GDT: Game #37 Pens @ Bruins Thursday, April 1st 7pm EST

[Tacitus Kilgore]

good news all around,

In other news Riikola is still winning the teams game of hide and seek. Though IceBurgh has been acting different lately hmmmm

 

[DesertedPenguin]

In other news Riikola is still winning the teams game of hide and seek. Though IceBurgh has been acting different lately hmmmm

He's the 8th defensemen, as evidenced by him pairing with Ruhwedel constantly lately in practice. Who would Riikola be in over right now? As disappointed as I am in Pettersson, he's still better than Riikola.

 

[madinsomniac]

Stupid site always gives me issues with posting... sorry double post

 

[CrosbyMalkin]

Not sure where that fever dream of a fourth line came from in the original post.

Here's how they lined up at practice yesterday.

I actually don't mind seeing that 2nd line because that is my line I had for my mock trade scenario to make another 3rd line. I wanted two 1st lines and two 3rd lines to go into the playoffs.

Guentzel-Crosby-Rust
Trade-Malkin-Kapanen
Zucker-McCann-Rodriguez
ZAR-Blueger-Tanev

So tonight I get a chance to see if the Zucker-McCann-Rodriguez line could be effective.

Until everyone is healthy Jankowski is going to play and even then who knows. Sullivan loves Jankowski on the PK and for good reason because he does have the best analytics of any forward on the team for the PK. Surprising I know.

 

[Tacitus Kilgore]

He's the 8th defensemen, as evidenced by him pairing with Ruhwedel constantly lately in practice. Who would Riikola be in over right now? As disappointed as I am in Pettersson, he's still better than Riikola.

I actually agree with you. It's just that I marvel at his lack of updates and the fact that nearly everyone that gets injured returns before him. But now that you mention it, it might help give Petts a kick in the pants to sit a game or two if they played Riikola over him for a couple games

 

[Pens x]

I actually agree with you. It's just that I marvel at his lack of updates and the fact that nearly everyone that gets injured returns before him. But now that you mention it, it might help give Petts a kick in the pants to sit a game or two if they played Riikola over him for a couple games

Agreed that sitting Pettersson might be helpful. He’s been pretty crappy all season, so it might be time to stop pretending otherwise snd hold him accountable.

I guess the only reason to not sit him is if they are trying to trade him.

 

[CrosbyMalkin]

Krejci with 1 goal and that was on the PP. So zero goals and only 11 points all season 5v5. When I look at that lineup vs a healthy Pens team our forward group is so much deeper. Our make shift 2nd line tonight looks like a fair matchup against the Bruins 2nd line. Even our bottom 6 looks like fair matchups. Just crazy how that team has fallen into a one line team.

That being said Pens are still missing several key forwards and haven't won in Boston since 2014 so if we pull a win out tonight I will be extremely impressed.

 

[DesertedPenguin]

I actually agree with you. It's just that I marvel at his lack of updates and the fact that nearly everyone that gets injured returns before him. But now that you mention it, it might help give Petts a kick in the pants to sit a game or two if they played Riikola over him for a couple games

He's not injured anymore.

Penguins Recall Angello and Activate Riikola from Injured Reserve

 

[CrosbyMalkin]

I actually agree with you. It's just that I marvel at his lack of updates and the fact that nearly everyone that gets injured returns before him. But now that you mention it, it might help give Petts a kick in the pants to sit a game or two if they played Riikola over him for a couple games

Not me, I am glad we actually have some consistent pairings and want to give them time to gel and be ready for the playoffs. The Pettersson-Marino pairing was a good 2nd pairing last season so I have faith they can be solid again and I have already seen that starting to happen. Matheson-Ceci has also been solid as our 2nd pairing lately which makes this defense much better than last season and more like the one that we had in 2016.

I like our depth with Riikola and POJ as depth on the left and Ruhwedel and Friedman as depth on the right but the right defenseman are playing as of now.

 

[Darren McCord]

Is Ennis fast? I feel like he is a guy they would have used in the past like Simon or sheary and attached to Crosby hip. Small and fast.

 

[FunkySeeFunkyDo]

Great GDT! But why is Pasta a 94 and Sid only a 93? Are those rankings?

 

[Ugene Magic]

In other news Riikola is still winning the teams game of hide and seek. Though IceBurgh has been acting different lately hmmmm

 

[Al Smith]

I still have no idea why Jank is playing over Zohorna...no clue...everyone in the bottom six PKs plus some in the top six...he’s the Jack Johnson of forwards as far as on ice results and sinking other players

Because he gives us the best chance to win.
Because he plays the game the right way.
Because he's a gritty veteran who's been through the grind and stress of playoff races before (had to bite my tongue on that one).
Because Sully is safer if Jank screws up and costs a goal than if RZ screws up and costs a goal.

I'm sure there are other banalities you could come up with.

 

[Tacitus Kilgore]

He's not injured anymore.

Penguins Recall Angello and Activate Riikola from Injured Reserve

Maybe i'm wrong about this, but you can be injured but not on IR if I recall

 

[Andy99]

Because he gives us the best chance to win.
Because he plays the game the right way.
Because he's a gritty veteran who's been through the grind and stress of playoff races before (had to bite my tongue on that one).
Because Sully is safer if Jank screws up and costs a goal than if RZ screws up and costs a goal.

I'm sure there are other banalities you could come up with.

you mean excuses Sully can come up with lol?

 

[Darren McCord]

++ for tonight

No matter what the pens gain on first and second place since the caps and Isles play each other.

++ for Schedule

Caps have 5 games left against Isles, 4 against Boston, 4 against philly.
6 games total left against NJ,Buffalo,NYR

The could be a lot of shifting in the coming weeks.

 

[Tacitus Kilgore]

Not me, I am glad we actually have some consistent pairings and want to give them time to gel and be ready for the playoffs. The Pettersson-Marino pairing was a good 2nd pairing last season so I have faith they can be solid again and I have already seen that starting to happen. Matheson-Ceci has also been solid as our 2nd pairing lately which makes this defense much better than last season and more like the one that we had in 2016.

I like our depth with Riikola and POJ as depth on the left and Ruhwedel and Friedman as depth on the right but the right defenseman are playing as of now.

Having time to gel before the playoffs is a good option too. But it might be wise to send Riikola down to the AHL to get some playing time to stay sharp, or play him here a couple games. He was injured for quite a while and hasn't played in a long time. So if we end up needing him in the PO's it might be wise to make sure he's ready

 

[Will Hunting]

Sounds promising about Teddy too. "Will not play TONIGHT" is better than for example "progressing". The fact that Jarry is nothing serious is great. And I expect my boy Tanev to play tonight.

 

[CrosbyMalkin]

Having time to gel before the playoffs is a good option too. But it might be wise to send Riikola down to the AHL to get some playing time to stay sharp, or play him here a couple games. He was injured for quite a while and hasn't played in a long time. So if we end up needing him in the PO's it might be wise to make sure he's ready

Good point.

 

[HandshakeLine]

Whatever was up with Tanev anyway? Was he another mystery postgame injury? I don't remember.

 

[Peat]

if there ever was a time to finally getting a f**king win in Boston this game has to be it, right? The Pens road record below .500% is terrible...I wish they’d get their shit together on the road, especially in Boston...although didn’t that AHL goalie Vladar beat us in Pittsburgh last game when CDS was playing? We couldn’t figure him out and only got one goal and that was at home...

hopefully Tanev suits up tonight...

Eh. We're still pretty short of depth, and we don't have that nice systems match-up we currently have against the Islanders. I hold little expectations.

 

[chethejet]

Boston is getting healthy as well. I like the Pens goal tending since Rask looks like his bad back is going to be a season long issue. Plus Malkin coming back at some point is far better than what the Bruins have in the pipeline.

 

[Dennis Reynolds]

Whatever was up with Tanev anyway? Was he another mystery postgame injury? I don't remember.

I get wanting to protect players by not disclosing injuries.

But it's getting stupid.

Remember a few years ago in the playoffs when the Pens had a player officially listed as out with a "body injury"? Narrowing things down, we can assume his ego was ok.

 

[HandshakeLine]

I think it'd be funnier if they just made up weird diagnoses. "Tanev is day to day with bonus eruptus, a terrible condition where the skeleton tries to leaaaap out the mouth and escape the body!" I mean, if you're not going to tell us anything, at least create some hilarious press conferences.

 

[SEALBound]

good news all around,

Unless Tanev in means GOAT out.