Post-Game Talk: Pens win vs Yotes: Carter - the hero we need

[Josey Wales]

 

[Victor Z]

puustinen was creating turnovers at az's own blueline basically every single shift. he clearly reads the play well

Puusy had a hell of a good game tonight. When Rakell comes back, which seems like it may be soon, is that the end of #48 though? He plays in the top 6 or.... nowhere. Maybe he gets a shot with Sid & Jake and DOC gets dropped back down to L3?

 

[WickedWrister]

Overall a good game from #48 (still think that's kind of a gross number, sorry TK). One thing I'd like to see more of from Puusty is some puck possession. With Geno, that's going to be tough because he loves to rag the puck, but I think he's deferring a bit too much. Understandable given that its his 3rd NHL game and he's playing with a future HoF'er, but Geno doesn't really have the legs to take it 200 feet in transition anymore. Was one of the things I did like about having DOC on that line, he could be his own breakout.



Also need to know who made that chrip to Carter and the feigned outrage haha.

 

[wheelz87]

2 big points baby. On to Montreal

 

[Empoleon8771]

I'm really happy to see Puustinen finding a role on the powerplay, it may be a niche role but it's a role that needs to be filled regardless. Seattle showed last year how you could work with that kind of guy in Sprong, I think Puustinen fills that same role. I'm skeptical of Puustinen at 5v5 but you can't deny how dangerous he is on the powerplay. A good coach should be able to figure out a bottom-6 role for him that allows him to play every game despite his flaws.

When healthy, I don't see why the Penguins can't play Puustinen on the 4th line but just double-shift guys like Rust and O'Connor every so often at 5v5 if they're concerned with Puustinen's defense. This team can run with a pure PP specialist in the bottom-6, I was initially thinking more of a net front guy but a guy like Puustinen can also work there.

 

[Ugene Magic]

When fully healthy I say try this

Jake - Sid - Rakell
Smith - Geno - Rust
DOC/Z - Eller - Puusty
Nieto/Doc - Acciari/Carter - Carter/Acciari/Hino

For the D? anyone but Ruhwedel on the 3rd pair.

I don't know, If Rust is out a good bit and both he and Rakell come back, Maybe let the top 2 lines ride and build a deeper 3rd line if O'Connor and Puus can keep par.

Guentzel, Crosby, O'Connor
Smith, Malkin, Puustinen
Rakell, Eller, Rust
Make whatever on the 4th

But you know you can move guys up and down.

 

[vodeni]

I'm really happy to see Puustinen finding a role on the powerplay, it may be a niche role but it's a role that needs to be filled regardless. Seattle showed last year how you could work with that kind of guy in Sprong, I think Puustinen fills that same role. I'm skeptical of Puustinen at 5v5 but you can't deny how dangerous he is on the powerplay. A good coach should be able to figure out a bottom-6 role for him that allows him to play every game despite his flaws.

When healthy, I don't see why the Penguins can't play Puustinen on the 4th line but just double-shift guys like Rust and O'Connor every so often at 5v5 if they're concerned with Puustinen's defense. This team can run with a pure PP specialist in the bottom-6, I was initially thinking more of a net front guy but a guy like Puustinen can also work there.

where is this "Puustinen defense" coming from. Is that the knock on him for his WBS work? He looks very good in transistion back, his positioning in NZ is instinctive and always near the puck, winning most of the one on one battles with his stick, at least these couple games ...Smith looked way more lost there

I don't know, If Rust is out a good bit and both he and Rakell come back, Maybe let the top 2 lines ride and build a deeper 3rd line if O'Connor and Puus can keep par.

Guentzel, Crosby, O'Connor
Smith, Malkin, Puustinen
Rakell, Eller, Rust
Make whatever on the 4th

But you know you can move guys up and down.

how about dropping Smith to 3rd and playing Rakell and Puusty with Geno, or playing Smith with Sid and playing DOC with Z and Eller

 

[Empoleon8771]

where is this "Puustinen defense" coming from. Is that the knock on him for his WBS work? He looks very good in transistion back, his positioning in NZ is instinctive and always near the puck, winning most of the one on one battles with his stick, at least these couple games ...Smith looked way more lost there

Yes, it's a knock on him from a much larger sample size than the few games he has played in the NHL this year.

 

[Ugene Magic]

where is this "Puustinen defense" coming from. Is that the knock on him for his WBS work? He looks very good in transistion back, his positioning in NZ is instinctive and always near the puck, winning most of the one on one battles with his stick, at least these couple games ...Smith looked way more lost there


how about dropping Smith to 3rd and playing Rakell and Puusty with Geno, or playing Smith with Sid and playing DOC with Z and Eller

I'm not in favor with Doc, Zoho and Eller. That's sure to die quickly. I'm fine with moving Smith down.

 

[Andy99]

If Tampa wins tonight, this win will not have helped us moved up in the East standings…we’ll still be six points out of a PO spot…going to have to stack a lot of wins together…

 

[AuroraBorealis]

where is this "Puustinen defense" coming from. Is that the knock on him for his WBS work? He looks very good in transistion back, his positioning in NZ is instinctive and always near the puck, winning most of the one on one battles with his stick, at least these couple games ...Smith looked way more lost there


how about dropping Smith to 3rd and playing Rakell and Puusty with Geno, or playing Smith with Sid and playing DOC with Z and Eller

I've never liked Rakell with Geno since he got here. Frustrates me that they keep going back to it.
He should be with Sid or a scoring L3.

 

[metalan2]

Need to win at least 5 in a row.

DK has always been harping about how Puustinnens game does not translate to the AHL because the players do not think the game well there and he is much more suited for NHL. He makes the correct pin he's and anticipates the game at an NHL level, so his teammates are where they should be.

Looks like he's right so far

 

[AuroraBorealis]

Need to win at least 5 in a row.

DK has always been harping about how Puustinnens game does not translate to the AHL because the players do not think the game well there and he is much more suited for NHL. Looks like he's right so far

I'd say he's had some good fortune with his points, where he made simple plays and they developed into goals.
That being said, I think he's doing pretty well overall. Last game he was landing quality, hard shots. The playmaking has been fine and he hasn't been a liability defensively. Encouraging signs.

 

[66-30-33]

When we done with the Harkins experiment? 0 points in 12 games...rather claim Vrana and give him a shot.

 

[Honour Over Glory]

Pens beat a team they should beat.

 

[DesertedPenguin]

Graves was better than decent; he was good tonight.

Shea is not an NHL-caliber defenseman except out of utter desperation, and wouldn't be here if we had any better options at all. Even so, POJ still sucks unless you like stupid pinches that allow 2-on-1's, winning 0% of puck battles and being as much of a turnstile as ever, all of which were on display tonight as usual. Whatever physical skill he may possess is offset by not being able to think the game anywhere near fast enough, and way too often panicking under any pressure in his own end. If he had Ollie Maatta's brain he might be an adequate 3rd-pair option.

If Ludvig ever has 2 bad games in a row Sully's going to draw a pentagram on the floor of the locker room, summon Chad Ruhwedel, and put us right back to where we were before -- with the worst 3rd D pair in the league.

POJ is 24 and has just 101 games in the NHL. It's not all that different than where Pettersson was after his first year with the Pens.

Defensemen take time to develop. Some consistent playing time would be good for POJ.

 

[DesertedPenguin]

I'd say he's had some good fortune with his points, where he made simple plays and they developed into goals.
That being said, I think he's doing pretty well overall. Last game he was landing quality, hard shots. The playmaking has been fine and he hasn't been a liability defensively. Encouraging signs.

Puustinen is playing a role currently that helps him succeed. The play is predominantly in the offensive zone, and when his line does need to track back and play defense, he's fine.

The issue is in a bottom six role, you're getting more defensive zone starts. You need to find a way to escape with the puck, not track back occasionally.

His issues historically have been coverage and responsibility in the defensive zone.

If you can keep him in an offensive, sheltered role going forward, he can help you. But he will struggle if he's on the third or fourth line.

 

[pistolpete11]

Amazing what a few PP goals can do for you.

Overall, thought it was a good game besides all the penalties and the PK.

 

[AuroraBorealis]

Puustinen is playing a role currently that helps him succeed. The play is predominantly in the offensive zone, and when his line does need to track back and play defense, he's fine.

The issue is in a bottom six role, you're getting more defensive zone starts. You need to find a way to escape with the puck, not track back occasionally.

His issues historically have been coverage and responsibility in the defensive zone.

If you can keep him in an offensive, sheltered role going forward, he can help you. But he will struggle if he's on the third or fourth line.

Maybe. I need to see like 10-15 more games of him at this level to see if I agree with that.

 

[Honour Over Glory]

Puustinen is playing a role currently that helps him succeed. The play is predominantly in the offensive zone, and when his line does need to track back and play defense, he's fine.

The issue is in a bottom six role, you're getting more defensive zone starts. You need to find a way to escape with the puck, not track back occasionally.

His issues historically have been coverage and responsibility in the defensive zone.

If you can keep him in an offensive, sheltered role going forward, he can help you. But he will struggle if he's on the third or fourth line.

I think you're making a big deal about his defense. He's responsible in his end, the issue you have is how the third line is used. If Sullivan didn't use line 3 and 4 like two line 4's in deployment, then we wouldn't have this issue.

Puustinen is average or so at defense which isn't bad at all, he is engaged in the defensive zone and moves into open areas to take away passing lanes which is a smart player being smart and if you paid a tiny bit more attention vs just being annoyed a bloke we've all mentioned as needing a shot is getting a shot and you didn't think he deserved one.

If you have 2 that are above average to good defensively on a line and then a player that is capable of creating and is average on D, then it shouldn't be a problem. At all.

But if a dipshit coach is throwing hard usage at a third line like it's a fourth line like he does, then you need selke calibre players to succeed in this idiots idea of a bottom 6.

I mean mate, were you not the one that zeroed in on Puustinen out of names I mentioned as needing to be called up and annoyed since you felt he didn't deserve a call up?

 

[tom_servo]

They can beat any western team, seemingly. I like the win but it could be another one-night stand.

 

[Sidney the Kidney]

Overall a good game from #48 (still think that's kind of a gross number, sorry TK). One thing I'd like to see more of from Puusty is some puck possession. With Geno, that's going to be tough because he loves to rag the puck, but I think he's deferring a bit too much. Understandable given that its his 3rd NHL game and he's playing with a future HoF'er, but Geno doesn't really have the legs to take it 200 feet in transition anymore. Was one of the things I did like about having DOC on that line, he could be his own breakout.



Also need to know who made that chrip to Carter and the feigned outrage haha.

The issue is Geno would have to be willing to accept a more supporting role. One of the problems when Geno's struggling is because he'll try to do too much, even if he's not physically capable any more.

It's gotta be tough to be a rookie with 4 games under his belt to NOT defer to a guy who wants the puck all the time. In a sense it's gotta come from Geno where he basically tells Puustinen to hold onto it and not defer so much.

 

[DesertedPenguin]

I think you're making a big deal about his defense. He's responsible in his end, the issue you have is how the third line is used. If Sullivan didn't use line 3 and 4 like two line 4's in deployment, then we wouldn't have this issue.

Puustinen is average or so at defense which isn't bad at all, he is engaged in the defensive zone and moves into open areas to take away passing lanes which is a smart player being smart and if you paid a tiny bit more attention vs just being annoyed a bloke we've all mentioned as needing a shot is getting a shot and you didn't think he deserved one.

If you have 2 that are above average to good defensively on a line and then a player that is capable of creating and is average on D, then it shouldn't be a problem. At all.

But if a dipshit coach is throwing hard usage at a third line like it's a fourth line like he does, then you need selke calibre players to succeed in this idiots idea of a bottom 6.

I mean mate, were you not the one that zeroed in on Puustinen out of names I mentioned as needing to be called up and annoyed since you felt he didn't deserve a call up?

I'm not using these three games as an evaluation of Puustinen in his own zone. That's the report from two plus years in WBS.


And no, I haven't been complaining about Puustinen not being up. He makes sense now with Rust and Rakell out, but it didn't bother me earlier in the year.

I'm a big proponent of fit. I hated last year because the roster was so poorly designed that it had finesse players like Kapanen and Heinen in the bottom six.

Puustinen is the same type of player. If he can show enough to be a complementary top six player, great. You can shuffle other guys around to accommodate that.

At best, he ends up like Conor Sheary, where he can fill in the top six but you don't want him playing outside of it.

 

[Artorius Horus T]

Puusy had a hell of a good game tonight. When Rakell comes back, which seems like it may be soon, is that the end of #48 though? He plays in the top 6 or.... nowhere. Maybe he gets a shot with Sid & Jake and DOC gets dropped back down to L3?

Maybe you guys should trade Rakell?, keep Puustinen exactly where he is.
Puustinen clearly is NHL level player and good of that, top 6 player even.

Rakell turns 31 early next year, Puustinen is 24, also for Pulju signing to work out
rather keep Puustinen.

 

[Artorius Horus T]

Prior his amazing Penguins tenure; last month or so of 21-22 season
and 22-23 season; 43, 42, 28, 28 point seasons with Ducks.

Rakell is a injury prone player, who had a one "lucky" season for you guys,
17 games this season for him before injury, just 4 assists.

Why an earth you'd put him to line up (to top 6) and drop Puustinen?
Rikard is almost 31, injuries might have done number for him, his career
might be close to done, trade him before his value goes to zero.