Post-Game Talk: Pens/Caps: Pens crush the Caps spirits.... again.

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Andy99

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Jun 26, 2017
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We just need a better 3C to push McKegg down and that 3C needs to be a PP and PK guy so we can push Rowney or Kuhn out of the lineup (ideally Reaves, but we know that isn't happening).

I don't think the next 3C needs to PK. If McKegg is pushed to 4C, either Rowney or Kuhn will be LW and Kegger will PK too. But Wilson will likely be out as the fourth line will likely be a checking and PK line....and maybe Reaves won't play every game when we are playing opponents with a strong PP. That means our next 3C needs to be a strong offense player and a point producer since the fourth line sucks offensively and will continue in that vein. That's more important than pking IMO
 

td_ice

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Aug 13, 2005
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Once Reaves gets .going he skates fine, but from stops and starts he looks a little like Jay Caulfield.

I was hoping he would actually be a more than a physical presence, but so far he doesn't appear to be. But he is what he is, and hopeful the element he does provide will be beneficial.
 

canadianguy77

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Apr 20, 2006
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Yeah...as soon as Reaves gets close to anyone, they immediately get rid of the puck. No one seems to want to f*** with that guy.
 

Ms Maggie

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Apr 11, 2017
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+++ Murray: Murray was amazing in this game. One goal that I think he'd want back, but other than that he made hard saves look easy and it took all the energy out of the Caps. I love his bounce back since the first 2 games.

+++ Horny: Welcome back! What a game by #72. He's the guy we just cannot replace in any way. He gets crappy goals and creates space because he battles. #72 is a guy that we need on this team. It can't all be skill goals. We need a guy who can muck and do what he does. And nobody other than Simmonds is even on his level. Re-sign this guy.

+++ PK: Andy99 noted in the pregame talk, Kuhn/Rowney are on L4 to kill penalties tonight. Sacrifice skill for some great PK. It paid off. Great call by Andy and great pulse by Sully to know that. L4 was miserable 5 on 5, but Kuhn/Rowney were great on the PK. Kuhn and Reaves with Rowney can not be a 5 on 5 line. They were terrible. But at least the two were great on the kill.

++ Sully: Can't deny he has a pulse on the team and pulls triggers that seem to work just about every time. I love how he was moving the PP around. It's game 4 of the regular season and he wasn't happy. HE was using all the talent we have. I like that.

= Transition defense is still doing better each game. A lot left to be desired but it's a long season. I think it's trending back upward. There is some extended zone time due to lack of assignments and clears were very poor in the 3rd period.

= Powerplay: PP2 was good. PP1 was lacking battle. Geno/Kessel/Sid need to get to work on the powerplay. They are too passive and want to stand around. Have to get to work. A really bad PP1, a really good PP2.


- Slight minus to Kessel, McKegg, Letang, and L4 5 on 5. Just to be a bit hard on our team.


Line 4 looked better than I expected! (Understanding I expected nearly nothing....)
 

Jaded-Fan

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Mar 18, 2004
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Analytics will never truly be able to display the type of psychological barrier the Capitals now face. We beat them last spring without our No. 1 goaltender, when they still had Justin Williams, Karl Alzner, Nate Schmidt and Kevin Shattenkirk in the lineup. Now? They have Alex Chiasson, Aaron Ness, Christian Djoos and Taylor Chorney.

Yeah, but the Pens no longer have Kunitz.

You forgot about that didn't you?
 

NewAgeOutlaw

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Jul 15, 2011
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The book on every butterfly goalie is to shoot high glove because they block the low portion of the net and there is more room glove side than blocker side.

The "Murray has a weak glove" theory was just a narrative started by Murray haters last year to try to convince us reasonable people that Matt Murray is the next coming of Jim Carey.
 

Shady Machine

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Aug 6, 2010
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I don't think the next 3C needs to PK. If McKegg is pushed to 4C, either Rowney or Kuhn will be LW and Kegger will PK too. But Wilson will likely be out as the fourth line will likely be a checking and PK line....and maybe Reaves won't play every game when we are playing opponents with a strong PP. That means our next 3C needs to be a strong offense player and a point producer since the fourth line sucks offensively and will continue in that vein. That's more important than pking IMO

I disagree because I don't want to have 2 players on the 4th line solely for their pk ability. That makes the 4th line brutal at 5 on 5 with Reaves on the other wing.

Faceoffs are also super important on the PK so having 2-3 center options on the PK is ideal.

I want a 3C like Bones that can play PK minutes and center the 2nd PP unit.
 

Shady Machine

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The book on every butterfly goalie is to shoot high glove because they block the low portion of the net and there is more room glove side than blocker side.

The "Murray has a weak glove" theory was just a narrative started by Murray haters last year to try to convince us reasonable people that Matt Murray is the next coming of Jim Carey.

I'm far from a Murray hater, but I do think too many pucks bounce off or out of his glove. His glove isn't an Aahilles heal or anything, but it certainly could use improvement
 

AjaxTelamon

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Jul 8, 2011
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Once Reaves gets .going he skates fine, but from stops and starts he looks a little like Jay Caulfield.

I was hoping he would actually be a more than a physical presence, but so far he doesn't appear to be. But he is what he is, and hopeful the element he does provide will be beneficial.

If and when we can push Rowney to being a 13th F, and get a bit more skill on the line with Reaves he'll contribute more. I for one like the element he adds. He can play his minutes, make a contribution in terms of hits, and occasionally chip in on the scoresheet. And as long as the other team plays it straight, he doesn't try to start fights. But it is nice to have the nuclear option if needed, and it was nice to add that to the team in the form of one guy.

Building a truculent, tough team usually takes years, and lots of outgoing assets. We got the quick overhaul on the cheap.
 
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PensandCaps

Beddy Tlueger
May 22, 2015
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I disagree because I don't want to have 2 players on the 4th line solely for their pk ability. That makes the 4th line brutal at 5 on 5 with Reaves on the other wing.

Faceoffs are also super important on the PK so having 2-3 center options on the PK is ideal.

I want a 3C like Bones that can play PK minutes and center the 2nd PP unit.

So, you're saying we should trade for Nick Bonino:sarcasm:
 

Andy99

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Jun 26, 2017
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I disagree because I don't want to have 2 players on the 4th line solely for their pk ability. That makes the 4th line brutal at 5 on 5 with Reaves on the other wing.

Faceoffs are also super important on the PK so having 2-3 center options on the PK is ideal.

I want a 3C like Bones that can play PK minutes and center the 2nd PP unit.

Wake up. We don't have Cullen anymore. Fourth line will be brutal 5-5 with Reaves on it anyway, it is now, and McKegg won't stop that
 

Shady Machine

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Once Reaves gets .going he skates fine, but from stops and starts he looks a little like Jay Caulfield.

I was hoping he would actually be a more than a physical presence, but so far he doesn't appear to be. But he is what he is, and hopeful the element he does provide will be beneficial.

Agreed. His stop and start quickness is a detriment, particularly in the Dzone. It's why he sucks on the PK. He's too slow to fill the right lanes. His lack of physicality is also due to being slow at stops and starts. Straight line on a forechecker, he can plaster a dude. If the player evades the first onslaught, he's not quick enough to shift gears and make a big hit.

Frankly, he's just not very good, which is what I expected. He's fine of course, but I don't think he's good enough to be an every day player on this team.
 

Shady Machine

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Aug 6, 2010
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Wake up. We don't have Cullen anymore. Fourth line will be brutal 5-5 with Reaves on it anyway, it is now, and McKegg won't stop that

Wake up haha. Why can't I dream of a team that doesn't require their 4th line to have 2 pluggers on it when we have the players to make it happen?
 

Shady Machine

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Aug 6, 2010
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So, you're saying we should trade for Nick Bonino:sarcasm:

haha ideally a player like Bonino that fits this team's speed identity better. Of course, I've been arguing that re-signing Bones would have been a solid plan, but I'll be happy to be proven wrong.
 

UnrealMachine

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Jul 9, 2012
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While murray doesn't have a super mitt, he isn't bad there... its just he takes up so much of the lowernet thats the one spot teams are going to target... when a goalie plays well enough teams start always trying to go high glove side it usually means they have few fundamental weaknesses...

If teams are truly targeting Murray's glove side, wouldn't you expect to see more goals given up on that side? As it stands, he gave up 2 more goals high glove than high blocker last season while having an great save percentage in the regular season and a truly excellent playoffs. I say, keep trying.
 

ZeroPucksGiven

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Feb 28, 2017
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Wake up. We don't have Cullen anymore. Fourth line will be brutal 5-5 with Reaves on it anyway, it is now, and McKegg won't stop that

Problem with the 4th as constructed is that it's unbelievably slow- I think this is why you see some people clamoring for Wilson to get Reaves or Kuhn's spot, just to amp up the speed factor just a bit.
If we acquire a 3C that'll push Mckegg down and just he alone would make that line significantly better (not to Cullen's level obviously) but something respectable.

Right now the 4th line is a black hole and if I'm facing the Pens, that's the thing I attack and I'd probably had a lot of success doing that if I'm at home.
 

Jaded-Fan

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Wake up. We don't have Cullen anymore. Fourth line will be brutal 5-5 with Reaves on it anyway, it is now, and McKegg won't stop that

Cullen was amazing for his cost and what he did on the fourth line, but let's not go overboard here. The skill on the third and fourth lines went through the Pens' amazing wing skill and speed. That still is here. The Pens will miss his face off ability more than anything, and was key in defensive zone face offs in the first of the back to back cup wins. Bonino was good as well, but not for the price and term and can and will be replaced at some point this year.

The Pens could reconstruct those lines fairly easily given that the best parts of them never left, which is why some of us screamed bloody murder at the trade for Reaves. The cost was not much, but the direction they went by paying even what they did pretty much indicates that he will play, and play over one of those speedy wings. THAT is the issue. You had a formula that won two cups, the best parts still there and yet you go nuts because guys like Dubinsky who cost their team by their antics in the playoffs are being idiots. I did not get that when the trade happened, I do not get it now, and I never will.
 

UnderratedBrooks44

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Sep 13, 2005
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For now, I have a funny feeling we see him back here come TD.

Is Minnesota missing the playoffs somehow? Seems unlikely unless they have some long-term injuries I'm not aware of. Haven't really read about them.

I do think it's time to get okay with the fact that the 4th line will probably be a pretty regular ho-hum 4th line (like almost every team has fwiw). Cullen was a gem of a signing and a complete luxury.
 

MrBrightside

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May 5, 2010
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Cullen was amazing for his cost and what he did on the fourth line, but let's not go overboard here. The skill on the third and fourth lines went through the Pens' amazing wing skill and speed. That still is here. The Pens will miss his face off ability more than anything, and was key in defensive zone face offs in the first of the back to back cup wins. Bonino was good as well, but not for the price and term and can and will be replaced at some point this year.

The Pens could reconstruct those lines fairly easily given that the best parts of them never left, which is why some of us screamed bloody murder at the trade for Reaves. The cost was not much, but the direction they went by paying even what they did pretty much indicates that he will play, and play over one of those speedy wings. THAT is the issue. You had a formula that won two cups, the best parts still there and yet you go nuts because guys like Dubinsky who cost their team by their antics in the playoffs are being idiots. I did not get that when the trade happened, I do not get it now, and I never will.

This is exactly right. People got so caught up in whether the Pens actually traded a 1st round pick or not or whether Sundqvist is a loss and it all ignores the fact that Reaves playing is a major drag on the 4th line. If they obtained a 3C, moved McKegg to 4C, and surrounded McKegg with guys like Wilson and Archibald and even Rowney, you could have a respectable 4th line, but Reaves' presence on that line is going to be a huge drag all season.
 

Jaded-Fan

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Mar 18, 2004
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This is exactly right. People got so caught up in whether the Pens actually traded a 1st round pick or not or whether Sundqvist is a loss and it all ignores the fact that Reaves playing is a major drag on the 4th line. If they obtained a 3C, moved McKegg to 4C, and surrounded McKegg with guys like Wilson and Archibald and even Rowney, you could have a respectable 4th line, but Reaves' presence on that line is going to be a huge drag all season.

Some still do not get that the Pens never traded a first round pick, except in the most technical way. They moved down around 20 spots. Other focus on the Russian kid that St. Louis took that the Pens obviously had no interest in taking. They almost certainly would have taken the same player that they took 20 picks later with the pick.

The cost never was the issue for the vast majority who had/have an issue.
 
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Peat

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Jun 14, 2016
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Cullen was amazing for his cost and what he did on the fourth line, but let's not go overboard here. The skill on the third and fourth lines went through the Pens' amazing wing skill and speed. That still is here. The Pens will miss his face off ability more than anything, and was key in defensive zone face offs in the first of the back to back cup wins. Bonino was good as well, but not for the price and term and can and will be replaced at some point this year.

The Pens could reconstruct those lines fairly easily given that the best parts of them never left, which is why some of us screamed bloody murder at the trade for Reaves. The cost was not much, but the direction they went by paying even what they did pretty much indicates that he will play, and play over one of those speedy wings. THAT is the issue. You had a formula that won two cups, the best parts still there and yet you go nuts because guys like Dubinsky who cost their team by their antics in the playoffs are being idiots. I did not get that when the trade happened, I do not get it now, and I never will.

It was Kuhnhackl-Cullen-Fehr in 15-16 and X-Cullen-Rowney for most of 16-17. Most of the time, it wasn't the wings providing speed and skill to line 4, it was Cullen.
 
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