GDT: #11| Bare Bones Pens at Wild|Nov. 4th, 2014|8:00PM|XEC

[Ugene Magic]

STREAM of CONSCIOUSNESS
DREAM THEATER
PLAY

NHL.com

Kunitz - Crosby - Hornqvist
Dupuis - Malkin - Comeau
Spaling - Sutter - Downie
Sill - Goc - Adams

Martin - Letang
Ehrhoff - Bortuzzo
Scuderi - Despres

MA-Fleury/Greiss


___________________________



NHL.com

Parise - Granlund - Pominville
Coyle - Koivu - Zucker
Vanek - Brooziak - Niederreiter
Fontane - Haula - Veilleux


Suter - Brodin
Scandella - Folin
Prosser - Dumba


Kuemper/Backstrom

_________________________

L-G!
Along for the Ride

PLAY


​

Click to read more...

 

[66-30-33]

Take out Maatta.

3-2 pens. Crosby another 3 point game.

 

[Ugene Magic]

Take out Maatta.

3-2 pens. Crosby another 3 point game.

Are we 100% sure?

 

[66-30-33]

Are we 100% sure?

I figured he was getting ready for surgery soon, Buffalo was supposed to be his last game?

 

[shureshot66]

Are we 100% sure?

Yup.

The Pittsburgh Penguins held a Monday afternoon practice at Southpointe. The only player missing was, as expected, defenseman Olli Maatta.

Maatta will undergo surgery to remove a tumor on his neck. He is currently having treatment until the procedure is conducted and will be out of the lineup for approximately four weeks.

“No surgery (yet). There’s treatment this week and that’s all I have right now,” head coach Mike Johnston said. “We’ll see where the timeline is probably following this week’s treatment.”

http://penguins.nhl.com/club/news.htm?id=737515

 

[Ugene Magic]

I figured he was getting ready for surgery soon, Buffalo was supposed to be his last game?

I thought he was going to play during the treatments.

Yup.



http://penguins.nhl.com/club/news.htm?id=737515

Thanks SS. I made the changes already.

 

[Tender Rip]

REALLY looking forward to this one.

Minnesota are playing very well, having so far been on the losing end of a few they ought to have won (like us) but otherwise flat out dominated opposition.

They have been the best ES team in the league so far and sports one of the best&most successful PK's also. Their PP was a tragedy (0%) until it got a couple of goals last game.
Possession wise they are right at the top (1st in Fenwick, 2nd in Corsi), and have given up significantly fewer shots on goal than anyone else.

Lots of depth as regards the forwards. Talented young D with some underrated guys like Scandella and Spurgeon, very interesting talents such as Brodin and Dumba and of course Suter who is rather a rock to lead them all.

This one will be interesting.

 

[ProgOg]

Really looking forward to this. Just looking at the numbers, they seem to be playing their best hockey when tied (1st in the league in FF%) or down a goal (same) - and sit way back when they are up one (14th in the league).

For comparison: the Penguins are ok-to-bad so far when down or tied (but that is based on very small sample sizes - Penguins have played the least amount of time league wide while not in the lead) - and really awesome when up a goal (1st in the league).

I haven't seen a full Wild game so far this season, but every time I got a glimpse of them playing I came away impressed. Very fun to watch.

Will be interesting to see how their PK works out wiith Spurgeon out (on of their top 3 PK guys, I think).

 

[Penguinator]

I hope the Pens won't be overconfident after the Sabres game. This won't be easy, a test of sorts... Composed-wise.

GO PENS!

 

[Dipsy Doodle]

The Wild have Vanek and Niederreiter on their 3rd line.

Their 3rd line.

 

[Mubiki]

Wild fan here, this should be a good game. I think it goes without saying, the Wild need to stay out of the box. I think if you hit 5 PP opportunities, you win. If the Wild can keep it 5v5, I think we edge you. Predicting a one goal game either way. Good luck!

It's too bad about Maata, was looking forward to seeing his game.

 

[66-30-33]

The Wild have Vanek and Niederreiter on their 3rd line.

Their 3rd line.

That's depth.

 

[Speaking Moistly]

I fear the Wild and would like to steal a winger or two.

 

[Honour Over Glory]

I fear the Wild and would like to steal a winger or two.

I don't fear them, but I would love to steal a winger or two from them. And the worry of the Pens being over confident, I had that worry when Bylsma was coach because Bylsma was just that kind of guy, I don't see them being that way with Johnston at the helm and especially Tocchet.

 

[WayneSid9987]

New D-pairings hold up and i like our chances in this one.
1 or 2 of the pairs lay a stinker and it may be a tough one.

ETA: Very jelly of their winger depth.

 

[Speaking Moistly]

I don't fear them, but I would love to steal a winger or two from them. And the worry of the Pens being over confident, I had that worry when Bylsma was coach because Bylsma was just that kind of guy, I don't see them being that way with Johnston at the helm and especially Tocchet.

They're a damn good team that's doing well, the Pens could be cruising for a letdown and I still don't trust the Pens not to do their lazy/entitled routine. I do trust them more now than under Bylsma.

Plus Maatta is out and Bortuzzo might be in the top 4 after not playing for weeks... or Scuderi is in the top 4.


But, yes, they should kidnap a winger or two, and send Scuderi and Adams back.

 

[Honour Over Glory]

Bortuzzo better be in, that blueline needs some...[BURKE]truculence[/BURKE] and while I have been more than pleasantly surprised at Svelte Simon with picking up his physicality, no one seems to piss off more people on the Pens on the blueline than Robert Bortuzzo and his oddly comedic but annoying chirping and style of play.

What I would like to see.

Ehrhoff, Letang
Martin, Harrington
Despres, Bortuzzo - Big boys, 6'4" each.

Scuderi sits.

Zucker was a guy I thought we could buy low on, but he's been great for them this year and well...I feel as though that ship might have sailed. I do hope Nino struggles and they ship him for something, I would gladly pay up a 2nd and Dumoulin for him and pray that is enough and hope the Wild then insist on Martin earlier than expected and we get more back.

I've thought about this way too much.

In any case, Wild do need help on defense, so while they are stacked with wingers, their depth on defense needs help right now. God I hope the Pens just destroy them to make them desperate enough to work out a good hockey trade with each other.

 

[Tender Rip]

Johnston talked about balancing the pairings some, what with being on the road and Maatta being out, and in that light I can see why he'd go with Ehrhoff-Bortuzzo and Scuderi/Despres. In the sense that Ehrhoff is a lot better than Scuds and Despres is better than Bortuzzo.

I would personally prefer if Despres had been with Ehrhoff as a genuine top4 test, but can't complain with the logic.

Martin with Letang makes sense also after their spell together at the end of last season, and the fact that they did quite well together. Don't like that pairing against super physical/heavy teams, but Minnesota at least aren't really like that. Added positive is that Martin is likely to get to pad his offensive stats.

Probably going to see those latter two pairings get similar ES time, and we could also get to see Despres/Bortuzzo together after PK's I guess.

 

[Honour Over Glory]

The Wild are desperate but are reluctant as hell to make a move with their wingers.

Case and point.

Nate "Why is he still on the Roster" Prosser was signed by the Blues and Wild fans rejoiced that their whipping boy and all-round craptastic defenseman finally left, then he couldn't make the Blues roster and was waived and claimed by the Wild.

 

[flaneur]

looking forward to the game. it will definitely be a challenge. don't see the pens going in over confident. the wild are playing well and are currently undefeated at home. hopefully the pens will be able to break this streak like they did with the isles winning/preds non-OT loss streaks earlier this season.

 

[Ogrezilla]

The Wild have Vanek and Niederreiter on their 3rd line.

Their 3rd line.

I'm sure they are looking at our centers and drooling the same way

 

[HandshakeLine]

REALLY looking forward to this one.

Minnesota are playing very well, having so far been on the losing end of a few they ought to have won (like us) but otherwise flat out dominated opposition.

They have been the best ES team in the league so far and sports one of the best&most successful PK's also. Their PP was a tragedy (0%) until it got a couple of goals last game.
Possession wise they are right at the top (1st in Fenwick, 2nd in Corsi), and have given up significantly fewer shots on goal than anyone else.

Lots of depth as regards the forwards. Talented young D with some underrated guys like Scandella and Spurgeon, very interesting talents such as Brodin and Dumba and of course Suter who is rather a rock to lead them all.

This one will be interesting.

Remember when people were convinced that Yeo was an idiot, insulated because of Byslma's coaching?

One has to wonder if it's time to re-evaluate Mike Yeo's status as a coach. I haven't caught much of the Wild since I left the States, but do people still think he's a hack?

(Not trying to troll at all here, just curious to see how people's impressions of Yeo have changed, if at all.)

 

[ProgOg]

Remember when people were convinced that Yeo was an idiot, insulated because of Byslma's coaching?

One has to wonder if it's time to re-evaluate Mike Yeo's status as a coach. I haven't caught much of the Wild since I left the States, but do people still think he's a hack?

(Not trying to troll at all here, just curious to see how people's impressions of Yeo have changed, if at all.)

Hopefully a Wild fan can answer this, would interest me as well.

Didn't people call for him to be fired until recently (last season even, IIRC)? I do remember reading that the Wild have changed their approach to playing not long ago (less dump-and-chase, more puck possession).

With that roster, it seems really hard to not be successful - but looking at how solid they play, a lot of credit probably goes to Yeo.

 

[Night Shift]

Wild fan here, this should be a good game. I think it goes without saying, the Wild need to stay out of the box. I think if you hit 5 PP opportunities, you win. If the Wild can keep it 5v5, I think we edge you. Predicting a one goal game either way. Good luck!

It's too bad about Maata, was looking forward to seeing his game.

Thanks for the well wishes, luckily Maata will be back in December. I also think that it will come down to 1 goal. You guys have a pretty nice team seems like it's getting gradually better in Min. Good luck to your season, except for tonight of course

 

[gphr513]

Hopefully a Wild fan can answer this, would interest me as well.

Didn't people call for him to be fired until recently (last season even, IIRC)? I do remember reading that the Wild have changed their approach to playing not long ago (less dump-and-chase, more puck possession).

With that roster, it seems really hard to not be successful - but looking at how solid they play, a lot of credit probably goes to Yeo.

I think I like Yeo more than some Wild fans. He makes some questionable decisions when it comes to lines and pairings, hence the #yeolo meme on the Wild board, but overall I think he's a solid coach. He has definitely changed the style of the team over the last few years, the last ~90 games have probably been the most fun I've had watching the Wild since their inception.

G/L tonight, boys! Don't get to see much of Crosby, so I always look forward to that when we play the Pens!