One Loss To Go…
It is pretty much a done deal now. We were given hope and inspiration with one last skate by Daniel Alfredsson. Teh team had pep, the team had fire in their eyes. The team scored first.
Pittsburgh looked like a fish floundering for much of the game (fan’s perspective) on the heels of our depleted team led by our captain. Until the third, deadlocked in a 1-1 tie. (It took so much for us to finally get that goal, and the flightless birds made it look too easy in return tying it up.) Until their captain decided the game was over.
Kudos to Crosby for pulling it out when it needed to be done. Darts to the Sens D (incl Speeza on the insurance goal) for deciding to coast in the opening moments of the third period.
We played it out til the end but you could tell our heart wasn’t in it. We could no longer outplay the other team. We needed help, but the Pens rarely take penalties.
An analysis of the final blow to Ottawa in the third is not needed. There is no conspiracy theory here. Ottawa has been done for awhile and it was fun to get our hopes up, but that was all.
The only positives to this series would happen on Wednesday if we win one and avoid the sweep. That and thanks goodness I didn’t bet my hair color this year on sweep possibilities…
April 15th, 2008 at 2:16 pm
What are your thoughts on that weird/terrible opening sequence with the “Senator/Spartan” warrior? I was embarrassed for the guy.
Seriously, how do you walk past professional hockey players in that get-up and take yourself seriously ya know?
I actually thought about you watching it thinking to yourself “What the hell is this?!?! The Pensblog is going to have a field day!”
In all honestly… you have taken the harassment and jobbing rather well. I respect that. I still hate the Sens, but at least I can have a bit of respect for another jobber on the internet… especially for how hard the guys and gals in cblog (comments section on tPB) can come down on someone.
So what do you honestly think of Neil? I’m glad he’s on your team on not mine. It seems like he takes a stupid penatly every chance he gets. Everyone throws little punches here and there… but that one he gave to Letang was so dumb! He made such a great play right before that too. That has to be frustrating. I saw that he recieved a 10-minute misconduct at 20:00 of the 3rd in Game 2. I couldn’t find anything on that in the papers here in the states. Did you hear what it was about. I’m still curious.
One last question… Are you from Toronto originally? It must be a bitch rooting for the Sens with half of the country on the Leafs nuts all the time.
As the cbloggers know, I’m from Cleveland, Ohio. So rooting for anything Pittsburgh is the same as being from Nazi Germany. I don’t know how familiar you are with the two cities rivalry down here in the states, but it’s pretty deep. Living in Cleveland and rooting for Pittsburgh teams is considered a mortal sin. I get shit on for it ALL THE TIME.
Maybe that’s why I tend to sympathize with you a bit. haha!
Anyway, jobber… keep up the harassment with us Pensbloggers. We actually enjoy a good scuffle now and again.
Oh, and just in case you think I’m getting soft on ya… GO PENS!!!
later dude
April 15th, 2008 at 3:14 pm
Well said BNG66.
April 16th, 2008 at 6:23 am
Re: The Spartan. I’m indifferent. I know what they were trying to do. I don’t think they pulled it off. Maybe they could never have pulled it off. (Maybe everyone still remembers that Trojan Condoms was going to be the first primary sponsor of the team back in 1992 but then clearer heads prevailed.)
Re: Jobbing. I’ve no issue with the quality or timing of the jobbing. It was fun and I hope to do it all again next year. Except for the ‘initial server attack’ (thanks for testing my hosting provider out btw!) you guys are all class.
Re: Neil. It got to him last game. He has grown up in recent years and he does contribute a lot. I’m more worried about Lapointe. He tends to take bad penalties near the end of a game. His high stick ‘accident’ in Game 2 is very similar to three other games this year.
Re: Toronto. Technically I was born in TO, grew up in Ottawa (was originally a Bruins fan) and welcomed the new franchise with open arms. I moved to TO more than a dozen years ago and have lived in the city wearing Sens paraphernalia ever since. I’ve had everyone from no-neck sports nuts to old ladies on the street heckle me. It’s rather soothing in a weird sort of way. I lived through all of the crappy series against the Leafs and weathered the storms. Lat year was the payback. We didn’t win it all but boy did I get to hold my head up high.
Good luck tonight. I’m still hoping we pull one out of our ass before we’re done.
April 16th, 2008 at 2:47 pm
They should have just had that “Spartan” walk out to some dramatic music have him ask one simple question, “Sens Army, what is your profession?”
Then everyone could have screamed their heads off and it would have been okay (except for the safety stickers.) He probably wouldn’t have almost knocked his helmet off and we wouldn’t have had to sit through the insufferable “speech” he gave. He was obviously not one of Ottawa’s brightest… it seemed like he was having issues just pronouncing the words. Maybe the ‘roids hadn’t kicked in yet but he looked more juiced than Jose Canseco having sex with Barry Bonds.
At least the Sens have (er, had) a tough mascot. We have Iceburgh, who we love but it’s sort of hard to act tough when your mascot is essentially a 7′ stuffed penguin. (Though, to be fair, Iceburgh was killing people all over the place in Sudden Death)
Anyway, no matter what happens tonight, I’m sure we’ll see you next playoffs.
April 16th, 2008 at 10:12 pm
I want to be the first to congratulate you on a FANTASTIC first half to the year!
That free fall was like something out of a movie!
But you’re a good sport.
JOB CITY.
GOLF SENS GOLF!
SECOND ROUND!!!!!!!!!
WOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!
April 17th, 2008 at 6:46 am
Thanks Big k. Congrats on the victory. As with anyone who gets trounced in the playoffs, I hope you guys go all the way as we’ll look a little less like chumps then!
It certainly was a freefall, and just like a bad movie plot, we didn’t have a parachute.