IT KIND OF MAKES YOU GO, HMMM.

WTH? Did Dan Bylsma go soft in the head all of a sudden starting Brad Thiessen against Ottawa? I know it's a good idea to rest your number one goaltender but can you afford to do that when you're behind in the standings? Especially as you're as closer to 5th place than you are 1st.

The Sens historically give the Penguins a hard time so there's no reason to start your AHL-quality backup goaltender when you're trying to finish first in your division and first in your conference AND trying to stay ahead of Philadelphia and not drop into 5th place and in all practicality lose home ice advantage for the entire playoff run.

Even though the Pens have a game in hand against both the Rangers and Flyers they are now THREE points behind the Rangers and, the last I checked, there are no "three point" games in the NHL, at least not any in which you get three points for winning. But it appears they Pens could use one of those, if they existed. 

With Lundquist in goal the Rangers are not going to fall off the edge of the earth and I'll guarantee they WILL play Lundquist to the end of the season to get the number one spot in the playoffs. Why aren't the Penguins making this commitment? Thiessen did win his previous three starts BUT in the last victory he gave up four goals to the Jets and the Penguins were down a goal before opening the flood gates to win 8-4. At that time I said it was a Fuhrian performance. Well, the Penguins didn't score 8 goals this time and Thiessen's performance was Andy Brownian at best. 

I'll wager Fleury wouldn't have given up more than four which means the Pens would have gotten a point to move within two of the Rangers and then would have had the chance to win in OT or a shootout. If the Pens don't win the division (and the conference) and even worse, fall behind the Flyers, I think we can point back to this game as the difference--"the one that done it" to them, if you will. 

Sure the Pens play both teams again at home (the Flyers twice) but they also have to play the red hot Sabres and the Bruins on the road before the season is over and two games against the Islanders who would LOVE to kill the Penguins' playoff positioning. Now being three points behind the Rangers means that someone else has to help them. Not a good situation to be in when the Pens could have held their fate in their own hands. And if you wind up in fifth position you REALLY don't want it to happen because you've started choking or making bad coaching decisions just prior to the playoffs.

This is the only Flyer-related image I could use with all good conscience use.

The final four games are against the Flyers, the Bruins, the Rangers and the Flyers. Ugh. I was hoping they'd be in first place before they hit that string but it appears they may not be, so the season may hing on running the table in those four games. It's not something they can't do but I'd rather they not have had to prove it, either.


SO, let's hope Brent Johnson makes it back soon to give them a REAL backup goaltender, not an AHL wannabe. What I don't like about Thiessen is probably the only thing he can't do a thing about; he's SMALL. You can coach "big."

I haven't watched the game yet and I'm not sure I want to. I've already read enough about it. One question though, what happened to Neal and Malkin? I'm sure the rest of the league is salivating to get a look at the video of this game to see how the Sens did it and I KNOW they will try the same things when meeting the Penguins next. But I'm also wondering, what the hell happened to their defense? Hopefully, this game is just a glitch. We'll see tomorrow against the Devils and Monsieur Martin Brodeur.