Pre-Game Talk: Penguins @ Oilers

[Shady Machine]

Well put him in a better position to succeed and maybe he will.

At this point Johnston is basically benching Bennett for Johnston failing to do his own job. The ultimate in idiocy.

I'm with you for sure. Just trying to understand what MJ could be thinking other than "durh I'm a moron".

 

[penguins2946*]

It's not even like the Oilers are a gritty team either, which could be used as an argument for Sill over Bennett. I'm guessing Arcobello is in for tomorrow since we're playing the Oilers and that's his old team. Still, even with that, there's no reason we can't demote Downie to the 4th line and run with Spaling-Sutter-Bennett and Downie-Lapierre-Adams.

 

[Tasty Biscuits]

Well sadly we all called the outcomes the last 5 years. I think majority of us are seeing the trend this year.

It would be very unique to see a team ran by internet fans. In a weird universe.. i'd love to see how that all plays out.

I don't even like being right at this point, even at the expense of the high-and-mighty Pittsburgh media, what with all the countless times they essentially called out the dissenting internet minority as being idiots. I just want to see good hockey being played by great players, and it seems like this organization is hellbent on doing everything they can to prevent that from happening.

 

[ColePens]

Amen, TB. Amen. At this point I watch the collapse and i'm like a cold hearted individual. I just watch it. No emotions. I expect it. That's not enjoyable. I literally laugh, roll my eyes, shut my laptop, and walk out of the room. Almost identical to that Seinfeld gif...lol

I want to go along for the ride and believe. That is not in the cards.

 

[Speaking Moistly]

I'm with you for sure. Just trying to understand what MJ could be thinking other than "durh I'm a moron".

1) Development, a bad stretch got Bennett scratched in an attempt to fix it. Which is actually reasonable, it's just that there's a bigger problem going on.
2) Easy to punish player for a greater problem. The team has a lot of lazy/bad players that Johnston apparently can't scratch so Bennett it is.

1 is fine but 2 is moronic and needs to be addressed. You want change? Sutter has been ass for awhile, Sutter the guy they like to point out the leadership of and his alleged offensive/top 6 potential. Kunitz has been a joke, a player wearing an A; Adams ****ing with teammates and struggling not to suck once he's a handful of games in, Sill doing nothing for like 20 some games and Scuderi being dragged around until he got pissed off enough to do something around the 40 game mark. If you hold Bennett accountable you need to do the same for the big problems.

 

[roquay]

I'd pay big money for a Beau Bennett tell-all book after his career.

Hopefully it's not a short story in a medical journal.

 

[Will Hunting]

Amen, TB. Amen. At this point I watch the collapse and i'm like a cold hearted individual. I just watch it. No emotions. I expect it. That's not enjoyable. I literally laugh, roll my eyes, shut my laptop, and walk out of the room. Almost identical to that Seinfeld gif...lol

I want to go along for the ride and believe. That is not in the cards.

We´re all frustrated, bro. All of us. The coach was telling us how we need Beau Bennett, how we are missing him and his creativity. It´s not only his case, there are other shocking things, too. Farnham as well, one day he praises him greatly and the other day he´s sent down. MJ is lying to us. I took a cheapshot at MJ a few days ago and you didn´t like that but there is not too far away from being frustrated as hell to taking the cheapshots on the man who´s doing the most damage now.

 

[Mr Jiggyfly]

Not to worry, they already traded away the problem child on that fourth line in Goc.

Any week now Adams and Sill will start scoring in bunches to make up for lost time. Just wait. You'll see.

Goc was a bad apple. He tried to show up Sill and Adams by stick handling one time. There's no need for that kind of hotdogging on any NHL team.

Beau and Neal have looked by far the best wingers for Geno. It's probably the best since Malone looked w/ Geno. I just don't get it. I don't get it.

It all makes sense though. Look how DB odd decisions made fools of us. The team can't score, so it's logical to bench one of their most skilled players. Logic.

Didn't this team's brass make a deceleration about wanting to develop young talent this summer?

 

[wej20]

Garbage, I hope we trade him.

 

[ColePens]

For his sake I hope we trade him. And then when he's awesome, we can all say "Oh no ****... how didn't you see that?"

For that matter - same w/ Despres.

 

[wej20]

I'll hold off on trading Despres until we re-sign Martin, Ehrhoff, Eaton and Gill, then we can trade him.

 

[Will Hunting]

For his sake I hope we trade him. And then when he's awesome, we can all say "Oh no ****... how didn't you see that?"

For that matter - same w/ Despres.

The mind-blowing thing is that it was immediately PROMISED by the new coaching staff that the young talented guys won´t be screwed this year anymore..

 

[Wolf Without a Howl]

I'd pay big money for a Beau Bennett tell-all book after his career.

which really could be any day with that kid's injury luck

 

[ColePens]

Mario's interview with DK would be interesting to bring back up.

 

[Pancakes]

Personally I hope we keep him and he comes back and dominates like he is capable of, but that's just me.

I mean it's a terrible decision to scratch him though. No defending it.

 

[BlindWillyMcHurt]

Also... it might be a mistake by why are Downie and Spaling switched? Are they trying them on their off wings, or something? Wouldn't put it past them. They seem to really revel in doing that.

I don't like the makeup of that second line. Even with Geno back. Maybe especialy with Geno back. Arco and Malkin have no real experience together. Besides which... I mean... Arco is a fourth line player/journeyman. Why not Spaling, there? They looked to be building on something before Malkin had to sit with a groin issue.

Then there is Hornqvist. Love him as a player and yeah... limited sample size... but he and Malkin never really clicked. I just don't know if their play styles are that compatible. Perhaps if he had a shiftier type on the other wing with a nice shot selection while Horns took care of crashing the net and digging pucks, mostly... but... uh... Arcobello.

Looks like we may well have enough staff that doesn't understand what their star players really need on their respective lines to succeed.

 

[penguins2946*]

Also... it might be a mistake by why are Downie and Spaling switched? Are they trying them on their off wings, or something? Wouldn't put it past them. They seem to really revel in doing that.

I don't like the makeup of that second line. Even with Geno back. Maybe especialy with Geno back. Arco and Malkin have no real experience together. Besides which... I mean... Arco is a fourth line player/journeyman. Why not Spaling, there? They looked to be building on something before Malkin had to sit with a groin issue.

Then there is Hornqvist. Love him as a player and yeah... limited sample size... but he and Malkin never really clicked. I just don't know if their play styles are that compatible. Perhaps if he had a shiftier type on the other wing with a nice shot selection... but... uh... Arcobello.

Looks like we may well have enough staff that doesn't understand what their star players really need on their respective lines to succeed.

I'm guessing Arcobello is just a place holder until Comeau is healthy, and the 2nd line would be Comeau-Malkin-Hornqvist at that point.

 

[cygnus47]

Why can't the coaches just get out of the way of a good roster? Put everyone in their natural positions where they are most likely to succeed. If someone is playing better than the guy above, move him up. If worse, move them down. How hard is that? The NHL 15 AI could make better lineup choices than Dan and MJ have.

 

[BlindWillyMcHurt]

I'm guessing Arcobello is just a place holder until Comeau is healthy, and the 2nd line would be Comeau-Malkin-Hornqvist at that point.

Well, sure. I see the same thing you do.

But... until then... why? Just play Spaling there... he worked well just a couple of weeks ago with Malkin, he'll surely work for a couple more until Comeau is ready to go. Hell... Comeau might not even come back and look like the same player with the time off/recovering from injury. Why put all of your eggs in that basket?

Stubbornness and an unwillingness to be flexible and fluid in their thinking as the season went on got the last coaching staff the reputation they so richly deserve as a pack of morons. I don't like seeing them going down a similar path.

In any case... I'm getting way ahead of myself. We'll see what they roll out, tomorrow. Doesn't look promising.

 

[Shrimper]

I just don't understand how someone can seriously look at Bennett, Sill and Adams and think, yes, Bennett needs to sit.

Seriously? Bennett, ask for a trade request. We don't deserve you.

 

[TheGoldenJet]

I'm with you for sure. Just trying to understand what MJ could be thinking other than "durh I'm a moron".

The three knocks on Bennett in general have been his board work, defensive play, and unwillingness to go hard to the net of late.

Some legitimate gripes there for sure, but every player has their weaknesses, nevermind a young player who has played only a fraction of his team's games over the past 12 months. MJ is showing an extreme lack of patience, even for a "win-now" situation.

 

[Sideline]

The three knocks on Bennett in general have been his board work, defensive play, and unwillingness to go hard to the net of late.

If that were the criteria for benching how has Brandon Sutter not been chained up in the press box since December?

 

[Shrimper]

The three knocks on Bennett in general have been his board work, defensive play, and unwillingness to go hard to the net of late.

Some legitimate gripes there for sure, but every player has their weaknesses, nevermind a young player who has played only a fraction of his team's games over the past 12 months. MJ is showing an extreme lack of patience, even for a "win-now" situation.

Adams and Sill don't do either of those themselves and they are also much worse production wise. It makes no sense.

 

[ColePens]

If they want to bench a player for playing sloppy, then every single player on the team deserves a one night seat in the presser. Maybe Fleury is the only one who can get by with not deserving it. From Sid's lack of accountability w/ his turnovers to Adams who just isn't good enough. Every single Penguin deserves to sit at least once. You could make a case for guys like Downie who played tremendous all year for even having a couple bad moments where he took bad penalties. How about Sutter? He's been equally, if not even more, invisible than Beau.

Where is the accountability?

I also just read the stat where we have like 6 too many men penalties in the last 15 games. That shows the accountability/discipline by this team.

 

[Shrimper]

It's sad but Johnson's reign has a lot of familiarities to Bylsma's problems.

- Lack of accountability
- Guaranteed starts for terrible players
- Benching and/or not playing young players right
- Failure to fix system and play problems.