(AP)
Wooooooo! We don't know if we can say that enough. What a way for the Pens to end this series. After having a chance to finish this series on home ice in game 6, even though they played well enough to win, we were nervous. This was game 7 and who would have thought it would have been any different than the other six games that were decided by one goal or overtime with the exception of game 4? This series was up and down through six games, like anyone really thought a 6-2 Pens win was that probable. Caps fans are stunned and a lot of Pens fans are too, but in a good way. Bring on Boston or Carolina!
- What a game. Geno may have been the best player, in our opinion, during the regular season but Sidney Crosby is on a whole other level than anyone else right now. He has really brought a lot to the table in the playoffs, especially this series. People want to say that Sidney Crosby isn't a goal scorer but he sure showed he can be. What a competitor. He makes big things happen in big-time games. There is no doubt that if we had to start a team we would pick Crosby for this fact alone. His drive and play-making ability are unreal.
- One of the biggest things, if not the biggest, was Fleury's save on Ovechkin about three minutes into the game. Ovie is not our favorite player to say the least but he has one heck of a shot you have to respect. All we could think was oh no when he got that breakaway but what a save. Absolutely ridiculous. This is exactly what Fleury needed to do and he did it. So for those of you who dislike him and his "crappy" play, what do you have to say now? This game could have gone a whole different direction had Ovie scored. That just took the life right out of a lot of people in that building. Fleury was smiling that familiar smile after that one. He deserved it. We say it again, what a save.
- Speaking of Ovie, we just have to say we don't get all the hype. We don't get the chance to see a whole lot of other hockey teams on a regular basis but after watching Ovie for seven games we just don't get it. Like we said before, he has one heck of a shot that you have to respect and he's a big threat from anywhere on the ice. That's great and everything but how about a well-rounded player? Ovechkin does not play defense on either end of the ice. He stands around near the faceoff circle and waits for someone to get him the puck so he can take a shot. Yeah, one heck of a shot, we know, but maybe try playing a little defense? Or battle for pucks along the boards. Something! Did you see him try to go after Crosby on his breakaway from Ovie's turnover? No. Do something! We just find that ridiculous to be quite honest.
- Oh wait, Ovie does do something else, he takes runs at people. WTF? We can't say the Gonchar hit was accidental and his leaving his feet to hit people isn't either. It's called charging and why isn't it called? Cuz he's Alexander Ovechkin, which makes the league look bad in our opinion and in others'. Last night while he tried to take out Malkin, Geno was too smart for him and avoided his hit. Funny, right? But since he missed Geno, he hit his own teammate Nicklas Backstrom. Funnier. Way to go Ovie!
- Ovie said he told Sidney Crosby that he wished him good luck and to go win the Cup. Does anyone really think he meant that? Yeah so we don't like Ovie but like any competitor who is constantly matched up against someone else while the debate rages as to who the best player in the world is and you want the other person to win the Cup before you? Especially when you have an ego bigger than the state of Texas. Yeah, we doubt it. Maybe he was being nice and meant it. Or maybe not. And by the way, who's the better player? We think Crosby answered that during this series.
- Alexander Semin made those famous comments about Crosby and how he doesn't see anything special there. Who showed up during this series? It sure wasn't Semin. And if there's nothing special about someone who did all that Crosby did during this series, we don't know what to say.
- The Pens played really disciplined hockey last night and allowed the Capitals not even one power play. We can't say we saw anything that the Pens did to deserve a penalty but we still can't believe that one wasn't called at some point. Crazy. But we like it. The Pens meanwhile had four power play chances and scored on two of them.
- Gonchar coming back had to have been huge for the team. After thinking he might be out for the rest of the season, he plays in game 7. Big uplift for the team there.
- Miroslav Satan has played really well since being put into the lineup. This is a guy who was sent to WBS because of poor play. With Sykora being out of the lineup because of poor play, Satan really stepped up. He looked better than we've ever seen him. He may not have all the stats to prove that but he really chipped in. And what about Craig Adams scoring a goal? Eight seconds after Crosby's opening goal at that. Definitely secondary scoring there.
- We felt a little bad for Varlamov who was pulled after the fourth Pens goal. He did way more than anyone probably expected of him in the Caps run up to this point. He sure kept his cool throughout the majority of this series and last series and the Pens finally got to him. He by far should not be blamed for this series loss. He definitely looks like a player who will be in the league for a long time.
- It was nice to see Dan Rooney in the house up in Mario's suite. He looked like he was enjoying himself. It's nice that the Pittsburgh sports franchises support each other. Mike Tomlin is seen fairly often at games in his white Sidney Crosby jersey with his children and many players go to games. A lot of the Pens players supported the Steelers in their quest for the Lombardi. Even the Pirates get in on the mix with a few players watching the Pens, while the Pens and Steelers enjoy a Pirates game or two at PNC Park. The place is beautiful, you really can't blame them.
Geno's post-game interview:
What English from Geno.
That's all for now. We'll get those pictures we promised up soon. We found out the pictures need to be downsized so we'll have to go through them and do it. Take a breather, watch the other two games, and get ready for round three.
Go Pens!
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