Post-Game Talk: Cole's Plus/Minus: Pens/Habs Game 1

[PensandCaps]

If Letang was half as good as some of you on here think he is. Pens should easily have 5-6 Cups by now. Two generational talents at center. One guy considered the best in the league majority of his career. The other Top 5-10. What other team has had this?? Always had elite scorers surrounded by them too. Fleury and Letang cost them Championships and weren't as good as fans wish they were. Won a cup without both of them too. No coincidence.

If only hockey worked that way.

 

[PensandCaps]

Woah he shut down Dale Weise twice!

Missing the point.

 

[LOGiK]

Maybe he shouldn't be making really stupid plays to get benched, then. He's a soon to be 27 year old defenseman that has shown nothing in the NHL, what has he done to warrant more rope than what the coaching staff has already given him?

The love that Riikola gets among Penguins fans doesn't seem logical to me at all. He's a depth defenseman that the coaching staff doesn't trust due to his regular mistakes. He has never shown to be an effective defenseman in the NHL. I know a lot of the love is "he's not Jack Johnson", but he himself isn't a good player. He has never shown anything in NHL usage to suggest that he's an effective player. So like I said, I'd much rather see if Ruhwedel can play LD over seeing if Riikola can give okay results while getting NHL caliber matchups.

I get that Rii gets passed over, but I do not get this 'he makes regular mistakes' and never shown to be effective. That is just ludicrous to say that.

You're just pulling this out of your butt. Time and time again he'd get his chance at a game and some of us here would be glued to the guy watching to see how he handles himself and I shit you not... he handled himself adequately, time and time again.

It'd be a lot of work to find a gdt with him during a time he got play only to get benched again shortly after... you'd be hard pressed to find these mistakes he 'continuously makes' according to your description of the guys game.

 

[Empoleon8771]

I get that Rii gets passed over, but I do not get this 'he makes regular mistakes' and never shown to be effective. That is just ludicrous to say that.

You're just pulling this out of your butt. Time and time again he'd get his chance at a game and some of us here would be glued to the guy watching to see how he handles himself and I shit you not... he handled himself adequately, time and time again.

It'd be a lot of work to find a gdt with him during a time he got play only to get benched again shortly after... you'd be hard pressed to find these mistakes he 'continuously makes' according to your description of the guys game.

If I'm just pulling this stuff out of my butt, why does the coaching staff agree with me?

This website doesn't see those mistakes because it's not good at evaluating defensive talent. Want to know how I have proof of that? Riikola made one of those heinously bad defensive plays in one of the scrimmages and no one commented on it. Riikola made a downright nonsensical decision to attempt to lay a hit on the puck carrier on a 3 on 1 after a POJ turnover, which resulted in a 2 on 0. No one in the GDT commented on it, and I only saw @ColePens mention Riikola's defensive adventures after either that scrimmage or the next scrimmage.

This website can see obvious ones like turnovers, bad pinches and such, but when it comes to positioning, stick work and anticipation, it's just bad at evaluating it. ZAR is another good example of it, but in both ways. People on here regularly say ZAR is terrible and refuse to believe the defensive analytics and eye test that say he's great defensively, but most people also didn't criticize ZAR on either the 1st or 3rd goal last night when he made horrible defensive plays.

 

[LOGiK]

If I'm just pulling this stuff out of my butt, why does the coaching staff agree with me?

This website doesn't see those mistakes because it's not good at evaluating defensive talent. Want to know how I have proof of that? Riikola made one of those heinously bad defensive plays in one of the scrimmages and no one commented on it. Riikola made a downright nonsensical decision to attempt to lay a hit on the puck carrier on a 3 on 1 after a POJ turnover, which resulted in a 2 on 0. No one in the GDT commented on it, and I only saw @ColePens mention Riikola's defensive adventures after either that scrimmage or the next scrimmage.

This website can see obvious ones like turnovers, bad pinches and such, but when it comes to positioning, stick work and anticipation, it's just bad at evaluating it. ZAR is another good example of it, but in both ways. People on here regularly say ZAR is terrible and refuse to believe the defensive analytics and eye test that say he's great defensively, but most people also didn't criticize ZAR on either the 1st or 3rd goal last night when he made horrible defensive plays.

SCRIMMAGE???

 

[ColePens]

Riikola hasn't earned the trust of the coaches. Very talented guy but his positioning is questionable. I love the dude, but he's an adventure. Every single thing coaches hated about Despres is what people will hate about Riiko.

Does that mean JJ should get every chance? No...but honestly Ruh deserves a spot before Riiko and nobody is grabbing the job. It's like they allllll want to piss it to one another.

But putting riiko in for JJ really doesn't alter a single damn thing.

 

[LOGiK]

Riikola hasn't earned the trust of the coaches. Very talented guy but his positioning is questionable. I love the dude, but he's an adventure. Every single thing coaches hated about Despres is what people will hate about Riiko.

Does that mean JJ should get every chance? No...but honestly Ruh deserves a spot before Riiko and nobody is grabbing the job. It's like they allllll want to piss it to one another.

But putting riiko in for JJ really doesn't alter a single damn thing.

So what about JJ's positioning?

If that is whats questionable about Riikola how do you justify going with JJ.

 

[Bingo71]

Whats getting real old is Mark Recchi's PP schemes.

He has schemes???

Could’ve fooled me...

 

[dogthateats]

 

[DearDiary]

Johnson looked like a tractor trailer every time he had to switch from back to forward skating after a dump in. Like he was expecting a carry in and he needed a second to process that the unthinkable happened.

 

[Bingo71]

Sheary didn’t get a shot on net there, nor on the ensuing PS.

1st line material!

 

[TNT87]

When Sid shot that I thought for certain it was going to be a goal.

 

[DearDiary]

Wouldn't have counted anyways. Price was in the crease and Sheary dragged him out with his skate

 

[dogthateats]

When Sid shot that I thought for certain it was going to be a goal.

I think he missed the whole net. It is a little tough to tell, but I paused the gif a bunch of times. There was a lot of traffic in front of the net so if he shot it at the right angle it still may have missed.

 

[ncm7772]

I'm so mad, I am going to unfollow the Pens on instagram and make up comments while I'm at a cafe about me not being someone else.

Ok, well played on that one.

 

[dogthateats]

Wouldn't have counted anyways. Price was in the crease and Sheary dragged him out with his skate

This is a good point.

 

[Honour Over Glory]

I know this subject is overdone and cliche, but what was Murray doing with his glove on that far side snipe? Since when do you catch pucks like that? He played okay, but that sticks out to me.

Trade mark Murray move.

 

[Pittsburgh1776]

If I'm just pulling this stuff out of my butt, why does the coaching staff agree with me?

This website doesn't see those mistakes because it's not good at evaluating defensive talent. Want to know how I have proof of that? Riikola made one of those heinously bad defensive plays in one of the scrimmages and no one commented on it. Riikola made a downright nonsensical decision to attempt to lay a hit on the puck carrier on a 3 on 1 after a POJ turnover, which resulted in a 2 on 0. No one in the GDT commented on it, and I only saw @ColePens mention Riikola's defensive adventures after either that scrimmage or the next scrimmage.

This website can see obvious ones like turnovers, bad pinches and such, but when it comes to positioning, stick work and anticipation, it's just bad at evaluating it. ZAR is another good example of it, but in both ways. People on here regularly say ZAR is terrible and refuse to believe the defensive analytics and eye test that say he's great defensively, but most people also didn't criticize ZAR on either the 1st or 3rd goal last night when he made horrible defensive plays.

Cool. We've lost 7 straight playoff games. Haven't looked really good for an extended stretch since 2017. I think the coaching staff sees a lot of things in some people and has serious blindspots also.

 

[LOGiK]

Trade mark Murray move.

This for real?

 

[Ugene Magic]

Wouldn't have counted anyways. Price was in the crease and Sheary dragged him out with his skate

Incidental contact. The puck was there, and there was already a penalty/penalty shot being called. His motion (Price) also took him in that direction sliding to cover the play. He was already sliding before Sheary ever touched him.

 

[Al Smith]

Sheary didn’t get a shot on net there, nor on the ensuing PS.

1st line material!

I wonder if anyone thought in that few seconds after he broke free and before he lost the puck that he was really going to score.

 

[Gurglesons]

This for real?

I mean, dude posted an unhinged, profanity ridden novel about how he hates Murray as a person. So, I dunno.

 

[LOGiK]

@Honour Over Glory

Sooooo..... what you rather do

trade murry for non goalie return? qualify offer him? Keep him for 3.75?
Murray - Jarry?
Jarry - Murray?
Jarry - DeS ?

 

[PensPlz]

I wonder if anyone thought in that few seconds after he broke free and before he lost the puck that he was really going to score.

 

[LOGiK]

I mean, dude posted an unhinged, profanity ridden novel about how he hates Murray as a person. So, I dunno.

I have been watching hockey all day, but I managed to post today fairly often.
I saw that. Figured it was not sarcastic, but ya never know.

I have two games on right now on two different screens. My head is literally swinging back and forth.