Post-Game Talk: Plus/Minus: Pens vs. CBJ - Backs against the wall edition

[Ugene Magic]

What a take the good with the bad, turn it into good again, win.

 

[BrookswasHere44]

CBJ is ALLLLL INNNNNNN!!!!!!

 

[Icarium]

Huge win, pluses for everyone, even JJ. Having an actual forecheck and neutral zone defence makes a world of difference. Geno has great hop in his step, Sid is, well, Sid, Jake is a Jackets killer and McCann is like Sutter but with actual good defence in addition to his surprisingly wicked shots. If we had blown it after that short-handed chance in the end I would have probably broken something, thankfully we didn't.

But why do we play such determined hockey only with our back to the wall? On the bright side, being in CBJ's heads is all kind of glorious, especially after they loaded up and we struggled.

 

[Ogrezilla]

Funny that you pick a thread that is actually positive for that gif

yeah but you know it won't last

 

[KIRK]

This is me wading in to the negativity that is HFPens

big win boys. keep it going.

Our pessimism makes the Penguins powerful.

And, now, the 68 hour countdown to the Erik Gunbranson experience begins . . .

 

[IcedCapp]

Heh.

Heh.


Hehhhhhhh.

 

[KIRK]

Am I allowed to give Jack Johnson a +?

Feels weird.

Dirty is more like it.

But, yes . . . yes you are.

 

[Ogrezilla]

Our pessimism makes the Penguins powerful.

And, now, the 68 hour countdown to the Erik Gunbranson experience begins . . .

I just watched us win with how Ruh and Riikola played tonight. I'm not scared.

 

[Ryder71]

JJ didn't suck as bad as usual.

 

[vodeni]

well very good game for just about entire 60 min utes snase some of the PK and occasional blurs....I said during the game the defense was humming...and Petterson with his best game of the season, we got better when Ruhwedel was injured....
i did not like that Sid's line was not good...Hornquist is killing that line with the possession, they can't circle, they can't have a clean breakout...I am trying to jinx Horny into playing better...
geno was solid tonight he and ZAR need Rust to dominate....

speaking of Rust this will be a huge loss they won't be able to afford...maybe Teddy can bring a little bit there cause Simon is who he is - one speed careless hockey player....no need for him there

McCann is good, Bjugs carries the puck sometimes well but not much of possession there, still don't see a fit for him anywhere here on the roster, third line center?

 

[KIRK]

Heh.

Heh.


Hehhhhhhh.

 

[Andy99]

CBJ is ALLLLL INNNNNNN!!!!!!

That they couldn’t beat us with our depleted roster and after injuring two of our players is hysterical...

 

[Fatty McLardy]

Always a good day when you a beat a torts team...

i hope they lose all their UFA players in the offseason. Duchene, Dzingel, Panarin & Bob

 

[Ogrezilla]

offensive zone penalties, Simon, Riikola, and Ruh are my minuses.

Happy with what we got from everyone else.

well except for Phil. But he's a minus until otherwise notified.

 

[BlindWillyMcHurt]

+++++++ Geno/ZAR = Much as it pains me to admit @ColePens was right about his boy, these two really have something cooking.

Want to know what Sully thought of Geno's game tonight? He was on the ice with the EN on Sid's wing. And, yes, his 200 foot game was that good. And, ZAR is winning battles, mucking it up like Malone, Talbot, Kunitz used to. Getting Geno some time and space with the puck, and weird thing is Geno is 100% trusting him out there.

I do think it's weird how quickly Malkin has meshed with ZAR. He usually does NOT trust young guys or guys he perceives as pluggers. Something tells me ZAR has shown a lot in practice and camps so that Malkin understands he can trust him with the puck.

And I also noticed Malkin out there for the EN, which is not common. I still think he and JJ should get helpers on that EN, the way I saw it.

I just knew they'd take this one. The dynamic felt exactly right for a win, here. Dunno about the rest of the season... their weaknesses are still very, very evident. But... c'mon... all those moves the Jackets made at the TDL? All the doom and gloom surrounding the Penguins (on a national level) and their much ballyhooed decline? This was practically a gimmie.

 

[DesertPenguin]

Man where has this Jack Johnson been all year? If Dumo and Letang come back, and he can keep up this level of play that'd be huge.

Keep him on the left side. Pairing him with Schultz, a grade A puck mover, might actually work

 

[66-30-33]

Always a good day when you a beat a torts team...

i hope they lose all their UFA players in the offseason. Duchene, Dzingel, Panarin & Bob

 

[chethejet]

Character win. Long time between drinks. Pens actually handled the adversity well vs the Flyers as well. I think Geno, Sid, just won;t allow this team to go south. Now get back Dumo, Letang, Rust and play with this urgency and heart and I finally have some hope here.

 

[Big Friggin Dummy]

Whoa there...don’t count your chickens...he hasn’t even appeared on the ice yet to suck...

I'm not trying to make the Gudbranson trade to be anything but abysmal. Trust me. I just think we struck gold with McCann; he's 22 and looks to be a stud middle-6 guy for this team well into Sid and Geno's decline. That, coupled with the potential for Bjugstad to (hopefully) find his game and you've got a fantastic trade.

 

[ownal]

Horny is a 60 point guy with Sid. Leave him there.
Trotman should overtake Ruh on the depth chart.
I'd like to see Prow a few games too.
Hope Rusty isn't seriously hurt.
JJ responded nicely.

 

[IcedCapp]

Didn’t know Bobrovsky was on The Office

 

[Al Smith]

Always a good day when you a beat a torts team...

i hope they lose all their
UFA players in the offseason. Duchene, Dzingel, Panarin & Bob

I don't know how Pens would fare agst CBJ without Bob in goal.

 

[Bingo71]

Good win. Need an update on Rust ASAP.

UBI. Will be evaluated tomorrow in Pittsburgh.

 

[Ugene Magic]

This is me wading in to the negativity that is HFPens

big win boys. keep it going.

I saved this one. Incredible.

 

[Empoleon8771]

Funny that you pick a thread that is actually positive for that gif

To be fair, that's an amazing gif

I really can't emphasize enough how good of a win this is to me. It's not because it's Columbus and it's not because they didn't have Letang or Dumoulin. It's because for the first time I can remember this year, this team looked like a cohesive unit. That means way more to me than the performances of any individual player. You can win with players like Johnson and Gudbranson if you're playing as a complete team playing responsible hockey, I truly believe that. Getting this team to play as 1 complete unit is way bigger than any trade deadline acquisition that they can make. It's only 1 game, but I'm encouraged by what I saw.

And I'm also drunk, so don't take my word for it. Blame the guy who said the "Jabranson" pair would look good for that one.

 

[KIRK]

I just watched us win with how Ruh and Riikola played tonight. I'm not scared.