OFF DAY THREAD! We give points away for free!

[Ugene Magic]

Early observations:

Jarry is fine. Looks to me like he'll give us quality starts. Defense will control his GAA.

Jankowski is meh. Probably gonna be streaky throughout so 4C he stays.

Bleuger is performing better than I anticipated and I had high expectations. Hes a clear 3C answer.

Marino is in a rut. Not all on him as he's being asked to play his offside while not having confidence. The skills are there so I'm not worried long term. But he needs to go through some growing pains like all D.

Kapanen and Zucker will help this year. Enjoy their tempo.

Petts- before the injury I was impressed with him. A shame he's out cause I want to see him take the 1LD assignments.

I'm with you on Jarry.

Blue/ Jank: Jank is totally being pigeon held, and Sid 37 and Jank 50 are doing most of the defensive zone draws/draws in general, and Teddy 28 looks better for it. In fact, we see Teddy and Jank out there together at times.

A Clear 3c doesn't need to be sheltered. And that's the case for both in certain aspects. TB for faceoffs and Jank being bigger/slower but also faceoffs to a much smaller degree. Both are probably equal if both are used in the same fashion to this point. Both are pretty close in play if you look past the much lighter workload and freedom Teddy is getting.

Basically, they don't trust Teddy in the dot. It's trading one out for the other. Before yesterdays game it was more than double at 74 to 35 total adding in yesterday's to 79 to 49. Teddy being the best at his normal clip at 43% while everyone else was trash vs, Boston (no shocker there) after all getting well above normal highs the game before. If Teddy looks better, he should. Just as Jank looked better before the switch and given the harder workload all a long in the uphill battle of a team always playing from behind. Teddy got rewarded for good play and getting a couple goals and a assist. He'll have to keep that up and Jank will have to do likewise if he wants to get back into the 3rd line mix.

I wouldn't hold it past each tagging in and out. There will come a time where both will look lethargic.

You are looked at as the last game (or two) you played.

Marino is in his sophomore year. Growing pains for sure, and their current D issues don't help, along with poor play by the forwards in the top six.

Petts: Man... All the LD out. I don't know about the 1st pairings duty, I think any LD is gonna be dummied down due to Letang's up and down bipolar play. He should not be playing near 30 minutes a game.

Kap/Zuck: Will go as far as, Geno or good Geno, takes them. They really need to keep up the play, and Geno needs to let them drive the pace and make good decisions with the puck. Use their legs.

 

[dogthateats]

 

[Al Smith]

I’m so old I was at the game where Stackhouse set the assist record.

 

[Gurglesons]

That game ruled. Missing both Crosby and Malkin and Letang went gangbusters. I remember people were criticizing him too.

 

[Speaking Moistly]

Uh. How did that happen?

 

[Gurglesons]

Uh. How did that happen?

Marino turned his back to a Bruin and they hit him in the numbers in the dying seconds of the 3rd period. He looked like he twisted his leg. Probably swelled up on him.

 

[Mr Jiggyfly]

So Pens lost 2 top four blue liners and ZAR may be ready to come back soon?

Not sure which news is more depressing...

 

[vodeni]

wow we lost 2-6 dman in 7 games. Letang-Czucz (who else you can ask to play left side while sheltering POJ); CC-POJ; Weber-Ruh holy f***! we are smoked....

 

[vodeni]

glad we got that PP genius back...

 

[ColePens]

Regarding the powerplay - that's on the stars. They all want to stand there and act like the powerplay is a break. If you watch PP2 go out there, they move and support with 1/10th of the skillset PP1 has.

And I warned y'all about net front. Jake is great at tipping pucks but he can't stand in front of the net long enough pulling any defenders out of the way. They move him off and block shots. ZAR ain't it, either.

 

[ChaosAgent]

Regarding the powerplay - that's on the stars. They all want to stand there and act like the powerplay is a break. If you watch PP2 go out there, they move and support with 1/10th of the skillset PP1 has.

And I warned y'all about net front. Jake is great at tipping pucks but he can't stand in front of the net long enough pulling any defenders out of the way. They move him off and block shots. ZAR ain't it, either.

Sid and Geno have epically sucked on the PP this year. Letang too but not below his normal PP level. Wish Matheson had PPQB acumen at least but alas.

 

[PensandCaps]

Jankowski has been terrible. He may have to be HSed and McCann be the 4C. ZAR should take Jankowski's spot. He's awful.

 

[PensandCaps]

Regarding the powerplay - that's on the stars. They all want to stand there and act like the powerplay is a break. If you watch PP2 go out there, they move and support with 1/10th of the skillset PP1 has.

And I warned y'all about net front. Jake is great at tipping pucks but he can't stand in front of the net long enough pulling any defenders out of the way. They move him off and block shots. ZAR ain't it, either.

I think Zucker is actually the best net front option.

 

[ChaosAgent]

I think Zucker is actually the best net front option.

Couldn't you hypothetically have a movement based powerplay that isn't dependent on one guy doing the "netfront" role?

I thought part of the idea of dumping Horny was changing some concepts on the PP, including the fixed netfront guy.

 

[ColePens]

Sid and Geno have epically sucked on the PP this year. Letang too but not below his normal PP level. Wish Matheson had PPQB acumen at least but alas.

I think it's been longer. I just think they had these amazing surplus of wingers that aren't real life in current day salary cap in Kessel/Hornqvist. Those guys masked so many issues of standing around. Kessel's shot is so f***ing lethal and he basically shot-passes his snapshot to players that ended up in goals. And Horny can take a bouncey puck and turn it into absolute chaos in a split second.

But think about it - those guys aren't easy to keep in the cap world. They were perfect for the time we had them, but every single person in this world knew it wouldn't be forever. So if those guys aren't there to band-aid our problems, then work needs done. Sid/G have to WORK. I mean work hard. Skate skate skate, pressure, support, etc. Movement is the only way. We don't have Kessel. And no.. McCann ain't that guy. We don't have Hornqvist and about 20 other temas don't have a player like that, either.

 

[ColePens]

I think Zucker is actually the best net front option.

Dude is feisty. I mean FEISTY. I loved his pissed off game last night. He gets that next level urgency that I preach about. I'd like to see it.

 

[KIRK]

I think it's been longer. I just think they had these amazing surplus of wingers that aren't real life in current day salary cap in Kessel/Hornqvist. Those guys masked so many issues of standing around. Kessel's shot is so f***ing lethal and he basically shot-passes his snapshot to players that ended up in goals. And Horny can take a bouncey puck and turn it into absolute chaos in a split second.

But think about it - those guys aren't easy to keep in the cap world. They were perfect for the time we had them, but every single person in this world knew it wouldn't be forever. So if those guys aren't there to band-aid our problems, then work needs done. Sid/G have to WORK. I mean work hard. Skate skate skate, pressure, support, etc. Movement is the only way. We don't have Kessel. And no.. McCann ain't that guy. We don't have Hornqvist and about 20 other temas don't have a player like that, either.

So you mean Todd Reirden wasn't the magical fix?

They haven't changed a damn thing is in a decade plus beyond, as you note, the personnel. It's the same no movement (or support), someone make some great individual play or hope the PK screws up stuff it's always been. Except no Horny. Or Kessel. As you said. But also Neal shot before that. Or Sid and Geno in their late 20's winning 1 on 2 situations.

But, this is another example of the larger issue we've been discussing . . . someone has to come from outside to fix it. Zero familiarity. Zero history.

 

[KIRK]

Dude is feisty. I mean FEISTY. I loved his pissed off game last night. He gets that next level urgency that I preach about. I'd like to see it.

Also thought Kapanen showed a little something in the left circle. Not Kessel shot, obviously, but that type of patience. Much better in that spot than Rust.

EDIT: How long have we been talking about movement on the PP? Honestly, coach needs to tell Sid and Geno if either one of them stops moving their feet, then they sit. The only problem is we both know that would only be applied to one of them.

 

[ChaosAgent]

I think it's been longer. I just think they had these amazing surplus of wingers that aren't real life in current day salary cap in Kessel/Hornqvist. Those guys masked so many issues of standing around. Kessel's shot is so f***ing lethal and he basically shot-passes his snapshot to players that ended up in goals. And Horny can take a bouncey puck and turn it into absolute chaos in a split second.

But think about it - those guys aren't easy to keep in the cap world. They were perfect for the time we had them, but every single person in this world knew it wouldn't be forever. So if those guys aren't there to band-aid our problems, then work needs done. Sid/G have to WORK. I mean work hard. Skate skate skate, pressure, support, etc. Movement is the only way. We don't have Kessel. And no.. McCann ain't that guy. We don't have Hornqvist and about 20 other temas don't have a player like that, either.

We could have easily kept Kessel cap-wise but he was atrocious at even-strength. I doubted his loss would hurt the powerplay that much but I was wrong. He really ran the show on that side. Neither Kappy nor Rust is able to that as a RHS.

Sid & Geno are extremely lazy on the PP in the Neutral zone and Dzone and I wouldn't be upset to see them split up. Geno on the point is so liable to short-handed opportunities against. Plus his shot isn't that good anymore (frankly it's bad and inaccurate). Put him on PP2.

I wouldn't even mind Riikola or Matheson in that spot on the right point.

 

[KIRK]

So Pens lost 2 top four blue liners and ZAR may be ready to come back soon?

Not sure which news is more depressing...

Well at least the news is offset by the prospect of Cody Ceci double shifting.

 

[Clare2904]

New thread up

GMJR has resigned

 

[Tom Hanks]

I think it's been longer. I just think they had these amazing surplus of wingers that aren't real life in current day salary cap in Kessel/Hornqvist. Those guys masked so many issues of standing around. Kessel's shot is so f***ing lethal and he basically shot-passes his snapshot to players that ended up in goals. And Horny can take a bouncey puck and turn it into absolute chaos in a split second.

But think about it - those guys aren't easy to keep in the cap world. They were perfect for the time we had them, but every single person in this world knew it wouldn't be forever. So if those guys aren't there to band-aid our problems, then work needs done. Sid/G have to WORK. I mean work hard. Skate skate skate, pressure, support, etc. Movement is the only way. We don't have Kessel. And no.. McCann ain't that guy. We don't have Hornqvist and about 20 other temas don't have a player like that, either.

Sullivan has basically said in interviews before that the stars do their own thing on the PP. I imagine it's a hard thing to coach because you have 3 guys that just do things on instinct and the confidence/skill to believe they can do anything so they might not necessarily follow the system once we get it into the O zone. Sometimes those low percentage things work but a lot of the time they don't. They have been too good not to score at good rates though over the years. That's why you could say take them off until they listen but the PP has generally been scoring at great rates so why change. Coaches have to pick their battles sometimes.

 

[Gurglesons]

So you mean Todd Reirden wasn't the magical fix?

They haven't changed a damn thing is in a decade plus beyond, as you note, the personnel. It's the same no movement (or support), someone make some great individual play or hope the PK screws up stuff it's always been. Except no Horny. Or Kessel. As you said. But also Neal shot before that. Or Sid and Geno in their late 20's winning 1 on 2 situations.

But, this is another example of the larger issue we've been discussing . . . someone has to come from outside to fix it. Zero familiarity. Zero history.

I don't think Sid, Geno, Letang are ever going to be a trio that has a visually pleasing power play. It's either going to be the most ridiculous set of tic tac toe, cross ice plays or its going to be top of the umbrella thumb play.

 

[vodeni]

Regarding the powerplay - that's on the stars. They all want to stand there and act like the powerplay is a break. If you watch PP2 go out there, they move and support with 1/10th of the skillset PP1 has.

And I warned y'all about net front. Jake is great at tipping pucks but he can't stand in front of the net long enough pulling any defenders out of the way. They move him off and block shots. ZAR ain't it, either.

I agree to the point. We see whats not working. However if you are a coach you can't just hope that at some point the"stars" will have change of hearts. You mix and Match, you told them what to do and if they don't you bench them. In all these years they were not able to find 2 solid Qbacks, Tanger to the pint but we know how many mistakes he makes, the best example is that they are now grooming or forcing marino in that role on 2nd PP, and he just looks lost. They could have invested in such a player and pay him dear money, after all, you live and die by PP, you are not winning shit if your PP is below 23%, especially with the aging team

 

[vodeni]

I think Zucker is actually the best net front option.

I think so too!