News Article: NBA Analyst JaromÃr Jágr Offers His Take on Malkin and Crosby's Lack of Production
- Thread starter Crafton
- Start date
Defensemen don't activate. Wingers can't make a play one on one, win board battles with any consistency, or crash the net/provide a screen. On a level, you can say 'well, Malkin had Chara-Seidenberg, so that was part of it'. BUT, let's be honest, if it were anything but a case of 1 on 5 most of the time, is there anyway that Sid shouldn't have eaten a five man unit of Jagr-Bergeron-Marchand-Ference-Boychuk for lunch, no matter how good Bergeron is? Jagr is absolutely right here.
domaug*
Registered User
i have my own issues with Jagr and his departure from the Pens (as i'm sure other fans have), but he's pretty much right here. i agree with what he's saying here, although i don't follow the NBA so i don't really care for his comparison... 
Ugene Magic
EVIL LAUGH
Jagr's right, which is why I didn't understand why Crosby and Malkin kept trying to force the puck in their zone by themselves or force passes when there were 2 or 3 guys in-between.
I think an easy way to handle their layers of defense would have been to stop spreading everyone out. Their layers of defense made it so they would have 2 on 1 and 3 on 2 breakaways too.
I think an easy way to handle their layers of defense would have been to stop spreading everyone out. Their layers of defense made it so they would have 2 on 1 and 3 on 2 breakaways too.
The amount of times Crosby would pull up to pass and the only Penguins in the zone were all the way on the other side of the ice was sickening. Absolutely zero puck support.
Such an easy thing to fix too, and it went on for 4 games. Should have been countered during the first period of game 1.
SidGenoMario
Registered User
I'm surprised that he has enough time to watch basketball, I thought he was busy gambling away his salary every day.
FDBluth
Registered User
Jagr is 100% right.
This has been the story ever since we beat the Red Wings when Sid was shut down. Teams play prevent defense on him because his wingers have never been good enough to create offense or space on their own. The GM/Coach haven't still haven't corrected this. Is it too much to ask for the best player in the world to play with at least one real first-line winger at some point in career?
Malkin carries the puck more often in an effort to change things when he's being shut down (one thing Sid used to do more in his early days and one thing I wish he did more nowadays) so it's less noticeable, but it happens to him, too.
Another thing...if you watch how the Blackhawks play, they play with a similar pace of the Penguins, but they are only concerned with moving the puck up the ice as fast as possible if there's a play there. If there isn't, they work it up slowly east-west until an opening is there. We don't do that. Against teams like Boston, just throwing it up the ice as fast as possible results in a lot of turnovers and broken plays. And it did.
This has been the story ever since we beat the Red Wings when Sid was shut down. Teams play prevent defense on him because his wingers have never been good enough to create offense or space on their own. The GM/Coach haven't still haven't corrected this. Is it too much to ask for the best player in the world to play with at least one real first-line winger at some point in career?
Malkin carries the puck more often in an effort to change things when he's being shut down (one thing Sid used to do more in his early days and one thing I wish he did more nowadays) so it's less noticeable, but it happens to him, too.
Another thing...if you watch how the Blackhawks play, they play with a similar pace of the Penguins, but they are only concerned with moving the puck up the ice as fast as possible if there's a play there. If there isn't, they work it up slowly east-west until an opening is there. We don't do that. Against teams like Boston, just throwing it up the ice as fast as possible results in a lot of turnovers and broken plays. And it did.
Malkinstheman
Registered User
- Aug 12, 2012
- 9,365
- 8,244
Well its not sheros fault that everytime he brings in a winger, hes only tried with malkin/third line then not used.
FDBluth
Registered User
Yeah, that's kinda why I said the GM/coach combo. Between the two of them, they've never given Sid the opportunity to have a real first line player to play with. Either it's Shero failing to find a player or it's Bylsma refusing to play them. Though I wouldn't even really consider a top-flight winger at this point in his career.
The dude's right, and I still feel like Bylsma could have done a much better job of spreading out our scoring capability, a la
Kunitz-Crosby-Dupuis
Morrow-Malkin-Neal
Bennet-Sutter-Kennedy
Cooke-Jokinen-Iginla
where every line is a constant threat...
Kunitz-Crosby-Dupuis
Morrow-Malkin-Neal
Bennet-Sutter-Kennedy
Cooke-Jokinen-Iginla
where every line is a constant threat...
I didn't see them forcing plays, Malkin got a lot more done but his linemates lost pucks and were totally invisible whole series.
rocky7
DAT 13
the franchise has the best player in the world who has commited 100% and has taken a cut, etc.. one would think that it's number one priority would have been to obtain an elite winger or two for him. there has been plenty of time. no excuses at all. sid should be pissed off but i'm sure they have discussed the situation. sadly due to this and his injuries we may never know what crosby may have fully accomplished in his career. boils down to business i suppose in the end somehow.
this is one of the reasons i thought they should have picked up ALEXANDER SEMIN in free agency. he creates space and is a playmaker/sniper. you only have to look at what he did for eric staal and jiri tlusty this past season. we don't know what happened behind the scenes but i'm not sure semin would have wanted to play in a big market anyhow.
regardless, they can still do it for sid and of course should. iginla, even if played with him isn't the answer. will be an interesting summer for sure.
this is one of the reasons i thought they should have picked up ALEXANDER SEMIN in free agency. he creates space and is a playmaker/sniper. you only have to look at what he did for eric staal and jiri tlusty this past season. we don't know what happened behind the scenes but i'm not sure semin would have wanted to play in a big market anyhow.
regardless, they can still do it for sid and of course should. iginla, even if played with him isn't the answer. will be an interesting summer for sure.
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they did and it was even frequently discussed during intermissions. Malkin was guilty of it too, but it's not like they really had a choice, because everyone was spread out, or he and Crosby were by themselves in the Bruins zone.
Waffle Fries
Registered User
- Mar 7, 2013
- 18,086
- 2
Except the first, right?
This is the problem. Kunitz/Dupuis can't do **** on there own when Crosby is being defended like that.
That's what Jagr was saying.
Pens17
Registered User
- Aug 3, 2009
- 655
- 10
Something that Dave Tippett, Rick Tocchet or Tom Fitzgerald would have recognized instinctively and corrected immediately if not sooner.
Dragon Priest
Elvenlegions
This is the first time Jagr has spoken with any sense in a long time! I actually somewhat agree with his analysis. Still of the opinion a coaching change is in order, though.
To give up goals. We needed more grit. Guys who played the team game. I'll never get why he abandon the Adams-Vitale-Kennedy line after it looked so good.
#66
Registered User
Huge problem. Huge, HUGE problem. Nothing ever goes wrong with a good center drive. It seems so basic to me. It used to be a good habit but with the way players are today I guess they need a coach to tell them its part of the system.
Darth Vitale
Dark Matter
That would be pretty ****in hilarious. I can't picture Jagr as an X's and O's guy but the press conferences alone would be worth it. For a time.
