Series Talk: Pens vs Habs Round 1 Best of Five - Episode 3: Déguédine!

[BHD]

Funny thing is they agreed on the same thing pretty much everyone has said. Julien doesn't really have the personnel for L2. He can put Danault on Sid and at least have a little cause to hope, but there's nothing really left for L2.

Why I keep saying Sully's decisions as to the split of defensive pairings behind L2 in the series will be one of the keys to this thing, because if L2 doesn't far more often than not have someone who can get the puck up ice to them, they're going to be far less the difference maker than they otherwise can be, especially in this series.

Also, get pucks deep on the right side and forecheck the hell out of Weber.

 

[BlindWillyMcHurt]

At this point I just refuse to believe this team is collectively dumb enough to boner up their biggest matchup advantage for the sake of making a guy who should be playing in the ECHL look better. But I suppose we'll see.

It makes perfect sense that the second pairing is just getting work against top units and they'll flip things around as this goes on.

 

[KIRK]

Also, get pucks deep on the right side and forecheck the hell out of Weber.

But then you need to get the pucks up to the guys who can get the pucks in deeper, and Johnson-Schultz isn't exactly the pairing for that. Much as I rightfully rag on Johnson, Schultz is pretty much **** too. Panics when attacked. Never skates to pressure. Questionable first passes.

 

[KIRK]

At this point I just refuse to believe this team is collectively dumb enough to boner up their biggest matchup advantage for the sake of making a guy who should be playing in the ECHL look better. But I suppose we'll see.

It makes perfect sense that the second pairing is just getting work against top units and they'll flip things around as this goes on.

 

[BlindWillyMcHurt]

That did kind of sound like I was assuring myself more than anything, huh?

Like I said a week or so ago, @KIRK -- habit.

 

[BHD]

But then you need to get the pucks up to the guys who can get the pucks in deeper, and Johnson-Schultz isn't exactly the pairing for that. Much as I rightfully rag on Johnson, Schultz is pretty much **** too. Panics when attacked. Never skates to pressure. Questionable first passes.

I bet Schultz is a driver who second guesses when he sees a car a mile away before turning.

 

[Andy99]

pretty much, if Sully is going to play JJ, he should play JJ-Ruh, as Ruh is much better defending than Schultz...but Sully apparently feels he should have Schultz out there for the PP, which he’s not good at either...so wtf

 

[BlindWillyMcHurt]

Does anyone get the feeling that trading the guy really wouldn't be THAT hard but that they just aren't that interested?

Can we at least turn him into a mascot, or something? Hell he can have Recchi's job, OK? I'm still not even sure what that guy does so it's all good.

 

[PensandCaps]

Does anyone get the feeling that trading the guy really wouldn't be THAT hard but that they just aren't that interested?

Can we at least turn him into a mascot, or something? Hell he can have Recchi's job, OK? I'm still not even sure what that guy does so it's all good.

Oh they could easily trade JJ. Remember a lot of teams were very interested in him in FA. Even offered more money, but less term.

 

[PensandCaps]

pretty much, if Sully is going to play JJ, he should play JJ-Ruh, as Ruh is much better defending than Schultz...but Sully apparently feels he should have Schultz out there for the PP, which he’s not good at either...so wtf

Atleast with Schultz you have a chance that he does something good in the Ozone.

Ruhwedel does nothing well. i dont really think he is better defensively than Schultz.

 

[BlindWillyMcHurt]

Oh they could easily trade JJ. Remember a lot of teams were very interested in him in FA. Even offered more money, but less term.

I don't know how much I ever believed that, if I'm being honest. Maybe there were some interested but certainly not at what JR fell all over himself to pay him.

I just think that there have been so many contracts where we've said "they can never move that/it will take too much to move that" and then... they move it. Usually with much less given up than expected.

But frankly I'm just kind of hand-wringing for no good reason... for now. Just nice to have something to talk about besides the collapse of society, I suppose.

 

[NeedleInTheHay]

Listened to Jesse and Berkshire on the podcast. They casually mentioned it, but is this the best forward corps the Pens have had? Obviously, there’s no Kessel on the 3rd line. However, every line has guys who can play.

If they’re talking Pens history, then definitely no. If they’re talking the Sid/geno era, also no.

The 2008 team with prime Hossa, Crosby, and Malkin was better. They had solid depth as well with Malone, Staal, Roberts, Sykora etc.

 

[BlindWillyMcHurt]

If they’re talking Pens history, then definitely no. If they’re talking the Sid/geno era, also no.

The 2008 team with prime Hossa, Crosby, and Malkin was better. They had solid depth as well with Malone, Staal, Roberts, Sykora etc.

I think a lot of people would say 2012 but yeah I agree with you that this one was probably the best. I think the current roster has it in them to take that title but, well... we'll see. Still some question marks, IMO.

 

[Sidney the Kidney]

I wonder if Sid's sports hernia is acting up.

 

[Zirakzigil]

At this point I just refuse to believe this team is collectively dumb enough to boner up their biggest matchup advantage for the sake of making a guy who should be playing in the ECHL look better. But I suppose we'll see.

It makes perfect sense that the second pairing is just getting work against top units and they'll flip things around as this goes on.

This team loves being stubborn about stupid things. I personally hope that Jake - Crosby - Horny becomes a playoff line again. Fire the midget to the moon, that line works no matter how much Crosby hates it.

 

[Speaking Moistly]

At this point I just refuse to believe this team is collectively dumb enough to boner up their biggest matchup advantage for the sake of making a guy who should be playing in the ECHL look better. But I suppose we'll see.

It makes perfect sense that the second pairing is just getting work against top units and they'll flip things around as this goes on.

It’s the NHL, they would, and the Pens have a history of doing it with him. I suspect it’s a few things.

Ego has gotten into the mix. JR signed him to that contract and ran his mouth multiple times, Sullivan has also gotten in on the running of the mouths to defend him. They’re delusional about what he brings and “the little things that don’t show up on stats sheets and AMATEURS don’t understand” are seen as worth a lot. They know he needs to be masked because of his various problems but still think whatever he brings is worth hiding his weaknesses.


The other thing is that Schultz is struggling and has been for awhile now. I still think he’s a player who could come in clutch at some point but why the hell would you put him with JJ if you want him to have a moment of usefulness? The Schultz of today will do nothing to carry or offset him.

 

[Old Gregg]

I wonder if Sid's sports hernia is acting up.

I saw a video showing Crosby's last shift and it looks like he took a puck to the left side up in the mid section. I'm hoping that's all it is.

 

[BlindWillyMcHurt]

This team loves being stubborn about stupid things. I personally hope that Jake - Crosby - Horny becomes a playoff line again. Fire the midget to the moon, that line works no matter how much Crosby hates it.

Oh god you just HAD to smug-Bylsma me, didn't you?

I dunno. I'd really like to think that Sullivan is smarter/less stubborn than that and he HAS shown that he is. But I agree that Horns would almost certainly be the best option, there. But thing is... we gotta ask ourselves WHY Crosby hates that combination so much... despite being otherwise-completely-reasonable about literally everything else.

Ego has gotten into the mix.

Hundy percent. Completely agree. I think that's the biggest reason by far.

And yeah I have no idea re: Schultz. God he's so bad, now.

 

[Peat]

Just finished watching the first half - I watched a bit of it and read the comments here when it was live but had to go out

Main thought honestly is that BART is just a relentless, merciless three headed pest. A bunch of the bad breakouts I saw with Geno's unit that I expected to be on Schultz and JJ were actually on Letang and Dumo, and that's almost all against BART and it's because that unit is so smart and together. And what @ColePens said about Blueger hunting Geno is right, and he won a decent share of the ensuing battles. Real active stick. And that's not easy, because Geno's in a cup winning mood.

Speaking of Geno, he and his line were pretty sick. Look at how often one of them was on hand to get a rebound from the other.

Speaking of Letang, I didn't love his decision making. Two pretty bad turnovers, one of which led to a goal.

I don't really want to talk about JJ-Schultz but I'd play Czuczman-POJ over them, nevermind Ruh-Riikola. It's real f***ing frustrating as you can see them doing good things on the ice (JJ's breakout pass for Rodrigues' goal was nice) but they're just horribly ill-suited to each other and their transition game is like watching a clown with two hook hands trying to make balloon f***ing animals.

Based on the first period alone I'd be happy with either goalie but Jarry made the best save and Murray's is one he'd have probably liked to have had again (although plenty of goalies aren't properly set going post to post like that).

Sheary-Guentzel-Rodrigues was decent. Amused by one nice hip-check Sheary threw on Lafferty to prevent a defensive zone turnover. Well, nice by Sheary standards.

Marleau-McCann-Lafferty was decent.

Finally, John Marino skates like he knows he's a cut above everyone on the ice and passes like he's always taking the simple option. I am getting way, way ahead of myself but if he hits his ceiling he will be in the discussion for the greatest Pens dman ever by the time he's done (and probably also whichever franchise he gets traded to when we're busy taking loser lessons and he doesn't reup).

 

[EVGENIMERLIN]

I wonder if Sid's sports hernia is acting up.

This is what I am worried about (aside from everyone testing positive for Covid of course)

 

[BlindWillyMcHurt]

I don't really want to talk about JJ-Schultz but I'd play Czuczman-POJ over them, nevermind Ruh-Riikola. It's real f***ing frustrating as you can see them doing good things on the ice (JJ's breakout pass for Rodrigues' goal was nice) but they're just horribly ill-suited to each other and their transition game is like watching a clown with two hook hands trying to make balloon f***ing animals.

This is so perfect. What a spot-on description hahaha.

Oh and @Speaking Moistly -- well done on utterly dismantling my hopefulness with one irrefutable argument -- why WOULDN'T they prop a replacement-level player up at the expense of guys who actually do stuff out there? This league does it all the time.

 

[Andy99]

nikita’s already skating in full gear...sign him up, JR!

 

[Ryder71]

Listened to Jesse and Berkshire on the podcast. They casually mentioned it, but is this the best forward corps the Pens have had? Obviously, there’s no Kessel on the 3rd line. However, every line has guys who can play.

McCann IMO is the tipping point here. If he can be a consistent contributor and solidify our depth at 3C, that might be the case. That's a big ''if'' however. We also need to see Sid back soon. To be clear I'm not talking prior to the Sid and Geno era.

 

[Jaded-Fan]

 

[Speaking Moistly]

“Styles almost contradict each other very well,” that sums it up in a way.