2011 NHL Playoffs: Did the Pittsburgh Penguins Really Choke?
Last night, the Pittsburgh Penguins bowed out of the Stanley Cup playoffs with a 1-0 loss to the Tampa Bay Lightning. The Penguins became the 24th team in NHL history to lose a playoff series after being up three games to one.
A lot of things went wrong for the Penguins, and it’s perfectly natural to feel that they choked.
But did they really?
Let’s look back at what went wrong during this quarterfinals series and try to draw a conclusion.
Choked: They Blew a Significant Series Lead
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Obviously, no team wants to be the one that gets written into the NHL history books for all the wrong reasons.
But the Penguins will be just that.
They went up three games to one in the series, and there was no reason to believe that they couldn't put away the less experienced, but still talented, Lightning team.
Instead, they were blown out 8-2 in a Game 5 on home ice, lost by two goals in Game 6 and then couldn't get their offense going in Game 7.
No matter what excuses Penguins personnel and players want to make for this loss, it leaves a bad taste in everyone's mouth. Fans won't forget this one anytime soon.
Didn't Choke: No Sidney Crosby or Evgeni Malkin
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Team captain Sidney Crosby has not played since January 5, when he was hit by Tampa defenseman Victor Hedman. He had sustained another hit in the Winter Classic from then-Washington Capitals forward Dave Steckel.
Crosby had been skating but had not yet been cleared for contact. The Penguins have been mum on his condition, and it is hard to confirm what is really going on with all of the rumors floating around the Internet.
Evgeni Malkin last played in February but suffered a torn ACL and MCL in a game against the Buffalo Sabres. He had surgery and was skating, but he won't be back playing until 2011-12.
Crosby ended the season as the team's leading scorer with 66 points, and none of his teammates could even come close to that.
Malkin's production had gone down for the second year in a row, as he had 37 points in 43 games. However, he won the 2009 Conn Smythe Trophy as the Pens captured their third Cup in franchise history.
When your leading goal scorer in the postseason ends up being Arron Asham, you're probably not on pace for a Stanley Cup.
There was not much hope for the ultimate prize without these two stars, and while the Penguins organization may have spoken about high expectations, it just wasn't realistic to expect a long playoff run. Therefore, this loss can't be considered a choke.
Choked: Power Play Woes
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Tyler Kennedy scored the lone Penguins power play goal of this series.
Pittsburgh finished the postseason with a 1-for-35 success rate on their power play, which evens out to 2.9 percent for 15th among playoff teams.
What else is there to say?
OK, we'll add the fact that Tampa is third among playoff teams with a 29.6 percent success rate on the man advantage.
Guess who is going to have an easier time winning games?
.png?w=256 "Playoff Winners and Losers")
Didn't Choke: Goaltending
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Marc-Andre Fleury was one of the few Penguins who came ready to play on Wednesday.
Not only did he give up just one goal, he also made two huge saves on Pavel Kubina and Adam Hall. This kept the game from truly getting out of hand.
Fleury finished the postseason with a record of 3-4 with a .889 save percentage and 2.52 GAA. While he had two bad games, they seemed to be forgiven when he came up big. It's just a shame he couldn't steal a victory.
Dwayne Roloson was a big part of Tampa's comeback, though.
The 41-year-old netminder went 4-3 with a .949 save percentage and a 1.77 GAA. His wins, save percentage and GAA are all ranked first in the league among postseason goalies.
Sometimes, you just lose to a hot goaltender. The Penguins ran into the same problem in the 2010 Eastern Conference Semifinals, when they faced then-Montreal Canadiens goaltender Jaroslav Halak.
Fleury came up big, but Roloson came up even bigger.
Choked: No Lineup Adjustments
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I am a fan of Dan Bylsma's, but the one place where he went wrong this series was a failure to make any lineup changes.
Several players such as Alex Kovalev, Matt Niskanen and Chris Conner were underperforming. Bylsma had the option to change up the lines or bring in players such as Eric Tangradi or Deryk Engelland.
Although Conner turned up his game last night, the same can't be said for some of the players who were poor all series.
Bylsma could have at least tried to make even a minor lineup change. By no means do I believe Tangradi or Engelland would have been a big difference maker, but now that I look back, what was the worst that really could've happened?
Didn't Choke: Guy Boucher Is a Good Coach, Too
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For as much as Bylsma is one of the best coaches in the league, Guy Boucher looks to be even better.
The first-year NHL head coach, who is also the youngest coach in the league, has proven himself on every level of hockey. He has won awards at the AHL and QMJHL levels, and he led Tampa Bay to a big turnaround this season.
Last year, the Bolts were in 12th place in the Eastern Conference and missed the postseason.
This year, Tampa finished fifth in the conference and made the playoffs for the first time since 2007.
You have to give Boucher credit for the turnaround and the fact that he was able to lead the Lightning to a win in a series where they were not even the favorites.
He knew what to do when the Lightning had their backs against the wall, and it appears that Bylsma did not.
Pittsburgh should feel no shame losing to a team led by Boucher.
Choked: Penguins Should Have Beaten Tampa
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Forget for a second that had the Penguins advanced, they would have likely become fodder for the Capitals or the Philadelphia Flyers.
When you look at the Penguins and the Lightning on paper, the Penguins have several things going for them:
- Several players left from the 2009 Stanley Cup team
- A roster that includes 15 players who have played in Game 7 in a playoff series, whether with the Penguins or another team.
- A goaltender riding a hot streak who might've been in Vezina Trophy discussion had he not struggled early on.
- Physical players who can also chip in on offense.
But even with all of this, Pittsburgh could not win a series, and they went out in one of the worst ways possible.
When the 3-1 series lead belonged to the Penguins, they had no excuse to not close out the series.
Thinking about that, it is hard to say that this wasn't a choke.
Didn't Choke: The Lightning Wanted It More
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For parts of Game 7, the Penguins did put in some good effort.
They were actually getting shots off on one of their power plays. They were hitting Tampa Bay players like there was no tomorrow. Marc-Andre Fleury kept the game close.
But in the end, Sean Bergenheim, Roloson and the rest of the Lightning team had that little bit of effort and desire. They wanted this, and they weren't going to let the Penguins get in their way.
It also helps to know that Tampa may have been playing their hearts out for assistant coach Wayne Fleming, who was recently diagnosed with a primary brain tumor and underwent surgery for it. Perhaps this win could have been a sort of dedication to him.
You can want something with every fiber of your being and put in the best effort, but in the playoffs, there can always be that team that has the little extra factor that you don't.
Pittsburgh can't do anything about that, and there is nothing bad about saying the Bolts just did that little something extra.
Final Thoughts: Is This a Choke?
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Ultimately, it's hard to win a Stanley Cup when your top two forwards are not available for the playoffs.
It's a miracle when you get the fourth seed in the conference after playing a majority of your season with AHL no-names.
However, as much as I want to defend my Penguins on this one, I just can't.
They still blew a 3-1 series lead. They had three chances to close out the series, including two chances in Pittsburgh, and they failed to do so.
Most Penguins fans won't think about Fleury's great saves in Game 7 or James Neal's game winning double overtime goal in Game 4 when they remember this series.
Instead, the Penguins' miserable power play and the ability to let what was easily theirs slip through their fingers will be the things this postseason will be known for.
No excuses from me. A series loss is what it is, and losing when you were in a great position to win three times is a choke job.
A song I heard recently has a question in the lyrics, "What can you do when your good isn't good enough?"
In the NHL playoffs, you go home if your good isn't good enough. That's the lesson the Penguins are learning with seven other teams right now.
As always, though, I am open to discussion.
Please let me know if you think the Penguins choked.
.png?w=480 "Playoff Winners and Losers")
