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

[Ugene Magic]

And i'm not making excuses, but **** the NHL. Tampa sits from Monday til Thursday. Pens play back-to-back ON THE ROAD Wednesday/Thursday? Both teams last game against Washington. What is that? I understand if it's part of a road trip, but give me a break.

Look at how many times last season the Pens were just waiting and the teams came in on 2nd game of back to backs.

 

[ColePens]

Reaves played less than 4 minutes. If you aren't going to play him, don't dress him, especially on back to backs.

Exactly. Especially with Wilson refreshed from sitting the night before. I don't get it.

 

[The GM]

What was his role? Staring at people from the bench? He was on the ice for 3 mins out of 60. lol

ETA: oh wait u said Johnson. Heh.

That’s why he’s the best at what he does, he can even do it without leaving the bench. The east knows there is a new sheriff in town .

 

[froods]

Enough with Blueger and Sprong. Neither are quite ready. Our biggest problem right now is defensive coverage and that is Spong's #1 question mark. Blueger was great at the rookie tourney, but showed he needed more time at TC.

 

[66-30-33]

Not sure why some are freakin out, its a long season. The only thing we should worry about is solidifying the center position in a trade if we have any chance at a 3 peat.

I'm not worried, not even 2 weeks into the NHL season. October is always the weird month. Still got lots of hockey to get better and i'm fine starting the season meh.

 

[Rossi Rat]

Tampa is the team to beat in the East as far as I'm concerned. They have the pieces.

 

[WayneSid9987]

Perhaps they're trying to showcase Kuhnackl or something? lol
Dressing them and playing them that little in a back to back makes zero sense other than that.
I guess Sully could see them sucking and just decided to roll 3 lines instead but.....
Oh well, best to get these lessons early.

 

[66-30-33]

Reaves played less than 4 minutes. If you aren't going to play him, don't dress him, especially on back to backs.

TBH he should only be dressed vs slower teams and teams that play dirty vs Pens.

 

[PensandCaps]

Tampa is the team to beat in the East as far as I'm concerned. They have the pieces.

Nah. I don't think so. Their Dcore is not good. Their top end players are not as good as ours.

 

[Shady Machine]

Remember when Reaves was going to score 15+ points and Rowney 20+? Good times

None of this should be surprising.

 

[66-30-33]

Tampa is the team to beat in the East as far as I'm concerned. They have the pieces.

Untill Pens lose in the playoffs it should always be the Pens. TB did not even make the playoffs last season. They are still a top team but back to back cups puts Pens as the number 1 team to beat.

 

[ColePens]

Enough with Blueger and Sprong. Neither are quite ready. Our biggest problem right now is defensive coverage and that is Spong's #1 question mark. Blueger was great at the rookie tourney, but showed he needed more time at TC.

It's way too early, but here are my top issues:

- Defensive transition coverage: Improving little by little, but definitely #1 issue.

- A solid backup: Can't rely on Murray to play every night. In back to backs, goalies have to be strong. We were so fortunate to have MAF/Murray. Two starters for every single night. Insane.

- Depth: I understand PK was on fire so we are running Rowney/Kuhn who are part of that PK. But they suck 5 on 5. We can't run 4 lines. So we HAVE to rely on our top 6. That's not what makes us amazing.

- Individual play: Kessel and Letang are 2 that stand out. Both guys really struggling for 2 different reasons.

 

[Gurglesons]

Really? Our secondary scoring was there. A 3C ain't taking that one over any different. One of Kessel, Geno, or Crosby just has to be good.

Disagree completely. This is exactly the type of game where Bonino and Cullen's lines would've evened it up.

Sheary looks good on the third line. Can't really say anyone else has. Our power play is hiding the lack of production we've got.

 

[Jacob]

And i'm not making excuses, but **** the NHL. Tampa sits from Monday til Thursday. Pens play back-to-back ON THE ROAD Wednesday/Thursday? Both teams last game against Washington. What is that? I understand if it's part of a road trip, but give me a break.

I think all back-to-back games should be only played against opponents also playing back-to-back. Not only for the sake of fairness but for even the slightest reduction in injury risk.

 

[Andy99]

Most of my issues with the fourth line is that they are so bad Sid and Geno are playing more than they should. If this continues, we will have no push in March or end our season early. Sully can't be playing them this much in October. We need a fourth line that we can put out ther for at least 8 minutes a night

 

[PensandCaps]

Enough with Blueger and Sprong. Neither are quite ready. Our biggest problem right now is defensive coverage and that is Spong's #1 question mark. Blueger was great at the rookie tourney, but showed he needed more time at TC.

Sprong is definitely ready. And Blueger can't be worse than rowney or Mckegg.

Maybe even give Adam Johnson a shot. I'm already tired of Mckegg being 3C.

 

[ColePens]

Tampa is the team to beat in the East as far as I'm concerned. They have the pieces.

I disagree. If we play the same way we did tonight, Washington murders us 8-0. We held in there w/ very suspect play. Tampa had rest since Monday.

 

[Shady Machine]

Perhaps they're trying to showcase Kuhnackl or something? lol
Dressing them and playing them that little in a back to back makes zero sense other than that.
I guess Sully could see them sucking and just decided to roll 3 lines instead but.....
Oh well, best to get these lessons early.

It's quite simple. We lost two big PKers and both Reaves and Wilson haven't been good at it. So because you have to play your big bad offseason acquisition every night and you need PK forwards, you have to dress both Kuhn and Rowney.

Reaves sucking has a compounding effect on other parts of the roster. I tried pointing this out all summer.

 

[WayneSid9987]

Ideally i want JR to try to build this:

Jake-Sid-Horny
An upper echelon LW'er-G-Rust/Phil
Hagelin-New 3C-Rust/Phil
Sheary-McKegg-Whatever

With some of the expendable guys possibly moved in the deals and youngsters in WB brought in.

It's quite simple. We lost two big PKers and both Reaves and Wilson haven't been good at it. So because you have to play your big bad offseason acquisition every night and you need PK forwards, you have to dress both Kuhn and Rowney.

Reaves sucking has a compounding effect on other parts of the roster. I tried pointing this out all summer.

Wilson and Archie aren't bad PK'ers though.
And Kuhn isn't some PK wizard.

 

[Andy99]

games like tis is where our hole at 3c shows. A solid center could have made a difference at both ends.

McKegg had more points than Sid and Geno tonight

 

[Gurglesons]

It's way too early, but here are my top issues:

- Individual play: Kessel and Letang are 2 that stand out. Both guys really struggling for 2 different reasons.

Kessel go to town on.

Letang has been our best defenseman this year. That is while looking like a shadow of himself. He was fine this game, he just made a big obvious mistake at the end of a PP so everyone is jumping on him.

 

[Common Sense]

I think we've seen enough of the bottom 6 already. They aren't NHLers. JR needs to fix it fast.

 

[ColePens]

Disagree completely. This is exactly the type of game where Bonino and Cullen's lines would've evened it up.

Sheary looks good on the third line. Can't really say anyone else has. Our power play is hiding the lack of production we've got.

I'm shocked. Could this be anything to do with your mantra all summer? Shocking.

 

[Empoleon8771]

I don't know why people are freaking out about the 3C right now. It's not McKegg as the 3C that's causing Sullivan to make Kuhnhackl-Rowney-Reaves his 4th line and proceed to play them for 3 minutes in a game. I blame that loss on coaching more than anything else, even with Kessel having a horrendous game and the stars not showing up. You flat out don't play your 4th line in 4 minutes on the back to back. If you have that little confidence in your 4th line, you don't dress them. It's that simple.

 

[Gurglesons]

McKegg had more points than Sid and Geno tonight

Greg McKegg is the rookie Sheary equivalent of centers. Total spaz.