PLAYOFF GAME DAY: Game 6: Pittsburgh Penguins (3) @ Ottawa Senators (2) - 7:00pm ET - Sat. Apr. 24th, 2010

RobbyJ wrote:

Cap'n Clutch wrote:I wish I could find video of it but I can't. Cullen gave up the puck on the point at least twice on the same PP and no one even mentions it but me. The point is I think Spezza is getting crucified here because it lead to a break for Crosby that went in the net. Cullen's errors didn't cost goals or if they did no one remembers them.

The second one did result in a goal. The difference between the two situations is Spezza had the puck and blindly passed to a spot on his blueline, whereas Cullen mishandled a pass the first time and a clearing attempt the 2nd time. Totally different scenarios - Mental mistake vs. Physical mistake.

Cap'n Clutch wrote:I wish I could find video of it but I can't. Cullen gave up the puck on the point at least twice on the same PP and no one even mentions it but me. The point is I think Spezza is getting crucified here because it lead to a break for Crosby that went in the net. Cullen's errors didn't cost goals or if they did no one remembers them.

PKC wrote:
I think Clouston touched on it properly. He said the guy took a lot of good steps forward this year and I can't fault Spezza for trying. I don't think he tries to lose. He might even be guilty of trying to do too much. But at the same time, we just didn't get enough out of the guy. One 5on3 goal in a six game series for a guy who could put up 40 in a year is inexcusable.

SpezDispenser wrote:

Cap'n Clutch wrote:I wish I could find video of it but I can't. Cullen gave up the puck on the point at least twice on the same PP and no one even mentions it but me. The point is I think Spezza is getting crucified here because it lead to a break for Crosby that went in the net. Cullen's errors didn't cost goals or if they did no one remembers them.

Cullen's mistakes on that sequence of events 100% caused a goal. It was terrible. Now, I don't want to fuel any fire, but Cullen responded from that by scoring on the next shift (on one of the best passes of the series by...Jason Spezza) and he continued to rock the rest of that series. That one mistake was made up for about 10 times over.

N4L wrote:
Like Robby said, physical mistake vs mental mistake. Huge difference.

SpezDispenser wrote:

N4L wrote:
Like Robby said, physical mistake vs mental mistake. Huge difference.

As long as you count 3 giveaways on 1 shift 'physical' (including skating the wrong way and being overtaken by Malkin), then Cullen is 100% A-OK.

Cap'n Clutch wrote:

SpezDispenser wrote:

N4L wrote:
Like Robby said, physical mistake vs mental mistake. Huge difference.

As long as you count 3 giveaways on 1 shift 'physical' (including skating the wrong way and being overtaken by Malkin), then Cullen is 100% A-OK.

At least I wasn't the only one to see Cullen cough the puck up.

SeawaySensFan wrote:
That was a bad shift for sure but even as I watched it, I was thinking he did enough good already to be forgiven and then he just continued to be even better. Very nice player. I wish him well in his future endeavors.

N4L wrote:

wprager wrote:

N4L wrote:Ugggggh, I dont want to keep talking about this, but w/e. That drops pass at the blueline was about as bad a play as you can make. Anyone putting that on A Train needs to take a serious looks of the do's and dont's of playoff hockey.

It wasn't a drop pass. He was skating toward the blue line from inside and passed it forward toward A-Train, who simply froze.

Spezza dropped it off, he can't leave the puck there at that point in the game or at that spot on the ice. Even if A Train gets that pass there is nothing stopping The Pens from tipping it off A Trains stick and going the other way with the exact same result. A Train should have never been in a position to take blame for that play because it was a dumb, careless, and selfish play.

SpezDispenser wrote:

N4L wrote:http://www.ottawasun.com/sports/hockey/2010/04/25/13715571.html

Basically saying that A Train has turned down 20 mil from The Sens (be gone) and The Sens may very well have to "live with Spezza". Not exactly words of confidence. Garrioch usually sums things up nicely and does have connections so his word does have some credibility.

There are so many mistakes in that it's embarrassing.

Cheechoo making 3.5 million.
His buyout spread over 3 years (wrong).
Leclaire making 4.8 without giving his actual cap hit as well
Kuba having only one year left
Kuba having a NTC (it expires July 1)

That's off the top of my head, those are all mistakes in a small article. Very poor.

N4L wrote:Yup, A Train isnt even in the zone yet. There was no reason for that play to ever be made.