BleacherCoaches.com

C'mon, fellas, we are 2 hours from the biggest game of the season for the Penguins (so far) and the top 3 stories on the board are 2013 Big 10 expansion, a 3* recruit committing to the Nits (Couldn't get into Pitt academically), and the ****ing Pittsburgh Pirates.

Expect a very physical first shift (I expect that to be Staal, Cooke, Kennedy). IMO, they gotta get Ponikarovsky back into the lineup. They traded a great prospect for him so let him get you a key goal. Everyone is placing the weight of this game on Fleury but I feel this game will come down to Mike Cammalleri. If the Penguins can keep him off the board, it will be interesting when the Habs can generate offense from. Can someone please explain to me why the hell Cammalleri has not been face washed, slashed, spit on, cross checked, snowed, ect. this series. Its like the Penguins are afraid of this guy. Look at what the Habs have done to Sid and mirror it on Cammalleri.

Game 7's usually mean that it is a coming out party for a role player. Look at Max Talbot last season. I want to see Letestu back in the line-up because he has been on the door step for a ton of goals this series and I can see him being someone that gets a key goal tonight. He is a player that does everything right and though he may not be the most talented on the ice he isn't gonna make the mistake to cost you a game 7. Plus he is the best on the team at faceoffs. Here is the pairing I would go with:

Defense:
Gonchar/Orpik
Eaton/Letang
Goligoski/McKee (Pens are 4-1 this postseason with him in the lineup)

Forwards:
Kunitz/Crosby/Guerin
Poni/Letestu/Malkin
Cooke/Staal/Kennedy
Rupp/Talbot/Adams

I'm too nervous to talk about the game. I just wanna see the Pens win then move forward. I have a terrible feeling about tonight.

A few things concern me.

1.The Penguins have played 11 game 7's in history. The home team has won 2 of 11. That's right 2-9
2. Marc Andre Fleury. Yes, the rumor is that he comes up big in big games, but he has also given up a boatload of soft goals this year. Something that cannot afford to happen against a goalie playing this well
3. Tomas Plekanec. He is a Penguin killer year after year and he has been fairly quiet in the goal scoring department. That concerns me going into this game.

Key to this game and all game 7's I have watched.

A. Get the first goal
B. Get the next goal

Seems to me if the home team does not get the first goal in a game 7 it spells doom for the home team.

I'm too nervous to talk about the game.

DITTO!!!!!!!!!!!!! I felt like that all day today.

What a disappointment. Minus the third line and a few others, it didn't seem like anyone felt like playing the other night.

Along with the defensemen, Fleury was horrible...just adds onto the hatred I already have for him. I hate his inconsistency and I know that he played amazing in Game 7 against Detroit last year, but I feel like a lot of the credit should have went to the Scuderi/Gill line. They played incredible, blocking almost every Red Wings shot.

I can't see Boston or Philly beating Montreal. Cammalerri has been beastly this post-season and Halak has been easily the best goalie. Neither the Bruins or Flyers have offenses as explosive as the Pens, so if they struggled to score on Montreal, I can't see the winner of that series doing it either.

Here's the thing. The team Montreal most resembles is New Jersey. The Devils were THROTTLED all season by the Flyers. Lets go Habs, but I think Philly wins this.