Post-Game Talk: Cole's Plus/Minus: The Steel CurTEN is Streaking!!!

[ColePens]

Flower has allowed only 2 goals in his past 3 games. Let's hope he can keep that going.

Obviously the defense has been much better as well though.

Kudos to the defense for sure. But when Fleury plays a simple game, he reaches new levels. When he flops around too much he lets the bad ones in.

 

[Mr Jiggyfly]

Fair enough. I remember watching it live and being frustrated that he didn't handle that pass very well. I just re-watched it on the DVR to see what you were saying though and it certainly wasn't a puck he could have one-timed. He had to reach back a bit to stop it, settle it down and then try to shoot it. Not easy to do. My apologies to Beau.

I was laughing when I watched that replay on NHL tonight...

I forget who was commentating the highlights, but he said "nice play by Bennett to get it to Crosby there"

Meanwhile back in reality, BB tried to grab a hard pass behind him and fumbled it some, so Crosby was like, uh, ya let me help you out there kid...

That's the easiest helper BB will ever get in his career. Any of us literally could of had an assist on that play, that's how bad it was.

 

[WVP]

I think Beau Bennett is a complete player. Awesome instincts offensively, committed defensively, and engaging physically. Once he catches up to the speed of the game, and he gets to the point where things slow down for him to the point where he can really create...we're going to have an awesome winger on our hands.

It's happening, he's getting much more confident with the puck and he's actively trying to get it back (a real sign of confidence). It's already at the point where I want the puck on his stick (among others obviously) when we need something to happen.

Admittedly I hadn't seen Bennett play much at all before the NHL but I am borderline shocked at how complete he is. You hear about a roller hockey guy and think the worst. But dude comes out with the puck after pretty much every battle on the boards and is responsible in all 3 zones.

Pretty damn happy to have Neal, Bennett and likely Kunitz for a few more years in the top 6. I'll leave Dupuis out of this conversation!

 

[Le Magnifique 66]

Fleury is playing better and better and it's coming at the right time

You get a lot of heat here Flower but keep it up

 

[WVP]

And to further your point - Neal looked amazing in 2 shifts with Sutter. How is this not showing up on film?

And Sutter is actually a pretty shifty playmaker. I've noticed many times where he's made a quick little move to open up a passing lane, and then made a crisp pass.

Sutter's obviously better than Jeffrey in every way but I can see DB's thought process here. Basically keeping everything else in tact, and Jeffrey "should" be able to do spot duty on a 2nd line.

 

[Shady Machine]

And Sutter is actually a pretty shifty playmaker. I've noticed many times where he's made a quick little move to open up a passing lane, and then made a crisp pass.

Sutter's obviously better than Jeffrey in every way but I can see DB's thought process here. Basically keeping everything else in tact, and Jeffrey "should" be able to do spot duty on a 2nd line.

And honestly, Jeffrey's been fine. The chemistry isn't there, but it's not like he's killing plays while Bennett and Neal are tearing it up. Neal has been far too ghostly lately. I barely noticed him in this game. Bennett and Jeffrey were far more noticeable in a positive way. Some of this has to be put on Neal.

That said, it's amazing how much of an influence Geno has on Neal. They quoted a stat that in the last game Geno played, Neal had 7 shots. Since that game, Neal has had a total of 9 shots. Unbelievable.

 

[spcastlemagic]

I think people forget how sick Goligoski could be when he was on. If you watch Dallas games the skating and passing are still there, just not the supporting cast.

 

[AquaticBirdman]

Have to disagree with giving Cooke a minus. He played a good game and was all over the puck. Imo he's still fine as a player. It's TK who is killing that line, completely and utterly.

TK absolutely refuses to pass. It's not even like he can't. After he turned it over about ten times trying dumb stickhandling or bad angle shots he finally made a pass to Cooke in the third in the high slot which nearly amounted to a goal. There's nothing wrong with being a shoot first guy, but recognize when passing would be better. James Neal has no problem dishing if he's in a bad spot for a shot. TK would probably shoot from our end if he thought he had a chance to get it on the net.

I'm on board with this. I don't want to EVER see him be used as a makeshift top six winger again, but aside from that I think he's still good when being used within his capabilities. He's still out there working hard on the forecheck and finishing his checks, he's still one of our better penalty killers, and he still chips in with the occassional much needed secondary scoring. He's playing within his pay grade and come playoff time I think we're only gonna see the best out of him.

TK on the other hand....

 

[AquaticBirdman]

Kudos to the defense for sure. But when Fleury plays a simple game, he reaches new levels. When he flops around too much he lets the bad ones in.

Well said. When Flower is come and just focuses on making text book saves, then he's the elite goalie we are paying him to be. The last few games he's looked nothing short of calm and composed out there.

 

[ColePens]

I think people forget how sick Goligoski could be when he was on. If you watch Dallas games the skating and passing are still there, just not the supporting cast.

But Nisky and Despres are both more physical then him and offer the same thing.

 

[mpp9]

Eh. Neither guy can run a PP. Gogo can. But on our team, Id take Nisky and Despres over him.

 

[spcastlemagic]

But Nisky and Despres are both more physical then him and offer the same thing.

I agree with the physicality, but I haven't seen the all-around offensive skill set that made Goligoski stand out, including that PP QB ability.

I think Despres ends up being head and shoulders above both Niskanen and Goligoski, though.

 

[Shrimper]

Does anyone have a video of Fleury's double save yesterday on their 4 minute PP.

 

[Jaded-Fan]

I think people forget how sick Goligoski could be when he was on. If you watch Dallas games the skating and passing are still there, just not the supporting cast.

There is an old saying.

When one person calls you an ass do not worry about it.

When two people call you an ass do not worry about it.

When the third person calls you an ass put on a saddle and get ready to be ridden because you probably are one.

Weren't we told that Niskanen sucked as well? At some point maybe Dallas just sucks with utilizing and developing defensemen.

 

[NastyNick]

That was the Pens worst effort vs the Caps best. Nice to win, but i think the peak has been reached. I am fully expecting a letdown vs the Isles now.. Malkin or not. They can't play this way every night and expect to keep winning.

It was a very sloppy effort from all , sans Paul Martin. Paul Martin is a beast. Absolutely should get the Norris nod over Letang, if there is one. Everyone else seemed to be mailing it in. Bad passes - especially from the Crosby line. They weren't sharp like they were vs Boston. Beau Bennett looked good. James Neal looked like he was on MissingMalkin Island.


Let the streak end before it becomes a distraction. Get the next streak started. Last thing we need is to provide motivation for all the bottom feeders (Philly) as they try to knock off the Pens streak. Certainly don't want this team going into another postseason wearing the inevitability collar. Under the radar.

 

[MtlPenFan]

That ******** call on Cooke is going to hurt this team.

Yesterday was the first game where he was actually throwing his weight around again and taking runs at guys without going over the line.

After that 2 minutes for being Matt Cooke, I bet he goes back to simply doing flybys. I'm still infuriated by that 4 minutes of nonsense.

 

[Sidney the Kidney]

That ******** call on Cooke is going to hurt this team.

Yesterday was the first game where he was actually throwing his weight around again and taking runs at guys without going over the line.

After that 2 minutes for being Matt Cooke, I bet he goes back to simply doing flybys. I'm still infuriated by that 4 minutes of nonsense.

What made that call even worse was literally seconds prior to that, when the puck was down in the Washington end, I believe it was Kunitz was taken down in what should have been a roughing/interference call. Glove to the face/tackle behind the Caps' net, and no call, then the about 30 to 45 seconds later the refs decide to call Cooke on that horrible boarding call.

That's the kind of inconsistency I absolutely hate with the officials. They seem to let genuine penalties go, then out of the blue call stuff that's so borderline.

 

[Bennett Brauer]

That wasn't even boarding.

I've seen Penguins get hit into the boards with no call (McDonaugh on Dupuis last Saturday for example)

I will never understand how people say the Penguins are favored by the referees. How many times have teams had the chance to hack away at a loose puck in the crease when replay shows it's not in clear view? How many BS penalties have been called on the Penguins? Look at the Flyers games. How many times has Couturier cross checked Malkin before he retaliated? Who gets the penalty? Malkin. One of the Flyers flipped the puck down the ice for Hartnell, it's offsides but takes a shot on Fleury anways. Not even 30 seconds later, Bryzgalov covers the puck and Neal tries to get the puck .8 seconds after the whistle and gets a penalty.

I don't think the refs are against us, I just don't think they help us like so many people seem to believe.

 

[Shady Machine]

The biggest issue with the officiating is the inconsistency from game to game. Each referee seems to have a different tolerance of boarding penalties. Some call penalties for just crushing a guy from the side a few feet away from the boards (Kunitz 2 penalties that one game) while others let borderline hits go. It's so hard for the players to adapt when the line changes daily.

 

[MtlPenFan]

That wasn't even boarding.

I've seen Penguins get hit into the boards with no call (McDonaugh on Dupuis last Saturday for example)

I will never understand how people say the Penguins are favored by the referees. How many times have teams had the chance to hack away at a loose puck in the crease when replay shows it's not in clear view? How many BS penalties have been called on the Penguins? Look at the Flyers games. How many times has Couturier cross checked Malkin before he retaliated? Who gets the penalty? Malkin. One of the Flyers flipped the puck down the ice for Hartnell, it's offsides but takes a shot on Fleury anways. Not even 30 seconds later, Bryzgalov covers the puck and Neal tries to get the puck .8 seconds after the whistle and gets a penalty.

I don't think the refs are against us, I just don't think they help us like so many people seem to believe.

A really good friend of mine is a huge Isles fan, a loyal holdover from the glory days.

I got into a long e-mail "battle" with him last week after the 6-1 game against the Isles, where he blamed Neal's embellishment for giving us a 5 on 3 that basically broke the game open. I told him all Neal did was buy a call, and it's nothing that doesn't happen league wide, and nothing that hasn't worked against us in the past.

Last night was a perfect example. We got double screwed, but instead of whining, we killed the penalty, and scored a goal to boot once it was over.

 

[UnderratedBrooks44]

A really good friend of mine is a huge Isles fan, a loyal holdover from the glory days.

I got into a long e-mail "battle" with him last week after the 6-1 game against the Isles, where he blamed Neal's embellishment for giving us a 5 on 3 that basically broke the game open. I told him all Neal did was buy a call, and it's nothing that doesn't happen league wide, and nothing that hasn't worked against us in the past.

Last night was a perfect example. We got double screwed, but instead of whining, we killed the penalty, and scored a goal to boot once it was over.

See I don't have a problem with this sort of play, but every time our team does it we're buying a call. When another team does it it's disgraceful. You do what you need to do to win, and if the ref makes a bad call/non-call that's his problem.

As for the Cooke call, they were probably watching him after AO took him down shoulder to shoulder on the way to a loose puck just before that. It wasn't the best call ever made, but it wasn't the worst either. If Ovechkin wasn't 230 lbs. and Cooke 190 or whatever it would've looked more like a penalty than it did.

 

[NastyNick]

Officiating in the NHL is always brutal. Its just been bad against the Pens the last few games. Case in point - when the ref is making a call with 2 seconds left in a game to balance his numbers, you can guarantee the guy is not a professional, but a corrupt piece of garbage.

By having such low expectations of the officials (i assume all of them are calling their bookies between periods), nothing surprises me any more. I suspect the players feel the same way.. otherwise why wouldn't they all try to kill these guys every night?

 

[plaidchuck]

I never understood "make-up calls", "swallowing the whistle" and the like. I guess this is something that got imported from the european soccer culture or something. At least in american football pass interference (usually) is pass interference whether the score is even or a team is up by 30.

Of course everybody wants the game called right but then blame the officials for ruining the game like game 6 of the finals last year.

 

[NastyNick]

I really like the pro wrestling angle when it comes to NHL referees. I think if the league was serious about cleaning it up, this is what they would do:

The next time an officiating crew does something extra-heinious in a game, an act of which there is no excuse (a nightly rate at their current level of competence) take both officials and force them into competing against each other in a 90s WWE wrestling-style pink-slip-on-a-pole match. Then air the results in one of those Brendan Shanahan videos.

Its a total win all around.

-The fans get some entertainment to make up for the loss they experienced watching those idiots screw up their hockey game.

-The ref who loses gets fired - slowly cleansing the gene pool

-And the other ref keeps his job, but gets embarassed by competing in a ridiculous event based on a staged sports entertainment show. The exact kind of staging he tried to commit in a licensed sporting event.

I guarantee Chris Lee would be gone in 2 weeks. And the rest of the knuckleheads would clean up their act.

The only other thing i could think of is forcing them to stand outside the arena after the game while the fans leave.

 

[Steve Durbano]

That ******** call on Cooke is going to hurt this team.

Yesterday was the first game where he was actually throwing his weight around again and taking runs at guys without going over the line.

After that 2 minutes for being Matt Cooke, I bet he goes back to simply doing flybys. I'm still infuriated by that 4 minutes of nonsense.

He can't be stupid and berate the official to the extent of getting another minor though. He has to accept that his past is always going to go against him on ticky tack calls.

Props to him for assisting on Nisky's goal right after that. I think I would have skated by Adam Oates and grabbed my junk after that goal.