2017 ECF: OTTAWA SENATORS VS. PITTSBURGH PENGUINS

[kylee 727]

go Sens go! 

[Hockeytown0001 7,652]

Hehe. 

[AtlantaHotWings 973]

What a game going to be interesting tomorrow night for sure. So is it Flower back in the net or do you go with Murray? Or start with Flower and if he lets in 2 yank him? Decisions Decisions for Mr Sullivan

[toby91_ca 620]

I'd put Fleury back in, he's been one of the best goalies in the playoffs so far, he's shouldn't lose his spot just because he's had a bad period.  I think it's a tough situation though.  Not that players don't like Murray, but I have to imagine Fleury is everyone's favourite.  All I ever hear it that his teammates really love him and I can see it....he appears to be a hard guy not to like.  Will be interesting what happens there this summer.

[xtrememachine1 795]

 

20 hours ago, toby91_ca said:

I'd put Fleury back in, he's been one of the best goalies in the playoffs so far, he's shouldn't lose his spot just because he's had a bad period.  I think it's a tough situation though.  Not that players don't like Murray, but I have to imagine Fleury is everyone's favourite.  All I ever hear it that his teammates really love him and I can see it....he appears to be a hard guy not to like.  Will be interesting what happens there this summer.

It should be Murray, but it'l likely be Fleury for all the reasons you listed.  Even though Fleury has a history of melting down in the playoffs, Murray won the Stanley Cup in his rookie season (an extremely rare feat) and Murray was way better statistically in the regular season and better statistically against Ottawa.  "Logic be damned, we like Fleury!"

[chaps80 1,591]

Murray starting tonight per NHL.com.

He was supposed to start the first round, but got injured in Game 1 warmups. Lol. The kids a good goalie, but he's only 23 and missed a lot of time with injuries since he's been up with the Pens.

Edited May 19, 2017 by chaps80

[chaps80 1,591]

Malkin speaking out about how they have to be better tonight, but not in the usual way players do. Not very humble is he?

[toby91_ca 620]

Sullivan is getting skewered by some PIT media, but it could also be a genius move.  He has the luxury of 2 cup winning goalies.  I totally think he's doing this to put all the pressure on himself for game 4 rather than the team....trying to shake up the team.  Obviously goaltending hasn't been the problem.  Fleury has been their MVP so far I'd say.  More impressive so far than Murray was last year.  I think Murray was carried to the cup by the team's offense and had vastly better D.  Some are joking that perhaps Fleury pulled a muscle carrying the 9 D men in front of him, few of which were actually their regulars.

I think there is another conspiracy theory that could be thrown out (not that I agree with it) - team obviously made the choice that Murray was the future.  It would have come naturally (he's a cup winner, Fleury is 32, Murray is 23, etc.), but LV made the decision come sooner perhaps.  Now that Fleury has been playing incredible, what happens if he leads the team to the cup, then you dump him?  Fleury is THE fan favourite.  I don't think that would make a huge difference though, you gotta do what you gotta do.  Bring Murray in now, he plays huge, then keeping him over Fleury in the off season is an easier sell.  What happens if Murray stinks up the joint though?  Perhaps that makes it easier to keep Fleury...gamble though as Fleury only has so many more good seasons, but Murray could turn out crappy too....anyway, I truly think the rationale is my first thought above....wake up call to the team, shot in the arm.  He could end up going back to MAF in game 5.

[chaps80 1,591]

Yeah, Fleury has been great. Gonna be a hard decision who to keep when they're seasons done. Murray is the obv choice future wise being ten years younger and already a Cup winner. They may not have much longer with Fleury at 32.

Anderson has been amazing these playoffs as well. Good to see him finally get his due. He's been underrated for a long time.

[55fan 5,133]

I can understand going with Murray, but Fleury got them this far.  I would have given him another chance.  Bad periods can happen to anyone at any time.  I fear the Pens will come roaring back to prove themselves after the last game.  No matter who is in goal, Ottawa will have a fight on their hands.

[amato 3,210]

Murray is starting. 

 

http://www.cbc.ca/sports/hockey/nhl/matt-murray-pittsburgh-penguins-start-ottawa-senators-1.4123601

 

edit: I don't know how but completely missed the post, chaps  thought the discussion was all hypothetical 

Edited May 19, 2017 by amato

[GMRwings1983 8,793]

This is way more bold than Babcock benching Hasek in 2008.  Benching a goalie at this stage in the playoffs is nuts.

[shocky2002 36]

Penguins are going to be the favorites for the cup again with Nashville losing Fisher and Johansen.

[NerveDamage 4,176]

1 hour ago, GMRwings1983 said:

This is way more bold than Babcock benching Hasek in 2008.  Benching a goalie at this stage in the playoffs is nuts.

Something, somehow, I see Blashill doing... 

[brett 1,029]

f*** the penguins

[chaps80 1,591]

Pens just escaped with this one. Best of three now. Ottawa can easily take this.

[sjr2012 439]

both west andeast our   evenly matched both series can go to game 7

[Dabura 12,206]

booooo

[chaps80 1,591]

16 hours ago, GMRwings1983 said:

This is way more bold than Babcock benching Hasek in 2008.  Benching a goalie at this stage in the playoffs is nuts.

I'm so glad Babcock did that. Not many coaches would have pulled Dom, even at the end of his NHL career. I doubt he would have rebounded. Just didn't look confident in there, just...old.

[Yak19 303]

Ottawa looks to be a fluke. They are playing against absolute nobodies on the penguins blue line. Pathetic showing by Anderson. They are done. Karlsson is a horrible captain.

Go Preds/Ducks

[brett 1,029]

Yea sens can easily win. 

Down 4-0 in the first period

[Yak19 303]

When bums like Rowney, Wilson and Maata are racking up points you might as well just show yourself out. Rather actually have the Ducks go through to play the pens since they have the cup experience. Preds would likely choke.

[chaps80 1,591]

Just checked the score. 5 to f***in 0 for PIT?!?!?! 

Come on Sens, you HAD THIS!! What a collapse. f***kkk!!

[shocky2002 36]

38 minutes ago, Yak19 said:

When bums like Rowney, Wilson and Maata are racking up points you might as well just show yourself out. Rather actually have the Ducks go through to play the pens since they have the cup experience. Preds would likely choke.

Lol @ cup experience mattering. This is 2017. You might as well say the Red Wings have a better shot than the Preds because they have Zetterberg, Abby, Helm, Kronwall, returning Franzen. Jesus.

[Yak19 303]

11 minutes ago, shocky2002 said:

Lol @ cup experience mattering. This is 2017. You might as well say the Red Wings have a better shot than the Preds because they have Zetterberg, Abby, Helm, Kronwall, returning Franzen. Jesus.

When one team has been in the finals and the other team has never made the scf the team with the finals experience has never lost.

Out of the teams left I would love for the Preds to win it all but i don't see it happening. Really hope im wrong.

Edited May 21, 2017 by Yak19