Series Talk: MDSF: (3) Penguins vs. (2) Islanders

[BladeRunner66]

Isles should go down in 6 imho. Now some of you might think i'm taking the safe bet here based on 52% of voters who also happen to think so but that's not the case. 1rst of all i didn't know the results before voting, secundo, if Murray stands up like he did not so long ago (in recent RS AND recent PO 9yeah not last season)) i don't see how Isles goalies can have better playoffs. Tertio, this will be the 1rst PO series so, in theory, refs should still be able to find their whistle and the PP numbers are heavily in our favor even if we weren't so hot at the end (lacking a couple of key guys didn't help though). I mean, Isles are 14.5% & we still managed to finish at 24.6%

If we play our game, even if it's a tad too intense, their PP sucks ass and we should be able to have the edge as far as special teams are concerned. If we win this we shouldn't have to rely so much on PP if momentum/health are on our side afterwards. Good matchup to start PO, let's hope the Pens are up for it now!

 

[Empoleon8771]

God damn, Mike Sullivan you madlad. You finally did it.

I hope this means the Penguins trade Johnson this off-season. I'm not going to comment on his play this year, because I think he has been fine overall, but their need for a Johnson type of LD changed when they acquired a better LD (Pettersson) and a RD version of Johnson (Gudbranson). I don't think Johnson played himself out of the lineup, I think Pettersson and Gudbranson took his spot from the lineup.

 

[MrBurghundy]

Interesting decision for sure.

 

[Mr Jiggyfly]

We may disagree on many things, Jiggy, but I will always back your play on hating neck beards.

The only thing we ever disagreed on to my (often concussed) memory is smoothies, but it’s been about ten years so I’ll probably stop holding that against you in a few years...

 

[Shrimper]

Will have to miss tonight, game doesn't start until 1 30am where I am on holiday

 

[CheckingLineCenter]

They didn't have 2 starters on that run, they had 2 starting caliber goalies. Murray was clearly the starter and Fleury was clearly the backup, and Fleury was fine with that role.

This is what I meant anyway

 

[Gurglesons]

God damn, Mike Sullivan you madlad. You finally did it.

I hope this means the Penguins trade Johnson this off-season. I'm not going to comment on his play this year, because I think he has been fine overall, but their need for a Johnson type of LD changed when they acquired a better LD (Pettersson) and a RD version of Johnson (Gudbranson). I don't think Johnson played himself out of the lineup, I think Pettersson and Gudbranson took his spot from the lineup.

Or JJ just blows and I was right all along about him eventually being scratched in the playoffs

 

[Empoleon8771]

Or JJ just blows and I was right all along about him eventually being scratched in the playoffs

Well you said that Johnson was going to be scratched by January, not by the playoffs

The acquisition of Gudbranson and his following great play changed things. I actually think they'd go back to Pettersson-Johnson if Gudbranson wouldn't have been as solid as he has been. But Gudbranson being so good and being a RD made him a must-stay in the lineup, which pushed out Johnson.

 

[Pancakes]

God damn, Mike Sullivan you madlad. You finally did it.

I hope this means the Penguins trade Johnson this off-season. I'm not going to comment on his play this year, because I think he has been fine overall, but their need for a Johnson type of LD changed when they acquired a better LD (Pettersson) and a RD version of Johnson (Gudbranson).

Pretty skeptical that Gudbranson will continue this level of play beyond this year. If he turns back into a pumpkin, then JJ probably is better, albeit not by that much.

I guess I'd be fine with getting rid of either's contract.

Actually I have no idea how the Pens plan to be cap compliant next year. We currently are going to be 200k over the cap and that's without paying Pettersson (RFA), Zar (RFA), Blueger (RFA), and with losing Cullen/Garrett Wilson/Trotman/Ruhwedel to free agency. Trading one of Maatta/JJ/Gudbranson wouldn't even be enough I don't think to cover all of those raises and fill out the rest of the roster.

This off season could be a wild one in terms of moving out lots of cap space. I could see JR moving any of Schultz, Maatta, Gudbranson, JJ. On forward you'd have to think Kessel, Hornqvist, Bjugstad, and maybe even Rust are all fair game as well. Not saying he'll move all or even multiples of those players, but we need to clear cap this off season so some big contracts are going to have to be dealt.

 

[Empoleon8771]

Pretty skeptical that Gudbranson will continue this level of play beyond this year. If he turns back into a pumpkin, then JJ probably is better, albeit not by that much.

I'd take Gudbranson based on his contract being shorter and Gudbranson being a RHD.

To get cap compliant, I've been expecting them to trade Maatta. Seeing this makes me think they may try to move Johnson instead of Maatta, but I'm still leaning towards them trading Maatta for a good return.

 

[Pancakes]

I'd take Gudbranson based on his contract being shorter and Gudbranson being a RHD.

To get cap compliant, I've been expecting them to trade Maatta. Seeing this makes me think they may try to move Johnson instead of Maatta, but I'm still leaning towards them trading Maatta for a good return.

The thing is they can't bring much cap space back so if Maatta goes it would have to be for mostly futures unless they found a Jared Mccann type player on like a 1.25ish cap hit.

And as for JJ they'd probably have to give up prospects or picks just to get rid of him. I imagine the cost would be even worse than what we gave up to move Hunwick.

 

[ZeroPucksGiven]

Kunitz - Malkin - Rust was IMO our biggest lifter in terms of possession match-ups for the Pens that year. HBK scores points, but KMR was making coaches dictate match-ups.

Fantastic. Be sure to let the Islanders know that whoever loses the possession metrics should concede the series regardless of who wins on the scoreboard

 

[Shady Machine]

Fantastic. Be sure to let the Islanders know that whoever loses the possession metrics should concede the series regardless of who wins on the scoreboard

 

[Gurglesons]

Well you said that Johnson was going to be scratched by January, not by the playoffs

The acquisition of Gudbranson and his following great play changed things. I actually think they'd go back to Pettersson-Johnson if Gudbranson wouldn't have been as solid as he has been. But Gudbranson being so good and being a RD made him a must-stay in the lineup, which pushed out Johnson.

Actually I said he’d be scratched by the playoffs and then said he sucked so much he’d get the Hunwick treatment.

I was trying to prove people like you that said he was a light beer version of bad Letang wrong in absolutes.

 

[ZeroPucksGiven]

Well you said that Johnson was going to be scratched by January, not by the playoffs

The acquisition of Gudbranson and his following great play changed things. I actually think they'd go back to Pettersson-Johnson if Gudbranson wouldn't have been as solid as he has been. But Gudbranson being so good and being a RD made him a must-stay in the lineup, which pushed out Johnson.

Shame that Maata/Schultz were never healthy at the same time this season to see if there was still that chemistry they had previously

 

[DesertPenguin]

I'd take Gudbranson based on his contract being shorter and Gudbranson being a RHD.

To get cap compliant, I've been expecting them to trade Maatta. Seeing this makes me think they may try to move Johnson instead of Maatta, but I'm still leaning towards them trading Maatta for a good return.

Yeah Maatta is the move. That makes me sad but it's the right move. He should return a nice piece or two too.

Depending on what next year's cap number is, I think the only move they need to make. All the guys they need to sign are RFAs or <1m 4th liners.

ZAR - 1.1m
Bleuger - 800k
Wilson - 700k
Johnson/Cullen - 700k
Pettersson - 1.4m
Riikola - 800k
Maatta - traded

That puts us at 80.5m. I expect the cap to be 1m-2m higher than that, giving us plenty of flexibility.


Guentzel Crosby Rust
McCann Malkin Kessel
Simon Bjugs Hornqvist
ZAR Bleuger Wilson
Johnson/Cullen


Dumo Letang
JMFJ Schultz
Pets Gudbranson
Riikola

Murray
DeSmith

 

[PensandCaps]

Lol at moving Maatta before Johnson.

 

[DesertPenguin]

Lol at moving Maatta before Johnson.

You can move Maatta and get assets back. I'm not sure you can move Johnson at all.

 

[PensandCaps]

So glad they sat Johnson for Maatta. Would be idiotic to sit a decent Dman for someone who can't make an outlet pass.


This board hates Maatta so much i expect to see people actually mad that they're sitting JJ for Maatta. Already seen some on twitter.

 

[PensandCaps]

You can move Maatta and get assets back. I'm not sure you can move Johnson at all.

You cam easily move JJ, GMs love the guy and has Played much better than in November

 

[MrBurghundy]

So glad they sat Johnson for Maatta. Would be idiotic to sit a decent Dman for someone who can't make an outlet pass.


This board hates Maatta so much i expect to see people actually mad that they're sitting JJ for Maatta. Already seen some on twitter.

They haven't done anything yet.

 

[XanderCrews34]

Actually I said he’d be scratched by the playoffs and then said he sucked so much he’d get the Hunwick treatment.

I was trying to prove people like you that said he was a light beer version of bad Letang wrong in absolutes.

There aren't a lot of people here or anywhere that don't know JJ is the worst Dman that gets regular time on the roster. But he did improve midseason and it did make a difference in the team playing better overall. I prefer Maatta myself (and Pets by a wide margin) over JJ but going from "absolutely terrible" to "pretty bad" made a positive impact.

 

[3074326]

I don't think JJ has deserved his reputation for months here. He's always been a beast in the playoffs too.

I'm not complaining about him being scratched necessarily, but he's improved a lot since he arrived. He helped the team get here.

 

[EightyOne]

So glad they sat Johnson for Maatta. Would be idiotic to sit a decent Dman for someone who can't make an outlet pass.


This board hates Maatta so much i expect to see people actually mad that they're sitting JJ for Maatta. Already seen some on twitter.

Man, we aren't Twitter, Facebook, or Reddit, man.

Don't bring dat 'round here!

 

[ZeroPucksGiven]

So glad they sat Johnson for Maatta. Would be idiotic to sit a decent Dman for someone who can't make an outlet pass.


This board hates Maatta so much i expect to see people actually mad that they're sitting JJ for Maatta. Already seen some on twitter.

Well there's a case to be made that in the playoffs where clutching and grabbing is considered "good defense", JJ wouldn't be as bad. BJ fans have said he's a decent playoff performer.
But I've seen enough of JJ in the past 15 games or so where he's been bad (again to no one's surprise). So I'll take playoff tested Maata over JJ.