Pre-Game Talk: Game 5: Pens vs. Jackets

[Shrimper]

Bench Orpik and call up and play Despres. Please?

 

[DeadGator401]

Really would like to see bortz come out and do something. Fight Earthworm Foligno.

Someone, somehow, give a damn. Please.

 

[MrBurghundy]

Bench Orpik and call up and play Despres. Please?

You mean bench Scuderi and call up Despres. If Orpik is hurt he won't need to be benched. With those two out we will actually have a defense that has the ability to get the puck out of its own end quickly by either skating it out or making accurate passes.

 

[Dipsy Doodle]

You're right. Orpik is the 3rd or 4th best defender in the lineup right now, but I don't give a damn about plus minus or fluke goals. Brooks has been soff on puck retrievals and can't make a quick up to save his life. The only reason he's not #1 on the list of guys who should ride the pine is Letang and Scuderi playing like AHLers.

This. Some sweet hit chasing the other night too.

 

[CrozJawz*]

We talking a Varsity Blues style revolt?



Uh, 'Bylsma is an arrogant ass' strikes me as a plausible alternative explanation.



You know, I'm just going to say two things on this:

1. Perhaps Sid and Geno melt down because they're being set up to fail and, when they do, they don't know what the **** to do and are stuck with a coach who won't do anything to help them. I'm not excusing it, but, on the one hand, you ***** that they have no help, and then you ***** that they're not doing more anyway. Doesn't work that way in the real world.

2. This is the umpteenth time I've done this, but here's umpteen plus one: Opening game against Boston, Bruins stick Chara and Krejci on Malkin and Seidenberg and Bergeron on Sid. Geno does everything but score in the first, so Julien puts Seidenberg back with Chara on Geno. So, here's Geno, Iginla on his LW handicapping him, going against Krejci's line and Chara-Seidenberg. Plays a good second. Pens going onto the PP, and gets in a fight with Bergeron. Not a petulant fight, a fight like the one with Zetterberg. And, what happens after the game? Every single Penguin save Nisky and every single member of the media says 'Geno has to keep his cool, cost us on the PP because he wasn't there'. Meanwhile, to a man, including their coach and everyone in their media, they say 'man, when you see Bergeron doing that, it makes you want to turn it up'. No . . . 'hey, our best PK guy can't take himself out, because the Pens could've replaced Malkin with Iginla'. As I keep saying, the Pens hang Sid and Geno out to dry. And, even when one of them does the right thing, like Geno last year, they STILL get hung out to dry. Never seen anything like it.

NOTE: I am not saying that I do NOT want Sid and Geno to do more. They need to do more. I just don't know how much is reasonable to expect, not when they've got that jack*** coach setting them up to fail. Won't even consider juggling their lines or playing them together. Won't even consider adjusting a breakout so pathetic that Columbus was able to take EVERYTHING away for 45 minutes.

Think about it. Geno was flying last game. Back in the old days, when Geno was flying, the shots would come. His line would sustain offensive zone shifts. Go look at the thread here showing game 3 against the Caps. Did YOU know he had NO ES points in that game? Now, go back to Thursday. Flying, and his line barely titled the ice at ES. You think that's because Geno didn't care or because his line in constructed like **** and the coach is **** as a tactician and bench boss? Until seeing this post, I had thought that I knew how you'd answer that.

Look, I am NOT putting the onus on Crosby and Malkin for the Boston series or this one. I am simply saying that I would like to see their fire and drive somewhere between the Flyers series in 2012 and what we have been seeing so far in this series. In that Philly series, they completely lost it and looked like fools doing so. I understand why it happened but it really did nothing to help in the series and made them look like fools in the process. Being a leader doesn't require that you start throwing haymakers after every whistle and get in the face of the other team at every chance. Pick your spots, make some big hit and rubs here and there and lead the way for the rest of the team.

In this series, Crosby got a little agitated by Dubi in the 1st game and has now tuned him out completely. That is good but it is also bad. Sid doesn't look engaged half the time out there. He looks zoned out and acts as if he really doesn't give a ****. It is because he has had it with this carousel of wingers and mismanagement of the team? Perhaps. Does he realize that even if this team gets through this round that they will likely get smoked in the next 2? Probably.

When we see Malkin "flying: out there, we have to look at what is actually going on. He isn't dancing through the entire Jackets team, from end to end, and getting a glorious chance on goal, he is looping back to start breakouts and then cycling in the offensive zone HIMSELF, circling from the boards to behind the net to the blueline. Columbus will give him that all day. There are no great chances occurring in the slot. Everything is coming from bad angles or trying to get through a multitude of defenders from the points.

But the thing is that the Pens aren't having trouble scoring goals. They are scoring more than enough to win playoff games, even though their stars aren't producing.

Crosby needs to stop forcing things and turning the puck over. He needs to stop missing the net when he shoots. Malkin needs to start using his size and driving the slot, trying to create space for Neal to slide in and get shots. All this circling around the offensive zone gives the illusion that the Pens are DOMINATING the game, but if they are not getting quality chances out of it, it means nothing.

 

[Dipsy Doodle]

EDIT: On second thought maybe not, haha.

 

[cheesedanish87]

Did anybody listen to Sid's media scrum from yesterday?

He said its not that uncommon to go 4 playoff games without a goal.

Hey Sid i know you want to forget about last years playoffs, but you have gone 9 playoff games without a goal, your suppose to be the leader of the team, quit making excuses, go out and score a goal tonight.

 

[Sideline]

Did anybody listen to Sid's media scrum from yesterday?

He said its not that uncommon to go 4 playoff games without a goal.

Hey Sid i know you want to forget about last years playoffs, but you have gone 9 playoff games without a goal, your suppose to be the leader of the team, quit making excuses, go out and score a goal tonight.

When was the last time one of his linemates got him a scoring chance? Johnny Intangibles has been in similar slumps and gets put on a line with Kane and Hossa to try and give him a boost. The biggest help Sid has had so far is from an extra in Lord of the Rings and a third liner from a lottery team.

 

[CrozJawz*]

Really would like to see bortz come out and do something. Fight Earthworm Foligno.

Someone, somehow, give a damn. Please.

More than likely Bort would come out and "do something" and immediately end up in the box...

Not an indictment against him, just that it always seems he takes a penalty at the worst possible time.

None of the Jackets are going to engage in a fight with the Pens. They have the momentum after Game 4 and aren't going to oblige the Pens with a fight and get the crowd riled up.

 

[cheesedanish87]

When was the last time one of his linemates got him a scoring chance? Johnny Intangibles has been in similar slumps and gets put on a line with Kane and Hossa to try and give him a boost. The biggest help Sid has had so far is from an extra in Lord of the Rings and a third liner from a lottery team.

Sid has had a couple 2 on 1 this series and a 3 on 1, none of them resulted in goals, hes also had tons of pp time, most of Sid's pp time has resulted in Sid trying to pass the puck through 3 CBJ players.

Anyways im done with the Sid and Geno bashing, its hard debating Sid and Geno on this board, there are large groups of fans who love Sid and Geno and are going to try and defend him no matter how he plays, there are even MAF fans who will defend him no matter how he plays.

I just really hated hearing Sid say its not that uncommon to go 4 playoff games without a goal.

 

[cheesedanish87]

Did they do def pairing at morning skate? I wonder who plays with who if Orpik is out.

 

[End of Line]

More than likely Bort would come out and "do something" and immediately end up in the box...

Not an indictment against him, just that it always seems he takes a penalty at the worst possible time.

None of the Jackets are going to engage in a fight with the Pens. They have the momentum after Game 4 and aren't going to oblige the Pens with a fight and get the crowd riled up.

Couple things Bortuzzo will do:

1. He won't shut up on the ice, in a good way. Sill like.

2.

 

[SEALBound]

I'm so sick and tired of Bylsma's BS with the lines.........

4th line is OK, considering who we have left
3rd line is all effed up. You got 2 guys outta position with Bennett and Vitale. Should swap Bennett with Vitale, so at least 1 plays at their correct position.
2nd line....Jokinen is not a top 6 forward
1st line....Stempniak is not a top 6 forward

Currently, this team only has 4 top forwards, so I would be more happy with....

Stempniak-Crosby-Bennett
Kunitz-Malkin-Neal
Jokinen-Sutter-Vitale
Glass-Goc-Adams

And if anybody in the bottom 6 deserves to move up, it would be Vitale. Especially if Stemp isn't cutting the mustard.

Martin-Orpik
Bortuzzo-Niskanen
Maatta-Letang

This is where I get frustrated with everyone and everything.

Those lines should get Bylsma fired on principle. However, every single time we go over the line up we have "Jokinen and Stempniak" are not Top 6 players and people ***** about it. Well no **** they aren't Top 6 players but who else is gonna fill those roles? Bennett is capable yes but he can't seem to hold the job. So who else is gonna close this gap that so blatantly pointed out every day? Pyatt?

This roster is what it is. The TDL is over. We can ***** about it all we want but the personnel right now is not the issue. Coaching and general effort is. The bottom two lines can be made better no doubt.

Still want:

Neal-Crosby-Stempniak
Kunitz-Malkin-Bennett
Jokinen-Goc-Menga
Vitale-Sutter-Engo

Orpik-Martin
Niskanen-Maatta
Despres-Bortuzzo

 

[IcedCapp]

This is where I get frustrated with everyone and everything.

Those lines should get Bylsma fired on principle. However, every single time we go over the line up we have "Jokinen and Stempniak" are not Top 6 players and people ***** about it. Well no **** they aren't Top 6 players but who else is gonna fill those roles? Bennett is capable yes but he can't seem to hold the job. So who else is gonna close this gap that so blatantly pointed out every day? Pyatt?

This roster is what it is. The TDL is over. We can ***** about it all we want but the personnel right now is not the issue. Coaching and general effort is. The bottom two lines can be made better no doubt.

Still want:

Neal-Crosby-Stempniak
Kunitz-Malkin-Bennett
Jokinen-Goc-Menga
Vitale-Sutter-Engo

Orpik-Martin
Niskanen-Maatta
Despres-Bortuzzo

What does this mean?

 

[Shockmaster]

What does this mean?

He thinks Bennett is a bust.

 

[IcedCapp]

He thinks Bennett is a bust.

Okay, because Bennett can't just say, "i'm playing on line 2!!!" Someone actually has to let that happen.

 

[Tumty]

When was the last time one of his linemates got him a scoring chance? Johnny Intangibles has been in similar slumps and gets put on a line with Kane and Hossa to try and give him a boost. The biggest help Sid has had so far is from an extra in Lord of the Rings and a third liner from a lottery team.

This.

 

[Shockmaster]

When was the last time one of his linemates got him a scoring chance? Johnny Intangibles has been in similar slumps and gets put on a line with Kane and Hossa to try and give him a boost. The biggest help Sid has had so far is from an extra in Lord of the Rings and a third liner from a lottery team.

At least we have all those defensemen!

 

[Sluggermatt15]

This is where we turn things around and start owning this series. MAF, while absolutely the goat in game four is gonna toss a shutout. Sid and Geno both get two.

Go Pens!

I like your positive attitude. It's about time for the two-headed monster to get it going. Flower will rebound. Pens have to capitalize and I think they can pull it out, 3-2.

GO PENS!!!

 

[ColePens]

What's up w/ Orpik? I just saw he didn't practice? He's actually played solid this series. I don't want him out.

 

[MeticulouslyDishevel]

What's up w/ Orpik? I just saw he didn't practice? He's actually played solid this series. I don't want him out.

He left the ice yesterday during practice. Obviously this being the playoffs Bylsma is even more cagey with info than usual.

 

[Speaking Moistly]

Orpik is out? He had one good game this series and his saving grace has been that other defensemen are worse. I doubt he doesn't play, though.

At least we have all those defensemen!

Who they don't play!


Wait... that isn't good...

 

[Pharrell Williams]

Let's all just take a second to wish a very happy birthday to Craig Adams!

 

[pensfan71]

Sid gets on the board today with a dirty rebound goal. We win 4-2

 

[OilerPensfan97]

Where's the GDT?