Pre-Game Talk: Bruins @ Penguins 12/18/15

[Shady Machine]

I predicted he had two weeks before this board was calling him the dumbest coach in the league, even dumber than Bylsma and Johnson. I might have been optimistic.


I don't dislike him though. I'm willing to give him a chance. I'm sick of blaming coaches for this teams shortcomings. Playing or not playing Sprong isn't the end all measure of a coaches intelligence IMO.

Agreed but if Sprong isn't going to be played they need to send him to juniors. This is getting ridiculous.

 

[#1GuinFan]

Its like people expected this team to do a complete 180 as soon as the coaching change was made... and when that didn't happen they already label the coach...
News flash, change takes time. Buckle in cause based on how this team was previously playing it won't be an overnight thing.

I don't see the point of criticizing the decision to play Zatkoff over Murray. Zatkoff has been seeing NHL rubber, Murray has not. If you play him the day he gets recalled you may as well be throwing him to the wolves. Let him get in some practices against NHL shooters, get comfortable, then start playing him. You stick him in on day one, and say he gets shelled, his confidence get shot, then your sitting with two mediocre goalies. Confidence is already in short supply on this team, at least let the kid with loads of it coming in get a sense of comfort, IE more than a day or two with the team, before putting him into the spotlight and expecting him to carry the team (because nobody else is carrying it right now).

 

[Ignatius]

Interesting quote from Tuukka Rask, about one problem that many of us here have discussed many times before, about the persistent, consistent lack of net-front traffic by the Pens...

“It's just one of those mysteries that I've been able to win a lot of games against them,†Rask said. “I don't know. I feel good. I try to feel good every game, but a lot of times I think I see the puck a lot, and that helps, you know. They're a skilled group who like to get clear shots and not that much traffic, so that's probably easier for a goalie.â€

Read more: http://triblive.com/sports/penguins/9636147-74/games-penguins-malkin#ixzz3uhC7D7bU
Follow us: @triblive on Twitter | triblive on Facebook

"They're a skilled group who like to get clear shots..."

One thing I noticed at the game vs. Caps on Monday was a PP when Kunitz a pylon in the slot and the only Pens movement came when they were trying to get a shot around him. I'm constantly hearing people in the stands yelling, "SHOOT IT" but they don't seem to understand that a Pens player is effectively ruining any shot opportunity.

This is an example of self-sabotage, is it recognized though?

 

[Sam Spade]

Sorry but the Pens aren't winning the Cup this year, Sprong needs to PLAY. Put him with Malkin or Crosby for the rest of the season and leave him be.

Unbelievable they burnt his first year for this.



Has it been confirmed Sprong is out? I couldn't find any tweets.

 

[Shrimper]

GDT will be up later tonight.

 

[NeedleInTheHay]

GDT will be up later tonight.

Why bother?

 

[Tumty]

Sorry but the Pens aren't winning the Cup this year, Sprong needs to PLAY. Put him with Malkin or Crosby for the rest of the season and leave him be.

Unbelievable they burnt his first year for this.





Has it been confirmed Sprong is out? I couldn't find any tweets.

I feel like this org is ****ing whit Crosby. I mean, Sheary and Kunitz? I dont see how anyone sees potential on that line. F off already. They gave sid and kessel about 5? Games. Geno hasnt worked too well with Kessel and still he gets him. Thats not the big thing. They nevet try complete new line with Sid. Thats tje ****ing problem. There is always atleast one anchor.

 

[Boocock]

Don't mind giving Sheary a shot. I just hope for two things:

1. Sprong plays tonight.
2. Sheary doesn't turn into Sullivan's Michelle Ouellet.

 

[Boocock]

Why bother?

Because even if the team sucks, this is a baller ass community.

 

[NeedleInTheHay]

Because even if the team sucks, this is a baller ass community.

Fair enough, I just don't have any desire to see another Boston smackdown.

 

[Coastal Kev]

 

[cajal]

I would just like to see a nice break happen for the Pens at the beginning of one of these games at some point. I know that good teams have to manufacture luck and everything else, but for a group with such obviously shot confidence it would be nice to see if they can get something going if they got a couple of early lucky goals.

Not likely I know, but I'm still hopeful. Now if that happens and they try to sit on a lead like they had been doing earlier in the season, well....

We'll see I guess. This is a very flawed team of course, but we have never seen them rolling for any decent period of time. Even horrid teams play well in stretches. I'd like to see what they look like when they're "on", if there is such a thing.

 

[High Flying Birds]

Sully has some balls if he's already scratching Sprong so soon after Rutherford said he wants to see the kid play.

Anyway, if he's indeed getting scratched for Kevin ****ing Porter, it's time to send the kid back. Stop stalling his development up here.

 

[eXile59]

For years we wanted a decent group of wingers for Sid. We got Hornqvist, Perron, and Kessel. Sid plays with Kunitz & Sheary. That's ridiculous.

 

[BrunoPuntzJones]

Sprong never should have been kept up. He's not ready and a full NHL season was not going to get him ready.

The only qualitative differences between Porter and Sprong at the moment is that Porter is better defensively and Sprong is more likely to hit the post on a wrister from five steps inside the blue line.

 

[canadianguy77]

This Kunitz nightmare doesn't seem like it's going to end. I just don't understand it. I loathe him as much as I did Craig during his last 2 years.

 

[Shady Machine]

Sprong never should have been kept up. He's not ready and a full NHL season was not going to get him ready.

The only qualitative differences between Porter and Sprong at the moment is that Porter is better defensively and Sprong is more likely to hit the post on a wrister from five steps inside the blue line.

I agree he shouldn't have been kept up, but they already did and they might as well play him while he's here. That and his upside is huge and he can play with skilled players better than a lot of others on the roster. Sprong should be played consistently and with good players in offensive situations. They haven't done any of that.

 

[Shady Machine]

This Kunitz nightmare doesn't seem like it's going to end. I just don't understand it. I loathe him as much as I did Craig during his last 2 years.

They don't have anyone else established that plays left wing. That and he had chemistry with Sid. I think that's a lot of it.

 

[SidDidNothingWrong]

That's because he hardly played. Basically you just said "Sprong deserves to be in the press box because he hardly gets played anyway"

Not exactly. Because with Bennett, as I'm sure you remember, I saw his 5 mintutes a game and saw at least one amazing pass that caught the attention of everyone. He did SOMETHING. Sprong honestly, to me, looks too one dimensional to play in the NHL right now. He does that full charge towards the net and gets stopped just about every time.

 

[Jaded-Fan]

All may be valid points regarding sending him down. However, JR made it clear that he wanted to see him play to evaluate him. It was cited specifically as one of the reasons MJ was fired. So it is puzzling why the new HC is also seemingly locking horns with JR over this as well.

 

[Speaking Moistly]

They don't have anyone else established that plays left wing. That and he had chemistry with Sid. I think that's a lot of it.

He also wears an A and won the cup with them, lbr, Kunitz is going to be treated like a prince until he's gone.

 

[Shady Machine]

Not exactly. Because with Bennett, as I'm sure you remember, I saw his 5 mintutes a game and saw at least one amazing pass that caught the attention of everyone. He did SOMETHING. Sprong honestly, to me, looks too one dimensional to play in the NHL right now. He does that full charge towards the net and gets stopped just about every time.

I mean I agree he should be sent down, but I see him with a dangerous scoring chance every game he plays.

 

[KrisLetAngry]

If you don't play Sprong please send him down.

He should be getting 10-12 minutes a game (imo an acceptable amount) and playing on the 2nd unit seriously that shot and Kessel's may do ok. Then have him play some even strength. Seriously he can help the team out.

 

[zhenyas most fly rep]

Have you ever seen more blatant favoritism?
In a week under Sullivan's tenure, Sheary went from Ahler (with career ahler upside I might add) to NHL first line winger.

Just to make an obvious comparison with another fellow rookie:
Sprong has been around 30 games, never been tried more than a few shift in the top 6(a miserable combined 20 minutes played with either Crosby or Malkin since the start), his season high in ice time is 13:07, getting 8:27 on average.
In 2 games, Sheary (who was vastly outplayed by Sprong in preseason, last time both were in the lineup, last time they gave Sprong a real chance and shown confidence in him) will have more than that, 16:41 playing mainly with Malkin in his first game already.

Now Sprong in his limited ice time, hasn't been all that great lately but how could he be?
They have tried and successfully managed to completely shatter his confidence.
It's so sad it's hilarious.
Send him back down already, his crappy junior team will still make a better job at developing him than our "coaching" staff, that much is obvious.

 

[Penguinzilla*]

Pens are working on a deal to send Sprong to the Blackhawks for Scuderi