POST GAME TALK: Bolts 4, Walking Wounded 3

[billybudd]

Everyone's take.

Well, that and Kunitz and Scuderi are done like a couple of burnt Christmas roasts.

Gotta run. Merry X-Mas to all, even IC . . .

Yeah Merry Christmas

 

[IcedCapp]

Everyone's take.

Well, that and Kunitz and Scuderi are done like a couple of burnt Christmas roasts.

Gotta run. Merry X-Mas to all, even IC . . .

Merry Christmas, ya filthy animal

 

[Mr Jiggyfly]

You know, I really can't argue against that.

Honestly, I'm not worried about the result. What worries me, even with this team healthy, is how much smaller the gap is between Sid/Geno and their peers and their linemates and their peers linemates. And, it's not because the gap between Sid/Geno and their peers is small. Flip Sid's and Toews' linemates. Same for Malkin and Kopitar. Let Seguin play with any two Pens wingers while Sid or Geno play with Benn and Spezza. Is there any question then who the two best players in hockey are? Think about this: Geno has been close to god mode for a month. He's barely averaging 1.25 points a game, where, playing like this, 15 point in 5 game stretches were the norm. That's not an indictment of Geno. It's an indictment of the Pens organization. And, the same can be said with respect to Sid at other points this year.

A lot hinges on BB health, even though most people don't like hearing that.

 

[ProgOg]

Basically my takeaway.

13 guys out, back to back off an OT game against a big/heavy/physical club yesterday, recalls coming straight from Christmas vacation, playing a division leader...

Pens shouldn't have been in this game. But they showed a lot of resilience. Again. Great to see.

They needed to show this sort of thing. Letang, in particular, is really dealing with adversity in a productive manner these days. Wasn't always the case.

Yeah, that is where I'm at.

 

[TheGoldenJet]

Proud of the boys. Sid is playing better intincts wise, shooting when he should shoot, eetc, just a bit snake bit right now and his frustration is showing since he seems to be clutching his stick too tightly out there.

Before I forget, Merry Christmas guys!

 

[Asuna]

I found it interesting that Harrington was second in ice time now.

 

[Jaded-Fan]

Pittsburgh now has the most penalties called against (199) and most total penalty minutes called against (537):

http://www.nhl.com/ice/teamstats.htm?fetchKey=20152ALLSAAAll&sort=totalPenalties&viewName=penalties

And it is not even close between them and everyone else. We *****ed a lot about it without really looking at the stats to back it up, but deep down you knew it was this bad.

 

[ProgOg]

Agnew agrees with all of us:

Assistant coach Gary Agnew gives his three impressions of Pittsburgh's 4-3 shootout loss to the Panthers.

1. For me, it was playing three in four nights, the battle. It’s 4-0, I’m sure the whole world thought we were going to get blown out. And I thought we stuck with the game plan and the battle was really nice, as a coaching staff, to see.

2. I thought the effort. When you’re shorthanded people, it’s the next man up. That’s been our mantra the last month, is the next man up.

3. And for me, the overall leadership of the guys. Because you know, it’s easy to quit. It’s easy to say, hey, let’s have a good Christmas, the game’s over. And we never had that ‘let’s get the eggnog early’ (mentality). It was more like, we’re not dead here. And we’re one shot away and we’re close to scoring to tie it up.

 

[IcedCapp]

Two quick player discussions:

1) Despres: Please re-sign him before he gets too expensive. Sign him long-term. Make it happen. Dude is a BEAST.

2) Harrington is a star in the making. He's solid and adding a physical presence to him. I actually like that Harrington/Letang duo. They are good. Good chemistry and they open up for one another.

Despres was 5th in ice-time tonight. Has been in the 3-4-5 range since Martin and Ehrhoff went out. (Harrington was 2nd)

There continues to be a ton of evidence showing the Pens don't value him as you, me, and a few others do. I don't think they are worried about the next contract, because I don't think they are looking at him the same way they look at Maatta, Pouliot, or Harrington.

 

[ColePens]

Merry Christmas, KIRK, and everyone. Can't believe we are at Christmas Eve already.

Feels like DB was still ruining the team just yesterday.

 

[ProgOg]

Pittsburgh now has the most penalties called against (199) and most total penalty minutes called against (537):

http://www.nhl.com/ice/teamstats.htm?fetchKey=20152ALLSAAAll&sort=totalPenalties&viewName=penalties

And it is not even close between them and everyone else. We *****ed a lot about it without really looking at the stats to back it up, but deep down you knew it was this bad.

Ha. More than twice as many PIMs/game than the first team. Clearly the Penguins are goons and criminals, all of them.

 

[Jaded-Fan]

I will say one thing at the Christmas break. This team is more likable than any Pens' team in a few years. You can not accuse them of dogging it overall most nights no matter the score. They could have easily mailed it in and gone on Christmas break. The players stick up for one another. Likable is a very good word for the difference between this year and previous. I am going with that.

 

[ProgOg]

Letang:

“We want to prove something right now,” Letang said. “We have new coaches. We want to prove something to them. We're a new team now. And we want to bring it every night.”

Johnston:

“It says an awful lot about the leadership in this group,” Johnston said. “Guys on the bench were into the game. They were down 4-0 but were talking about getting that first goal or about getting a power-play opportunity. We had them on their heels in the third period. That's a good building block for us.”

Zatkoff:

“There's a ton of character in this room,” said goalie Jeff Zatkoff, who allowed one goal in relief. “It was impressive to watch.”

Crosby:

“You don't like to lose, but we definitely had a lot of things going against us,” center Sidney Crosby said. “It would have been easy to get ready for Christmas break early. But everybody stuck with it. We never gave up.”

 

[ColePens]

Dem feel good quotes finally match up w/ the action we see on the ice.

I like.

 

[MtlPenFan]

That "missed" call when Letang was high sticked was the kicker for me. The ref was right there and had to have seen it. Honestly **** them and their mothers.

My only MJ complaint was not putting Sid and Geno out together after they made it 4-2. Klinkhammer was God awful and isn't good for much and I got tired of seeing him out there every time Geno hopped on. I get going for balance but there isn't much to be had when the lineup is as depleted as it is.

 

[Griffin6612]

This is a team that is playing like it can face some adversity. Reminds me of some of the games again the Rangers during our two cup runs.

 

[MtlPenFan]

Dem feel good quotes finally match up w/ the action we see on the ice.

I like.

It's different this year. The overall feel of things just isn't the same.

No idea if it wins a Cup, but I think we have our team back again.

 

[IcedCapp]

wish we could see THIS defensive group with a (relatively) healthy forward group. The biggest reason for the shots against (other than ****ing Scuderi) is the lack of puck/breakout support from the forwards.

 

[Fordy]

jr needs to go to work. something, anything, we're drowning out here. can't come out of the break with this roster

 

[penguins2946*]

Zatkoff, Chorney and Uher back to WBS. I'm guessing Martin, Downie, Greiss and Sutter are good to go in the next game.

 

[billybudd]

It's different this year. The overall feel of things just isn't the same.

No idea if it wins a Cup, but I think we have our team back again.

Agreed. I credit Steve Downie as much as anyone not on the coaching staff. 44 being in a Caps uniform doesn't hurt, either.

Letang:

“We want to prove something right now,” Letang said. “We have new coaches. We want to prove something to them. We're a new team now. And we want to bring it every night.”

That man needs an A, full time.

 

[Big McLargehuge]

I will say one thing at the Christmas break. This team is more likable than any Pens' team in a few years. You can not accuse them of dogging it overall most nights no matter the score. They could have easily mailed it in and gone on Christmas break. The players stick up for one another. Likable is a very good word for the difference between this year and previous. I am going with that.

Agreed, entirely.

This feels like an actual team and not just an assemblage of hockey players wearing the same jersey.

 

[Beauner]

Agreed, entirely.

This feels like an actual team and not just an assemblage of hockey players wearing the same jersey.

Another thing Bylsma ****ed up is the whole "no confrontations" or sticking up for teammates. Nothing gets a bench more into a game or together than seeing a guy step up for his teammate.

 

[Dipsy Doodle]

Zatkoff, Chorney and Uher back to WBS. I'm guessing Martin, Downie, Greiss and Sutter are good to go in the next game.

Let's hope it's not just because they don't want to pay those guys an NHL paycheque over the holidays.

 

[Zen Arcade]

Agreed. I credit Steve Downie as much as anyone not on the coaching staff. 44 being in a Caps uniform doesn't hurt, either.

It's so nice to have coaching staff that actually respects players for sticking up for one another. I'm baffled by where Bylsma picked up his mentality, he didn't start out that way.