Post-Game Talk: Penguins - 2 Oilers - 0 - Yay?

[billybudd]

I don't know if there's ANYBODY on this board, including a draft-obsessed person like myself, who didn't like the Perron deal. Or Perron in general. Yes, he's exactly what we needed. Yes he's the type of player you move a first to acquire.

All that doesn't mean we shouldn't try like HELL to get back into the first round this June (or sooner if possible).

The '15 draft is quite important for the overall NHL landscape in the next five years.

If Perron doesn't re-sign here, I don't like the deal at all. Don't know why he wouldn't, but I'm just throwing that out there. Has nothing to do with being displeased with his play, either.

If he re-signs, I have no problem with it.

 

[Jag68Sid87]

If Perron doesn't re-sign here, I don't like the deal at all. Don't know why he wouldn't, but I'm just throwing that out there. Has nothing to do with being displeased with his play, either.

If he re-signs, I have no problem with it.

I'm definitely with you on that one.

 

[MtlPenFan]

On that one particular play in the first, I don't know if I was angrier with Sid for doing all the work just to dish to Scuderi, or Scuderi for not having an offensive instinct at all and not dishing to Despres to his right who was WIDE open with all kinds of time and space.

Kills me that professional coaches think Scuderi on with Sid is a good idea.

 

[Gold Diamond]

We're #1 in the division!!!!1!

Oh right, it's February. As long as they fix their problems now, and are playing great in the last month of the regular season, I'm alright with them. When was the last time a Penguin team had adversity in the regular season?

 

[Shady Machine]

If Perron doesn't re-sign here, I don't like the deal at all. Don't know why he wouldn't, but I'm just throwing that out there. Has nothing to do with being displeased with his play, either.

If he re-signs, I have no problem with it.

Agreed but it's a calculated risk worth taking. Perron went from Edmonton's 3rd line to riding shotgun to Sid for the foreseeable future. I don't see why he wouldn't want to re-sign. If he somehow decides to walk, then we have bigger problems that we realize.

 

[AquaticBirdman]

I had Madden on when I was out yesterday and his question of the day was basically, what's wrong with Sid, since "I know for a fact he isn't injured".

Some guy called in and said he thought Crosby was too predictable, and a "paint by the numbers" player. Madden thought the guy had a very good point, and said that Crosby will keep doing something over and over because it worked one time. He went on to say that Crosby thinks hard work will overcome everything, but that's not always the case. That he can't really work much harder than he does.

There is some element of truth in there, but it's not that simple, either. The best player in the world doesn't get to where he is by being so predictable. However, there are some instances where I agree with this notion, particularly on breakaways. We all know he will try a quick snapshot five hole. It's almost become a parody. He has a flat blade, so you would think going backhand would be something he is comfortable with...

He also is making bad decisions, that are low percentage plays. Ie, the last half dozen games, he has had his guy beat, but keeps pulling up and finding Scuderi at the point. I stopped counted at about a dozen instances. His hockey IQ is high enough that he should be able to process who that is and to make a different play.

In the end, it's hard to break down his game and find exactly what's wrong. I do think that getting Kunitz off his line will take him out of his comfort zone and get him out of some of his bad habits that those two have formed together.

It's actually a very GOOD point. Aside from him pulling up and looking to feed someone at hte point he'll also pull up and try to force a pass cross ice to a streaking winger, or to the high slot to whoever happens to be pinching in. Defenses have become painfully aware of it yet he keeps resorting to the exact same methods every single time. It's boggling because he obviously has the speed, lower body strength, and hands to beat guys to the outside at a whim if he were to want to...

 

[Al Smith]

It's actually a very GOOD point. Aside from him pulling up and looking to feed someone at hte point he'll also pull up and try to force a pass cross ice to a streaking winger, or to the high slot to whoever happens to be pinching in. Defenses have become painfully aware of it yet he keeps resorting to the exact same methods every single time. It's boggling because he obviously has the speed, lower body strength, and hands to beat guys to the outside at a whim if he were to want to...

Sid drove hard to the net a few times last night from the outside (unless I'm mixing up recent games), so he doesn't pull up on the half wall every time. I don't understand the suggestion in some other posts that MJ "never" play Scuds with 87 or that 87 not look to feed him. That's just not the way it works.

 

[BHD]

Meh... I would have been flabbergasted if they had lost. They did look like a cohesive unit out there though. So hopefully they can do that against the Flames and Canucks as well.

 

[AquaticBirdman]

Sid drove hard to the net a few times last night from the outside (unless I'm mixing up recent games), so he doesn't pull up on the half wall every time. I don't understand the suggestion in some other posts that MJ "never" play Scuds with 87 or that 87 not look to feed him. That's just not the way it works.

I'm not saying that it's all the time. But 9 times out of 10 I can pretty much guess exactly what Sid is going to do whenever he tries to beat a defender 1 on 1, and he was guilty of it on at least 2-3 occasions last night. 9 out of 10 times he's also stopping at the half wall whenever gaining the blue line and looking to hit one of 3 areas with a pass (blue line, cross ice, or high slot).

 

[Mr Jiggyfly]

Sid drove hard to the net a few times last night from the outside (unless I'm mixing up recent games), so he doesn't pull up on the half wall every time. I don't understand the suggestion in some other posts that MJ "never" play Scuds with 87 or that 87 not look to feed him. That's just not the way it works.

Crosby will naturally be stuck on the ice with Scuds, but in each instance I've seen him feed Scuds the puck in the last 5-6 games, there were other options.

It's rarely a productive move to give Scuds the puck. He probably prays he doesn't get it either, like I do.

 

[Al Smith]

Crosby will naturally be stuck on the ice with Scuds, but in each instance I've seen him feed Scuds the puck in the last 5-6 games, there were other options.

It's rarely a productive move to give Scuds the puck. He probably prays he doesn't get it either, like I do.

You've apparently watched more closely than I, but if Scuds is as wide open at the blue line as he has been when I've seen Sid feed him the puck from the half wall, there's probably a cluster of bodies in front of the net (which doesn't mean there isn't a good alternative, say, behind the net).

Agree that Sid must know there's a decent chance that Scuds is going to screw up a pass, but there's almost the same chance with Kunitz (unless he's one-timing it), which only leaves two other choices. Sad days indeed.

I worry more about Scuds in the vicinity of the puck in his own end. At least in the offensive end, there's a decent chance he's going to whack it in the direction of the other team's goalie instead of his own.

 

[Mr Jiggyfly]

You've apparently watched more closely than I, but if Scuds is as wide open at the blue line as he has been when I've seen Sid feed him the puck from the half wall, there's probably a cluster of bodies in front of the net (which doesn't mean there isn't a good alternative, say, behind the net).

Agree that Sid must know there's a decent chance that Scuds is going to screw up a pass, but there's almost the same chance with Kunitz (unless he's one-timing it), which only leaves two other choices. Sad days indeed.

I worry more about Scuds in the vicinity of the puck in his own end. At least in the offensive end, there's a decent chance he's going to whack it in the direction of the other team's goalie instead of his own.

You got me with the Kunitz stuff...

But in several cases, he could have kicked out and did an ankle snapper on the blueliner, or shot it on net. If Scuds is becoming your only option in so many instances, you need to start do something differently and maybe that's part of what the guy on the radio was driving at.

 

[Shrimper]

Something I noticed about Fleury when typing something up.

He is on pace to play 66 games and finish with 10 shut-outs. He'd be the first Penguins goalie to do so but the third player in Pittsburgh to do it. Two goalies did it for the Pirates way back.

 

[Big McLargehuge]

Something I noticed about Fleury when typing something up.

He is on pace to play 66 games and finish with 10 shut-outs. He'd be the first Penguins goalie to do so but the third player in Pittsburgh to do it. Two goalies did it for the Pirates way back.

Not the games played part (44 game or fewer schedule), but the shutouts part is true.

Granted that comes with the asterisk that Joe Miller had 11 shutouts in a season where the Pirates won 9 games.

I'm a bigger fan of the fact that the first NHL head coach in Pittsburgh was named Odie Cleghorn...and he was a player/coach.

We need more names like Odie Cleghorn around. Mike Johnston. Snore.

 

[Shrimper]

How can you win 9 games but have 11 shut-outs? Did he change teams?

 

[Big McLargehuge]

How can you win 9 games but have 11 shut-outs? Did he change teams?

Nope, and he played every minute of that season for the Pirates. 0-0 ties, my friend. The Pirates' leading scorer had 1 more point than Miller had shutouts that year. The game has changed a bit.

 

[clefty]

Cleghorn invented lines and changing on the fly. Before that players just used to skate and skate and skate until they needed a rest, like basketball.

 

[Dipsy Doodle]

Odie's brother Sprague once beat his own wife with his crutches while recovering from an injury.

Relevant.