Post-Game Talk: Cole's +/-: ---------------- poop

[chethejet]

Pens were due for a nothing game. Players that make them a threat are still out. Fourth line stinks and sully just guessing on line combo's. But it is only one game and now beating the Devils will take all in the pool playing hard and playing smart. Need Freddy on the fourth line and end this nonsense of Zahorna, number 7 and 14 playing at all. Not sure now when Malkin is back and ready to go but who knows what he brings. Kap has the speed ans shot to make a difference. This is now the playoff push and Pens have to play with more urgency and purpose.

 

[Colonel Mustard]

What even happened to Kap anyway? I can't even remember.

Leg fell off.

 

[metalan2]

What even happened to Kap anyway? I can't even remember.

Broke his foot.

 

[Big Poppa Pump]

Now you know why Sid never wanted to play with Zucker

And I don't blame him

 

[metalan2]

Pens were due for a nothing game. Players that make them a threat are still out. Fourth line stinks and sully just guessing on line combo's. But it is only one game and now beating the Devils will take all in the pool playing hard and playing smart. Need Freddy on the fourth line and end this nonsense of Zahorna, number 7 and 14 playing at all. Not sure now when Malkin is back and ready to go but who knows what he brings. Kap has the speed ans shot to make a difference. This is now the playoff push and Pens have to play with more urgency and purpose.

Zohorna is fine. No one, and I mean no one can paly with Jankowski and Sceviour and be ok.

 

[Gurglesons]

Meh. Whatever. I’m sure people smarter than me have hotter takes than me too.

 

[Sidney the Kidney]

Zucker doesn't suck, he just has no fit or purpose on this team, and he's not worth his cap hit. I have no idea why JR was so fixated on acquiring him. He seems to have some chemistry with ERod, they should have just thanked goodness that Zucker/McCann/Erod line worked, and left it the hell alone until Geno and Kap were back.

All the people saying Zucker makes guys better and was a legit top 6 wing either just looked at stats, or were trying to dress up the trade. He got cherry opportunities in Minny, like Brass did in Ottawa and NY, and didn't completely waste them. Send him to Montreal or Nashville or something.

Not to take the discussion in *that* direction, but this is why I'm against constantly adding guys who need to rely on other players to create their scoring chances for them and instead, focus on guys who can create for their line. Zucker's a guy that's not creating offense on his own. He's a redundant type of player with what we already have.

You *have* to play him with Sid. Or he *has* to find chemistry with Geno. Because he's not the type of winger who is going to be dangerous if he's not playing with that type of center.

 

[wgknestrick]

I would love to see if Carter can help the team or not away from Zucker. So far, not looking good.

 

[Krispy]

At least Teddy scored.

 

[metalan2]

Not to take the discussion in *that* direction, but this is why I'm against constantly adding guys who need to rely on other players to create their scoring chances for them and instead, focus on guys who can create for their line. Zucker's a guy that's not creating offense on his own. He's a redundant type of player with what we already have.

You *have* to play him with Sid. Or he *has* to find chemistry with Geno. Because he's not the type of winger who is going to be dangerous if he's not playing with that type of center.

To me, Zucker negates any good on the top two lines. I feel like he should just be viewed as third or even a fourth line wing and let him just play his game instead of trying to mesh him with a superstar.

 

[madinsomniac]

Said this during the GDT. There's like a 1-2 second pause in his decision making for everything. Even the goal. The puck was just sitting there for 1-2 seconds before he reacted to it. Like he's processing in slow motion and, as a result, is late on everything.

It's sad, because this isn't the player he was in Minnesota. Bigger concern for me, of course, is it's the type of thing that will cost them in the playoffs. If he doesn't get his shit together, Sully is going to need to be willing to bench him.

Exit Question for the Audience: Name 1 Penguins top 9 forward this season who's been better with Zucker than without him.

yeah I’ve noticed the overthinking thing too... it absolutely wasn’t tgere when he first got here... it has to be either a confidence thing or something the system is asking that he can’t process quickly....

His best game were when he was just firing it and not looking to pass first

 

[wgknestrick]

Does anyone know what is going on with Angello? Where is he?

 

[Jules Winnfield]

No player in the NHL was hit harder being traded than Zucker.He's not even able to see his kids because they can't leave Minnesota. That would be awful in any other season, but this season the Pens won't play a single game against the Wild.

Meh, he’s making $5.5m don’t feel so sorry for him. Many others have to travel all over the place missing family time making a pittance of what he makes per year.

If shit was that bad he could force a trade back to Minnesota or quit and do something else.

 

[Ugene Magic]

My sons game...

Edit: They won 4-1.

 

[Sidney the Kidney]

Meh, he’s making $5.5m don’t feel so sorry for him. Many others have to travel all over the place missing family time making a pittance of what he makes per year.

If shit was that bad he could force a trade back to Minnesota or quit and do something else.

Exactly. He's not the only NHL player having to make "sacrifices" away from his family.

 

[3ladesof5teel]

They'll probably just not post for a while. However, if or when Zucker has one good game they'll come crawling back permeating this forum with silliness.

Or the opposite, Zucker scores a goal and the bandwagon is like man he had to score a goal (pretty much rooting against the guy) then at the end of the game Zucker makes a nice play to keep the puck in the zone and goes cross ice where someone should be when you have 6 skaters on the ice and no one is there.

So its Zucker fault, the bandwagon focuses 100% on the negatives. Hes going to have to score 30 goals from here on out to get any kind of respect

 

[KrisLetAngry]

All I got is I watched the game time from time as I am doing some OT for work.

A back to back with us riding certain players to play a lot then gassed next game a bit.

Saw some good plays saw a lot of bad.
Felt Buffalo got a lot of zone time and got to hold the puck a lot which resulted in our penalties.

I face palmed at the 6 on 5 with Zucker passing to 0 players with a Buffalo player there.
I can't explain the decision at all. Just ruined any chance of us trying to tie it up with the biggest dumb play I have seen.

We sucked.

 

[xlm34]

It's just another example of the louder posters on this board brigading for a player who is clearly a bad fit.

Pearson, Perron, Bjugstad, Zucker, and on and on.

It’s really easy to say with hindsight that players are a bad fit. At the time, Zucker fit the mold of a guy who would work well with Malkin. The price JR paid for him was always more of a question mark to me, but the fit made sense.

 

[The Old Master]

Exactly. He's not the only NHL player having to make "sacrifices" away from his family.

every ones deferent, no one knows how much pain a guy can play with.

 

[Peat]

Death, taxes, and this place going after the scapegoat on a game where every forward fluffed a bunch of passes

 

[chethejet]

Zucker has talent and skill and is a proven performer. The issue is Pens still have that mindset of centers driving the play as if Sid and Geno are 25. They can play at a high level but man Hextall has to rework the roster and cut loose those who just aren't players that bring what he sees going into next year. Hextall has to begin creating wiggle room and do what he needs to end the sully smurf and system that has been a issue the last two playoffs. Petts gone, probably Zucker and free up 9.6 million even taking back a contract.

 

[ncm7772]

During the 3rd period I watched a Garfield and Friends episode with my daughter we’ve probably watched 347x already.

I regret not doing that the first two periods.

 

[Andy99]

 

[AjaxTelamon]

Not to take the discussion in *that* direction, but this is why I'm against constantly adding guys who need to rely on other players to create their scoring chances for them and instead, focus on guys who can create for their line. Zucker's a guy that's not creating offense on his own. He's a redundant type of player with what we already have.

You *have* to play him with Sid. Or he *has* to find chemistry with Geno. Because he's not the type of winger who is going to be dangerous if he's not playing with that type of center.

The only guy that makes him work here is Sid, and yeah. Zuck has never created offense on his own. So acquiring him was a kneejerk move based on Jake being out, and at this point, they should just trade the guy this offseason or use him as bait for the expansion. Keeping him here is not good for him or the Pens.

 

[Ryder71]

Death, taxes, and this place going after the scapegoat on a game where every forward fluffed a bunch of passes

But going after this alleged scapegoat is both easy and fun for some people.