2014 Camp Thread - Part I | "If you can take Adams' job, we'll give it to you."

[Speaking Moistly]

Sykora's comments about Bylsma appear to be true:

http://letsgopens.com/tomas_translations.php?id=66

http://www.ahaonline.cz/clanek/spor...velkych-oslav-v-zamori-dela-rodeo-v-brne.html

Shocking. Dan always seemed so reasonable and rational, no signs of his issues at all.

I really want to know what Iginla would say about him.

 

[Randy Butternubs]

Very interesting. Any transation for the second article or is it more of the same?

Oh, the second link I posted is what the first link translated. Well, translated part of it.

 

[42]

So no one really knows exactly what is Malkin's "minor" injury? All I've read is that he hasn't skated for two weeks and is being held out for precautionary reasons. When is he expected to resume skating?

 

[Burgs]

Shocking. Dan always seemed so reasonable and rational, no signs of his issues at all.

I really want to know what Iginla would say about him.

I can't find a link now but when we got Iginla, Bylsma was quoted telling him, "You pushed me around as a player, you're not going to push me around as your coach." I read it as a tongue in cheek remark at the time but these days I really wonder...

 

[The Old Master]

I can't find a link now but when we got Iginla, Bylsma was quoted telling him, "You pushed me around as a player, you're not going to push me around as a coach." I read it as a tongue in cheek remark at the time but these days I really wonder...

this is great! we haven't played our first preseason game and your all ready in mid season form.

 

[billybudd]

So no one really knows exactly what is Malkin's "minor" injury? All I've read is that he hasn't skated for two weeks and is being held out for precautionary reasons. When is he expected to resume skating?

Unfortunately, the sum total of everything any of us knows about Malkin's mystery injury is contained in your post.

 

[wgknestrick]

How can our 3 best offensive players be hurt before we've even played a single game?

 

[Beau Knows]

“It’s being able to read and react,” Bennett said. “We played a lot like robots last year. Everything was so ingrained in your mind. You had to be at a certain place at a certain time. Even today, on our forechecks, it was cool to (hear), ‘I don’t care who’s the second or third guy. Just go to one of these spots.’ It was more free reign that way. More read and react.”

I really like that quote, the teams offense last year was not as creative as in the past, even Crosby and Malkin.

 

[HandshakeLine]

Oh, the second link I posted is what the first link translated. Well, translated part of it.

As the token Czech speaker here, I can vouch for the translation.

Edit: Tomáš even sugar coats it a hair, I think.

 

[Shrimper]

Beau Bennett;

Damn.

Oh, it has been mentioned already..

 

[KIRK]

I've said since last season I'd have no problem with BB earning his keep on the third line.

I've already resigned myself to the KCD reunion (still going to sock Waffles though) and BB can eventually move up with Malkin, with whom he fits like a T.

Hornqvist Malkin BB could be a top notch line when it inevitably comes together.

It sure sounds like this thing is going to start out as KCD, Spals-Geno-Horny (assuming Geno returns from witness protection), and Downie-Sutter-Beau.

First line makes me want to puke, but I like the third line a ton, and I think the second line will be better than people appreciate because you're talking about putting Geno with a pair of guys who will get him the puck, give him support, go to the net, create space, and play honest two way hockey.

That said, I think Johnston will juggle things a lot more than his predecessor.

Ya, ideally BB is a top six guy and Dupuis is on the third line.

I just think it will take until mid-season until that happens. At least I hope it eventually happens.

I'm not sure that it will. I just don't see Johnston being married to lines the way Bylsma was. He likely won't pull out the old Therrien random line generator, but I see Johnston proving true to his words and being a 'pairs' guy who will prove flexible in terms of who completes lines. I just think he's not going to hesitate to mix things up if guys or pairs aren't going. In that vein, KCD might start most games, but I don't see it sticking in those games save a random Geno shift in Dupuis' place.

 

[KIRK]

Jonathan Bombulie with a good quote from Bennett.



http://citizensvoice.com/sports/bennett-excited-for-fresh-start-1.1757651

“To be able to come to the bench and have a positive influence say, ‘Try this next time’ or ‘Do something better’ rather than putting you down or giving you the death stare. It’s good either way, because it keeps you accountable, but I think the positivity will go a long way.â€

There are no words to express my love of Beau. Peeper sure can pick 'em.

 

[Uemoda]

“To be able to come to the bench and have a positive influence say, ‘Try this next time’ or ‘Do something better’ rather than putting you down or giving you the death stare. It’s good either way, because it keeps you accountable, but I think the positivity will go a long way.”

There are no words to express my love of Beau. Peeper sure can pick 'em.

My respect for Beau just went out of this world. Hahaha.

Being so restricted in terms of creativity, it would sure explain his inability to find a groove, so to speak. That has to be insanely difficult as a young kid....to deal with "death stares".


******* Bylsma...

 

[KIRK]

Hornqvist on the 2nd PP unit practicing. If they seriously don't use him with Sid/Geno.......

**** me.

EDIT: If Horny is on the Pens 2nd PP all year (and most important in the playoffs), then the value of the deal for Neal drops a grade in my mind.

 

[Uemoda]

Sykora's comments about Bylsma appear to be true:

http://letsgopens.com/tomas_translations.php?id=66

http://www.ahaonline.cz/clanek/spor...velkych-oslav-v-zamori-dela-rodeo-v-brne.html

I always respected the hell out of Sykora. It seemed really off to me that he would just lie about such a thing.

I shrugged it off at the time. I should've read more into it.

 

[KIRK]

My respect for Beau just went out of this world. Hahaha.

Being so restricted in terms of creativity, it would sure explain his inability to find a groove, so to speak. That has to be insanely difficult as a young kid....to deal with "death stares".


******* Bylsma...

I can't wait for 'Despres Unplugged' . . . assuming he can be distracted from the team buffet.

 

[KIRK]

I always respected the hell out of Sykora. It seemed really off to me that he would just lie about such a thing.

I shrugged it off at the time. I should've read more into it.

Well, after what happened and given how Sykora looked going into and in the playoffs, it was easy to shrug it off. In hindsight, it was the first of innumerable red flags.

 

[Uemoda]

I can't wait for 'Despres Unplugged' . . . assuming he can be distracted from the team buffet.

Someone photoshop Despres on this, please?

 

[KIRK]

Someone photoshop Despres on this, please?

You're going to need a larger file to photoshop Despres.

EDIT: Is Despres able to hold a guitar while holding a pair of fried turkey drumsticks?

 

[mpp9]

**** me.

EDIT: If Horny is on the Pens 2nd PP all year (and most important in the playoffs), then the value of the deal for Neal drops a grade in my mind.

Hopefully at worst they're going to roll PH out there as well and have a similar set up as Philly with a double netfront presence at all times. PH popping out into the slot for a one timer.

That takes Ehrhoff off the top unit, which is stupid as well, but at least there will be some room for Letang to operate with two guys causing havoc around the net.

 

[Uemoda]

You're going to need a larger file to photoshop Despres.

 

[KIRK]

Just a thought about the lines: KCD makes all of us want to puke. The idea of Dupuis playing with Geno, if KCD is broken up, is nausea inducing. But, I do think we have to take everything we think about how players look together and throw it out until we see how they look together under Mike Johnston. I'm sure we'll see every conceivable combination, including several that we are predisposed to hate, but I think how the Pens are going to be playing systemically is so different now than under the previous regime that I'm going to wait and see how the combos look, for better or worse, than prejudge with 100% certainty that certain combos we've seen before will perform the same under this regime.

NOTE: Craig Adams is exempt from this unkirklike 'wait and see' attitude. If that guys isn't a healthy scratch far more often than not, then **** Mike Johnston.

 

[Mr Jiggyfly]

It sure sounds like this thing is going to start out as KCD, Spals-Geno-Horny (assuming Geno returns from witness protection), and Downie-Sutter-Beau.

First line makes me want to puke, but I like the third line a ton, and I think the second line will be better than people appreciate because you're talking about putting Geno with a pair of guys who will get him the puck, give him support, go to the net, create space, and play honest two way hockey.

That said, I think Johnston will juggle things a lot more than his predecessor.

I'm not sure that it will. I just don't see Johnston being married to lines the way Bylsma was. He likely won't pull out the old Therrien random line generator, but I see Johnston proving true to his words and being a 'pairs' guy who will prove flexible in terms of who completes lines. I just think he's not going to hesitate to mix things up if guys or pairs aren't going. In that vein, KCD might start most games, but I don't see it sticking in those games save a random Geno shift in Dupuis' place.

I think at this point, people need to give legit reasons they think KCD won't exist, not just tell us "because". I'm seeing a lot of denial going on round these parts.

I can't think of any real reasons KCD won't exist. We need to be honest with ourselves or it will just hurt more when it happens. The only thing I was told was that Johnston wouldn't be that stupid, but he just said he likes that line. So that thin string of hope just snapped.

It's reality. It's going to happen. Unless this Kapanen cat is something special like the org is selling us, KCD will be reunited.

The only thing giving me hope it won't last is as you said, Johnston may be more inclined to break them up when things don't go well. But we don't know that... It's just a guess and a hinge of hope.

 

[KIRK]

Hopefully at worst they're going to roll PH out there as well and have a similar set up as Philly with a double netfront presence at all times. PH popping out into the slot for a one timer.

That takes Ehrhoff off the top unit, which is stupid as well, but at least there will be some room for Letang to operate with two guys causing havoc around the net.

1. I'm not sure it would be Letang over Ehrhoff on a 4 forward PP.

2. I'm not sure that there isn't going to be a good bit of experimenting with PP personnel choices to see what works best.

3. I am surprised that Horny, given his body of work and league wide reputation as a net front presence, might be seen as inferior in that regard to Kunitz.

 

[KIRK]

I think at this point, people need to give legit reasons they think KCD won't exist, not just tell us "because". I'm seeing a lot of denial going on round these parts.

I can't think of any real reasons KCD won't exist. We need to be honest with ourselves or it will just hurt more when it happens. The only thing I was told was that Johnston wouldn't be that stupid, but he just said he likes that line. So that thin string of hope just snapped.

It's reality. It's going to happen. Unless this Kapanen cat is something special like the org is selling us, KCD will be reunited.

The only thing giving me hope it won't last is as you said, Johnston may be more inclined to break them up when things don't go well. But we don't know that... It's just a guess and a hinge of hope.

That's what I do best around here . . . provide a glimmer of hope where there is none in sight.

Seriously, I'm not going to critique what Mike Johnston may do and how it's going to look based on the things Bylsma did and how those things looked. Just as I did with Bylsma and Therrien before him, I'm going to see the glass as half full until I have reason to be predisposed to see the glass as half empty.

Oh, don't get me wrong: Adams not being thrown under the bus, the prospect of any KCD, Kunitz > Horny on the PP, **** like that . . . if Johnston had Bylsma's history of red flags, then I'd be blasting him as a dumb *** mother ******.