Post-Game Talk: Penguins 5, Senators 3 - Jugs and Canns . . . and Puppies!

[turd]

I'll join on this. I thought Maatta looked fine last night. Still think we need to add to the D, but if we don't and sit JJ for Schultz then Maatta-Riikola is an adequate pairing.

They’re not going to sit the guy who they gave a five year contract to in favor of Riikola. It’s just not going to happen.

 

[turd]

Bjugstad looked very good. McCann was meh. While I think he'll be better with some games under his belt and having had a chance to talk to his linemates before the game and whatnot... there was little difference between him and Sheahan based on what they actually provided us on the ice.

I don’t know. It looked like both of them played in a way that a coroner wouldn’t declare them clinically dead... unlike Brassard and Sheahan ever played. I wouldn’t be surprised if we were all big McCann fans before long.

 

[Tender Rip]

I don't want to base anything off of one game, but I'm not sure McCann isn't any less vanilla then Sheahan.

Could be. But he is also a guy with decent wheels who has gotten more physical and better at faceoffs this season while being a 22 year old going for 30+ points on a below average team. There’s at least a chance this will pan out real well.

 

[TimmyD]

I don't want to base anything off of one game, but I'm not sure McCann isn't any less vanilla then Sheahan.

Even if he would end up being as vanilla as Sheahan, he would do it for $1 million less so that seems like it’s a worthwhile trade off IMO

 

[Peat]

They’re not going to sit the guy who they gave a five year contract to in favor of Riikola. It’s just not going to happen.

This is probably true.

But they might sit Petterson. People laughed when Mackey said Petterson might be the guy to sit when Schultz is back but over the last 10 games, Riikola's had the better statistical results.

We know they like the idea of Johnson with Schultz. We know they like running pairing 2A and 2B, with one being more geared for offensive starts and the other for defensive. Maatta-Riikola has been a strong defensive pairing at taking the defensive starts over the past 10 games. I can see them going Johnson-Schultz and Maatta-Riikola.

 

[NMK11]

Can Pettersson play on the right? I vaguely remember Maatta there for a few games and he didn't look great, but if those two could play together that could be a decent pairing, although a bit on the slow side.

 

[JTG]

The defense needs to be retooled. I just don't think they have what it takes to do well in the playoffs. Think back to our defenses in the Cup years...we're far from the stability those bluelines had.

 

[Speaking Moistly]

They’re not going to sit the guy who they gave a five year contract to in favor of Riikola. It’s just not going to happen.

They did sit a player signed for 3 years for Ruhwedel, but, yeah, I doubt it.

This is probably true.

But they might sit Petterson. People laughed when Mackey said Petterson might be the guy to sit when Schultz is back but over the last 10 games, Riikola's had the better statistical results.

We know they like the idea of Johnson with Schultz. We know they like running pairing 2A and 2B, with one being more geared for offensive starts and the other for defensive. Maatta-Riikola has been a strong defensive pairing at taking the defensive starts over the past 10 games. I can see them going Johnson-Schultz and Maatta-Riikola.

The thing is Johnson-Schultz will last 3-5 games before Sullivan is scrambling again. Then I assume it would be Maatta-Schultz (worked last season) and Pettersson-Johnson (the only one who managed to drag Johnson around) with Riikola sitting. There’s a more obvious solution but whatever.

 

[KIRK]

Geno is playing different game now then 5 years ago...He is deep in our zone fishing the puck, and he makes that first pass to one of our wingers....now the probelm with these two is that Horny just dumps the puck to no one or Pearson try to skate straight line along the wall where he is body checked 90% of time...hence no possession...Geno needs someone that can carry that puck into the OZ and be able to keep for the second by the time he joins the attack....

Rust is the only AVAILABLE option.

Although JR could move Pearson and find another . . . we watched one potential guy in Dzingel last night.

 

[Tender Rip]

The defense needs to be retooled. I just don't think they have what it takes to do well in the playoffs. Think back to our defenses in the Cup years...we're far from the stability those bluelines had.

Are you seriously saying our Letang-less 2017 cup-winning crew was better than what we have now? With Schultz coming back?

We had better goal tending then. Our forwards dictated play more... but the actual defense is clearly better today.
If Schultz plays like he can when he is back, our D is on par even with 2016. Individually.

It’s the rest of the league that has caught up pace wise. Also, the D on those cup teams, particularly the 2017 one, played much better D in the playoffs than they did in the regular season. As a team, goalies, defense and forwards, we will have to do that again to have any chance at post-season success. Fortunately , that’s more or less been Sully’s MO here.

 

[ZeroPucksGiven]

Forget any fancy stats, my eyes have always told me that JJ blows

 

[Mr Jiggyfly]

The defense needs to be retooled. I just don't think they have what it takes to do well in the playoffs. Think back to our defenses in the Cup years...we're far from the stability those bluelines had.

I haven’t felt good about the Pens blueline in any cup year. Even as a kid I knew their blueline was questionable the first couple cups.

Rookie pairing the first cup year, second cup was a little more stable but still had worrisome depth, third cup Gill and Scuderi gave me nightmares, fourth cup Schultz and Cole were huge question marks, fifth cup no Letang so uh ya.

Only time I thought the Pens had a stacked blueline was when they got Martin and Michalek and we all know how that went.

I still am hoping for a legit offensive blueliner to be brought in because I’m not a big Schultz fan, and he’s coming off a tough injury so... he’s never going to be my idea of a knight on a white horse.

 

[Peat]

The thing is Johnson-Schultz will last 3-5 games before Sullivan is scrambling again. Then I assume it would be Maatta-Schultz (worked last season) and Pettersson-Johnson (the only one who managed to drag Johnson around) with Riikola sitting. There’s a more obvious solution but whatever.

Maybe. But I've got to ask, what does Petterson do that Schultz can't that means the pairing would only work with Johnson if they gave it the exact same match ups and goaltending? I know Johnson hasn't had lasting success with any other dmen, but most of his other pairings have featured the team trying to lean heavily on him and the Petterson pairing hasn't; its also played in a time when the team's just been better in general.

Petterson's a good player but he doesn't read the game better than Schultz or bring better physicality. He's not as good a puck mover. I guess he's got more reach and is less likely to take chances but I'm not sure that's the difference.

Maybe it'd turn out that Johnson can really only truly play with one dmen here and we'd go back to where we were. But I don't see why that should be.

 

[NMK11]

Maybe. But I've got to ask, what does Petterson do that Schultz can't that means the pairing would only work with Johnson if they gave it the exact same match ups and goaltending? I know Johnson hasn't had lasting success with any other dmen, but most of his other pairings have featured the team trying to lean heavily on him and the Petterson pairing hasn't; its also played in a time when the team's just been better in general.

Petterson's a good player but he doesn't read the game better than Schultz or bring better physicality. He's not as good a puck mover. I guess he's got more reach and is less likely to take chances but I'm not sure that's the difference.

Maybe it'd turn out that Johnson can really only truly play with one dmen here and we'd go back to where we were. But I don't see why that should be.

It's not about what Pettersson can do vs Schultz, it's what he can do with him. The idea is that Pettersson would be the Dumo to Schultz's Letang. Schultz has shown he can play second pairing minutes and contribute offensively. Pettersson is a solid stay at home guy who's looked good since being here despite being anchored to our worst regular defenseman. Again, all on paper, but that duo should be a good second pairing.

 

[Empoleon8771]

I'm pretty confident that they won't sit Pettersson, but people do have a point in saying Riikola has really played himself into the conversation there. I also think that Maatta-Riikola and Johnson-Schultz looks better than Maatta-Schultz and Pettersson-Johnson. I don't think Pettersson would be demoted to solely being a #7 either, he'll get in regularly if he does end up behind Riikola going forward. I want to see if Pettersson can play RD, because I'd be fine with Johnson-Schultz and Riikola and Pettersson battling it out for the RD spot with Maatta.

 

[Peat]

It's not about what Pettersson can do vs Schultz, it's what he can do with him. The idea is that Pettersson would be the Dumo to Schultz's Letang. Schultz has shown he can play second pairing minutes and contribute offensively. Pettersson is a solid stay at home guy who's looked good since being here despite being anchored to our worst regular defenseman. Again, all on paper, but that duo should be a good second pairing.

That's sadly just not realistic unless you think Maatta-Johnson is a possible pairing here though.

 

[Empoleon8771]

That's sadly just not realistic unless you think Maatta-Johnson is a possible pairing here though.

I think it's completely possible to see that D pair, that was their original plan for Johnson IIRC. I still think Schultz just slides in for Riikola, though. I don't see a reason to expect they'll do something different than that.

 

[Andy99]

I'm pretty confident that they won't sit Pettersson, but people do have a point in saying Riikola has really played himself into the conversation there. I also think that Maatta-Riikola and Johnson-Schultz looks better than Maatta-Schultz and Pettersson-Johnson. I don't think Pettersson would be demoted to solely being a #7 either, he'll get in regularly if he does end up behind Riikola going forward. I want to see if Pettersson can play RD, because I'd be fine with Johnson-Schultz and Riikola and Pettersson battling it out for the RD spot with Maatta.

Yes, but why not Pettersson Schultz and Maatta Riikola...imo those would be our best combo of bottom pairings...

 

[Speaking Moistly]

Maybe. But I've got to ask, what does Petterson do that Schultz can't that means the pairing would only work with Johnson if they gave it the exact same match ups and goaltending? I know Johnson hasn't had lasting success with any other dmen, but most of his other pairings have featured the team trying to lean heavily on him and the Petterson pairing hasn't; its also played in a time when the team's just been better in general.

Petterson's a good player but he doesn't read the game better than Schultz or bring better physicality. He's not as good a puck mover. I guess he's got more reach and is less likely to take chances but I'm not sure that's the difference.

Maybe it'd turn out that Johnson can really only truly play with one dmen here and we'd go back to where we were. But I don't see why that should be.

I don’t know why Pettersson has been more successful with the anchor, tbh. I don’t think he’s a better player than Schultz or anyone else who has been dragged down. I think the pairing got propped up and looked better than it is for awhile, though. What I do know is that there is a predictable outcome with Schultz-Johnson. Getting hemmed in their own zone, both getting turned around once hemmed in for an extended period of time, Schultz having to watch out for bizarre pinches and overall possession problems.

If JR’s offseason f*** up is ignored I think they’d be able to roll a better D group when healthy.

Dumoulin-Letang
Maatta/Pettersson-Schultz/Riikola
Maatta/Pettersson-Schultz/Riikola

I expect more of gottamakethiswork to force them to keep Johnson in and Pettersson for whatever reason has been the best at making JR look less bad.

 

[JackFr]

+ I really liked what I saw from Bjugstad. A couple turnovers sure but he did a good job of battling to get those pucks back. Good chemistry with Phil and a hell of a shot. Weird seeing a guy that big in a Pens jersey.

- Johnson. Come the hell on. We erased the two biggest negatives on this roster in one trade but this guy is a f***ing black hole. Eye test, analytics, whatever. Flailing the puck along the boards, giving up possession in the offensive zone, I'm just done with it. I'm sick of having to watch Malkin and Kessel and whoever saddled with this guy while Sid and Letang get to have all the fun. At least Ruhwedel knows how to get the f***ing puck out of the zone.

 

[Shockmaster]

That's not how it works

Yes, winning is ultimately how it works. Not having a crush on players who get points by accident playing with Crosby then underperform in the same role in the playoffs.

 

[Empoleon8771]

Yes, but why not Pettersson Schultz and Maatta Riikola...imo those would be our best combo of bottom pairings...

Because you're not scratching Johnson so a discussion of a Johnson-less D group is a waste of time.

 

[BHD]

The defense needs to be retooled. I just don't think they have what it takes to do well in the playoffs. Think back to our defenses in the Cup years...we're far from the stability those bluelines had.

I don’t think they’re that far off. They’re better than the group that won ‘17 (obviously) and slightly worse than the guys in ‘16. It depends on how high you are on Pettersson. If he can provide solid minutes, then I like their chances.

 

[Andy99]

Because you're not scratching Johnson so a discussion of a Johnson-less D group is a waste of time.

It’s like watching your best friend go out with a girlfriend/boyfriend who treats him/her like **** and is really f’ed up, and yet your friend won’t break it off....insanity

 

[Ginormousthumbs]

So funny! The short video on their Instagram is great too. You can tell how excited they were/are.

Inside Scoop: Bjugstad and McCann's whirlwind day