Should we be at all surprised that the Pissburgh Penguins were awarded the first and most important powerplay in game seven tonight?
If we go back and total up the one-sided edge in powerplays favoring the Pens through the first six games, then the answer is absolutely 'NO'!
Are you ready?
The Pissburgh Penguins have enjoyed the luxury of 30, that's right 30 manpower-advantages though the first six games of this eastern conference semi-final series while their opposition, the Washington Capitals, were the benficiary of 19 powerplays. Now when one considers the strength of either team's powerplay, a differential of 11 odd-man advantages is most definitely a significant factor in the final analysis.
Tonight with Pissburgh enjoying a comfortable 5-0 lead in the second period of the deciding game seven, the significant point that will go unnoticed is the fact that the Penguins jumped into a 1-0 lead on their 31st powerplay of the series. It's no secret that scoring the first goal of any postseason game, let alone game seven, is very, very important to any team and I suppose it was no surprise to most when the officials nailed Caps defenseman Shaone Morrisonn for a wee love tap on the stick of a Penguin. Ironically enoough, Don Cherry was quick to remark during the first intermission how pathetic and what a cheap call that infraction was against the home side to start the ball rolling against them.
The ensuing powerplay (simply another gift from the zebras to the Penguins) in which Pissburgh capitalized, started the onslaught and the home team was and has been behind the eight ball ever since. That ensuing powerplay also took the Capitals sellout crowd out of the game as well and Pissburgh and the officials were off and running once again.
When will the one-sided calls in the Penguins favor cease?
I'm not really sure but I do know that it will definitely take one heck of a strong effort from their next opponent(s) to defeat both Pissburgh teams in these 2009 NHL playoffs.
Oh and one more thing, there has been one additional penalty called through two periods of tonight's game but don't bother asking as to which team received the infraction.
If we go back and total up the one-sided edge in powerplays favoring the Pens through the first six games, then the answer is absolutely 'NO'!
Are you ready?
The Pissburgh Penguins have enjoyed the luxury of 30, that's right 30 manpower-advantages though the first six games of this eastern conference semi-final series while their opposition, the Washington Capitals, were the benficiary of 19 powerplays. Now when one considers the strength of either team's powerplay, a differential of 11 odd-man advantages is most definitely a significant factor in the final analysis.
Tonight with Pissburgh enjoying a comfortable 5-0 lead in the second period of the deciding game seven, the significant point that will go unnoticed is the fact that the Penguins jumped into a 1-0 lead on their 31st powerplay of the series. It's no secret that scoring the first goal of any postseason game, let alone game seven, is very, very important to any team and I suppose it was no surprise to most when the officials nailed Caps defenseman Shaone Morrisonn for a wee love tap on the stick of a Penguin. Ironically enoough, Don Cherry was quick to remark during the first intermission how pathetic and what a cheap call that infraction was against the home side to start the ball rolling against them.
The ensuing powerplay (simply another gift from the zebras to the Penguins) in which Pissburgh capitalized, started the onslaught and the home team was and has been behind the eight ball ever since. That ensuing powerplay also took the Capitals sellout crowd out of the game as well and Pissburgh and the officials were off and running once again.
When will the one-sided calls in the Penguins favor cease?
I'm not really sure but I do know that it will definitely take one heck of a strong effort from their next opponent(s) to defeat both Pissburgh teams in these 2009 NHL playoffs.
Oh and one more thing, there has been one additional penalty called through two periods of tonight's game but don't bother asking as to which team received the infraction.
