Honour Over Glory
Fire Sully
- Jan 30, 2012
- 77,316
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My first guess is that Sid has the most input into who he plays with and might not want BB there, but who knows. A healthy team would shed more light onto this... and I don't think we're going to have that for a while.
There has not been a single strong argument in this thread as to why Bennett shouldn't play with Sid. Not a single one.
Wonder what a line of:
Bennett-Sutter-Megna
would be like...
No, its just laughable that when the Penguins actually do get a Top 6 capable and proven winger, you want to put him on the 3rd line. Yeah, put our leading (tied for) scoring winger who's shown chemistry and finishing ability with Malkin on the third line.
I'm not trying to screw Bennett out of Top 6 time...but come on, you're nuts for wanting him in the Top 6 and Jokinen on the 3rd line. If there is anyone that needs out of the Top 6 right now, it's Dupuis, not Jokinen.
At times, people here go too far the other way when considering where and when to play the youth. People were all for Tangradi being shoved down the Top 6 throat and he was terrible...but people ignored it. People wanted the same thing with Staal. Now people want Bennett in the Top 6 for the pure sake of having youth in the Top 6. Such delusion that people are willing to ignore the fact that Jokinen is our top scoring winger.
You make some good argument but you also make some bad ones.
I'm not familiar with Kunitz's collegian career ... Bennett played 47. His first season he played 37 games mostly on a 3rd line because Denver was stacked & on the 2nd PP unit for large parts of the season(from the half dozen or more games I saw). He put up 4 less points than Kunitz did his Freshman & Sophmore year.
Kunitz was in the exact same situation as a Freshman at Ferris state and more than doubled Bennett's goal total, if you were wondering. If a guy's going to score goals in the NHL, he's going to score some before he gets there.
Almost nobody just goes from not scoring goals in college or minor pro to scoring enough to justify being placed on a line with the sports' best passer.
Someone's going to retort something about Dupuis shortly, but not only is Dupuis not an ideal linemate for Crosby, even his meager goal production on lower levels and in lesser roles exceeds Bennett's. He also takes more than twice as many shots (even without Crosby) and converts at a higher career clip (again, even without Crosby).
Bennett is a playmaker anyway. Not a goal scorer. I'm not really sure the point that's trying to be made.
Apparently you can only have one elite passer on each line. So that would mean Bennett has to stay on the 3rd line forever.
Well the last time I checked Crosby can shoot just as well as pass and Kunitz is a finisher. That line needs somebody who doesnt play wack-a-mole with the puck all over the ice and can actually create space for himself and dish the puck to the goal scorers. The last thing it needs is another sniper.
Agreed Darth Vitale. The only caveat is do we know if Juice-Geno-Neal works? The individual pairs work but I have some concern about the line working. If it is to work, I think Neal needs to drive the forecheck, be physical, etc. It will cause his role to change but I think he's capable of it.
Oh I totally agree with you. Billybud thinks you are dead wrong. Apparently Sid is the best playmaker in the game so therefore he should be setting guys up that can score. The problem with that logic is that Sid is also one of the best goal scorers in the league AND that Malkin is a top 3 playmaker in the league too so I guess Bennett can't play with him either. It's an absurd argument to be honest.
Let's just accept that the 1st line won't change...the rest of the line-up.
Kunitz, Crosby, Dupuis
Bennett, Malkin, Neal
Jokinen, Sutter, Megna
Lord Glass, Sir Vitale, Duke Adams
They say if you don't learn, you're doomed to repeat your mistakes. Or something profound like that, of which I am sure I butchered in some way.
Where have we seen this before on this team where a player dictated coaching decisions in regards to his linemates?
Bennett is a playmaker anyway. Not a goal scorer. I'm not really sure the point that's trying to be made.
Agreed Darth Vitale. The only caveat is do we know if Juice-Geno-Neal works? The individual pairs work but I have some concern about the line working. If it is to work, I think Neal needs to drive the forecheck, be physical, etc. It will cause his role to change but I think he's capable of it.
I'd be happy to consider any examples of a playmaking wing who can't score excelling with a playmaking center who can if anyone can provide them. My guess is there are very, very few such instances. If any.