Pre-Game Talk: After all, tomorrow is another day ...

[Giant Yankee Pens]

Nice to see Sully change up the lines a bit and not remain too stubborn. Gotta give Reaves about 20-30 games but man, Archie would be such a better fit for this team right now. Still time for RR to prove he can make it though.

Hornqvist and Archibald in for Kuhn and Reaves would help rolling 4 lines, but the biggest key tonight will be the D zone coverage from the D and lines 1 and 2.

 

[Rakell67]

Atleast Wilson isn't starting on the 4th line. Still want to see Archi in there.



And good to see the pairings switched up to what many thought would be the combinations.

I like these lines. Wilson drops to 4th and Shesry to LW when Horny returns, Guentzel and Sheary can alternate lines as can Horny and Rust.

 

[billybudd]

A vast majority on the Preds boards are expecting a strong showing from the Pens tonight, and I'm surprised that so many of you are hesitant. I think everything's stacked against the Preds this game, Rinne's record in Pittsburgh, Pitts are going to be mad about the first 2 games, also given how badly Preds started the year and how Irwin played on the 1st defensive pair.
Hoping for the Preds to win it, but won't be surprised if the Pens correct their sloppy play, as I'm sure all of you believe they will.

Eh. We've seen champions come out flat for half a season before (Hawks, Kings). Wouldn't surprise me if we were still flat and stayed that way for the better part of the first month or two.

 

[Darth Vitale]

Would be totally fine easing Letang in. He's not at the point where he should be over 20 mins. Let him get some games, knock off the rust, and get back into it.

Concur. No need this early to give him huge minutes.

 

[Darth Vitale]

Would be totally fine easing Letang in. He's not at the point where he should be over 20 mins. Let him get some games, knock off the rust, and get back into it.

Concur. No need this early to give him huge minutes.

 

[Sidney the Kidney]

Atleast Wilson isn't starting on the 4th line. Still want to see Archi in there.



And good to see the pairings switched up to what many thought would be the combinations.

Glad they went with Cole/Schultz and Maatta/Hunwick. That's what I was hoping for. Also figured Rust would be moved onto Sid's line.

 

[deakka]

Schultz really should be on PP1 instead of Letang. For one, he is better at it, but also would help keep Letangs minutes down a bit if he were on pp2

 

[Pancakes]

Chicago admitted that they were trying to run up the score in post game interviews. I think that the lack of response is what was most telling and galling, and I also at least expect a much higher compete level.

And as much as I slam him, I expect Reaves to be out to make some kind of impact physically tonight. He has been invisible until now and likely will feel the need to make a statement.

f*** them. They can have their lopsided regular season victory and two first round exits. Me, I'll take the back to back Cups. I guarantee you we'd whoop their ass ten ways to Sunday in a playoff series when the team is actually motivated. I hope we get to see it, actually. That would be delightful revenge.

As for the lines tonight I'm not a huge fan of Rust with Crosby. He never plays well there. But something had to change after that performance.

 

[Jag68Sid87]

yeah not crazy about the lines, either. I like Sheary with the top line. Otherwise, I don't usually notice him. He is not good enough to carry the third line. He is a complementary player. Rust is also better with Geno and Kessel than on the top line. And I like Wilson better with Geno and Kessel, too. But whatever. Gotta make changes because of the bad start, but I think things will revert back soon enough.

Don't like Maatta-Hunwick, either. That pairing screams Chad Ruhwedel replacing Hunwick at some point to me. I do like Cole-Schultz, though.

I think we win big tonight. Message sent, message received.

 

[Ogrezilla]

yeah not crazy about the lines, either. I like Sheary with the top line. Otherwise, I don't usually notice him. He is not good enough to carry the third line. He is a complementary player. Rust is also better with Geno and Kessel than on the top line. And I like Wilson better with Geno and Kessel, too. But whatever. Gotta make changes because of the bad start, but I think things will revert back soon enough.

Don't like Maatta-Hunwick, either. That pairing screams Chad Ruhwedel replacing Hunwick at some point to me. I do like Cole-Schultz, though.

I think we win big tonight. Message sent, message received.

I think I disagree with every single one of your opinions here on who should play where. Not to some crazy degree or anything. All of your thoughts are reasonable and make sense, but still. Just thought that was funny.

 

[Pens x]

Gotta give Reaves about 20-30 games but man, Archie would be such a better fit for this team right now. Still time for RR to prove he can make it though.

Why do you have to give Reaves 30 games? He's a terrible fit for this team, I highly doubt that changes dramatically over the course of the season.

 

[Ogrezilla]

Am I crazy for thinking that Reaves has been the best of the 3 guys on our 4th line? I mean he hasn't been great, but still.

Note: I don't think he's actually better than Wilson. But I think he's made more decent plays so far this season than Wilson has.

 

[Em etah Eh]

Blues fan here. I'll be at PPG rooting on the Pens for a W against the Preds. Couldn't make it in in time to see the blues game but excited to see a game here, along with The Steelers tomorrow.

Ironically enough we were in Nashville for Preds and Titans games last year and the Penguins were the team in town for that weekend.

5-3 Penguins

 

[Sidney the Kidney]

Am I crazy for thinking that Reaves has been the best of the 3 guys on our 4th line? I mean he hasn't been great, but still.

Note: I don't think he's actually better than Wilson. But I think he's made more decent plays so far this season than Wilson has.

You're not crazy. But it's frowned upon to compliment (or at least not criticize) Reaves around here by some.

 

[Gurglesons]

You're not crazy. But it's frowned upon to compliment (or at least not criticize) Reaves around here by some.

I think it is more like saying Glass is the best of the Vitale - Adams - Glass line. Being the best of the worst isn't that big of a deal.

That being said, I don't think Reaves has necessarily looked "bad". Just relatively pointless and useless. Like, he made a back check and it should deserve a compliment?

No. A fourth liner better be playing his ass off and back checking every shift. I imagine Wilson - McKegg - Reaves would look a lot better. Then run Sheary - Rowney - Rust when Hornqvist is healthy.

 

[Jaded-Fan]

So the Pens are winless and Vegas is undefeated.

(Insert goalie reference here).

 

[BlindWillyMcHurt]

Schultz really should be on PP1 instead of Letang. For one, he is better at it, but also would help keep Letangs minutes down a bit if he were on pp2

Surely the team has to see this? It has to be an ego thing, right?

Am I crazy for thinking that Reaves has been the best of the 3 guys on our 4th line? I mean he hasn't been great, but still.

Note: I don't think he's actually better than Wilson. But I think he's made more decent plays so far this season than Wilson has.

No. That's not crazy. I don't agree with the thought behind acquiring Reaves and the price paid to do so. But he factors so little into their early struggles that it's barely worth mentioning.

 

[farscape1]

http://triblive.com/sports/penguins...enguins-worst-losses-in-the-sidney-crosby-era

 

[Sidney the Kidney]

I think it is more like saying Glass is the best of the Vitale - Adams - Glass line. Being the best of the worst isn't that big of a deal.

That being said, I don't think Reaves has necessarily looked "bad". Just relatively pointless and useless. Like, he made a back check and it should deserve a compliment?

No. A fourth liner better be playing his ass off and back checking every shift. I imagine Wilson - McKegg - Reaves would look a lot better. Then run Sheary - Rowney - Rust when Hornqvist is healthy.

I'm not saying we should be praising Reaves to Heaven and back, I'm just saying it's kind of funny that he's actually been the best of that line, yet is receiving so much negative comments for his play.

 

[Habs10025]

A vastly underrated loss this offseason was Rick Tocchet. I hope Recchi can eventually fill those shoes.

Rick Tocchet chose to leave forget him . If he was the difference between winning and losing it might matter he isn't around . Was he the difference ?

 

[SHOOTANDSCORE]

Blues fan here. I'll be at PPG rooting on the Pens for a W against the Preds. Couldn't make it in in time to see the blues game but excited to see a game here, along with The Steelers tomorrow.

Ironically enough we were in Nashville for Preds and Titans games last year and the Penguins were the team in town for that weekend.

5-3 Penguins

Hope you have a good time.

Don't hold the Steelers fans against us.

 

[Peat]

Am I crazy for thinking that Reaves has been the best of the 3 guys on our 4th line? I mean he hasn't been great, but still.

Note: I don't think he's actually better than Wilson. But I think he's made more decent plays so far this season than Wilson has.

I don't think so. I think he's done more good things than Rowney and Wilson/Kuhnhackl. Maybe he's done more bad things as well that I haven't noticed.

I wish the line had someone really fast on it. An Archibald or McKegg.

 

[Randy Butternubs]

I'll be at the Otters game tonight so this'll be the second game in a row I miss.

 

[Woodrow]

I don't think Reaves has stood out as good or bad. He's just kinda there like everyone else in our bottom 6.

Anyways I hope the team puts in a good effort tonight but I'm expecting them to be flat again.

 

[BlindWillyMcHurt]

I actually don't even see the depth lines as as big an issue as the top two. At least right this moment. I get that a healthy and productive (or at least stout) third and fourth line play directly into the success of the top two. But these first two games aren't really anything that you can blame on our supposedly "awful" bottom six.

 

[Ogrezilla]

I actually don't even see the depth lines as as big an issue as the top two. At least right this moment. I get that a healthy and productive (or at least stout) third and fourth line play directly into the success of the top two. But these first two games aren't really anything that you can blame on our supposedly "awful" bottom six.

For sure. Our bottom 6 centers are way down the list of problems that lost us these two games.