By Gene Collier, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
http://www.post-gazette.com/sports/?m=1
Three times in a mere 365 days, a most unlikely thrice on the same trip 'round the sun, we are blessed to witness the greatest spectacle in playoff hockey.
The indescribably delicious best-of-one.
Most know it as Game 7, and no one need emphasize its import.
"We care deeply and we want to win desperately," Penguins coach Dan Bylsma said Tuesday in the full knowledge that he could have been describing the emotions of the Montreal Canadiens, who can lock up the series, lock down the Mellon Arena, and unlock Pittsburgh's legitimate claim to the Stanley Cup, all on this very night.
Peter Diana/Post-Gazette
Penguins forward Sidney Crosby battles for position against Canadiens forward Michael Cammalleri during Thursday's Game 6.
There is no compelling reason why the Penguins can't avoid all that, not even the admirable goaltending of Montreal's Jaroslav Halak, whose Game 6 performance suggested not only that he remains the pivotal figure in this Eastern Conference semifinal, but that he can be had as well.
"We had more people there," Bylsma said of Halak's doorstep Monday night. "We had more opportunities. The picture of a person with the puck at the top of the crease had been more frequent."
All true, but the fact that the Penguins scored an insufficient three goals ultimately negated the suspect positive that they hit enough posts to erect a guardrail across the Birmingham Bridge.
"When you get this far into a series," Sidney Crosby said, "you pretty much know what you need to do."
So how come, do you think, Canadiens left winger Michael Cammalleri keeps popping open in the Penguins' defensive zone like a crazed jack-in-the-box, keeps scoring on the rush, time after time, six games into this series and 13 into a postseason in which his 11 goals lead all scorers?
Could it be he's not being paid the proper attention?
"No," Crosby said. "We're all aware of his skill, his speed and everything that he creates. He's got a great shot. He makes the most of his chances. It's not a lack of effort or of not knowing where he is. He's just executing well."
So well, in fact, that if the Penguins' season ends tonight, you won't have to call in CSI Blawnox to establish the identity of the likely executioner. Not only is Cammalleri constantly getting free in the neutral zone and exploding up ice, he is burying more than 23 percent of his shots, the best percentage among the postseason's top 20 scorers.
"I played with him last year at this time in Calgary," Penguins defenseman Jordan Leopold pointed out, "and he's a guy who can put the puck in the net. He has done that repeatedly, and he always finds spots and the situations to do that. Now, all of that is in the past. We have to look to one game, and we have to win one game. He's had some success, and we're aware of that.
"We have to limit his opportunities."
This deep in a series in which he is the primary tormentor, that's one of the things the Penguins, to use Sid's words, should pretty much know. But, from my view, it's not apparent that they do. Cammalleri simply hasn't been punished for it, not through the heightened attention of Penguins skaters, much less via hockey's version of a full-body message. Not so much as a decent face wash to this point.
Other than Marc-Andre Fleury, nine different Penguins were on the ice for Cammalleri's two goals in Game 6. Kris Letang was witness to both of them.
"There are several things that he has done well," Bylsma said. "Cammalleri on the rush is one of the things we've got to be aware of, but it's not just Cammalleri, but [Brian] Gionta and [Scott] Gomez as well. They've been dangerous and they'll be a factor."
Bylsma wouldn't say whether he is considering using defenseman Jay McKee to pair with Leopold or Alex Goligoski, both of whom struggled against the Canadiens' pressure in Game 6. Goligoski, callow as he is, has too much speed to station in the press box against a club as swift as Montreal.
The coach's best hope, frankly, is that Cammalleri is tonight shoved closer to the margins, literally and metaphorically, and someone on the coach's own team and more accustomed to pumping home critical goals emerges.
"That's what great players do," Crosby said. "They find ways to score."
So we've heard.
Gene Collier: gcollier@post-gazette.com.
No comments:
Post a Comment