Series Talk: PENS vs Montreal Canadiens Round 1 (Best Of Five) - Episode II: On a peur, très peur!

[Scandale du Jour]

If Sully is smart, since we have home team advantage for three games, he should put ZAR-Blue-Tanev out against Danault’s line and keep Sid away from them...

Not a bad idea, actually.

 

[HandshakeLine]

I feel like it's been ages since I saw this team play and I'm sort of blanking on whether Sully is one of those coaches who refuses to line match or not.

 

[Scandale du Jour]

I feel like it's been ages since I saw this team play and I'm sort of blanking on whether Sully is one of those coaches who refuses to line match or not.

He usually gives Sid the tough match-ups. Gave them to Blueger when Sid was out.

He does match up, but I do not think he is married to it.

 

[Dipsy Doodle]

Penguins outshot the Bruins in 3 of 4 games. A frustrating goaltending experience. But, not necessarily a tour de force by their team to suppress him.

First, a correction. It was the 2013 playoffs against the Bruins. My mistake!

I don't remember Crosby generating much against Bergeron at all.

I also think it is really weird to compare a Bruins core that has three SCF appearances to a Montreal core that has basically done nothing since Subban left.

We're not comparing to a Bruins core. We're making a stylistic comparison between Bergeron and Danault.

 

[Dipsy Doodle]

I feel like it's been ages since I saw this team play and I'm sort of blanking on whether Sully is one of those coaches who refuses to line match or not.

He'd rather worry about his own team and throw the lines in a blender if something isn't working.

 

[The Old Master]

Sheary's an offense-only scoring winger that has cracked the 35 point barrier once in his career, and had 2 secondary assists in 12 games during his last playoff run with the team.

Considering him a weak link

need to stop looking at sheary as though he's an island. if he helps the other two players on his line, is all you could ask of him in the top 6. imo

 

[Gurglesons]

First, a correction. It was the 2013 playoffs against the Bruins. My mistake!

I don't remember Crosby generating much against Bergeron at all.



We're not comparing to a Bruins core. We're making a stylistic comparison between Bergeron and Danault.

Crosby won the possession battle against Bergeron at 5v5 in 2013 and both lines scored one goal each. Bergeron’s line had one more shot for.

2013 was an immensely close series that was overshadowed by a sweep.

 

[Big Friggin Dummy]

Well, yeah, Weber is no 2009-Lidstrom, that's for sure. And he does not play with Rafalski either.

Sid will have Letang/Dumo behind him most likely and that should be a big advantage.

Letang usually contains Ovechkin pretty well (at least 5v5), Gallagher does not scare him.

I mean, on paper, we win that match-up rather easily. Pointing out that Danault is the type of player who COULD win the match-up is not far fetched. As I said many times, if we lose that series, it will be embarrassing. On paper, we should KILL them!

Sort of off-topic, but holy f*** Lidstrom was unbelievably good.

 

[Dipsy Doodle]

Crosby won the possession battle against Bergeron at 5v5 in 2013 and both lines scored one goal each. Bergeron’s line had one more shot for.

2013 was an immensely close series that was overshadowed by a sweep.

Do you think Crosby generated a lot of scoring chances against Bergeron?

 

[Gurglesons]

Do you think Crosby generated a lot of scoring chances against Bergeron?

2013’s issue wasn’t scoring chances. It was Rask putting together one of the best goaltending performances of all time in a playoff series and our coach not knowing how to react to it.

If Crosby and Danault’s line playing a parallel series of 2013 this should be an easy win for us.

 

[Empoleon8771]

Crosby's line and Bergeron's line neutralized each other in 2013 analytically, so I don't really know why people are referencing that series as an example of Crosby losing a matchup in a series. If Crosby can end up a wash against Bergeron's line with a dunce of a coach and 2 linemates who couldn't generate offense, I think he'll be fine while playing against a worse opponent with better linemates and a better coach.

The line that got taken to town in the 2013 Bruins series was the Iginla-Malkin-Neal line, not the KCD line. The KCD line cancelled out Boston's top line, Iginla-Malkin-Neal got clobbered.

 

[BHD]

From what I recall, Sully gives Sid's the tough match ups. If the going gets really tough, then he'll load up that line (e.g., Crosby vs. Boyle during the Tampa series).

 

[Big Friggin Dummy]

Yeah, I feel like Sully has used Sid as his Swiss Army knife for years. He uses that top line as not only a scoring line, but as a shutdown line too. Which, for the most part, Sid has stepped up and filled that role extremely well for years.

 

[heysmilinstrange]

Hey @Scandale du Jour, thanks for the thread title! My Duolingo French lessons during quarantine are paying off big time.

 

[Empoleon8771]

I'm still really confused for why we're talking about Crosby of all players when it comes to this series. This is the same Sidney Crosby that has 186 career playoff points, 2 Conn Smythes and 7 playoffs with 15 or more points, I'm not worried about some f***ing 2C with good defensive analytics

 

[Scandale du Jour]

I'm still really confused for why we're talking about Crosby of all players when it comes to this series. This is the same Sidney Crosby that has 186 career playoff points, 2 Conn Smythes and 7 playoffs with 15 or more points, I'm not worried about some f***ing 2C with good defensive analytics

I am not worried either, but that's the best thing they have to oppose Sid. So if we are to discuss match-ups, Danault has to be discussed

 

[Gurglesons]

I am not worried either, but that's the best thing they have to oppose Sid. So if we are to discuss match-ups, Danault has to be discussed

I’d rather further drag Conor Sheary’s name through the mud at every opportunity possible.

 

[Dipsy Doodle]

2013’s issue wasn’t scoring chances. It was Rask putting together one of the best goaltending performances of all time in a playoff series and our coach not knowing how to react to it.

If Crosby and Danault’s line playing a parallel series of 2013 this should be an easy win for us.

I agree. Our 2nd line is that much better.

Things change as the rounds progress, but a lot would have to break wrong for us to lose to Montreal.

 

[BHD]

I'm still really confused for why we're talking about Crosby of all players when it comes to this series. This is the same Sidney Crosby that has 186 career playoff points, 2 Conn Smythes and 7 playoffs with 15 or more points, I'm not worried about some f***ing 2C with good defensive analytics

Come on, man. Don't you know that Crosby gets all points against mediocre teams?

cc: @pixiesfanyo

 

[Gurglesons]

Come on, man. Don't you know that Crosby gets all points against mediocre teams?

cc: @pixiesfanyo

His PPG goes down every round so it makes no difference he is the only modern player anywhere close to the Oilers dynasty in terms of PPG.

 

[Dipsy Doodle]

People sure do get touchy when you imply that Crosby's line could get outmatched by another team's 1st line in one series because it has more evenly distributed talent and has had far more time to establish chemistry, then extrapolate it all out of proportion to suggest that you think the other team is better, or the other team's center is better...

...even when the Crosby line being referred to isn't even the projected line for the series.

 

[Empoleon8771]

People sure do get touchy when you imply that Crosby's line could get outmatched by another team's 1st line in one series because it has more evenly distributed talent and has had far more time to establish chemistry, then extrapolate it all out of proportion to suggest that you think the other team is better, or the other team's center is better...

...even when the Crosby line being referred to isn't even the projected line for the series.

Because it's a nonsensical argument to make when we're talking about a team who has 3 fringe 1st/2nd liners as their top line.

We're not talking about Crosby going up against a McDavid-Draisaitl duo or an Ovechkin-Backstrom-Oshie line or even the Marchand-Bergeron-Pastrnak line. We're talking about the top line for freaking Montreal, a line that had 1 50 point player on a non-playoff team.

 

[Gurglesons]

People sure do get touchy when you imply that Crosby's line could get outmatched by another team's 1st line in one series because it has more evenly distributed talent and has had far more time to establish chemistry, then extrapolate it all out of proportion to suggest that you think the other team is better, or the other team's center is better...

...even when the Crosby line being referred to isn't even the projected line for the series.

That’s mainly because as most of your comments it it is a loaded scenario. Your comparison is largely to bring down Sheary. See also what you’ve done in the past with Phil and Sprong.

 

[BHD]

Both arguments are legit. Yes, the Pens should be able to take care of them (@Scandale du Jour). However, the Habs can expose rust, weak lines, etc (@Soggy Biscuit).

 

[NeedleInTheHay]

I’m still skeptical it’s even going to happen at all. They haven’t even announced dates or locations.

At least the NBA already has a fixed location, and calendar.