Pre-Game Talk: Penguins @ Boston Bruins 12/16/15

[Speaking Moistly]

tbh, I hope that Bennett isn't immediately put into "earn it again" when he comes back.

 

[Chuck Norris Trophy]

OMG, the line choices at practice, you guys. So bad. Bwahahahaha. At least we get to see some weird-ass combos.

Kunitz-Crosby-Perron
Plotnikov-Malkin-Hornqvist
Kessel-Fehr-Sprong
Cullen-Bonino

WOW. At least there's something new. This is something I am not going to miss.

 

[King of the Fall]

In regards to the different looking lines, Im fine with it. It's not like our offense was doing all that well. It is strange to see Kessel on the 3rd line, but he doesn't need an elite center, in fact, I often felt he deferred to Geno or Sid too much. He likes to carry the puck, maybe this will get him going. It can make him confident to keep the puck on his stick more, then bump him back to one of the top lines.

 

[Empoleon8771]

“What I can remember (about Sullivan) is he’s the one who gave me my chance in my first year,” Bergeron told CSNNE.com. “He was someone that was, you know, so fair with everyone. It didn’t matter who you were. It was about, you know, earning your ice time and making guys accountable by the way that you were showing up to the rink every day. I learned a lot from him and I can’t say enough about him.”

Quote from Bergeron praising Sullivan. So let's just wait a little before we say that Sullivan won't work here. I have wanted a hard ass coach like Sullivan or Tortorella here for a while now to crush the lack of accountability that plagues the team.

 

[Waffle Fries]

WOW. At least there's something new. This is something I am not going to miss.

Those aren't the lines for tonight though.

 

[Tunez33]

Those aren't the lines for tonight though.

i have a feeling we will see perron/kessel switch around this game a little based on tempo.

i'll be at the game tonight so i'm excited, really upset Murray isn't getting his first start tonight, would have loved to be there for it.

 

[deakka]

I have a feeling Zatkoff will get pulled tonight.

 

[EVGENIMERLIN]

Is Bonino hurt or a healthy scratch?

 

[Hossa die Waldfee]

I haven't watched a single Bruins game this year, but weren't they supposed to suck?

Their defense looks worse than ours or did Chara and Seids came back with very strong performances?

Is Bonino hurt or a healthy scratch?

He is ill.

 

[Jesse]

Is Bonino hurt or a healthy scratch?

He's sick. Game time decision.

 

[Tasty Biscuits]

I think those lines look fine, and still doubt they'll stay consistent throughout the game.

 

[sf expat71]

Quote from Bergeron praising Sullivan. So let's just wait a little before we say that Sullivan won't work here. I have wanted a hard ass coach like Sullivan or Tortorella here for a while now to crush the lack of accountability that plagues the team.

The number of posters here who have already given up on Mike Sullivan after one game, while non-zero, is very small. So you are kind of preaching to the choir here.

 

[WheresRamziAbid]

I think those lines look fine, and still doubt they'll stay consistent throughout the game.

Assuming Bonino would be in Porters place if healthy I actually kind of like those lines.

 

[xTang]

Every single beat reported commented on it at the first practice.

What type of coach? I don't know. I really don't. But I know what I don't want.

Take Kessel, for example. He's an American hockey player. He grew up playing baseball and hockey. There's a correlation there as to why American hockey players tend to shoot with their natural handedness. Right handed guys shoot right, left handed guys shoot left. Kessel, was part of the USNDT, played in college, and has been in the NHL for 10 years now. You don't think in all that time, someone, somewhere thought to try him on the left? Especially since Canada takes the opposite approach to handedness? And, you're going to demote him after one bad game? The first game with a new coach? Yet promote Perron? Really?

We've seen that Plotnikov and Hornqvist don't work on the same line. It's a sign of intelligence to be able to learn from other people's mistakes, right? Those who fail to learn from history are doomed to repeat it and all that. And, we know Horny and Geno don't mesh, despite what their advanced stats may say. Watching just a game or two will show that. And one would think a coach watches lots of game tape.

But, it has only been one game. Things can go any number of ways from here. Hopefully they go up. My concerns may be nothing more than lingering trauma from the last few years.

Actually, this is not really correct. The reporters stated that Sullivan has a booming voice and that is very easy to "hear" him from anywhere in the building. But a few of them did go out of their way to say he was not yelling at them, he was just directing how drills were supposed to go.

 

[Fordy]

plots-malkin-kessel is cool, i want to see that line

anyone that is complaining about sullivan at this point, 1 game in (and there were some complaining before the 1st game), is not giving him a chance, plain and simple. there's no assessment to be made for at least a week, and even then, we gave johnston almost a whole season before we turned on him. i'm giving sullivan the same unless he seriously goes crazy, which he's obviously not but plots-malkin-kessel is a good combo

 

[GreatjonUmber]

Any word on whether Daley is in tonight?

 

[Fordy]

tbh, I hope that Bennett isn't immediately put into "earn it again" when he comes back.

ugh, it would be truly ridiculous. the guy was your best winger

 

[Asuna]

Any word on whether Daley is in tonight?

He's with Maatta

 

[Pancakes]

Any word on whether Daley is in tonight?

I would guess so. He was paired with Maatta at the morning skate.

 

[GreatjonUmber]

He's with Maatta

I would guess so. He was paired with Maatta at the morning skate.

Missed that, thanks.

 

[Jesse]

Missed that, thanks.

I have a feeling that might change. They jumbled it up quite a bit today.

 

[Shrimper]

Game doesn't start until 1:00am so will probably only watch a brief bit.

 

[WheresRamziAbid]

plots-malkin-kessel is cool, i want to see that line

anyone that is complaining about sullivan at this point, 1 game in (and there were some complaining before the 1st game), is not giving him a chance, plain and simple. there's no assessment to be made for at least a week, and even then, we gave johnston almost a whole season before we turned on him. i'm giving sullivan the same unless he seriously goes crazy, which he's obviously not but plots-malkin-kessel is a good combo

I don't mean to offend but the fact that you are being the voice of reason scare me a bit.

 

[MtlPenFan]

I don't care how jumbled the lines are. I just want to see the guys who are playing the best in any given game being given the proper ice time.

I haven't seen that in six years.

 

[DegenX]

My thing is just not really having any expectations either way. I think the realistic hope is he moves the needle slightly in the right direction and they make the playoffs with little doubt that they would. That's about it, depending on what moves they make from here if any.

I don't know that I have any expectations at this point. But, I do have doubts.

You do know those practice lines are just practice lines right? They aren't the game lines.

I do know they were practice lines. We'll see what happens if Bonino plays tonight. And, if there's a need to move one of our RW to LW ... why not try Sprong there instead?

Perron is the closest player we have to Bennett. I'm glad that Sullivan recognized that Sid needed a guy with that skillset.

And experimenting in practice isnt a bad thing. Kessel is still on Geno's line. However, how is Sullivan to know that Hornqvist and Geno don't work or Hornqvist and Plotnikov have been tried? I doubt he's watched and analyzed every game, and even still there's nothing wrong with him wanting to get looks of things he hasn't seen in person in a low-stakes practice situation.

I also think you may be exaggerating a bit on this drill sergeant idea.



Let's give Sullivan a chance to see if he means it about rewarding ice time based on play before we ultimately decide he doesn't.

Martin and Tocchet have been here all along. In fact, management commented on how they would be able to give HCMS that sort of information.

The number of posters here who have already given up on Mike Sullivan after one game, while non-zero, is very small. So you are kind of preaching to the choir here.

I don't know about anybody else, but I'm expressing doubts not calling for the guy to be fired.

plots-malkin-kessel is cool, i want to see that line

anyone that is complaining about sullivan at this point, 1 game in (and there were some complaining before the 1st game), is not giving him a chance, plain and simple. there's no assessment to be made for at least a week, and even then, we gave johnston almost a whole season before we turned on him. i'm giving sullivan the same unless he seriously goes crazy, which he's obviously not but plots-malkin-kessel is a good combo

I like the idea of of Plots with Kessel and Malkin, also. As far as giving HCMS a chance, I've agreed with everyone here in that it's only been one game. I'm expressing doubts, that's all. Along with a 'we'll see' attitude.