Confirmed with Link: Daniel Sprong Recalled 12/30, Reassigned 1/22
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AgentM
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Ryder71
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- Nov 24, 2017
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Indoctrinating him at a young age into being a pens fan, love it! And he is adorable!! So happy for you guys.
TheSniper26
Registered User
I'm glad he's coming up because, at this point, there's no reason not to do it but hopefully people keep their expectations realistic. He's not some fix-all and the team is still a couple sizeable moves away from actually righting the ship imo.
Still, it feels like the first good idea in a while.
Still, it feels like the first good idea in a while.
He may help with is speed and shot. But I hope this is the first of moves to change the dynamic of competing for cups down the road.
It's a great idea until Sully moves Kuhn up to the top six and plays Sprong on the third or fourth line. Watch. It'll happen. IF this kid isn't playing with Sid or Geno and getting 70% O zone starts, you know Sully is just trying to sabotage him. I don't trust Sully. I don't think he wants Sprong to play for him....we'll see
Ryder71
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But will the right teams forwards receive the puck if Letang is the one passing it?
Empoleon8771
Registered User
Playing Sprong with Malkin and Hagelin would be the smart thing to do, which is why it will NOT be happening.
I'd play Phil with Sid and Jake. I know, Sid likes playing with Phil even less than he likes playing with Horny, but we've tried everything else with Sid, including giving ******* Reaves more looks with him.
And, let's also be honest . . . we don't have a LW on the roster or in the organization to crystallize Geno and Phil, two great players, into a great line.
My lines . . .
Jake-Sid-Phil
Hags-Geno-Sprong
Sheary-Sheahan-Horny
I'd flip the L1 and L3 wingers, and you've got it.
How the hell does it help anything just to throw Sprong into the bottom six. Seize the opportunity to mix up the top six.
All those times Phil is getting the puck from Geno and not shooting . . . Sprong will be selfish, and that's a good thing right now. And, stylistically, Sprong is a better match with Geno than Phil is. Not a better player, a better match.
And, as I said, everything else has been tried with Sid . . . give him a game with Jake-Phil. Maybe it works, maybe it doesn't, but it's sure as hell better than throwing the same **** against the wall every night.
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dogthateats
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Ryder71
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Night Shift
Registered User
My guess is They'll probably break him in the bottom 6 for the first few games before moving him up top 6. I agree with Kirk that I see him working better with Malkin but we'll see.
Have no idea why Sully doesn't try this either since he's putting the lines through a meat grinder anyway. I'll just be happy if he flips Phil and Horny and plays Sprong with Geno. But he may play Sprong with Sid, although there's no one there that will be forechecking....I just hope for God's sake he doesn't stick Sprong with Sheahan....
I'm down for that. I'd prefer him with Geno but I'd give that a go too.
Guentzel-Crosby-Sprong
HMK
Sheary-Sheahan-Horny
AgentM
Registered User
He's not, but I'd like to see if Sully seizes the opportunity.
Phil isn't working with Geno. Two great players, they're getting some points, but you know the whole is less than what you'd think the sum of the parts would be.
Everything BUT Phil has been tried with Sid.
Sprong with Geno is a lower pressure/exposure situation and probably a better match. Phil with Sid for more than a random shift might be good for both of them . . . at this point, it surely couldn't hurt Sid.
That's the smartest play, the one I don't expect from a bench boss as inept as Sully has become.
Alternatively, Sprong with Sid would be something different but, as I said, not fully seizing the opportunity to mix it up that's there.
And, of course, Sprong either at L3 RW OR L4 LW (because . . . Sully) is more expected.
My guess of what Sully does . . . Sprong with Sheahan and one of Hags/Sheary, which is just so ******** dumb it's entirely expected.
The problem of Sprong with Sid is (a) it's a higher profile situation with more minutes and more 'exposed' minutes than you'd see with Geno and (b) you'd be protecting Sprong better defensively with Geno-Hags than with Sid-Jake while at the same time not condemning him to an offensive black hole with Sheahan.
I know... is it wrong of me to distrust Sully and think he'll play him in the bottom 6 and Kuhn in the top 6? Given Sully's comments about Sprong yesterday, I have a vision of him starting Sprong with Sheahan just to spite JR or whomever decided to call Sprong up because it sure as **** wasn't Sully
Ogrezilla
Nerf Herder
Bingo.
Only question is whether the LW will be Hags, to make Sprong the only one on the line who isn't an offensive black hole, or Sheary, to put added pressure on Sprong defensively.
As I said, you want to protect Sprong in terms of usage and defensively while at the same time giving him a real chance to show what he can do offensively.
Best way to do that is with Geno and Hags.
EDIT: And, again, Sid hasn't played with Phil, plus Sheary-Sheahan-Horny has been the least pathetic third line we've had this season.
Ogrezilla
Nerf Herder
Build 3 lines now
Sheary - Sid - Horny -- Hope the magic comes back for Sheary
Hags - Geno - Sprong -- Trust Sprong to do some work
Jake - Sheahan - Phil -- They were good together when Geno was out imo
Kuhn - Rowney - Reaves -- Well, it is what it is.
This isn't what I expect, but it's what I want.
Sheary - Sid - Horny -- Hope the magic comes back for Sheary
Hags - Geno - Sprong -- Trust Sprong to do some work
Jake - Sheahan - Phil -- They were good together when Geno was out imo
Kuhn - Rowney - Reaves -- Well, it is what it is.
This isn't what I expect, but it's what I want.
