PGT - Pens/Ducks - From Dupuis to Beau to Adams (Sid, This is Your Life)

[MrBurghundy]

I love Bennett but I didn't think him or that top line were very good last night. They weren't exactly buzzing around getting loads of chances or anything. He got one chance that I can remember early in the game and he damn near flubbed it but at the last second he managed to get off a backhand right into the goalies pad. Like I said, I love the kid. I think it's just a matter of time and I'm not the least bit alarmed or disappointed by last night. I think building chemistry between him and Crosby will take time. We just have to hope DB will be patient with this.

They looked very discombobulated for the first half of the first period, but they got better the more chances they got. That was immediately nixed though in the second and third period. Bennett did make a big **** up though with the Anaheim goal. That was his man. I don't care where the defensemen went. He has to have his head on a swivel there too when he's all alone in front of the net.

That KCB line needs more than one ****ing period to gel though for God ****ing sake.

 

[Shady Machine]

One of my biggest issues is how this team plays with the puck. Defense passing to a stationary winger with a somewhat stationary center supposedly getting to the dump in but he never gets there (or the weak side winger for that matter because he's stationary too). Cycling with no purpose. Nobody crashing the net. Zero puck support on most occasions. All of which were evident yet again last night, hell even more so in person which I had the pleasure of seeing.

That's all coaching and has nothing to do with lines. Its also why I don't believe a trade for any player will help them be more consistent on offense.

I mean I don't disagree with any of this, I was speaking more generally to last night. In any one game, a coach doesn't have much of an impact. Adjustments are important, but a coach can't will a team to victory. Of course, when you see the same issues consistently, it's obvious that coaching is an issue. My point was that people spent more time on here, after a 3-1 win against one of the best teams in the league, *****ing about **** Bylsma did wrong than critiquing anything the players did on the ice.

The crashing the net thing, for example, I honestly don't believe Bylsma is saying "hey guys, let's just play perimeter hockey and fire 35 shots from the side boards all night". He either isn't emphasizing it enough or it's not getting through to the players. I would still argue that we don't have the right mix of players to play a hard nosed game where we drive the net consistently, win battles down low, etc. We need a trade AND a coaching change to compete with the elite in the West.

 

[BlindWillyMcHurt]

Oh... and Kunitz/Malkin/Neal looked like they picked right up where they left off over a year ago. You know... for the half a minute they got to play together. Kunitz and Geno work so well together, it's sickening. I get that he and Sid are great compliments, too. But the KMN line is just... perfect. Neal has really picked up the physical element of his game, too. And he just seems a little craftier with the puck, this year.

I'm not advocating taking all of Crosby's linemates away from him. He's already toiling under far-less-than-ideal circumstances... it would be foolish to make it worse. But man... you sort of can't help but pine for a top echelon wing for him in order to re-unite that KMN line. It's a major failing of the team, IMO, to continue letting that issue slide. It's just... painfully obvious. Get it done... pay the price... whatever it may be.

 

[#66]

sid is trying to win a scoring title and his idiot coach puts craig adams on his wing. that is such garbage.

if sid looked his linemate situation even slightly objective, he'd be advocating the canning of bylsma.

As much as I want to agree and hate that Shero can't find anything more than glorified role players to play with Sid, Sid's poor play is on him. He's the one making give aways every game, he's the one missing break aways, he's the one blowing up a lot of PP's...

Both Sid and Malkin haven't been playing up to their standards. We can talk about linemates all we want but when two stars take up that much of a cap hit they need to perform every night instead of looking like they're pacing themselves for during an Olympic year.

 

[Shrimper]

Just turned on my TV to watch the game. Just got the DB quote;

"I don't think they need to be woken up, they're scoring a lot of goals that aren't going in. Maybe they're gripping their stick a little tight but hopefully we can get them a goal or two tonight"

 

[Mr Jiggyfly]

Yeah, Bylsma must actively root for any line but KCD to fail, so he can be "right." If the line with Bennett had scored, it would have looked bad to break them up so when an easy opportunity arose(a goal scored against) he nailed Bennett to the bench and replaced him with one of the least talented forwards in the league.

I understand that DB isn't the only coach in the league who likes certain players on his team, but his infatuation with talentless stiffs and their elevated roles under him really takes away from what should be a very entertaining team.

I don't necessarily think he wants to be "right". Maybe he does... I won't pretend to know. But I'm fairly certain he lets his feelings for certain guys interfere with his decision making. He is probably really close to Dupes and Adams, and he wants them to do well. Then he justifies things in his own mind, like...

"Adams is my best defensive player! I'll match him up agt the best lines!" (No Dan, he isn't. Not by a mile my man).

"Hey now, if Adams can play agt the top lines, he can play with Sid!"

"Dupes isn't skilled enough to play on the second PP unit, but he is really fast and grinds awesome! He has to stay with Sid"

He is probably thinking about an Adams Crosby Dupes line as I type this ****.

I'm just done with thinking maybe he might change and looking for little inspirations of hope that he isn't the moron TR thinks he is. When you start playing Adams with the best player in the world, it's hard to think otherwise.

 

[cheesedanish87]

Oh... and Kunitz/Malkin/Neal looked like they picked right up where they left off over a year ago. You know... for the half a minute they got to play together. Kunitz and Geno work so well together, it's sickening. I get that he and Sid are great compliments, too. But the KMN line is just... perfect. Neal has really picked up the physical element of his game, too. And he just seems a little craftier with the puck, this year.

I'm not advocating taking all of Crosby's linemates away from him. He's already toiling under far-less-than-ideal circumstances... it would be foolish to make it worse. But man... you sort of can't help but pine for a top echelon wing for him in order to re-unite that KMN line. It's a major failing of the team, IMO, to continue letting that issue slide. It's just... painfully obvious. Get it done... pay the price... whatever it may be.

I would also love to see KMN back together, i don't understand why people care if Geno has the better wingers, pens need to do whatever is best for the team, Geno was playing with Juice and Kobasew earlier this year, give Sid some combination of BB Dupuis Juice.

 

[The Tang]

Just turned on my TV to watch the game. Just got the DB quote;

"I don't think they need to be woken up, they're scoring a lot of goals that aren't going in. Maybe they're gripping their stick a little tight but hopefully we can get them a goal or two tonight"

Quotes like this make me lose faith in humanity...

 

[Til the End of Time]

As much as I want to agree and hate that Shero can't find anything more than glorified role players to play with Sid, Sid's poor play is on him. He's the one making give aways every game, he's the one missing break aways, he's the one blowing up a lot of PP's...

Both Sid and Malkin haven't been playing up to their standards. We can talk about linemates all we want but when two stars take up that much of a cap hit they need to perform every night instead of looking like they're pacing themselves for during an Olympic year.

this is definitely true, that the onus is primarily on the stars themselves. but it would be grand if sid/malkin could get some points/confidence by someone else generating a goal/scoring chance.

i cant think of too many other stars in this league that have to create damn near every offensive chance that their line generates. a guy like ovechkin generates the majority of his lines offense, but probably 30% of the goals/chances their line generates is the result of a good play by backstrom.

sid and malkin are almost NEVER the beneficiary of good plays by their linemates.

i just dont understand what sort of team shero is trying to create. his two stars are on islands of their own out there, the team is terribly soft/easy to play against, and he has a logjam of expensive mediocre d-men with young talented d-man waiting in the wings.

is shero's main priority building around his headcase goalie? thats honestly what it seems like right now. and for numerous reasons, thats just a bad strategy for this team.

 

[MeticulouslyDishevel]

Just turned on my TV to watch the game. Just got the DB quote;

"I don't think they need to be woken up, they're scoring a lot of goals that aren't going in. Maybe they're gripping their stick a little tight but hopefully we can get them a goal or two tonight"

Thanks! I still can't believe that he said that.

 

[BlindWillyMcHurt]

I would also love to see KMN back together, i don't understand why people care if Geno has the better wingers, pens need to do whatever is best for the team, Geno was playing with Juice and Kobasew earlier this year, give Sid some combination of BB Dupuis Juice.

I agree but I also disagree.

That line, by rights, should be re-united. It would solve a lot of problems. But it would also, IMO, create a really, really big one by basically shafting the captain and best player on the team. These guys aren't Mario and Jagr. It isn't that era. They can't just consistently dominate the other team and carry whole lines by themselves -- they need help. And that certainly applies to Crosby, too.

They are about two or three years behind schedule on finding another high-echelon wing for this team. It's inexcusable. And I don't want to hear about cap issues. If they'd trust their drafting and development more, exercise more of a willingness to trim the fat when it makes itself obvious (even when it's long-standing team fixtures) and refrain from trying to keep the band together... the room would be there. Given... it's going to be difficult now. But not impossible. Shero just needs to grow a set.

 

[brewski420]

I have no idea where anyone saying this is getting it from.

I feel like this board often focuses more on one play verses a whole game while evaluating a player's performance.

I am a big fan of BB and think he should get a shot with Crosby but last night was not a good game for him IMO. I don't even remember the one play on the goal to be honest.

I am talking about his game as a whole. Easy to lump someone's honest opinion into a general 'board' problem if you don't agree.

My real point is I am sure he will not be on L1 next game because of last night (DB will see to that) but I hope I am wrong.

 

[ZapRowsdower13]

+ We won....stunned still.
+ Genos play to get Gibby his goal.
+ Fleury
- Our D on the Getlaf goal
++++ Everyone hating Bylsma...even if it is just for his stupid quotes.

 

[Shrimper]

Yesterdays game felt like the reverse of what we've had happen to us in previous games where we'd dominate yet somehow lose by 2/3 goals. This time we managed to weather the storm and win.

 

[MrBurghundy]

Just turned on my TV to watch the game. Just got the DB quote;

"I don't think they need to be woken up, they're scoring a lot of goals that aren't going in. Maybe they're gripping their stick a little tight but hopefully we can get them a goal or two tonight"

Like I said last night in the GDT, if the standard is scoring imaginary goals, then I've banged a lot of supermodels in my day.

Maybe they'll give Crosby and Malkin imaginary Art Ross and Rocket Richard trophies.

 

[cheesedanish87]

I agree but I also disagree.

That line, by rights, should be re-united. It would solve a lot of problems. But it would also, IMO, create a really, really big one by basically shafting the captain and best player on the team. These guys aren't Mario and Jagr. It isn't that era. They can't just consistently dominate the other team and carry whole lines by themselves -- they need help. And that certainly applies to Crosby, too.

They are about two or three years behind schedule on finding another high-echelon wing for this team. It's inexcusable. And I don't want to hear about cap issues. If they'd trust their drafting and development more, exercise more of a willingness to trim the fat when it makes itself obvious (even when it's long-standing team fixtures) and refrain from trying to keep the band together... the room would be there. Given... it's going to be difficult now. But not impossible. Shero just needs to grow a set.

I think Sid could still produce at a high level with BB Dupuis Jokinen, im sure Sid would be pissed if Kunitz was taken from him but it needs to be about the team not making Sid happy, Geno had Kunitz taken away from him after a MVP season and hes had to deal with wingers like Tangradi Glass Kobasew DJ Boychuk the last 2 years, which i had no problem with because Sid Kunitz Dupuis were playing at a high level together and it was best for the team at the time, but now that the KCD aren't producing at a high level it makes more sense to put KMN back together.

 

[MrBurghundy]

I think Sid could still produce at a high level with level with BB Dupuis Jokinen, im sure Sid would be pissed if Kunitz was taken from him but it needs to be about the team not making Sid happy, Geno had Kunitz taken away from him after a MVP season and hes had to deal with wingers like Tangradi Glass Kobasew DJ Boychuk the last 2 years, which i had no problem with because Sid Kunitz Dupuis were playing at a high level together and it was best for the team at the time, but now that the KCD aren't producing at a high level it makes more sense to put KMN back together.

Where's IC when you need him?

 

[Mr Jiggyfly]

I am a big fan of BB and think he should get a shot with Crosby but last night was not a good game for him IMO. I don't even remember the one play on the goal to be honest.

I am talking about his game as a whole. Easy to lump someone's honest opinion into a general 'board' problem if you don't agree.

My real point is I am sure he will not be on L1 next game because of last night (DB will see to that) but I hope I am wrong.

I don't think BB or Kunitz played that well, but as everyone is pointing out, you can't expect chemistry after 5 shifts.

BB needs time to adjust to Crosby's speed. I said BB would be perfect for Malkin because he slows the game down and plays E-W.

Crosby plays silly fast and it even took a sick talent like Hossa weeks to adapt his game to fit with Crosby.

So if DB is actually serious about BB with Crosby, he needs to be patient.

Since DB can't bring himself to take his buddy out of the top six, just roll this and be done with it:

BB Crosby Dupuis
Kunitz Malkin Neal

 

[Rocket of Russia]

Not only was Adams with Crosby, they put Glass with Malkin on a few shifts. I don't know what makes Dan think Glass and Adams are elite defensive forwards, but he does. He really is stuck in his ways.

It's the same awkward thought process as thinking an offensive defenseman is bad on defense because he's good offensively. "Well Glass is an offensive black hole - he must be a defensive stalwart!" Whatever it is, even though it was refreshing to see line changes, it was again worrisome to see the changes Bylsma was deciding to make.

I often try to justify Bylsma’s outwardly awful judgment by telling myself there’s intricacies in the locker room I just could not understand. For all I know Beau kicked Crosby’s dog and stole Geno’s girlfriend. Maybe Adams is a stand-up guy, is always on time, brings in premade dinners for the rookies and single guys, fends off roided out *****-starters at bars, pays for dinner, introduces the guys to models, adopts sick and wounded puppies…whatever the **** it is that this guy does to make him so damn unscratchable, NOTHING could be so great as to justify being placed in the top 6.

 

[Shrimper]

Watching Dupuis lose all sense of balance and fall over a couple of times in a minute yet get a PP is hilarious.

 

[MrBurghundy]

I don't think BB or Kunitz played that well, but as everyone is pointing out, you can't expect chemistry after 5 shifts.

BB needs time to adjust to Crosby's speed. I said BB would be perfect for Malkin because he slows the game down and plays E-W.

Crosby plays silly fast and it even took a sick talent like Hossa weeks to adapt his game to fit with Crosby.

So if DB is actually serious about BB with Crosby, he needs to be patient.

Since DB can't bring himself to take his buddy out of the top six, just roll this and be done with it:

BB Crosby Dupuis
Kunitz Malkin Neal

If Megna can develop properly, he might be a good fit with Crosby some day.

 

[Rocket of Russia]

I think DB just trusts Adams and Glass not to be stupid with the puck. They are the last two guys in the world that are going to try any fancy passes or creative moves that will result in turnovers and chances against. Obviously they still have a ton of warts as players though.

I agree that’s what he thinks. It’s the same thinking that makes him think they can be a shutdown line. They won’t make fancy plays or generate offense, but they’ll do the simple things to keep the puck out of the net. I just disagree with that thought process altogether. Sometimes a little skill goes a long way.

Caught down low on an off wing, Glass hacking at a rolling puck along the boards with slight pressure knocks the puck up to the point where it can be held and fired on goal – time for Glass to block those shots! While maybe a skilled player in that same scenario cradles the rolling puck flat, throws a subtle body movement to act as though he’s going to jam the puck up the boards, and reverses while maintaining possession. The extra time allows for players to get open and for expanded vision. Maybe there’s a defenseman in front of the net or behind it wide open ready to work the puck out of trouble into space. This same skilled play works the same while cycling and keeping the puck in the offensive zone. Bylsma prefers the “simple†play…whatever that means, especially given the recent comments from former players calling the system "complex."

 

[DegenX]

Just a thought regarding BB ... maybe not his best performance, but I hope HCDB gives him more time with Sid. RW may be his 'natural position' but he's been playing LW for a while now, it's going to take him more than a period or two to adjust. And as others have pointed out, the line needs a little time to gel. I'm hoping HCDB has a little patience, but I'm not counting on it though.

 

[Le Magnifique 66]

at that DB quote

 

[ZapRowsdower13]

So how many imaginary Cups have we won these past few years? DBs holding out on us.