Post-Game Talk: Cole's Plus/Minus: Congratulations Sidney Crosby!! (1000th Game)

[Shady Machine]

Incorrect. Kapanen is a 40 pt player, young, and on a very team friendly deal. 1st and marginal prospect costs that all day, all week, all month.

You have to factor in that trade causing the deferral of the other 1st which could end up being lottery.

Also, my point wasn’t specific about Kap, but rather all of the changes made since the last cup win ending up with a bunch of moves that amounted to nothing.

 

[Pittsburgh1776]

Guarantee Kappy is the first player out of the top six for the remainder of the season.

I’ve seen this song and dance enough with Sullivan.

Maybe he doesn't have the hockey IQ to be a top six player.

 

[Gurglesons]

Maybe he doesn't have the hockey IQ to be a top six player.

But Brandon Tanev and Lafferty deserves top nine spots over him?

Our coach is a favorite playing dumbass at this point.

Once again, I would be fine with Kapanen getting dropped to L3 last night. To act like he was some negative influence out there and Lafferty was getting the team’s juices going is just f***ing pathetic.

 

[Gurglesons]

You have to factor in that trade causing the deferral of the other 1st which could end up being lottery.

Also, my point wasn’t specific about Kap, but rather all of the changes made since the last cup win ending up with a bunch of moves that amounted to nothing.

Kappy and Zucker are being butchered by Sullivan’s usage.

The Pens were never giving up that 1st so I’m whatever about it.

 

[Pittsburgh1776]

But Brandon Tanev and Lafferty deserves top nine spots over him?

Our coach is a favorite playing dumbass at this point.

A two-Cup winning coach who has had great success isn't a dumbass, though he is stubborn and attached to grinders. I can't blame him too much. Grinders are easy to like, hard working, simple, and undramatic. They do a lot of the little things. It isn't a permanent bench. It was one period because Kapanen sucked. He hasn't earned a mulligan. Sullivan made the right decision and we won.

 

[DesertedPenguin]

Nice. Glad Sullivan is willing to give Zucker 20+ games to suck ass with Malkin but Kapanen gets 1 game of not producing and gets demoted to L4.

Jason Zucker season - 4 goals, 3 assists in 16 games; 27 shots on goal; 40 hits; 8 blocks.
Kasperi Kapanen season - 2 goals, 5 assists in 13 games; 23 shots on goal; 14 hits; 4 blocks.

Most importantly, last few games - Kapanen has just hits. I don't like the stat. It varies too much from team to team, stat crew to stat crew. But in this case, I think it's indicative of his play. He's struggling. He's not playing the way he does when he's at his best - using his body, playing fast, causing havoc, and turning that into offense.

Zucker isn't producing, but he's throwing his body around, getting in on the forecheck. His issue isn't effort or discipline, but simply producing. He and Kapanen are both at their best when they're using their speed and grit to their advantage. Zucker is still doing it, Kapanen has not.

 

[Gurglesons]

A two-Cup winning coach who has had great success isn't a dumbass, though he is stubborn and attached to grinders. I can't blame him too much. Grinders are easy to like, hard working, simple, and undramatic. They do a lot of the little things. It isn't a permanent bench. It was one period because Kapanen sucked. He hasn't earned a mulligan. Sullivan made the right decision and we won.

I saw nothing stemming from coaching resulting in our win last night. It was individual efforts ala 13-14 PIT. Matheson, Letang and Crosby won the game last night. Not benching Kapanen.

 

[Gurglesons]

Jason Zucker season - 4 goals, 3 assists in 16 games; 27 shots on goal; 40 hits; 8 blocks.
Kasperi Kapanen season - 2 goals, 5 assists in 13 games; 23 shots on goal; 14 hits; 4 blocks.

Most importantly, last few games - Kapanen has just hits. I don't like the stat. It varies too much from team to team, stat crew to stat crew. But in this case, I think it's indicative of his play. He's struggling. He's not playing the way he does when he's at his best - using his body, playing fast, causing havoc, and turning that into offense.

Zucker isn't producing, but he's throwing his body around, getting in on the forecheck. His issue isn't effort or discipline, but simply producing. He and Kapanen are both at their best when they're using their speed and grit to their advantage. Zucker is still doing it, Kapanen has not.

So we should bench him, move him around lines every two games and expect him to have success right?

Isn’t PKing a huge part of his game from TOR. Why is he not getting that?

It’s because Sullivan doesn’t like him. We’ve seen this enough. I’ve defended Sully in the past, but he’s lost any good will I had for him last night. That was just absolute bullshit coaching.

 

[Pittsburgh1776]

I saw nothing stemming from coaching resulting in our win last night. It was individual efforts ala 13-14 PIT. Matheson, Letang and Crosby won the game last night. Not benching Kapanen.

Ok. You're just as biased as Sullivan in your own way. You can argue about whether the goals would have happened with Kapanen but they DID happen without him. Even Malkin has been benched before. Kapanen will survive.

 

[Gurglesons]

Ok. You're just as biased as Sullivan in your own way. You can argue about whether the goals would have happened with Kapanen but they DID happen without him. Even Malkin has been benched before. Kapanen will survive.

I’m sure he will survive it just shows how out of touch Sullivan is as a coach with his roster.

 

[Big Friggin Dummy]

I have always maintained that Kap's best fit is at 3RW. He's perfect for the role, but we paid top dollar to land him and we're hellbent on playing him in a top-6 role. I don't think he's been bad, nor do I think Zucker's been bad for that matter, but I don't think Kap specifically is best suited to be on a scoring line.

But, that's the reality. Again, it all depends on Sid and Geno. If they're at their best, things are fine. If they're not, and we have to lean on any of our wingers--Jake and Rust included--to be the driving force on those lines, we're in deep shit.

 

[DesertedPenguin]

So we should bench him, move him around lines every two games and expect him to have success right?

Isn’t PKing a huge part of his game from TOR. Why is he not getting that?

It’s because Sullivan doesn’t like him. We’ve seen this enough. I’ve defended Sully in the past, but he’s lost any good will I had for him last night. That was just absolute bullshit coaching.

Kapanen spent a couple games getting his feet wet and then spent every game with Malkin and Zucker until the recent flip of him and Rust. He's not getting jerked around. It was one game where he got benched.

He's not PKing because the Pens have largely rotated through four forwards on the PK - Tanev, Blueger, Jankowski, Aston-Reese, with Sceviour in early in the season. Even Rust isn't PKing.

 

[Tom Hanks]

It’s not one message. Since day one Sullivan has been pulling stupid shit with Kapanen on L4 and Rodrigues on L1.

It’s pretty obvious the coach doesn’t like him and at this point I’m sick and tired of Sullivan’s bullshit playing favorites on guys who have no talent but play safe and hit.

Are you arguing against Sullivan or yourself?

 

[Gurglesons]

Are you arguing against Sullivan or yourself?

Not sure how those two statements are the same.

Sully didn’t ease Kapanen in. He basically forced him into a bottom six role and then only changed it when Rodrigues was hurt.

 

[Tom Hanks]

Not sure how those two statements are the same.

Sully didn’t ease Kapanen in. He basically forced him into a bottom six role and then only changed it when Rodrigues was hurt.

So he didn’t ease him in by playing him in the bottom 6 in the first few games.

Are we on the Gravitron because there is so much spin here?

 

[Gurglesons]

So he didn’t ease him in by playing him in the bottom 6 in the first few games.

Are we on the Gravitron because there is so much spin here?

Kk. Kapanen has been a trainwreck and Sullivan is really pushing the right buttons on this team lately.

You guys are right.

 

[Tom Hanks]

Kk. Kapanen has been a trainwreck and Sullivan is really pushing the right buttons on this team lately.

You guys are right.

Not sure what that’s got to do with anything.

I was just pointing out your comment about saying Kappy’s use from day 1 was bad and you even said he should be eased in.

The first 2 games he was in the bottom 6 but played about a third of his even strength time with Sid or Geno. That seems very reasonable from a coaching point of view using a player who’s conditioning needed some work.

 

[Gurglesons]

Not sure what that’s got to do with anything.

I was just pointing out your comment about saying Kappy’s use from day 1 was bad and you even said he should be eased in.

The first 2 games he was in the bottom 6 but played about a third of his even strength time with Sid or Geno. That seems very reasonable from a coaching point of view using a player who’s conditioning needed some work.

He played like 5 minutes with Crosby at 5v5 prior to being moved to that line for a game and a handful of minutes.

Whatever, if you want to nitpick me that’s fine.

Do you think Kapanen is getting a fair shake right now by this coach?

Even Pensburgh pointed it out.

 

[BHD]

Okay, we complain about Sullivan in the coaching thread and push for Kapanen in the roster thread.