Covering: Islanders 3, Penguins 1

Get ready for another CHOKE game. Backed into a corner again with having only 5 defenseman for the game. Enjoy watching the game Mario sipping on your wine from your luxury box....while 3/4's of your players could care less about making the playoffs....

I personally think they step up big time tonight. I think the bounces finally go our way for once. Let's go Pens!

Pens need two points to clinch a playoff spot DK?

Guaranteed win night! I think we see a different team tonight! Let's go Pens

Come on ticket holders, show up, be loud turn around the home ice disadvantage!!

So are we 5 D again tonight?
I'd love to know how often this has ever happened in history....atbleastvthis many games...? Gotta be rare....

Gut check time!

This has the feel to me of a home 7th game.

I will be watching this game ... but I promise to turn it off if we begin to suck. Fact is the Pens never seem to win when I am watching them. :(

Grab a torch, pass the rest around.

So Madden is basically saying Letang done for the year? Can't say I did not expect it, if true....

Exactly why do we pass to Scuds at point?

Remind me.

Let's go Pens!

Inconclusive I bet

Predicting no goal here.

Just f'n typical

Start the dumpster fire

Dear God.
How's the weather in Buffalo?

Just unbelievable.

And with that the comes the first woe is us moment. They should change the logo from a penguin to Eeyore.

You totally knew that was going to happen. Right on que. something doesn't go pens way, lose focus and make mistakes

You can pick any reason you want this year from injuries to referees to lack of dmen to 3rd and 4th lines who suck to the coach.

But without a doubt the biggest reason by far for this lousy season is the awful Power Play

So out of the Penguins last 4 PP I remember no goals and 2
Given up. I think they are doing it wrong

Is that Halak or Hasek?

Pens have clearly fed into their demise but you would think over a month you might get a goalie on an off night. Haven't scored more than 3 goals in 29 days.

Kunitz. Wow.

Lift the frickin puck 14

I sure hope Greiss is on top of his game tomorrow night.

Wonder if Kunitz knows what a one timer is

You can have 50 shots per period but as long as you are shooting it into the goalies chest, they will all look like Patrick Roy.

14 has to bury that. I hate this feeling of dread.

I know they gave up that lousy sh goal but overall I like how they played but will it be for more than a period. not holding my breath for that one.

If only we had 4 other Patric Hornquists. He is absolutely flying

Well story of the last 4 games was Pens dominate early, get a lead and then get buried in 3rd period and OT (outscored 10-1).

Unless they some big time breaks next period it's hard to see this ending well especially playing with 5D. They really needed to play Buffalo tonight when they had some jump.

Just saw the replay on the Penguins should have been goal. What a joke that isn't a goal. Awful

Coaching staff deserves to be fired simply based on PP performance. Have given up more SH goals than scored on PP during this losing streak.

Problem is still coaching in my eyes

Wow. Getting on s plane back from Florida Spring Break and just checked in. Another SHG? Got to be kidding. Let's go Pens.

Pens have lost 8 straight to Eastern teams since beating CBJ 5-3 on March 1st. If it gets to 10 Pens will be counted out.

In the last 20 PP how many goals have the pens scored compared to SH goals. I'll bet you it's pretty damn close.

Someone tell the Pens they don't have a number 1 pick so they can't be in the lottery.

God: Thou shalt not bang your stick on the Rangers cross bar.

Decline!

Holy crap.

Crazy glove save.

Can Tocchet be fired during the next commercial break?

The Penguins power play is comical.

So hard to watch this team.

So the Pirates are on no tv channel in Pittsburgh? What an insult to local baseball fans.

All we need now is TK with game winner.

Excruciating flashbacks to 2010. I can't even imagine them beating Halak right now.
Yet did you see that stinker he let in v PHL?
Where's THAT guy??

I don't care for Downie but that is not a penalty.

That's a penalty?
Only for Downie

And that is why Kunitz didn't try a one-timer in the 1st period........................he swings and misses.

Downie doing what Downie does

2 minutes for being Steve Downie.

That was a terrible call on Downie. Not sure how that is called except for it being 23.

Complete joke. Clipping is below the knees I thought.
Call it what it is, 2 mins for being Downie.

Scuds baby

The odds of not coming back and winning in the 3rd is 80/82.

OMG of all people LOL!!!

Wow
Just wow

The piece

Just saw a pig fly by my screen.

Now that changes things ...

That goal was all 87.

Scuds, the new offensive weapon. He's on pace to score one goal per year.

Can feel it now.

SC Finals here we come.

Crowd looked like they were in a frenzy after the period. Hope they can carry them to a W in the 3rd. Nice to see them loud in this building for a change.

A little poetic justice for Scuds, glad he could contribute, they sure as hell need it it

The Crowd better be LOUD for the 3rd. Let's go!

I don't know who participates in the pregame contest to predict who scores first, but I guarantee you if someone picked Scuderi they're the automatic grand prize winner because no one else did!

Playoff contenders my rear!

Meh here we go

You could see it coming. Pens look soooo TIGHT right from the beginning of the period.

So Lovejoy leaves Tavares unattended at corner of net.

Brilliant Ben.

Bourque blamed Malkin for that goal but it sure looked like Taveras belonged to Lovejoy.

Where is 71 tonight?

Now Outscored 11-1 in last 5 third periods and OT

Is the piano on Kunitz's back a Steinway?

I don't think that we're getting past Buffalo.

Not looking sharp this period
5d issue?

"The Penguins need a goal to tie. And I don't know that Rob Scuderi has another one in him." - Mike Lange

GMJR sure was right when he said that Lovejoy was a different player than when he played here before........................HE IS WORSE

Lange - Kunitz to shoot it but he doesn't have much at all on that shot..... Just like everything he does nowadays

Say goodnight

No!

Game over

Will there be any fans left for fan appreciation night?

I think the Islanders have our faceoff set plays figured out.

The only player on our team with a prayer to catch Grabner is Letang.

The team we are fronting now just isn't good enough.

Shuffling off to Buffalo.

Perron for McDavid in the balance.

I forgot about the Fan Appreciation thing.
Don't they give away their jerseys after the game?
That could be....interesting....

Thanks to Rutherford and the 18 other GMs this team has for playing with 5 dmen in the most crucial games of the season. What a collection of idiots.

If there is any hockey god justice this will all be over this time tomorrow

Anyone know who would win a tiebreaker between Pens-Bruins?

TURN OUT THE LIGHT - THE PARTY IS OVER !!!!! If I was there at the game which I never would be since I wouldnt pay good money to watch garbage - if I won one of those jerseys I would use it as a shammy to wash my truck !!!!!

GO TAMPA!!!!

When your GM leaves your team with 5 Dman for most important stretch of hockey of the season it is almost impossible to win. Has to be main point.

I subscribe to your website and you block me on Twitter. Good luck getting a renew or good word from me

All these goals must be from the first 2 months. Don't think there are many highlights

Wow, what a sad sight. That may a regular home crowd the next few years.

Looking forward to DK's autopsy on this absolutely dead season. I thought last season was awful, but this one was completely DOA. Hire Mike Babcock... Now!

Is Johnston going to say they competed well? He must go and must go now.

This collection of no heart, no character underachievers will win tomorrow night 6-1 and will then act like everything is fixed. They will be laughing and joking in practice and will then be promptly swept in first round.

Hard to comprehend this epic collapse, In my 44 years I have seen nothing like it. Every game I sit down and watch and think, okay this is where it ends. But it doesn't. It seemingly gets worse every game. I understand the injuries and some of the tough luck we have incurred this year have caused the decline. But those are excuses for maybe why we didn't win the division or even get home ice in the 1st round. But to flat out miss the playoffs would be a travesty. DK says the core is safe, but how can it be with these unacceptable results year after year. Something has to change, and not just with a coach and GM.

The Sabres have clinched the worst record and will pick no worse than 2nd. So they are free to win tomorrow. Should be a festive atmosphere in Buffalo. As festive as it gets in Buffalo, that is.

To quote the great Joe McGrath...

"They've come tonight.. to scout the Chiefs, the toughest team in the Federal League. Not this... bunch of... pussies."

How about the 4 GMS the Pens have? Are they all safe?

Pens won 22 of first 32 and only 20 of last 49. Can't beat anybody in the East with 9 straight losses. Good chance it reaches 10 tomorrow.

Wow. You'd almost think that all these other teams would WANT the Penguins to make the playoffs, just to make it easier for them to advance...

I realize it's popular to dump on the pens now. But not sure what else they could've done tonight. Couldn't buy a goal. It's been that way for a month.

Can't blame the GM for injuries to 11.5mil worth of defenders. These guys were absolutely gassed in the 3rd. It might just not be our year. Can't catch a break.

Possibly HCMJ's last game behind Pens' bench tomorrow.

Said it over a week ago.

Fire HCMJ and GMJR now!!!

The end was the Edmonton game they won. Everyone said no big deal. It was. 5 D, unacceptable. Possible lottery pick unacceptable. Kunitz on power play unacceptable. Short handed attempts and goals against Unacceptable.

But through all of this, 87 and 29 have been stellar

Mike Johnston refuses to say whether Fleury will play tomorrow. You can't make this stuff up.

Chorney was the only Dman to play under 20, it's amazing it was that close

A lot of injuries this year have hurt us tremendously. Rutherford has made some good moves but some questionable ones as well- to be this cap-strapped with 5 defenseman is ridiculous. I think there is more blame to go around than just focusing on Johnston.

A win vs Buffalo or a Boston regulation loss. I don't know who holds the Bs Pens tie breaker. Honestly I hope they just lose and save themselves the embarrassment of a playoff series. This team is just plain done. Especially with LeTang being done. But even that wouldnt make a difference.

Does anybody else think that Downie would be a better fit than Winnik on Sid's line?

I mean, if you're going to have a gritty player like that there, why not use one that's actually played and been productive on a top scoring line before than one with stone hands?

Season is over

I'm confused here... I thought that the reason they couldn't LTIR the two concussed D-men was that they'd have to miss 10 regular season games before they could return, so they'd effectively be out for the year and a few to start next year, including the playoffs.

But now it's official (despite being pretty obvious all along) that Letang won't be back this year... So they've played a man short and exhausted their defensemen why exactly?

I also am now fully rooting for Edmonton to get and subsequently ruin both of the can't miss prospects in this draft.

I'd just like to point out that the 2011 pens had no 87 or 71 for the last 3 months and still won...a lot. Yes, they lost to Tampa but they worked their butts off and they had the secondary players to soak up the slack. This team is clearly nowhere near that level, even with 87/71 in there.

The point? Every team has injuries. Good teams rally around them, bad teams use them as excuses.

Mario and Burkle weren't happy being in the final eight, and now they need a win on the final day to make the final 18.

Playing with one top four defensemen really hurts, but you would think that Botterill and the Hurricane's owners son who was brought in to help crunch the numbers by Rutherford would have a better understanding of the salary cap, because Craig Adams 1 minute of ice time wasn't helping anyone.