Pre-Game Talk: Penguins at Islanders | Game 4 | Tuesday May 7, 2013 | 7PM

[Darth Vitale]

Will Neal come back and allow Disco to do the most obvious thing everything but him can see?

Dupuis - Sid - Iggy
Kunitz - Geno - Neal?

Will Beauners rage? Will Okposo beat up Niskanen again?

Discuss and remember: Keep it Real but don't let it go wrong.

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[Duck Paddy]

Will Neal come back and allow Disco to do the most obvious thing everything but him can see?

Dupuis - Sid - Iggy
Kunitz - Geno - Neal?

Will Beauners rage? Will Okposo beat up Niskanen again?

Discuss and remember: Keep it Real but don't let it go wrong.

Just to play devil's advocate...Perhaps there is a reason he hasn't been trying Iggy on Sid's wing? Maybe Sid actually likes his line amazed and has given him input on who he wants to play with? Sid is a pretty superstitious guy, he may not want change. Or maybe he thinks Iggy is too slow to keep up with Sid's game?

 

[Crafton]

All year? That is why the Isles have won a whopping two of the eight games played this year against the Pens.

the regular season doesn't count unless of course you're talking about the team that won 24 games with a punishing forecheck, brutally efficient passing, and a ruggedly heroic demeanor in the corners. with regards to the 17 losses, those don't matter. this is a NEW team.

on the other hand, this Pens team isn't the team that came back from a weekend of carnage in Newark. this Pens team isn't the team that reeled off 15 straight wins after playing some brutal defense during a three game stretch in late February.

the Pens are a team riddled with latent defects that cannot be remedied.

 

[BlindWillyMcHurt]

Just to play devil's advocate...Perhaps there is a reason he hasn't been trying Iggy on Sid's wing? Maybe Sid actually likes his line amazed and has given him input on who he wants to play with? Sid is a pretty superstitious guy, he may not want change. Or maybe he thinks Iggy is too slow to keep up with Sid's game?

So... Crosby is coaching, now?

If that's really the case, the coach needs to grow some stones.

 

[Ogrezilla]

Just to play devil's advocate...Perhaps there is a reason he hasn't been trying Iggy on Sid's wing? Maybe Sid actually likes his line amazed and has given him input on who he wants to play with? Sid is a pretty superstitious guy, he may not want change. Or maybe he thinks Iggy is too slow to keep up with Sid's game?

Then Disco should tell him tough luck, its for the good of the team.

 

[bigG]

the regular season doesn't count unless of course you're talking about the team that won 24 games with a punishing forecheck, brutally efficient passing, and a ruggedly heroic demeanor in the corners. with regards to the 17 losses, those don't matter. this is a NEW team.

on the other hand, this Pens team isn't the team that came back from a weekend of carnage in Newark. this Pens team isn't the team that reeled off 15 straight wins after playing some brutal defense during a three game stretch in late February.

the Pens are a team riddled with latent defects that cannot be remedied.

 

[Crafton]

...

if not now, then when?

 

[Waffle Fries]

Just to play devil's advocate...Perhaps there is a reason he hasn't been trying Iggy on Sid's wing? Maybe Sid actually likes his line amazed and has given him input on who he wants to play with? Sid is a pretty superstitious guy, he may not want change. Or maybe he thinks Iggy is too slow to keep up with Sid's game?

Even if this were true (which I don't believe) Sid would never put himself ahead of what is best for the team. He'd be a pretty ****** captain if he said "I want to play with these guys and these guys only, I don't care how it affects anyone else!"

And as far as Sid wanting the line together for superstitious reasons, I would think the multiple serious injuries he has endured while playing on that line would cancel that out.

 

[Bennett Brauer]

Dejan's opinion but it sounds right.

Dejan Kovacevic ‏@Dejan_Kovacevic 2h
This is nothing but personal feel from watching/talking here, but I'd guess Orpik in/Despres out, Kennedy in/Bennett out. #Pens #TribHKY

I kinda agree if that's the case, Beau had a strong game 1 but wasn't noticeable in games 2 or 3. Despres wasn't too stellar in game 3 either.

I know people don't want Kennedy, but when people say he doesn't add anything to this team, it's false. While he doesn't have the skill of Beau Bennett he does have speed and tenacity in his game, he also is a playoff veteran who probably has a chip on his shoulder after being benched.

If Neal is back, idk who gets benched, definitely won't bench Jussi, does Bylsma bench Glass or Adams for Kennedy?

 

[Sidney the Kidney]

Just friggin' show up. That's what I'm hoping for, that the team actually plays with intensity and acts like it's involved in a playoff game, not a pre-season game.

 

[SirBrad]

I gotta be honest, I think it's time for some Manbearpig. Speed and tenacity is exactly right. And it's needed now more than ever in this series.

 

[PensPlz]

I gotta be honest, I think it's time for some Manbearpig. Speed and tenacity is exactly right. And it's needed now more than ever in this series.

I agree 100%. Our checking lines are just too slow. Aside from Tavares and Moulson, the Islanders are essentially a team of Kennedys. We need to fight Kennedys with the Kennedy.

 

[Terrapin]

So Kennedy may play for Bennett. Who sits if Neal's back? I have a feeling it'll be Jokinen. Can't see DB sitting Glass or Adams. Crazy as that is, he'll keep them in their for the PK.

 

[td_ice]

Listening to local sports talk radio today, and a caller brought up a good point. In other sports you have the national broadcasters (pre game and post game analysts, not in-game announcers) promoting or highlighting the stars of the games. But not in hockey, on NBC. You have tweedle dee and tweedle dumb continually tearing down the best player in the game. Ridiculous. It is obvious that both have personal feelings against Sid that effect their judgement and reporting of Crosby.

 

[chuppa chupp]

Kennedy will be our savior!

 

[eXile59]

Listening to local sports talk radio today, and a caller brought up a good point. In other sports you have the national broadcasters (pre game and post game analysts, not in-game announcers) promoting or highlighting the stars of the games. But not in hockey, on NBC. You have tweedle dee and tweedle dumb continually tearing down the best player in the game. Ridiculous. It is obvious that both have personal feelings against Sid that effect their judgement and reporting of Crosby.

Did you see the pregame for the Caps/Rangers game? They back tracked big time. Went on a good amount of time praising Sid so maybe they got the memo.

 

[BlindWillyMcHurt]

Did you see the pregame for the Caps/Rangers game? They back tracked big time. Went on a good amount of time praising Sid so maybe they got the memo.

Somehow that just makes me more irritated.

 

[chuppa chupp]

By the way, I was being completely serious about Kennedy. The way this series has been played, he is definitely someone I want in the lineup. If Glass sees the ice tomorrow, I'll **** my pants and then cry.

Why is Bylsma so stubborn when it comes to stuff like this?

 

[td_ice]

Did you see the pregame for the Caps/Rangers game? They back tracked big time. Went on a good amount of time praising Sid so maybe they got the memo.

They are idiots. You don't denegrate the best player in the game to a national audience. Regional broadcast, ok fine, but I expect that honerish type of reporting.

I didn't see that, but yeah sounds like someone got in their ear.

 

[CrozJawz*]

Wonderful. Milbury and Roenick slobbering all over Crosby a day after they were cutting him down for diving only feeds the mouth breather knuckle draggers over on the main board who wear tin foil hats and are convinced that Crosby and the Pens have the league wrapped around their finger...

 

[BigBenSF*]

 

[Al Smith]

I said before Game 1 that the Pens would miss Orpik more than Crosby. Many mocked me. If Orpik is back, hopefully he'll be at full speed. I'm not sure that a sub-100% is Orpik is that much better than Engo. I think Neal will make a big difference, as will Kennedy is he subs for 19. BB has been largely invisible the past couple games.

I've only read the main boards once or twice. Have they ever explained how the league's strategy of giving the Penguins the Cup has failed miserably over the past three years? And if so, why do they keep trying.

 

[IcedCapp]

If Kennedy's the answer, you're asking the wrong question. And taking Bennett out for Kennedy doesn't solve your speed problems.

 

[Lomez]

Not so sure about TK, but I do think we can use a little Orpik on the blue line.

 

[JimmyTwoTimes]

You replace Glass with Kennedy ....replace Despres with Orpik. That's it. This isn't division/multiplication . It's simple.