take tonight's game. It will be close, but the series will be 2-1.

 

[BobPSU92]

HOCKEY.

 

[Fox Chapel Lion II]

The Penguins have at least one more gear that they have not clutched in yet. Meanwhile, Rinne is playing like shiz.

What the hell. I'm not going to come off the gas now.

Penguins for a 3-0 series lead.

 

[OspreyLion]

The Pens are up 2-0. Do they win tonight in Nashville and put a stranglehold on their opponent or do the Preds step up in front of their home crowd and get back into the series. 3-0 or 2-1?

One way to look at 2-1 is the Pens finally deciding to win a Cup at home. Seriously, I expect the Preds to be fired up and to take tonight's game. It will be close, but the series will be 2-1.

You and I rarely agree but I think Nashville has a good chance with their backs to the wall. But the Pens have scorers and a goalie that could dominate. If I had to bet it would be Nashville but a Pens win wouldn't surprise me.

 

[The Spin Meister]

Leaning toward a Nash win. Home ice is huge. Crowd, home cooking, knowing the ice and the boards. Most important the home team gets the last change so they get the matchups they want. Pens PP has been weak, Benino out.

I would like to see the Pens get much more physical this game. The Preds like to send their D in deep....bang them around so you can get some odd man breaks on the forwards playing back.

So hard to predict hockey. Every game is always different. What goalie stands out? They never say injury status so that is a big unknown. And who knows how the referines will call it??? Out on a limb..... Preds win tonight 4-3

 

[canuckhal]

HOCKEY.

According to my Penn State hat, it is ICE HOCKEY.

 

[BobPSU92]

According to my Penn State hat, it is ICE HOCKEY.

ICE. HOCKEY.

 

[BobPSU92]

Let's go Pens!

 

[fairgambit]

I had the Preds in 5, but I really meant in 6. Honest! So, the Preds win big tonight, 7-3, on the way to 4 in a row.

 

[BobPSU92]

I had the Preds in 5, but I really meant in 6. Honest! So, the Preds win big tonight, 7-3, on the way to 4 in a row.

 

[Norm Petersin]

I look for The Preds to beat the crap out of Crosby. And the refs will look the other way.

 

[BobPSU92]

Guentzel!

 

[Fox Chapel Lion II]

Jake the Snake, baby!

 

[lionlurker]

Decent period. I have counted 12 interference penalties against the Preds that were not called. 12.

 

[BobPSU92]

1-0, Pens, after 1. Much of the play was in the Pens' end of the ice, but the Pens still have the lead.

 

[lionlurker]

Nah, I think the Pens had the better of the play overall. The Preds have played tentatively, for them. They aren't activating their defense nearly as much because they are afraid of being caught on an odd-man break counterattack. They are neutralizing their own strengths.

 

[BobPSU92]

Damn it. 1-1. The Preds score on the power play.

 

[BobPSU92]

The wheels are coming off. 2-1, Preds.

 

[lionlurker]

Pens have had very poor puck support this period. Plus, they are taking the brunt of the physical play. Right now, Nashville wants it more.

 

[BobPSU92]

Shit. 3-1, Preds.

The Pens are a mess tonight.

 

[lionlurker]

They started out strong, but lost their mojo towards the end of the first, even though they played a strong first period overall. Sid's having a bad game, and Kunitz has been awful, as has been Kessel. I wonder if Kessel is banged up, since he is not shooting the puck much.

 

[PSU_1991]

They obviously want to win it all in Pittsburgh.

 

[Fox Chapel Lion II]

Well that was shizzy.

 

[lionlurker]

One way to describe it.

Game Four is going to be interesting. I think this one is over.

 

[BobPSU92]

Egad. I just saw that the Pens are 0-10 on the power play with just three shots over the last two games.

 

[Fox Chapel Lion II]

One way to describe it.

Game Four is going to be interesting. I think this one is over.

Don't bail yet. Like I always say when the Lions are down two - get one early and now you're right back in it. A great offensive team is never out of it if you get it to one. Obviously can't give them any more.

Although, we've seen before they throw a clunker in once in a while. Losing a game isn't the end of the world. The important thing is how do you bounce back.

 

[Fox Chapel Lion II]

Egad. I just saw that the Pens are 0-10 on the power play with just three shots over the last two games.

PP has been stinktastic. They are overthinking things. Blast away and crash the net for a rebound and then bury it. A little too much tic-tac-toe.

I get trying to set up your best players for the kill shot. But sometimes brute force is the way to go.

 

[BobPSU92]

Kunitz screws the pooch. 4-1, Preds.

 

[BobPSU92]

5-1.

 

[AvgUser]

Is Murray trying at all?

 

[redbyrds]

Is Murray trying at all?

Nah. He took Pens in 6.

 

[Alphalion75]

Subban is an *ss.

 

[LionIze]

Crosby has been invisible!

 

[spydersabich]

Crosby has been invisible!

His +/- for the playoffs after 20 games is 1, despite having 22 points.

 

[The Song Remains the Same]

His +/- for the playoffs after 20 games is 1, despite having 22 points.

But he was off the ice on the last goal...

 

[VaNtyLion]

I was really pleased with the way they came out in the face of that crowd. Pens had enough chances to really put a dagger into Nashville in that first period....but....

Special teams are momentum changers. If Pens go back to Pittsburgh tied, they're going to look at those 3 straight power plays with a 1-0 lead and nothing to show for it last night as the largest contributing factor. They have a habit of going into dry spells with the man advantage which always leads to the "too many cooks in that kitchen" when you have 87, 71 and 81 on the ice and no one shooting the puck. For the series, 1/14 with just 3 shots on goal is laughably inept for this group.

The PP and PK in this series have been major liabilities and no need to dive deeper into analysis of anything other than that.

It's time for the stars to rise up and carry this team over the threshold. 2 wins from a Cup and it's mostly on the shoulders of a skinny baby faced rookie. I don't necessarily think Sid and Geno have been bad because Nashville's D has been really good....but if Pens are to win this their best players need to be their best players the rest of the way.

 

[78SweetRevenge]

Murray's glove is awful. His positioning is nearly perfect which enables him to hide that more often than not but last night he wasn't good enough in any area then he took absolutely no blame afterwards...blamed bounces and a lack of effort. Not what you ever want your goalie to say.

The powerplay needs to get better. Sid & Geno need to find ways to score goals. Sullivan;s been amazing so it's hard to question him but I'm tied of the constant line changes. Hopefully Bonino's ready to go in game 4. I still the Pens win in 6 but let's hope Rinne doesn't stay hot and that Murray bounces back.