AFTERMATH: "You have selected 'Regicide' " | Penguins vs. Rangers | Pens win! 4-1

[UnderratedBrooks44]

The fact that Fleury is among the most over-rated players according to a poll of NHL players themselves is disconcerting and disturbing.

We're talking about the people who's job is to beat Fleury not thinking highly of him.

Well then we should organize a bunch of polls concerning Penguin players and base every personnel move completely on those results.

 

[Speaking Moistly]

And it may. But, last night, I was isolating on Sid and Geno. That flip of Sheary and Kunitz actually helped both of them. Will it sustain for one or both? No clue. But, right now, I think it's all Sully has got.

No real disagreement there.

BTW, when is the non production of HBK going to become a series talking point?

When other lines stop looking pathetic for a bit and when HBK starts to. Kessel has been looking awesome.

I don't think they've even looked bad so far (stood out from the pack of suck) and there's not a lot you can do. Crosby is good with SCH so far, Malkin doesn't work with Hornqvist, KCR should be left alone and I'm convinced that Malkin wants to do fundamentally different things than HK (notably Kessel). Bonino stays out of their way where Malkin wants to have the puck and Kessel wants the puck but they want to do very different things with the puck. Crosby probably has more in common with them, but Malkin doesn't work with Hornqvist so...

 

[madinsomniac]

I'm worried that now someone will go after Letang for what he did. The Pens simply can't afford to lose him as we all know.

And thatis why the nhl should suspend careless dangerous play and really come down hard on intentional nonsense... Self policing vendettas lead to escalationtill a serious injury happens... And lets not ignore that the rags have been borderline to crossing the border vs the pens the past few seasons... Eventually someone will get really hurt

 

[Empoleon8771]

Wow, they're actually keeping the top line together.

 

[Waffle Fries]

Nice article on Murray

http://www.sportsnet.ca/hockey/nhl/murray-overcomes-nerves-solid-first-playoff-start/

 

[HandshakeLine]

Well then we should organize a bunch of polls concerning Penguin players and base every personnel move completely on those results.

Exactly.

"9 out of 10 doctors prefer the smooth, full taste of Camel Wides. Now with extra tar!"

 

[UnderratedBrooks44]

To be fair part of the reason that they had only 17 shots was MM.

Both because of the team obviously feeling comfortable in front of him. And his style as well. As I said above, his go to is to smother the puck. With the Pens winning 53 percent of the faceoffs that was a very smart move.

If they want Fleury to freeze the puck more than he usually does I imagine he'd be completely willing to do so. I don't think he keeps the puck in play a mentionable amount more than most goaltenders anyways. Also I don't feel like going into why general faceoff stats are worthless. The more you freeze the puck the more faceoffs you have in your own zone. That's not an indictment or endorsement of freezing the puck it's just a fact. My point is it works both ways.

 

[Speaking Moistly]

Someone else tweeted that they were part of his original grill. The life of a hockey player, eh?

Ugh, I guess that worse... hopefully he can upgrade his teeth. Get something real nice looking.



I had dental issues as a kid and it definitely left a mark.

 

[TNT87]

Little Ball of Love remains with Sid. I like it.

 

[DegenX]

Wow, they're actually keeping the top line together.

D pairings are the same, too.

 

[Jaded-Fan]

So they may start going after Letang to hit him as they have been ignoring him all series?

Letang has a target on his back every game he plays with every team. The incident itself occurred while he was being hit, and the hit was part of the cause of what happened.

 

[Asuna]

Poor Schultz. Getting scratched for no reason. I wonder if this will impact his decision to resign here now.

 

[shureshot66]

 

[Jaded-Fan]

Ugh, I guess that worse... hopefully he can upgrade his teeth. Get something real nice looking.



I had dental issues as a kid and it definitely left a mark.

Something like this?

 

[HandshakeLine]

It's almost like the DoPS watches video, sometimes.

 

[MrBurghundy]

Reaaly? Geno was lazy, but he wasnt alone. Sid too was also lazy. Theyll play better than that next game. Geno will only get better with every game.

For the first part of the game, I'll give you Geno and Sid not giving it their all. Not the full game though.

 

[BlindWillyMcHurt]

Well... it sucks that Kunitz (along with Fehr) are seemingly now an unhealthy, rusty Malkin's problem. But at least they kept him off the top line. I'll call that a win, overall.

But then I look at the D pairings...

 

[HandshakeLine]

Something like this?

I was thinking more Shane MacGown style:

From:

to:

 

[KIRK]

Great posts, KIRK. I don't at all agree that Kunitz and Fehr are ACTUALLY beneficial to Malkin as linemates based on one period of so-so play. But I agree on most everything else. I don't think Sullivan and Malkin are a good combination. And that goes back to before Malkin missed all that time with injury. But I admit it's tough to tell completely because Sullivan didn't have a complete handle on the team and Malkin did start coming around between Hagelin and Kessel before he went back on IR.

I hope the lack of production on the second line DOES start to become a talking point. Because moving Malkin back to that line is going to be the fastest way to find out if we're right or wrong, IMO. Asking him to play like Jordan Staal (on a bad day) between two slugs isn't going to reveal much of anything aside from what a wrongheaded idea it is.

The thing with Hagelin and Kessel is that they both fit the skill requirement and are fast enough that gap and coverages don't become as much of an issue. But, at the same time, Malkin was chasing the play with them too, and as a unit their defense left a lot to be desired.

As for your slug comment, I guess I'm saying with the right two slugs, you can get Johnston version Malkin out there. Not as many points as you'd get with Hagelin and Kessel but also the type of defense you saw from Malkin early in the year.

You know, IcedCapp and I had this discussion a month ago, and he actually noted that if Sully's a good coach he'd figure out a way to make it work. Kunitz and Fehr isn't the preferred solution (that would be Sundqvist, who won't happen, and Bennett, who I think we won't see again), but it's better than what Sully's tried so far.

 

[Speaking Moistly]

Nice article on Murray

http://www.sportsnet.ca/hockey/nhl/murray-overcomes-nerves-solid-first-playoff-start/

“I was a little fired up there at the start of the game and got a little down at the start of the second period – I thought I could have had a lot better effort on (the Rick Nash) goal that went in – but I was able to shut it down after that,†said Murray. “So it was cool.â€

I don't know why I find this so funny.

 

[KIRK]

Hope, perhaps, for those convinced that Kunitz would be right back with Sid tomorrow.

This is going to redound to Malkin's benefit too.

I've just got a good feeling. I mean, I watched their first shift of the third, and they had Cole-Lovejoy behind . . . it should have been a disaster, but it actually was a really good shift.

 

[Jaded-Fan]

The least athlete looking guy I could imagine. Damn skinny, looks like he could be on the cast of big bang theory.

 

[Waffle Fries]

Hey, the defense pairings might not be ideal but it could always be much, much worse

 

[Riptide]

The tin foil hats and hypocrisy are on full display on the Rangers forum, and I am thoroughly enjoying it.

Yeah couldn't resist posting there - or reading their posts complaining of everything under the sun.

 

[KIRK]

Hey, the defense pairings might not be ideal but it could always be much, much worse