Pre-Game Talk: Panthers at Penguins, Chuck Kobasew: 1st line winger!

[Scandale du Jour]

so:

Kunitz - Crosby - Megna
Jokinen - Malkin - Neal
Glass - Sutter - Pyatt
Adams - Sill - Kobasew (worst line in hockey?!!?)

Scuderi - Letang
Orpik - Martin
Maatta - Niskanen

(Engelland - Bortuzzo; press box)

When Bennett comes back, it will give us something like this:

Kunitz - Crosby - Megna/Bennett
Jokinen/Bennett - Malkin - Neal
Jokinen/Bennett/Megna - Sutter - Vitale
Glass - Adams/Sill - Pyatt/Adams/Kobasew/Engelland.

All we need to add, IMO, is a RWer for Sid's line and we will have a very respectable lineup. I'd like more toughness in the bottom 6, but it just won't happen, unfortunately. If Bylsma wises up and benches/waives Adams, I could live with a Glass/Vitale/Pyatt fourth line.

Kunitz - Crosby - New RW
Bennett - Malkin - Neal
Jokinen - Sutter - Megna (Jokinen and Sutter have great chemistry)
Glass - Vitale - Pyatt

I'd be confident going into the playoffs with a similar lineup.

 

[Mr Jiggyfly]

Oh don't worry, Adams is going to get the bulk of the shifts on Crosby's line anyway.

It is what it is. All we can control is how we react to DB Quicksand dookie love.

We know it's going to happen, so whatever. In my mind Megna is already on the third line.

I'm not going to let DB odd fetish for slow, aging vets ruin my enjoyment of watching Megna playing again.

 

[Sivek]

Odds of Adams getting shifts with Crosby line from halfway through the 2nd period on to "protect the lead"?

 

[DegenX]

Hi everyone

i would like to know why taylor pyatt isnt with geno this game since they killed it last time. JJ also did well w Sutter last game

also wtf is engo on d over bort

thanks

Your guess is as good as anyone's. I don't know that I'd say Pyatt 'killed it' with Geno, but I agree I'd have like to see him on that line and JJ with Sutter ... but, it's Bylsma, so ...

 

[Speaking Moistly]

Odds of Adams getting shifts with Crosby line from halfway through the 2nd period on to "protect the lead"?

Or to protect the tie, or to protect the deficit. The real question is will Megna crack 12 minutes?

 

[Dipsy Doodle]

Great to see Megna getting another shot in the top 6 right away, even if it is pretty much by default.

 

[MrBurghundy]

Or to protect the tie, or to protect the deficit. The real question is will Megna crack 12 minutes?

No he wont

 

[IcedCapp]

Pens Inside Scoop @PensInsideScoop

#Pens now practicing the PP. First unit is Letang, Malkin, Crosby, Neal and Kunitz. -MC

Pens Inside Scoop @PensInsideScoop

#Pens' second power-play unit is Martin, Niskanen, Jokinen, Sutter, Pyatt. -MC

 

[ColePens]

Great to see Megna getting another shot in the top 6 right away, even if it is pretty much by default.

I won't give too much credit to DB because injuries, but it is nice to see a kid come back from injury and not have to re-prove himself over the likes of Adams, Pyatt (especially with the game he had), etc.

But I'm holding the credit to give him in my pocket til I see how the game is played and how much ice time is given.

 

[Speaking Moistly]

No he wont

But he's on the 1st line, Ron!

He's done it twice and got close one other time. I was looking at Megna's TOI and Bylsma has really kept him to around 10 minutes, only 3 games with 11+ minutes.

 

[Dipsy Doodle]

I won't give too much credit to DB because injuries, but it is nice to see a kid come back from injury and not have to re-prove himself over the likes of Adams, Pyatt (especially with the game he had), etc.

But I'm holding the credit to give him in my pocket til I see how the game is played and how much ice time is given.

I don't expect to get a lot of ice time...he's a rookie with 15 games experience coming back from injury. But I hope he kills it right away and convinces DB to give him more as the season progresses.

The org seems to have taken a shine to him early, so he's got a leg up on some of our other prospects, anyway.

 

[Dipsy Doodle]

But he's on the 1st line, Ron!

He's done it twice and got close one other time. I was looking at Megna's TOI and Bylsma has really kept him to around 10 minutes, only 3 games with 11+ minutes.

The question is...why do people believe this is somehow egregious? A lot higher-end prospects than Megna have been worked in with low icetime. How much TOI/G do people think most rookie forwards get?

http://www.nhl.com/ice/playerstats....LL&viewName=timeOnIce&sort=avgTOIPerGame&pg=1

 

[Jag68Sid87]

The question is...why do people believe this is somehow egregious? A lot higher-end prospects than Megna have been worked in with low icetime. How much TOI/G do people think most rookie forwards get?

http://www.nhl.com/ice/playerstats....LL&viewName=timeOnIce&sort=avgTOIPerGame&pg=1

Do the players you're talking about lose significant minutes to players as bad as Craig Adams and/or Tanner Glass? Because that's the issue here.

 

[Dipsy Doodle]

Do the players you're talking about lose significant minutes to players as bad as Craig Adams and/or Tanner Glass? Because that's the issue here.

Yes. Contrary to popular belief, we're not the only team with Adams and Glass types.

 

[cheesedanish87]

The question is...why do people believe this is somehow egregious? A lot higher-end prospects than Megna have been worked in with low icetime. How much TOI/G do people think most rookie forwards get?

http://www.nhl.com/ice/playerstats....LL&viewName=timeOnIce&sort=avgTOIPerGame&pg=1

Good point, Young players not playing much is what usually happens in the NHL, its not just DB or the pens.

 

[DoktorZaius]

Yes. Contrary to popular belief, we're not the only team with Adams and Glass types.

I can't think of another team/coach that puts someone as slow and useless as Adams out with his best players, on the belief that it will improve the lines' competency.

 

[Shrimper]

Swear that the media want Despres gone even if no-one else does. It's like a pathetic witch hunt whilst "Family" is immune from criticism.

 

[Lomez]

Obligatory pre-game comments: Gladams sucks; Bylsma is an idiot; Despres to WBS is an injustice, especially while Orpik remains in the top 6; we should trade Nisky for a winger for Sid (which may not be necessary now that Megna is back and Bennett is close to returning); etc.

I find it very unsettling, however, that there is no collective thought on whether Pyatt is Gladams v.2 or the second coming of Ryan Malone. We'll have to wait until Monday I suppose.

 

[IcedCapp]

Yes. Contrary to popular belief, we're not the only team with Adams and Glass types.

You do understand that you made an argument that had nothing to do with what he typed, right?

 

[IcedCapp]

Obligatory pre-game comments: Gladams sucks; Bylsma is an idiot; Despres to WBS is an injustice, especially while Orpik remains in the top 6; we should trade Nisky for a winger for Sid (which may not be necessary now that Megna is back and Bennett is close to returning); etc.

I find it very unsettling, however, that there is no collective thought on whether Pyatt is Gladams v.2 or the second coming of Ryan Malone. We'll have to wait until Monday I suppose.

obligatory post whining about things they don't want to read when they could just ignore it

 

[td_ice]

Dejan is a dick.

What the hell is his problem?? What is Dejean basing that comment off of??...that Despres NEEDS TO GO.

What did I miss?

I don't get it.

 

[Dipsy Doodle]

You do understand that you made an argument that had nothing to do with what he typed, right?

Every team has Adams and Glass types. Rookie forwards are on those teams. Most rookie forwards don't get much icetime.

That seems pretty straightforward to me, but I might be missing something.

 

[Dipsy Doodle]

I can't think of another team/coach that puts someone as slow and useless as Adams out with his best players, on the belief that it will improve the lines' competency.

36 year old Michal Handzus has been the de facto center for the reigning Stanley Cup champ's 2nd line.

Handzus.
De facto.
2nd line.

 

[mpp9]

Despres must have called Dejan chubby.

 

[Captain Hook]

What the hell is his problem?? What is Dejean basing that comment off of??...that Despres NEEDS TO GO.

What did I miss?

I don't get it.

I don't get it either. I don't see anything overly alarming about the Despres situation. They were never going to trade a veteran like Orpik, Martin, Scuderi or Letang to make room for him. Once Maatta played out of his mind and was kept and Niskanen of all people rocking a stat line that a hall of fame D-Man would be proud of. He's got 48GP 6G 19A 31Pts and is a +26 this season. That ate up the last two available spots on D for this season. Despres was doomed to the minors when that chain of events happened and he'll be stuck there until a veteran or two leaves in UFA. It happens. It's sort of like what you heard from a lot of GM's about the Olympic team rosters. There were some young guys they liked but didn't make it and you'd often hear the GM's say it's just not their time yet. Despres will have to wait another year to be on this Pens team full time.

I suppose they could still trade him if they get an offer they like or if they feel even more young D like Pouliot and some others will also pass him by over the next few years but this isn't a he has to go situation.