NHL Eastern Conferance first round playoff predictions

[xero380]

with further research into the players and between goaltenders i'm actually going to say Pens in 7. Detroit has the experience and everything but with young legs on the ice and the fact that they aren't fearing anything no matter how many championships anyone has won in the past....detroit is going to have a run for their money. However this is still going to be a back and forth series down to the wire. Detroit has maybe two people on offense that can carry them...Pens have a 1,2,3 punch leading them. As for Hasek he's done and might as well wash himself away. As for Osgood he may be older but M.A. Fleury is on the same page with them both still trying to ear respect in both cities. Definately going to be a great series and I can see alot of bets being made and alot of people being ticked off because of an upset. Whose going to start the betting on here? lol JP?

[MeYatch]

I don't think Holmstrom is going to have as easy a time parking in front of the net with the likes of Orpik more than willing to shove him out of there.

As much as I hate to admit it, I think its kind of a 50/50 thing here.

I think whoever scores the first goal in each game is going to win it. Detroit has never been able to come from behind to win a game, luckily for them, they don't have much need to.

Are you honestly saying that Ozgood's 10 and 2 record is better than Fleury's 12 and 2 record? Both goaltenders have been outstanding, but I think Fleury has been the better, he's faced way more shots, and has a better save percentage.

[lonewolf]

Osgood hasn't faced anything like the Pens' lines 1A and 1B. I watched the 3rd period of game 6 with Dallas. He did great, but Dallas ain't Pittsburgh and the Pens don't shoot for the chest. Fleury has been shell-shocked and is still shutting them down. Advantage: Even

Speaking of lines 1A and 1B, the Wings just don't have that depth and quality up front. After overcoming injuries during the season and a few key late-season acquisitions, the Pens are just now coming to their own. Advantage: Pens

The advantage for Detroit is at D where they have depth and possibly the best D-man in history. Pens have been doing better than expected here, but you can't deny Lidstrom. Advantage: Wings

Youthful enthusiasm over experience: Pens win in 6

I was a Hornets fan before I was a Penguins fan.

[f.sciarrillo]

Starting in Detroit on Saturday night, at 8:00 P.M. on VS; We will find out.

Go PENS !!!

If Pens win the first one they will sweep

[ToonaRockGuy]

What, no post-game one comments yet?

Game 2, Monday night, 8PM, from Joe Louis Arena in Detroit on VS.

[MeYatch]

It was one hell of a game for the first period. Once Detroit got out to a lead the Pens didn't have much of a chance.

They had some great chances in the first, I think it could have easily been a different game if they had managed to put one in.

[Eightball]

Freakin' Osgood was in a coma! A brick wall on the ice.Also, being a big Pens fan, I thought that first goal should have counted because I'm sure it went in before they called goalie interference. It's gonna be an uphill battle I'm afraid.....

[f.sciarrillo]

Osgood is a good goalie. If the pens pull this off; it will be well deserved ,,,

Did anyone see that Mellon had 13,000 people there last night watching the game on big screens ?? They all paid $5.00 to get in and all the money went to the Lemieux Foundation ...

[ToonaRockGuy]

It's getting awful quiet in here, Pens fans. Down 2-0, the talk seems to have died down a LOT. Where's your support?

At any rate, I do hope that the Pens win at least one so that the Wings can win the Cup at home.

[Mikey Wax]

It's getting awful quiet in here, Pens fans. Down 2-0, the talk seems to have died down a LOT. Where's your support?

At any rate, I do hope that the Pens win at least one so that the Wings can win the Cup at home.

Fuck you... I'm kidding. No, seriously, fuck you.

[Rich]

Ya can't win'em all. There are still 5 games left. Anything can happen. But, ya gotta give credit where credit is do. RW's are a hell of a team. They are in the right places at the right time and are well coached. Hell, they should be... They have what, 23 Stanley Cup ring sittin on the bench? (Not an excuse, they "should" be on top of there game.)

I'm behind the Pens 100%!!!!

!!! LET'S GO PENS !!!

[DrumAndDestroy]

red wings are killing on puck possession.

the hope is fading a little, but game 3 on wed can be a turning point. i hope so.

[Jim Price]

I watched last night's game at Galactic Ice, on a 9 x 12 foot television screen. It didn't make the result of the game any easier to swallow, though.

So far, the Red Wings seem to have answers for everything the Pens try to do. Pittsburgh couldn't mount any type of sustained offensive drives against Detroit; every time they'd get the puck somebody from Detroit was in the right place to disrupt passes and send the puck back the other way.

If there was an encouraging thing from last night's game, it was that the Pens seemed to be getting pissed off towards the end. It seems that the character of this team is that they start getting it done when they're pissed off. I think after that brawl near the end of last night's game, it's going to be war at Mellon Arena on Wednesday night.

I think the Pens can win one or both games in Pittsburgh, but they're going to need to solve Detroit's defensive play and get more shots on goal if they're going to get back into it. And they're going to have to remain tough and match Detroit on the physical side. Realistically at this point, though, it's an uphill battle for the Pens, and I'm hoping they can at least score against Detroit when they get back to Pittsburgh.

The folks at Galactic Ice said they'll do their viewing party with the 9 x 12 foot television screen again if the series gets to a Game 7. Pretty good deal, the game outside in the parking lot on the 9 x 12 foot screen, plus all you can eat food and refreshments (non alcoholic) for $10. They had about 250 people there to take in the game last night.

[bassist4life2004]

The major problems that i witnessed last night were these.

Too many long passes and not enough shots. Their passing across the ice was getting disrupted constantly. I hardly ever saw one pass that got completed. I think that if they are going to have any luck against detroit in the future games, they need to stick closer together and not go for the long passing. When the opportunity presents itself, they need to take the shot instead of trying to wait and make the perfect goal. They also need to crowd the net more and work harder on taking osgood off of his game. The major reason he has been shutting them out is because he is more comfortable with them hanging back and taking their time to find the shot instead of them compulsively firing away at the net and keeping on him.

Last night I did not see the aggressive, in your face penguins that i've seen throughout the playoffs. They need to make bigger hits and bully the shit out of detroit the way they bullied every other team in the playoffs. I think that these are the things that are going to make them or break them for the next few games.

[Rich]

God for bid you touch Ozzy.... Those 2 calls last night were lame!!! If your gonna call crap. Call it both ways...

[MeYatch]

I hate to pile on the "Malkin needs to step it up" bandwagon. But man, Malkin needs to step it up!

The wings are throwing everything they have at Crosby, and its all they can do to contain him.

I don't know what's crazier, that Crosby is the equal to 3 or 4 Red Wings, or that the rest of the Pittsburgh team can't take on that 1 remaining wing!

The Penguins strengh is that they have arguably the 2 best scoring lines in the league, and most teams can only contain one of them. However despite the wings playing their best line against the Crosby line, Malkin didn't get a single shot on goal. I don't think his whole line did.

I'm thinking (hoping) the pens are going to turn it around in Mellon Arena. They havn't lost a game there so far in these playoffs, and apparently it takes a lot of getting used to. Also they can match Crosby and Malkin up against some more favorable lines and hopefully they can generate some scoring chances.

I'm really hoping they can win these 2 games at home, and then carry that momentum back into detroit and win another one.

Unfortunately I think they have a slightly better chance of winning the next 4 straight, than managing to win that game 7 back in detroit if it comes down to that.

I also think Pittsburgh needs to get somebody in front of the net. I don't think they are doing that bad on first attempts, but everytime Ozgood coughs up a rebound (and there have been more than a few) a wing is there to scoop it away. The Pens really need to get some second and third chances if they want to win.

Also, man that was a magestic fucking swan dive ozzy took at the end of the game.

[Rich]

Yeah... What he said...

[ToonaRockGuy]

I also think Pittsburgh needs to get somebody in front of the net. I don't think they are doing that bad on first attempts, but everytime Ozgood coughs up a rebound (and there have been more than a few) a wing is there to scoop it away. The Pens really need to get some second and third chances if they want to win.

Also, man that was a magestic fucking swan dive ozzy took at the end of the game.

That is why the Wings are so good. Every time they take a shot, usually Holmstrom has his fat ass parked right in front of the goalie, to help re-align the shot or to catch a rebound and stuff it in. The Pens might have a chance to score if they could park someone in front of Osgood.

And quit whining about the flop, Pens fans. It's not like Sidney Flopsby never took a dive.

Fuck you... I'm kidding. No, seriously, fuck you.

Right back atcha, babe!!

[MeYatch]

diving happens, but common, ozzy could star in a made for TV movie with his quality of acting.

[MeYatch]

its early, but I like what I'm seeing so far. I think pittsburgh looked better on that penalty kill than they have on the power supply back in detroit

[MeYatch]

woot!

[MeYatch]

WOOT!

[DMFJ03]

We've lulled them into a false sense of security.

They are now the Detroit Mild Wings!!

[DMFJ03]

Ahem...Detroit Honney Barbeque

[MeYatch]

oh, I missed a "woot" that was some intense non-stop hockey goodness.