Post-Game Talk: Plus/Minus: Pens vs Oilers - Who Cares That We Won? We Only Scored 3 Goals!

[SHOOTANDSCORE]

Maatta > Despres.

Who is this Despres?

 

[Ogrezilla]

Maatta > Despres.

can't teach Despres' size though.

 

[KIRK]

Maybe he's just tired of Bylsma's **** Or the constantly changing linemates.


This team ... is anyone else old enough to remember that old Saturday cartoon 'Thundar the Barbarian'? The villain was this dude Gemini, and he had this helmet deal that rotated, so he had like two faces, literally ... this team reminds me of that. Some days you get the team that started the season playing defense, supporting the puck, etc. and then it's like someone flips a switch and they're playing run and gun again.

Can't say we deserved this one. Then again, it sure seemed like the refs were tilting things in the Oiler's favor there for a while, too. Some very lame penalties and missed calls.

Well, it's two points, anyway.

It's not a question of what's deserved and what the consequences are for when it really matters. It's about the entertainment. Were you not entertained?

 

[cheesedanish87]

We shouldn't be surprised pens had a hard time tonight, we have seen the pens struggle with fast teams for the past few years.

Malkin hasn't had a great season, but he deserves a pass for now, seems like Geno is playing with new line mates every other game, i'd give Malkin 5-10 games with Neal and Jokinen before i'd start worrying about him.

 

[Speaking Moistly]

- The injuries, Bennett, Letang, Neal, Vokoun.
- Malkin isn't right, injured, frustrated, growing pains, IDK. Bylsma doesn't help.
- Keeping Kobasew on the second line even when it was obviously not working.
- Engelland being in over Bortuzzo.
- There's not a lot to be positive about.

+ Crosby is at 2 ppg and a slow starter. Involved in every goal.
+ Paul Martin's "pass" both for the result and the laugh.
+ Scuderi
+ Maatta
+ Fleury, even when the Pens forgot not to hit him.

 

[Big McLargehuge]

Always going to happen when you have a good organization. You don't see any one lining up for Oiler staff.

No doubt. Botteril wasn't going to get the GM job here, he's to Ray Shero what Shero was to David Poile. You just hope you can have him as long as possible before the inevitable happens.

Losing him mid-season would hurt, though.

 

[KIRK]

From the other thread



I was just thinking how much different this team looks since the Carolina game.

Also I don't even recall seeing the 1-3-1 since then either. Maybe I just haven't noticed it, maybe they reverted to mostly the 1-2-2 or lwl. Either way teams are getting through the NZ much more easily.

I saw a little 1-3-1 in the third but mostly 1-2-2 since the Carolina game. Maybe someone else watching more closely can attest.

And, the breakouts . . . so much for those Jacques Martin breakouts. The stretch has gone, again, from being part of what they do to what they do.

 

[eXile59]

Maatta > Despres.

I think people are forgetting how good Despres was at times. I know Maatta is the new hot thing but Despres is very close to being a very good player.

That's if Shero ever stops collecting defensmen & lets him play.

 

[KIRK]

We shouldn't be surprised pens had a hard time tonight, we have seen the pens struggle with fast teams for the past few years.

Malkin hasn't had a great season, but he deserves a pass for now, seems like Geno is playing with new line mates every other game, i'd give Malkin 5-10 games with Neal and Jokinen before i'd start worrying about him.

While I agree, I don't want him in a rut when Neal returns. He will be, of course, because Bylsma doesn't proactively (or even reactively) notice when it happens. Oh well . . .

 

[Ogrezilla]

I think people are forgetting how good Despres was at times. I know Maatta is the new hot thing but Despres is very close to being a very good player.

That's if Shero ever stops collecting defensmen & lets him play.

Maatta seems more consistent and polished, but Despres really could be a great player in his own right.

 

[KIRK]

I think people are forgetting how good Despres was at times. I know Maatta is the new hot thing but Despres is very close to being a very good player.

That's if Shero ever stops collecting defensmen & lets him play.

Scuds-Letang
Despres-Martin
Maatta-Borts

4.5 million in extra cap space

Wake me up when **** freezes over and it happens.

 

[Ogrezilla]

Scuds-Letang
Despres-Martin
Maatta-Borts

4.5 million in extra cap space

Wake me up when **** freezes over and it happens.

Man, just think if Despres had the experience under his belt that he really should have at this point. There's just no way we make a move like this without having seen more of Despres.

 

[alcanalz]

- The injuries, Bennett, Letang, Neal, Vokoun.
- Malkin isn't right, injured, frustrated, growing pains, IDK. Bylsma doesn't help.
- Keeping Kobasew on the second line even when it was obviously not working.
- Engelland being in over Bortuzzo.
- There's not a lot to be positive about.

+ Crosby is at 2 ppg and a slow starter. Involved in every goal.
+ Paul Martin's "pass" both for the result and the laugh.
+ Scuderi
+ Maatta
+ Fleury, even when the Pens forgot not to hit him.

He started off well, which is likely why he got the whole game there. I don't recall him being so good on the forecheck but he was mostly pretty good there, which is a pleasant surprise to me. That's our game.

Sid and his line were all over the place. What's the point of even going in to how good Sid is, when he's just unreal.

Malkin's been meh but there's no need to go pointing to injuries or anything. Players just go through ups and downs (players not named Sid). He's also playing with two guys he's relatively fresh with and there's no Neal. I don't see the need to critique every little thing. He's pretty much been the same old Malkin to me - some great plays, some good plays, some stupid plays. Maybe there's been less of the dominating shifts, but that's not really cause for concern.

For all of those in favour of Bortuzzo over Engelland, I agree... but you cannot keep a guy as a healthy scratch forever. And I know he's gotten in to a game before, but you have to remember this is a team - you can't just let a guy rot on the bench, especially early in the season. That **** festers. It's not like Engo is so horrible anyways, though he does seem prone to more mistakes than Bort.

Edit: Agree with eXile. Despres is the guy I want to see in the lineup, and want to see get experience right now. He's got a ton of tools we could really use. A couple rookie gaffes don't ever change that. I almost hope a D-man goes down for a bit so we can have him get a real look, and stay. He deserves it.

And what's all this about Botteril? Is he in danger of leaving?

 

[turd]

For all of those in favour of Bortuzzo over Engelland, I agree... but you cannot keep a guy as a healthy scratch forever. And I know he's gotten in to a game before, but you have to remember this is a team - you can't just let a guy on on the bench, especially early in the season. That **** festers. It's not like Engo is so horrible anyways, though he does seem prone to more mistakes than Bort.

Yeah, especially against a crappy Edmonton team. If Maatta would stay up, and once Letang returns full-time, Engelland won't be seeing a hell of a lot of ice time, outside of matchups where they believe his ruggedness can benefit the team. Nothing wrong plugging him in once in a while.

 

[KIRK]

Man, just think if Despres had the experience under his belt that he really should have at this point. There's just no way we make a move like this without having seen more of Despres.

No, and if Maatta goes down (because you KNOW Despres won't come up), it's going to be the same logic used to resign Orpik. It's like a train wreck you see coming a mile away, because you've seen the exact same wreck before.

 

[cheesedanish87]

Like most i hated seeing Engelland playing over Bort, but we really don't really know if it was DB decision to bench Bort, Engelland could be the odd man out if pens keep Maatta, and one of the rumors we heard is Engelland to Edmonton, Shero might be having DB showcasing Engelland to Edmonton or any other team that might be interested.

 

[SEALBound]

Engo is being showcased for a trade...especially when Edmonton might be interested...cone on now people. Think for a minute.

Missed the game...I too had a flight to catch.

 

[Dipsy Doodle]

Considering how many key injured players we have right now, I'd say the team's managing pretty well.

Geno's line understandably looks out of sorts, and Geno himself doesn't look too sharp. Hopefully that goal will kickstart him a little.

 

[eXile59]

Even if a player gets hurt Despres won't be up. We have way too many D-men. Niskanen keeps piling up points despite being horrible at actually playing defense & Engelland is holding Bylsma's daughter for ransom.

Maatta it's not going to kill him to go back to juniors but both Bortz & Despres are at crucial times in their development & should be playing with the big club.

 

[nhindian]

- yinzers

 

[KIRK]

Even if a player gets hurt Despres won't be up. We have way too many D-men. Niskanen keeps piling up points despite being horrible at actually playing defense & Engelland is holding Bylsma's daughter for ransom.

Maatta it's not going to kill him to go back to juniors but both Bortz & Despres are at crucial times in their development & should be playing with the big club.

Trade Engo and Nisky. Play Maatta, Despres, and Borts as a three man platoon. If everyone stays healthy in the top four (which won't happen), they still get a minimum of 50 or so games each. Nice way to get each guy good game action AND monitor Maatta to make sure he isn't overworked.

 

[KIRK]

Considering how many key injured players we have right now, I'd say the team's managing pretty well.

Geno's line understandably looks out of sorts, and Geno himself doesn't look too sharp. Hopefully that goal will kickstart him a little.

Thought he looked really sharp in the first four and like **** since. Perhaps losing Bennett hurt, because Beau was the only forechecking help he had.

 

[Ogrezilla]

Engo is being showcased for a trade...especially when Edmonton might be interested...cone on now people. Think for a minute.

Missed the game...I too had a flight to catch.

We would have been better off not showcasing him

 

[alcanalz]

Even if a player gets hurt Despres won't be up. We have way too many D-men. Niskanen keeps piling up points despite being horrible at actually playing defense & Engelland is holding Bylsma's daughter for ransom.

Maatta it's not going to kill him to go back to juniors but both Bortz & Despres are at crucial times in their development & should be playing with the big club.

I agree with all of that except for the bit about Niskanen. He has his good and bad, but because of all the young talent on D we have around here his mistakes get magnified, and his good gets totally marginalized. Seriously, outside of a goal, any good play he ever does gets no mention, ever. He's solid on the third pairing, and he's not a terrilble fill-in for an injury in the top 4. Personally, I'd rather see Nisky shipped off and Despres in his spot, but what can you do. It's like half this board actively and consciously wants him to fail. He's not that bad, folks.

 

[Waffle Fries]

+Sid
+Fleury
+Maatta

A general 'meh' to everything else