GDT: Penguins @ Canadiens (Quebec City)

[Dipsy Doodle]

I feel bad for the citizens of Quebec. Shelling out that much money to essentially watch the WBS Penguins. You couldn't make me watch that disaster of a lineup even if you gave me the clockwork orange treatment.

Terrible roster if you want to win, but I'll enjoy watching how our better prospects fare. And Bonino for the first time as a Pen.

 

[Cherpak]

Terrible roster if you want to win, but I'll enjoy watching how our better prospects fare. And Bonino for the first time as a Pen.

I always want to win.

No Crosby, Malkin, Kessel. I'm sure many fans thought they would ice a better team since the citizens of Quebec are paying so much to watch the game. Montreal is basically icing their starting lineup. I would be pissed off as well if I paid 200 CND to watch a scrimmage.

 

[Empoleon8771]

Pens lines:

Simon-Bonino-Perron
Wilson-Sundqvist-Bennett
Rust-Dea-Sprong
Uher-Macaroni-Biggs

Pouliot-Letang
Scuderi-Warsofsky
Erixon-Gonchar

I'm really curious to see how Pouliot-Letang does, that could be 1 way to jump start Poo.

 

[Asuna]

Poor Erixon/Warsofsky.

 

[Shady Machine]

I always want to win.

No Crosby, Malkin, Kessel. I'm sure many fans thought they would ice a better team since the citizens of Quebec are paying so much to watch the game. Montreal is basically icing their starting lineup. I would be pissed off as well if I paid 200 CND to watch a scrimmage.

I would be too but it's not really the Pens fault. From their perspective, they want to ice most of their marketable players in the Johnstown game.

 

[Tasty Biscuits]

Perron on the right again.

#itsonlypreseason

 

[td_ice]

I would be too but it's not really the Pens fault. From their perspective, they want to ice most of their marketable players in the Johnstown game.

Definitely some bad planning with the schedule. I put the blame on the NHL for that one.

 

[Shady Machine]

Pens lines:

Simon-Bonino-Perron
Wilson-Sundqvist-Bennett
Rust-Dea-Sprong
Uher-Macaroni-Biggs

Pouliot-Letang
Scuderi-Warsofsky
Erixon-Gonchar

I'm really curious to see how Pouliot-Letang does, that could be 1 way to jump start Poo.

Other than Perron on right wing, those are actually logical lines!

It's tough to get a read on what any of that means for the actual lines. I assumed Bonino-Bennett was a pair, but they are putting Perron there now. It could just be a meaningless exhibition lineup, but you'd think they'd try what they want to see.

Also, for some reason I thought Duper was supposed to be in this game.

 

[Shady Machine]

Definitely some bad planning with the schedule. I put the blame on the NHL for that one.

Yup exactly.

 

[Empoleon8771]

Other than Perron on right wing, those are actually logical lines!

It's tough to get a read on what any of that means for the actual lines. I assumed Bonino-Bennett was a pair, but they are putting Perron there now. It could just be a meaningless exhibition lineup, but you'd think they'd try what they want to see.

Also, for some reason I thought Duper was supposed to be in this game.

He wasn't at the morning skate this morning, I'm guessing Simon is the placeholder for him and the 3rd line will be Dupuis-Bonino-Perron. I mean, that would be a nice 3rd line if the corpse of Kunitz wasn't in our top-6, but I digress.

 

[Shady Machine]

He wasn't at the morning skate this morning, I'm guessing Simon is the placeholder for him and the 3rd line will be Dupuis-Bonino-Perron. I mean, that would be a nice 3rd line if the corpse of Kunitz wasn't in our top-6, but I digress.

Yeah probably. So I'd guess something like:

Kunitz-Sid-Kessel
Plots-Malkin-Hornqvist
Dupuis-Bonino-Perron
xxx-Cullen-Bennett

Honestly, it's the 2nd line that bothers me the most there. That and the wings on the 3rd line. Dupuis has been primarily a right winger here and Perron a LW in his career.

I just think Plots and Hornqvist are too similar of players. Oh well. Things can and will change. Just not the way most of us want.

 

[Greeneye]

I really don't understand how Perron is being pegged as a RW. He is the best LW on the team and playing him on the right negates many of his positives. Preseason or not this makes 0 sense to me. Really starting to dislike MJ and his boneheaded decisions.

 

[Mr Jiggyfly]

Definitely some bad planning with the schedule. I put the blame on the NHL for that one.

I just read about this yesterday...

I believe the NHL is like the NFL, in that each specific org is responsible for scheduling their own preseason games.

Apparently they only had six games scheduled. Then the Habs invited them and they accepted. Then Johnstown won the Hockeyville contest and the Pens were the closest regional team and turning that down would have been bad pub. Tue was the only date available at the Johnstown arena, so they ended up with three in three.

 

[Tasty Biscuits]

I just think Plots and Hornqvist are too similar of players. Oh well. Things can and will change. Just not the way most of us want.

I can't see that line lasting forever. Sadly I think the first option to replace Plots would be Dupuis. If that doesn't work, I think they'd actually sooner put Dupuis on L1 and slide Kunitz to L2 before they put Bennett or god forbid Perron there.

 

[Cherpak]

I would be too but it's not really the Pens fault. From their perspective, they want to ice most of their marketable players in the Johnstown game.

Not blaming the Penguins. Just putting myself in the Quebec fans perspective. I doubt the league really has any control of who the teams set as their line ups anyway.

 

[Shady Machine]

I can't see that line lasting forever. Sadly I think the first option to replace Plots would be Dupuis. If that doesn't work, I think they'd actually sooner put Dupuis on L1 and slide Kunitz to L2 before they put Bennett or god forbid Perron there.

Ugh you are right. I kind of forgot about that option. In that case, I really hop Plots-Malkin-Hornqvist works out.

 

[Fordy]

let's rewind to july so i can go back to being hopeful for this team again

 

[Shady Machine]

let's rewind to july so i can go back to being hopeful for this team again

There's still hope. Let's look at the good news. Even with MJ screwing up the line combos, the forward group is light years better than last year.

 

[Fordy]

There's still hope. Let's look at the good news. Even with MJ screwing up the line combos, the forward group is light years better than last year.

yay, another season rooting for crosby to score a bunch of points and desperately hoping bennett gets more than 10 minutes a night

 

[Tasty Biscuits]

There's still hope. Let's look at the good news. Even with MJ screwing up the line combos, the forward group is light years better than last year.

Good enough to compensate for the D though? The offense has to be great, not merely very good. The pieces are there for that. Will they be used correctly? No.

 

[Shady Machine]

yay, another season rooting for crosby to score a bunch of points and desperately hoping bennett gets more than 10 minutes a night

That's all you got

Last year:

Kunitz-Crosby-Hornqvist with revolving door of others
revolving door of scrubs-Malkin-flash in the pan Comeau
Spaling-Sutter-Downie
some scrub I forgot about-Adams-Bennett

Perron and Winnik for a half season mixed in.

I'm sure I'm missing another mediocre player or 2 in there, but this forward roster is much better.

 

[Cherpak]

This is the first time since the lockout that I'm not very excited about the season. I do not like the coaching staff, especially Johnston. I don't trust anything decision wise with him. From his lineup choices to his overall abilities to coach. I wouldn't be a bit surprised if this team fails this year. I wish I could be more positive but I just can't shake the feeling that this is the year we regress and miss the post season.

 

[Shady Machine]

Good enough to compensate for the D though? The offense has to be great, not merely very good. The pieces are there for that. Will they be used correctly? No.

No it's not good enough to compensate for the D (at least not in the early part of the year). Going into this year, I think we all figured that this year was contingent upon the young guys stepping up. I am at least comfortable that they have a plan now for that. Whether they stick to it and let the young guys work through the growing pains is another question.

 

[billybudd]

Poor Erixon/Warsofsky.

Seriously. Here's hoping somebody gets benched and they get a chance to play with each other.

 

[Super Sniper Cele]

So is there any way to watch this game tonight?