Line Combos: Fix the Pens

[Andy99]

For anyone seriously advocating Legace to start needs to go get eff'd. Seriously. Jarry can suck. Jarry can essentially have his bags packed etc etc etc but starting Legace is and will always be worse and dumber than started Jarry.

Ridiculous

disagree there...this team has no confidence in Jarry...any mistake they make ends up in the net...it’s how you lose series...any chance to win tomorrow will require changing mindsets of the players but mixing some lines and yes, changing the goalie...not saying Legace will be great, but honestly Jarry is the worst ranked goalie still playing in these playoffs and staying with the worst just makes you a loser...no chance to win with Jarry in net tomorrow

 

[Ryder71]

It's not just last night. We've won 3 playoff games in the last 15. 9 out of those 15 losses have been to Trotz.

If you think Trotz isn't eating Sullivan's lunch then idk what to tell you.

Before this series I would agree. But there's only one tangible reason we haven't already moved on to the 2hd round. And Sully can't play goal for us. That doesn't absolve him necessarily. And Sully should get his walking papers if we lose. But Trotz isn't derailing us, our goalie is.

 

[Pens1566]

It's not just last night. We've won 3 playoff games in the last 15. 9 out of those 15 losses have been to Trotz.

If you think Trotz isn't eating Sullivan's lunch then idk what to tell you.

That's damning. And I think it's 3 wins in the last 16 if my memory is right (and if you count last year's fiasco as "the playoffs").

 

[PensPlz]

Before this series I would agree. But there's only one tangible reason we haven't already moved on to the 2hd round. And Sully can't play goal for us. That doesn't absolve him necessarily. And Sully should get his walking papers if we lose. But Trotz isn't derailing us, our goalie is.

You think if Sullivan goes to Jarry and rips him for all the shit he did against the Rangers at the end of the season that almost blew a 5 goal lead, that Jarry does this same shit in the post season?

This isn't the first time the puck ended up in the back of his net when Jarry tried to shoot it down the ice himself.

Please don't tell me it's just about the goalie when Jarry was doing this in the regular season and was not corrected.

I bet Trotz corrects Jarry months ago. But here we are.

 

[TimmyD]

For me, I'm not taking out Aston-Reese and Blueger. I'm blowing up their line though. McCann leaves my line-up and Guentzel and Zucker move down.

Tanev-Crosby-Rust

Crosby needs someone to do the work down low and allow him to be second man in. 59 and 17 ain't providing that. I left Rust as the lesser of two evils plus it sets up 59 to get away from the Islanders defense.

Aston-Reese - Malkin - Kapanen

Same idea. Kapanen can finish if given room. Zucker ain't helping with that. Even on one leg, Malkin can still pass and finish.

Guentzel - Carter - Gaudreau

Finisher, Passer, Checker ... and actually two finishers with how Carter has done. 59 should get opportunities here.

Zucker - Blueger - Rodrigues

Blueger has shown he can do something with people who can finish. However, with this group, I want them to buzz around the zone and force the Islanders to stay in their defensive zone.

While I would love to bring in size with Zohorna and Angello, the time to insert them would have been last night, not in an elimination game.

Lol...ZAR on line 2. Zucker on line 4 even though he has been our best or second best winger behind Tanev this series....definitely what should happen

 

[HandshakeLine]

M - C - R is cool, but if we're down by one with 10 minutes left in the 3rd, I'd actually like to see Malkin - Crosby - Kap on the ice instead.

 

[SomeDude]

Can you plz find a spot for Bergeron so we can actually win a f**king faceoff..thanks

Sorry, I said realistic options only and there is no way they're breaking up BART.

 

[Sidney the Kidney]

M - C - R is cool, but if we're down by one with 10 minutes left in the 3rd, I'd actually like to see Malkin - Crosby - Kap on the ice instead.

I honestly don't know why Sullivan doesn't utilize Crosby/Malkin more often. We've got a million players who can play center anyway, so it's not like it'll mean playing someone out of position to cover for moving Malkin up.

 

[pistolpete11]

Guentzel - Crosby - Rust
Zucker - Malkin - Kap
McCann - Carter - E-Rod
ZAR - Blueger - Tanev

There. That should be enough of a shakeup to spark something.

 

[Sidgeni Malkby]

My take:
Malkin-Crosby-Rust
Guentzel - McCann - Kapanen
Zucker - Carter - Gaudreau
BART

I said this on the other game 5. We need more offense on the 1st line, and 3 other lines that are solid defensively, but can chip in here and there.

Having 4 balanced lines just keeps us at 0-0 forever.

I'd be fine with:
Malkin - Crosby - Kapanen
Guentzel - McCann - Rust
Zucker - Carter - Gaudreau
BART

This would be less impact as to the overall changes to the team lines.

 

[DesertedPenguin]

When they skate, these line combos dominate the play.

This is not a line combo issue.

This is a Jarry issue and a consistent level of play issue.

You want to mix and match in-game to throw something new at them, fine. New line combos, no. We are not here because of Rust with Crosby or GOAT with Carter or Kappy/Zucker with Malkin. We just aren't. We can look for things to blame after a loss but line combos are a shallow argument, at best.

Agree with this wholeheartedly.

That said, I wouldn't be against a couple of adjustments, just to see if it somehow punches a few more pucks past Sorokin. The one way to not let a Jarry gaffe beat the Penguins is to give him more of an offensive cushion.

Guentzel-Crosby-Kapanen
McCann-Malkin-Tanev
Zucker-Carter-Rust
ZAR-Blueger-Gaudreau

The BART line hasn't provided anything offensively. So just turn them into a pure shutdown line. Throw them out there for defensive zone faceoffs, let them grind away.

Kapanen gives Sid a more aggressive forechecker. Maybe that gives him and Guentzel a bit more space to create. Tanev has been one of the better players this series. Same concept on line two - he goes in hard, creates space for Malkin, who has a direct shooting outlet in McCann.

Zucker-Carter-Rust is a strong defensive unit that can put in some offense.

 

[pistolpete11]

Seriously, though, I would go with:

Zucker - Crosby - Carter
Guentzel - Malkin - Rust
McCann - Blueger - Kap
ZAR - Gaudreau - Tanev

And I would be real quick to bump Tanev up for McCann or Zucker and look for oportunities to get Crosby-Malkin out there together like MT and DB used to do.

 

[Sidney the Kidney]

Malkin - Crosby - Tanev
Guentzel - Carter - Kapanen
Zucker - McCann - Rust
ZAR - Blueger - Gaudreau

 

[Ryder71]

You think if Sullivan goes to Jarry and rips him for all the shit he did against the Rangers at the end of the season that almost blew a 5 goal lead, that Jarry does this same shit in the post season?

This isn't the first time the puck ended up in the back of his net when Jarry tried to shoot it down the ice himself.

Please don't tell me it's just about the goalie when Jarry was doing this in the regular season and was not corrected.

I bet Trotz corrects Jarry months ago. But here we are.

No no no no no. I don't believe for one second that Sully should be blamed for Jarry being brain dead. Dumb is dumb! I would change goaltending coaches however. Would have done that a long time ago actually. But if you lake common sense, no coaching not even good coaching can change that. Jarry should be ashamed, but I betcha he aint!

 

[Houston Penguin]

Lol...ZAR on line 2. Zucker on line 4 even though he has been our best or second best winger behind Tanev this series....definitely what should happen

Okay ... enlighten me. What is Zucker doing on line 2? He has one goal and that line has not done much. Kapanen ain't the issue. We all know Malkin's hurt. Why not give him someone who will at least forecheck.

 

[BlindWillyMcHurt]

Okay ... enlighten me. What is Zucker doing on line 2? He has one goal and that line has not done much. Kapanen ain't the issue. We all know Malkin's hurt. Why not give him someone who will at least forecheck.

Zucker has hands of granite and is about the worst fit I've maybe ever seen for Malkin.

But he's somehow been this team's like second-ish best wing this series.

The bar is that low.

 

[Houston Penguin]

Zucker has hands of granite and is about the worst fit I've maybe ever seen for Malkin.

But he's somehow been this team's like second-ish best wing this series.

The bar is that low.

I'd argue that ZAR has been better than Zucker and is used in more situations. To me, Zucker isn't helping the other two enough.

 

[BlindWillyMcHurt]

I'd argue that ZAR has been better than Zucker and is used in more situations. To me, Zucker isn't helping the other two enough.

I could agree with that. And I don't much care for either player.

 

[FunkySeeFunkyDo]

Not to start anything, but the 18 skaters played great on Monday. Do that again. Do it a third time on Friday and start getting ready for Boston. If Jarry submarines us welp it happens. But no need to change the lines.

 

[JTG]

I would have split up Sid and Guentzel after game 2.

I would have tried to hide Guentzel in the lineup a bit...put him with Carter or Teddy. The matchup their line is seeing is not good for Jake as all of the guys are gigantic.

 

[Big Friggin Dummy]

Jake-Sid-Kap
Tanev-McCann-Rust
Geno-Carter-Gaudreau
ZAR-TB-Zucker

I'm pretty apathetic either way. If we manage to scrape out another two wins, we get rewarded by getting absolutely shredded apart by the Bruins--the Better Islanders™.

-edit- I forgot Tanev. That's how much I just don't give a shit anymore.

 

[Pittsburgh1776]

Madden and Rossi saying Sullivan and the org prioritize the third and fourth lines ahead of helping Crosby and Malkin. Why is this thread here? He isn't going to change the lines

 

[Andy99]

Madden and Rossi saying Sullivan and the org prioritize the third and fourth lines ahead of helping Crosby and Malkin. Why is this thread here? He isn't going to change the lines

how’s that working for them?...

 

[TimmyD]

Okay ... enlighten me. What is Zucker doing on line 2? He has one goal and that line has not done much. Kapanen ain't the issue. We all know Malkin's hurt. Why not give him someone who will at least forecheck.

Zucker is forechecking. That’s the best quality he is bringing to that line. Also let’s not pretend that ZAR is some forechecking God. He sucks. He’s not better then Zucker and isn’t remotely playing better then him. If you want Zucker off line 2 I have zero issue with that. But it shouldn’t be for ZAR. It should be a swap with either McCann or Jake

 

[Gurglesons]

I honestly don't know why Sullivan doesn't utilize Crosby/Malkin more often. We've got a million players who can play center anyway, so it's not like it'll mean playing someone out of position to cover for moving Malkin up.

I mean, I don’t know why Sully does no semblance of coaching after being an expert at it.