Pre-Game Talk: Game 9 - Pens vs. Caps: Prepare for the Punishment

[billybudd]

Marc-Andre Fleury was the first goalie off at morning skate.

I'm skeptical of how much firing Johnston is really going to solve, but at least it'll lower the risk of Flower falling over dead from exhaustion in the middle of a game. Jesus. Give the guy a day off already. Odds of us winning this one are low, whether it's Jacques Plante or Darren Pang in net.

 

[Nick Lang]

Hey Pens faithful, Canucks fan here, sorry to intrude on your GDT but I've been wondering about your thoughts on Bonino. Sutter has been pretty good for us so far. Is there a better place to ask this question?

 

[Shady Machine]

Hey Pens faithful, Canucks fan here, sorry to intrude on your GDT but I've been wondering about your thoughts on Bonino. Sutter has been pretty good for us so far. Is there a better place to ask this question?

I'd say most of us are pleased with Bones and are still pleased with the trade. The production isn't there yet, but our whole team is struggling to score.

 

[PaulieWalnuts]

Likely true, but Dumo-Cole COULD be a 2nd pairing with Maatta-Letang as a top pair. Then you create your bottom pair with some combo of Clendening, Lovejoy, Pouliot.

There are options in house to make a decent, playoff caliber defense. I'm not saying they won't need an upgrade, but why would you trade for a need when you don't know exactly what that need is yet?

A stay at home defensmen who can register big hits and force teams to think about dumping the puck in and going to chase after it. Right now I wouldn't be afraid to dump and chase against any of our D. 1/2 to 1 pair of D-men who we can rely on to shut down other teams stars. It's also be nice to get someone who other teams have to worry about running one of them. Doumilin gets drilled from behind and how many Pens came to his defense? Zero! Any team any night can run anyone of our guys and they don't have to worry about a thing. Ovi runs someone tonight and who's gonna stand up for this team? I'm not saying get someone who can't play and serves as the gun on the nightstand, but this team is in desperate need of some toughness.

 

[brewski420]

To defend Johnston for just a second, what moves is he allowed to make and actually get credit for?

I really think to assess blame at this point is a tough thing to do because none of it makes sense. I just blame everyone and honestly MJ got into a no win situation for a coach. The Pens organization is such a cluster **** that is why they ended up settling with MJ. I thought the hire might work out but I was obviously wrong. They should have just put Tochett as HC for all it would have mattered at this point. In my opinion any way.

As for tonight I fully anticipate a disaster that will blow up HF Pens thread or empty it (not sure which). I will probably stay away.

 

[ILikeTurtles]

Something positive:

Pens' Russians > Caps' Russians

Not true, I love Geno but I'd take Ovy and Kuznetsov over Geno and Plotnikov every day of the week.

 

[Shady Machine]

A stay at home defensmen who can register big hits and force teams to think about dumping the puck in and going to chase after it. Right now I wouldn't be afraid to dump and chase against any of our D. 1/2 to 1 pair of D-men who we can rely on to shut down other teams stars. It's also be nice to get someone who other teams have to worry about running one of them. Doumilin gets drilled from behind and how many Pens came to his defense? Zero! Any team any night can run anyone of our guys and they don't have to worry about a thing. Ovi runs someone tonight and who's gonna stand up for this team? I'm not saying get someone who can't play and serves as the gun on the nightstand, but this team is in desperate need of some toughness.

Well right that's my point. mpp9 says we need a top 4 dman to help the transition. You say we need a stay at home physical guy. You are both right. However, if we don't play our best dmen right now, we don't know which of those types (or a combo although that's really hard to find) we should prioritize.

Maybe Clendening and Pouliot struggle. Then we know we should prioritize a puck moving guy because it is integral to the success of MJ's system and the forward group. Maybe Clendening and/or Pouliot provide a major boost to our transition game, but we really need that stay at home presence that can play physical.

What we do know is that Scuderi doesn't provide a solution to either problem.

 

[td_ice]

Not true, I love Geno but I'd take Ovy and Kuznetsov over Geno and Plotnikov every day of the week.

Absolutely. I would too.

 

[Nick Lang]

I'd say most of us are pleased with Bones and are still pleased with the trade. The production isn't there yet, but our whole team is struggling to score.

Thanks Shady, also a long time Pens supporter, so hope you guys get rolling. GL against those pesky Caps.

 

[PaulieWalnuts]

Well right that's my point. mpp9 says we need a top 4 dman to help the transition. You say we need a stay at home physical guy. You are both right. However, if we don't play our best dmen right now, we don't know which of those types (or a combo although that's really hard to find) we should prioritize.

Maybe Clendening and Pouliot struggle. Then we know we should prioritize a puck moving guy because it is integral to the success of MJ's system and the forward group. Maybe Clendening and/or Pouliot provide a major boost to our transition game, but we really need that stay at home presence that can play physical.

What we do know is that Scuderi doesn't provide a solution to either problem.

Scuderi should be waived or traded for whatever "sleeper" JR wants to take a shot at. I would take Douglas Murray over Scuderi right now, at least this team would show some balls with him.

 

[mpp9]

To defend Johnston for just a second, what moves is he allowed to make and actually get credit for?

It's not a matter of credit for me. I think Perron's been trash. MJ has been giving Kunitz minutes over him all season. Just a guess, IMO. Wouldn't be surprised if management is trying to up his trade value and/or at least wanting to see what they have in him before they make a move.

 

[Shrimper]

4-2 Caps.

Ovie, Kunetzov, Niskanen, Orpik

Crosby, Malkin

 

[The Old Master]

Wouldn't be surprised if management is trying to up his trade value and/or at least wanting to see what they have in him before they make a move.

you assume management knows what its doing......ya, right! this is a group that is more concerned with pr than fielding a good team.......they would rather screw up the trade value by trying to make the player look bad so people will think it was a good idea to trade a guy.

 

[PaulieWalnuts]

How much would we save simply waiving Scuds?

 

[wolffy66]

They're gonna get done dirty with their pants on. We need D-men who play D badly.

Don't we already have enough dmen that play badly?

 

[The Old Master]

How much would we save simply waiving Scuds?

mostly ....our eyes.

 

[td_ice]

mostly ....our eyes.

Haha...And by extension , our sanity.

 

[PaulieWalnuts]

Don't we already have enough dmen that play badly?

Yep, one forgotten comma. lol

 

[DesertPenguin]

mostly ....our eyes.

He has a 3.3m cap hit this year and next. Waiving him and sending him to WB/S (which may or may not be possible depending on his contract), would save us 950K, and thus leave 2.35m of dead money on the books.

It's essentially enough to call up Pouliot with, or another equivalent AHL player on an ELC.

 

[td_ice]

Don't we already have enough dmen that play badly?

Haha.......that got me laughing.

 

[BobCole]

To anybody who watches WBS: how was Pouliot looked so far? Couldn't possibly be worse than he was in the preseason...

 

[The Old Master]

He has a 3.3m cap hit this year and next. Waiving him and sending him to WB/S (which may or may not be possible depending on his contract), would save us 950K, and thus leave 2.35m of dead money on the books.

It's essentially enough to call up Pouliot with, or another equivalent AHL player on an ELC.

950k ...... not much but I guess every little bit helps

 

[PaulieWalnuts]

Is Volchenkov still a FA? He wouldn't cost much more than 950k.

 

[pistolpete11]

950k ...... not much but I guess every little bit helps

The real benefit would be not having him on the ice.

 

[td_ice]

To anybody who watches WBS: how was Pouliot looked so far? Couldn't possibly be worse than he was in the preseason...

He's looked good from what I have watched. (I have only seen half of their games). I look forward to seeing more.

Gone is that lackadaisical looking style that I witnessed before. He is moving his feet with much more urgency. He is much more "on top" of the play from I have seen. Being active in getting it, and carrying.
He's still not that great in his own end without the puck, and I am not sure he ever will be. But hopefully he will improve.

His reads and passes are very good imo.


Hopefully (if he reads this) Zen can weigh in as well.