Pre-Game Talk: Canadiens @ Penguins | Perron's debut

[billybudd]

Here's an idea. Just put the players in the right spots where each player on a line compliments each other. Who gives a **** who gets who? If Malkin doesn't have as good of wingers to play with as Crosby, oh well, and vice versa. Trade for another then. Just ice the best lineup. I'm sick of the oh woe is Crosby, or oh woe is Malkin camps.

Basically.

You can't just assign a rating and then paint by numbers in an imaginary pecking order, irrespective of fit.

Just arrange things on each line so the team has the best shot at causing the best overall goal differential top to bottom. Occasionally, you might end up with weirdness like a guy on the first (Brown) or second line (everybody but Carter) being worse than a guy on the third (Justin Williams).

 

[IcedCapp]

How about the balls Johnston has to move Kunitz to the 3rd line w/ injuries. Seriously? That's some huge balls. DB would have never done that. He would have just accepted Kunitz playing like ass.

ballsy, and it's created a really nice 3rd line, which has, for me, only highlighted the need for more one more top-6 winger.

I'm find with Comeau in there, that leaves Perron, Hornqvist, Comeau. Need one more.

 

[NeedleInTheHay]

Nah. That's me, too.

I used to watch a hell of a lot more football. But honestly it bores me to tears, these days. Somebody mentioned it earlier... but I think a lot of it simply has to do with TV presentation/over-saturation. Along with the astounding amount of commercials and marketing that takes place game to game.

It's kinda nausiating.

I agree completely, I liked it as a kid in the 90's but it now seems exactly how you describe it.

 

[ghostnights]

Also prepare for Perron to shoot and score from the craziest angles.

 

[IcedCapp]

Also prepare for Perron to shoot and score from the craziest angles.

Good. This team needs wingers who actually shoot the ****ing puck

 

[Mr Jiggyfly]

I agree. When Hornqvist comes back they should role with this as a top 9 until JR makes another trade:

Perron-Crosby-Hornqvist
Kunitz-Malkin-Bennett
Spaling-Sutter-Downie

I'd amend the third line:

Perron-Crosby-Hornqvist
Kunitz-Malkin-Bennett
Comeau-Sutter-Downie
Rust-Goc-Spaling

That's about the best they can do barring another trade.

 

[Waffle Fries]

I'm not overly thrilled about Sutter with BB. I understand the importance of the third line, but Sutter's line was extremely good for a spell there until it was broken up. Sutter, Downie and Spaling.

I see BB elevating Sutter's game and I know he can help take Malkin to another level.

We'll see how it plays out, but if they don't find another legit winger for the top six, BB needs to be up there at some point.

I fully agree. Bennett was our best winger by a significant margin the past two games. Hell, his first game back he was our best player period.

There's no doubt that as currently constructed, he's one of the four best wingers on this team. His vision, in my opinion, is up there with the elite players in the league, and it allows him to make the players around him better.

How about the balls Johnston has to move Kunitz to the 3rd line w/ injuries. Seriously? That's some huge balls. DB would have never done that. He would have just accepted Kunitz playing like ass.

I was really impressed by that move. It's so nice to see a veteran held accountable. Sure it took a little longer than the board would have liked, but the fact that it actually happens shows we're in a new era of coaching.

 

[UnrealMachine]

Is Martin playing tonight? Practicing?

 

[MrBurghundy]

Is Martin playing tonight? Practicing?

No morning skate due to icy roads, so we don't really know.

 

[ColePens]

Good. This team needs wingers who actually shoot the ****ing puck

Dude we are literally one wing away from the best team I think Pittsburgh could produce AND we have top end defenders to trade for that said winger. Even if we wanted to move Martin for a 1st and trade another first for a guy like Foligno. Or maybe that Martin/Williams trade. It could make this team extremely dynamic.

Lord help me though if they dont' trust Despres to play 15+ minutes a night.

 

[Gurglesons]

ballsy, and it's created a really nice 3rd line, which has, for me, only highlighted the need for more one more top-6 winger.

I'm find with Comeau in there, that leaves Perron, Hornqvist, Comeau. Need one more.

I honestly have been fighting for Downie to see time on Crosby's line since before we signed him.

I don't want Downie eclipsing sixteen minutes a night, but you throw him out there with Crosby and let him deal with the Dubinsky's and Lucic's of the world. Cycle the line ups moving Hornqvist down with Malkin and Comeau occasionally.

Obviously, we need one more top-6 winger, but do what JR did and wait and get rid of players that aren't going to hurt our line-up. I think we could easily win the cup this year with the over all weakness around the East. If we can get through to the Cup Finals without too many taxing series, we definitely have the center depth to go up against a Chicago or LA in a best of seven. Every time Chicago or LA has been in the cup final they have not had to deal with a strong center depth, I guess you could argue when Boston went up against Chicago, but Bergeron was dying every game.

 

[BlindWillyMcHurt]

I'm not overly thrilled about Sutter with BB. I understand the importance of the third line, but Sutter's line was extremely good for a spell there until it was broken up. Sutter, Downie and Spaling.

I see BB elevating Sutter's game and I know he can help take Malkin to another level.

We'll see how it plays out, but if they don't find another legit winger for the top six, BB needs to be up there at some point.

Yeah. I said it earlier in the year when that's what it looked like they were going for and I haven't really changed my mind. It's fine for now until Bennett gets a few more games under him but I really hope MJ isn't actually married to that idea as much as he seems to be. Bennett has a lot more to offer than that, IMO. <obligatory health concerns comment>

 

[Gurglesons]

Dude we are literally one wing away from the best team I think Pittsburgh could produce AND we have top end defenders to trade for that said winger. Even if we wanted to move Martin for a 1st and trade another first for a guy like Foligno. Or maybe that Martin/Williams trade. It could make this team extremely dynamic.

Lord help me though if they dont' trust Despres to play 15+ minutes a night.

I honestly would rather go with trading prospects for a top six winger if at all possible. It is nice to have depth in the playoffs, I mean look at how losing a player like Aaron Rome (a fringe bottom six d-man) effected that Vancouver / Boston series.

You run with Martin, Despres, Letang, Maatta, Ehrhoff, Bortuzzo, Scuderi, you don't have to worry about too much if one of Bort, Despres, or Scuds goes down.

 

[Vujtek]

Is Martin playing tonight? Practicing?

No morning skate due to icy roads, so we don't really know.

Martin, Sill and Määttä skated this morning with Perron joining them briefly. That was the injured players group (+Perron) so Martin is likely out tonight.

Zach Sill, Olli Maatta and Paul Martin just finished skating here. David Perron skated with them briefly, I'm told.

https://twitter.com/Mackey_Trib/status/551408063534862336

 

[MrBurghundy]

Yeah. I said it earlier in the year when that's what it looked like they were going for and I haven't really changed my mind. It's fine for now until Bennett gets a few more games under him but I really hope MJ isn't actually married to that idea as much as he seems to be. Bennett has a lot more to offer than that, IMO. <obligatory health concerns comment>

I don't really see Johnston as a guy that's married to any idea. He is slow to act though on certain things. Although maybe patient is more the right word instead of slow.

 

[MrBurghundy]

Martin, Sill and Määttä skated this morning with Perron joining them briefly. That was the injured players group (+Perron) so Martin is likely out tonight.



https://twitter.com/Mackey_Trib/status/551408063534862336

Oh ok. I'd assume some players made it into the rink, but I do remember seeing they called off the morning skate.

 

[AjaxTelamon]

I'd amend the third line:

Perron-Crosby-Hornqvist
Kunitz-Malkin-Bennett
Comeau-Sutter-Downie
Rust-Goc-Spaling

That's about the best they can do barring another trade.

I'd much rather Kunitz be on a 3rd line, or the exact third line he is on now. If I have to deal with BB on the third line to keep Kunitz there (and effective) then so be it. Downie in the top 6 is way less of an issue than Kunitz slugging around on Sid's wing.

 

[BlindWillyMcHurt]

I don't really see Johnston as a guy that's married to any idea. He is slow to act though on certain things. Although maybe patient is more the right word instead of slow.

True enough. I still haven't really nailed the guy down yet. And that's probably nothing but a good thing. He's already shown a willingness to do things like buck Kunitz down to the third line during a rash of injuries, as pointed out earlier in this thread.

 

[Ragamuffin Gunner]

Also prepare for Perron to shoot and score from the craziest angles.

how is he on blind drop passes between the legs?

 

[IcedCapp]

Dude we are literally one wing away from the best team I think Pittsburgh could produce AND we have top end defenders to trade for that said winger. Even if we wanted to move Martin for a 1st and trade another first for a guy like Foligno. Or maybe that Martin/Williams trade. It could make this team extremely dynamic.

Lord help me though if they dont' trust Despres to play 15+ minutes a night.

I know, isn't it great? Now I hope they finish it off. Looking at the east, if they can stay healthy. I feel like it's ripe.

 

[Speaking Moistly]

There's one from every reporter but here's Mackey's because he gave the most info.


Dana also got to ride the Zamboni and I'm jealous.

 

[Mr Jiggyfly]

I fully agree. Bennett was our best winger by a significant margin the past two games. Hell, his first game back he was our best player period.

There's no doubt that as currently constructed, he's one of the four best wingers on this team. His vision, in my opinion, is up there with the elite players in the league, and it allows him to make the players around him better.

Yeah. I said it earlier in the year when that's what it looked like they were going for and I haven't really changed my mind. It's fine for now until Bennett gets a few more games under him but I really hope MJ isn't actually married to that idea as much as he seems to be. Bennett has a lot more to offer than that, IMO. <obligatory health concerns comment>

He is an extremely important player to the success of the Pens. If he can stay healthy he is a huge X factor that other teams will have to worry about. He changes how you defend this team because he can quite simply create offense without help from Crosby and Malkin.

Now they have two of these guys. I can't fathom having three. Not sure if my body could take it.

I'd much rather Kunitz be on a 3rd line, or the exact third line he is on now. If I have to deal with BB on the third line to keep Kunitz there (and effective) then so be it. Downie in the top 6 is way less of an issue than Kunitz slugging around on Sid's wing.

I'll still take Kunitz over Downie. He just needed to be away from Crosby.

 

[IcedCapp]

TRADE - Crosby - Hornqvist
Perron - Malkin - Comeau
Kunitz - Sutter - Bennett
Spaling - Goc - Downie

Ehrhoff - Letang
Maatta - Despres
Scuderi - Bortuzzo/Pouliot/Harrington

Only person traded from the roster is Martin. Leaves Farnham, Rust, Ebbett, Sill has depth. If Dupuis returns in the playoffs, even more insane.

 

[mpp9]

I'm not assigning designated roles to any winger. I just think you have to fix Sid's line first. Until Sid can dominate in the playoffs without Malkin on his line, we haven't fixed jack ****.

Perron is the guy who can help Sid out the most at this point. Maybe JR brings in another dynamic winger, and he ends up a better fit. But my money would be on more of a 2nd/3rd line type being brought in for depth purposes and challenging Kunitz and Comeau for spots next to Geno.

Make Sid's line dominant. Get Geno some complementary guys who know when/how to get him the puck, get out of his way and support him when needed. Make Sutter's line a secondary scoring line that can match up against top lines. And have Spaling+Goc take on the D-zone shifts and just settle things down when we need mistake free hockey.

 

[AjaxTelamon]

TRADE - Crosby - Hornqvist
Perron - Malkin - Comeau
Kunitz - Sutter - Bennett
Spaling - Goc - Downie

Ehrhoff - Letang
Maatta - Despres
Scuderi - Bortuzzo/Pouliot/Harrington

Only person traded from the roster is Martin. Leaves Farnham, Rust, Ebbett, Sill has depth. If Dupuis returns in the playoffs, even more insane.

It's really friggin' awesome, no matter how you cut it, I'm so pumped. Just get us some size in that TRADE slot, and we're set.