Do we have a system?

[joeyjake5]

But..... imagine if this is all a ploy?!?!?
After the first few months we have gone away from all the good things ON PURPOSE! Including the PP!

Thinking being that we got it all clicking, so why give the rest of the league months to find us out, rather just play possum, and then bring back THE DESIGN when it matters.

Evil genius, I tellz ya.

NB: Rutherford also knows a loophole that will get the Despres-Lovejoy trade nullified on the eve of the playoffs.

Since **** is a serious crime, JR can claimed he was ***** and every court in the country would believe him.

 

[billybudd]

Johnston's bench management sometimes doesn't put this team in a favourable position. Systems wise, though, he is helping their chances of winning games. Of course, you will have games where they put up a stinker. But that is more on the players IMO.

Another thing is the team - as it is heading into the playoffs - just doesn't have the personnel to compliment it, especially on defense. Having Maatta, Ehrhoff, and Letang back there would help. Plus, adding Dupuis wouldn't hurt. People can scoff at this thought, but injuries and low sh% are making his system all for naught.

As for the other coaches you mentioned. Babcock for sure. Tippett and Hitchcock too. But Deboer? He's no better than Bylsma when it comes to having a system and making adjustments. The Devils made this Pens team look exciting with how Deboer had them playing near the end.

Near the end, everyone but Jagr quit on Deboer.

I think you might be mixing up grievances. Deboer makes adjustments, alright. I mean, that's what got him to the dance--and the finals--not a charming personality and a great roster. He's renowned as a somewhat brilliant tactician. An innovator.

What Devils fans didn't like about him is that his adjustments didn't involve very much youth (not that the Devils even have any youth to begin with).

I agree that Johnston is very academic in his approach. But he also doesn't seem that creative at this point...
...
Innovation and effective adaptation seems to be asking a lot, but there it is.

Johnston's in-game adaptation is mostly fine, considering what he's got.

But creativity or innovation is not there, no. He will never, ever, think of something someone else hasn't already thought of, preferring to copy and play things by the book.

That's a weakness, sure, but there aren't very many coaches that have what you're asking for and, to my knowledge, we didn't interview one of them last summer.

 

[TNT87]

A system of ineptitude.

 

[UnrealMachine]

Watching the Pens D try to breakout of their own zone last night was rather painful. They where confused to the point that they were often stymied by a lone forechecker. Lovejoy is exactly as advertised in that he prefers to just wheel the puck up the boards directly to the sticks of the opposition in the neutral zone. Scuderi never saw a hand grenade pass that he didn't want to make. Doesn't even matter what your system is at that point. Really bad stuff.

 

[canadianguy77]

I'm less concerned about our systems overall than I am about the personnel we're icing on our special teams.

Kunitz on the pp renders it almost useless because he can't win one-on-one battles or races for the puck. It makes the zone entries way more difficult than they have to be, and god forbid if he gets a pass around the slot or front of the net because we know the puck is almost immediately going to be cleared out of the zone.

Scuderi and Lovejoy on the pk is a recipe for disaster as well. Scuderi flopping around on the ice like he's a goalie and Lovejoy losing his man around the crease isn't going to be good enough come playoff time. Their schtick is way too predictable, and opposing coaches are going to have a field day targeting them and their tendencies.

 

[titaniumexpose]

If they can get it through their heads that sitting on leads will bite you in the ass every time, there may be a chance. I still think the Pens need to score first in every game to win. Whatever the system is, I don't know - I even have Mike Johnson's book and it seems he knows what he's talking about but in reality X's, O's, and such I don't get. I wonder if it's remotely true the team is just not listening to him. That sort of thing happens in other 'workplaces' too when a perceived inexperienced guy comes in to change things.

 

[drpepper]

If they can get it through their heads that sitting on leads will bite you in the ass every time, there may be a chance. I still think the Pens need to score first in every game to win. Whatever the system is, I don't know - I even have Mike Johnson's book and it seems he knows what he's talking about but in reality X's, O's, and such I don't get. I wonder if it's remotely true the team are just not listening to him. That sort of thing happens in other 'workplaces' too when a perceived inexperienced guy comes in to change things.

It seems to me that the Pens (on average) are trying to the best of their abilities to execute what they think Johnston said that he wants. So there are about five layers where that can go wrong (trying to execute, best of their abilities, what they think Johnston said, what Johnston said, what Johnston actually wants). Plus there are probably a few players that aren't whole-heartedly adopting the new systems either in whole or looking at a specific piece. Then there is the issue of whether what Johnston wants fits the players and whether it will work.

 

[Ugene Magic]

Yes. They are pretty damn good at it too.

Injuries.

 

[ObsessedCreative*]

The pens "system" =

 

[Penguinator]

This team was #1 in the nhl in goals per game and winning percentage after the first two months. What on earth happened? Rest of the league catch on to his system and MJ failed to adapt?

Add the injuries tsunami and we're getting close imho.

 

[Malkin112*]

Ladies and gentlemen meet your juggernaut Pittsburgh Penguins

 

[GarrettC]

I don't see how anybody would be surprised by the above. It seems like they score one goal or less every game. Hopefully when Malkin gets back they can get their offense together. There's no helping the train-wreck that is their D so hopefully MAF is ready to stand on his head in the playofffs.

 

[cassius]

Play on the perimeter

Cycle the puck down low

Pass to the point

Let Scuderi blast it from the point

Then the system on the PP: pass it as many times as possible without shooting