PENS vs Montreal Canadiens Round 1 (Best Of Five)

[Empoleon8771]

From how I'm reading it yeah their records were about the same at 8-17-6-0 for Olczyk and 14-29-8-0 for Therrien. There is absolutely no doubt that Olczyk wasn't cut out for the job... it's like the Penguins figured since he said some clever things on the air he would naturally transition that to the ice and... no. Olczyk didn't seem to have much of a plan other than assuming he was basically coaching an all-star team and shit would work itself out.

I'm watching a classic 2005 game right now (Pens-Flyers game that ended like 6-5), and it's painfully obvious that system problems are what killed this team. Simon Gagne just scored 2 goals the same exact way, the entire Penguins team was focused on Forsberg with the puck and Gagne was completely uncovered for a 1-timer near the goal line. Those are completely system problems if those consistently happen.

I still think the best Penguins coach from Bowman up until Therrien was Constantine. He's the only coach that actually got the Penguins to buy into a defensive structure, and they ended up a fantastic team at both ends of the ice that year (7th in GF, 4th in GA). Then Jagr decided he didn't like the system, they became worse defensively and then Constantine got canned after less than 2.5 years.

 

[HandshakeLine]

It's hard to say what could have been with Hlinka if they had a good translator, wasn't an alcoholic, and didn't have Jagr sabotaging things. Hlinka is pretty much widely acknowledged to be one of the greatest Czech coaches of all time and his style of play that he developed for the Czech national team and his Extraliga squads would have been great for the Pens IMO.

But instead, he was kinda sliding hard into being a full-time drunk, didn't speak English, and had a very pissed Jagr sulking behind the scenes. Not a good combination at all.

 

[SEALBound]

I wanted to like Paul Martin. But he was just so painfully average.

He kind of was like a microcosm of Ray Shero's tenure, to me. Which isn't really fair but hey.

The first year, yeah. The other 4 years he was here he was quite good.

Martin-Letang was one of the better pairings we've been able to ice in this era.

 

[Dipsy Doodle]

I wonder if Poulin and Legare will be part of our "Black Aces".

That'd be neat.

 

[BlindWillyMcHurt]

The first year, yeah. The other 4 years he was here he was quite good.

Martin-Letang was one of the better pairings we've been able to ice in this era.

That's fair, I suppose. Though I think a lot of pairings with Letang on it are going to be pretty good. Martin for sure is in the mold of players that compliment him well, though.

Like I said I know it's not fair. There were far worse problems during that era. I just can't help but associate Martin closely with what I consider a period of time where lots of success was left on the table due largely to stubborn, misguided attitudes.

 

[Ogrezilla]

The first year, yeah. The other 4 years he was here he was quite good.

Martin-Letang was one of the better pairings we've been able to ice in this era.

I remember him being very good one year when Letang was out too. I just seem to have fonder memories of Martin than most.

 

[mpp9]

I remember him being very good one year when Letang was out too. I just seem to have fonder memories of Martin than most.

People have very strange memories with him.

He was ok his first year. Almost run out of town his second. After that, he was good to great.

 

[Empoleon8771]

LeBrun: The NHL's conditional trades ruling is the right...

I think this says that the Penguins keep their 1st if they lose to the Habs, but I don't have access.

 

[Dipsy Doodle]

LeBrun: The NHL's conditional trades ruling is the right...

I think this says that the Penguins keep their 1st if they lose to the Habs, but I don't have access.

"Take the Jason Zucker deal between Pittsburgh and Minnesota. The condition on that first-round pick swapping hands from the Penguins to the Wild is if Pittsburgh were to miss the playoffs this season, which seemed rather ridiculous to think about when the deal was completed on Feb. 10, the Penguins would have the option to keep the first-round pick for 2020 and send their unprotected 2021 first-round pick instead.

Well, if the fifth-seeded Penguins were to be upset by the 12th-seeded Canadiens in the play-in round this summer, Pittsburgh would be in that very position of deciding whether to hand the Wild this year’s pick or next year’s pick. And given that losing to Montreal would mean being in the draft lottery, you would assume Pittsburgh would probably keep this year’s pick, which would stink for Minnesota. Wild GM Bill Guerin will be cheering for his old NHL team in that play-in series versus the Habs."

 

[Honour Over Glory]

I wonder if Poulin and Legare will be part of our "Black Aces".

That'd be neat.

For their experience to be around that, yeah, but I would be shocked to see them play a game. They were in juniors, not even the AHL, the grind they were used to vs the training etc, like I said, I'd be shocked.

But the experience gained from training with them when things start up and being around that group? Invaluable.

 

[Gurglesons]

For their experience to be around that, yeah, but I would be shocked to see them play a game. They were in juniors, not even the AHL, the grind they were used to vs the training etc, like I said, I'd be shocked.

But the experience gained from training with them when things start up and being around that group? Invaluable.

I don’t believe they are eligible to play are they?

 

[Honour Over Glory]

I don’t believe they are eligible to play are they?

They're prospects that are signed, I am not 100% sure, but I think under emergency circumstances they could?

 

[Super Cake]

Delete

 

[Randy Butternubs]

They're prospects that are signed, I am not 100% sure, but I think under emergency circumstances they could?

I think they'll increase roster size since the AHL is done. Maybe to 30 players. Likely already have had to have been on an NHL contact. So no Zohorna.

Though maybe they'd allow larger practice squads?

 

[Dipsy Doodle]

For their experience to be around that, yeah, but I would be shocked to see them play a game. They were in juniors, not even the AHL, the grind they were used to vs the training etc, like I said, I'd be shocked.

But the experience gained from training with them when things start up and being around that group? Invaluable.

I don’t believe they are eligible to play are they?

They're prospects that are signed, I am not 100% sure, but I think under emergency circumstances they could?

As long as their junior teams' seasons are over (clearly, they are), they're eligible to play AFAIK.

Not that they would actually play, but like HoG said, training and practicing with the team would be great for them.

Plus I like to dream that Sheary concusses himself on a doorknob or something then one of those two comes in and kills it on Sid's RW.

 

[Gurglesons]

As long as their junior teams' seasons are over (clearly, they are), they're eligible to play AFAIK.

Not that they would actually play, but like HoG said, training and practicing with the team would be great for them.

Plus I like to dream that Sheary concusses himself on a doorknob or something then one of those two comes in and kills it on Sid's RW.

Certainly would be interesting to see Poulin or Legare out there..

 

[66-30-33]

Imaging losing to Habs and STILL giving our 1st because JR wants to be in good terms with Guerin or something and Pens pick winning the lotto.

 

[Honour Over Glory]

I think they'll increase roster size since the AHL is done. Maybe to 30 players. Likely already have had to have been on an NHL contact. So no Zohorna.

Though maybe they'd allow larger practice squads?

Don't be so Zohorna for him to play just yet, I would rather he started in the AHL anyway.

 

[JTG]

It's hard to say what could have been with Hlinka if they had a good translator, wasn't an alcoholic, and didn't have Jagr sabotaging things. Hlinka is pretty much widely acknowledged to be one of the greatest Czech coaches of all time and his style of play that he developed for the Czech national team and his Extraliga squads would have been great for the Pens IMO.

But instead, he was kinda sliding hard into being a full-time drunk, didn't speak English, and had a very pissed Jagr sulking behind the scenes. Not a good combination at all.

That hire never really made sense to me, ya know, because most of the team spoke English. A great coaches mind is neutralized if he cannot communicate his ideas.

 

[Gurglesons]

Imaging losing to Habs and STILL giving our 1st because JR wants to be in good terms with Guerin or something and Pens pick winning the lotto.

No chance that happens. I think we’d have between 8th - 14th which would be ridiculous to trade away.

 

[Honour Over Glory]

All you wankers talking about that 1st are just losers, straight up losers.

I am not entertaining that first being ours, why? Because that's how winners think.

 

[Big Friggin Dummy]

Martin at his best was absolutely stellar. If we had a prime Martin to go with Marino, we'd have the best top-4 in the NHL.

 

[HandshakeLine]

That hire never really made sense to me, ya know, because most of the team spoke English. A great coaches mind is neutralized if he cannot communicate his ideas.

Well, it was clearly to throw a bone to Jagr, because Hlinka coached the Nagano 98 Czech squad and so Jarda was a fan.

Again, it can work in situations, like if you have a good assistant coach who's fluent in both, or whatnot. That's how King did it in Russia, IIRC.

 

[EightyOne]

All you wankers talking about that 1st are just losers, straight up losers.

I am not entertaining that first being ours, why? Because that's how winners think.

PENGUINS TANK
PENGUINS TANK
PENGUINS TANK

 

[HandshakeLine]

PENGUINS TANK
PENGUINS TANK
PENGUINS TANK

Hoobahstank?