Post-Game Talk: Pens 3, Rags 2 (OT): Kunitz Inspires Sid's Game Winner

[SEALBound]

Kessel could have had 3 or 4 goals yesterday. I think he hit 2 posts. I have no idea what happened with him lately. It's awesome to see.

We tend to see other stars on the team rise when one of the others go down.

When he stole the puck from Nash and came flying into the zone and snapped one of the most wicked snap shots I've even seen and it hit the crossbar...THAT'S what I've been expecting of Kessel.

I get that come playoff time, I'm good with him. He's beginning to heat up at the right time.

 

[WayneSid9987]

Letang said it best about Phil yesterday, when he's actually engaging, and getting into the "crap" his game is at his best.

He's fast enough to get there, it was just a matter of what he does when he gets there. Pull a drive-by? Or engage more and try and win pucks/cause turnovers.

 

[JTG]

I think Phil being engaged is him being the focus on his line. He doesn't play a second fiddle role, even though he's a second fiddle player. It's a unique situation. I have no problem keeping him separated from Sid and Geno if this is the guy we're getting.

 

[xxxxxxxxxxxxxx]

I think Phil being engaged is him being the focus on his line. He doesn't play a second fiddle role, even though he's a second fiddle player. It's a unique situation. I have no problem keeping him separated from Sid and Geno if this is the guy we're getting.

Double-edged sword though. Do you put Hagelin and Kessel with Bonino (L3) when Geno's back? If so, who does Geno get? Bennett? Fehr? Do you chance breaking up Kuhn-Cullen-Rust?

 

[JimsDoors]

Phil's goal yesterday was a thing of beauty.

Just a really soft touch riser to the top shelf.

 

[JTG]

Double-edged sword though. Do you put Hagelin and Kessel with Bonino (L3) when Geno's back?

Yes.

If so, who does Geno get? Bennett? Fehr?

Yes. Or we can allow him to find his feet with Sid.

Do you chance breaking up Kuhn-Cullen-Rust?

No.

 

[mpp9]

I really hope we have a long spring. Wilson coming back would be nice. I like Kuhn, but I think he's better off as a 4th liner at least for now. Wilson and Rust looked dangerous. Good enough to maybe have Malkin make a scoring line out of them. And then throw Kuhn with Cullen and Fehr. Similar dynamic as Plot-Cullen-Fehr earlier in the season.

 

[KrisLetAngry]

We have an opportunity to run 4 lines in the playoffs.

Crosby 17
Malkin 17
Kessel 17
Cullen 9

Obviously with power play and penalty kill it will be different but that would be something. I'd even consider Malkin Crosby together for shifts so they can play 20 minutes.

This team has a deep forward group and I said it at the start of the year let's use it to our advantage and feast on weaker defense groups.

Personally if Kessel and Malkin can get the job done scoring wise I go no problem running with a Fehr Crosby Hornqvist line to shut down.

Also I'd be interested to see lines changed depending on home and away. And opportunistic line changes.

Ex. Throwing Malkin and Crosby together in an away game. Play Kessel more in home games against 4th lines.

I wonder if he can be that bench boss.

 

[pistolpete11]

Yeah I agree with this too, Sid and Hornqvist have pretty undeniable chemistry. If it's struggling, it should be fair game to be changed though. Hornqvist only has 1 goal and 4 points in his last 11 games (Sid has 15 points in those 11 games FTR), so I think they should at least try Hagelin-Crosby-Kessel for a game or two.

I don't touch it right now. Force teams to match up against Sid and let Kessel and Hagelin do their thing. It's not like Sid's line is not producing either whether Hornqvist is picking up points or not.

 

[JTG]

Hornqvist will always be a guy that will run hot and cold in the scoring department. We hear this term "puck luck." Puck luck is no more prevalent with any player other than Hornqvist. His game never changes, but if you take 10 game segments, sometimes he'll have 10 points in that span, and some times he'll have zero. That's the nature of his job.

 

[mpp9]

Team speed and Hornqvist are why Im confident against Lundqvist in a 7 game series.

Id take this team with an 85-90% Malkin over any they've had since the Cup. Maybe them too. This version of Kessel is better than Staal ever was. And Id take Staal back in a second even at 6 mil.