Pre-Game Talk: Pens vs. Isles Game 6

[Rocket of Russia]

I had said it might have been his plan all along, using those lines as a super weapon if the team was ever in trouble, that way other teams can't study it and plan for it etc

Don't remember you ever saying that...and if you did, it still doesn't make any sense. Damage control from DB no doubt.

Malkin and Neal smiling because they don't have to do half the board work they weren't doing in the first place

But seriously it's not easy to do what Kunitz does, and it's the lifeblood for an effective possession game. Pick up a hockey stick, run or skate full speed into a corner in your house, dig out your dog's tennis ball without a) missing it entirely or b) jamming your stick into the wall, get your head up and immediately make the decision to continue with the ball or pass it to your teammate (I'm sure your dog is open at this point). And do it with a 200+ lbs defenseman draped all over you, looking to put your head through a pane of glass. Oh, and this was assumed but make sure you're fast enough to be the first one to the boards in the first place....that's kind of important.

 

[MonsterSurge]

They need to hit Tavares EVERY chance they get.

 

[pensfan71]

They need to hit Tavares EVERY chance they get.

Aka, hit him like Cooke hit Carkner, Orpik hit Skinner, Stepan, Paille, like Kunitz hit Timonen, like Geno hit Moulson in Iggy's first game.

Come out banging

 

[MonsterSurge]

Aka, hit him like Cooke hit Carkner, Orpik hit Skinner, Stepan, Paille, like Kunitz hit Timonen, like Geno hit Moulson in Iggy's first game.

Come out banging

I could careless if they take two for crushing him. Make him pay and he won't do anything.


Over/under on the chances Malkin gets into another scrap tonight?

 

[ColePens]

I could careless if they take two for crushing him. Make him pay and he won't do anything.


Over/under on the chances Malkin gets into another scrap tonight?

80% chance of being an idiot. He's only shown in small spurts that he can control his anger. After the Flyers series you would think he'd know. I don't have faith in him.

 

[pensfan71]

I could careless if they take two for crushing him. Make him pay and he won't do anything.


Over/under on the chances Malkin gets into another scrap tonight?

I really don't want him to get injured cause I like him as a player, but if that's what it takes...than go head...

I don't think Malkin fights tn, the game's too important

 

[Dipsy Doodle]

I'm gonna say Malkin keeps it together tonight.

I liked his composure last game, and I attribute that in part to the comfort level he has now that Kunitz is back on his line.

Don't make me look foolish, Geno.

Be smrt.

 

[MonsterSurge]

I'm waiting for the time when Malkin snaps and dives in the bench.

 

[Rocket of Russia]

Because Crosby was his best, most consistent player, and he wanted him as comfortable as possible coming into the playoffs cold. If you think DB gives two craps about "damage control" anytime, let alone in a series where he's up 3-2, you're mistaken.

I'm as glad as anyone that the top 6 is configured as it is now, but let's not pretend there wasn't logic behind prior moves, even if we don't agree with them.

So now we're rewriting history now that DB, faced with being 2 losses away from losing his job, finally made line adjustments? Clearly DB cares about damage control. Claiming the current lines were his plan all along is doing just that.

His best, most consistent player missed the last quarter of the season, but instead of getting dupuis and iginla some chemistry (you know for his master plan all along) or get the kmn reunited, ole DB forced the lineup of imn. So you think DB spent 12 games attempting to build chemistry among lines he never planned on using in the future? You think he tore iginla off of his rw position he played his entire career with the end plan to put him right back on sid's rw? Didn't consider getting Dupuis extra minutes at lw to get him ready for his eventual master plan? C'maaaaaan!

I'm gonna say Malkin keeps it together tonight.

I liked his composure last game, and I attribute that in part to the comfort level he has now that Kunitz is back on his line.

Don't make me look foolish, Geno.

Be smrt.

Don't try to win me over with Simpsons quotes or pics. It's only kind of working.

 

[Sidney the Kidney]

Fleury in and Jussi in for Adams then Pens are ready to contend

I'm not sure if you're trolling or if you're Marc-Andre Fleury's mother.

 

[StoneColdFlower*]

As much as I try to distance myself emotionally from this team in the playoffs, I can't. I'm so excited for tonight! I love how Root plays the whole opening video and "In this room. They can hear you" thing. I literally get tears of excitement from that.... Manly tears of course....

I get the feeling this will be Dupuis's night.

Meh. I don't get the Pittsburgh stream on Hockeystreams so I just watch the tsn stream. Better than the Islander stream of NBC. Can't wait for the Sens series to start so that I can watch it on the antenna. Nothing is better than 1080p playoff hockey called by Jim Hughson, especially with my penguins in the mix.

 

[Dipsy Doodle]

So now we're rewriting history now that DB, faced with being 2 losses away from losing his job, finally made line adjustments? Clearly DB cares about damage control. Claiming the current lines were his plan all along is doing just that.

There's no rewriting history. There wasn't any opportunity to try out Crosby with Iginla in the weeks leading up to the playoffs because of Sid's injury, so any statement about who DB wanted to try out where is nothing but speculation on our part.

His best, most consistent player missed the last quarter of the season, but instead of getting dupuis and iginla some chemistry (you know for his master plan all along) or get the kmn reunited, ole DB forced the lineup of imn. So you think DB spent 12 games attempting to build chemistry among lines he never planned on using in the future? You think he tore iginla off of his rw position he played his entire career with the end plan to put him right back on sid's rw? Didn't consider getting Dupuis extra minutes at lw to get him ready for his eventual master plan? C'maaaaaan!

I think DB would've liked to try out Dupes-Crosby-Iginla when nothing was on the line, but reverted to Kunitz-Crosby-Dupuis when it became apparent Sid wasn't going to be back until the playoffs.

Didn't want to tinker with what had been his money line all year when the games mattered.

Don't try to win me over with Simpsons quotes or pics. It's only kind of working.

 

[Waffle Fries]

Because Crosby was his best, most consistent player, and he wanted him as comfortable as possible coming into the playoffs cold. If you think DB gives two craps about "damage control" anytime, let alone in a series where he's up 3-2, you're mistaken.

I'm as glad as anyone that the top 6 is configured as it is now, but let's not pretend there wasn't logic behind prior moves, even if we don't agree with them.

So now we're rewriting history now that DB, faced with being 2 losses away from losing his job, finally made line adjustments? Clearly DB cares about damage control. Claiming the current lines were his plan all along is doing just that.

His best, most consistent player missed the last quarter of the season, but instead of getting dupuis and iginla some chemistry (you know for his master plan all along) or get the kmn reunited, ole DB forced the lineup of imn. So you think DB spent 12 games attempting to build chemistry among lines he never planned on using in the future? You think he tore iginla off of his rw position he played his entire career with the end plan to put him right back on sid's rw? Didn't consider getting Dupuis extra minutes at lw to get him ready for his eventual master plan? C'maaaaaan!

This.

Of course Dan is worried about damage control. He is two losses away from losing his job, and the media and fans alike were calling him out for his decisions.

He forced Iginla to play left wing and said repeatedly that he was getting more comfortable there, but all of this was some kind of master plan? Some master plan that had to wait until the team played really, really bad three games in a row?

If we managed to win one of those two games, I don't think Dan makes the change.

 

[Fordy]

Can't believe the lengths that are being gone to to justify Bylsma's decisions.

 

[Dipsy Doodle]

This.

Of course Dan is worried about damage control. He is two losses away from losing his job, and the media and fans alike were calling him out for his decisions.

Doubt it.

He forced Iginla to play left wing and said repeatedly that he was getting more comfortable there, but all of this was some kind of master plan? Some master plan that had to wait until the team played really, really bad three games in a row?

If we managed to win one of those two games, I don't think Dan makes the change.

Obviously not a master plan to wait until the 6th game of the series, haha. I think people are misreading this.

Seems reasonable to me that DB would've liked to try Iggy on Sid's line in the regular season, but Sid's injury kaiboshed any chance of that so he stuck with what he knew worked for that first line and hoped Iginla could establish some chemistry with Malkin and Neal.

Then the losses happened and we needed a shake-up, so he decided to go try it out in the playoffs anyway. No tin foil hats required.

 

[Human]

Fleury in and Jussi in for Adams then Pens are ready to contend

not funny...

 

[IcedCapp]

One thing about these lines: if you aren't moving Dupuis to the 3rd line, this is the best choice, but people need to realize that Geno isn't the only center who is injured. If Dupuis and Iginla aren't capable of finishing and creating space for Sid, Dan needs to go with KCD BMN and Iggy on the 3rd in my opinion.

 

[Waffle Fries]

Doubt it.



Obviously not a master plan to wait until the 6th game of the series, haha. I think people are misreading this.

Seems reasonable to me that DB would've liked to try Iggy on Sid's line in the regular season, but Sid's injury kaiboshed any chance of that so he stuck with what he knew worked for that first line and hoped Iginla could establish some chemistry with Malkin and Neal.

Then the losses happened and we needed a shake-up, so he decided to go try it out in the playoffs anyway. No tin foil hats required.

So you think if we were knocked out of the first round, Dan wouldn't be fired? Really?

Dan said when we first acquired Iginla that he 'wasn't inclined' to break up his top line. He forced Iggy to play left wing with Malkin and Neal in his first game, before Sid got hurt.

Obviously we are not going to agree on this, but for there to suddenly be claims that 'this was his plan all along' when he indicated his plan was to keep KCD together, seems a little odd to me.

We needed a shakeup after Game 2, didn't get one, played poorly in Game 3 and still nothing. It wasn't until the heat was really on him after Game 4 that anything changed.

 

[Syrinx]

80% chance of being an idiot. He's only shown in small spurts that he can control his anger. After the Flyers series you would think he'd know. I don't have faith in him.

Agreed. He's turned into our Scott Hartnell - alternating between brilliant and utterly stupid. Always worth watching though.

 

[Dipsy Doodle]

So you think if we were knocked out of the first round, Dan wouldn't be fired? Really?

Dan said when we first acquired Iginla that he 'wasn't inclined' to break up his top line. He forced Iggy to play left wing with Malkin and Neal in his first game, before Sid got hurt.

Obviously we are not going to agree on this, but for there to suddenly be claims that 'this was his plan all along' when he indicated his plan was to keep KCD together, seems a little odd to me.

We needed a shakeup after Game 2, didn't get one, played poorly in Game 3 and still nothing. It wasn't until the heat was really on him after Game 4 that anything changed.

His plan was to try it, I'm sure. But again, we probably won't agree.

 

[Dipsy Doodle]

Agreed. He's turned into our Scott Hartnell - alternating between brilliant and utterly stupid. Always worth watching though.

Hartnell can be brilliant?

 

[IcedCapp]

He said Iggy at LW was the plan. He played Iggy at LW. Words and actions matched up. He had oodles of time to keep Dupuis and Iggy together and Kunitz and Malkin together.

 

[Candyman]

Morning skate lines:

Dupuis-Crosby-Iginla
Kunitz-Malkin-Neal
Morrow-Sutter-Cooke
Adams-Vitale-Kennedy
(Glass-Jokinen-Bennett)

Orpik-Martin
Despres-Letang
Murray-Niskanen
(Eaton-Engelland)

Ex: Bortuzzo, Jeffrey

HCDB FINALLY gets it right! Big win tonight for the pens 6-1

 

[LGP6687]

Can't believe the lengths that are being gone to to justify Bylsma's decisions.

I'm convinced that somebody pointed this board out to Bylsma and he just cribbed it.

 

[BHD]

Have there been any murmurs about who is starting?