Yemack 1 Report post Posted May 27, 2008 http://www.latimes.com/sports/la-spw-prong...0,5185338.story You want to get off to that good first start, and Detroit is a much different team when it scores first. The Red Wings play so well defensively, which you saw Monday night in their 3-0 victory over the Pittsburgh Penguins in Game 2 of the Stanley Cup finals. The Red Wings are primarily talked about as being this great offensive dynamo, and what I think most people don't understand is that they're mostly a defensive team. They're very, very sound. They have five men on the puck at all times, and they just play very disciplined on defense. From that, they're able to play that puck-possession game, and they have a tremendous amount of speed. They are relentless with their pressure. They're maybe the one team in the league that sticks to their game plan ever single night. Very few times are you able to knock them off their game, and I think we did that a couple of times this year. They're really good at taking your time away, and their goal is to clog up the neutral zone and not allow the skill players any room to get up ice and make plays. [sidney] Crosby, [Evgeni] Malkin, [Jordan] Staal, they're not allowing these guys to make plays. Having said that, Pittsburgh doesn't want to do the little things. They don't want to dump the puck in. They want to be a puck-possession team as they have been in the first three rounds, but it's tough to do that in Detroit. It's a very different configuration, that building, with the narrow corners. Everything comes quick, and it's difficult to adapt and adjust to that. It'll be interesting to see how Pittsburgh rebounds. The first goal, I couldn't tell from the angle if [Pittsburgh defenseman] Hal Gill was screening [Marc-Andre] Fleury. That's a big body, so I don't know if he was in the way as well. But that puck being shot from the boards, [Fleury's] got to make that save. Screen or no screen, that's a save a goalie has to make in the finals. On the second goal, [Tomas] Holmstrom just got in his regular spot and does what he does. The third goal was just a great individual effort by [Valtteri] Filppula. The goalie has got to know he can't cut back because the defenseman is there. It's hard for me to critique a goalie. I know Jiggy [Ducks goalie Jean-Sebastien Giguere] tells us how he wants us and where he wants us to leave guys for him. You have to have that rapport and communication with your defensemen. You have to know where he wants you to leave guys alone and where he wants you to battle guys. I'm not a coach. But I think with the way Detroit is playing defensively, I don't know if the Penguins want to get more balance, but they may want to stack the top two lines. Crosby played 6 minutes 30 seconds in the second period. If I'm the coach, I probably want to play Crosby, Malkin and [Marian] Hossa and get them out there for maybe 22, 23 or 24 minutes. If I'm going to lose, I'm going to lose with my big guns playing. If those guys are playing 23, 24 minutes at a high tempo, you're going to throw Detroit out of rhythm and force them out of their tempo a bit. Maybe you'll throw off their lines by doing that. A lot of those guys have never been on this type of stage and it can become very overwhelming at times. They have such a young team and some of the veterans they have haven't been there before. It's hard to put this all into words. A guy like Crosby, there's a tremendous amount of pressure on him. He's brought his team to the finals, but they're expecting more. Malkin's the same thing, and he's a Hart Trophy finalist. They're expecting this offensive powerhouse to run up a big number of goals, but Detroit is a defensive team. I think people saw the Red Wings and Penguins and were thinking that they were going to see a run-and-gun type of game. People may think that, but how Detroit gets goals is by being very sound on defense. They get teams taking chances earlier in the game and then they're able to go back the other way on three-on-two and two-on-one rushes because they have a lot of speed. The reason why Detroit is up 2-0 is because they have a very mobile defense that makes good sound decisions all the time with the puck. They've got centers that want the puck and can make plays. On top of that, Ozzy [Detroit goalie Chris Osgood] is playing the way he did in the first half of the season where he's dialed in. The three, four or five tough saves he has to make, he's making them. Obviously the start is going to be a big factor in Game 3, and the Penguins will be back in their arena. The crowd will be going crazy so maybe they'll feed off that. But the biggest thing is having a short memory and not really thinking about the first two games. Obviously you have to think about your opponent, and so they'll have to think about how to get through the neutral zone better and get better dumps of the puck [in the Detroit zone]. That's something they've got to make an adjustment at. Whether getting the last line change is going to help, we'll see. The biggest thing in the last five minutes is you're trying to send a message and show that you came to play. If they're going to hit Crosby and Malkin, then we're going to give you an answer. But in Game 3, they've got to play as disciplined a game as they have all season. wow Bang on. I knew he could read plays (obviously hes a NHLer) but this is so true it is almost scary. I think it is safe to say Pronger knows a thing or two about our team. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
hallelujahlogic 1 Report post Posted May 27, 2008 wait..chris pronger knows how to write? Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Spinner 6 Report post Posted May 27, 2008 http://www.latimes.com/sports/la-spw-prong...0,5185338.story wow Bang on. I knew he could read plays (obviously hes a NHLer) but this is so true it is almost scary. I think it is safe to say Pronger knows a thing or two about our team. ya but he's still a douchebag Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Yemack 1 Report post Posted May 27, 2008 wait..chris pronger knows how to write? haha yeah that was surprising. Maybe he hired a guy who can read his facial expression and put them into words. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
McCartyFanForLife 17 Report post Posted May 27, 2008 wait..chris pronger knows how to write? No way, he had to be using a proxy Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
TheWestWing 71 Report post Posted May 27, 2008 Pronger has thoughts? Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
edicius 3,269 Report post Posted May 27, 2008 I'm...shocked. There's no way that could have been Pronger. It was too well-written and...well, accurate. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Reds4Life 51 Report post Posted May 27, 2008 I can't belive that Mofo wrote this. I still hate him though Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Lovin Jiri Fischer 147 Report post Posted May 27, 2008 He probably had his golf caddy write it for him. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Superman54 91 Report post Posted May 27, 2008 This actually makes me feel like im stupid Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
va Winger 0 Report post Posted May 27, 2008 Interesting take, which I agree, seems fairly accurate. I still can't stand Pronger though. He's a goon....................and IMO always will be ! Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Real1 2 Report post Posted May 27, 2008 haha yeah that was surprising. Maybe he hired a guy who can read his facial expression and put them into words. Nice!!! Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
RedRockit 0 Report post Posted May 27, 2008 Looks like Professor Pronger's traded in his copy of "Physics For Dummies" for "Hockey Analysis For Dummies." To give the devil his due, that was spot-on, and as much as I hate to say it: Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
ChicksDigScars 0 Report post Posted May 27, 2008 (edited) wait..chris pronger knows how to write? Well, most kids in special ed do have a teacher's aid that goes along to class and takes notes for them..... Edited May 27, 2008 by ChicksDigScars Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
chrisdetroit 189 Report post Posted May 27, 2008 http://www.latimes.com/sports/la-spw-prong...0,5185338.story wow Bang on. I knew he could read plays (obviously hes a NHLer) but this is so true it is almost scary. I think it is safe to say Pronger knows a thing or two about our team. Who the frick cares what this ahole thinks. Maybe now he can tell us about physics and how his hit on Holstrom was all because of him being taller. How's his golf swing coming this year... Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
omnipotent_hudler 0 Report post Posted May 27, 2008 (edited) honestly anyone who thought the Detroit-Pitt series was going to be an offensive spectacle running up and down the ice needs to get out of nhl fandom forever Edited May 27, 2008 by omnipotent_hudler Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
stactum 4 Report post Posted May 27, 2008 Pronger still is a moron Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Wings_Fan_In_Exile 3 Report post Posted May 27, 2008 I can't believe I agree with Pronger. That bastard has a brain? Sonnuva. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
haroldsnepsts 4,826 Report post Posted May 27, 2008 Who the frick cares what this ahole thinks. Maybe now he can tell us about physics and how his hit on Holstrom was all because of him being taller. How's his golf swing coming this year... Honestly I think it's the best analysis of read of the series. And that's totally shocking coming from Pronger. I still hate the guy, but he knows hockey. He's not exactly the thinking man's defenseman the Lidstrom is, but he's also more than a pair of elbows. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
haroldsnepsts 4,826 Report post Posted May 27, 2008 honestly anyone who thought the Detroit-Pitt series was going to be an offensive spectacle running up and down the ice needs to get out of nhl fandom forever I think a fair number of Pens players were thinking that. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
edicius 3,269 Report post Posted May 27, 2008 Honestly I think it's the best analysis I've read of the series. And that's totally shocking coming from Pronger. Same here. If you had shown me that article and not mentioned that it was written by Pronger...well, I couldn't have even ventured a guess as to who wrote it. It's really spot on. Respectful of the Wings, even. I still hate Pronger and think he's a ****** of the highest order, that'll never change. But I'll give him high marks, just this one time because above all, I'm a hockey fan and Pronger wrote a great hockey article/analysis. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
gcom007 1,465 Report post Posted May 27, 2008 (edited) Well, I mean, we read stuff by fans here and by fans that are better writers in the papers. Chris Pronger is a descent writer or has a good editor and is a pro hockey player. I'm not surprised that he has a well thought out analysis on the matter. What's more shocking to me that people here actually think these guys become pro's by accident or something. Edited May 27, 2008 by gcom007 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Uncle Danny 155 Report post Posted May 27, 2008 Pronger still is a moron Pronger may be a lot of things, many (most) of them no-so-nice, but a moron is not among them. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
sharomyga 6 Report post Posted May 27, 2008 haha yeah that was surprising. Maybe he hired a guy who can read his facial expression and put them into words. lmao Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
PaVel DaTsYuK fan13 0 Report post Posted May 27, 2008 Chris Pronger... articulate logical article. I never could have scene that pair of tags together. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
