Post-Game Talk: BOBROVSKY, YOU'RE BACK ON THE CASE! Pens - 4, Blue Jackets - 3

[themethod7]

Than Bennett? Probably. Megna and Gibbons both look far, FAR less out of place than Bennett does on that line and I think very little of Gibbons, in particular.

This was sarcasm that went over my head right???

 

[Dipsy Doodle]

Wouldn't surprise me if Sid didn't want Iggy on his line or doesn't want Bennett on his line now. Sometimes players don't know what's best for them. Sid may still be playing with Colby Armstrong if he had his way.

I don't think Sid and Bennett are a bad mix. What they actually lack is chemistry due to not playing together much. Bennett can make plays for Sid that no other winger on the team can. They just need to be patient and get used to each other.

A-****ing-men.

Man the anger level actually went up today regarding Beau. How are people even shocked? Dupers was a "better linemate" than Iginla last year. Gibby is a "better line mate" than Beau. 50% is on DB. 50% is absolutely on Crosby. There is no way that DB can just tell Crosby "Hey.. this is best for the team. I coach the team - you go be the best player in the world."

Put some blame on the captain, too.

For sure. It'll be difficult for anyone to have sympathy for Sid on the winger front when the going gets tough now. Looks like some much-maligned line-up choices have been made - at least in part - to accommodate his preferences.

I rather doubt Crosby is saying he wants Bennett off of his line in favor of Brian ****ing Gibbons.

I don't know. It seems speed is the biggest priority for the guy, judging from quotes.

 

[Pancakes]

I don't know. It seems speed is the biggest priority for the guy, judging from quotes.

One of the best fits ever for his line was Bill Guerin. I think Sid just prefers guys who can get him the puck in certain areas and play the type of north-south game he likes. Speed makes it easiest to play that way, but guys with good hockey sense like Guerin and Bennett can excel there too.

 

[Dipsy Doodle]

Crosby certainly has a say in his linemates in my opinion. However I cannot believe he ever demanded anything. He seems the least likely of anyone in the league to act that way.

Sid would never demand anything. But if he let it be known that he wants and needs speed on his line, it wouldn't go unnoticed.

 

[Dipsy Doodle]

One of the best fits ever for his line was Bill Guerin. I think Sid just prefers guys who can get him the puck in certain areas and play the type of north-south game he likes. Speed makes it easiest to play that way, but guys with good hockey sense like Guerin and Bennett can excel there too.

I think that's the key. Bennett's first instinct isn't "pass to Sid" because he's capable of maintaining possession and creating plays on his own, which would make him unique among Pens wingers. For the better.

 

[MrBurghundy]

The proposition isn't:

Crosby/Bennett vs. Crosby/Gibbons

Rather, it's:

Crosby/Bennett & Sutter/Gibbons vs. Crosby/Gibbons & Sutter/Bennett

I don't know the answer to that question, but I certainly won't hold it against DB for trying the latter last night when our team was looking lackluster and trailing 3-1. The experiment also worked - BB set up Sutter beautifully for the GWG.

I'm down to chastise DB for his poor coaching decisions, but I have a hard time giving it to him for an in-game adjustment that patently worked.

Gibbons didn't play with Sutter though last night...

 

[Dipsy Doodle]

Gibbons didn't play with Sutter though last night...

That's right. Sutter/Gibbons have been dynamite together, but it wasn't used yesterday for some reason.

 

[MrBurghundy]

That's right. Sutter/Gibbons have been dynamite together, but it wasn't used yesterday for some reason.

Sutter works well with speed guys too. At least Gibbons isn't out of place on the 3rd line.

 

[Pancakes]

I think that's the key. Bennett's first instinct isn't "pass to Sid" because he's capable of maintaining possession and creating plays on his own, which would make him unique among Pens wingers. For the better.

Yeah.

Personally, I don't care who they play with Sid. Gibbons played well last night. So did Bennett. To me it's win/win with Beau because he's either going to make our third line really dangerous or he's going to potentially make our top line even more dangerous. And Gibbons being in the lineup is a boost for us if he's going to play the way he did last night.

I mean at the end of the day maybe Bennett is an even better fit for our third than our first. OUr bottom six has been horrendous all year and Bennett clearly gave Sutter a big boost last night. If we can get three good lines going that turns us into a much more dangerous team.

 

[JimmyTwoTimes]

Trade Sutter to the Canucks in the offseason as part of the package for Kesler. Put him on Sids wing and just have Bennett center the 3rd line. Boom.



That's if Sid is ok with Kesler over Dupuis.

 

[66-30-33]

Trade Sutter to the Canucks in the offseason as part of the package for Kesler. Put him on Sids wing and just have Bennett center the 3rd line. Boom.



That's if Sid is ok with Kesler over Dupuis.

Vancouver likely picks Ducks offer this time for Kesler. Kesler still has his options, not every team will be in on him like HFBoards thinks, he still only wants to play for a few teams. That Duck offer was awesome for Vancouver.

 

[Honour Over Glory]

Again with the Kesler thing?

How about Stewart?

Boyes?

Kariya?

 

[Mr Jiggyfly]

Sid would never demand anything. But if he let it be known that he wants and needs speed on his line, it wouldn't go unnoticed.

Like I've been saying, they want BB to play like Dupuis. If anyone can't see that, pay more attention. And now we have it right from DB's mouth:

“Flat-out, straightaway speed, I don’t know where Brian would rank in the league but I think he’s the fastest guy on our team,†Bylsma said. “He’s not the No. 1 quickest guy, but he’s the fastest guy (in terms of) straightaway, straight-line speed.â€

That straight-line speed is something that Crosby’s usual winger Pascal Dupuis, out for the rest of the season with a torn ACL, also brings to that side of the ice. It’s something that Crosby prefers to have in both of his linemates as Kunitz is a very hard-nosed, north-south type of player as well. That’s why Gibbons, who has that kind of speed in spades, is a good fit there.

“Sid’s a player that likes and needs his line and his linemates to force the other team with their speed and with getting on defensemen and being able to read off that, read where the puck’s going to go because of that speed,†Bylsma said. “You see that with Pascal and you certainly see that with Brian Gibbons as well. That’s a situation where he forces other teams with his speed, forces them with the pressure he can put on the puck and Sid is able to read off that. And that’s something he’s always wanted on his wings, always wanted with the guys he’s playing with.â€

How dense does a person have to be to still think Crosby wasn't part of the reason BB was moved off of his line? Lots of piling on DB, but the guy is just doing what his all world center prefers.

 

[66-30-33]

Again with the Kesler thing?

How about Stewart?

Boyes?

Kariya?

Let's go for Wheeler or Kane instead. Perhaps Stewart aswell. Kane-Crosby-Stewart would be a lethal line followed by Kunitz-Malkin-Neal, then BB-Goc-Dupuis

 

[td_ice]

I have heard Shero admit on a couple occasions he has talked over trades possibilities with Sid before he makes them, so I have little doubt that Sid calls his line mates.

 

[vodeni]

Sid has earned rights to pick his own linemates. Now it may or may not work. Bylsma is in tough position. I posted in the pregame GDT that I listened interv iew with Sid beforo the game and heard him in a somewhat convoluted way explaining how BB is a different kind of player with not as much speed as his beloved Duper.

Cole pointed out that he was sulking on the bench for much of the time that DB had BB playing with him. I really believe that DB sensed that and move BB.

 

[DoktorZaius]

How dense does a person have to be to still think Crosby wasn't part of the reason BB was moved off of his line? Lots of piling on DB, but the guy is just doing what his all world center prefers.

Agreed. When I politely suggested that it seems as though Sid doesn't prefer to play with BB, multiple posters were sure to point out that I was full of ****. This should be nail in the coffin of that debate, at least for awhile.

 

[Honour Over Glory]

Let's go for Wheeler or Kane instead. Perhaps Stewart aswell. Kane-Crosby-Stewart would be a lethal line followed by Kunitz-Malkin-Neal, then BB-Goc-Dupuis

Cool, so I'll call Chevy and offer him Adams, 1st and some prospect with a lot of potential and turn the trade difficulty to easy. DOne and done.

 

[Mr Jiggyfly]

Sid has earned rights to pick his own linemates. Now it may or may not work. Bylsma is in tough position. I posted in the pregame GDT that I listened interv iew with Sid beforo the game and heard him in a somewhat convoluted way explaining how BB is a different kind of player with not as much speed as his beloved Duper.

Cole pointed out that he was sulking on the bench for much of the time that DB had BB playing with him. I really believe that DB sensed that and move BB.

Agreed. When I politely suggested that it seems as though Sid doesn't prefer to play with BB, multiple posters were sure to point out that I was full of ****. This should be nail in the coffin of that debate, at least for awhile.

Crosby had his chance with BB. It is what it is.

Crosby had Gibbons on the ice for 30% of his even strength shifts this season, and after their first few games where they looked decent together, they never really clicked. So why will they suddenly click now? I don't get it...

 

[themethod7]

Agreed. When I politely suggested that it seems as though Sid doesn't prefer to play with BB, multiple posters were sure to point out that I was full of ****. This should be nail in the coffin of that debate, at least for awhile.

Nope. Still not buying that Sid "doesn't want to play with BB". DB saying "Sid wants speed on his line" and giving him Gibbons is analogous to "my kid wants Legos" and giving him Mega Bloks, until you hear it from the man himself it don't mean jack.

 

[TheSniper26]

Even if it's true that Sid doesn't want Bennett there(which I'm not totally convinced of), I just don't see why it's such a terrible thing that Crosby prefers speed on his line. Just as Geno is best with a puck retriever, Sid seems to mesh well with speedy "straight line" players. The notion that our best player needs to adjust his game, and possibly become less effective, to suit lesser players seems really backwards to me.

Crosby being the best player in the world doesn't guarantee that he'll be able to change his style and still maintain the same high level. His relentlessness is what sets him apart. He doesn't get 20 points ahead of the field by out-skilling everyone. He does it because defenses have a hard time keeping up with him over 60 minutes. Telling him to slow down would be like telling Stamkos to stop shooting.

Don't get me wrong, I like Bennett as much as the next guy and I think he'll find a spot somewhere in our top 6 eventually, but we live and die with Sid and Geno. I'd rather the team do what they can to get the best out of them and worry about the feelings of our complementary players later. In the meantime, our 3rd line just got better by leaps and bounds(if Bennett plays a regular shift anyway).

 

[Sidney the Kidney]

If the Pens know what Crosby wants or what works best with him, and if the Pens want to play a certain style (fast, fast, fast), why do they go out of their way to acquire slow players who are the opposite of those traits?

Last deadline they acquired Iginla, Morrow, Jokinen and Murray. Don't get me wrong, I was all for the Iginla deal. But knowing what both Sid and Bylsma's system calls for (North/South speed and quick, quick, quick out of the zone), why would they acquire four guys who aren't the best skaters?

Then this year they keep around Glass and Adams, and re-sign Rob Scuderi. Three more guys who are slow as hell.

Hell, even a lot of our better prospects aren't exactly burners. Maatta, Bennett, Harrington, Pouliot. None of them are exactly speed demons.

I guess my question is: why doesn't Shero and his pro/amateur scouting staff target speed guys since that's apparently the kind of player they need and the kind of style they want to play?

 

[66-30-33]

Cool, so I'll call Chevy and offer him Adams, 1st and some prospect with a lot of potential and turn the trade difficulty to easy. DOne and done.

Sure.

 

[Speaking Moistly]

I'm just seeing this as excuse making for the organization now. At the end of the day the coach needs to coach and the GM needs to GM, they've been failing and it's on them because it's their jobs. And if they are allowing Crosby to dictate so much, that's a ****ing problem on their part. Also, if Crosby has that impact other players probably do to a degree as well, which is disturbing. I have so many issues with this team.

 

[Dipsy Doodle]

How dense does a person have to be to still think Crosby wasn't part of the reason BB was moved off of his line? Lots of piling on DB, but the guy is just doing what his all world center prefers.

By extension, you'd think the same reasoning would apply to Iggy's ES usage last year. That still doesn't justify moving Iggy off the PP, but with this new information coming to light it doesn't seem fair to lay all the blame at DB's feet for not putting him with Sid.

Even if it's true that Sid doesn't want Bennett there(which I'm not totally convinced of), I just don't see why it's such a terrible thing that Crosby prefers speed on his line. Just as Geno is best with a puck retriever, Sid seems to mesh well with speedy "straight line" players. The notion that our best player needs to adjust his game, and possibly become less effective, to suit lesser players seems really backwards to me.

Crosby being the best player in the world doesn't guarantee that he'll be able to change his style and still maintain the same high level. His relentlessness is what sets him apart. He doesn't get 20 points ahead of the field by out-skilling everyone. He does it because defenses have a hard time keeping up with him over 60 minutes. Telling him to slow down would be like telling Stamkos to stop shooting.

Don't get me wrong, I like Bennett as much as the next guy and I think he'll find a spot somewhere in our top 6 eventually, but we live and die with Sid and Geno. I'd rather the team do what they can to get the best out of them and worry about the feelings of our complementary players later. In the meantime, our 3rd line just got better by leaps and bounds(if Bennett plays a regular shift anyway).

It's not about appeasing complementary players though...it's the question of whether giving Sid exactly what he wants is what will get the best out of him. All signs point to Sid wanting Dupuis on his RW. Do you believe Dupuis was our best RW option last year, and will be moving forward?