jackets' playoff run starts tonite

[mscott59]

ok. 4th worst last year, 4th best this year. i'm over the end of the season slump. cbj and the pens at the igloo. tall order to knock off the defending champs out of the gate, but i think they have the goal tending to do it. werenski will be back on the ice, which is huge. can't wait.

[snap infraction]

flyers underachieved this year and missed the playoffs. i'll be rooting for the blue jackets or whoever plays the penguins. good luck in the playoffs. nhl playoff hockey is as intense and dramatic as anything in sports especially overtime playoff hockey!

[mscott59]

well, in the 1st period the jackets did everything but put the biscuit in the basket. outshot the pens 16-3, out hit them, outskated them, but it doesn't matter when you don't have the lead. pittsburgh had 2 wide open looks at point blank range early in the 2nd, and the entire ice tilted back to the penguins. their sticks are more active, breaking up more passes. shot for the cbj are coming from out at the point. the pens' looks have been much closer. down 3-0 w/14:17 left. will need to learn from this and try to even things up friday night. savard just got another penalty. 3rd power play allowed. not good.

[beuycek]

Apr 12, 2017 20:47:14 GMT -5 mscott59 said:

well, in the 1st period the jackets did everything but put the biscuit in the basket. outshot the pens 16-3, out hit them, outskated them, but it doesn't matter when you don't have the lead. pittsburgh had 2 wide open looks at point blank range early in the 2nd, and the entire ice tilted back to the penguins. their sticks are more active, breaking up more passes. shot for the cbj are coming from out at the point. the pens' looks have been much closer. down 3-0 w/14:17 left. will need to learn from this and try to even things up friday night. savard just got another penalty. 3rd power play allowed. not good.

The Jackets defense is just too slow to stop the offense PIT puts out there. When they get possession in the offensive zone, the Jackets look tired, and lost at times. And if they take a penalty, look out. That first Pens' PP unit is sharp and dangerous.

Jackets will have to use the home crowd to their advantage but they may be down 2-0 before they get there.

[mscott59]

Apr 13, 2017 5:11:31 GMT -5 beuycek said:

Apr 12, 2017 20:47:14 GMT -5 mscott59 said:

well, in the 1st period the jackets did everything but put the biscuit in the basket. outshot the pens 16-3, out hit them, outskated them, but it doesn't matter when you don't have the lead. pittsburgh had 2 wide open looks at point blank range early in the 2nd, and the entire ice tilted back to the penguins. their sticks are more active, breaking up more passes. shot for the cbj are coming from out at the point. the pens' looks have been much closer. down 3-0 w/14:17 left. will need to learn from this and try to even things up friday night. savard just got another penalty. 3rd power play allowed. not good.

The Jackets defense is just too slow to stop the offense PIT puts out there. When they get possession in the offensive zone, the Jackets look tired, and lost at times. And if they take a penalty, look out. That first Pens' PP unit is sharp and dangerous.

Jackets will have to use the home crowd to their advantage but they may be down 2-0 before they get there.

was kind of surprised we had 2 guys on 3rd line defense who'd barely played this season... carlsson and harrington. each looked like they were out of position on the 2nd/3rd goals. the other thing to me was that the cbj looked like they were hurrying, while the pens just looked fast. calvert and atkinson, especially, looked like they were trying to go so fast w/the puck that they lost their edge on the ice numerous times. it is just one game, but i agree that after that first period, pittsburgh came out and was clearly the better club the last 40:00

[beuycek]

Apr 13, 2017 7:59:42 GMT -5 mscott59 said:

Apr 13, 2017 5:11:31 GMT -5 beuycek said:

The Jackets defense is just too slow to stop the offense PIT puts out there. When they get possession in the offensive zone, the Jackets look tired, and lost at times. And if they take a penalty, look out. That first Pens' PP unit is sharp and dangerous.

Jackets will have to use the home crowd to their advantage but they may be down 2-0 before they get there.

was kind of surprised we had 2 guys on 3rd line defense who'd barely played this season... carlsson and harrington. each looked like they were out of position on the 2nd/3rd goals. the other thing to me was that the cbj looked like they were hurrying, while the pens just looked fast. calvert and atkinson, especially, looked like they were trying to go so fast w/the puck that they lost their edge on the ice numerous times. it is just one game, but i agree that after that first period, pittsburgh came out and was clearly the better club the last 40:00

I wouldn't put the loss on Bob at all but if the Jackets are going to win this series, he is going to have to make huge saves when his defense plays like they did last night. Kessel's shot was almost perfect, and on the PP, so no real fault there but the first goal by Rust from the high slot, unscreened, was stoppable. Then the last goal was just a bad rebound. Carlsson and Jones were absolute statues on the play but that's a juicy rebound to give up.

The common theme of all three goals was the defense doing very little to stop the Pens from scoring. Slow footed and/or flat footed and with the snipers the Pens roll out there, that can't happen.