Pre-Game Talk: Pens @ Leafs 11/14

[Mr Jiggyfly]

I bet that if MJ would have made the lines:

Kunitz-Crosby-Bennett
Spaling-Malkin-Hornqvist
Dupuis-Sutter-Downie

Nobody would be complaining. He was so close to getting it right.

Ya **** that. Then BB gets to skate around wondering wtf while Kunitz and Crosby play in their own world.

I only want BB with Crosby if both of his BFF are off his line.

 

[billybudd]

Why would you be more upset with Kunitz-Crosby-Bennett?

Because they've been essentially blanked on their career any time they've been together. A guy who's never been on pace for 15 goals as a pro, NHL or AHL, should never see a shift with the sport's best playmaker unless 9 other forwards are hurt.

 

[penguins2946*]

Ya **** that. Then BB gets to skate around wondering wtf while Kunitz and Crosby play in their own world.

I only want BB with Crosby if both of his two BFF are off his line.

Then what better could we do right now then? If we don't want Bennett to play on his offwing, and we don't want to put him with Crosby and Kunitz, what would we do? Spaling-Crosby-Hornqvist and Kunitz-Malkin-Bennett?

Because they've been essentially blanked on their career any time they've been together. A guy who's never been on pace for 15 goals as a pro, NHL or AHL, should never see a shift with the sport's best playmaker unless 9 other forwards are hurt.

They have played maybe 5 games total together. You basically just said that Bennett should be on the 4th line with the bolded.

 

[cheesedanish87]

I bet that if MJ would have made the lines:

Kunitz-Crosby-Bennett
Spaling-Malkin-Hornqvist
Dupuis-Sutter-Downie

Nobody would be complaining. He was so close to getting it right.

Somebody would be complaining.

I think people need to realize no matter what coach is coaching the pens the coach isn't going to be putting the exact lineup and lines that you want to see, every coach has there own thoughts on the lines and d pairs.

 

[penguins2946*]

Somebody would be complaining.

I think people need to realize no matter what coach is coaching the pens the coach isn't going to be putting the exact lineup and lines that you want to see, every coach has there own thoughts on the lines and d pairs.

Yeah you're right. They can't make a perfect combination because we still have at least 1 hole on the roster. This is probably one of the better options we could have made. I like this more than loading up 1 line (that really wasn't working that well at ES) and giving Malkin scraps.

 

[Mr Jiggyfly]

Then what better could we do right now then? If we don't want Bennett to play on his offwing, and we don't want to put him with Crosby and Kunitz, what would we do? Spaling-Crosby-Hornqvist and Kunitz-Malkin-Bennett?

Assuming Dupuis has somehow earned a lifetime pass in the top six for reasons unexplained...

I wouldn't touch the third line. They are playing great hockey.

Kunitz Crosby Dupuis
BB Malkin Hornqvist

 

[mpp9]

Ya **** that. Then BB gets to skate around wondering wtf while Kunitz and Crosby play in their own world.

I only want BB with Crosby if both of his BFF are off his line.

Yeah I'm convinced of this as well. No one wanted to hear it last season, but Sid and Kunitz just did not support Beau at all.

That's a problem for JR. I doubt he wants another Iggy situation when moving out significant assets.

 

[Speaking Moistly]

I don't think Dupuis is getting a promotion, its about getting depth throughout your lineup.

Horny is moving down to the 2nd line, its not like hes getting demoted for doing a bad job, MJ is just trying to balance out the lines.

Dupuis is getting a promotion. 2nd line to 1st line, back to his "rightful" place over any other option.

Dupuis on the 1st line with lazy Kunitz isn't getting depth throughout the lineup and it's balancing nothing, they've made the 1st line worse, the 2nd possibly better and who knows with the 3rd because Bennett is on his off wing. They have 2 LHS LW's on the 1st line, 2 RHS RW's on the 3rd line and whatever he 4th line is doing.

You know who Dupuis has looked good with and isn't out of place with? Sutter. You know who Bennett has looked good with too? Malkin. That is also depth and balance.

 

[Valarukar]

Thought PH would be better with Malkin since before the start of the season, so I guess we'll see.

 

[AjaxTelamon]

I don't think Malkin's line is better. If it is, it'll be because of Spaling, not Hornqvist.

The fundamental problem 71 was running into is that he was looking for late men that weren't there. Trying to work give and go's with players that just go.

Hornqvist is better than Dupuis, but he's even less likely to connect on anything Malkin's looking for. It's not his game and it's not going to be.

It could be argued that 71 needs to get back to shooting, but those lanes were there previously and he wasn't doing it. That the guy in a place he doesn't want to take advantage of is better than another guy in the same place isn't likely to change his behavior, I don't think.

And that is, in fact, on Geno. If we want to see him back to being a goal scorer, which he may never be like he was in 2011-12 again if you look at how he was scoring then, then he needs to begin taking the shots available to him.

PH is quite a bit better at everything than Dupuis, a wise man on here once said, but he also has skills Dupuis never had, passing, working the boards, and tipping shots. Geno knows to shoot at PH, it simplifies the game for him. I think MJ expects to see that same PP chemistry 5v5, and so do I.

 

[Shady Machine]

Hornqvist gets most of his production with Sid via the powerplay anyways, so that connection will still be there.

Our 5v5 production hasn't been great, so I don't see a big issue with trying to boost that. Our second line has to get going.

Aren't we near the top of the league in 5 on 5 production?

 

[Will Hunting]

I bet that if MJ would have made the lines:

Kunitz-Crosby-Bennett
Spaling-Malkin-Hornqvist
Dupuis-Sutter-Downie

Nobody would be complaining. He was so close to getting it right.

So close and still sooo FAR AWAY. I mean, do whatever, just put Dupuis out of that TOP6. We know what he is there and it surely is not a good thing.

After so many years of suffering with Dupuis in a TOP6, this really hurts. And the worst signal is that even when we add that dreamed winger, then Spaling goes out and Dupuis still stays there. Just because BB won´t even be tried there. So yeah, MJ´s not really close to being right here.

Switching Dupuis for Bennett isn´t even on his mind. He´s MAYBE thinking about Spaling, if so. Dupuis is probably pretty safe there and that ****ing sucks.

 

[penguins2946*]

Assuming Dupuis has somehow earned a lifetime pass in the top six for reasons unexplained...

I wouldn't touch the third line. They are playing great hockey.

Kunitz Crosby Dupuis
BB Malkin Hornqvist

I would be fine with this as long as we are heavily pursuing someone to knock Dupuis out of the top-6 really soon. I do think Bennett is still solid at LW, but others are repulsed by the idea of BB playing on his offwing. I also kinda want to split up Kunitz and Crosby, but that's simply never going to happen.

 

[Shady Machine]

Except that MJ said the pairs he wanted together were Kunitz+Sid, Geno+PH, and Sutter+BB, and this is the first time BB has been back this year without getting out of a cab during the warmups.

So this move should surprise no one, it's what MJ wanted from day 1. You can argue with the lines, but you can't say it's a panic move.

huh? If johnston wanted those pairs, he could have started the year with Kunitz-Crosby, Hornqvist-Malkin. What does Beau being back have to do with sliding Hornqvist down?

 

[Valarukar]

It's ridiculous and hilarious that people are acting like Bennett will never sniff the top 6 under Johnston. It will only be his 2nd game coming back from injury, and he already promoted him from 4th line to 3rd line during his first game back. Is it just me or is the sky falling?

 

[Valarukar]

huh? If johnston wanted those pairs, he could have started the year with Kunitz-Crosby, Hornqvist-Malkin. What does Beau being back have to do with sliding Hornqvist down?

Malkin started the year at wing so no, no he couldn't have.

 

[Will Hunting]

It's ridiculous and hilarious that people are acting like Bennett will never sniff the top 6 under Johnston. It will only be his 2nd game coming back from injury, and he already promoted him from 4th line to 3rd line during his first game back. Is it just me or is the sky falling?

He promoted him to the 3rd line which he was promising him for this whole season before his injury happened. He will very likely just stay there for a while now. Yet we have Spaling & Dupuis in a TOP6 and even with the addition of a TOP6 winger, Dupuis still stays there

 

[Shady Machine]

Malkin started the year at wing so no, no he couldn't have.

What? Malkin could have played center. I was not arguing with what actually happened. I was arguing with what could have happened. If Johnston really wanted those pairs, he absolutely could have had them game 1. He chose not to, likely for a number of reasons, but it could have happened. Beau being healthy isn't really relevant to that plan IMO.

 

[cheesedanish87]

Dupuis is getting a promotion. 2nd line to 1st line, back to his "rightful" place over any other option.

Dupuis on the 1st line with lazy Kunitz isn't getting depth throughout the lineup and it's balancing nothing, they've made the 1st line worse, the 2nd possibly better and who knows with the 3rd because Bennett is on his off wing. They have 2 LHS LW's on the 1st line, 2 RHS RW's on the 3rd line and whatever he 4th line is doing.

You know who Dupuis has looked good with and isn't out of place with? Sutter. You know who Bennett has looked good with too? Malkin. That is also depth and balance.

Your right MJ made the first line worse and the 2nd line better.

Hes balancing out the lines, that's what MJ wants.

 

[billybudd]

Then what better could we do right now then? If we don't want Bennett to play on his offwing, and we don't want to put him with Crosby and Kunitz, what would we do? Spaling-Crosby-Hornqvist and Kunitz-Malkin-Bennett?



They have played maybe 5 games total together. You basically just said that Bennett should be on the 4th line with the bolded.

Comeau, Dupuis and Malkin played 107 minutes together. In that time, the line produced 3 goals as a 5 on 5 unit(math for that is (GF/20 * TOI /20)-1 rounded up, since Goc was on for 1 of those goals). Everyone agreed that wasn't enough production and that was long enough to say that.

Kunitz, Crosby and Bennett played 81 minutes together (not including the postseason, where they were together for about another 20). The line was on for 0 goals as a 5 on 5 unit in that time.

When something doesn't make sense in concept and is a visible catastrophe, 100 minutes is enough time to come to what should have been an obvious conclusion to begin with.

 

[ProgOg]

Malkin on his new linemate:

“I’m excited,” Malkin said. “(Hornqvist) is a great shooter, good linemates. We’ll work together. Tomorrow is a new game, new lineup. I’m excited.”

 

[Valarukar]

Do you guys have comments on the stock market and powerball numbers too?

 

[BlindWillyMcHurt]

The second line clearly needed help but I would have looked at other options before promoting Dupuis. Who has been horrible. I'm also not so convinced that Spaling has done enough to deserve getting bumped up.

Also... I must be watching other games because I'm not seeing any of these clear shooting lanes that Malkin is passing on. There has been nothing available to him in the offensive end 5 V 5. He barely even gets the puck much of the time. And now the guy that is primarily responsible for that is playing on the top line. Which is terrific.

I get the feeling many people think the second line issues are pretty much on Malkin. Which I have a hard time agreeing with.

 

[billybudd]

And that is, in fact, on Geno. If we want to see him back to being a goal scorer, which he may never be like he was in 2011-12 again if you look at how he was scoring then, then he needs to begin taking the shots available to him.

PH is quite a bit better at everything than Dupuis, a wise man on here once said, but he also has skills Dupuis never had, passing, working the boards, and tipping shots. Geno knows to shoot at PH, it simplifies the game for him. I think MJ expects to see that same PP chemistry 5v5, and so do I.

I'd love to be wrong, but I really think he's just going to give Hornqvist the puck then go to the bench hanging his head wondering why he never got it back.

 

[Mr Jiggyfly]

I would be fine with this as long as we are heavily pursuing someone to knock Dupuis out of the top-6 really soon. I do think Bennett is still solid at LW, but others are repulsed by the idea of BB playing on his offwing. I also kinda want to split up Kunitz and Crosby, but that's simply never going to happen.

Ya, my hope is BB soilidifies a top six spot at some point and a winger is brought in, which pushes Dupuis out of his birthright top six spot.

Also agree with Kunitz. I want to see Crosby with completely new linemates.

My lineup was just me being a realist. Typing out KCD made me throw up in my mouth.