Monday 10 May 2010

Great Goal Or Horrible Defence?

Maxim Lapierre scored the game-winner tonight in Game Six of the Montreal-Pittsburgh series, and he did so in pretty spectacular fashion considering his agitating, checking role on the team. It wasn't a dispy-doodle, spin-o-rama, ballet-on-ice goal, but it will certainly be high on the list of Lapierre's highlight reel goals. Here's a look at it.

Now, I'm not going to discredit Lapierre's effort in scoring this goal. He worked hard, juking Goligoski off his hip. He cut to the middle into a high-traffic area, battled to maintain possession, and then fired home the goal.

My question is simple: great goal, or were we witness to some porous defence played by Alex Goligoski and Jordan Leopold? Granted, the Penguins had their fifth and sixth defencemen out on the ice, but I'm leaning heavily towards some brutal defensive play by the two Penguins on the eventual game-winning goal.

Have at it, kids. Good goal or brutal defence?

Until next time, keep your sticks on the ice!

2 comments:

Jim BC said...

My vote is for Soft Defence, way too soft... no way Lapierre should have been able to finish this play. It's the Stanley Cup playoffs - he should've been put on his ass.

Yes, it was the Pens 3rd defence unit out there but Lapierre isn't exactly Ovechkin-like.

Anonymous said...

I'm saying a great goal...
his stop and start on the boards shook the defenceman from him and he can only be credited for that. His team mate had the other d--man locked up out front... which allowed him to walk in unharmed.
It was a skilled goal from a fourth liner... exactly what you expect every year in the playoffs. The other team focuses on the stars... and the supporting act helps out!