Post-Game Talk: Canes d. Pens, the Kevin Pollock circus sideshow

[Dipsy Doodle]

http://www.hockeybuzz.com/blog/Ryan...ason-Penguins-Cant-Draw-Power-Plays/177/64389

That's part of it, but it doesn't explain the blatant non-calls we've been seeing.

 

[Gurglesons]

That's part of it, but it doesn't explain the blatant non-calls we've been seeing.

It is pretty ridiculous and it isn't even a Penguins issue. I was watching the Flyers and Giroux would get held multiple times and their would be no calls. The NHL is the only league where the superstars don't get any calls and fringe players get the benefit of the doubt. We've seen this in the playoffs for years.

 

[billybudd]

Kunitz has nothing to worry about. He CAN play like this cuz he knows he has a guarenteed spot in the top 6. Wanna see if it's laziness? Drop him to the 3rd and 4th lines and promote a Downie or Megna.

Can't healthy scratch him though cuz we're pretty thin on the wings right now.

Problem with meritocratic roster decisions at forward is the only guys that merit advancement are either in the top 6 already (Comeau, Hornqvist) or centers (Sutter, probably Ebbett from what limit WBS action I've seen). Megna's not playing any better than Kunitz. Moving faster? Yes. Playing better? No.

Worse, Megna's problem seems to be that he's struggling with the pace of the reads on a line with Sutter. Crosby's the quickest-thinking player in the sport. If Rick Nash can't read the play quick enough to stay on a line with him. Megna would have no chance.

I guess you could try Downie, but you're probably turning the third line into a disaster again if you do that, without necessarily improving another. Sutter's been good this year, but he can't do everything himself. He's not that caliber of player.

 

[billybudd]

It is pretty ridiculous and it isn't even a Penguins issue. I was watching the Flyers and Giroux would get held multiple times and their would be no calls. The NHL is the only league where the superstars don't get any calls and fringe players get the benefit of the doubt. We've seen this in the playoffs for years.

I did notice that earlier this year. He basically gets mauled out there.

In the refs eyes it's okay to ride Giroux like a donkey because he can hurt you on the scoresheet and there's no great legal way to defend him. But don't you dare trip Dwyer.

It's so backwards.

 

[WayneSid9987]

That's part of it, but it doesn't explain the blatant non-calls we've been seeing.

Thats why i said before theres much more of an in-game element to it.
Sid slams a stick at the ref? In the heat of the moment, those refs aren't gonna do you any favors the rest of the game.

A ticky tacky goalie interference call and the C tries to show you the wrong in your ways? Good luck getting that next call.

Like i said, It's fine for Sid to talk to the refs but what he's doing and what he's actually saying isn't working. Just forget about it and focus on playing the game. Let the coaches/assistants talk to the refs cuz when Sid's doing the talking, it ain't working.

 

[WayneSid9987]

Problem with meritocratic roster decisions at forward is the only guys that merit advancement are either in the top 6 already (Comeau, Hornqvist) or centers (Sutter, probably Ebbett from what limit WBS action I've seen). Megna's not playing any better than Kunitz. Moving faster? Yes. Playing better? No.

Worse, Megna's problem seems to be that he's struggling with the pace of the reads on a line with Sutter. Crosby's the quickest-thinking player in the sport. If Rick Nash can't read the play quick enough to stay on a line with him. Megna would have no chance.

I guess you could try Downie, but you're probably turning the third line into a disaster again if you do that, without necessarily improving another. Sutter's been good this year, but he can't do everything himself. He's not that caliber of player.

Well they're all stop-gaps right now outside of Horny. Kunitz shouldn't be but he's playing like one. Comeau is excelling. Theres really not much difference between Spaling, Kunitz, Downie and there wouldn't be with Megna but he may give you something or excel like Comeau is.

 

[mpp9]

I did notice that earlier this year. He basically gets mauled out there.

In the refs eyes it's okay to ride Giroux like a donkey because he can hurt you on the scoresheet and there's no great legal way to defend him. But don't you dare trip Dwyer.

It's so backwards.

Imagine how Sid and Geno feel without a Voracek on their line.

 

[billybudd]

Imagine how Sid and Geno feel without a Voracek on their line.

I assume Giroux feels worse than them at the moment, considering his nutbag GM has a habit of throwing tables in the locker room after losses and saying none of them have any pride.

 

[Cherpak]

+++ Fleury (could have been a lot worse)
= geno
= sid
-kunitz (by far the laziest penguin out there on the ice tonight. THE DUDE JUST GLIDES AROUND ON THE ICE)
- goc getting injured
- martin
basically not a good game by anyone other than fleury

Really?

He let in two soft goals. He wasn't on his game at all last night.

 

[mpp9]

I assume Giroux feels worse than them at the moment, considering his nutbag GM has a habit of throwing tables in the locker room after losses and saying none of them have any pride.

I only heard him flipping out one time. Has he done it more than once?

 

[billybudd]

I only heard him flipping out one time. Has he done it more than once?

There was something about "hextall after loss" in my twitter feed yesterday, but I don't remember what it was.

 

[golfortennis]

Ridiculous, the Canes got away with several obvious infractions last night as have other teams during the last 9 games. You are going to have to do better then that.

The ironic part about the "refs don't want to put a team a goal down based on their call" stuff is that, by saying that, the refs are trying to "not decide the game." Why is it that no one ever seems to think that refs are deciding the game just as much by *not* calling penalties?

Letting lesser skilled players abuse the rule book in order to mitigate the skill deficit they possess is every much deciding the game as is sending guys to the penalty box.

 

[Shady Machine]

Get the call the first three times hauled down in a game? I haven't looked it up but i doubt that Sid has drawn many penalties in a long time if at all this year let alone three times in a game. You likely could count the calls he drew in the last month on one hand with fingers left over.

Yeah that was just an illustration. I didn't mean in a game even. Just that over time, super stars get biased treatment because refs don't want to call all the infractions from other players trying to stop them.

 

[jstaal]

no

Welcome.

A few weeks ago, I suggested something like Martin and Dumo for Tlusty and Sekera, figuring it gives Carolina a nice D prospect they know and a defenseman they could leverage into a nice return at the deadline (perhaps as much as the other two). With Tlusty scoring the way he is, I'm doubt that's viable.

Thats a crazy deal, sekera top dman with faulk, and Tlusty leading team in goals.. Nice try!

 

[penspenspens]

I like Sid's effort in the last three games, he's fun to watch again. But is it only me, or is his stick-handling/skating with the puck considerably worse than it used to be? He tries to enter the offensive zone with speed, but it seems like he always gets the puck poked away from him nowadays. Would love to see him split the D once in a while.

 

[Dipsy Doodle]

I like Sid's effort in the last three games, he's fun to watch again. But is it only me, or is his stick-handling/skating with the puck considerably worse than it used to be? He tries to enter the offensive zone with speed, but it seems like he always gets the puck poked away from him nowadays. Would love to see him split the D once in a while.

It's because he's always trying to get from Point A to Point B at warp speed. There's not a lot of deception in his game.

 

[penspenspens]

It's because he's always trying to get from Point A to Point B at warp speed. There's not a lot of deception in his game.

Still, he used to get away with that every now and then, or at least tried to skate around the D instead of trying to get in between them. Just seems like he always looses control of the puck when he's trying to do things on his own.