Post-Game Talk: Pens beat CBJ 3-0, who cares, what lines should we use next week?

[Jaded-Fan]

Yeah, he did not play tonight, but do people realize that Fleury is 1/100th of a point out of the top five in GAA, has the most wins in the NHL, 8th in sv % with .929% (and only a few hundreths of a point separate him from top five there too)?

 

[66-30-33]

Mad at myself for missing this game, even though the metal concert I went to was pretty kick ass...

You would have fell asleep, it was BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOORRRRRRRRRRRRRIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIINNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNGGGGGGGGGGGGG, everyone in the arena fell asleep in their chairs boring.

 

[AquaticBirdman]

How'd Letang look tonight? Saw him get drilled into the boards pretty hard in the highlights...

 

[madinsomniac]

All the secondary assists will even things out.

He got a secondary assist on an empty net goal... I figured the HF boards would have gone into full melt down mode by now

 

[Honour Over Glory]

It'd be funny if Letang got a hair cut and suddenly started to play better.

 

[ColePens]

Just a couple random things:

- DE's goal tonight was pretty sweet. Awesome hustle and pass from Joey V. DE was in a forward ready position... which isn't easy to do after years and years of defense.

- Bort.... what can you say? The guy is unreal right now. His confidence is through the roof and he's playing great hockey. He's played his way into the line up every night even when Scuds comes back. That Bort/Maatta pairing is so good.

- Letang is still struggling. I get that he was injured, but that doesn't mean he has to turn the puck over 24/7.

-Start/stop hockey: I wish we did it more. When we play start/stop hockey, we are ridiculous. If you watch Joey V, especially in the corners, he starts and stops. He doesn't loop around and force pucks. If the entire team did that, we'd be a force. Instead we loop around so much on most nights. Tonight, I thought defensively (especially) we played start/stop hockey.

- Fans were pretty damn awesome. Had a good vibe to the entire game.

 

[ColePens]

2 more things I forgot:

- Sutter is playing really well and this is while flanked with guys like Adams/Glass. How is this possible? Props to Glass/Adams for this season, but I never would have expected that.

- Powerplay is back to perimeter only passing. Someone has to move THROUGH lanes to actually get openings. The passing does nothing to open up shots in good locations. Just outside shooting which PKs want.

 

[MtlPenFan]

How do I get the Orpik and Letang puke in my mouth out? Am I the only one who notices how little Orpik does with the puck: Offensive or defensive zone? FTTOG, stop soft dumping it in the corners from the blue line. Take a shot once in a while. STOP hard-arounding it to your wingers when there is NO PRESSURE on you in the D zone. STOP icing the puck. Make a pass....to your own team.


+ for rest of the team. Glad to see Zatty get his first win and hope it brings some confidence in him (and the team). Pens need 2 goalies. Martin and Maatta had goal saving plays. Big +s for them. Big + for team defense and "lucking" a couple of goals in.

+ for DJ. He doesn't have much to work with in teammates, but is by far the most noticeable player on his line. He needs a better skating wing to work with IMO. I don't see the hate he brings on this board. (looks at all the anti Sutter posts, then realizes).

+ for getting BB and maybe Neal back someday.

I've stopped counting how often he does the opposite of what he's supposed to when he has the puck in the d-zone.

It's beyond frustrating now, because nobody, not the staff, and not the media who covers the team ever points it out.

 

[Randy Butternubs]

I guess I'm a negative Nancy, but both Maatta and Megna made some terrible passes that resulted in turnovers. And those turnovers almost lead to goals against.

Rookie mistakes, but still...

 

[mpp9]

I guess I'm a negative Nancy, but both Maatta and Megna made some terrible passes that resulted in turnovers. And those turnovers almost lead to goals against.

Rookie mistakes, but still...

Maatta covered up for most of his mistakes. And made quite a few great plays tonight. He hasn't been a net negative for a single game yet. And you can tell he's getting more confident and improving in certain areas.

Megna made a bad pass. Then stormed down the ice and forced a defender to take a penalty. He didn't have a great game, but if that's his average, I'll take it. Especially to keep his wheels and skillset in the lineup.

 

[Jaded-Fan]

+ The Pens only have two games in the next 9 days so should be able to get people back after a week and a half of so little hockey. And get the players not on the official injury list healed from the daily grind.

Bennett should be back, as well as Neal. Kobasew will still be a week and a half or so away. Scuderi will still be 2-4 weeks away.

 

[Shrimper]

Thought Sid had a poor game last night, didn't create much yet somehow ended up with a point due to the assist on the ENG.

 

[Smacker]

+ Excellent team defense.
+ Zatkoff.
+ Engo/Vitale. Nice pass from Vitale to Engo's goal.
+ Bort/Määttä. I love to watch their game.
+ Sutter was good.
+ Martin was great.
+ Pens fans at the Nationwide Arena. They were awesome!

 

[Mr Jiggyfly]

I guess I'm a negative Nancy, but both Maatta and Megna made some terrible passes that resulted in turnovers. And those turnovers almost lead to goals against.

Rookie mistakes, but still...

Megna only made one bad pass, but it was a really bad turnover in front of his own net. But ya, he did draw a penalty shortly after.

He had one sequence where he was floating around the offensive zone and looked totally confused. He wasn't ready for a pass from Malkin even though it seemed obvious it was coming, then he bobbled the puck. He preceded to scramble around the offensive zone looking like he had no clue where to position himself to support Malkin/JJ.

On another shift he beat Johnson outside and had Malkin flying to the net all alone, but took a wide angle and didn't sense Malkin's drive. Not to be harsh on Megna, but BB makes that play. It's just an example of why BB has elite hockey sense and Megna is still raw.

I'm not seeing the chemistry with Malkin, just a talented, raw kid using his speed to make things happen.

 

[Darth Vitale]

Funny watching the Zatkoff reactions. He definitely deserves some credit, but he faced 18 shots I think, and very few good chances that I saw. This is Columbus we're talking about here, a team that wins by clamping things down and grunging out a couple goals here and there. Don't get your hopes up; we still need a real backup IMO unless we only plan on playing Zatkoff every 8th or 9th game (against weak opponents, in back-to-backs where one of the teams is weak, etc).

Last night was just one of those games. Engo with the laser-beam roof shot and Zatkoff with the shutout? That's all you need to know.


That said Bort deserves a big, ornery +. Hopefully he continues to develop into the bad-ass we think he can be. When Orpik leaves we're gonna need it.

 

[ByeBye]

Funny watching the Zatkoff reactions. He definitely deserves some credit, but he faced 18 shots I think, and very few good chances that I saw. This is Columbus we're talking about here, a team that wins by clamping things down and grunging out a couple goals here and there. Don't get your hopes up; we still need a real backup IMO unless we only plan on playing Zatkoff every 8th or 9th game (against weak opponents, in back-to-backs where one of the teams is weak, etc).

Did Zatkoff kick your puppy or something? We get it, you don't like him and you don't think he can't serve as a backup until the trade deadline. That's fine and hard to argue against.
But can't you just let him have this tiny bit of success for once? He did not allow a goal in that game and that's really everything you can ask from a goaltender. You make it sound like it's his fault he didn't get more shots against him.

Maybe I'm overreacting a little bit but everything I read from you concerning Zatkoff sounds quite a bit weird.

 

[IcedCapp]

I've stopped counting how often he does the opposite of what he's supposed to when he has the puck in the d-zone.

It's beyond frustrating now, because nobody, not the staff, and not the media who covers the team ever points it out.

I would settle for seeing the myth that he's physical to be put down.

Seriously, he (Orpik) may be the softest of our d-men. Yes, that includes Niskanen and Martin. He loses every battle along the boards and couldn't box out my 8 year old (I know because I watched an 8-year-old-sized Cam Atkinson out muscle him multiple times this weekend).

I don't care about the occasional big hit. I want people who will be physical in the dirty areas on a nightly basis. Hell, the way Maatta plays is the kind of physicality I, personally, want to see more of on this team.

 

[JTG]

I really think that 3rd line would be something special. 3 guys that can work the boards quite well and I think the fact that they know how to keep things simple would help them click easier.

Agreed

I love that 3rd line, actually. Perfect blend of defensive/checking ability and skill. Young guys who I think would mesh well, and games that complement each other well.

That line would also take some pressure off of the top 6 when the playoffs roll around.

I don't personally see this great chemistry with Megna and Malkin, and though BB should be in the top 6, he's not going to be. I think this line makes the most sense.

Have a 4th line of Kobasew-Vitale-D'Agostini. Trade Jeffrey...keep Adams as a reserve forward.

EDIT: Or Glass-Vitale-D'Agostini. That's probably better.

 

[JTG]

I would settle for seeing the myth that he's physical to be put down.

Seriously, he (Orpik) may be the softest of our d-men. Yes, that includes Niskanen and Martin. He loses every battle along the boards and couldn't box out my 8 year old (I know because I watched an 8-year-old-sized Cam Atkinson out muscle him multiple times this weekend).

I don't care about the occasional big hit. I want people who will be physical in the dirty areas on a nightly basis. Hell, the way Maatta plays is the kind of physicality I, personally, want to see more of on this team.

Maatta's physicality is weird. He's not a big punisher, but he uses his size effectively. When he boxes out, or puts himself in between the puck and the goal, he's very hard to get around. There's a youth movement on the Pens right now, and not because there's a lot of young guys playing, but because there's a bunch of young guys producing results.

 

[Ogrezilla]

Agreed

I love that 3rd line, actually. Perfect blend of defensive/checking ability and skill. Young guys who I think would mesh well, and games that complement each other well.

That line would also take some pressure off of the top 6 when the playoffs roll around.

I don't personally see this great chemistry with Megna and Malkin, and though BB should be in the top 6, he's not going to be. I think this line makes the most sense.

Have a 4th line of Kobasew-Vitale-D'Agostini. Trade Jeffrey...keep Adams as a reserve forward.

EDIT: Or Glass-Vitale-D'Agostini. That's probably better.

Why are you expecting D'Agostini to earn himself a spot? He's currently behind Adams, Glass, Jeffrey and Engelland for our 4th line wing spots.

 

[madinsomniac]

This was my first live game of the season. My takeaways:

-Duper was a step slow on every play... don't know if it was just an off game, an injury, a contract hangover, or if he is just starting to slow down a bit, but he isn't getting there as fast as he used to.
-Malkin looks frustrated at times after plays. I don't think he is playing bad, but things aren't going his way. a few times he was slow getting back after clearly showing disappointment on a failed scoring chance. that's usually a precursor to forcing play... Neal cant get back quick enough
-One of my friends threw a foam puck on the ice. I feel the need to apologize to the world for it
-Niskanen. wasn't taking a man in the defensive zone a lot... sort of drifting and looking for a puck to bounce to him, was out there for several of the bad shots against.

+ The pens defense. and not just the defensemen. they played a solid and limiting game. I sat next to an ex goalie friend of mine and we both were fairly impressed with the tweaks this season.

+ Engalland on Offense... Scoring aside, he looks like a solid 4th winger, and isn't a liability on either end.

+ Tanner Glass. Faster than last year, making far better decisions with the puck. Most improved Pen, and that's including fluery.

++ Bortuzzo & Maata. both made mistakes and covered for them fairly well. Maata prevented a surfire wraparound goal. he also took a tripping penalty to prevent a breakaway from his giveaway, which honestly I dont mind. Liking both of their games even off camera.

++ I had zero coaching complaints yesterday. they did what they ought to have done.

 

[Mr Jiggyfly]

Maatta's physicality is weird. He's not a big punisher, but he uses his size effectively. When he boxes out, or puts himself in between the puck and the goal, he's very hard to get around. There's a youth movement on the Pens right now, and not because there's a lot of young guys playing, but because there's a bunch of young guys producing results.

Lidstrom and Murphy were like that as well. They were never rough or physically punishing, but they were masters at sealing off the walls and using their sticks.

They are perfect examples of elite and cerebral players who weren't soft, but certainly were not bruisers either.

If that style of play worked for two HOFers, it can work for Maatta.

 

[Jacob]

Maatta is making less 'bad' plays than Orpik or Letang are, so

 

[Shockmaster]

- Bort.... what can you say? The guy is unreal right now. His confidence is through the roof and he's playing great hockey. He's played his way into the line up every night even when Scuds comes back. That Bort/Maatta pairing is so good.

 

[DegenX]

I know it's a little early, but I think SmugBylsma and SadBylsma should somehow be worked into a theme for playoff avatars ... like maybe a frame of Torts saying arrogant or some other ant-Pens cliche, then smug Bylsma, then the logo. Might as well take our BylsmaMeme to the next level