Post-Game Talk: Cole's Plus/Minus: POWERPLAY GOALS, ZAR, EMPTY NETTERS

[Andy99]

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so Ceci and Matheson were our only “good” players..lol

 

[KIRK]

Do you actually think they are going to move Zucker? I think Hextall/Burke/Sullivan would rather move on from Malkin.

They very well might. It certainly is one explanation for Sullivan attaching Zucker to Malkin's hip.

The great irony, of course, is that the Zucker/Malkin combo and goaltending are the two red flags with this team.

 

[Tom Hanks]

 

[Pittsburgh1776]

Holy overreaction Batman!

I don't think that it is, it's been a major problem under Sullivan and it was under Bylsma. Malkin's potential is wasted under this coach, who consistently watches his line flail around and does almost nothing to change it. You can't pay 9.5 for that.

 

[chethejet]

Good win. Style points aside, Pens are getting healthy on D and Cici who I liked due to his RH shot, size and if you keep his minutes in check, he is very serviceable. Matheson despite many who tanked the deal does bring needed skill to the back end and if the coaches can keep him moving in the right direction, he can be good second pairing D man. POJ is hit a little wall here and will go back to the cab squad when Petts is back,

 

[vodeni]

Geno with the lowest TOI probably in his career...just when you think it can't go worse....
anyways...First line awesome
third line really really good, bet game of the season,
second line remains terrible

with all his faults this is the best TJ's game...first time over 90% and over 80% on HDSF

If our weak links on defense are Ceci and Matheson, we are in good shape, I wish 58 and 6 pick up a bit, Marino wasn't bad tonight, Tanger with a few headscratching plays but also with a few really good plays...

 

[Hank Plank]

 

[KIRK]

I can’t see them trading Zucker.

Then the Penguins are in trouble where the coach insists on playing him with Malkin.

One of them will have to go, sooner rather than later preferably.

 

[OnMyOwn]

Nvm

 

[AuroraBorealis]

Guys I'm just gonna say it. Don't hate me for it.

I don't miss ERod on the 1st line whatsoever.

 

[KareemTrustfund]

Malkin looked like he had some jump in at the beginning ... but yikes with that effort on the third goal

Sid was EXCELLENT

Matheson was great both sides of the ice.


Jarry.. eh he wasn’t good , but he did make a save every now and again

 

[Pittsburgh1776]

Nah. He deserves to retire here. I’m not gonna bail on the guy that absolutely carried us for several years because he’s finally getting old. Call him out, sure. But demand he be gone? No thanks.

I think he does too. I'm not demanding he be gone, at all. I'm saying the coach doesn't trust him and doesn't value what he can bring to the team, and we are paying too much money to have a superstar be a third consideration behind lines 1 and 3.

 

[DesertedPenguin]

Trade Malkin? You are an idiot.

Now trade Zucker, that makes a lot more sense. There is nothing I have seen from Zucker that indicates he is currently a top 6 player in the NHL. On this team, I am not sure Zucker is even an improvement on our L4 wingers. Trading Zucker improves the Penguins more than any other move.

Jason Zucker is on pace for 25+ goals in an 82-game season as a Penguin.

But he's not a top six player.

Yeah, OK.

Is he playing well right now? No. But he hasn't even played 40 games in a Penguins uniform.

All of this Zucker talk reminds me of how quick people were ready to ditch James Neal after the Penguins first acquired him, when he scored one goal in his first 20 regular season games.

 

[Tom Hanks]

so Ceci and Matheson were our only “good” players..lol

L1 & L3 were good.

 

[MeinerEiner]

There’s one interesting stat. The Pens had 14 blocks after the 1st period and finished the game with 17! What happened that they stopped blocking shots?

 

[mpp9]

Zucker ain’t working with Malkin. Something’s gotta give there.

 

[PensandCaps]

Guys I'm just gonna say it. Don't hate me for it.

I don't miss ERod on the 1st line whatsoever.

Erod >>>>>>>> Lafferty

 

[Andy99]

Not throwing shade at this win, because I’m happy about it. But is anyone else largely unimpressed with Washington? I think they’re the worst team the Pens have played just far. Even the NYR impressed me more.

they definitely have the worst D and goaltending out of the other teams we’ve seen so far in the division (excepting the Pens)

 

[OnMyOwn]

Jason Zucker is on pace for 25+ goals in an 82-game season as a Penguin.

But he's not a top six player.

Yeah, OK.

Is he playing well right now? No. But he hasn't even played 40 games in a Penguins uniform.

All of this Zucker talk reminds me of how quick people were ready to ditch James Neal after the Penguins first acquired him, when he scored one goal in his first 20 regular season games.

I don’t think Zucker is a problem at all. His play for this team has been largely excellent. That line is just a mess.

 

[PensandCaps]

Zucker ain’t working with Malkin. Something’s gotta give there.

The obvious thing to do is swap LWs.

Zucker played great with Sid, Guentzel played great with Malkin...Its a win - win.

But for some reason it has never been tried since

I'm guessing Sid wants Guentzel.

 

[TooManyHumans]

That third period was fun. And I think it might have been the first time that the Penguins looked like a team that knew what it wanted to do.

 

[Pittsburgh1776]

Malkin 12:02 EV. Teddy Blueger 14 minutes EV.

 

[AuroraBorealis]

Erod >>>>>>>> Lafferty

Sure, but after much deliberation I have to give the edge to Rust over Erod.

 

[DesertedPenguin]

The obvious thing to do is swap LWs.

Zucker played great with Sid, Guentzel played great with Malkin...Its a win - win.

But for some reason it has never been tried since

I'm guessing Sid wants Guentzel.

Or maybe everyone and their grandmother recognizes that Guentzel-Crosby-Rust works extremely well. Why break something to try to improve another area?

 

[dogthateats]

Reading the Ceci signing thread is sad. He is signed for 1 year at $1.25m. So many know-it-alls who suck at evaluating players.