Pre-Game Talk: Montreal vs Pittsburgh

[KIRK]

Kunitz deserves a day off after that strong practice yesterday

Look, I know a lot of you got your knickers in a twist after Shelly tweeted that, but is it really not reporting facts to call it 'strong' when Kunitz wins an uncontested board battle in practice? I mean, think about it, compared to what he usually does . . .

 

[Speaking Moistly]

Kunitz deserves a day off after that strong practice yesterday

That's going to be the excuse for him tonight, "Kunitz worked so hard in practice that he had nothing left for the game. What a trooper for trying to lead by example like that."

 

[lettuceAA]

Yeah doesn't that piss you off? I mean you've worked with some of those guys. Do you ever have conversations with any of them about the Despres ******** treatment in the Pittsburgh media?

Majority of the mainstream media in the US views poker in a very dark light. They'll still promote this **** out of power ball though.

 

[Winger for Hire]

Majority of the mainstream media in the US views poker in a very dark light. They'll still promote this **** out of power ball though.

Or the $1mil prize that you could win at FanDuel/Draf Kings during every commercial break of every TV show ever.

 

[Big McLargehuge]

Or the $1mil prize that you could win at FanDuel/Draf Kings during every commercial break of every TV show ever.

/podcast/website/trip to the bathroom/dream...

 

[StutzlesTapeJob]

Just watched a bunch of nhl highlights from our games and other games.

I have Observed the following, and can only conclude that we may be playing different sportings

Other teams are making a lot of these "good plays" I am hearing about. Supporting the puck, driving the net, getting open in lanes. They are also doing that thing where they use their body to separate people from pucks and break up puck movement. Even smaller guys will use the boards to pin players. They must have seen something in the advanced stats to prove there is an advantage to not letting people skate freely around the ice.

Often defenseman seemed to focus on positioning and preventing chances. Absurd I know. And some teams even went as far as to put all of their best players on the ice for power plays. At the same time no less!

It is probably a flash in the pan new-fangled fad, like that twotter or social medium, but these other teams were trying like really hard. Like when they didn't have the puck they would really work to get it back. I could only describe it as battling. We'll see how that pans out in the long run! Ha - fools.

These teams didn't even seem to have any respectable elderly gentleman out there. It was effective, sure, but they are fine to not partake in the joyous follies of an watching artifacts struggle to compete against lively young blood? Ghastly. I thought this was hockey we are playing.

 

[BlindWillyMcHurt]

At this point, I think he just wants to be on the top unit period. He said as much after the Arizona game.

His average power-play shift time in the Arizona game was 32 seconds. That's barely enough time to gain possession in some cases. They've taken the 9th best points-per-60 guy in the last two years on the power-play and have given him scrap time. That's just absolutely obscene to me.

Thank you.

This can't be repeated enough. And if they let it continue... it would keep happening. We all know it. Malkin knows it.

 

[steveg]

So sad . . . and so true.

I had a dream last night, though: When Scuderi ***** up another dozen or so times tonight and is turned into a human turnstile by the Habs little speedy forwards, Sid and Geno tell Johnston to skate a bunch of gassers for continuing to dress Scuderi.

Now THAT is hilarious!!! I envy the creativity and sense of humor you conjure while sleeping!

 

[Sidney the Kidney]

Why they (or Sid himself) refuses to play in the spot that he'd be best suited for (down around and below the goal line) is way beyond me. Geno is just simply better than Sid in the position that Sid wants to play.

It's actually pretty simple why Sid doesn't want to play around the goal line. He's adjusted his game to be more of a perimeter player after the concussion. Where will he take more abuse? Around the goal line or on the halfboards?

Which is why, in general, I'm not sure we'll see the truly dominant Sid anymore. That Sid was a beast around the net. Deflections, rebounds, garbage goals, etc. He was a machine. This version doesn't score those kinds of goals with any regularity now, because this version of Sid doesn't go there nearly as often.

 

[Penguinzilla*]

The may be one of those games where I just check the score around 9:30 and only watch it if they're winning. I promised myself I wouldn't do that this season though

 

[Will Hunting]

Last season.. I was watching every ****ing Penguins game.. Every single one. At 1:00 AM, 3:00 AM etc.. Right now, I don´t even care. Haven´t watched the first two games, don´t care about the results.. I´m just so frustrated. Mike Johnston is ruining the beautiful sport of hockey for me. Completely ruining it. I will try to watch it tonight, but I expect another boring frustrating night.

It´s so crazy. The lineup on the paper looks so entertaining, yet we have the coach completely killing the players and the sport. Brutal. They really are risking losing the fanbase.

 

[TheSniper26]

It's actually pretty simple why Sid doesn't want to play around the goal line. He's adjusted his game to be more of a perimeter player after the concussion. Where will he take more abuse? Around the goal line or on the halfboards?

Which is why, in general, I'm not sure we'll see the truly dominant Sid anymore. That Sid was a beast around the net. Deflections, rebounds, garbage goals, etc. He was a machine. This version doesn't score those kinds of goals with any regularity now, because this version of Sid doesn't go there nearly as often.

Can you even blame him at this point? The guy has had his head busted multiple times and had his face wrecked. To say nothing of the countless other smaller injuries. And for what? To rarely be met halfway by the organization? The same could be said about Geno.

These guys have carried this team on their backs and kept it competitive for the last decade. And they've been on the receiving end of copious amounts of abuse in the process. It'd be hard to fault either of them for going into a bit of a self-preservation mode at this point.

 

[UnderratedBrooks44]

Can you even blame him at this point? The guy has had his head busted multiple times and had his face wrecked. To say nothing of the countless other smaller injuries. And for what? To rarely be met halfway by the organization? The same could be said about Geno.

These guys have carried this team on their backs and kept it competitive for the last decade. And they've been on the receiving end of copious amounts of abuse in the process. It'd be hard to fault either of them for going into a bit of a self-preservation mode at this point.

He's paid all right I hear.

 

[madinsomniac]

We are actually due for a Bi-polar Pens day... where they play amazing vs a opponant everyone expected them to have trouble with, and thus calm the fears of the great unwashed for a bit... its coming... you know it...

 

[MrBurghundy]

It's actually pretty simple why Sid doesn't want to play around the goal line. He's adjusted his game to be more of a perimeter player after the concussion. Where will he take more abuse? Around the goal line or on the halfboards?

Which is why, in general, I'm not sure we'll see the truly dominant Sid anymore. That Sid was a beast around the net. Deflections, rebounds, garbage goals, etc. He was a machine. This version doesn't score those kinds of goals with any regularity now, because this version of Sid doesn't go there nearly as often.

I also think the past 2 coaches he had since then refuse to tell him to alter his game back to that more dominant form. They are too afraid of upsetting him and rocking the boat.

The only real legitimate coach Sid has had during his entire tenure in the NHL is Therrien, and he wasn't exactly all that great of one in his time here.

 

[TheSniper26]

He's paid all right I hear.

He is. But take a look at some of the other contracts around the league. Crosby, even playing a safer, more perimeter game is still worth his cap hit. So again, why continue to go above and beyond for an organization that hasn't shown a ton of interest in building around him(and Geno) over the last 10 years? I'm not saying phone it in and cash the check. Crosby isn't the type to do that anyway. But switching to a style that's conducive to lengthening his career isn't unreasonable to me given the way the last several years have played out.

 

[Speaking Moistly]

I also think the past 2 coaches he had since then refuse to tell him to alter his game back to that more dominant form. They are too afraid of upsetting him and rocking the boat.

The only real legitimate coach Sid has had during his entire tenure in the NHL is Therrien, and he wasn't exactly all that great of one in his time here.

I doubt the Pens would do anything to risk their investment like that.

 

[MrBurghundy]

I doubt the Pens would do anything to risk their investment like that.

That's all well and good, but if he stops scoring and being the best player in the NHL, that hurts the team, which in turn hurts their profitably.

Besides, I'm not asking for him to battle in front of the net. I'm asking him to play around the goal line. He can feed passes to everybody else on the PP that way while their eyes are on him and not the guy sneaking in the back door. It also frees him up for those tip shots off the net. Hornqvist would be the guy to take that beating occupying defenders and screening the goalie.

Hate to quote Tomlin, but we don't live in our fears. For Sid to be at his best, he needs to do the things that made him the best again.

 

[Tasty Biscuits]

This probably doesn't help things for Malkin. Notice what Hornqvist does after Plotnikov has gone to the net and that slot is wide open for a shooter:

Then there's the 2nd PP unit stuff which apparently has come to an end.

But, it's 2 games right now, unless you want to count the end of last season, when he probably shouldn't have been playing.

We'll see . . . with a coach with his finger on the pulse of his team and with a 'get the puck to a trailing Scuderi' system like Mike Johnston, I'm sure you've no reason to worry.

That's such a sad gif.

 

[MeticulouslyDishevel]

So the two old farts who should be fighting to keep their jobs are skipping optionals....

Because this team won't make them fight for their jobs.

 

[Scandale du Jour]

Because this team won't make them fight for their jobs.

I know. And that's the saddest part. Scuderi in particular. Kunitz I could stomach if used properly, Scuderi, he is done like dinner.

 

[Farnham4top6]

Just watched a bunch of nhl highlights from our games and other games.

I have Observed the following, and can only conclude that we may be playing different sportings

Other teams are making a lot of these "good plays" I am hearing about. Supporting the puck, driving the net, getting open in lanes. They are also doing that thing where they use their body to separate people from pucks and break up puck movement. Even smaller guys will use the boards to pin players. They must have seen something in the advanced stats to prove there is an advantage to not letting people skate freely around the ice.

Often defenseman seemed to focus on positioning and preventing chances. Absurd I know. And some teams even went as far as to put all of their best players on the ice for power plays. At the same time no less!

It is probably a flash in the pan new-fangled fad, like that twotter or social medium, but these other teams were trying like really hard. Like when they didn't have the puck they would really work to get it back. I could only describe it as battling. We'll see how that pans out in the long run! Ha - fools.

These teams didn't even seem to have any respectable elderly gentleman out there. It was effective, sure, but they are fine to not partake in the joyous follies of an watching artifacts struggle to compete against lively young blood? Ghastly. I thought this was hockey we are playing.

Very nice of you to describe the mindset of the average member of pens management, I have never seen a description so spot on, how do you do it? Did the great Oden help you? Or are you a the reincarnation of the great Gustavus Adolphus?

 

[steveg]

That's such a sad gif.

I guess this is what everyone refers to when they say Geno and Horns don't have chemistry -- and why having both Plotnikov and Hornqvist on the same line is not the best combo? That Geno needs someone with the wherewithal to pull up in the soft spot there, in the slot?

 

[DesertPenguin]

I'm encouraged that Perron is finally up with Malkin and Hornqvist, it's a start. I also saw the fully loaded power play a few times in Arizona, so hopefully that continues. The third period there was actually a really good showing, they just couldn't beat Smith. A whole game like that instead of just one period will get the job done.

I hate to say it, but I think the forward lines are the best they can be for the moment. Plotnikov might grow into the top 6 grinder that we need and supplant Kunitz, but for now he doesn't seem quite up to speed in the top 6. Give the guy some time to adjust to the game while Kunitz digs his own grave. Bennett might be an option there too, sure, but I don't like BB on the right wing and he too could use a dozen or so solid games in a row to gain confidence before being lined up with the big boys.

Really the only thing I don't like is Porter on the 4th line. If we aren't going with Farnham for his energy and agitation, give me someone like Sundqvist for a handful of games. Sundy can kill penalties and could benefit from some NHL time while Dupuis and Fehr are out.

On D, Im hoping its just a matter of time until we see Clendening on that 3rd pairing over Scuderi, but for that to happen the rest of the defense has to show more on the PK. I know Scuds isn't actually good on the PK but I doubt Clendening is better, and that's a skill we need more of, not less.

Maatta - Letang
Cole - Lovejoy
Dumoulin - Clendening

Eventually becoming:

Maatta - Letang
Dumoulin - Cole
Pouliot - Lovejoy
Clendening

Dumo needs to continue looking good and this will hopefully happen.

 

[IronLore]

I see the Penguins defying the laws of physics tonight and scoring less than zero goals against Price.

Habs 4, Pens -1