Post-Game Talk: Pens 6, Sens 5: Kunitz, Kunitz, Kunitz

[Saints11]

Which is basically all I've said. No one on here wants to hear that, but thanks anyway.

He is the best option because he is and has been the only option that has been tried! Try Rust there for goodness sake, somebody with speed to keep up with Sid or bury breakaways.

 

[Gurglesons]

I wish there could be some sort of rational middle ground reached on Kunitz, because both sides (Mr Wilson vs everyone else) are both letting bias effect their statements. Kunitz is a 3rd liner being forced into a top-6 role due to how bad our team is at on LW. That's the reality of the situation. He's not an 4th liner or a 1st liner, he's an overpaid 3rd liner. The stats (both scoring and advanced stats) and eye test support him being a 3rd liner.

He's a third liner with flaws who is clearly past his prime at 3.75. I understand the complaints about him.

The fact is though, everyone can complain about him, but there really isn't a left winger on this team that should be playing over him. You could go with Cullen, but I'd rather have him in the third line center position especially with Fehr going down.

Kunitz is a necessary evil right now. Honestly though, I'd be at least trying Rust on shift with Crosby and Hornqvist.

 

[SEALBound]

Instead of studying box-scores and stat-lines try to watch a game for once. Then you'll see that everything you spout about Kunitz is complete nonsense.

 

[Shockmaster]

Instead of studying box-scores and stat-lines try to watch a game for once. Then you'll see that everything you spout about Kunitz is complete nonsense.

He also said Mike Johnston was the only thing keeping the Penguins together and if he was fired the next coach wouldn't be able to mask how bad Crosby is.

 

[Asuna]

He also said Mike Johnston was the only thing keeping the Penguins together and if he was fired the next coach wouldn't be able to mask how bad Crosby is.

hahaha i forgot about that

 

[#66]

I wish there could be some sort of rational middle ground reached on Kunitz, because both sides (Mr Wilson vs everyone else) are both letting bias effect their statements. Kunitz is a 3rd liner being forced into a top-6 role due to how bad our team is at on LW. That's the reality of the situation. He's not an 4th liner or a 1st liner, he's an overpaid 3rd liner. The stats (both scoring and advanced stats) and eye test support him being a 3rd liner.

I fall in the middle ground too. I know hes not a first liner anymore but dont think hes ready for the glue factory either.

What I can stand is how he'll play an okay game and there are still people here bashing and brainwashing.... And those same people will try to defend Kessel with stats and every excuse in the book.

 

[Asuna]

I fall in the middle ground too. I know hes not a first liner anymore but dont think hes ready for the glue factory either.

What I can stand is how he'll play an okay game and there are still people here bashing and brainwashing.... And those same people will try to defend Kessel with stats and every excuse in the book.

damn those people and their statistics!

 

[NewAgeOutlaw]

He also said Mike Johnston was the only thing keeping the Penguins together and if he was fired the next coach wouldn't be able to mask how bad Crosby is.

People said a lot of dumb things about Crosby. For one, the people who said that Crosby was completely responsible for his struggles early on and that simply changing the coach wouldn't lift him out of his funk have gone silent on the topic for some reason...

 

[Empoleon8771]

The question though is would he be effective on Pittsburgh's 3rd line? I think that's debatable honestly.

I look at it this way. Let's assume we go get Hudler somehow (cap space and feasibility aside) and he playes with Sid. Is a Kunitz-Fehr (let's assume he's not dead)- Rust line better than a Kuhn-Fehr-Rust line? And if it's better, is it $3MM better?

I would argue that the best option is to find Sid's LW and move Kunitz either in that deal or another. Use the extra cap space for a rental dman and let the kids play in the bottom 6.

I don't think he fits our team's 3rd line because he doesn't have the speed I want on that 3rd line. I want a 3rd line like Helm-Fehr-Sprong, Kunitz doesn't have the speed I want for the LW spot on that line.

 

[Sidney the Kidney]

I fall in the middle ground too. I know hes not a first liner anymore but dont think hes ready for the glue factory either.

What I can stand is how he'll play an okay game and there are still people here bashing and brainwashing.... And those same people will try to defend Kessel with stats and every excuse in the book.

What, exactly, should one judge Kessel with if not stats? He's an offensive player. Shouldn't his value be judged by his production? He's not Jonathan "Intangibles" Toews who can be judged on everything other than his goal and point total columns.

 

[IcedCapp]

What, exactly, should one judge Kessel with if not stats? He's an offensive player. Shouldn't his value be judged by his production? He's not Jonathan "Intangibles" Toews who can be judged on everything other than his goal and point total columns.

Doncha know? Kessel doesn't play "the right way*"

* - defined as doing anything I don't like for any reason. Shakes fist at moon. Get off mah lawn.

 

[NewAgeOutlaw]

The Kessel hate is far worse than the Kunitz hate. He was creating chances left and right last night and there were several posts about how Kessel had a ****** game. Not to mention the straight out lies about him being fat/out of shape.

 

[Sidney the Kidney]

Doncha know? Kessel doesn't play "the right way*"

* - defined as doing anything I don't like for any reason. Shakes fist at moon. Get off mah lawn.

If only Kessel played like Chris Kunitz.

Even though he'd have half the production, he would be more "defensively responsible" and would help yadda yadda, rumble rumble, Sidney Crosby's turnaround is all on him, etc.

 

[#66]

damn those people and their statistics!

Yeah... Im mean its not '82 anymore and Sergei Berezin was never a good player anyway.

 

[#66]

The Kessel hate is far worse than the Kunitz hate. He was creating chances left and right last night and there were several posts about how Kessel had a ****** game. Not to mention the straight out lies about him being fat/out of shape.

He has been playing better over the past few games but hes paid to be an elite winger... And there is nothing elite about him.

 

[Sidney the Kidney]

He has been playing better over the past few games but hes paid to be an elite winger... And there is nothing elite about him.

You mean other than his scoring ability? Or do you judge every player based on ~50 games, rather than the bulk of their careers?

 

[IcedCapp]

My eyes are probably lying and I'm probably drunk, but Kessel's even pulled off some Malkin **** in the neutral zone (defensively) the past couple of games. I agree his all-around game was wanting early on, but dude has been legit since... Well... January.

 

[Penske]

My eyes are probably lying and I'm probably drunk, but Kessel's even pulled off some Malkin **** in the neutral zone (defensively) the past couple of games. I agree his all-around game was wanting early on, but dude has been legit since... Well... January.

I wonder what happened a couple of weeks before January?

 

[#66]

You mean other than his scoring ability? Or do you judge every player based on ~50 games, rather than the bulk of their careers?

Ive been watching Kessel since he was 16. He has his rep for a reason.

 

[NewAgeOutlaw]

Kessel's 82 game averages with the Leafs (he only started to be an elite player when he went to Toronto)- 33g 39a 72p

Yup, nothing elite about that at all. There are countless wingers in the nhl capable of consistently producing like that with Tyler ****ing Bozak.

 

[Sidney the Kidney]

Ive been watching Kessel since he was 16. He has his rep for a reason.

You ... totally didn't even answer what I said and took your criticism of him in a different direction.

Me: How is his scoring not elite?
You: He's got a bad attitude!

Me: What makes him have a bad attitude?
You: He can't one-time a puck!

Me: Being able to shoot one-timers isn't the only thing a scorer needs to be good at.
You: He's fat and he likes hot dogs!

 

[IcedCapp]

I wonder what happened a couple of weeks before January?

Egg nog. EGG NOG.

 

[IcedCapp]

I never heard of Kessel having problems until Boston.
Other people who had problems in Boston: Tyler Seguin. Possible that Boston was part of the problem?

I've gone over the Leafs stuff ad nauseam and I'm not doing it again. Tl;dw - Phil was the scapegoat.

On top of that, he's American and quiet/shy to the point of, apparently, ridicule.

He's the perfect target for Canadian hockey media who eat certain stories up like hot dogs.

 

[#66]

You ... totally didn't even answer what I said and took your criticism of him in a different direction.

Me: How is his scoring not elite?
You: He's got a bad attitude!

Me: What makes him have a bad attitude?
You: He can't one-time a puck!

Me: Being able to shoot one-timers isn't the only thing a scorer needs to be good at.
You: He's fat and he likes hot dogs!

Is he scoring at an elite level... Has he ever. Hes a pointvper game player when force fed pucks and every play on the worst team in the league getsbrun through him. Hes not Alex Mogilny... He Sergei Berezin. Theres always a player that looks good on crap teams. Berezin... Czerkawsi... Dick freaking Tarnstrom.

If the rumors are true and the Pens did tlk to Kessel... Why would he need a talking to... If his stats are so elite.

 

[NewAgeOutlaw]

The only thing I heard about Kessel from before Boston was that his mom was a psycho.

He's been the perfect target for slander with his chunky cheeks and quiet demeanor. Toronto is also a hotbed for dumbass hockey journalists.