Post-Game Talk: Bruins beat Penguins 1-0 to sweep the ECF. End? No, the journey doesn't end here.

[Waffle Fries]

He doesnt need to act so entitled. That and he didnt really give credit to the bruins.

Crosby never acts entitled, Jesus Christ

If anyone acts entitled its fans that ***** about him whenever he doesn't do something exactly perfect in their minds without realizing how lucky they are to have the best player in the world captain their favorite team

 

[Ragamuffin Gunner]

Bs played the trap to perfection. It was boring as hell but it's effective in today new deadpuck era.

Pens didn't make a single change to break the trap or balance out the lines.

 

[Darth Vitale]

Once again, I can say this about pretty much every other star player on this team. Difference is that those guys were already making the massive salaries when they chose to disappear entirely.

True to a degree but here are some differences: Letang makes more bone-headed plays than the other guys, Letang disappears for longer stretches on the PP than the other guys, and we have far greater depth in our system at Letang's position (including some PPQB types) than we have at forward.

Not saying Letang definitively SHOULD be traded, only that, there's a better chance and logically, it should be that way IF one of the big guys (besides Fleury) is on the way out to make cap room, etc.

What I'm concerned about: that Letang's bone-headedness might be partially or fully curable with a smarter coach / different type of coach.

Ideally, Letang negotiates this summer and does not ask maximum dollars based on his own play, instead agreeing to still be the highest paid D on this team but only at around $6M. If he does and we have a new coaching staff coming in, there's no way I wouldn't run with that if I'm Shero. Give him that 6M for as many years as he'll agree to it... for sure.

However I'm not convinced that he won't pursue maximum dollars, and if it's what has to be done to secure Geno here for the next 8 years, you do it. Also, unlike Geno or Sid being moved, if we moved Letang we definitely could get a return that makes it fair / worthwhile for us. With Geno or Sid you basically have to gut the other team to make it fair, and no team will ever do that. There are many possibilities with Letang. He could be moved for goalies like Bernier or Niemi + a young D and draft pick, etc. It's easier to make a Letang trade work for both teams.

 

[bradshaw06]

But WHO CARES???? Like I really don't see why its such a big deal that he didn't give the B's a pat on the back for embarrassing his team in 4 games. What difference will that really make in the end? Its like we're now splitting hairs deliberately looking reasons to question Sid's leadership abilities.

its not that big of a deal. its pretty much like someone said, he is damned if he does, damned if he doesnt. i guess the word deserved kinda just irked me a bit because i can see other teams just jumping on him for saying that. which isnt really fair at all.

 

[AquaticBirdman]

its not that big of a deal. its pretty much like someone said, he is damned if he does, damned if he doesnt. i guess the word deserved kinda just irked me a bit because i can see other teams just jumping on him for saying that. which isnt really fair at all.

In the end its just semantics. Sid has never been so arrogant as to fail to recognize when the other guys were simply better. Just because he doesn't flat out come out and say it that doesn't change anything. It's not like he acted like a complete d0uche like Draper and his whole "handshake line" rant.

 

[deakka]

Does anyone know if we got Jokinen for free now?

Found this abut the trade:

"From Bob McKenzie: "If Jokinen plays 50 per cent of PIT 2013 playoff games AND PIT wins the CUP, CAR gets a 6th round pick from PIT... If Jokinen plays 25 per cent of PIT 2013 playoff games AND PIT goes to Cup final, CAR gets 7th round pick from PIT."

He played more than 50%, but we didnt make finals or won the cup....

 

[AquaticBirdman]

Does anyone know if we got Jokinen for free now?

Found this abut the trade:

"From Bob McKenzie: "If Jokinen plays 50 per cent of PIT 2013 playoff games AND PIT wins the CUP, CAR gets a 6th round pick from PIT... If Jokinen plays 25 per cent of PIT 2013 playoff games AND PIT goes to Cup final, CAR gets 7th round pick from PIT."

He played more than 50%, but we didnt make finals or won the cup....

Its sad he didn't get more playing time than he did. It really is...

 

[Terrapin]

Depends on what we get. Letang has not played big when it mattered most for us the last two playoffs, and he's going to command a BIG salary most likely... so if someone is willing to part with a Top 10 pick in the best draft in over a decade + a good roster player that meets a legitimate need for us, I'd consider it. Otherwise you risk no signing this year and he walks next year when we don't give him his $8M or whatever the increased premium for players of his caliber are at that time.

I think most of us don't WANT to trade Letang, but fear what he asks for money-wise, is not what he'll bring in the playoffs. Now, if you want to apply your moron statement to Malkin or Crosby trade ideas, I agree with you. There is no circumstance and no evidence that suggests these guys are anything but untradable and more often than not, big players when they need to be big.

Wasn't there a discussion about only being able to keep one of Malkin/Staal? We chose Malkin. Now a year later we have to decide between Malkin/Letang? Maybe Shero isn't the cap wizard we make him out to be....

 

[eXile59]

Wasn't there a discussion about only being able to keep one of Malkin/Staal? We chose Malkin. Now a year later we have to decide between Malkin/Letang? Maybe Shero isn't the cap wizard we make him out to be....

No we choose to keep both of them. Staal had different plans. Shero offered him the same contract he took with the Canes.

We probably still could have afforded Staal but would not have been able to bring in all of Iginla, Morrow, or Murray. Which in retrospect might have been a good thing.

 

[Sivek]

I'd imagine a disciplined, non-player friendly coach could coach the stupid out of Letang. A Letang without the stupid is one of the best d-man in the league. That's the biggest reason for keeping him and getting rid of DB.

 

[specialized]

The GM likes DB so get it out of your head,he is going too stay.

 

[billybudd]

I don't know if we would do it since his cap hit's higher than Letang's will be, but it wouldn't surprise me if Nashville was open to the idea of flipping Weber for Letang 1-1 (assuming they could extend the latter).

Even if Letang gets $7 million per, that represents 50% of Weber's annual salary (salary, not cap hit). To them, that extra $7 million off the books is more important than any perceived difference in quality between one guy with Norris nominations and another guy with Norris nominations.

 

[mpp9]

I don't know if we would do it since his cap hit's higher than Letang's will be, but it wouldn't surprise me if Nashville was open to the idea of flipping Weber for Letang 1-1 (assuming they could extend the latter).

Even if Letang gets $7 million per, that represents 50% of Weber's annual salary (salary, not cap hit). To them, that extra $7 million off the books is more important than any perceived difference in quality between one guy with Norris nominations and another guy with Norris nominations.

Weber isn't going anywhere. They already paid out a huge chunk of his contract.

 

[Sivek]

I don't know if we would do it since his cap hit's higher than Letang's will be, but it wouldn't surprise me if Nashville was open to the idea of flipping Weber for Letang 1-1 (assuming they could extend the latter).

Even if Letang gets $7 million per, that represents 50% of Weber's annual salary (salary, not cap hit). To them, that extra $7 million off the books is more important than any perceived difference in quality between one guy with Norris nominations and another guy with Norris nominations.

Zero chance they move Weber. With the way the Flyers constructed his offer sheet, the Predators will have paid something like 28 mil of it by this summer, so about 25% of the 110mil deal has already been paid before the 2nd season of it has even started. It's essentially something like a 13 year/82 mil deal right now that would have tremendous value should the Predators ever decide to move him.

 

[billybudd]

I'd imagine a disciplined, non-player friendly coach could coach the stupid out of Letang. A Letang without the stupid is one of the best d-man in the league. That's the biggest reason for keeping him and getting rid of DB.

I don't agree. If a 26 year old D doesn't know not to, for instance, throw a cross ice pass from the left boards in his own zone, in range of a Boston forechecker through the goalmouth to the right boards (which Letang did last night...he was lucky the Bruin didn't get a stick on it), he's not ever going to know not to do that. He was also dangling in his own crease in the Ottawa series, which is something I would expect minor midgets to know not to do.

 

[billybudd]

Zero chance they move Weber. With the way the Flyers constructed his offer sheet, the Predators will have paid something like 28 mil of it by this summer, so about 25% of the 110mil deal has already been paid before the 2nd season of it has even started. It's essentially something like a 13 year/82 mil deal right now that would have tremendous value should the Predators ever decide to move him.

It doesn't matter what they've already paid. It only matters what they'll save. Trading Weber for Letang and signing the latter to, for example, a 5 year $35 million deal saves Nashville a whopping $26.5 million (edit: by the 6th year). To a team with their finances, that's a big, big deal.

 

[Sivek]

I don't agree. If a 26 year old D doesn't know not to, for instance, throw a cross ice pass from the left boards in his own zone, in range of a Boston forechecker through the goalmouth to the right boards (which Letang did last night...he was lucky the Bruin didn't get a stick on it), he's not ever going to know not to do that. He was also dangling in his own crease in the Ottawa series, which is something I would expect minor midgets to know not to do.

I hold out hope that if a coach cracked the whip on him enough times when he made an egregious play, it'd sink through. Right now, make a series of stupid plays=still lead the team in ice time. I think he'd respond if he got benched for stretches and embarrassed a bit.

Also on Weber. If they would trade him, it means the Preds just payed him a 1yr 27 mil deal for a half-season. They're not going to trade him for a worse player that they're going to have to pay 7mil+ keep. A theoretical Weber trade this off-season would only cost the team acquring him to pay 53 mil over the next 5 years and then a huge falloff for the life of the contract.

 

[PensFanSince1989]

Am I the only one thats noticed a severe lack of breakaways for our team, and the few breakaways we usually do get are from outlet passes from one of our forwards?

For a team that so relies on stretching the ice and long passes, we really don't have the personnel for it

 

[PensFanSince1989]

And Therrien got Whitney to make the safe reponsible plays. A similar coach could do the same for Letang.

 

[billybudd]

Am I the only one thats noticed a severe lack of breakaways for our team, and the few breakaways we usually do get are from outlet passes from one of our forwards?

For a team that so relies on stretching the ice and long passes, we really don't have the personnel for it

The teams we play line up further back than normal because they know we're looking for the long pass--and just the long pass.

Whitney's problem was that he was soft, slow and lazy. Not that he was stupid. Ryan Whitney is relatively smart. Getting a smart player to play smart is easier than getting a dumb one to play smart

 

[crowi]

It doesn't matter what they've already paid. It only matters what they'll save. Trading Weber for Letang and signing the latter to, for example, a 5 year $35 million deal saves Nashville a whopping $26.5 million (edit: by the 6th year). To a team with their finances, that's a big, big deal.

If NSH were shopping Weber, their captain with no NTC, they'd have GM's queued with sleeping bags with them for him. I'm sorry, but there's absolutely no way Letang alone is enough and I have to disagree that it doesn't matter what they already paid.

 

[Sam Spade]

It's simple. Byslma and Fleury are gone. Letang, Crosby and Malkin are the untouchables, and nobody else is safe.

In the case of Letang, you HAVE to remember how young he is and how much of an impression a new coach could make on somebody like him. He's only getting better every year. It would bat**** Pejorative Slured to get rid of him. If you pair him with a tough stay-at-home Dman, we'd be golden.

Letang is not that young. Right NOW he should be at, or close to, the best he is ever going to be as a player in the NHL.

Not saying he sucks or anything, obviously he is an elite offensive player in the league, but he needs help defensively. I am sure if the Pens re-sign him they will address this.

 

[mpp9]

Letang's got **** for brains. I can't imagine he'll be getting much better with age. As soon as his skating starts to take even the slightest hit, he'll be nowhere near the player he is now.

 

[billybudd]

If NSH were shopping Weber, their captain with no NTC, they'd have GM's queued with sleeping bags with them for him.

No question. But if they were to move Weber this summer due to financial concerns--and just financial concerns--which Bob McKenzie brought up as a possibility all the way back to when they matched the offer sheet, they've got an obvious replacement captain in Fisher, but will be absent a Norris-nominated #1 D.

Anybody other than us likely to be dangling one of those, let alone a younger one likely to make half as much per year as Weber?

 

[sexyllama]

The teams we play line up further back than normal because they know we're looking for the long pass--and just the long pass.

Whitney's problem was that he was soft, slow and lazy. Not that he was stupid. Ryan Whitney is relatively smart. Getting a smart player to play smart is easier than getting a dumb one to play smart

They did exactly what NJ does. Slow the game down and used 1 puck pursuit and 4 NEAR their blue line. 2 on the wall 2 clogging the middle.

No way you can stretch... they trapped after Julien got on their ass in Period #2 - #3 of Game #1. After game #1 period #3 you can see how it all went bad for us.

Ram head into wall over and over and over