Pre-Game Talk: All Purpose Off Day Thread

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SHOOTANDSCORE

Eeny Meeny Miny Moe
Sep 25, 2005
10,952
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Let's talk about the off day stuff... and leave all the past in the past.
Good point. Has anyone been called up to be the 13th F or 7th D? I figure they'd want at least one warm body.

RIP to the all purpose ball busting thread. :sarcasm::laugh:
 

LOGiK

Registered User
Nov 14, 2007
18,295
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Why is the GDT locked on the day of the game? Thats the GD part of the GDT.
Super excited for hockey after that craptastic football sunday. I'm definitely going to watch the game, but I'm definitely not going to remember anything tomorrow.
 

Honour Over Glory

Fire Sully
Jan 30, 2012
77,316
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Guess theyll go with a Rig-Riiko pairing if Olli cant go.
Thatll be interesting...
I think it'd be fine. Olli is also a guy that has looked bad for good parts of this season and had stood out as one of the D partners that constantly looked bad as well. So it's weird Rig gets all this crap, warranted of course for most of it, and Olli gets a fraction of it.
 

Ugene Magic

EVIL LAUGH
Oct 17, 2008
54,148
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Pittsburgh
Why is the GDT locked on the day of the game? Thats the GD part of the GDT.
Super excited for hockey after that craptastic football sunday. I'm definitely going to watch the game, but I'm definitely not going to remember anything tomorrow.

I'll be in Station Square at Buca Di Beppo. Fireworks anyone?

Maybe/maybe not. RAIN!

It might get canceled.

Either way, I'll have to keep up via phone here or 105.9 the x since we'll be on the move in either case.

@BHD, I'd like to get in my "Bark at the Moon" reference before I head out...
 

Tom Hanks

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Nov 10, 2017
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I think it'd be fine. Olli is also a guy that has looked bad for good parts of this season and had stood out as one of the D partners that constantly looked bad as well. So it's weird Rig gets all this crap, warranted of course for most of it, and Olli gets a fraction of it.

I’d say because Rig is the worse D man and doesn’t have much history like Olli does about their effectiveness. Rig’s hockey IQ is not great and will make a lot more mistakes which is something we need to get away from. Maatta is our best regular PK’er too statistically by a good amount.

Happy for both to move on but when it comes to Oleksiak I wouldn’t care about the return. With Olli we’d need a fair deal. If he stays and plays more like last season that’d still work for us (especially how safe he was in the playoffs).
 

td_ice

Peter shows the way
Aug 13, 2005
32,953
3,499
USA
I'll be in Station Square at Buca Di Beppo. Fireworks anyone?

Maybe/maybe not. RAIN!

It might get canceled.

Either way, I'll have to keep up via phone here or 105.9 the x since we'll be on the move in either case.

@BHD, I'd like to get in my "Bark at the Moon" reference before I head out...
It's been raining here all day. (well, about 10 miles north)
 
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Malkinstheman

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Aug 12, 2012
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I gotta give alot of credit to Cullen. He's been playing great recently and thats with him having a brutal 85% defensive zone starts. In comparison, he had 65% defensive zone starts in the 2016/2017 season. Really need to keep his ice time controlled though, can't tire him before the playoffs.
 

Empoleon8771

Registered User
Aug 25, 2015
80,387
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Redmond, WA
Good, ZAR is back where he belongs on the 4th line.

I mean, ZAR should be on the 4th line because he's not one of their 9 best forwards, but I don't really see the point of this comment. He was obviously going to the 4th line once Rust got healthy, he was only a placeholder in the top-9 for Rust. He also has done pretty well overall in his career with Crosby and Malkin, despite what the hive mind of this board wants to tell you.
 
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Empoleon8771

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Aug 25, 2015
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Wasn't he out there for the 2nd goal when Sid/Kessel connected last game?
Surprised Sullivan didn't create a whole new line for his pet

Yes, and he was the guy who caused that goal by forechecking and stealing the puck from the Wild defenseman. Again, what's the point of this comment? He's the guy that forced the turnover which led to that goal, so why are you making comments like the bolded?
 

ZeroPucksGiven

Registered User
Feb 28, 2017
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Yes, and he was the guy who caused that goal by forechecking and stealing the puck from the Wild defenseman. Again, what's the point of this comment? He's the guy that forced the turnover which led to that goal, so why are you making comments like the bolded?

Fantastic- he did his job!
I'm happy we got a goal out of it, but it doesn't change the fact ZAR is a middling player who does a lot of nothing despite getting some LARGE TOI numbers. He's Nick Spalding with a smaller contract.
I'm just glad he's back to being buried on the 4th line
 
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Ms Maggie

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Apr 11, 2017
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Yes, and he was the guy who caused that goal by forechecking and stealing the puck from the Wild defenseman. Again, what's the point of this comment? He's the guy that forced the turnover which led to that goal, so why are you making comments like the bolded?
Weird the dislike against this kid.
 
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Empoleon8771

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Aug 25, 2015
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Fantastic- he did his job!
I'm happy we got a goal out of it, but it doesn't change the fact ZAR is a middling player who does a lot of nothing despite getting some LARGE TOI numbers. He's Nick Spalding with a smaller contract.
I'm just glad he's back to being buried on the 4th line

Yes, he made a nice play that led to a goal, and you're making a sarcastic comment about him for literally no reason. What's the point of the comment? Why can't you just give a guy credit for doing well? :laugh:

I've already made my stance on ZAR really clear, I find the hate he gets on this website to be comically dumb. You don't even need to think he's a good player, but the vitriol that a bottom-6 forward that doesn't even hurt the team gets is just nauseating to read. I don't even know why I'm bothering posting this, because I know it's pointless. I just don't see the point of obsessing over a depth player so much and then also making sarcastic comments about them when they're even doing well.

Weird the dislike against this kid.

I get thinking he's not a good player, and I think it's fair to have that stance. But making sarcastic comments about him making a nice play just because you don't like him? That's just dumb.
 
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Ogrezilla

Nerf Herder
Jul 5, 2009
75,534
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Pittsburgh
Fantastic- he did his job!
I'm happy we got a goal out of it, but it doesn't change the fact ZAR is a middling player who does a lot of nothing despite getting some LARGE TOI numbers. He's Nick Spalding with a smaller contract.
I'm just glad he's back to being buried on the 4th line
he's fine. He's a 4th line guy who isn't a mess filling in up the lines. Hopefully he can improve, but even if he doesn't he's playing solid hockey for what he is. There's nothing wrong with Nick Spaling until he gets paid.
 

Peat

Registered User
Jun 14, 2016
29,290
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Yes, and he was the guy who caused that goal by forechecking and stealing the puck from the Wild defenseman. Again, what's the point of this comment? He's the guy that forced the turnover which led to that goal, so why are you making comments like the bolded?

Gotta say I was very pleasantly surprised with his role in that goal when I saw the video. Not just the work to create the opportunity, but the intelligence he showed in waiting for the cavalry. That's the ZAR I want to see.
 
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Empoleon8771

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Aug 25, 2015
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Redmond, WA
Gotta say I was very pleasantly surprised with his role in that goal when I saw the video. Not just the work to create the opportunity, but the intelligence he showed in waiting for the cavalry. That's the ZAR I want to see.

Yeah, my big complaint with ZAR has been his consistency more than anything. When he plays well, I definitely see a guy who can be an asset in the Penguins top-6. His games against Boston (2 goals and 3 points, 9 hits and 5 shots) and St. Louis (1 goal, 5 hits, 2 shots and a fight) are glimpses of what he can do, he just needs to do that more than once every 9 games.

He has picked it up a lot since the start of December, he has 3 goals and 7 points in 15 games with 31 shots (shots in 13 of 15 games) and 66 hits (5+ hits in 8 of 15 games, but only 1 in last 6). He needs to be continuing to do something like that overall while smoothing out his highs and lows. In that 15 game sample size I was talking about, he had 53 of those 66 hits and 21 of those 31 shots in the first 9 games. You obviously can't expect him to be throwing 6 hits a night because that's absurd, but he needs to do more than be vanilla for 10 games and then go insane with the physicality for 10 games.
 

Tom Hanks

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Fantastic- he did his job!
I'm happy we got a goal out of it, but it doesn't change the fact ZAR is a middling player who does a lot of nothing despite getting some LARGE TOI numbers. He's Nick Spalding with a smaller contract.
I'm just glad he's back to being buried on the 4th line

You do know his ATOI is 13:44. Yeah he’s had some games where he has bigger minutes but that’s probably more situational than anything. Sullivan does like him yes but he still cuts his minutes.
 
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