GDT: GAME 3 / Rangers v Penguins / 7:00PM EST, APRIL 20

[ColePens]

I don't understand the whole Bennett thing. Dude is playing well. He plays well and is just hated by the coaches. Makes zero sense to me.

 

[mpp9]

Would you feel better if it had been a forward that we had signed and who was injured and sitting out?

Injuries happen, to all times. Granted to us more than any other but still.

There are reasons to use hindsight on the Erhoff signing. I think that he was misused from the start for one as the most obvious part of his game is that booming shot on the PP. But because he is injured is not one of them. We definately could use a healthy Erhoff right now.

I've been the one supporting JR all season. But if there was no intention of moving Martin or any D-man for a forward, then we should have banked that cap room and looked to buy cheap on a high salary winger near the deadline.

One more guy who can be even slightly better than Kunitz or Winnik would do this team wonders right now.

 

[mpp9]

I don't understand the whole Bennett thing. Dude is playing well. He plays well and is just hated by the coaches. Makes zero sense to me.

99% sure they'd rather have a faster and more tenacious player with Sutter.

 

[T1K]

Still say the Ehrhoff signing was smart at the time, but damn, it looks brutal now. This team could sorely use that 4 mil up front. At least he's only here until the end of the season.

Could be paying Dan Boyle similar money for another year. He looks terrible.

Yeah, the value was certainly there. I feel like this organization was planning on dealing Despres this season, so Ehrhoff was a great stopgap considering that. No one would have expected us to lose both Maatta and Letang for the season. Ultimately it's just a 1 year deal so it's nothing to get too worked up about, but that money could have gone to someone like Vrbata or even Cammalleri (although Cammy has always had injury problems).

 

[Deutschland Dangler]

I don't understand the whole Bennett thing. Dude is playing well. He plays well and is just hated by the coaches. Makes zero sense to me.

Does he really play well, though?

 

[Jaded-Fan]

I don't understand the whole Bennett thing. Dude is playing well. He plays well and is just hated by the coaches. Makes zero sense to me.

Bennett is the Despres of forwards. That is about all you need to know.

I think that they must have stolen Burkle's lunch money or something. The organization had and has an unreasonable hatred of both, matched by their unreasonable love for Adams and reassembling the 2009 team no matter the cost. I think so that they can golf together in the off season.

 

[Jaded-Fan]

I've been the one supporting JR all season. But if there was no intention of moving Martin or any D-man for a forward, then we should have banked that cap room and looked to buy cheap on a high salary winger near the deadline.

One more guy who can be even slightly better than Kunitz or Winnik would do this team wonders right now.

I think that may have been the intention. Injuries stepped in and made that impossible so we will never know for sure.

 

[mpp9]

I think that may have been the intention. Injuries stepped in and made that impossible so we will never know for sure.

Not according to JR in a recent interview. He's pretty straight forward, and he stated he never was looking to move Martin.

I believe him. The forwards he's brought in have been good, but I knew when he was hired, he'd want vets on defense. Dealing Despres for Lovejoy and keeping Martin fits in with that mindset. And for this team, it's not the correct one.

 

[Tender Rip]

The real problem with Ehrhoff was that it prevented us from using Despres right (in which case he would not have been traded, one presumes) and from a less fan-boyish angle it was an issue because Ehrhoff did not genuinely add to what we had unless he was going to be trusted to help run the PP. Quite evidently the latter was not the case.

In any case, looks much worse now than it did at the time, where I only objected because we already had the answer for the position and if we had wanted to spend real money on a D-man at least it should be someone who addressed a genuine need.

Value wise however.... Ehrhoff looked a better player at 4 million than most any forward available.... and that made it kinda OK with me at the time.

 

[Tumty]

I don't understand the whole Bennett thing. Dude is playing well. He plays well and is just hated by the coaches. Makes zero sense to me.

I respect your opinion, but imo he has been a non factor.

 

[Ugene Magic]

I don't understand the whole Bennett thing. Dude is playing well. He plays well and is just hated by the coaches. Makes zero sense to me.

Is he though?

I think it's the mancrush just blocking out his misgivings. The bar just keeps getting set lower and lower with him here.

He's not dominating with the puck, he's not winning battles and he's turned over the puck at the worst places. This doesn't even speak to the times he was clueless to where to be on the ice and him watching play.

I don't know what you guys are watching, but those few decent plays don't outweigh the bad he's done. That stuff is not on coaching.

 

[The Greatest 101]

Bennett is garbage.Should be benched.Need a faster and hungrier guy.

 

[Jaded-Fan]

@NYP_Brooksie Yandle not on the ice for Rangers skate. Hunwick is in his spot on the power play

“@NYP_Brooksie: If Yandle is out, Klein or Summers would play. Yandle was smoked into wall during 1st Sat by Comeau. Missed 10 min but finished game.â€

 

[Ugene Magic]

That's huge.

Yandle has that great pass and poise.

 

[Shwag33]

I also think bennett has been a non-factor. Yeah maybe he didnt get enough time earlier, but right now.... i'm ok with how things are.

 

[Penguinzilla*]

I don't understand the whole Bennett thing. Dude is playing well. He plays well and is just hated by the coaches. Makes zero sense to me.

Bennett's prob is that he's a horrible skater by NHL standards. He can't create space. Hopefully he'll do some serious powerskating during the offseason.

 

[wej20]

Bennett's been decent not amazing but I see no reason to scratch him for Wilson right now.

 

[Jaded-Fan]

That's huge.

Yandle has that great pass and poise.

Won't know until game time if that means anything. But as we saw with Letang it does not take much against the boards to do a lot of damage. Yandle did return to the game, but if he is out that obviously was a mistake. Crosby played the next game after getting rocked in the Winter Classic and we saw how that turned out.

But again, this may have been nothing, we will know when the lineups are announced formally. Coaches are always cagey about info in the playoffs.

 

[mpp9]

If both Klein and Yandle are out, it makes it that much easier to target Boyle. Get Sid out there and just dominate that matchup.

 

[Jaded-Fan]

If both Klein and Yandle are out, it makes it that much easier to target Boyle. Get Sid out there and just dominate that matchup.

Klein skated with the team, much like DP did for us. I am thinking that he will be back but only used in spots, much like DP. He is not 100%. So more like Yandle out and Klein not nearly 100% and used sparingly. Assuming any of this happens at all. We will know at likely 6:59 pm.

 

[Antaris]

Keep on truckin'

Great GDT!

 

[Ugene Magic]

Won't know until game time if that means anything. But as we saw with Letang it does not take much against the boards to do a lot of damage. Yandle did return to the game, but if he is out that obviously was a mistake. Crosby played the next game after getting rocked in the Winter Classic and we saw how that turned out.

But again, this may have been nothing, we will know when the lineups are announced formally. Coaches are always cagey about info in the playoffs.

It would be nice to see the injury bug help the Pens for once.

Not that I endorse injuries, but....'Pens have more than their share.

 

[pensfan71]

Yandle's playing

 

[Jaded-Fan]

It would be nice to see the injury bug help the Pens for once.

Not that I endorse injuries, but....'Pens have more than their share.

It is part of the game. There is a difference between being happy for a lucky break (pun intended) that helps your team in a series and calling for players to say run and try to injure Lundqvist or Nash.

I am sure no Rag fan is shedding any tears about Maatta or Letang getting hurt. I wouldn't expect them to.

 

[Jaded-Fan]

Yandle's playing

Ah well, as I said when I linked it, take it with a grain of salt. No gifts from the hockey Gods our way. Would have been nice, but does not change what the Pens need to do.