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

[#66]

Sorry about the drunken looking post... Phone broke today.

 

[Sidney the Kidney]

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

What are you talking about? The Leafs have the same roster minus Kessel this year and look how much better they're doing in the standings!

 

[NewAgeOutlaw]

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.

Kessel has 42 more career goals than Berezin had career points. The worst comparison I've seen on a site littered with terrible comparisons.

 

[Sidney the Kidney]

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.

Is he *currently* scoring at an elite level? No, of course not. And nobody has argued he is. What you said is he doesn't possess anything that is elite -- which is wrong. He's one of the better goal scorers in the NHL, and has proven as such over the bulk of his career.

Kessel has scored 30 goals or more 5 times in his career. He also scored 20 goals in the lockout shortened season, which is a 30+ goal pace. He's scored 80 or more points twice, and had 52 points in 48 games in the lockout year.

Sergei Berezin scored 30+ goals once in his NHL career. He also never scored 60 points in a season.

Yet, you think Berezin is a good comparison for Kessel?

 

[#66]

Kessel was kicked out of Chuck Grillo camps, exiled from Boston, banished from the Leafs... A team starved for offense. Now hes done next to nothing for 50 games with the Pens.

I know people will throw around stats but has he been dominant in any game. I mean a full game. If he has a 2 point game... He's literally made 2 good plays all game.

You look good with Robbie Brown types... You win with Joe Mullens.

 

[#66]

Is he *currently* scoring at an elite level? No, of course not. And nobody has argued he is. What you said is he doesn't possess anything that is elite -- which is wrong. He's one of the better goal scorers in the NHL, and has proven as such over the bulk of his career.

Kessel has scored 30 goals or more 5 times in his career. He also scored 20 goals in the lockout shortened season, which is a 30+ goal pace. He's scored 80 or more points twice, and had 52 points in 48 games in the lockout year.

Sergei Berezin scored 30+ goals once in his NHL career. He also never scored 60 points in a season.

Yet, you think Berezin is a good comparison for Kessel?

Again.. Youre reading your hockey almanac. Watch them play and understand how its not the 80s anymore.

 

[NewAgeOutlaw]

Kessel was kicked out of Chuck Grillo camps, exiled from Boston, banished from the Leafs... A team starved for offense. Now hes done next to nothing for 50 games with the Pens.

I know people will throw around stats but has he been dominant in any game. I mean a full game. If he has a 2 point game... He's literally made 2 good plays all game.

You look good with Robbie Brown types... You win with Joe Mullens.

And here I thought you couldn't get any worse than the Kessel-Berezin comparison. You are raising the bar to ridiculous heights.

 

[SEALBound]

Pens talked to Kessel? Source?

 

[Penske]

Kessel was kicked out of Chuck Grillo camps, exiled from Boston, banished from the Leafs... A team starved for offense. Now hes done next to nothing for 50 games with the Pens.

I know people will throw around stats but has he been dominant in any game. I mean a full game. If he has a 2 point game... He's literally made 2 good plays all game.

You look good with Robbie Brown types... You win with Joe Mullens.

Well Malkin isn't going to get double teamed in the playoffs because the opposition coaches know what Kessel can do. Create and score on his own.

 

[Sidney the Kidney]

Again.. Youre reading your hockey almanac. Watch them play and understand how its not the 80s anymore.

What? I don't even know what you're talking about now.

You compared him to Berezin. So I compared their respective careers to show he's nothing like Berezin was. And you still haven't responded to how a guy who scores goals over his career at an elite level is not elite at scoring goals. Your only quasi-response to that is "watch them play" and "Sergei Berezin clone".

 

[IcedCapp]

Egg nog, guys.

 

[OnMyOwn]

If Kessel threw hits, lots around here would be creaming their pants about him...the same people who think James Neal is better.

Kessel has been playing well for a month now, he just doesn't hit. Hell hes even been playing decent defense.

 

[#66]

And here I thought you couldn't get any worse than the Kessel-Berezin comparison. You are raising the bar to ridiculous heights.

A 1D player that refuses to get in shape but has good stats.

Cmon.. You had to look him up. Right?

 

[Sidney the Kidney]

A 1D player that refuses to get in shape but has good stats.

Cmon.. You had to look him up. Right?

When did Berezin have good stats?

If you're going to compare a one dimensional player to Kessel, at least find one who has actually produced like a top line player for more than one season.

 

[Jag68Sid87]

Cant believe sid made armstrong almost a ppg player one year.....
Speaking of armstrong, what happened to him? Wasnt he suppose to be on ROOT a few times this year? I remember him being a guest analysis in the preseason this year.

He works for Rogers SportsNet on broadcasts usually involving one of the Western Canadian teams.

We need an upgrade on line 1 LW. We need an upgrade on lines 3 and 4 also.

I'm just saying it's not as simple as just swapping Kunitz out for a player. We're still an injury away from seeing Sheary or Cullen next to Sid again.

I think I'd try and add depth at the position that can compete with Kunitz for line 1 LW, see if Kunitz can at least be serviceable for the stretch run, and then look to deal him in the summer if you can sign his replacement.

That, or you get very lucky and you can add two quality LWs at the deadline for what we have to offer.

I don't see the point in adding two LW's, unless we are dealing Kunitz and Plotnikov. Hell, I'd be all for overhauling the entire LW situation...Kunitz, Plotnikov (because nobody likes him within the organization), Sheary, Wilson, Porter...get rid of them all.

But honestly, if the LW we acquire to play with Sid gets hurt in the playoffs, or just before, then we really can't expect much more than to have a guy like Cullen or Fehr to step into that situation.

Or, we can use Bennett. We have replacements. What we don't have is the legit LW1.

 

[#66]

When did Berezin have good stats?

If you're going to compare a one dimensional player to Kessel, at least find one who has actually produced like a top line player for more than one season.

Im talking about their game not stats. They have the same warts.

 

[Speaking Moistly]

Kessel is pretty much the perfect target for any media. Quiet, awkward, fairly ugly, has a fat face and he's streaky that doesn't really do anything that could be confused for physicality. There's something for everyone to dislike or make fun of, and now Crosby isn't taking all of the heat for his play anymore.

Kessel has seen an improvement in play under Sullivan like pretty much everyone else and he clicks with Hagelin. The goal scoring isn't quite there yet and Hagelin isn't scoring either, but Kessel has been doing his version of defense and has shown some real, impressive effort there a few times. Plus he's getting his chances regularly.

 

[NewAgeOutlaw]

A 1D player that refuses to get in shape but has good stats.

Cmon.. You had to look him up. Right?

But Kessel has always been in shape. He had the highest score on the Leafs pre-season fitness tests every year he was in Toronto. You are literally just making **** up.

 

[66-30-33]

If Kessel threw hits, lots around here would be creaming their pants about him...the same people who think James Neal is better.

Kessel has been playing well for a month now, he just doesn't hit. Hell hes even been playing decent defense.

Anyone who thinks Neal is better then Kessel are completly out of their minds. Kessel is a top 5 RW in the NHL, or he was when he was traded here.

 

[Sidney the Kidney]

Im talking about their game not stats. They have the same warts.

So does a guy like Patrick Kane. Not physical, sort of one-dimensional, but can rack up points. I guess you can't win Cups with guys like that?

 

[Jag68Sid87]

I'll take a scoring winger who NEVER gets hurt on this team all day, every day.

 

[The Greatest 101]

Kessel needs his own line to be effective.He's too useless when he doesn't have the puck.

Kunitz-Crosby-Horn
Hag-Malkin-X
X-Bone-Kessel
X-Cullen-Fehr

Figure out the rest.

 

[NewAgeOutlaw]

Kessel needs his own line to be effective.He's too useless when he doesn't have the puck.

Kunitz-Crosby-Horn
Hag-Malkin-X
X-Bone-Kessel
X-Cullen-Fehr

Figure out the rest.

Hagelin and Kessel have great chemistry and both are exceptionally fast and you want to break them up? Why?

 

[#66]

So does a guy like Patrick Kane. Not physical, sort of one-dimensional, but can rack up points. I guess you can't win Cups with guys like that?

One dominates... They can have the same number of points but one is elite.. One hurts your team.

He has looked better in 2016 but in the end its Kessel... A far cry from Patrick Kane.

 

[Shady Machine]

I actually think Kessel's vision and playmaking might be closer to elite than his goal scoring ability. He can snipe off the rush at an elite level, but his shot isn't diverse enough for me to call elite.

That said, the dude has great vision. he has set up Crosby for multiple back door/net front goals when he was the puck and anticipates where Sid is going to be and fires a low hard pass. Not many guys on the Pens can make that play.

I still think he is going to be very successful here. Sid, Geno, and Kessel just need to keep learning how to play together. Give Phil the puck and get open. He'll find you.