GDT: GAME 4 Play-Ins Penguins "at" Canadiens 4PM!!!

[Shady Machine]

The problem is you don't really have a viable alternative to play in his place. Lafferty is worse and you may need ERod as the 3C if McCann is being healthy scratched again.

Well obviously I wouldn’t healthy scratch McCann again. Lafferty might be worse in a vacuum and he did miss coverage in game 3 that led to a goal, but again, so did ZAR.

I’d probably play ERod and McCann.

 

[Empoleon8771]

Well obviously I wouldn’t healthy scratch McCann again. Lafferty might be worse in a vacuum and he did miss coverage in game 3 that led to a goal, but again, so did ZAR.

I’d probably play ERod and McCann.

I think that's the best choice, but I also think your bottom-6 is still bad with that in place. The issue they have IMO is that they need another Sheary type of offensive winger for the bottom-6, or they need a better top-6 winger than Sheary to push Sheary to the 3rd line. Marleau was supposed to be that, but he's as done as burnt toast at this point and I'm skeptical any line with him on it can be effective.

There really isn't a setup of forwards that I can come up with that I like. I think the best thing that I can come up with that I'd like is:

McCann-Crosby-Zucker
Guentzel-Malkin-Rust
Sheary-Rodrigues-Hornqvist
ZAR-Blueger-Tanev

But McCann definitely doesn't deserve to be on L1 right now. This team needs ideally another top-6 forward to push Sheary to the 3rd line, but at least needs another playmaking 3rd line winger.

 

[Gurglesons]

I think you run this..

Zucker - Crosby - Sheary
Guentzel - Malkin - Rust
McCann - Rodrigues - Hornqvist
ZAR - Bleuger - Tanev

If you insist on Bart.

 

[Ryder71]

If they play Johnson they don't deserve to win. Enough already!

 

[Empoleon8771]

I think you run this..

Zucker - Crosby - Sheary
Guentzel - Malkin - Rust
McCann - Rodrigues - Hornqvist
ZAR - Bleuger - Tanev

If you insist on Bart.

I wonder if the Penguins go back to trying Rust on LW, they've ran with Rust-Malkin-Hornqvist before. If you do that, load up the top line with Guentzel-Crosby-Zucker and then make the 3rd line McCann-Rodrigues-Sheary, I may actually be on board with that top-9 setup. For some reason, I've really soured on Hornqvist on the 3rd line in these playoffs, which probably plays into why I want to see him traded after the year.

 

[Ryder71]

I think you run this..

Zucker - Crosby - Sheary
Guentzel - Malkin - Rust
McCann - Rodrigues - Hornqvist
ZAR - Bleuger - Tanev

If you insist on Bart.

Looks good, and no JJ on the blue line.

 

[EightyOne]

With how the GDT’s have been, just haven’t wanted to participate as much. I am going to watch this one, Sid playing on his Birthday and the novelty of that and all, but yeah. Let’s Go Pens.

I have to sleep...I'll either wake up to something good or....the fires will consume all

 

[Gurglesons]

I have to sleep...I'll either wake up to something good or....the fires will consume all

I think it’ll largely be indifference if they lose right?

 

[Bingo71]

If @Malkinstheman wants to have a hot take... I have an even hotter take.

It's time for the Pens to trap. Go full trap. And then convert on the rush. The only thing they do well is go off the rush.

Because they don’t have the size to dump and chase and bang bodies down low in order to cycle.

When Sid is the one on his line grinding down low, you’ve got a problem.

They have no big, heavy forecheck nor do they have a true net front presence ANYWHERE in the lineup.

 

[The Great Mighty Poo]

Watching Jack Johnson be on this team is like watching Jim Henson die on repeat for all eternity.

 

[Bingo71]

Watching Jack Johnson be on this team is like watching Jim Henson die on repeat for all eternity.

It ain’t easy bein green...

 

[Andy99]

I think it’ll largely be indifference if they lose right?

no, it’ll be what it was the last game: the Habs can muster the energy to outwork, outspeed the Pens, especially around the crease, and Price is solid...the Pens have too many vets...hopefully Jarry can help us transition better

 

[Sidney the Kidney]

I do feel that Jarry’s puckhandling would be a help to our D...guess we’ll find out now...

Maybe we should start Murray in nets and start Jarry on LD on the bottom pairing. Now *that* might help the defense.

 

[ColePens]

Because they don’t have the size to dump and chase and bang bodies down low in order to cycle.

When Sid is the one on his line grinding down low, you’ve got a problem.

They have no big, heavy forecheck nor do they have a true net front presence ANYWHERE in the lineup.

Nope... not to harp on you here, but you are thinking the game in a very ancient mindset. That's not the intent of trapping anymore.

The Pittsburgh trap would be to make teams turn the puck over and then all out convert attack. Our neutral zone is PATHETIC. Teams go through it with such ease. So now over-clog it up and look for quick turnovers and attack. So it's a quick strike conversion style. And Montreal does not want to skate the puck.

See the reality is the team dominated teams with relentless pressure and speed to the point where the game legit changed. Credit the Pens, Sully, and JR for changing the game in a point in history. It's pretty amazing, actually. But now the John Marino style dman who can pivot and move the puck quick is 100x more important than the old Jack Johnsons of the world. Or big bomb big guys like Oleksiak are pretty much pointless and end up moving around team to team.

Teams have caught up and are now okay with the relentless pressure. It doesn't do as much damage as it once did. So now the Pens have to catch teams off guard a different way. I call it the Pittsburgh trap. Trap and attack.

 

[pistolpete11]

Zucker - Crosby - Hornqvist
Guentzel - Malkin - Rust
Marleau - McCann - Sheary
Lafferty - Blueger - Tanev

Dumo - Letang
Petts - Marino
Riikola - Schultz

Jarry

That's what I would go with. Start Hornqvist with Crosby and have him go start some shit in front of Price. Try to get some emotion into this team ASAP. Guentzel and Zucker could be flipped, but nothing is working at 5-on-5, so just try something different and see if it works. I realize that third line is mess, but who knows. Maybe the shift or 2 Sheary isn't spazzing out he'll be able to set up Marleau or McCann. I don't care what the fancy stats say. ZAR is a defensive specialist who is blowing coverages. Might as well go with someone who might be able to finish a chance.

JMFJ has to sit. I don't particularly think Riikola is a great option, but JMFJ has to sit.

I don't think Murray is playing that bad, but it's desperation time. Maybe Jarry will steal one.

 

[Andy99]

Maybe we should start Murray in nets and start Jarry on LD on the bottom pairing. Now *that* might help the defense.

lol...well anything is better than JJ...the Pens could have a random drawing of their Facebook fans to play in the game, and that fan would be better than JJ

 

[Kristopher Letang]

Sully won’t let us down today.

 

[The Great Mighty Poo]

It ain’t easy bein green...

Somebody's foot should do the rainbow connection right into his ass.

 

[Empoleon8771]

Sully won’t let us down today.

 

[wheelz87]

Hoping for a few changes today. First was Jarry for murr. That was most important, IMO.

JJ out ruh in
Like to see McCann back in for Laff, assuming it was a healthy scratch.
ERod in for Marleau.

 

[Speaking Moistly]

If they play Johnson they don't deserve to win. Enough already!

If they play Johnson I hope they get blown out. Sorry, Jarry.

lol...well anything is better than JJ...the Pens could have a random drawing of their Facebook fans to play in the game, and that fan would be better than JJ

The fan would at least have the dignity to fake an injury when they saw how bad they were.

 

[Empoleon8771]

Hoping for a few changes today. First was Jarry for murr. That was most important, IMO.

JJ out ruh in
Like to see McCann back in for Laff, assuming it was a healthy scratch.
ERod in for Marleau.

I think this is the best case scenario in terms of what Sullivan might actually do. I think this is as far as he'll go and is about as good as we can realistically hope from him.

If they play Johnson I hope they get blown out. Sorry, Jarry.

I don't want to see them get blown out tonight because them getting blown out makes the question of "which goalie do they keep?" ultra complicated. I don't want to deal with those debates in the off-season

 

[Speaking Moistly]

I don't want to see them get blown out tonight because them getting blown out makes the question of "which goalie do they keep?" ultra complicated. I don't want to deal with those debates in the off-season

Them suffering for their JJ disaster is worth us suffering those debates. Also I just won’t get involved and won’t suffer for it.

 

[Ryder71]

Pittsburghs gap is too loose and we're getting a lot of uneven efforts. Both can be remedied if we aptly pay attention to detail and play a full 60 mins. Although with this team we haven't seen it yet this series.

 

[Bingo71]

If Jarry gives up 3+ goals tonight, many here won’t say a damn word.