Injury Report: MAY 7: Neal, Orpik hopeful for Game 4 returns

[ColePens]

Orpik was solid until Martin went down. With PM back I think Orpik will be a welcome addition.

And sometimes watching a few game and seeing mistakes is a good way to simplify everything. Hopefully he comes back good because we need the good Orpik. The bad one will just be adding the **** we already see from Nisky and Letang. Those 2 have been pitiful in the d-zone. Especially Niskanen. He is terrible.

 

[Pancakes]

And sometimes watching a few game and seeing mistakes is a good way to simplify everything. Hopefully he comes back good because we need the good Orpik. The bad one will just be adding the **** we already see from Nisky and Letang. Those 2 have been pitiful in the d-zone. Especially Niskanen. He is terrible.

Ideally Orpik will help in all areas of 5-5 play which is where we are struggling the most.

As I said in my previous post I include the break out in that. Orpik is actually a pretty solid passer and he has the ability to skate the puck a little bit too. Eaton and Murray are so limited in mobility that when they get it they have to immediately chip it up the boards or to a forward. Orpik has the skating to assess his options. That will help.

 

[Tender Rip]

Ideally Orpik will help in all areas of 5-5 play which is where we are struggling the most.

As I said in my previous post I include the break out in that. Orpik is actually a pretty solid passer and he has the ability to skate the puck a little bit too. Eaton and Murray are so limited in mobility that when they get it they have to immediately chip it up the boards or to a forward. Orpik has the skating to assess his options. That will help.

Well, Orpik makes some questionable decisions when it comes to is outletting the puck, but I think the bigger bonus is that he trusts his skating and intimadation factor enough to be able to stand some forwards up on the blueline, thus helping with preventing the easy zone entries we've seen. Along with consistent physicality and a return of more harmonious pairings, I think that is likely the biggest benefits rather than anything to do with the break out. That is all about Bylsma making adjustments to how we break out as a team.

 

[radapex]

Why does it seem like so many people are happy Orpik is returning to the lineup? He's played horribly all season.

Because it means Engelland, Despres, and Bortuzzo will be eating nachos.

 

[bigkam]

Orpik's warrior-like effort was a key to their last cup run. No one can argue that he has had some rough patches this season, but if he can reach the playoff level we have seen him play at before, he's going to help this team immensely.

That, and after watching Despres skate/make decisions like he's cognitively challenged, I say "welcome back, Brooks".

 

[Captain Hook]

Orpik played well with Martin this year. He's at worst a better, more mobile version of Engelland and is more playoff ready than Despres and Bortuzzo. I don't see how getting him back is a bad thing.

 

[AZPenguins]

Because it means Engelland, Despres, and Bortuzzo will be eating nachos.

I look forward to him coming back if for no other reason than this.

 

[MrBurghundy]

Because it means Engelland, Despres, and Bortuzzo will be eating nachos.

It's too bad they didn't get Bortuzzo and Despres in more games during the season to prepare them for this...

 

[cheesedanish87]

Orpik played well with Martin this year. He's at worst a better, more mobile version of Engelland and is more playoff ready than Despres and Bortuzzo. I don't see how getting him back is a bad thing.

Orpik will help are other def also, Orpik-Martin pairing will play about 25 mins a game, that leaves 35 mins for your bottom 2 pairings, i think guys like Letang and Niakanen will play better with fewer minutes.

 

[Le Magnifique 66]

Orpik played well with Martin this year. He's at worst a better, more mobile version of Engelland and is more playoff ready than Despres and Bortuzzo. I don't see how getting him back is a bad thing.

You don't mess with chemistry haven't you learned anything from all these injuries?

Look at game 2, we lost cause Crosby came back and ruined all chemistry in this team. Now Orpik, great!!!

 

[Dupree13]

Anybody know when the game day skate is going to be? We should find out then.

 

[KIRK]

I know this sounds weird but I think where Orpik will really help us is with the break out. After Letang and Martin he's our third best guy at breaking the puck out. Our breakout should improve substantially with Orpik eating up some minutes.

Orpik isn't great at the breakout or anything but he is definitely our third best dman at it so having him in will definitely help in that area.

If Brooks Orpik is the third best defenseman for a team's breakout where that breakout is predicated on quick decisions and long passes, then perhaps this is part of the reason why the Pens breakout sucks. It isn't the system. It's the personnel.

 

[KIRK]

And sometimes watching a few game and seeing mistakes is a good way to simplify everything. Hopefully he comes back good because we need the good Orpik. The bad one will just be adding the **** we already see from Nisky and Letang. Those 2 have been pitiful in the d-zone. Especially Niskanen. He is terrible.

I am surprised by how few people have noticed this.

 

[shizno*]

I am surprised by how few people have noticed this.

I sure noticed him get beat down and give the Isles energy in game 2

 

[KIRK]

I sure noticed him get beat down and give the Isles energy in game 2

That's his Dallas MO. You beat the **** out of him, and he starts playing like a guy hearing footsteps.

What's really sad is that the Flyers last year beat the **** out of him worse and he was playing banged up, and he still was doing it the right way.

Definite regression in his play this playoffs so far.

 

[Shady Machine]

That's his Dallas MO. You beat the **** out of him, and he starts playing like a guy hearing footsteps.

What's really sad is that the Flyers last year beat the **** out of him worse and he was playing banged up, and he still was doing it the right way.

Definite regression in his play this playoffs so far.

Absolutely. I don't mean to put too much on that fight, but I was pretty embarrassed for him and his play since has shown he felt bad/weird/intimidated/something funky about it. I thought both him and Letang were strong in Game 1. They've been pretty piss poor since.

 

[Til the End of Time]

niskanen seems somewhat akin to letang. he can play some pretty solid hockey in the regular season, but when he starts hearing footsteps/forecheckers in the playoffs, he loses his mind a bit.

people were far too quick to give niskanen huge props for his impressive play in the regular season.

his history shows he's not built for the playoffs.

the penguins blueline is built with too many guys playing big minutes who arent made for playoff hockey- letang, niskanen, martin.

 

[KIRK]

Absolutely. I don't mean to put too much on that fight, but I was pretty embarrassed for him and his play since has shown he felt bad/weird/intimidated/something funky about it. I thought both him and Letang were strong in Game 1. They've been pretty piss poor since.

I don't blame either one of them for the breakout. I love watching both of them get pushed by the first forechecker right and consistently make the wrong choice with the puck. Then again, they are being confronted with a 'clear' choice of trying to chip over the second forechecker (to a Pens forward covered by a D-man) OR making a cross ice pass to a forward that the Isles third forward is just waiting to jump and must choose the lesser of two evils. Can't really blame them if they've got two options of what to do and they both suck most times.

Now, in their own zone defending, they're both blowing chunks, Nisky even worse than Letang.

 

[MrBurghundy]

niskanen seems somewhat akin to letang. he can play some pretty solid hockey in the regular season, but when he starts hearing footsteps/forecheckers in the playoffs, he loses his mind a bit.

people were far too quick to give niskanen huge props for his impressive play in the regular season.

his history shows he's not built for the playoffs.

the penguins blueline is built with too many guys playing big minutes who arent made for playoff hockey- letang, niskanen, martin.

He should be traded this off-season to recoup some draft picks.

 

[KIRK]

He should be traded this off-season to recoup some draft picks.

Orpik too . . . I'd rather resign Murray for less.

 

[Harv]

Neal skating with Malkin..

Yay yay yay

 

[Tender Rip]

Lets throw some players under the bus, because we have sucked defensively as a team. Every single D-man on our team has been looking terrible these last two games. Everyone.
The reasons have been pointed out.

 

[Til the End of Time]

Lets throw some players under the bus, because we have sucked defensively as a team. Every single D-man on our team has been looking terrible these last two games. Everyone.
The reasons have been pointed out.

niskanen struggling in the post-season isnt a new occurrence. its standard with him, since he first came into the league.

 

[KIRK]

Neal skating with Malkin..

Yay yay yay

Don't get too excited too fast:

Pittsburgh Penguins ‏@penguins 5m
#Pens work: 14-87-9 24-36-48 27-17-15 19-71-18 44-7 2-5 4-58 47-41. Couple guys absent: 12 3 16 10

Any idea where Iginla goes when he returns?

Kunitz-Crosby-Dupuis
Iginla-Malkin-Neal (Iginla for Bennett when he shows)
Morrow-Jokinen-Cooke (Morrow for Kennedy when he shows)
Glass-Sutter-Adams (Sutter for Jeffrey when he shows)

BOOK IT . . . Tonight, at long last, Bylsma will take Ray Shero's idiot proof lineup and put it together in absolutely idiotic combinations.

 

[radapex]

Don't get too excited too fast:

Pittsburgh Penguins ‏@penguins 5m
#Pens work: 14-87-9 24-36-48 27-17-15 19-71-18 44-7 2-5 4-58 47-41. Couple guys absent: 12 3 16 10

Any idea where Iginla goes when he returns?

Kunitz-Crosby-Dupuis
Iginla-Malkin-Neal (Iginla for Bennett when he shows)
Morrow-Jokinen-Cooke (Morrow for Kennedy when he shows)
Glass-Sutter-Adams (Sutter for Jeffrey when he shows)

BOOK IT . . . Tonight, at long last, Bylsma will take Ray Shero's idiot proof lineup and put it together in absolutely idiotic combinations.

I'd like to see them keep the first 2 lines from the morning skate intact and go with

Kunitz - Crosby - Dupuis
Bennett - Malkin - Neal
Morrow - Jokinen - Iginla
Cooke - Sutter - Adams


Bennett's been playing very well and looked decent with Malkin and Neal during the regular season.