Party like its 1999...Pens vs. Habs Game 2

First things first...there goes my sweep prediction--obviously.

I wouldn't have said the series would be a sweep if I would have known we were going back in time to the not so exciting world of the late 90's NHL. The time when clutching and grabbing was a way of life and Mario Lemieux called the NHL a "garage league" (Doesn't make sense--I know--but it seems like an insult, right?). This style of play was supposed to be eliminated after the lockout in an effort to make the game "exciting" and "reward skill players" again, but it's totally up to the referees to keep the clutching & grabbing in check by calling penalties. The referees today must have missed that memo.


I am typically not one to blame the referees. So, lets give Montreal some credit. One thing they do well is stick to their system and hold a lead like their lives depend on it. They know the only chance they have in the series is to somehow get ahead and then neutral zone trap and "Murphy Dump" their way to a victory. It leads to a ton of shots on goal for the Pens, but not very many good ones. The great chances the Pens were getting on Friday night were nowhere to be found today cause of their unwillingness to crash the net (still not sure why) and their decision to play like the Capitals in games 6 and 7 against Montreal. Halak will be the first to tell you he worked harder Friday facing 23 shots than he did today against 39.


The Penguins need to get back to the style of play that won them game 1. Or at least have the NHL remember it's 2010--not 1999.


Couple quick bullet points...


-Matt Cooke has been just awesome in the playoffs. Its like he is going to be a free agent and is playing for a big money contract (Oh wait...).


-Today wasn't one of Malkin's best games. Of course, it would help if his wingers ever -as the gentleman sitting next to us last week at the Arena so eloquently put it- "did something that doesn't suck."


-How bad are NBC's broadcasts? I love Sidney Crosby and all, but there are other guys on the team worth mentioning every once in a while.


I am not that worried about the Pens losing the series. Of course, I was the one who didn't believe the Habs would actually beat the Capitals till it happened......