Post-Game Talk: Penguins 5, Flyers 2 - Sid Goes Old School on the Flyers

[DrDangles]

He just finished 1st in goals and 2nd in points last year. So idk if that's true.

Maybe he would still be putting up 100+ point seasons if his effort was as consistent as it used to be. Lets be honest, he's slumped more in the last 3 seasons than the rest of his career combined.

 

[Turin]

Maybe he would still be putting up 100+ point seasons if his effort was as consistent as it used to be. Lets be honest, he's slumped more in the last 3 seasons than the rest of his career combined.

Chris Kunitz going from Crosby’s best possible linemate to a third line tweener with poor puck skills and reflexes has a lot to do with this, as well as Crosby and Malkin being completely separated at even strength post-Bylsma. In other words, as Crosby’s gotten older his job has gotten harder. He likely would have hit 100 last year in a full season.

 

[KIRK]

Maybe he would still be putting up 100+ point seasons if his effort was as consistent as it used to be. Lets be honest, he's slumped more in the last 3 seasons than the rest of his career combined.

Actually, Sid (and Geno) were awesome when healthy last year, especially when you consider how many guys were in cruise control and then what not having Letang or Malkin for most of the last two months of the season meant.

Two years ago? That was all Mike Johnston, which I think was more about a horrid fit for a system than a lack of effort. After Johnston was fired, no issue.

This year? Yeah, I'll give you that there's been a drop in emotional emgagement and maybe a little Phil cruisr control.

But, I take issue with your suggestion that last year or the year before were about Sid's effort.

 

[Sidney the Kidney]

Maybe he would still be putting up 100+ point seasons if his effort was as consistent as it used to be. Lets be honest, he's slumped more in the last 3 seasons than the rest of his career combined.

Sid was awesome for the majority of last season. The only stretch he looked off was when Sully kept putting Kunitz on his line, when Sheary went down with an injury and prior to forming Sid and the Hobbits.

This is the first year where Sid's looked like ass for long stretches through no fault but his own lack of effort.

 

[Honour Over Glory]

I think geno is 2 points back...

I thought I heard 1pt, I stand corrected.

 

[Honour Over Glory]

I do like that the Sid & Kids line found that magic tonight, Sheary finally looked like a threat in this game and we needed to see that out of him, not sure how long Rust is out but if ZAR is back soon, our line-up could be pretty deadly (even better when Rusty is back, I'd immediately put him with Sheahan on the 4th line).

Guentzel, Crosby, Sheary
Hagelin, Malkin, Hornqvist
Simon, Brassard, Kessel
Kuhnhackl, Sheahan, Should be Sprong but will be the black hole that is Carter Rowney.

 

[Honour Over Glory]

Maybe he would still be putting up 100+ point seasons if his effort was as consistent as it used to be. Lets be honest, he's slumped more in the last 3 seasons than the rest of his career combined.

Let me ask you this, even while he's "slumped more in the last 3 seasons" how much did his playoffs suffer from those slumps? We all can criticize him all we want, but when the playoffs start and he's not slumping anymore and he's back to being a monster at both ends of the rink, that's all I care about.

 

[WayneSid9987]

I dunno about all the call up rules but if Rust/Simon can't go and you can call up 2:

Jake-Sid-Sheary
Hags-G-Horny
Bleuger-Brassard-Phil
Kuhn-Sheahan-Jooris

I prefer the more 2-way guys added the better in the bottom 6 so it's a no from me, dawg, on Sprong'er right now.

If Rowney+a callup:

Jake-Sid-Sheary
Hags-G-Horny
Brass-Sheahan-Phil
Kuhn-Rowney-Jooris
(with Kuhn/Rowney getting spot duty for the most part)

or best i can do is split up Kuhn/Rowns so

Kuhn-Brass-Phil
Jooris/Bleuger-Sheahan-Rowney

 

[Honour Over Glory]

Yeah I'd rather see Jooris up over Rowney too. But that 4th line needs at least 1 dynamic winger with Sheahan and Kuhnhackl.

 

[WayneSid9987]

Yeah I'd rather see Jooris up over Rowney too. But that 4th line needs at least 1 dynamic winger with Sheahan and Kuhnhackl.

I kinda want the more 2-way guys cuz they're trying to focus on their DZ play/clean breakouts atm.
Plus i just think they need more 2-way guys around Brassard, especially if they're eventually gonna settle in to Brass's line and Sheahan's line.
So i'm all for a Blueger, Jooris or DiPauli type call up atm.

 

[NastyNick]

This was a game where the Penguins depth proved just too much for Philly. The Flyers actually handled Malkin's line with their top line. They got a decent edge on Brassard's line (boy did he look clueless out there at times). But putting their third line against Sid was a disaster. Especially when Sid was reunited with Guentzel and Sheary. Everyone forgot how lethal those three were during the stretch last year and into the first 2 rounds. And they torched the Flyers in the 2nd period. It was glorious. That pairing isn't a long term solution by any stretch - mostly because they don't play defense - but if the opponents are going to put their third best on Sid.. i say go for it.

 

[Mr Jiggyfly]

Yohe made a great point about Sheary in that if you're not going to bench him and he's only ever been good playing with Sid while being useless everywhere else, just put him where he belongs.

The problem is Sullivan has tried putting them together and it's been a dud until last night.

My concern is how that line was leaking goals the last time they were together consistently. Hopefully that can be rectified and Sheary finds his game.

 

[AverageJoeFan]

My thought is that Sid elevates his line-mates when Sid elevates his own effort. Sid was engaged last night and that IS the difference in performance of Sheary. So Sid goes, so goes the kids.

That said, Sheary gets a + for effort and a - for skating. The guy needs serious help with his balance, but yet he throws on the brakes well enough to tap the first one in and then falls over shooting the 2nd one in. Almost makes no sense.

Big Rig showing some real O upside. The big man has some serious skills and a YUGE shot.

Zone exits for the first two periods were so awful.

The remaining strength of schedule is promising! Even if Rowney plays, and I have no doubt he will, I like the Pens chances to finish out strong.

 

[PensPlz]

Maybe he would still be putting up 100+ point seasons if his effort was as consistent as it used to be. Lets be honest, he's slumped more in the last 3 seasons than the rest of his career combined.

I'm not always sure I think Sid's still a human being (not a cyborg) and no one else has played as much hockey at this high of a level than Sidney Crosby.

And I literally mean no one else because of Crosby's MVP performance in the World Cup of Hockey in 2016. He's played the most games, he's won the most hardware. Crosby has dominated the last 3 years and maybe he's just getting tired and I don't hold that against him.

I honestly wouldn't care if Crosby sat out until the playoffs to get some rest.

 

[Empoleon8771]

If Simon and Rust are both out, there's no way they don't recall Sprong. They'll probably end up with Guentzel on the 3rd line and Sprong either with Malkin or Kessel.

 

[HandshakeLine]

I feel like the Pens should start trolling the Flyers with clips of Sid turnbuckling various Philly players over the course of his career on the jumbotron.

 

[UnrealMachine]

Maybe it's the edge selection on Sheary's skates that are the issue? I've never seen anything like it outside of an adult beer-league game. The first goal I understand because he made a huge cut and then got run into. The second... I just can't figure out?!?

 

[bathroomSTAAL]

I think he got kind of jammed as the puck came to him, like it was more inside than right in his wheelhouse, so he had to adjust his footing. Still would be nice to not fall on his ass, but that's what it looked like to me.

 

[RizzleMcRib]

The "Pens suck," "This team is a mess" crowd was out in full force last night. You think they woulda learned after the Calgary game not to give up so easy on this team.

 

[ETA]

I'm glad they won but it's not like they haven't shown that they can stink pretty bad. As others have said, hopefully they're just coasting a bit leading up to the playoffs. Last night they could have easily been down and out before the game was half over.

This sounds harsh but hopefully Hunwick never suits up again for the Pens. Ditto with Rowney and, if I can dream, Kuhn gets replaced at some point as well -- he's really not bringing much to the team from what I see.

 

[Mr Jiggyfly]

Maybe it's the edge selection on Sheary's skates that are the issue? I've never seen anything like it outside of an adult beer-league game. The first goal I understand because he made a huge cut and then got run into. The second... I just can't figure out?!?

I'd imagine they have adjusted his skate profile and his hollow as well, but at some point the conclusion is that a guy just has bad balance

 

[The Old Master]

That said, Sheary gets a + for effort and a - for skating. The guy needs serious help with his balance, but yet he throws on the brakes well enough to tap the first one in and then falls over shooting the 2nd one in. Almost makes no sense.

he seems to try to go faster than his body can handle....if he would slow down just a tad, he would have more control over the rest of his body and give him an extra gear to blow by guy's.

 

[BlankFrank416]

I’m still having trouble with the Sid is slumping or too old argument in these past games. His point totals these last few years have been consistent and elite. His metrics have been consistent and elite. He has helped his team both get to and win in the playoffs. Other then getting beat to pucks on individual plays or having rough defensive nights here or there there’s nothing to see. Every player has those plays/games. Sid is weirdly not getting the benefit of the doubt for having bad plays in the middle of a season following two straight elite cup years. But when you look at his stats this year, a large sample size reducing outliers of good and bad, he’s having another great season.

 

[CanadianPensFan1]

The "Pens suck," "This team is a mess" crowd was out in full force last night. You think they woulda learned after the Calgary game not to give up so easy on this team.

Hey, if you are ok with them playing like hot garbage for large chunks of time every game .. that's fine. Some of us have loftier standards than "they won" and nothing else.

 

[Coastal Kev]

I still think JR bungled the TDL. If simply add a 4th C and a wing (Grabner?), the team overall would be much deeper. It would depend on Sully making the right lineup choices but we would also still have our first, Cole, Gust and probably a pick back for Reeves.

We'll see how it all shakes out, maybe Brass is huge reason we win in the playoffs. As of right now, I don't see the upgrade to our overall lineup.