Sandpaper

How terrible is it to have the two guys you just spent a good number of minutes berating and other wise hating on win the game? Jarkko Ruutu and Chris Neil took my blog and laughed at it long and hard. I don't think it was a lack of toughness on the Penguins part. Chris Kunitz, Pascal Dupuis, even Jordan Staal and Ruslan Fedotenko, were laying the lumber in the corners and drilling Ottawa defensemen into the boards at every pass. Yet, through this toughness, Chris Neil sucked the life outta the building with a goon goal:


[AP]

Vomit. It was like a vacuum in the Mellon Arena the fans literally went from shouting and carrying on, "Let's Go Pens! Let's Go Pens! Let's Go P-," Silence. There is nothing that kills a crowd more than a goal from someone that shouldn't be scoring or a goal that shouldn't have been allowed. BOTH happened on this goal. Neil looked like he was Valery Kharlamov because of Fleury's awful positioning. Neil should be busy hitting in the corners and getting hit, not putting on sniper shows like he's some dude in the Battle of Stalingrad.



Underrated flick.

Anyway, I was surprised by the resiliency the Penguins showed despite the third line of the Senators running roughshod over them with EACH of the players on the line pocketing a goal, Neil, Kelly, and Ruutu. Ruutu's goal stung for the same reason Neil's did: a goal that shouldn't have gone in from a player who shouldn't have scored it. This would be like Mike Rupp and Matt Cooke scoring in the same game. It's just not something that happens often. It's BACK BREAKING.

The Penguins had their own unexpected goal as well, at least outside of Pittsburgh. Within the Steel City, I think everyone knows that a guy like Craig Adams is going to do amazing things in the playoffs. Him scoring that goal, I felt like the goal counted for two. A goal from Craig Adams was sadly wasted, but, it being the playoffs, you know more are going to be scored:


[Lifted from tPB from cblog poster "27th Heaven"]

Un-fucking-real.

I'm just here to talk about the goons and pests and discuss what I think happens because of them. You know whatever other site for why the Penguins lost 5-4: Fleury, the defense, Crosby's jersey not sitting right, whatever. It ain't my place.

What is my place is the rumor that Mike Rupp will be returning to the lineup. I am all for this, but not for who is expecting to be sitting out. As I said in the opening paragraph, Ruslan Fedotenko was tied for the team lead in terms of hits in Game 1. Yet he seems to be the odd man out in favor of Rupp. Personally, I would match the sand paper of the Senators third line having Neil and Ruutu flanking Chris Kelly with Matt Cooke and Rupp flanking Jordan Staal. I think, at the very least, bump Tyler Kennedy down to the 4th line and move Rupp up. The 4th line of Talbot, Adams, and Kennedy would stay a great energy line and Anton Volchenkov and Chris Phillips have to deal with Rupp AND Cooke coming in on the forecheck, if Dan Bylsma matches up the lines correctly.

No need to worry, I will be absolutely stunned if we see this more often then we did in Game 1:


[Reuters]

Regardless of who is out for the Penguins tonight, you cannot deny that Mike Rupp is going to light someone up on his first shift, because that is the game he plays. Toughness, grit, hard checking. Obviously, Mike Rupp also brings a little bit of protection to the rest of the lineup. I don't care who you are, you see a big son of a bitch like Rupp in the lineup with you, you're going to be a little more aggressive knowing that guy is going to have a "talk," with anyone who gives you shit for your aggressive play. I expect Mike Rupp to start scrums anytime he is in front of the net and get his money's worth of face washes and pushes and shoves. Let 'em know you're in the game, Rupper.



Bring the pain.