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

[Til the End of Time]

sid should not be allowed to pick his linemates.

if he is, thats a further indictment of bylsma.

 

[td_ice]

Dude, you've been droning on about how this board oversold Bennett since his injury, and all he's done is come in and play like our best winger since his return, including the team's first playoff game. But stick to your guns there too, friend.

Two years? Oh yes, they've been playing so much together lo these past two years.



You're very good at checking box scores. It leads one to such indisputably sound conclusions, like Bennett being oversold.



Somebody must have forgotten to tell Sutter that Bennett isn't as good as people here think he is.

 

[Mr Jiggyfly]

If these are Sid's preferences, I won't have any sympathy or make any excuses if he gets shut down against a team like Boston again flanked by two chickens with their heads cut off. There is a big, skilled winger who can hang onto the puck and create on his own available.

Everyone seems to be able to play with BB, but Crosby. So who is the problem, really?

It's not a bash Crosby or a BB is the board's huggybear kind of question like some want to make it out to be. It's a legit question.

Sutter plays a speed game and Malkin is one of the best players in the world and plays an E-W game. Two different styles, yet both click with BB.

I'm a big Crosby guy, but if you don't openly question why he prefers guys like Dupes and Gibby over Iggy and BB, you are just being a complete Crosby fan boy.

Maybe Gibbons and Crosby find the chemistry in the playoffs they couldn't find in the reg season, I mean anything can happen so, we'll see.

 

[Dipsy Doodle]

Well really td, haha.

Everyone seems to be able to play with BB, but Crosby. So who is the problem, really?

It's not a bash Crosby kind of question, like some want to make it out to be. It's a legit question.

Sutter plays a speed game and Malkin is one of the best players in the world and plays an E-W game. Two different styles, yet both click with BB.

I'm a big Crosby guy, but if you don't openly question why he prefers guys like Dupes and Gibby over Iggy and BB, you are just being a complete Crosby fan boy.

Maybe Gibbons and Crosby find the chemistry in the playoffs they couldn't find in the reg season, I mean anything can happen so, we'll see.

The two have had their chances, but they're not on the same page when it comes to expectations for the line. As you said, it seems like Bennett's expected to play a Dupuis role, which would be goofy and a gross misuse of his strengths. Crosby seems genuinely surprised any time Bennett holds onto the puck and creates a chance for him.

It sure explains why finding him a winger is so hard at the Olympics.

 

[Dipsy Doodle]

sid should not be allowed to pick his linemates.

if he is, thats a further indictment of bylsma.

Nobody's saying Sid is choosing his linemates, but when your superstar #1 center prefers certain characteristics, I imagine coaches want to accommodate him.

Is it an indictment of Bylsma? If it is, then it's an indictment of the Team Canada brass and coaching staff too.

 

[pensfan71]

Well I'm just getting round to watching the postgame presser for Bylsma and I swear half of it is Bylsma thinking...

 

[Fordy]

there's not one player on this team that has looked less than great with beau other than crosby.

 

[themethod7]

But no, 5 minutes with Sutter and Bennett produces a goal and this alternate line combination is somehow an error in judgment in your world in comparison to one that has failed abjectly, objectively, visibly and miserably.

this is just an elaborate troll right???

 

[IcedCapp]

Shelly Anderson @pgshelly

Niskanen, not Letang, working with top power-play unit at #Penguins practice. Letang on second unit.

 

[MeticulouslyDishevel]

Nisky's working on the top PP unit in practice. Letang's on the 2nd.

I know that people don't think Bylsma deserves praise for fixing a problem that he created, but frankly I was just thrilled that he made the change during the game. I would have expected him to stick with what wasn't working.

 

[Shady Machine]

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.

Literally no one is saying that.

 

[Shockmaster]

I think for the time being Gibbons being on the 1st line is beneficial. That's not to say BB can't play on the first line at some point, but Gibbons playing on the 1st line and BB playing with Sutter looked pretty good last night. Some here don't actually believe catering to what Bennett wants is paramount.

No, we just don't think an AHLer should be Crosby's RW.

 

[AjaxTelamon]

Everyone seems to be able to play with BB, but Crosby. So who is the problem, really?

It's not a bash Crosby or a BB is the board's huggybear kind of question like some want to make it out to be. It's a legit question.

Sutter plays a speed game and Malkin is one of the best players in the world and plays an E-W game. Two different styles, yet both click with BB.

I'm a big Crosby guy, but if you don't openly question why he prefers guys like Dupes and Gibby over Iggy and BB, you are just being a complete Crosby fan boy.

Maybe Gibbons and Crosby find the chemistry in the playoffs they couldn't find in the reg season, I mean anything can happen so, we'll see.

I don't think there's any question that what Crosby wants on his line is not necessarily effective in the playoffs. His most effective PO run was with Guerin on his wing, he scored 15 goals, Guerin 7. So he can play with different types of players than fast guys who just jam things up in the O zone.

To me, it's on Sid to adjust his game to playing with better players, or as RRP points out, what is the point in even trying to acquire or develop anyone better for Crosby? Let's just build a great 2nd and third line, and then Crosby can come out with a couple of plugs and try to shut down the Giroux's of the world. That's how DB matches up lines anyways.

To Ogre's point, yeah Stemp should be out there. He's the closest thing we have to Dupuis.

It's odd Sid hasn't asked for that, actually

 

[Ugene Magic]

No, we just don't think an AHLer should be Crosby's RW.

Maybe Bennett is skilled enough to warrant his own line to thrive with.

 

[IcedCapp]

Shelly Anderson @pgshelly

#Penguins lines at practice: Kunitz-Crosby-Gibbons Jokinen-Malkin-Neal Bennett-Sutter-Stempniak Glass-Vitale-Adams

 

[End of Line]

I don't think there's any question that what Crosby wants on his line is not necessarily effective in the playoffs. His most effective PO run was with Guerin on his wing, he scored 15 goals, Guerin 7. So he can play with different types of players than fast guys who just jam things up in the O zone.

To me, it's on Sid to adjust his game to playing with better players, or as RRP points out, what is the point in even trying to acquire or develop anyone better for Crosby? Let's just build a great 2nd and third line, and then Crosby can come out with a couple of plugs and try to shut down the Giroux's of the world. That's how DB matches up lines anyways.

To Ogre's point, yeah Stemp should be out there. He's the closest thing we have to Dupuis.

It's odd Sid hasn't asked for that, actually

Yeah, Stempniak would be the logical choice since he was producing on Sid's line. Gibbons and Sutter work off each other very well and then have Beau on that line. Hell, you can see the chemistry Sutter and Gibbons have when they're on the PK together.

 

[IcedCapp]

I feel like this off-season is really going to turn me against Sid. Maybe we should keep Bylsma and trade Sid, build around Geno.

 

[themethod7]

Shelly Anderson @pgshelly

#Penguins lines at practice: Kunitz-Crosby-Gibbons Jokinen-Malkin-Neal Bennett-Sutter-Stempniak Glass-Vitale-Adams

As much as I'd love to see Bennett in the top-6, I'd have no problem with these 2 lines if we actually had a Kane/Kesler/Wheeler/insert pipe dream RW lined up next to Sid. The 4th line is still hot garbage but we're really only one player short of a seriously solid top-9.

 

[DegenX]

Former Penguins al-star LW and scout (and perpetual living legend) Kevin Stevens is watching practice at Consol. @MolinariPG

Hey ... and Artie appearance

And in case any one is interested ...

Full practice for #CBJ today. Umberger and Foligno are skating. Umberger could play Saturday in Game 2. Foligno ruled out by Richards. @Aportzline

Umberger skating on the left side of Anisimov and Comeau. #CBJ @Aportzline

So, it looks like CBJ will be getting Umby back for the next game.

 

[AjaxTelamon]

Shelly Anderson @pgshelly

#Penguins lines at practice: Kunitz-Crosby-Gibbons Jokinen-Malkin-Neal Bennett-Sutter-Stempniak Glass-Vitale-Adams

Well, I guess I'll take it. That third line should be able to torch bottom D pairings and get us a lot of O zone FO's for the top guys.

And there is no reason to give that bottom line more than 5 min ES TOI. Roll the top three lines, give the bottom line a few shifts a period as a breather.

 

[DegenX]

I feel like this off-season is really going to turn me against Sid. Maybe we should keep Bylsma and trade Sid, build around Geno.

I think you have too much oxygen in your caffeine system

 

[Shady Machine]

Shelly Anderson @pgshelly

#Penguins lines at practice: Kunitz-Crosby-Gibbons Jokinen-Malkin-Neal Bennett-Sutter-Stempniak Glass-Vitale-Adams

When Goc is back, if we are still around, goodbye Vitale. That is the lineup folks.

 

[IcedCapp]

I think you have too much oxygen in your caffeine system

YOU JUST REMINDED ME i forgot my coffee on the counter.

 

[Shady Machine]

I feel like this off-season is really going to turn me against Sid. Maybe we should keep Bylsma and trade Sid, build around Geno.

 

[Shady Machine]

Well, I guess I'll take it. That third line should be able to torch bottom D pairings and get us a lot of O zone FO's for the top guys.

And there is no reason to give that bottom line more than 5 min ES TOI. Roll the top three lines, give the bottom line a few shifts a period as a breather.

Don't you worry, Glass will get his shifts with the 3rd line. Bennett is going to continue playing less than every forward outside of Vitale.