I hate Bylsma so much. I really do. The only thing -- and I literally mean the ONLY thing -- that will redeem him in my mind is if this team wins the Cup this year. Anything less and I will forever hate him for the stupid lines he insists on using.
I will confess that I hate him all the more for suckering me. Sid goes out. Iggy is on the LW. Then, Geno goes out. I see Morrow killing it with Dupuis or Bennett. I see Kunitz and Iggy together. I'm thinking those two with Sid and Bennett with Malkin and Neal, with Morrow-Jokinen-Dupuis and Cooke-Sutter-Adams. Then, Geno comes back and starts Tuesday with Dupuis on LW and Iggy on right. I'm thinking maybe Kunitz-Geno-Neal and Geno is just playing placeholder for Dupuis-Iggy until Sid comes back.
And, there's IcedCapp, ******* chirping me, telling me it will be Iggy-Geno-Neal when Sid returns. And, I'm actually telling him 'no, the injuries afforded Bylsma the chance to see how combinations that he didn't consider worked so well together; no way he goes back to Iggy on LW'.
Then, it's Iggy on LW on Thursday? WTF do I say to him? I mean, I had no problem when Shero stepped up (starting with the Morrow for Morrow deal) saying he was going for it. I had no problem complimenting Bylsma for finally making adjustments or being big enough apparently to go with combos better than what he'd originally considered. Those things made the Pens better. Iggy at LW makes the Pens worse because it does more to neutralize Malkin than the other team's second defensive units or even his bum shoulder will.
Then, Friday practice comes. Kunitz and Neal are with Geno. I'm thinking and posting 'o'k, so Bylsma isn't blind . . . he say it didn't work with Iggy at LW; he liked Iggy at RW with Dupuis from Tuesday and is setting those two up to play with Sid'.
Now, it's Iginla-Malkin-Neal. And, WTF am I supposed to say?
I want the Pens to win the cup. I don't give a **** about player egos or who's supposed to play on what line. Robataille and Hull played on the 4th ******* line in Detroit because THAT was part of the best possible combination of personnel.
Perhaps that's why Scotty Bowman won cups and Dan Bylsma backed into one. Bowman only cared about winning the cup. Bylsma doesn't want to do that if it means hurting a veteran's feelings.
And, again, I cite Petr Sykora in 2009 and it taking a 2-0 hole to the Caps to wake Bylsma up on that one (and that was with a guy like Fitzie, not a couple of puppets, behind him to talk sense into him).
We should have considered the source. Alas, desperation has such a blinding effect.
If his shoulder is a problem, I think he needs someone to help alleviate his time doing boardwork more than he needs a second shooter.
If his shoulder weren't a problem, then he'd still need that. Everyone but Bylsma sees it. Only times he saw it-- 2009 with Talbot with the 2-0 series hole desperation and last year with Kunitz but only because Sid was out-- are the two times that Geno absolutely killed it for him.
EDIT: I really want RRP to be right about Bylsma on this one, just like I wanted him to be right about Shero getting aggressive and Bylsma being able to make adjustments. I knew that Shero could. I just didn't know if he would. I thought that Bylsma might eventually. BUT, RRP, if there's one flaw in Bylsma that has defined his tenure, it is his complete lack of appreciation for why having a grinding puck retriever is a lot more critical for Malkin than playing with a guy like Neal. Not even you can argue otherwise.