Post-Game Talk: Pens put out the flame with a beat down

[ColePens]

My favorite part of the game was the Hornqvist 2 on 1 goal. He literally shot the puck into the glove of Smith and scored. That is such a Hornqvist moment.

 

[Mr Jiggyfly]

I found the Tweet.

Just gotta hope it’s something minor. That top line has the potential to be really good with him there. I love what he’s doing in his own zone on that line and he’s breaking the puck out extremely well.

Yesterday he was really feeling it and starting to get on the same page with Crosby and Guentzel, and got some great looks on net.

Brassard has a lot of skill and that top line can be extremely good with him there IMHO.

Just have to hope that Sheahan line keeps it going though to allow Brassard to play wing.

I agree, but I think that should improve in the long run. As guys get more comfortable with the system and the young guys continue to improve, I think the team will be doing better.

Oleksiak has looked really, really good recently, it makes me way more optimistic about the defense in the long run. Oleksiak and Riikola are the big X-Factors on defense I think.

Oleksiak is doing ok, still shaky though. That dumb pinch agt the Oilers could have killed them late in the game when he was foolishly chasing an HT instead of playing situational hockey.

Yesterday he did a little better, but almost cost them a goal when he had his feet pointed the wrong way and a puck bounced right behind him at the goalmouth. He was looking all around with the puck at his feet and luckily no Flame was there to bang it in.

 

[bathroomSTAAL]

Not to mention we have yet to lose a game in regulation.

Not quite, we did get our asses handed to us by the Habs.

But yeah, points in 7 of 8 will do just fine.

 

[Le Magnifique 66]

Not to mention we have yet to lose a game in regulation.

We got destroyed by the f***ing Habs of all teams!!!!

 

[Empoleon8771]

Oleksiak is doing ok, still shaky though. That dumb pinch agt the Oilers could have killed them late in the game when he was foolishly chasing an HT instead of playing situational hockey.

Yesterday he did a little better, but almost cost them a goal when he had his feet pointed the wrong way and a puck bounced right behind him at the goalmouth. He was looking all around with the puck at his feet and luckily no Flame was there to bang it in.

Oleksiak is in the same boat for me as Johnson, as long as they're doing well offensively, playing physical and not actively resulting in goals against, I'm considering it a good game for them. Oleksiak may have almost led to a goal against on those plays, but he didn't get scored on. Oleksiak has only been on the ice for 1 goal against in his last 4 games since getting healthy scratched, and he has been doing things offensively and playing physical. I consider that a big win with him.

If Oleksiak keeps up this level of play and Riikola gets back to what he was doing in the preseason, their defense will look dramatically better on paper. I still think their ideal bottom-4 D pairs are Johnson with Riikola and Oleksiak with Schultz, with both pairs getting about the same ice time at ES.

 

[Ogrezilla]

Just have to hope that Sheahan line keeps it going though to allow Brassard to play wing.

Sheahan working out as a 3C would be such a huge thing for us not just for allowing Brassard to play wing, but for giving us options this summer.

 

[Pancakes]

I agree, but I think that should improve in the long run. As guys get more comfortable with the system and the young guys continue to improve, I think the team will be doing better.

Oleksiak has looked really, really good recently, it makes me way more optimistic about the defense in the long run. Oleksiak and Riikola are the big X-Factors on defense I think.

Maatta too. He has been a little bit better lately. Still nowhere near where he can be though.

I think Dumoulin/Letang will be a great pairing all year. But we need to get our other pairings going because (knock on wood) you never know with injuries what can happen. We can't have just one good pairing. Just can't. It puts too much pressure on that pairing and if they start slumping or get hurt things can get ugly quick.

 

[Pancakes]

Unfortunately, without Schultz, the mix on defense is off. JR is going to have to fix that or Maatta is going to have to be the player he's supposed to be.

I agree that Maatta is the key here. He's the one guy in the bottom six who I think is capable of playing a lot better than he has. We know he has better in him because he's been a steady #3 or 4 in the past. If he can rediscover that level our d looks a lot better.

 

[Empoleon8771]

The thing with Maatta is that he's such a bad fit in this system that he's not even in my top-6 when Schultz gets back. At this point, his skating has become so problematic with this system that I can't see how Sullivan dresses him with a healthy team.

They obviously won't trade Maatta during the season, but they'd be smart to try and find another team's 2016 Nate Schmidt and moving Maatta for some LW help.

 

[StaalForOne]

Just gotta hope it’s something minor. That top line has the potential to be really good with him there. I love what he’s doing in his own zone on that line and he’s breaking the puck out extremely well.

Yesterday he was really feeling it and starting to get on the same page with Crosby and Guentzel, and got some great looks on net.

Brassard has a lot of skill and that top line can be extremely good with him there IMHO.

Just have to hope that Sheahan line keeps it going though to allow Brassard to play wing.



Oleksiak is doing ok, still shaky though. That dumb pinch agt the Oilers could have killed them late in the game when he was foolishly chasing an HT instead of playing situational hockey.

Yesterday he did a little better, but almost cost them a goal when he had his feet pointed the wrong way and a puck bounced right behind him at the goalmouth. He was looking all around with the puck at his feet and luckily no Flame was there to bang it in.

In his defense, when is the next time he'll get a look at a hat trick? Selfish? Probably, but could have been on a little confidence high as well.

 

[Coastal Kev]

While the game was a complete beatdown, I still many warning signs for this team. Murray won the Edmonton game and Calgary's goaltending was atrocious last night.

Two line team
Overplaying Vets too much, too early (huge benefit right now via the scheduling)
Sully is dolt and this will be quoted here more and more within the next 12-18 months.

 

[Mr Jiggyfly]

Oleksiak is in the same boat for me as Johnson, as long as they're doing well offensively, playing physical and not actively resulting in goals against, I'm considering it a good game for them. Oleksiak may have almost led to a goal against on those plays, but he didn't get scored on. Oleksiak has only been on the ice for 1 goal against in his last 4 games since getting healthy scratched, and he has been doing things offensively and playing physical. I consider that a big win with him.

If Oleksiak keeps up this level of play and Riikola gets back to what he was doing in the preseason, their defense will look dramatically better on paper. I still think their ideal bottom-4 D pairs are Johnson with Riikola and Oleksiak with Schultz, with both pairs getting about the same ice time at ES.

I hope he puts it all together, he’s just not there yet and I honestly worry when he’s on the ice.

Sheahan working out as a 3C would be such a huge thing for us not just for allowing Brassard to play wing, but for giving us options this summer.

That’s why I’m a little pissed they signed Grant when TB has earned his shot. He had a hell of a season last year and the only real deficiency in his game was filling the net, which he did quite well last season.

I want to see what TB can do before next year, and he’s not getting any younger either. He deserves that chance and from what I’ve seen from Grant all preseason and yesterday is just a plug type pivot that can’t create plays anywhere close to TBs level.

In his defense, when is the next time he'll get a look at a hat trick? Selfish? Probably, but could have been on a little confidence high as well.

Tie game, late in the third is a really bad time to be doing that though.... I think all of us would agree on that.

 

[Gurglesons]

Sheahan working out as a 3C would be such a huge thing for us not just for allowing Brassard to play wing, but for giving us options this summer.

Sheahan is a 3C. He’s just on the low end.

I wonder if they split up Cullen and Sheahan it may help things.

Simon - Sheahan - Rust
Grant - Cullen - Hornqvist.

 

[EightyOne]

1. The NHL counts stats, not the Calgary Flames.
2. There were PLENTY of high quality scoring chances in this game as well as the last two. The Flames may have taken quite a few point shots but according to their head map they took a lot from in close

"Gricar, Schreiber and Spano have worked together for over 20 years and have seen the stat-tracking system evolve over the years. The home team always has been responsible for the game's stats; however, the early incarnation of stat keeping was all handwritten and only tracked goals, assists, shots and penalties.

Issues arose with that system due to legibility and, in some cases, favoritism toward the home team. The NHL introduced a computerized stat-tracking system in the 1980s, known as Real Time Scoring System (RTSS). The RTSS system eventually morphed into HITS."

Well f***, I'm just a bit old school! That article is from 2008. But even if they updated the system...at some point it was home teams doing the stats.

Off-ice officials are a fourth team at every game

 

[Mr Jiggyfly]

Sheahan is a 3C. He’s just on the low end.

I wonder if they split up Cullen and Sheahan it may help things.

Simon - Sheahan - Rust
Grant - Cullen - Hornqvist.

Shouldn’t mess with a good line until you have to. Just ride the Sheahan line until it flames out, then make the appropriate changes.

 

[66-30-33]

Shouldn’t mess with a good line until you have to. Just ride the Sheahan line until it flames out, then make the appropriate changes.

Jake-Crosby-Sprong
Hagelin-Malkin-Kessel
Simon-Brassard-Rust

Or maybe try Jake with Brassard, not producing a whole lot with Crosby so far (5G 0A and 1 was a PP goal). I really don't want Simon with Crosby though, maybe Hagelin?

 

[Gurglesons]

Jake-Crosby-Sprong
Hagelin-Malkin-Kessel
Simon-Brassard-Rust

Or maybe try Jake with Brassard, not producing a whole lot with Crosby so far (5G 0A and 1 was a PP goal). I really don't want Simon with Crosby though, maybe Hagelin?

Don’t understand wanting Sprong above Simon given what we’ve seen since January

 

[Gurglesons]

Shouldn’t mess with a good line until you have to. Just ride the Sheahan line until it flames out, then make the appropriate changes.

I feel like getting a de facto third line is important.

 

[MrBurghundy]

Don’t understand wanting Sprong above Simon given what we’ve seen since January

Different positions I'd assume.

 

[Gurglesons]

Different positions I'd assume.

Yeah, I suppose.

I just see people still criticizing Simon when he’s showing he at least has enough skill to be in the NHL.

 

[MrBurghundy]

Yeah, I suppose.

I just see people still criticizing Simon when he’s showing he at least has enough skill to be in the NHL.

I just don't know why some put down one player to elevate the other.

Simon is playing well. At least better than Sprong so far to date.

 

[NMK11]

I missed the game last night, reading that Brassard played with Crosby a decent bit? When he was, what was the bottom six running as? I'm assuming Cullen-Sheahan-Horny, so was it Simon-Grant-Rust? That seems like an odd line.

 

[Gurglesons]

I just don't know why some put down one player to elevate the other.

Simon is playing well. At least better than Sprong so far to date.

Yeah, no idea. Sprong has flashes, he just needs to find consistency. Simon is obviously never going to have that peak, but we just need him to replace Sheary’s ES production last year.

 

[Gurglesons]

I missed the game last night, reading that Brassard played with Crosby a decent bit? When he was, what was the bottom six running as? I'm assuming Cullen-Sheahan-Horny, so was it Simon-Grant-Rust? That seems like an odd line.

Correct.

All the lines looked good. Grant is a lot like Jooris. They both scored goals though. Not really sure if that was the Flames being terrible or them being good lines.

 

[Ryder71]

Sheahan is a 3C. He’s just on the low end.

I wonder if they split up Cullen and Sheahan it may help things.

Simon - Sheahan - Rust
Grant - Cullen - Hornqvist.

TBH that's a pretty unremarkable bottom six. I still prefer Brassard at center. If he plays to his abilities he turns the bottom six into a pretty solid and capable group IMO. Although I'd at least keep Sheahan-Cullen-Horny together a bit longer and see what we have there.