Post-Game Talk: Ocho Greato - Johnson/Murray are amazing in 5-4 Penguins win. ColePens is awesome.

[IcedCapp]

Schultz is either uncoachable or has never been coached. Either way, I want to see him play 20 minutes a night

 

[Empoleon8771]

Rust has played at a 22 point pace this year, and Kuhn has played at a 25 point pace. I'd say 25-30 is a good bet.

My guess is 30+/-3, so that's probably about right. They seem to have made an adjustment at the NHL level though, they've been producing much more than what they were producing at the beginning of their NHL stints. That's why I think the 20-25 estimate is a little low, because they're in that range despite producing 3 points in their first 36 games combined.

It largely depends on injuries I think. Kennedy scored 14 points on the power play in 2010-2011 and 31 points at ES. I think the latter is their high point for next year, but they could come close to Kennedy's 45 points if they get a decent chunk of PP time.

 

[Ogrezilla]

My guess is 30+/-3, so that's probably about right. They seem to have made an adjustment at the NHL level though, they've been producing much more than what they were producing at the beginning of their NHL stints. That's why I think the 20-25 estimate is a little low, because they're in that range despite producing 3 points in their first 36 games combined.

That's fair. They will be interesting to see for sure.

 

[Pancakes]

My guess is 30+/-3, so that's probably about right. They seem to have made an adjustment at the NHL level though, they've been producing much more than what they were producing at the beginning of their NHL stints. That's why I think the 20-25 estimate is a little low, because they're in that range despite producing 3 points in their first 36 games combined.

20-25 is the bare minimum I'd expect. Hoping for 30-35, for sure.

I think it's important to temper our expectations, though. These kids came up halfway through the year. How will they handle 82 games? How will Sullivan handle it? How will his system hold up when teams have had an off season to prepare for it?

In the end I think there's only so much you can do against speed like we have but make no mistake there will be some growing pains for those young kids and hopefully the Pens will be patient with them next year and let them work through the growing pains.

 

[Speaking Moistly]

Schultz is either uncoachable or has never been coached. Either way, I want to see him play 20 minutes a night

Don't be cruel.


Not coached properly in the NHL and not someone who gets the defensive zone. I'd imagine that they can get him better in the D zone but not amazing, passable is probably the highest possibility. Passable would help his overall game a lot. Pouliot has made strides, but part of his problem was not giving a **** when he was there while Schultz just has no idea aside from where he should maybe vaguely kind of be doing something. imo and all that, I'm not an expert.

The further away from his own net Schultz is the happier he is.

 

[lastcupever75]

The Pens only need 4 more points to clinch.

Magic number is 4.
Any combo of pens points and Detroit lack of points will clinch them a playoff spot.

 

[tom_servo]

Scoring feels strange anymore. Players who feel like point per game players are actually 55-point guys. Solid-scoring, bottom six players are 35-point guys.

Matt Cullen -- having an awesome season, right? May not make it to 30 points over 82.

Not complaining about the state of the game. Just find it harder than ever to gauge things with totals.

Am I an old man?

 

[Empoleon8771]

20-25 is the bare minimum I'd expect. Hoping for 30-35, for sure.

I think it's important to temper our expectations, though. These kids came up halfway through the year. How will they handle 82 games? How will Sullivan handle it? How will his system hold up when teams have had an off season to prepare for it?

In the end I think there's only so much you can do against speed like we have but make no mistake there will be some growing pains for those young kids and hopefully the Pens will be patient with them next year and let them work through the growing pains.

Yeah, this is why I'm not very concerned with Sullivan's system being shut down. There's really nothing you can do to shut down Hagelin's speed unless you have someone with Letang's speed on the other team, which is incredibly rare.That's just 1 example, Sullivan's system may be the closest to a fool proof system that the Pens have run with Crosby and Malkin. The only way to control speed is by maintaining the possession of the puck, but the Pens are an excellent puck possession team. I'm more worried about the core getting tired of Sullivan being a hard ass, which is what you sometimes see with coaches like Tortorella and Keenan.

 

[barbosa]

The further away from his own net Schultz is the happier he is.

Have you played hockey? If so, do you want to be in front of your own net?

 

[IcedCapp]

Don't be cruel.


Not coached properly in the NHL and not someone who gets the defensive zone. I'd imagine that they can get him better in the D zone but not amazing, passable is probably the highest possibility. Passable would help his overall game a lot. Pouliot has made strides, but part of his problem was not giving a **** when he was there while Schultz just has no idea aside from where he should maybe vaguely kind of be doing something. imo and all that, I'm not an expert.

The further away from his own net Schultz is the happier he is.

last game of the season, Pens have clinched and can't improve/worsen their positioning.

Send Schultz out every other shift.

With Pouliot as his partner.

Schultz gets 33 minutes.

3 points.

-7.

 

[IcedCapp]

Have you played hockey? If so, do you want to be in front of your own net?

This explains some of Fleury's adventures.

 

[Speaking Moistly]

It's not that hard to shut them down, tbh. If the bottom 6 is only on a hot streak, which there's a good chance they are, then they can get chances but not score enough. Likewise with Hagelin who doesn't have great hands. Then you just leave shutting down Crosby to Kunitz and all of a sudden they're in trouble. If the PP stays useless then don't worry about clutching and grabbing to slow them down. Then it's just Kessel left to his own devices and the defense to consistently generate offense.

KCH is going to be a deciding factor, and by that I mean how Sullivan reacts to the inevitable, and the PP not sucking horribly.

 

[Pancakes]

Yeah, this is why I'm not very concerned with Sullivan's system being shut down. There's really nothing you can do to shut down Hagelin's speed unless you have someone with Letang's speed on the other team, which is incredibly rare.That's just 1 example, Sullivan's system may be the closest to a fool proof system that the Pens have run with Crosby and Malkin. The only way to control speed is by maintaining the possession of the puck, but the Pens are an excellent puck possession team. I'm more worried about the core getting tired of Sullivan being a hard ass, which is what you sometimes see with coaches like Tortorella and Keenan.

I'd be interested to see how this team matches up against the Bruins or Kings. Big heavy teams might be able to slow us down by just holding onto the puck so that we can't get it back. Or just trapping and boxing out.

The Caps had a win against us relatively recently by just getting mean and really causing havoc with their big bodies. So that might be one way to slow the Pens down. But then that won't always work - case in point how we ran wild on them at home.

I pretty much agree with you that this system should perform well against anybody. It's always possible we'll slump in a playoff series at the wrong time or that our goaltending will fall apart or that we'll run into another jesus goalie (please no, tired of this between Rask, Lundqvist, etc) but this is definitely the most confident I've been in a Pens team in years, even without Geno.

 

[Speaking Moistly]

last game of the season, Pens have clinched and can't improve/worsen their positioning.

Send Schultz out every other shift.

With Pouliot as his partner.

Schultz gets 33 minutes.

3 points.

-7.

No.


Schultz-Lovejoy gets sent out for 35 minutes of the game.

10 points

+15

Puck to the hand in game 1 of the playoffs after a dominant performance

Schultz wins the Norris and demands Toews money

A weight machine falls on Letang

 

[alcanalz]

Scoring feels strange anymore. Players who feel like point per game players are actually 55-point guys. Solid-scoring, bottom six players are 35-point guys.

Matt Cullen -- having an awesome season, right? May not make it to 30 points over 82.

Not complaining about the state of the game. Just find it harder than ever to gauge things with totals.

Am I an old man?

No. You couldn't be more right. With scoring the way it is, having a depth guy like that still put up points at mostly ES is a huge advantage.

And I know Kunitz is the whipping boy around here,,, but he only has 5 PPP. Majority of his points are at ES. And yeah, he's with Sid... but he had a good game tonight. Eventually, you got to give some credit.

Even Hornqvist. He might not break 50 points... and he's still been really valuable. A 50 point winger who wins battles and plays hard nowadays is super valuable.

With scoring the way it is, it should make what Sid and Letang are doing all the more impressive.

 

[IcedCapp]

No.


Schultz-Lovejoy gets sent out for 35 minutes of the game.

10 points

+15

Puck to the hand in game 1 of the playoffs after a dominant performance

Schultz wins the Norris and demands Toews money

A weight machine falls on Letang

 

[Speaking Moistly]

I know, I know, I should be a writer.

 

[canadianguy77]

No. You couldn't be more right. With scoring the way it is, having a depth guy like that still put up points at mostly ES is a huge advantage.

And I know Kunitz is the whipping boy around here,,, but he only has 5 PPP. Majority of his points are at ES. And yeah, he's with Sid... but he had a good game tonight. Eventually, you got to give some credit.

Even Hornqvist. He might not break 50 points... and he's still been really valuable. A 50 point winger who wins battles and plays hard nowadays is super valuable.

With scoring the way it is, it should make what Sid and Letang are doing all the more impressive.

No you don't, because he didn't. As a matter of fact, he consistently gives the worst effort out of everyone on the team. It's either that or he just flat-out just can't play NHL hockey anymore, for more than a game or two out of every ten.

 

[tom_servo]

My small thoughts:

I thought Bennett looked encouraging tonight. When he drove the net on that one play, I was like You Go Beau. He nearly scored on a few occasions. Had some jump. Encouraging. I assume he's still able to stand upright.

It looked like Hagelin's line just didn't have it today in the first half, but those legs always seem to provide opportunities. Rangers fans hate us right now. It probably feels a little like when they had Straka.

Murray came up with big stuff late. I was on the "Uh-oh" train with him, but he pulled it together. Great character-builder for him, and more character yet again for the Pens.

Also Sid is a monster, but I think Letang could be our 2016 MVP.

 

[MetalheadPenguinsFan]

Missed this one as I was napping but I'm glad we won.

 

[Jaded-Fan]

I'd be interested to see how this team matches up against the Bruins or Kings. Big heavy teams might be able to slow us down by just holding onto the puck so that we can't get it back. Or just trapping and boxing out.

The Caps had a win against us relatively recently by just getting mean and really causing havoc with their big bodies. So that might be one way to slow the Pens down. But then that won't always work - case in point how we ran wild on them at home.

I pretty much agree with you that this system should perform well against anybody. It's always possible we'll slump in a playoff series at the wrong time or that our goaltending will fall apart or that we'll run into another jesus goalie (please no, tired of this between Rask, Lundqvist, etc) but this is definitely the most confident I've been in a Pens team in years, even without Geno.

Big teams usually have real problems with speedy teams. Remember the Candians team that gave the Bruins fits in the playoffs a few years ago? The Bruins had no answer for that kind of speed and just could not keep up.

That is not to say that there is no answer for a speedy team. Speed of your own for one, and the playoffs are about getting hot, a hot goalie, team or the bounces, and injuries as well.

But I would not say that a big team is the automatic counter to a speedy team.

 

[Waffle Fries]

My small thoughts:

I thought Bennett looked encouraging tonight. When he drove the net on that one play, I was like You Go Beau. He nearly scored on a few occasions. Had some jump. Encouraging. I assume he's still able to stand upright.

It looked like Hagelin's line just didn't have it today in the first half, but those legs always seem to provide opportunities. Rangers fans hate us right now. It probably feels a little like when they had Straka.

Murray came up with big stuff late. I was on the "Uh-oh" train with him, but he pulled it together. Great character-builder for him, and more character yet again for the Pens.

Also Sid is a monster, but I think Letang could be our 2016 MVP.

I honestly think Letang is our most important player overall. We can handle one of Sid or Geno being out because the other one steps up, but when Letang is out there is a huge difference in the way the team plays.

 

[Speaking Moistly]

I honestly think Letang is our most important player overall. We can handle one of Sid or Geno being out because the other one steps up, but when Letang is out there is a huge difference in the way the team plays.

Accurate. You're also not going to see Sid or Geno play as many minutes as they have been trying to get out of Letang lately.

 

[Sidney the Kidney]

I know the club is down two of its top four defenders, but Letang should not be playing 35+ minutes. He's either going to wear down and get hurt, or he's going to be completely gassed come playoff time.

Always fun to see Bylsma's team lose.

 

[KrisLetAngry]

Accurate. You're also not going to see Sid or Geno play as many minutes as they have been trying to get out of Letang lately.

To be fair Kovulchuk is the only recent forward that was able to do that.

But last year I had Crosby as are 4th most important player with it going Fleury Letang Malkin Crosby

This year it ll be tough for me to decide

Fleury won us sooo many games atthe start of the season. Then Crosby turned it up mid way.then Letang is like k I'm superhuman now play me