Post-Game Talk: Cole's Plus/Minus: Pens vs. Leafs - Armageddon at 2-1-0

[hctopcheds11]

Surprised to see so many down on Crosbys performance. He made some crappy passes early on but was very good in the 2nd and 3rd.

I have a feeling 87, 71 and 18 are gonna have a lot of late game heroics playing together. Every shift this year those three have has the opposition is holding on for dear life.

 

[Crafton]

The game was indeed both funky and cold.

points to you.

 

[eXile59]

Come on, folks. This is one regular season meaningless game. Don't get caught up in drama. Don't let 1 or 2 trolls get ya.

It's good to need to work on something. We are still 2-1 and got Winnipeg and Ottawa coming up.

It's not just one game. The stuff they did tonight was the same exact stuff they did to get knocked out against the Flyers. It's the same team.

How many times did Sid & Geno going East to West end up with the play going the other way? Hopefully this is a wake up call for them. All the talent in the world won't make up for playing the game wrong.

 

[Hophog]

+ early enough in the season to have time to figure out whatever it is the referees deem a penalty

- by the time they figure it out the rules will have changed again and everything they stopped doing will then be legal for other teams to do against them.

 

[Ragamuffin Gunner]

MAF and Sid are the only two players who played somewhat well.

I really can not believe that Kunitz hit Reimer w/ that open net in the 3rd. He HAS to put that in.

 

[KIRK]

This x10. Tangradi wasn't playing great at all. It was a bad night for him. It's probably the worst I've ever seen him play. Changing line mates several times isn't going to help the situation.

When he put his head down and skated outside with what was becoming a developing 2 on 1, I was absolutely steamed. Not because I wanted the kid to fail. No. Because I said to myself 'here you go, Geno's busting up ice, Tangradi will see him and make a sweet pass, and he'll just take off with Geno and Neal from there'. It didn't happen. IMO, that put him on thin ice. When he failed to dump on what became a goal against, it took him off it.

I'm not saying that's fair, but it is what it is.

 

[KaylaJ]

Like someone else noted, it was like deja vu of last year where they just get derpy and don't recover from it. Quite a few passengers tonight with no engine.

 

[domaug*]

The biggest PLUS of the night:

To Jiggy, mpp9, me, and all of the other people here who insist that Nikolai Kulemin would be well worth the overpayment it would take to get him.

I couldn't give a **** if that kid scores 7 goals or 30 goals. He's big. He wins battles for the puck. He's fast for his size. His positioning is awesome. And anyone who thinks that isn't the kid to complete the Geno and Neal line is nuts.

when that overpayment comes in the form of making another hole on this team, though, i turn that trade down 10 times out of 10. (not that a lot of the offers have gone that way, but still)

 

[KIRK]

QUESTION FOR COLE AND ALL THE OTHER GUYS WHO KNOW A LOT MORE ABOUT HOCKEY HERE:

Is it against the rules for a home ice coach to dictate matchups?

 

[hctopcheds11]

MAF and Sid are the only two players who played somewhat well.

I really can not believe that Kunitz hit Reimer w/ that open net in the 3rd. He HAS to put that in.

Yeah that was a big play. Forgot about that until you mentioned it. Sid chipped to Duper and he came out the same side right?

 

[KIRK]

when that overpayment comes in the form of making another hole on this team, though, i turn that trade down 10 times out of 10. (not that a lot of the offers have gone that way, but still)

If you say so . . .

EDIT: Let me be blunt. On the Pens, Kulemin would be the team's 4th best forward. That's the type of kid you WANT for the playoffs.

 

[Marns]

- Pens cost me $10
- I live in Toronto

 

[cheesedanish87]

Surprised to see so many down on Crosbys performance. He made some crappy passes early on but was very good in the 2nd and 3rd.

I have a feeling 87, 71 and 18 are gonna have a lot of late game heroics playing together. Every shift this year those three have has the opposition is holding on for dear life.

I thought overall sid had a good game but for some reason he keeps on trying to make these crazy passes through players and he ends up passing right to the other team it looks really bad.

 

[Jaded-Fan]

 

[KIRK]

+Vitale, Niskanen

- Everything else

Extra MINUS to the refs and crowd

Joe Vitale doesn't need to be given a plus. That's a given.

BTW, I'd add Simon Despres. I can NOT say the say for his partner.

 

[domaug*]

If you say so . . .

EDIT: Let me be blunt. On the Pens, Kulemin would be the team's 4th best forward. That's the type of kid you WANT for the playoffs.

he would, but i doubt he's available unless the Pens overpay significantly out of their comfort zone.

 

[hctopcheds11]

If you say so . . .

EDIT: Let me be blunt. On the Pens, Kulemin would be the team's 4th best forward. That's the type of kid you WANT for the playoffs.

You know it's funny but if Kulemin were Canadian and hadn't played with Geno in the past, it wouldn't shock ,e if he wasn't put on the list of Crosbys dream wingers. Love his speed game...

 

[66-30-33]

Meh, **** happens! but wtf???? Toronto owns us....pathetic!

 

[Ogrezilla]

when that overpayment comes in the form of making another hole on this team, though, i turn that trade down 10 times out of 10. (not that a lot of the offers have gone that way, but still)

it obviously would depend on the cost. I doubt it matters; my guess is he isn't even available.

 

[eXile59]

Tangradi is just never going to be anything other than an average 5 on 5 player. If he's going to put up any kind of production at this level it's going to be on the PP & that doesn't seem like something Bylsma is willing to do. He would rather put Dupuis out there, who for all his many great attributes, is not a PP player.

 

[KIRK]

he would, but i doubt he's available unless the Pens overpay significantly out of their comfort zone.

You mean the comfort zone here of some folks of Tangradi and a 2nd?

 

[gordie]

QUESTION FOR COLE AND ALL THE OTHER GUYS WHO KNOW A LOT MORE ABOUT HOCKEY HERE:

Is it against the rules for a home ice coach to dictate matchups?

"Disco Dan" doesn't want anything to mess with his genius-level switching of defensive pairings. He is the smartest boy after all coaching in any NHL arena.

 

[Sivek]

Engelland play bad enough that I bet the coaching staff is going to with the swollen eye/broken face excuse to sit him out next game for Bortuzzo/Lovejoy.

 

[Pancakes]

4 minutes of playing time for Tangradi. I think he's done. Bylsma doesn't have a vision for what kind of player he is & in this league if you don't kill penalties or play on a PP unit you are the odd man out.

We miss Staals offense. Sutter just doesn't have that aspect to his game.

There's really no reason the Pens shouldn't just try Bennett or Jeffrey there. Bennett looked better in camp than Tangradi but got screwed because he doesn't have to go through waivers.

 

[IcedCapp]

You know it's funny but if Kulemin were Canadian and hadn't played with Geno in the past, it wouldn't shock ,e if he wasn't put on the list of Crosbys dream wingers. Love his speed game...

I don't believe the people saying they want Kulemin want him for Crosby. Need to surround Geno with as much talent as possible first, then worry about Crosby.