Shady Machine
Registered User
- Aug 6, 2010
- 36,704
- 8,141
They have and will continue to get physically bullied by the Islanders. Martin flies around and pounds anything that moves to set the tone.
Watch last year's Isles/Flyers match-up to see Martin shot out of a cannon, challenged by Ryan White, and proceeds to have his nose punched. At the very least the broken nose blocked air passages, but Martin crawled into a shell after that.
The 2015-2016 Penguins have the weapons to respond by scoring goals, but the likes of Martin will absolutely physically impose against them. It's not that other teams aren't "big" or "tough" it's that now the Penguins have a skilled identity and their goal is clearly to beat you on the scoresheet. The roster is put in place to be skilled; they need to keep their heads to execute the strategy though.
Yeah Martin on the Isles but the issue with the Isles has been them skating circles around the Pens.
There's really no solution for the Martin's or the Wilson's of the Metro other that scoring more goals than them. We don't have a means to get one of those guys other than drafting them.