Pre-Game Talk: All Purpose Off Day Thread | This wasn't what I meant by a balanced defense ...

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KIRK

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Aug 2, 2005
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Man... JJ not getting a seat. Yeesh. Not shocking in the slightest but good lord.

I actually am more angry at Wilson being up at the NHL level. It is ****ing insanity. Stupid. This dime/dozen plugger just keeps getting NHL time for no reason. ZAR is at least a 4th line NHLer. It is insane how many NHL coaches rely on these guys and then we wonder why the average life of an NHL coach is 3 years.

Told you whatever advantage Geno would get from having Schultz back would be neutralized by Sully putting @pixiesfanyo's boy Jack Johnson out as his partner.

Short of another stick waving meltdown, it's hard to blame Geno for coming up short when Sully sets him up for that by taking away the guy who SHOULD be his LW and by making sure any help he COULD get from the defense is neutered.
 
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Hockey4Lyfe

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Feb 26, 2018
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The lineup would look so damn beautiful if Pearson wasn’t getting benched for Wilson and Jack Johnson never existed.
 

vodeni

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Oct 27, 2010
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That’s why he’s waiting for ankle to be good and strong before he comes back....
That would actually be funny if it wasn't true. It appears that the doctor cleard him maybe a couple of games before, but he felt that he wasn't ready......He was probably doing some voodoo s... trying to get JJ hurt...
 
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vodeni

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The lineup would look so damn beautiful if Pearson wasn’t getting benched for Wilson and Jack Johnson never existed.
I maybe the only one here 100% OK with benching pearson and keeping Wilson. Wilson somehow manages to get to the puck carrier, Pearson can't, I cannot think of one tangible thing that Peason does well..shot? maybe, but he is not shooting, nor he is ever in position to shoot, is he a good third wheel on a line that has fast center and another wingers that can slow down opponent, most likely....That would not be Zar and Matt, nor Geno. Phil, he could potentially work with Jake and Sid...but thats not gonna happen...just a guy who brings nothing to this hockey club..
 

ColePens

RIP Fugu Buffaloed & parabola
Mar 27, 2008
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No reason?

The 5th highest GF% and 2nd highest HDCF% off of the 2nd worse zone starts isn't a reason?

I don't particularly care for the guy as a player either, but you can't see a reason that an NHL coach might keep playing him?

It was notable how many posters here were bemoaning the lack of accountability earlier in the season. Now that the coach is rewarding the guy who keeps performing even if it means benching guys with decent contracts, he's insane? That's pretty inconsistent.

No. I don't give those stats to him. I give it to the 42 year old who is playing out of his f***ing mind. I personally would think Teddy B would be more than fine and he sat for Wilson before. Sooooo....
 

Peat

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Jun 14, 2016
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No. I don't give those stats to him. I give it to the 42 year old who is playing out of his ****ing mind. I personally would think Teddy B would be more than fine and he sat for Wilson before. Sooooo....

Wilson's stats spike away from Cullen; Cullen's mostly fall away from Wilson. That stat line isn't Cullen.
 

ColePens

RIP Fugu Buffaloed & parabola
Mar 27, 2008
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Wilson's stats spike away from Cullen; Cullen's mostly fall away from Wilson. That stat line isn't Cullen.

So you are claiming.... Sully moved WILSON to defend McDavid and not Dumo/Cully? Is that what i'm getting?
 

BlindWillyMcHurt

ti kallisti
May 31, 2004
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Garrett Wilson is an NHL scrub.

Probably a nice guy. Just doing his job. Etc. etc.

But that's what he is. Every coach has at least one that he thinks far too much of.
 

Andy99

Registered User
Jun 26, 2017
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Take Bobby Ryan off his hands. :cry:

Joke aside, you'd have to add a significant future.

Probably true...unfortunately

Ok, Pearson AND Wilson for Dzingel, but we’re giving up a lot there...and I don’t know how JR breaks the news to Sully...
 

SHOOTANDSCORE

Eeny Meeny Miny Moe
Sep 25, 2005
10,952
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Johnson-Schultz is probably the most effective pair you can use JJ on if he is actually playing, so I'm actually fine with that pair. I'm just a little surprised that they're scratching Riikola for Ruhwedel, I know Ruhwedel was really good last game, but Riikola has been playing well recently.

I'm also not a fan of healthy scratching Pearson, you need to move him ASAP if he's falling out of the lineup. You don't want to be stuck with that contract if he's ending up in healthy scratch territory.
I'm not opposed to trying that pair, but his first game back? Yikes. At least give him Dumo until he gets his legs under him.
 

Hockey4Lyfe

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Feb 26, 2018
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I'm not opposed to trying that pair, but his first game back? Yikes. At least give him Dumo until he gets his legs under him.

I’d honestly just go Letang/Pettersson, Doumolin/Schultz and then ride the living hell out of it. But then Johnson and Ruh as a pairing playing 9-12 minutes would be 9-12 minutes too much together.

You’d have to hold your breath every second they are on the ice.

Sullivan tries to be cute and use his best defenseman with his worst to try and offset each other. But all that does is give us 2 average pairs and 1 bad one. I’d rathee him have 1 good pair, 1 average and 1 bad.
 
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Sidney the Kidney

One last time
Jun 29, 2009
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You must be pretty angry to make a jump like that.

Well, you do seem to be citing Wilson's various "advanced stats" as a reason for why Sullivan would play him. So if you're not attributing those to his play and not those of his linemates, then what is your point in bringing them up?
 

Peat

Registered User
Jun 14, 2016
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Well, you do seem to be citing Wilson's various "advanced stats" as a reason for why Sullivan would play him. So if you're not attributing those to his play and not those of his linemates, then what is your point in bringing them up?

The hope of a rational hockey discussion, that's why I was bringing them up.

Not "His stats are about him, not Cullen" = "Claiming that Wilson was the guy Sully wanted against McDavid".

Short answer is I haven't dug into his stats so I don't know what's up with them. But it isn't solely Cullen. As with all possession stats though, its part him and part his linemates. Given how much higher they are than most of his team mates, he's clearly providing something.
 

Empoleon8771

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Aug 25, 2015
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I find it bogus how so many people try to tear down Wilson on here, and I'm someone who doesn't want him playing when everyone is healthy. You can give complements to players you don't like, you know. It's really tough to take this website seriously when people freak out about a 4th liner doing well because "HE'S A SCRUB!"

Wilson is playing because he's playing well, that's really all it comes down to. The 4th line is outscoring their opponents when Wilson is on it, and that's with the 4th line getting hammered with defensive starts. He's on pace for about 20 points this year with fewer than 8 minutes a night. His stats across the board are all good, he's just playing well this year. I don't know why people here refuse to give credit for players they don't like.
 

BlindWillyMcHurt

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May 31, 2004
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He's a "fringe NHLer" -- is that more suitable?

I'm not tearing the guy down. I'm describing his role in the league. For the record I WISH I were an NHL scrub.

Dumb lineup decisions shouldn't be rationalized. They're dumb.
 
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Gurglesons

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Dec 18, 2009
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last-train-tocool.blogspot.com
He's a "fringe NHLer" -- is that more suitable?

I'm not tearing the guy down. I'm describing his role in the league. For the record I WISH I were an NHL scrub.

Dumb lineup decisions shouldn't be rationalized. They're dumb.

Meh. Empo has a valid point if the judgement is the best 12 forwards at the moment should play then the line combos are correct.
 
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Empoleon8771

Registered User
Aug 25, 2015
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He's a "fringe NHLer" -- is that more suitable?

I'm not tearing the guy down. I'm describing his role in the league. For the record I WISH I were an NHL scrub.

Dumb lineup decisions shouldn't be rationalized. They're dumb.

I was actually more referring to Cole, I didn't even see your comment calling him a scrub :laugh:

The point was more that this website refuses to give certain players credit even if they're playing well, which is bogus. Wilson is probably an AHLer who has done well in 30 games in the NHL this year. He's not the first AHLer to have a nice run in the NHL and he certainly won't be the last. I just don't know why people complain about him being in the lineup, as if he's not playing well. He is playing well, you can't legitimately complain about the lack of accountability on the Penguins while also complaining about Wilson being in the lineup.

I want him as a 13th forward because he seems like a useful player to have as a 13th forward, but I'm also happy to have him playing over struggling players who need a reset. His play has warranted him staying in the lineup over guys like Simon and Pearson. That won't last because Simon and Pearson are just clearly better players, but I'm fine with keeping a worse player playing well in the lineup over a better player playing poorly.
 
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BlindWillyMcHurt

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Meh. Empo has a valid point if the judgement is the best 12 forwards at the moment should play then the line combos are correct.

Who's judgement? The coaching staff?

Appeals to authority don't go far with me when it comes to sports, at least. These dudes are hired to be fired.

EDIT: All that said and with Empo's followup in mind (well done) -- not gonna make or break em.
 
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Gurglesons

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Dec 18, 2009
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Who's judgement? The coaching staff?

Appeals to authority don't go far with me when it comes to sports, at least. These dudes are hired to be fired.

EDIT: All that said and with Empo's followup in mind (well done) -- not gonna make or break em.

No. I mean Wilson deserves to play over Pearson and Simon’s level of play the last few games.
 
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