Post-Game Talk: Craig Adams was missed in this one but not really, Panthers 1 - Pens 5

[Asuna]

Kunitz has done basically nothing productive this year. He doesn't give an effort, he kills offensive plays, turns the puck over constantly and doesn't play the physical style he used to. I have no idea how anyone can watch him and think he's playing well. He's playing horrendous for his standards.

But he has good stats!!

I actually have no idea how he's 4th on the team in points.

 

[Asuna]

Also, it's pretty crazy that the Pens are still only a few points away from the division lead.

 

[Til the End of Time]

so what did mj say that indicated adams would be unlikely to be a health scratch going forward?

 

[Shady Machine]

Typical hate on Kunitz posts.

I guess no one saw him hustle really hard to cover a guy with an open scoring chance.

I guess no on saw when we were up 1 - 0 on the PP and they have a 2 on 1 and he stopped it. They score there it's anyone's game.

I'm not a big Sutter fan, but his D game the past 5 or so has really been elite. Also scored a sweet goal the game before.

They had a 2 on 1 because he gave the puck away. He made a nice poke check, but Crosby busting his ass back is what broke up the play.

Plays died on Kunitz stick blade far more often that good things happening. He's the worst top 6 forward on the team and Comeau is a tweener.

As for Sutter, I'm glad he's good at defense, but the dude is allergic to winning physical battles. Unless he gets a snipe off the rush, his line won't generate much offense.

 

[JTG]

I'd still like to see a line of Comeau-Malkin-Megna. Malkin has shown chemistry with both of those guys, and they both play the way he likes to play.

Megna is actually a lot of what with current lineup could use, even on the 4th line. Speed and checking ability.

 

[IcedCapp]

I'd still like to see a line of Comeau-Malkin-Megna. Malkin has shown chemistry with both of those guys, and they both play the way he likes to play.

Megna is actually a lot of what with current lineup could use, even on the 4th line. Speed and checking ability.

I'd like to see Comeau - Malkin - Bennett first, to be honest. Just a week of no Kunitz in the top-6, see what happens to Sid and Geno.

 

[WheresRamziAbid]

I'd still like to see a line of Comeau-Malkin-Megna. Malkin has shown chemistry with both of those guys, and they both play the way he likes to play.

Megna is actually a lot of what with current lineup could use, even on the 4th line. Speed and checking ability.

Except Megna s*cks. He has speed and only speed. I can see him as a solid 4th liner but other than that he's useless.

 

[Shady Machine]

so what did mj say that indicated adams would be unlikely to be a health scratch going forward?

I'm not just going to sit a guy if we can get fresh legs in there. For Downs, giving him a night off here and there is good for him to come back in and play with that energy. Siller played a good game last night so it was a numbers thing tonight for Adams. Adams is a valuable player for us, both character wise and penalty killing. It's not going to be a rotation, but I'd like to keep fresh legs on those bottom two lines

This is a paraphrase, but it basically insinuates that Adams is important to the team and he won't be sitting very often. For whatever reason, they think Downie needs periodic rest and Sill played well enough last night to not swap him out. It sounded like sitting Adams wouldn't be a regular thing.

 

[wgknestrick]

I can't believe I watched the entire game and didn't notice that Adams was a scratch. Was he a healthy scratch?

Please say yes.

Kunitz is fine, but on the 3rd line. He is 4th on the team in points because PP. We can't just get rid of him with the terrible 4th liners we have on this team. Adams/Sill need waived and Rust Farnham brought back. That is a huge upgrade right there.

I don't know how the score ended up like it did last night. Pens (FLA too) did not deserve that IMO. I just don't know what to think about this team. Everything tells me to hate them, and that they aren't very good....actually not even playing like a playoff team. Even when things go their way, I can't find any joy in it.

My god are the refs not calling anything. I counted 8 blatant penalties in just the 2nd-3rd period alone that were not called.

 

[Speaking Moistly]

I'd like to see Comeau - Malkin - Bennett first, to be honest. Just a week of no Kunitz in the top-6, see what happens to Sid and Geno.

This. See how that line looks with Comeau and Bennett on their preferred sides and two players who have looked good with Malkin this season. Go from there.

 

[MrBurghundy]

This is a paraphrase, but it basically insinuates that Adams is important to the team and he won't be sitting very often. For whatever reason, they think Downie needs periodic rest and Sill played well enough last night to not swap him out. It sounded like sitting Adams wouldn't be a regular thing.

It's a start at least. It sounds to me like they will roll with the hot hand. Now how they decide who the hot hand is is another thing. We'll see how it goes moving forward, but the precedent has been sent.

 

[Joejosh999]

there was a play in, I think, the 2nd period, where Despres turned the puck over, but I'm not sure what he was supposed to do.

Scuderi gave it to him behind the net (shock), Florida sent in two forecheckers. Passing to Scuderi would have been unsafe. Despres puts it hard around the boards, and a Panther steps in front of the pass at the blue line and it creates a bit of a chance.

There were 4 skaters in the Penguins' zone - 2 Panthers, 2 Penguins. There was no visible outlet. Is Despres' only move there to skate it?

Well as a goaltender my first question is "where TF is everybody?" And NO with no outlet I would not want him to skate it out unless there was lots of room. Bury it off the glass and take the icing next.

Actually "where TF is everybody??" Is something I scream a lot in my beer leagues, and frequently when watching Bylsma-coached teams.....

 

[JTG]

I'd like to see Comeau - Malkin - Bennett first, to be honest. Just a week of no Kunitz in the top-6, see what happens to Sid and Geno.

I would like to see that too, but I think that's wishful thinking. This coaching staff wants Beau on the 3rd line.

Except Megna s*cks. He has speed and only speed. I can see him as a solid 4th liner but other than that he's useless.

You can see him as a solid 4th liner. I saw him as a winger that gelled almost instantly with Malkin, and brings that energy puck retriever that Geno likes on his line.

 

[wgknestrick]

I won't go that far but I think Sill > Adams for sure. Sill can at least, I don't know, punch some dude. Adams can pretty much just get punched. In an ideal world we wouldn't have to chose, but I guess I take Turd Sandwich over Giant Doosh. Giant Doosh has been in office way too long.

Are we really going to compare catsh!t to dogsh!t? They both stink, and nobody should tolerate that stuff in their yard. You are going to eventually step in it.

I loved Rust on this team along with Farnham. Those are our answers to these clowns.

 

[WheresRamziAbid]

I would like to see that too, but I think that's wishful thinking. This coaching staff wants Beau on the 3rd line.



You can see him as a solid 4th liner. I saw him as a winger that gelled almost instantly with Malkin, and brings that energy puck retriever that Geno likes on his line.

Small sample size, the more he has played the worse he has looked. He's fast but that's really it. He doesn't create, doesn't have good hands, and bounces off his hits. Despite that, if he thought the game half as fast as his feet move he could be a fine tweener but alas he doesn't do that either.

 

[Confounding Factor]

+ Fleury. He kept the pens in the game when they sagged during the middle of the game.
+ Malkin and Crosby.
+ Letang has some wheels on him
+ Hornqvist with Crosby

I hope Fleury's therapist is making a lot of money. What a turn around since he's done sessions.

 

[JTG]

Small sample size, the more he has played the worse he has looked. He's fast but that's really it. He doesn't create, doesn't have good hands, and bounces off his hits. Despite that, if he thought the game half as fast as his feet move he could be a fine tweener but alas he doesn't do that either.

He has phenomenal hands, actually. That's one of his calling cards. He's super skilled, but the knock on him has always been hockey sense. He bounces off his hits? 99% of guys bounce off their hits unless they are someone like Orpik or Downie who are highly competent hitters. Not many guys will explode through a hit every single time they throw one. The point is, he engages, he is able to get bounced around, and he doesn't look bad doing it.

Even if the sample size isn't half a season, or whatever parameters you would like to use, Megna looked good with Malkin when he played with him. The problem was, DB always thought it was a good idea to play Megna up there, and then bump him back to the 4th line to give another undeserving guy a chance to look terrible.

 

[Mr Jiggyfly]

I'd like to see Comeau - Malkin - Bennett first, to be honest. Just a week of no Kunitz in the top-6, see what happens to Sid and Geno.

I think that would be a hell of a line, but Kunitz and physics and stuff.

 

[Shady Machine]

It's a start at least. It sounds to me like they will roll with the hot hand. Now how they decide who the hot hand is is another thing. We'll see how it goes moving forward, but the precedent has been sent.

Yeah it's not terrible. I kind of think MJ isn't a moron and this locker room is weird with who plays with who and who is in the lineup. I'm not saying the players are demanding Adams is in the lineup every night, but there seems to be something else to it other than "omgz this coach is a moron".

 

[Shady Machine]

I would like to see that too, but I think that's wishful thinking. This coaching staff wants Beau on the 3rd line.

Well something needs to change on that 3rd line because Spaling-Sutter-Bennett is pretty awful. Too much of the same player.

 

[Will Hunting]

Well something needs to change on that 3rd line because Spaling-Sutter-Bennett is pretty awful. Too much of the same player.

No identity on that line. They are just... there.

 

[WheresRamziAbid]

He has phenomenal hands, actually. That's one of his calling cards. He's super skilled, but the knock on him has always been hockey sense. He bounces off his hits? 99% of guys bounce off their hits unless they are someone like Orpik or Downie who are highly competent hitters. Not many guys will explode through a hit every single time they throw one. The point is, he engages, he is able to get bounced around, and he doesn't look bad doing it.

Even if the sample size isn't half a season, or whatever parameters you would like to use, Megna looked good with Malkin when he played with him. The problem was, DB always thought it was a good idea to play Megna up there, and then bump him back to the 4th line to give another undeserving guy a chance to look terrible.

Yeah no, sorry I don't see any of that. His hits are very ineffective, and his hands are average at best. He has great wheels but has no idea what to do with them.

 

[Gallatin]

Yeah it's not terrible. I kind of think MJ isn't a moron and this locker room is weird with who plays with who and who is in the lineup. I'm not saying the players are demanding Adams is in the lineup every night, but there seems to be something else to it other than "omgz this coach is a moron".

I fet the same thing Shady. We don't have the locker-room player/coach vibe as a data set when picking lines.

 

[Gallatin]

No identity on that line. They are just... there.

Yes there is an identity - it's called "soff".

 

[Shady Machine]

Yes there is an identity - it's called "soff".

Pretty much. I'm honestly fine with each player individually, but the combo just blows.

Spaling - solid positional player, good defensively, decent along the boards and can score the random garbage goal but pretty much devoid of creativity or actual offensive skill (or at least he doesn't to anything remotely creative or risky with the puck on his blade).

Sutter - solid positional player, good defensively, nice shot when in open space off the rush, soff as hell, sucks in board battles.

Bennett - good playmaker, crafty, meh skater but decent edge work, fairly soff, poor release on shot (decent shot when in open space, can pick a corner)

All 3 are prone to disappearing acts. I'm really not sold on the Sutter-Bennett chemistry thing, but if that is a combo they still like, they need to find a different type of player than Spaling to compliment them.

Take those descriptions and add their cap hits alongside them and it's clear we are spending far too much on that line for the type of role or production we can expect from them.