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

[Tasty Biscuits]

It's obviously Pettersson-Gudbranson, yet Mackey is tweeting it out wrong.

Mackey is an idiot. If he weren't, he would've caught on to that by now.

 

[Pengwins]

I'm guessing if the Rust injury happened before the deadline we would not have traded Pearson?

lol JR

 

[EliteGoaltending]

I really like Rust but if him being out is death blow to the team they never had a chance. He is a depth middle 6 six forward playing right wing which is there deepest position. TB can spot fill adequately and long term could mean 6 - 8 weeks. Which would be around the start of playoffs.

A lot will depend on other right wingers, Hornqvist seems snapping back from his rut, on the first line where he fits.
Kessel, not so much, and judging by the comments in PGTs, he only drags the line down.

They can survive losing Rust, but need 72 and 81 to play well and produce.
And I would try Blueger on either 2nd or 3rd line wing, maybe he can be a revelation. Bjug doesn't seem to be that.

 

[vodeni]

this is a big blow, he is our best PK guy, plus whether he is on first or third line he would help so much with team speed and driving the puck forward...also he was scoring at an unprecedent pace...we are losing that too...big blow, they will basically replace him with Simon and that tells you everything, then you will have fourth line with Wilson and teddy flanking Cullen..

our lines are now set in stone since he was the only one that could shift up and down through the lineup

Jake Sid Horny
ZAR Geno Phil
McCann Bjugs Simon
Wilson Matt Teddy

Unless Sid and Geno and Jake go crazy and letang is back it will be really hard to go 14-6 next 20 games or whatever is left to get us in the play offs...

 

[DesertPenguin]

this is a big blow, he is our best PK guy, plus whether he is on first or third line he would help so much with team speed and driving the puck forward...also he was scoring at an unprecedent pace...we are losing that too...big blow, they will basically replace him with Simon and that tells you everything, then you will have fourth line with Wilson and teddy flanking Cullen..

our lines are now set in stone since he was the only one that could shift up and down through the lineup

Jake Sid Horny
ZAR Geno Phil
McCann Bjugs Simon
Wilson Matt Teddy

Unless Sid and Geno and Jake go crazy and letang is back it will be really hard to go 14-6 next 20 games or whatever is left to get us in the play offs...

We don't need to do nearly that well to get in, but we do need to do better than 500.

 

[DesertPenguin]

1st and 2nd D pairs looks like what we will likely have as the 2nd and 3rd pairs in the playoffs
(Dumo) - (Letang)
JMFJ - Schultz
Pettersson Gudbranson

Maata is a wild card. He will replace one of Pettersson or Gudbranson on the 3rd pairing, not sure which.

Poor Riikola. If Johnson continues to look way better on the L than the R, you have to keep him there. That creates quite a LD logjam down the road. Even if you move Maatta, he's still battling Petterson for the 3rd pairing. That is of course unless you run Pettersson - Riikola back there. Prow needs a look at some point too.

 

[deakka]

i wish we would have traded for a cheap depth forward for like a 5-6 round pick. especially since we subtracted from the froward grp woth pearson gone.

 

[Darren McCord]

A lot will depend on other right wingers, Hornqvist seems snapping back from his rut, on the first line where he fits.
Kessel, not so much, and judging by the comments in PGTs, he only drags the line down.

They can survive losing Rust, but need 72 and 81 to play well and produce.
And I would try Blueger on either 2nd or 3rd line wing, maybe he can be a revelation. Bjug doesn't seem to be that.

I think horny always snaps back with Sid. It always seemed like a natural fit. Sid just hates it. If ZAR and geno keep playing well and developing chemistry, I think it will help 81 snap back.

I think Bjug is doing fine. He had a couple really good shifts last game where he carried and protected the puck in the Ozone. I think he will get better.

Ans I think TB will slot in most places because of his IQ and his damn determined to be there.

 

[Darren McCord]

this is a big blow, he is our best PK guy, plus whether he is on first or third line he would help so much with team speed and driving the puck forward...also he was scoring at an unprecedent pace...we are losing that too...big blow, they will basically replace him with Simon and that tells you everything, then you will have fourth line with Wilson and teddy flanking Cullen..

our lines are now set in stone since he was the only one that could shift up and down through the lineup

Jake Sid Horny
ZAR Geno Phil
McCann Bjugs Simon
Wilson Matt Teddy

Unless Sid and Geno and Jake go crazy and letang is back it will be really hard to go 14-6 next 20 games or whatever is left to get us in the play offs...

I wouldn't say unprecedented. Since Jan 1:
24 Gp 8g 5a

The goal total is great but those numbers are not that crazy.

Also TB can play wing and center. He could move up if simon sucked.

The D injuries are way bigger of an issue.

 

[JimmyTwoTimes]

this is a big blow, he is our best PK guy, plus whether he is on first or third line he would help so much with team speed and driving the puck forward...also he was scoring at an unprecedent pace...we are losing that too...big blow, they will basically replace him with Simon and that tells you everything, then you will have fourth line with Wilson and teddy flanking Cullen..

our lines are now set in stone since he was the only one that could shift up and down through the lineup

Jake Sid Horny
ZAR Geno Phil
McCann Bjugs Simon
Wilson Matt Teddy

Unless Sid and Geno and Jake go crazy and letang is back it will be really hard to go 14-6 next 20 games or whatever is left to get us in the play offs...

Blueger would do more for that 3rd line than Simon would.

 

[JimmyTwoTimes]

i wish we would have traded for a cheap depth forward for like a 5-6 round pick. especially since we subtracted from the froward grp woth pearson gone.

Rather have kept Pearson in case we do make the playoffs. Could have easily moved him after the season. Still think he could have provided some timely goals we lacked last year. And dont see that from Simon but we'll find out.

Pearson has already had a successful playoff run when the Kings won the cup. I would have waited. Especially for who he was traded for

 

[SHOOTANDSCORE]

These are famous last words but if they don't think he's ready to go at the age of 26 after a great AHL season... meh. The likely worst case scenario there is you lost a Ruhwedel and it could easily be even less than that.

I'm sure he'll now be the next Will Butcher at his next club.

That is generally true but I think there are some mitigating factors that make me think the smart move is to retain him. He just turned 26 and seems like a late bloomer. He didn't break out until his senior year and ended up a Hobey Baker finalist. Then you take into account that he only played 99 games in his first 2 AHL seasons. They said it was like he flipped a switch late last season and suddenly "got it," and hasn't looked back. So I think there's a decent chance he pulls something off at this late stage. Then consider how shallow the system is on D, and that he's a righty who can move the puck. I think you have to take a chance on him, even if he's ultimately a 6/7 D or a career A guy.

I don't blame them for calling Trotman though. They're in a tough spot, and even though I wouldn't mind a lottery pick, you know they don't want to miss out on the playoff revenue.

Maybe if we talk enough smack on him, we can reverse jinx him into being the next Will Butcher.

 

[vodeni]

Blueger would do more for that 3rd line than Simon would.

I know he would...but Simon gets a first shot at..

 

[K Fleur]

Rust's injury means Blueger will be playing right? ...right?

 

[Clare2904]

Teddy recalled

 

[pistolpete11]

If they could more consistently get the Simon from last night, I would be fine with

McCann - Bjug - Simon
Blueger - Cullen - Wilson

But bad Simon is bad and he usually shows up after a while.

 

[Empoleon8771]

If they could more consistently get the Simon from last night, I would be fine with

McCann - Bjug - Simon
Blueger - Cullen - Wilson

But bad Simon is bad and he usually shows up after a while.

Simon has actually been analytically excellent at ES for the Penguins this year, it's that he does bad things that don't show up in analytics. I like a 3rd line of McCann-Bjugstad-Simon on paper, I think Simon as a playmaker would complement McCann and Bjugstad well. The line is kinda soft for my liking though, I'd rather see ZAR and Simon as a wing duo.

 

[Sidney the Kidney]

Simon has actually been analytically excellent at ES for the Penguins this year, it's that he does bad things that don't show up in analytics. I like a 3rd line of McCann-Bjugstad-Simon on paper, I think Simon as a playmaker would complement McCann and Bjugstad well. The line is kinda soft for my liking though, I'd rather see ZAR and Simon as a wing duo.

I feel like Simon's biggest problem is he has a tendency to not be hard enough on the puck to get it out over the blueline when he's like within 5 feet of clearing the zone. He'll either lose a board battle along the boards, or he'll try to loft it softly out but not hard enough to get past the defender. No clue why that hasn't resulted in worst "analytics" to be honest.

If Geno could find some chemistry with Simon, they could use Simon on that Geno/ZAR line, then drop Kessel back with McCann and Bjugstad (though that wouldn't help the softness of that line).

 

[pokey10]

Why cant we have nice things.

 

[Empoleon8771]

I feel like Simon's biggest problem is he has a tendency to not be hard enough on the puck to get it out over the blueline when he's like within 5 feet of clearing the zone. He'll either lose a board battle along the boards, or he'll try to loft it softly out but not hard enough to get past the defender. No clue why that hasn't resulted in worst "analytics" to be honest.

If Geno could find some chemistry with Simon, they could use Simon on that Geno/ZAR line, then drop Kessel back with McCann and Bjugstad (though that wouldn't help the softness of that line).

My honest concern is that I don't think Malkin is good enough anymore to be able to carry a ZAR-Malkin-Simon line. His linemates are both good 3rd liner IMO, but I think you need at least 1 top-6 guy playing with him. I also think you should have a sniper on Malkin's RW, not a playmaker.

 

[Sidney the Kidney]

My honest concern is that I don't think Malkin is good enough anymore to be able to carry a ZAR-Malkin-Simon line. His linemates are both good 3rd liner IMO, but I think you need at least 1 top-6 guy playing with him. I also think you should have a sniper on Malkin's RW, not a playmaker.

At this point, I'm not even sure who'd be the best compliment for Malkin's line. I guess the guy who got injured (Rust). But even then, Geno would have to carry two middle six forwards.

 

[DegenX]

 

[Empoleon8771]

At this point, I'm not even sure who'd be the best compliment for Malkin's line. I guess the guy who got injured (Rust). But even then, Geno would have to carry two middle six forwards.

I think the 2 best lines he has been on are Kunitz-Malkin-Neal and Malone-Malkin-Sykora. Both of those lines had a heavy and physical LWer and a triggerman sniper on RW. Who's that guy? I think Zucker fits that and he could be acquired. Craig Smith would be another really good option, he'd be the winger I'd be targeting in a Kessel to Nashville trade discussion. Smith seems like an Oshie-lite winger, I think he'd be great for Malkin's RW.

Look at Smith's first 3 goals, he has a really fast release and it's a hard shot. That's exactly what I think an ideal RWer for Malkin has:

 

[vodeni]

I think the 2 best lines he has been on are Kunitz-Malkin-Neal and Malone-Malkin-Sykora. Both of those lines had a heavy and physical LWer and a triggerman sniper on RW. Who's that guy? I think Zucker fits that and he could be acquired. Craig Smith would be another really good option, he'd be the winger I'd be targeting in a Kessel to Nashville trade discussion. Smith seems like an Oshie-lite winger, I think he'd be great for Malkin's RW.

Look at Smith's first 3 goals, he has a really fast release and it's a hard shot. That's exactly what I think an ideal RWer for Malkin has:

oh you got me all excited here, I mentioned that two years ago, that would be my dream winger for Geno

 

[BlindWillyMcHurt]

I think the successful line formula for Malkin has always been pretty obvious. And I'd say you've pretty well pegged it, there. But the team has never really done a great job finding that comfort zone for him. Granted, it's not all about making Evgeni Malkin comfy. But getting that guy going consistently is pretty obviously a huge factor in this team's success.

Anyway... I agree that he can't really carry middle six guys anymore. And I agree there aren't any great options for him right now. Just have to figure it out and find that level he did in the two most recent Cups. Where even if he isn't manufacturing offense... he's helping.

To be clear, since I've been kind of giving the guy a rough ride, I think Malkin has stepped his game up big since he was suspended. And honestly who cares what I think of the guy regardless. He's done it all at this point.