GDT: Game XVII 1800hrs EST Pens vs Knights: Win it for MAF!

[DesertedPenguin]

This board complained about Guentzel and Rust being perimeter players for long stretches of last year. But it clamors for Nylander, who is even softer and more perimeter based.

I think some of you don't know what you actually want out of this team. You just want change for the sake of change.

 

[Zirakzigil]

 

[Zirakzigil]

This board complained about Guentzel and Rust being perimeter players for long stretches of last year. But it clamors for Nylander, who is even softer and more perimeter based.

I think some of you don't know what you actually want out of this team. You just want change for the sake of change.

 

[Darren McCord]

Because Nieto is a fantastic penalty killer. He, Acciari and Eller have been a primary reason why the PK has been better this season.

You can't have soft perimeter players on every line. Nieto forechecks, can be physical, and is excellent on the PK. That's fine for $900k on the fourth line.

You have Rust, Smith and Doc who can PK.

you cant have both Nieto and Acciari doing nothing at EVS just to PK. I dont think Nylander is the answer but I would rather have a guy under 30 in the bottom 6 with fresh legs.

This team has 2 guys under 30 in the bottom 6. One is about to be 28.

 

[AuroraBorealis]

Because Nieto is a fantastic penalty killer. He, Acciari and Eller have been a primary reason why the PK has been better this season.

You can't have soft perimeter players on every line. Nieto forechecks, can be physical, and is excellent on the PK. That's fine for $900k on the fourth line.

No, that's not enough. Getting 5 points on the year and being good defensively is not enough.

Because he fills a role that the 4th line is going for while Nylander doesn't.

Unknown. Nylander wasn't tried here in the bottom-six for any reasonable amount of time.

 

[PensandCaps]

Nieto is useless. Clearly not an NHLer. Complete bum.

 

[DesertedPenguin]

You have Rust, Smith and Doc who can PK.

you cant have both Nieto and Acciari doing nothing at EVS just to PK. I dont think Nylander is the answer but I would rather have a guy under 30 in the bottom 6 with fresh legs.

This team has 2 guys under 30 in the bottom 6. One is about to be 28.

Nylander is slower than most of the bottom six, doesn't forecheck, isn't defensively responsible, and is soft as wet tissue paper. He is not "fresh legs."

Nylander is an option if someone gets hurt in the top six. Just like Puustinen.

They are not answers in the bottom six.

 

[Turin]

This is the most slam dunk loss of the year so far so they'll probably win.

 

[AuroraBorealis]

Nylander is slower than most of the bottom six, doesn't forecheck, isn't defensively responsible, and is soft as wet tissue paper.

Nylander is an option if someone gets hurt in the top six. Just like Puustinen.

They are not answers in the bottom six.

He was totally fine defensively last year at the NHL level. More than fine, actually.
Nylander actually has hands and offensive awareness. Nieto's speed doesn't lead to anything useful in the attacking half. He has what, 11 shots through 16 games? Pathetic.

At some point the 4th line will need to actually score some goals.

You have Rust, Smith and Doc who can PK.

you cant have both Nieto and Acciari doing nothing at EVS just to PK. I dont think Nylander is the answer but I would rather have a guy under 30 in the bottom 6 with fresh legs.

This team has 2 guys under 30 in the bottom 6. One is about to be 28.

Eller too.
Then there's Z who defends well. Could very well be a good PK'er.

 

[DesertedPenguin]

No, that's not enough. Getting 5 points on the year and being good defensively is not enough.

I would suggest reevaluating what fourth liners bring offensively. Look at Vegas' fourth line. Just a handful of points apiece for one of the best teams in the NHL.

The offense will come. The Pens who are struggling all have a history of producing.

Unknown. Nylander wasn't tried here in the bottom-six for any reasonable amount of time.

There are some things you don't need an extended experiment for. Nylander's skillset is well documented at this stage of his career. A bottom six role does not suit him.

 

[Empoleon8771]

Unknown. Nylander wasn't tried here in the bottom-six for any reasonable amount of time.

Nylander doesn't even come close to the kind of player that fits the role the Penguins bottom-6 is going for.

 

[DesertedPenguin]

Poulin is the best choice for a different presence in the bottom six, but he's hurt.

The next best option right now in WBS is probably Rem Pitlick, but he's got an inflated cap hit.

Gruden, Houde, Koppanen and others are cast in the Nieto/Acciari mold.

 

[Ugene Magic]

Join the cause...

 

[Andy99]

 

[Darren McCord]

Nylander is slower than most of the bottom six, doesn't forecheck, isn't defensively responsible, and is soft as wet tissue paper. He is not "fresh legs."

Nylander is an option if someone gets hurt in the top six. Just like Puustinen.

They are not answers in the bottom six.

I think you missed where I meant not Nylander. I would rather try a guy like gruden or petlick.

I would rather move Acciari to wing and run.

Neito - Gruden - Acciari

 

[Doctor Coffin]

3rd Game in 4 nights Not expecting much, so watch them romp hahaha

Bingo. And even the Dead Hawks were able to OT beat the Vigorish Knights on their home ice, it can be done...

 

[Darren McCord]

Gruden, Houde, Koppanen and others are cast in the Nieto/Acciari mold.

Right but they are younger and fresher. This team sorely underestimates what youth injection can do. Also what unkown talent cant do. Guys like Nieto, Accari and Vinnie are around the age where they could just drop off and be out of the league.

 

[Andy99]

What’s worse: watching the Steelers go 3 and out all game and their pathetic offensive schemes, or watching the Pens inability to finish and horrifying PP, and use of a strategy where they try to run and gun with younger faster-legged teams? Lol…lot of similarities between Tomlin and his offensive guru Canada and Sullivan and his PP whisperer Reirden…

Lol and both the Steelers and Pens coaches are just fresh out of ideas apparently…

 

[AuroraBorealis]

I would suggest reevaluating what fourth liners bring offensively. Look at Vegas' fourth line. Just a handful of points apiece for one of the best teams in the NHL.

The offense will come. The Pens who are struggling all have a history of producing.

No, 5 points over 82 games is not ok, not even for 4th liners. There's no way to twist things to make that acceptable.
Vegas can afford to have a flaccid 4th line offensively. That teams is strong in areas that we aren't. We need more balance.

I'm not counting on Nieto's turnaround. He's a career 1.23 5v5 P/P60 over 667 games. That's rubbish. No better than the Poehling and Archibald from last year. He's barely getting shots or chances. And his buddy Acciari looks equally as lifeless offensively. Help doesn't seem to be forthcoming.
Hinostroza, who actually does produce fairly well at the NHL level, just got hurt too. It might even be lengthy.
L4 looks f***ed. Harkins is not an answer offensively either.

 

[IcedCapp]

it's a testament to this board's stupidity (and my own) that I legitimately thought you guys were arguing that William Nylander wouldn't be an upgrade for us for about 10 posts

 

[DesertedPenguin]

I think you missed where I meant not Nylander. I would rather try a guy like gruden or petlick.

I would rather move Acciari to wing and run.

Neito - Gruden - Acciari

Right but they are younger and fresher. This team sorely underestimates what youth injection can do. Also what unkown talent cant do. Guys like Nieto, Accari and Vinnie are around the age where they could just drop off and be out of the league.

Here's the dirty little secret of those teams who have younger, fresher legs...they have actual talent.

The guys in WBS...not so much.

I also think you're heavily underrate Acciari and Nieto. These are guys who have been fixtures in lineups. Hinostroza is a fill- in but the others are not.

 

[Andy99]

lol

 

[IcedCapp]

those aren't player slumps. The entire unit bad. It's not like those players are struggling offensively. The PP is just not operating properly.

Now, this conversation will go in a lot of directions, but i'll try to filter it down:

We have, at the very least, 3 hall of fame players on the PP (upwards of 5). We have some of the most offensively-gifted players of all time on the PP. We have the hardest working player of all time on the PP. It has struggled with Letang. It has struggled without. It's now struggling with EK.

Yes, players need to know better. These are all geniuses, they should be able to figure it out. However, every time a situation like this comes up, in any sport at any level, i'm always reminded of the fact that: even Michael Jordan needed coaches.

There is no legitimate excuse for the power play to be this bad and while i've never been on the fire Sully bandwagon, it quite obviously has to start there.

ANd if coaching doesn't fix it, I guess they're just a bunch of uncoachable losers

 

[wheelz87]

it's a testament to this board's stupidity (and my own) that I legitimately thought you guys were arguing that William Nylander wouldn't be an upgrade for us for about 10 posts

Tbf.. Alex shouldn’t warrant ANY discussion whatsoever.

 

[AuroraBorealis]

Tbf.. Alex shouldn’t warrant ANY discussion whatsoever.

Sure he does. He produces well at this level. He's currently leading Wilkes in goals too.
Last I checked our 4th line has scored 2 goals in 16 games, with both coming vs San Jose. Might need offense??