Post-Game Talk: Penguins 4, Blue Jackets 2 - 15+ Minutes for ZAR Proves the Winning Formula

[BHD]

ZAR is to Sully as Adams was to Bylsma.

 

[Turin]

Stars and goaltending good. Depth bad. Needed that win.

 

[KIRK]

+++++ Top 6: Again... top 6 dominates with zero help from the bottom 6. AGAIN. I don't know what else to say. All 6 guys played really well. Mad props to Simon for being a great third wheel (as we've mentioned he can be a 3rd wheel) to an incredible Jake/Sid game. And the Geno line - WOW. Insane.

+++++ Letang: Incredible game. He better get Norris talk. He was everywhere today. His retrievals were insane. He made Columbus guys crash into the wall and have no clue what to do. He was everywhere. Incredible game.

+++ DeSmith: Solid game. Big timely saves. What we needed.

++ Sprong: Dude had a nice jump to his game and deserved extra shifts tonight. Shame on Sully tonight. For real. Sprong was really feeling it. Absolute shame he wasn't given extra minutes. I said the dude needed to do something in his limited minutes. Tonight he did. Shame on Sully.


------------- ZAR, Wilson, Sheahan. **** you Sully. **** you.

Don't forget Johnson and Oleksiak. Geno's line was playing 3 on 7 most of the night because of them. Those two should thank god ZAR is here to monopolize your hate.

BTW, I have to add this again. I made the Plotnikov cracks about Pearson, but truth be told what he really is working through is exorcising the demons of Los Angeles Kings hockey. It still sneaks in some in terms of how he reads the play, but you can see something special developing between him and Geno (like Malone or old school Kunitz special).

IF JR would get his head out of his ass and do something about our crap 3rd pairing, that line could do some really special ****.

EDIT: I do get WHY Sully is putting Johnson-Oleksiak with Geno's line. You can't trust them behind our bottom six. And, with Sid going head to head against top lines, you can't put them behind Sid regularly. SO, I get it, but it's frustrating and sadly counterproductive.

 

[Ugene Magic]

Let's try not to harp on the suck on this team.
Lot's more time and key strokes to waste doing that in games that we lose.
Good win against a top Metro team.

 

[KIRK]

ZAR is to Sully as Adams was to Bylsma.

Worse

And no, I'm not kidding

 

[Sideline]

The problem is depth. The Penguins have no depth.

Sprong sucks defensively. He's not NHL ready. ZAR sucks in general. Wilson is not NHL quality.

Sheahan with Cullen and Rust could actually be a good 4th line. They need another LW and a healthy lineup.

 

[Ogrezilla]

seriously folks, take like 20 minutes and be happy about the win. It feels great.

 

[Scandale du Jour]

Worse

And no, I'm not kidding

Yeah, Bylsma at least deployed Adams like a 4th liner PK specialist. He did not play him.more than Geno.

 

[Gurglesons]

Don't forget Johnson and Oleksiak. Geno's line was playing 3 on 7 most of the night because of them. Those two should thank god ZAR is here to monopolize your hate.

BTW, I have to add this again. I made the Plotnikov cracks about Pearson, but truth be told what he really is working through is exorcising the demons of Los Angeles Kings hockey. It still sneaks in some in terms of how he reads the play, but you can see something special developing between him and Geno (like Malone or old school Kunitz special).

IF JR would get his head out of his ass and do something about our crap 3rd pairing, that line could do some really special ****.

EDIT: I do get WHY Sully is putting Johnson-Oleksiak with Geno's line. You can't trust them behind our bottom six. And, with Sid going head to head against top lines, you can't put them behind Sid regularly. SO, I get it, but it's frustrating and sadly counterproductive.

Well, to your bottom point. I’d love to hear what Sullivan is saying to Rutherford about the roster he has been given.

The ZAR infatuation makes no sense.

 

[KIRK]

@KIRK 1 of 5 down, and we're moving in the right direction

I eagerly await how Paul Maurice manages last change against Sully on Tuesday.

Methinks @ColePens is going to develop carpel tunnel syndrome with his comments about ZAR.

EDIT: Me too with Dumbest and Dumbest on the blueline.

 

[froods]

Worse

And no, I'm not kidding

Get the hell out of here. He has played 25 games in his entire career.

 

[vodeni]

Really can't agree with that on Rust. I thought he was everywhere, I thought he was hustling hard, I thought he was doing everything a player could do to help you win a game other than produce.

Rust is Rust he isas good as he ever was, if the pucks were going in it would be different story. I would never trade him, we need a player like that

 

[Coastal Kev]

he put the top players together because that gave us the best chance to win.

Wow....... I stand corrected. Sully is an absolute genius. I mean Sid with Jake and Geno with Phil...............

Sully should write a book.

 

[canadianguy77]

We've already watched what happens when Sid and Geno put on their backpacks and carry this team with mediocre goalies.

I guess we have to hope that DeSmith isn't mediocre.

Or that JR revamps this bottom 6 with the least amount of blowback as possible.

* On a positive note, I think Riikola is a top 4 dman. He was caught flat-footed once tonight, but that's to be expected every once in a while until he knows his opponents.

 

[vodeni]

DeSmith quitely made a few unreal saves

 

[Ogrezilla]

Wow....... I stand corrected. Sully is an absolute genius. I mean Sid with Jake and Geno with Phil...............

Sully should write a book.

what should he have done differently with these players? I don't like ZAR, but who should be there instead right now? Wilson?

 

[KIRK]

Well, to your bottom point. I’d love to hear what Sullivan is saying to Rutherford about the roster he has been given.

The ZAR infatuation makes no sense.

Problem is, we both know IF they added a defenseman, it's going to be Riikola who is scratched.

We both know JMFJ won't be moved and why, which is why it's imperative that it's 1 in and 1 out in any move for the defense.

 

[Ugene Magic]

The problem is depth. The Penguins have no depth.

Sprong sucks defensively. He's not NHL ready. ZAR sucks in general. Wilson is not NHL quality.

Sheahan with Cullen and Rust could actually be a good 4th line. They need another LW and a healthy lineup.

It's really looking like Pearson might make it possible to drop down Kessel. That should get them three decent lines.

 

[Scandale du Jour]

I eagerly await how Paul Maurice manages last change against Sully on Tuesday.

Methinks @ColePens is going to develop carpel tunnel syndrome with his comments about ZAR.

EDIT: Me too with Dumbest and Dumbest on the blueline.

Get Laine on against the Dumberest Duo in the Universe as much as possible.

 

[Peat]

Also, I'd like to take a moment to mention that Sprong had a strong game and showed that he does indeed need to be besides Geno...

... for when Sully gives his lecture on why people with good shots should take them rather than passing to someone with a not so good shot

 

[Nakawick]

5 out of 6 points since the captain came back.

 

[SHOOTANDSCORE]

There is no explanation for ZAR's usage tonight. I think the coaching staff/front office has become an echo chamber.

Remember when Sully was asked about Sprong. Sully seemed shocked that anyone would think Sprong should be playing. If he was stubborn and hated him, he would have kept scratching him but Sprong has played all but one game since. So I'm wondering if guys like Recchi and Guerin are constantly pumping up guys that "play the right way." Maybe there's no one to challenge Sully or the echo chamber and they actually believe things like playing ZAR 20 minutes is a good thing. Look at the shift in philosophy when Guerin took over WBS. You can bet he's a guy pumping Wilson and ZAR's tires.

 

[Gurglesons]

Problem is, we both know IF they added a defenseman, it's going to be Riikola who is scratched.

We both know JMFJ won't be moved and why, which is why it's imperative that it's 1 in and 1 out in any move for the defense.

Which is 100% not on Sullivan.

Honestly, when this team’s supporting cast steps up or is changed we could very easily have another run.

 

[Scandale du Jour]

5 out of 6 points since the captain came back.

And Sid has looked great.

 

[Ugene Magic]

DeSmith quitely made a few unreal saves

Yes, while at times he had no clue where the puck was and was completely out of the play. Had Columbus had better eyesight they could have had a couple wide open nets.