Post-Game Talk: Cole's Plus/Minus: Pens vs. Bs - Eastern Conference #1 Seed!

[TheStinger]

Meh. He's still no Tortorella.

Lol, Torts - A man who could see his team have a 0 penalty to 10 advantage and still find a call the refs missed to complain about.

 

[MtlPenFan]

The lowest that hit went was the upper thigh.

I thought Julien only complained when he lost to the Habs, but now I know better. A lot of the other coaches in the league make me even more proud of DB. He's nothing of not stoic behind the bench.

 

[lastcupever75]

Shows why Philly fans are morons .

you could have just stopped there, stands well on its own

 

[Ray Shero*]

We clinched the conference yet NHL.come doesn't have a Z next to us....

 

[Jacob]

Both teams looked a little sloppy and the 3rd period looked like one of those triple OT games where guys looked really tired. I guess that's understandable given the circumstances.

So considering all that and the fact that they got the win anyway I'm giving a pass to a lot of guys (like 5 of our d-men) that had poor games.

 

[lastcupever75]

+ happy about the deadline moves.

with out them boston is much bigger and tougher then us and would have tried to take advantage of that in a series.

now we're more capable of playing that game

 

[Slabber Chops]

Main +s for me.

+1 - 4 home games in every conference series that the Pens will compete in this season.
+2 - no injuries

 

[Jaded-Fan]

So how about we sit Cooke next game? Hear me out on this: We have nothing to play for at this point, so we could afford to drop him out of the lineup for a game. Meanwhile, it's pretty clear that the obsession with getting revenge on Cooke goes far beyond Sens fans, so why give them the opportunity to vent their frustrations? Let it fester, let it get into their heads. If we play them in the playoffs, it would be a pretty big advantage if the Sens started playing recklessly trying to get revenge for Karlsson, or if Karlsson himself starts looking for revenge. Why give them that chance now when we could use it to our advantage later?

Absolutely sit him. Sit Letang as well.

The Sens ownership organization and fans can be a joke if they want to. We can choose not to get down in the stye with them and play along.

 

[End of Line]

Pretty much followed the game on twitter, happy that we clinched the #1 seed!

 

[Random Oracle]

Is this the first time the Pens have gotten the #1 seed in the conference since '93?

 

[Darth Vitale]

Geno and Sid should be pking in the playoffs. Empty the clip

Completely unnecessary unless we're in a win or golf situation and we're behind. PK opens players up to injury in a big way. None of the big guns should be PK unless our backs are to the wall. We could use Sutter or Kunitz out there if we wanted to add more of a scoring threat.

 

[Killahpunk]

The win against Boston raises Bylsma's coaching record to 199-91-25 in 315 games behind the bench and moved him into position to reach 200 victories sooner than any previous coach.

That distinction is held by Bruce Boudreau, now with Anaheim, who won 200 of his first 326 games.

 

[Jaded-Fan]

The win against Boston raises Bylsma's coaching record to 199-91-25 in 315 games behind the bench and moved him into position to reach 200 victories sooner than any previous coach.

That distinction is held by Bruce Boudreau, now with Anaheim, who won 200 of his first 326 games.

To be fair Bylsma did have Malkin and Crosby during that time. It is like looking around for high fives when you win a poker hand after drawing three aces when the cards are dealt. Your chances were pretty good from the get go.

 

[MrBurghundy]

To be fair Bylsma did have Malkin and Crosby during that time. It is like looking around for high fives when you win a poker hand after drawing three aces when the cards are dealt. Your chances were pretty good from the get go.

Yeah and they were injured for a lot of those games too.

 

[Tender Rip]

I am very happy with this teams resilience and ability to grind out wins, coming from behind in tricky situations.
Yet more happy with the contributions from our new guys, who are all fitting in splendidly.

But before we go agog with joy over the Conference title and 9-0 domination of other top seeds, we have to remember that we should have been several goals down after 25 minutes of this one, and once again got outshot big time. It is not a wonder considering the puck possession guys we are doing without, but we certainly are not dominating play recently.

My biggest worry however is how the defense will shape up for the playoffs, because yesterdays version was TERRIBLE at outletting the puck. So much rests on a good version of Martin coming back, because we are not going to see Despres; Eaton, Engelland, Orpik and Murray are all super dodgy at passing out of defense and Letang based on last night is playing much too careless.
I cannot really see the pairings, and if Bylsma plans to have Martin back with Orpik, I cannot understand why Letang isn't playing with his would be partner now to build chemistry. It doesn't just happen on the blueline.

Then of course there is the PK which was fine last night except for Letang allowing Marchand to walk him. Ultimately when a 34-10-0 team has the 25th best PK in the league, it has to be a worry.

TK was atrocious in this game and must have made one of Bylsma's decisions next week all the easier. Beau hopefully did the same only in the absolute reverse. What an awesome game from him, and same as regards Jussi.

Ultimately I think we had puck luck last night and Vokoun was great when he needed to be. After we scored against the run of play, Boston came to look a bit like the Pens at their worst when facing the Flyers. We won this game because they got undisciplined. Certainly not because we were the better team on the night. But having that capacity is another feather in the cap.

 

[Lamar Latrell]

I'm surprised how little talk there has been of McQuaid's slew-foot on Sutter. It was as bad as it gets.

 

[Ray Shero*]

I'm surprised how little talk there has been of McQuaid's slew-foot on Sutter. It was as bad as it gets.

No but obviously Cooke's hits are the most important since obviously he tries to kill people every time he steps on the ice so every hit he takes is totally deserving of a 4 minute penalty/game misconduct/suspension and whatever the other team does to him is fair game.

Come on, get with the times.

 

[ColePens]

How in the ****ing world does Julien say a damn thing about Jussi when I counted 5 total high sticks from his team. Is he ****ing serious?

I would even call DB out if this happened. That's just complete horse crap. It's embarrassing he can even say that.

 

[ColePens]

Completely unnecessary unless we're in a win or golf situation and we're behind. PK opens players up to injury in a big way. None of the big guns should be PK unless our backs are to the wall. We could use Sutter or Kunitz out there if we wanted to add more of a scoring threat.

I disagree. Chicago uses Toews from time to time. Datsyuk gets PK time. Callahan gets PK time. Giroux is another guy that comes to mind.

You can make the team dangerous on the kill, too. That is scary. I think DB should use them at least one PK per game.

 

[deakka]

Rangers are the only team who scares me out of Rangers, isles, ottawa, and Jets.
Wich ofc means we will get them in the 1st round.

 

[QnebO]

Man the canes GM must feel like an dumb ass. They are even playing part of Jussis salary

 

[steveg]

It has to be Bennett who dresses. Period. End of story.

You've got Cooke, Dupuis, Sutter, and Adams for the PK. It looked like Kunitz was getting some time there. There's always the best FO guy (Sid or now Jokinen) worked in for select situations. I wonder if Kunitz is getting some PK time because his presence there would make Glass completely expendable (which I already think he is, but that's another story ).

Kunitz-Sid-Iggy
Bennett-Geno-Neal
Morrow-Jokinen/Sutter-Dupuis
Cooke-Sutter/Jokinen-Adams

Slot Jokinen with Geno and Neal in key situations. Sneak Sid/Geno out for a shift every now and then in Adams spot.

Can this be any more obvious?

KIRK -- your post above, and several others you made in this thread, could not be more correct, IMO. I fully agree with you.

A few things -- one, someone earlier in this thread said that these lines are like two first lines and two third lines, with one of these "third lines" a bit more of a "defensive" line, and the other one a bit more of a "scoring" line, which I agree with. I think slotting Jokinen at C with Morrow and Dupuis makes that a pretty dangerous scoring "third line," and Sutter at C with Cooke and Adams makes that a very good defensive "third line," that STILL can score you some big goals. With those two lines as your "third" and "fourth," there is NO REASON, IMO, to dress Glass or TK or Jeffrey -- and then as much as I like Vitale as a 4th line center, Dupers showing ability to play center as well (if Jokinen is on Geno's left and BB at wing on line 3) means he isn't in the top 12 either. These top 12 players (Kunitz-Sid-Iggy/Bennett-Malkin-Neal/Morrow-Jokinen-Dupuis/Cooke-Sutter-Adams) are a SUPERB top 12, and as has been said -- AS LONG AS these are the top 12 AND Iggy is NOT on Malkin's line with Neal, then you can't go wrong IMO.

Seeing Bennett's minutes increasing here recently along with seeing him at times on the top PP of late, AND THEN -- seeing him do nothing but get better and better and continue to be very, very visible in a positive way AS HE IS BEING GIVEN the increased minutes/responsibility, would suggest to me (as shocked as I am to say this) that he has finally won DB over (as others have suggested), with a permanent spot in the lineup (even for the playoffs).

I also agree that seeing so many different PK combos suggests that some guys DB may not have been willing to sit, are finally about to sit.

Finally, with Iggy and Kunitz playing together so much recently, and with Duper and Morrow playing so much together recently (EVEN THOUGH these pairings have been forced by injury), and with these pairs playing well together, I have to believe it is at least possible we just might see DB keep these as 2/3 of Sid's line, and 2/3 of our third line, when the playoffs come (fingers crossed!)

TK was atrocious in this game and must have made one of Bylsma's decisions next week all the easier. Beau hopefully did the same only in the absolute reverse. What an awesome game from him, and same as regards Jussi.

Agreed totally. I really, really thought BB had a SUPER game (one of many, recently), and that TK was HORRIBLE. In a game against one of the top seeds in the east, with a chance to clinch the conference (i.e. a big game, against big competition), to see BB play SO SUPERBLY and TK play SO HORRIBLY -- I have to believe this sealed the deal of BB playing and TK sitting to start the playoffs.

Very good job today, for the most part, in a tough/emotional environment against a good team, without four of our top players. Very good, all considered.

+first seed!
+Ray Shero (how many of the past several games are NOT wins, without the new additions?)
+Beau
+Iggy
+Dupuis
+Letang, offensively
+Juicy
+Vokoun

-TK
-REFS!
-Boston announcers (even though Edwards did apologize for his Cooke comments, those guys were TERRIBLE all game)
-Julien...he should be thoroughly embarrassed for his post game comments...

LGP!!

 

[steveg]

Man the canes GM must feel like an dumb ass. They are even playing part of Jussis salary

This, plus what they got from them in the Jordan Staal trade...

Add all of that together WOW...Sutter, Dumoulin, Pouliot (1st round, #8 pick), and Jussi (at partial salary), for Staal and a conditional 6th/7th round pick? The Pens have sort of "pillaged" the Hurricanes over the past year...I almost feel bad...

 

[MeticulouslyDishevel]

- Finding out that Jack Edwards only apologized about his Matt Cooke comment after Ray Shero chewed him out between periods.

(I can't link to the articles on my phone, but this was reported in both the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette and the Trib).

 

[madinsomniac]

This, plus what they got from them in the Jordan Staal trade...

Add all of that together WOW...Sutter, Dumoulin, Pouliot (1st round, #8 pick), and Jussi (at partial salary), for Staal and a conditional 6th/7th round pick? The Pens have sort of "pillaged" the Hurricanes over the past year...I almost feel bad...

But in the canes eyes they did get the better overall player in JS and JJ wasnt a fit there and they gained the cap space that allowed the Semin signing... JJ would have been banished for cap purposes regardless... may have even been a buyout. This way they got something for nothing and also didnt have to pay his full tab...