Post-Game Talk: Lightning 5, Penguins 4: The Niemi Adventures

[KIRK]

Sid: Who's in net tonight?

Sully: Niemi.

Sid and Geno (simultaneously): Night off.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

- Phil is a train wreck. 2 ES goals in his last 27 regular season games. Kunitz territory but god awful play away from the puck and zero compete. Second he goes away from Geno, Geno comes to life and Phil gets the message.

- All the midgets were great. Horny too. Hags was pretty good.

- 4th line blows.

- Dumo and Maatta were competing to see who sucked more (both were messes, Dumo more so, but tonight definitely reminded how susceptible Maatta remains to any forward with good or better speed).

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[Speaking Moistly]

They deserved to lose. The coaching staff and stars should feel the worst about that shit.

 

[froods]

Our 4th line is awful. How the hell are we sitting Wilson?

 

[FreeBobbyFarnham]

-- Kessel and Niemi
- Sid, Geno and Letang
+ Rust, Guentzel and Sheary

 

[BHD]

Minus: puck management.

 

[Ragamuffin Gunner]

Pretty gross game, The stars a just dumb as bricks. Geno and Kessel are awful and Sid isn't much better.

How many times can the same group of players make the same cute passes through the box that don't work before they change it up? It makes me f***ing irate how f***ing dumb they are with the puck.

 

[StaalForOne]

Never separate Guentzel and Sid, please.

 

[905PENS]

Ahh well, back to back games vs two of the best teams in the nhl, down a quality D with a backup in net. Still got 4 goals. Way she goes

 

[PensandCaps]

Call up Sprong and Blueger, sit Reaves,Rowney/McKegg(send down) and Kuhn(Waive)

Start Archibald and Wilson.

 

[domaug]

+ the Kidz
- the Starz
- the Niemeister

 

[metalan2]

Not on niemi but we win if Murray is on goal. That being said he can't play every night.

As bad as the pens played, if not for an incredible performance by vasilevsky the pens win this win even with niemi in net.

 

[td_ice]

Pens (*in an Austin Powers voice*): "I'm not gonna lie to you, back to backs aren't my bag baby............yeah!"

 

[mrcod4]

Niemi still sucks.

 

[ColePens]

+++ Rust/Sheary/Guentzel: All 3 really brought it. Great games by all 3.

--- Geno/Sid/Kessel: All 3 really sucked. Geno is the best of the 3, but the stars were not stars tonight. They didn't have any energy and barely looked interested.

=== Horny/Hags: Solid energy, decent speed, and great hustle.

---------- Stop playing Kuhn/Rowney/Reaves on the same night. Only 1 of them can dress. All 3 is ridiculous. They do absolutely nothing out there. Get Wilson/Archi in there for at least some speed/tenacity.

 

[NMK11]

Niemi: +...no wait he was a -...+? +/- for sure...

+Rust, Sheary both played great today
- fourth line needs three new players

All in all, definitely an exciting game to watch. Would have preferred a different outcome, but as a fan more entertaining than seeing the pens sit back and absorb a billion shots against.

 

[Richard]

It's time to seriously consider moving Kessel. Highest value he will ever hold and he just doesn't play to either sid or Malkins strengths.


Get a third line center that can feed Kessel or move him.

Get him on pp2 with letang. He ain't built for unit 1

 

[Clare2904]

Kids scored
No injuries

The rest kinda sucked

 

[The Old Master]

staring at their new ring has blinded them. they can't tell the teams apart.

 

[WayneSid9987]

Brutal non-all the way down offside call earlier there. Guys just have no gas left.

Gutsy effort by the 9F's that played tonight getting 40 shots or close to it. ETA: Except for stars a little bit.
I dunno what Sully is doing with his 4th line. I've been screaming for Archie since the start of the CHI game. Even Wilson-Rowney-Reaves would be better imo.

 

[HuskerTornado]

Well for as bad as they were, they were one shot away from OT. So that is something...I guess.

 

[Jacob]

If Kessel can't sort his shit out I think he should be moved before he's unmovable. I can tolerate a one-dimensional player - as long as he's bringing that one dimension at least most of the time.

 

[PensandCaps]

Guenztel-Sid-Hornqvist
Rust-Geno-Sprong
Hags-Blueger-Kessel
Sheary-Mckegg-Wilson

 

[Hobodrifter]

Call up Sprong and Blueger, sit Reaves,Rowney/McKegg(send down) and Kuhn(Waive)

Start Archibald and Wilson.

Doubt they sit Reaves this early, Rowney and Kuhn need to sit.

 

[td_ice]

+++ Rust/Sheary/Guentzel: All 3 really brought it. Great games by all 3.

--- Geno/Sid/Kessel: All 3 really sucked. Geno is the best of the 3, but the stars were not stars tonight. They didn't have any energy and barely looked interested.

=== Horny/Hags: Solid energy, decent speed, and great hustle.

---------- Stop playing Kuhn/Rowney/Reaves on the same night. Only 1 of them can dress. All 3 is ridiculous. They do absolutely nothing out there. Get Wilson/Archi in there for at least some speed/tenacity.

Yeah, I get how Reaves can be valuable, IN CERTAIN GAMES, against certain opponents. But there are nights like tonight, when he has no business dressing.

 

[KIRK]

They deserved to lose. The coaching staff and stars should feel the worst about that ****.

You know, you're right. And, I'm as big at reacting to these games in October as the next guy. But, you know what, the coaches and stars have earned the benefit of the doubt. They have a rough night. Say it. Move on. The two rough games were back to backs against rested teams. What I look at: Guys needed to step up after the Chicago debacle against Nashville, and they stepped up. Rivalry game against the Caps. They stepped up.

I'm not worried about Sid, Geno, and Sully. And, until he gives me reason to think otherwise, 5 months is enough time for JR to address the holes in this roster.

I know, I know. The playoffs start in 6 months. Gotta play the right way every shift from now until then. That was a really compelling argument two years ago. A year ago? Hey, I was going nuts in random October games. But, not now.

Up is down, down is up. Kirk is now the chillest poster on the board.

It's time to seriously consider moving Kessel. Highest value he will ever hold and he just doesn't play to either sid or Malkins strengths.


Get a third line center that can feed Kessel or move him.

Get him on pp2 with letang. He ain't built for unit 1

There's a reason you heard stories about trading Kessel and Sully's issues with him this summer.