Post-Game Talk: Penguins team "coming in peace" Pens - 0 , Stars - 3

[Ogrezilla]

Letang to COL for ROR + Conditional 1st 2015. If ROR resigns in PIT, no pick. If ROR resigns in COL, 1st in 2015.

For ROR to sign in COL, he'll need to be offer sheeted. Compensation for $6.5mil is Two first-round picks and a second- and third-round pick.

If he resigns in PIT, no big deal. If he resigns in COL, we have a 1st in 2014, 2015, 2nd in 2014 now, and 2 3rds in 2014. We then find someone who has a nice young winger and trade 2 1sts and a 2nd for (because...we all know that can fetch a decent winger).

Done and done.

 

[AjaxTelamon]

Megna's ability to get to dump-ins and get the puck to Geno, not to mention drawing defenders when he carries it down the wing, would seem to compliment Geno and Neal pretty well. And I want to see Sutter have JJ for some stretch of time so that line can learn to work together and provide some secondary scoring. If that worked, and BB could be successful with Sid, then you just need some depth pieces such as a McGinn who can slide up as needed.

 

[Ogrezilla]

Megna's ability to get to dump-ins and get the puck to Geno, not to mention drawing defenders when he carries it down the wing, would seem to compliment Geno and Neal pretty well. And I want to see Sutter have JJ for some stretch of time so that line can learn to work together and provide some secondary scoring. If that worked, and BB could be successful with Sid, then you just need some depth pieces such as a McGinn who can slide up as needed.

Megna would be my top choice out of guys we currently have to play with Geno. Other than Kunitz obviously.

 

[SEALBound]

Hey now!

 

[KIRK]

Megna would be my top choice out of guys we currently have to play with Geno. Other than Kunitz obviously.

Out of guys we currently have . . . absolutely.

Gets to pucks, actually is a lot better in board battles than one would think or some appreciate, and goes to the net.

His defense is kind of 'meh', but no worse than all of the alternatives save Bennett.

 

[Ogrezilla]

 

[Ogrezilla]

Out of guys we currently have . . . absolutely.

Gets to pucks, actually is a lot better in board battles than one would think or some appreciate, and goes to the net.

His defense is kind of 'meh', but no worse than all of the alternatives save Bennett.

he's certainly not ideal. But I have a feeling we shouldn't be expecting ideal.

 

[Michael8771*]

Goldblum fan's?

 

[SEALBound]

Given their play this year, I honestly would have a hard time picking between Megna or Bennett for the Top 6.

 

[KIRK]

he's certainly not ideal. But I have a feeling we shouldn't be expecting ideal.

Shero and Bylsma will do that to you.

Given their play this year, I honestly would have a hard time picking between Megna or Bennett for the Top 6.

Agreed, although in an ideal world-- one in which Ray Shero didn't see the need for Despres and Dumoulin to be 9 and 10 on an organization's depth chart, Bennett would be on Sutter's RW and Megna would be on a 4th line with Vitale and Sill providing energy.

 

[Ogrezilla]

Goldblum fan's?

Isn't everyone?

 

[Ogrezilla]

Given their play this year, I honestly would have a hard time picking between Megna or Bennett for the Top 6.

why not both?

 

[KIRK]

Isn't everyone?

True story. When I lived in California, my wife, a guest, and I sat next to him at a sushi bar in Studio City. Let me just say this: The Jeff Goldblum you see on TV and movies is the sedated version.

 

[66-30-33]

True story. When I lived in California, my wife, a guest, and I sat next to him at a sushi bar in Studio City. Let me just say this: The Jeff Goldblum you see on TV and movies is the sedated version.

He still acts? i never see him anymore, then again the only TV i watch is NHL hockey and some TV series, although i go to the movies 3-5 times a month.

 

[66-30-33]

Letang to COL for ROR + Conditional 1st 2015. If ROR resigns in PIT, no pick. If ROR resigns in COL, 1st in 2015.

For ROR to sign in COL, he'll need to be offer sheeted. Compensation for $6.5mil is Two first-round picks and a second- and third-round pick.

If he resigns in PIT, no big deal. If he resigns in COL, we have a 1st in 2014, 2015, 2nd in 2014 now, and 2 3rds in 2014. We then find someone who has a nice young winger and trade 2 1sts and a 2nd for (because...we all know that can fetch a decent winger).

Done and done.

Brutal. Why do we do this again? lose Letang who should go for a long term winger, then we may lose our long term winger and get a damn pick only for Letang. Letang for ROR and McGinn makes the most sense to me.

 

[WayneSid9987]

Pyatt has also looked good with Geno btw.

But hey, JJ can get open for some nice shots/goals every 10 games so don't change it up.

 

[Ogrezilla]

True story. When I lived in California, my wife, a guest, and I sat next to him at a sushi bar in Studio City. Let me just say this: The Jeff Goldblum you see on TV and movies is the sedated version.

I cannot describe how jealous I am.

 

[AjaxTelamon]

why not both?

I'm hoping for both. I'm getting the feeling we won't be making any big deals this year, and would be slightly surprised to the positive if we do land a McGinn or a Kulemin. I just don't think Shero is willing to trade Niskanen, Orpik, Letang, Sutter, BB, etc. I think he would be willing to trade Despres or possibly some other top prospects. But I don't see the value there.

So I'm just hopeful the coaches can manage to play our best players in their best spots. DB seems to be fixated with JJ on Malkin's line. The only semi-legitimate reason I can see for that would be that he's nervous about them defensively (the zone start percentages would seem to confirm this), and feels that JJ is the only LW we have that he trusts to play our system on that line.

Our other LW's pretty much suck defensively, but at least Megna has the kind of speed that can cover up a lot of sins.

 

[KIRK]

I cannot describe how jealous I am.

Every roll or dish with several ingredients, he'd ask the sushi chef what's in it in the 'life finds a way' voice.

 

[KIRK]

I'm hoping for both. I'm getting the feeling we won't be making any big deals this year, and would be slightly surprised to the positive if we do land a McGinn or a Kulemin. I just don't think Shero is willing to trade Niskanen, Orpik, Letang, Sutter, BB, etc. I think he would be willing to trade Despres or possibly some other top prospects. But I don't see the value there.

So I'm just hopeful the coaches can manage to play our best players in their best spots. DB seems to be fixated with JJ on Malkin's line. The only semi-legitimate reason I can see for that would be that he's nervous about them defensively (the zone start percentages would seem to confirm this), and feels that JJ is the only LW we have that he trusts to play our system on that line.

Our other LW's pretty much suck defensively, but at least Megna has the kind of speed that can cover up a lot of sins.

You know, if he's nervous about Malkin and Neal defensively, then JJ would be just about the last guy who makes sense to put with them. That said, I can see HOW Bylsma thinks that way anyway. Interesting and IMO really good explanation for Bylsma's fixation.

 

[Mr Jiggyfly]

JJ's speed-- or lack thereof-- isn't the issue, because having speed never has been a prerequisite for playing with Malkin.

The issue is that he needs a *****. Call it a puck retriever or whatever else you want, you need a guy who's got enough skill to play with and read off of what Geno (and Neal or whoever his finisher is) does but most importantly to be the guy who's always in good defensive position, goes to the net, and can win board battles/tie things up.

Fast or slow, big or little . . . doesn't really matter. But, Kule, Malone, Talbot . . . every one of them had that particular set of complementary talents.

And, really, here's why that is so important: You noted that what teams do to shut Sid and Geno down is to defend them in layers. More than anything else, Geno loathes giving up the puck and 'wasting' a shift.

When confronted with a layered defense, he's got three choices. Try to skate through three guys. Works once in a while but only when employed randomly. Try a slick pass. Same thing. Works once in a while but only when employed randomly.

The 'smart' thing is to dump the puck. But, I think from Geno's perspective, dumping the puck 'wastes' a shift when there's nobody but him that has any chance of getting it.

Go back to the 2009 finals. Watch what he did. If the layers attacked, he dumped and then supported Talbot on the chase. If the layers were loose, he'd take entry to the zone, force them to attack him in the offense zone, and use Talbot as an outlet whenever he got trapped.

But, you need SOMEONE doing that, and that just isn't JJ's game.

For Sid, he needs some speed and skill from ONE linemate because he and Kunitz, as a tandem, are better suited to utilize that type of player to attack the layers.

Fixing those two issues doesn't address the bottom six or the coaching. But, as I keep saying, if you put Sid and Geno in the best possible position to succeed and give both of them two complementary wingers each, then at least you give the Pens a fighting chance to overcome the internal obstacles.

Crosby and Malkin need other skilled players on their line that can carry the puck. Both of them excel without the puck on their stick and finding gaps up ice and in the attacking zone. The problem is, people are so used to seeing them have to lug the puck, that they are under the impression they need to have the puck on their stick all of the time to be at their best.

That's why I suggested last year that BB would excel with Malkin and Neal. I knew he would buy time and find them when they hit the clean gaps, came late, etc. He also excels at give and gos, which help give Crosby and Malkin that extra few feet of room that they need to work their magic.

There is really one truism in hockey and that is that no skater can ever move faster than the puck. When you have skilled players working well together, they break down systems. That's why the Leafs and Hawks had Boston chasing the puck and it was causing break down after break down.

 

[Ogrezilla]

Every roll or dish with several ingredients, he'd ask the sushi chef what's in it in the 'life finds a way' voice.

What's...uh...in the dish?

ya, that checks out.

 

[AjaxTelamon]

You know, if he's nervous about Malkin and Neal defensively, then JJ would be just about the last guy who makes sense to put with them. That said, I can see HOW Bylsma thinks that way anyway. Interesting and IMO really good explanation for Bylsma's fixation.

I'm not saying he's right. But he does think like that.

That's why it would really help the team if we can get Kulemin. He can handle the defensive dirty work on that line, and chip in on the scoring. And then we can have JJ/Sutter/Megna on the 3rd line, and will have 3 competent two way lines.

 

[CrozJawz*]

Exactly jiggy. Crosby and Malkin are first and foremost PLAYMAKERS, not scorers. They can score for sure, but the really excel when they have players around them that can create things on their own and give them JUST enough room to make those plays.

Last year, Boston decided to simply take Crosby and Malkin out of the equation, knowing full well that Kunitz, Dupuis, Neal, and Morrow couldn't generate anything on their own. They just jammed Sid and Geno as soon as they touched the puck and constantly had somebody in their face, taking away their time and space to make a play. They weren't worried about the rest of the team because they knew that they were minor threats.

Sid and Geno don't necessarily need "elite" wingers to take pressure off, they just need ones that can muck things up down low and draw some coverage off of them.

 

[SEALBound]

Agreed, although in an ideal world-- one in which Ray Shero didn't see the need for Despres and Dumoulin to be 9 and 10 on an organization's depth chart, Bennett would be on Sutter's RW and Megna would be on a 4th line with Vitale and Sill providing energy.

Agreed, however in the playoffs I highly doubt we see Megna on the 4th line. That doesn't have Bylsma written on it. Ya know, investment hockey n all. Need those second late hits rather than goals.

why not both?

Because that doesn't get us a Cup...

So I'm just hopeful the coaches can manage to play our best players in their best spots. DB seems to be fixated with JJ on Malkin's line.

Who the hell else is gonna go there?

Brutal. Why do we do this again? lose Letang who should go for a long term winger, then we may lose our long term winger and get a damn pick only for Letang. Letang for ROR and McGinn makes the most sense to me.

Insurance in case he bolts. 2 1sts, a 2nd, and a 3rd for Letang? Uhhhhh...yeah I might take that. Obviously the goal is to resign him long term. What he brings and where he can play and how he can play...is exactly what the team needs.

I can't see them giving up both ROR and McGinn for just Letang. That's who roster forwards. Not sure they can do that. Maybe if we add Megna? Tough because we need the bottom 6er's...

Anyway, if he bolts, thats a lot of picks to help pick up the wing. Or who knows...maybe we actually draft one!