Transcript of Wednesday, April 11, 2007 Web chat with columnist Joe Starkey:
MIKE0341: Do you think Fleury could carry the Pens to the Cup?
Joe Starkey: I don't know. It's highly unusual for a 22-year-old goaltender to win the Cup. But then again, Cam Ward did it last season in Carolina. Fluery seemed relaxed and loose and ready to go. I think he's going to play well.
Noelle95: Why are the Senators favored to win tonight's game so highly over the Penguins?
Joe Starkey: Some people are favoring them. Certainly here in Ottawa they are favoring them, but a lot of people are picking the Pens, too. The people picking Ottawa are picking them because they are talented, deep and experienced. I pick the Pens in 6.
Pens_Fan_in_VA: In light of so many recent games where the Pens fell behind early, do they have enough momentum to carry them deep into the playoffs?
Joe Starkey: I think momentum is overrated going into the playoffs. The Pens have enough talent to go deep. That's the important part.
rgb5012: What do you think about Bryan Murray's comments about the Pens⢠Do you think he's putting up a front to make them look tougher?
Joe Starkey: I think that Bryan Murray is a hot-headed coach who tends to melt down during the playoffs. I think he's trying to get any edge he can. His history tells us that he's not very good at finding the right edge.
rgb5012: What are your thoughts on the likely situation that Ottawa chooses to play dirty hockey⢠Do you think the officials will be able to keep things under control without disrupting the game too much?
Joe Starkey: I don't think Ottawa's going to play dirty hockey. That would be foolish because it would put the Pens on the power play. And the Pens were 6-for-25 on the power play this season against Ottawa. Both teams will try to get away with as much as they can against the other team's star players. We'll see if the refs call it tightly.
John: What intangibles do you see as the most important for the Penguins to succeed?
Joe Starkey: Don't take stupid penalties, don't get overexcited. Play Therrien's system. It is designed to keep games close.
pens_fan: is there any news on if Laraque or Petrovicky will play
Joe Starkey: The assumption is that Laraque will play. Game-time decision.
SuperPenguin: I would love to see Crosby play more minutes, but I also don't want to see our 3rd, 4th liners roles' diminished. I say, don't play Sidney or Malkin on the PK unless there's less than 30 secs left.
Joe Starkey: I would love to see Crosby play more minutes. I'd like to see Crosby on penalty kill a little bit, but his ice time is fine. That's one reason he plays every shift as if shot out of a cannon.
pens_fan: Do you think the Pens have to win the first one?
Joe Starkey: Well, Ottawa is 2-6 when they lose Game 1 of a series, so I think it'd be big for the Penguins to win the first game. That would increase the pressure on a team already facing a ton of it.
bri_babe: Even though the Pens won the season series 3-1, does it scare you at all that their wins were all one goal wins, two having been in the shooutout, and the other with 9.8 seconds left in the game?
Joe Starkey: No, these teams are very evenly matched. You won't see many, if any blowouts in this series. The Penguins have proven they can win close games.
MIKE0341: How do you think Sergei Gonchar is going to perform in the playoffs⢠He has been labeled as one of those players who can't get it done when the playoffs come around.
Joe Starkey: Sergei Gonchar⢠I think the Senators will hit him, hit him and hit him some more and try to take a physical toll on him through the series. Remember, the Penguins used to pound him a bit when they played the Capitals.
Brewer: Who do you think will be the unlikely hero for the Pens in this series?
Joe Starkey: A number of Penguins have shown they could fit that role, anyone from Colby Armstrong to Max Talbot to Erik Christensen. I like Armstrong, and I think he'll shine in this series with his physical play and generally making a pest of himself.
66and87: Do you think our faceoff percentage will hurt us?
Joe Starkey: Yes. The Penguins lost a game in Toronto recently on a lost faceoff and were dominated every game but one against Ottawa. It's a crucial facet of the game, and somebody needs to step up.
rgb5012: Would you give the Pens the edge in experience⢠Even though we're a young team, we have some veterans with rings, and none of Ottawa's current players do. Do you think this will factor in at all?
Joe Starkey: No - but at least they haven't had the tortuous experience of the Senators. Plus, Recchi and Roberts lend some valuable playoff history to the cause.
pens_fan: Do you think it will be a high-scoring game?
Joe Starkey: Very unpredictable. I think, based on the fact you've got two of the top three scoring teams in the league, it could be, but these teams are good defensively, too.
Noelle95: Do you think home ice advantage will have any role in this series, or do you think the Penguins can win it on the Senators' ice?
Joe Starkey: Well, the Pens won a couple of games at Ottawa in the past month, so they obviously can do it. Tonight, the Senators organization is looking for a "red-out," and red pom-poms were at every seat during the morning skate, waiting for the fans, so it'll be a different atmosphere. I think the Penguins will respond. To them, this is fun.
Noelle95: Who do you think will have the most effect for the Penguins other than Fleury, Crosby, and Malkin⢠Who do you think for the Senators?
Joe Starkey: The Senators have six players who scored multiple short-handed goals, so their lineup is laced with dangerous players. The Penguins have guys who can score on their third and fourth lines, too. Maxime Talbot, for example, scored the game-winner the last time these teams played. The Penguins might need somebody unexpected to chip in offensively on the blue line, but that's asking a lot for guys with no offensive pedigree
aivikings12: Therrien has been known to shake things up. Do you foresee any more line changes throughout the playoffs?
Joe Starkey: More line changes⢠Therrien won't hesitate to switch, that's for sure. We don't even know what the lines will be at the opening faceoff tonight. Wouldn't be surprised to see Staal and Malkin back together, and I think that would be a good move.
Canevin_s_finest_center: Joe - What's your thought on rolling with 4 defensemen and minimizing Scuderi/Nasreddine/Melichar minutes?
Joe Starkey: Not a bad idea late in games, but those four will get awfully fatigued contending with a deep, fast, talented Senators team over a long series. If you're Therrien, you have to trust that Melichar and Scuderi will play well.
SidFan: Will the Penguins lean on the more experienced Thibault more in the playoffs?
Joe Starkey: Not unless they absolutely have to. It'll be interesting to see if Therrien has a quick hook, based on their history together. Therrien twice pulled Fleury from AHL playoffs.
jt: Joe, is Fleury damaged goods if he performs badly in this series?
Joe Starkey: He's still only 22, though a really bad performance here would keep all those questions out there until the Penguins' next playoff appearance, and that would not be good.
Pens_Fan_in_VA: Do you think that of all the playoff teams in the East, the Senators are the most evenly matched with the Pens in terms of strengths?
Joe Starkey: No, I think there are plenty of teams in the East who are evenly matched with Penguins. That's just the way it is these days. Every game in this series could be decided by a goal, but would a Pens-New Jersey series be any different⢠Pens-Tampa?
PensFL28: I think it would be wise to get Laraque on the power play, park him in front of Emery. Emery lets every shot go in that he can't see, so why not⢠if not Laraque, then a Roberts or a Staal.
Joe Starkey: No, I think Roberts or Staal would be better in front.
Jesse: Do you think the Penguins will have trouble employing their cycle with the speed of the Ottawa team as a whole?
Joe Starkey: Yes, and that's a good question, because the Penguins haven't been able to keep the puck deep in Ottawa's zone as much as against other teams. Ottawa's mobile and talented defense is a big reason for that. The key is to keep hitting those guys until they start fumbling.
kasperkosmo: What other series are you most looking forward to watching⢠I'm looking forward to the Buffalo-NYI series.
Joe Starkey: I think the Rangers-Tampa series should be fun to watch. Will Jagr implode⢠Actually, I can't see a series that won't be fun in either conference. It's so wide-open.
PensFan2008: The Rangers and Tampa aren't playing each other.
Joe Starkey: Typo, meant Rangers-Atlanta, maybe I was falling asleep thinking about Tampa-New Jersey. That's the only series I'm not looking forward to.
ILovePens: Do you think there's more pressure on Sens, being the only team in Canada from the East?
Joe Starkey: Absolutely. The media contingent is incredible here - a lot of these people might be in Montreal or Toronto if those teams were playing, and they're all asking the same question of Ottawa. Basically, it goes like this: WILL YOU CHOKE AGAIN?
ILovePens: Do you think Pens and Pirates took some buzz away from Steelers in draft?
Joe Starkey: Absolutely, and thank God for that. This is the way it's supposed to be in the sports cycle. The week before the NFL draft is the time to really start looking at it. Not in February. Any follow-up questions⢠The chat will be over at 4.
kasperkosmo: What the odds on Gary Roberts being a Penguin next year?
Joe Starkey: Pretty good. I think Roberts is having a great experience here, and he still loves to play. He also knows he'll have another good shot at winning it all if he comes back here.
SidFan: Do you think this will be the most watched series around the league?
Joe Starkey: No doubt. The Penguins are the most-watched team in the NHL. I can't tell you how many people from Canada come up and say they always stop at Penguins games when clicking through their home ice package. They really are the greatest show in the league.
SidFan: Thanks, Joe. This was a good chat. One last question: Do you feel that excitement has reached the same level as the Stanley Cup years, or surpassed it?
Joe Starkey: Not yet. Win two rounds and we'll talk.
Canevin_s_finest_center: Do you think the back to back games will favor the PENS more than the SENS given the fact that the PENS are rolling 4 lines?
Joe Starkey: Not if they're down 2-0 going into Game 3, but I'd say any other scenario and it's good, because they have the young legs.
SidFan: If the Pens don't make at least the second round, will it take any of the luster off the season?
Joe Starkey: A little bit, but this season already has been a smashing success. I think when people look back, even a week after the series if the Penguins lose, they'll already be pumped for next year and won't be too crushed.
Petro: Do you feel this season's success is left over from Craig Patrick?
Joe Starkey: No doubt, the Patrick administration did some decent work in terms of drafting since 2000 by getting guys like Talbot, Christensen, Malone,Armstrong, Ouellet after the first round. It also was a wise move to tradeup for Fleury and to take Whitney fifth when others wanted a scoring forward(Upshall, for example). Maybe they didn't get enough credit - and I'mtalking about the scouting staff here, not Patrick, necessarily - but maybethat's because they did such a rotten job in the mid- to late 1990s. Idon't think the Penguins would be where they are if Patrick had stayed. Theorganization was too stale. He made too many mistakes, most notably with thecoaches he hired. Ironically, though, it was Eddie Olczyk who recommendedPatrick bring Michel Therrien into the organization. Good move there.
Jesse: Joe, what do you expect to see from Evgeni Malkin in his playoff debut?
Joe Starkey: I think he'll be flying early in the series. I wonder about later on, giventhe fact he admits he's tired from the long season - longer than he's everplayed -- and will be knocked around real good. The kid's a competitor,though.
Joe Starkey: Thanks for the questions. The chat is now over.
