Post-Game Talk: Islanders 3, Penguins 2 (SO) - Greiss Trolls the Penguins

[Strakanator]

I hope JJ will gradually loose muster with the coaching staff and eventually just be the penguins 6th defensemen. He may be able to handle that.

 

[Andy99]

I hope JJ will gradually loose muster with the coaching staff and eventually just be the penguins 6th defensemen. He may be able to handle that.

He’s already the 6th by ice time. My hope is that he sees the bench and Riikola replaces him....

 

[The Old Master]

He’s already the 6th by ice time. My hope is that he sees the bench and Riikola replaces him....

it seem we have a case of jj needs less time to be good and riiky needs more time to be good.

 

[WayneSid9987]

It looks like he's gonna settle into that #5-7 area which is where he should've been to start.
Olli and others just sucked hard in the pre-season/start and the brass thrust JJ into the same role he had in CBJ.
I didn't mind testing him that way early because it's now clear what the best role is for him here.

For me atm, if you lose a game(or 2 games it's been now), i switch out a D or some D.
Rig's playing the best out of anyone not named Domoulin/Letang and anyone else who stinks in a game you lose should be swapped out for the extra guy thats sitting atm.
Just play it that way til Schultz gets back.

Last night they had the right strategy(who gets what ice time) and limited the Isles' high danger shots for the most part. I'd just tinker a bit and chuck Riiko in for JJ this time to see what you can muster up.

 

[billybudd]

Possible Johnson's an ownership signing.

"Hey Jim, Sid said his friend Jack Johnson's a good guy at dinner the other day. Maybe we should see if we can get him in here."

*heads to the driving range and forgets this conversation*

 

[Ugene Magic]

Just so it's clear, my Mister Rogers post wasn't aimed at the Pens, more so, it was aimed at Greiss and the Islanders for being so good.

Sorry for the work, Mods.

I'll have to add Tom Hanks head to that one and maybe blur out the flipping the bird gestures.

The Pens defense needs better, and they know they can't take anyone for granted.

 

[Pancakes]

So everyone is getting significantly worst zone starts and playing the same or more minutes and JJ is marginally better.

Think I clearly stated he's performing the worst of any of our regulars unless you count Riikola as a regular.

 

[Gurglesons]

I hope JJ will gradually loose muster with the coaching staff and eventually just be the penguins 6th defensemen. He may be able to handle that.

He can, but at that point you are paying 3.25 mil for a player that people speaking positively said could step up to be a #4.

He is doing none of that.

 

[Gurglesons]

Think I clearly stated he's performing the worst of any of our regulars unless you count Riikola as a regular.

I was just agreeing since Empo has a hard on for defending JJ for some reason.

 

[Honour Over Glory]

Re: Johnson...

I'm not sure what to make of this guy. He has all the tools to be a fantastic defenseman but he just seems to be stuck with whatever he used to do and think that applies her. He's shown he can be a fantastic defenseman at times, not with us yet, but he's shown that ability. I almost wonder if JR should just call up Chayka and offer him JJ + a pick for Demers straight up and call it a day.

I'll eat crow here, I thought people were overreacting, but he really does stink. But hey, at least those same people that hated on Oleksiak better be eating some f***ing crow as well.

In any case, I was wrong. JJ sucks.

Let's hope JR moves him for Demers so we can get a right handed PMD to add balance back and have proper pairings of...

Dumoulin, Letang
Maatta, Demers
Riikola, Oleksiak.

 

[K Fleur]

JJ is on pace to be on the ice for a career high 119 goals against this season!

Wondering when the team is gonna start "fixing" him or whatever the BS sell was when they signed him.

 

[Empoleon8771]

I'll eat crow here, I thought people were overreacting, but he really does stink.

I asked this last night and didn't get an answer, what did Johnson do last night that prompted this reaction? Is this just a cumulative reaction or did he actually do something that warrants this? No one has said what he did last night to warrant this reaction, which I'm guessing it's something he did last night.

It's either people just complaining to complain about Johnson, which will just make me roll my eyes, or he did something really bad last night that I missed.

 

[Honour Over Glory]

Unpopular opinion that shouldn't be unpopular: Riikola has been their worst defensemen so far this year.

Not even remotely close.

The tough thing about Riikola is being benched when others suck more and then being put back in when the team looks like a mess and he's some how supposed to carry the changing partners when he's also a "rookie" on this team's blueline. He's done neough good to show what he is capable of, but yeah he's had maybe 2 forgettable games out of the 6 he's played. That's still just 6 games.

Johnson meanwhile has been sweaty moist ass for like 7 out of his 11 games and still keeps getting opportunities simply because of his contract.

 

[Honour Over Glory]

I asked this last night and didn't get an answer, what did Johnson do last night that prompted this reaction? Is this just a cumulative reaction or did he actually do something that warrants this? No one has said what he did last night to warrant this reaction, which I'm guessing it's something he did last night.

Cumulative. He just makes the most odd decisions in his own end, like he's not aware of the other player and others in that vicinity. Oh a guy is coming in on me, let me force it up the boards where there are 2 other guys on 1 of my guys and hope it goes through!

Also he seems to be out of position a lot. I get they want him to be physical and what not, but seriously the guy can skate and he can handle the puck, but he's playing the puck like its a grenade each time he gets it. Maybe it's the coaching telling him to do that, but whatever it is, it's making him look very bad.

 

[Empoleon8771]

Not even remotely close.

The tough thing about Riikola is being benched when others suck more and then being put back in when the team looks like a mess and he's some how supposed to carry the changing partners when he's also a "rookie" on this team's blueline. He's done neough good to show what he is capable of, but yeah he's had maybe 2 forgettable games out of the 6 he's played. That's still just 6 games.

Johnson meanwhile has been sweaty moist ass for like 7 out of his 11 games and still keeps getting opportunities simply because of his contract.

Why do his games count as "forgettable", but Johnson has been "sweaty moist ass"? Riikola's stats are even worse than Johnson's. This just comes down to Riikola being treated better than Johnson because he's the shiny new toy and everyone has decided they hate Johnson already. Riikola has been their worst defenseman on the year so far.

 

[Honour Over Glory]

I was just agreeing since Empo has a hard on for defending JJ for some reason.

JJ owes him money, he just wants to make sure he collects on his debt.

 

[Honour Over Glory]

Why do his games count as "forgettable", but Johnson has been "sweaty moist ass"? Riikola's stats are even worse than Johnson's. This just comes down to Riikola being treated better than Johnson because he's the shiny new toy and everyone has decided they hate Johnson already. Riikola has been their worst defenseman on the year so far.

You expect some bumps with a rookie new to the NHL.

But a veteran of 10+ seasons, he's playing about as badly as a rookie.

You need to put down that excel sheet of what he owes you and see the light Emp. I am still hoping Johnson turns it around, so Sid has his bff around, but he's making it tough. Also the stats also don't lie with opportunities against Johnson, the veteran.

 

[EightyOne]

Chara light, perhaps?

Fun fact, the Pens (and like every other team until round three in 96) passed on Zdeno Chara. For goaltender 1st rnd pick Craig Hillier. Lol lol lol lol lol lol lol lol ...Pens traded their 2nd that year.

 

[Empoleon8771]

You expect some bumps with a rookie new to the NHL.

But a veteran of 10+ seasons, he's playing about as badly as a rookie.

You need to put down that excel sheet of what he owes you and see the light Emp. I am still hoping Johnson turns it around, so Sid has his bff around, but he's making it tough. Also the stats also don't lie with opportunities against Johnson, the veteran.

But that's not relevant of play. What their contracts are is irrelevant of play. People keep bringing up things unrelated to their play to say Riikola hasn't been bad. He was bad when he was playing, no one should be worried about it because he's a rookie and still is on his ELC, but he was still bad. You should expect more out of Johnson for those reasons, but that doesn't make his play worse than Riikola's play.

I think it's just Johnson being the new whipping boy here, and it's just annoying to read. Johnson hasn't been any worse than any of Riikola, Ruhwedel, Maatta or Schultz this year, yet some people genuinely act like he killed their dog. It's just annoying to read "JOHNSON WAS ON THE ICE!!!" anytime a goal was scored when he was on the ice, regardless of whether he was responsible for it. That's what it really comes down to, it's not even about me thinking Johnson has been good or bad at this point, it's just me being annoyed seeing the constant *****ing about Johnson anytime anything goes wrong with him.

 

[Honour Over Glory]

Ok moving on from the JJ talk (hoping he turns it around Emp, I really do, as for Riikola, I really hope he gets more opportunities to show what he can do because his awareness with his positioning is solid when he's chasing players back and knowing where the puck is going to be in his own end)....

Why the hell does Sully refuse to bump Sprong up when he's been playing very well the last 2 games? As the #1 Rust fan in the world, I have to admit they need to either move him to LW with Geno or something...he needs to be bumped for Sprong even if for a game to see how that looks.

I'd hope for a...

Guentzel, Crosby, Simon
Rust, Malkin, Kessel
Sheahan, Cullen, Sprong
Hagelin, Grant, Hornqvist

 

[Honour Over Glory]

But that's not relevant of play. What their contracts are is irrelevant of play. People keep bringing up things unrelated to their play to say Riikola hasn't been bad. He was bad when he was playing, no one should be worried about it because he's a rookie and still is on his ELC, but he was still bad. You should expect more out of Johnson for those reasons, but that doesn't make his play worse than Riikola's play.

I think it's just Johnson being the new whipping boy here, and it's just annoying to read. Johnson hasn't been any worse than any of Riikola, Ruhwedel, Maatta or Schultz this year, yet some people genuinely act like he killed their dog. It's just annoying to read "JOHNSON WAS ON THE ICE!!!" anytime a goal was scored when he was on the ice, regardless of whether he was responsible for it.

I'm with you on that one. Johnson is often blamed for things he didn't do and people did the same with Oleksiak which really irked me when it rarely, if ever, his fault on things he was blamed for. Now those people are tooting his horn that he's been great when like 2 games before that, they were shitting all over him.

I get it.

 

[K Fleur]

Riikola has been on the ice for 4 goals against this season.

JJ has been on the ice for 16 goals against this season.

Riikola is a still unproven signing. JJ just f***ing sucks and has for like a decade.

 

[Empoleon8771]

I wonder if:

1. Riikola playing in only half of the games this year and playing half as many minutes as Johnson
2. Riikola having a .941 on ice save%, compared to a .857 on ice save% for Johnson
3. Riikola having a high danger on ice save% of .864, compared to a .737 on ice save% for Johnson
4. Riikola getting easier assignments than Johnson
5. Riikola not playing at all on the PK, while Johnson playing among the most on the Penguins on the PK.

Have any impact on Riikola being on the ice for less goals against than Johnson this year. Nah, those probably don't have any impact. Just like Oleksiak being on the ice for less goals against last year than Letang means that Letang sucks.

 

[Gurglesons]

I wonder if:

1. Riikola playing in only half of the games this year and playing half as many minutes as Johnson
2. Riikola having a .941 on ice save%, compared to a .857 on ice save% for Johnson
3. Riikola having a high danger on ice save% of .864, compared to a .737 on ice save% for Johnson
4. Riikola getting easier assignments than Johnson
5. Riikola not playing at all on the PK, while Johnson playing among the most on the Penguins on the PK.

Have any impact on Riikola being on the ice for less goals against than Johnson this year. Nah, those probably don't have any impact. Just like Oleksiak being on the ice for less goals against last year than Letang means that Letang sucks.

Riikola and Ruh have been healthy scratched and are #6 defensemen.

I don't really get what any of your points mean. Johnson has clearly been our worst defenseman of the six you expect to play in our top six this year. Riikola and Ruh are wild cards and our #7s. Johnson shouldn't just be treading at their level.

Finding a place has been challenging for Sullivan so far. He’s paired Johnson with three different partners for 40+ 5v5 minutes already (Chad Ruhwedel, Juuso Riikola, Olli Maatta) and no combination has come close to even generously say it’s been passable.

In fact, those three pairs (Johnson-Ruhwedel, Johnson-Riikola, Maatta-Johnson) have combined for 130 5v5 minutes played and the Penguins have scored 0 goals and given up 11 goals against, while having a Corsi For% in the 47% range.

Johnson is worst among Pens defensemen in scoring chances allowed (85 in 170 5v5 minutes) and also high danger scoring chances allowed (38). Johnson’s 45.2% Corsi For% is only better among team blueliners than Schultz (injured after 3 games) and the rookie Riikola.

 

[K Fleur]

I wonder if:

1. Riikola playing in only half of the games this year and playing half as many minutes as Johnson
2. Riikola having a .941 on ice save%, compared to a .857 on ice save% for Johnson
3. Riikola having a high danger on ice save% of .864, compared to a .737 on ice save% for Johnson
4. Riikola getting easier assignments than Johnson
5. Riikola not playing at all on the PK, while Johnson playing among the most on the Penguins on the PK.

Have any impact on Riikola being on the ice for less goals against than Johnson this year. Nah, those probably don't have any impact. Just like Oleksiak being on the ice for less goals against last year than Letang means that Letang sucks.

Nah, JJ just f***ing sucks.