Post Game Thead - The Our Best Defenseman Was a Teenager Edition

[KIRK]

Fire away . . .

Joke about Zakoff not intended there.

Click to read more...

 

[mpp9]

Maatta continues to impress.

KCD needs to end this season.

Beau had a decent night I thought. Malkin as well.

 

[IcedCapp]

the Pens were discombobulated from start to finish, even before the goals started trickling in. I'm hoping The System™ comes back tomorrow.

 

[Waffle Fries]

I don't really know what to give a plus to, but I'm sure Dan is happy since his two favorite people in the world both scored tonight.

I'm not too upset about the loss, it happens. We always play pretty ****** against Florida. Hoping for a better effort tomorrow night.

I'm also really looking forward to when Letang gets back.

 

[Pancakes]

Thought we played better than the score indicates. Zatkoff gave up two bad ones, and the refs refused to call any penalties in the 2nd and 3rd for some reason. I thought they missed a few, and it's a different game if we get on the PP perhaps.

Oh well. On to Tampa.

 

[KIRK]

Maatta continues to impress.

KCD needs to end this season.

Beau had a decent night I thought. Malkin as well.

Agree on all counts. The third line was non-descript, which you can't have against a team like this. Added comments:

+ Glass and Adams

- Malkin on the PK . . . completely invisible.

 

[Captain Hook]

Can't win 'em all boys.

Kind of knew it might be tough to match the intensity of Florida given it was their home opener and they had been embarrassed last game while we were coming in very comfortable at 3-0. They had more desperation and I thought it showed.

The game really got away from them on that 5 on 3 sequence. You just can't give up two goals there. You have to keep it to one or less.

Zatkoff didn't look NHL caliber but I'll reserve judgement since it was only one game and the team in front of him didn't exactly put on a clinic defensively.

Maatta continues to be a huge bright spot. Crazy to think he's only 19.

 

[SV1]

Still trying to digest the strategic genius himself, Dan Bylsma, throwing out Glass and Adams on that PK with 1:30 to go, down 2 goals. WTF was that? Who cares if you lose 5-3 or 6-3? And they scored anyway.

 

[Will Hunting]

Well, Zatkoff obviously sucks. His rebound control is non-existent. He´s very bad. The defense didn´t make it easier for him, though. We still did have tons of scoring chances, but Markstrom is a legit NHL goalie and that was a difference.

Horrrible games by Orpik and Crosby, I have to say. Kunitz was invisible all night long and then he failed on a crucial breakaway. Maatta wasn´t on the ice for a single goal allowed, if I´m right. He was fine in this game full of craps.

Our team will be all right. They kind of underestimated the Cats tonight but it´s just one meaningless game. Our backup is a problem. Going with Zatkoff is an immediate handicap for us, at least we know it now.

 

[Pancakes]

I feel like we've gotten more out of Glass and Adams in these first four games than we did for all of last season.

 

[KIRK]

I don't really know what to give a plus to, but I'm sure Dan is happy since his two favorite people in the world both scored tonight.

I'm not too upset about the loss, it happens. We always play pretty ****** against Florida. Hoping for a better effort tomorrow night.

I'm also really looking forward to when Letang gets back.

I'll look forward to when Letang comes back if Maatta still is starting.

Borts sort of had a rough night. Same for Scuds by his standard.

Nisky was . . .

Orpik taking the body . . .

Even Martin sort of had a rough night.

IMO, you can argue that Maatta was the team's best defenseman. His only two 'mistakes' were assuming Kunitz would chip out the puck he passed him instead of turning it over trying some stupid chip to the middle of the defensive zone and half bailing out as Malkin was about to set him up.

 

[66-30-33]

Zatkoff can Fakoff.

 

[vodeni]

bad game all together. I really want to give another chance to Zatkoff but its not like he was left by himself there most of the goals were soft,
+we know Matta is good
- I am in minority here but Bortuzzo doesn't do anything for me, never has, never understood love for him, rather have Despres there
---we don't have third line, it will take another year for slow moving momentum of pgh hockey media/establishment that Sutter is either miscast as a third line center or he is simply awful
everybody else not good...didn't like Sid's cheap shot at the end

 

[KIRK]

Well, Zatkoff obviously sucks. His rebound control is non-existent. He´s very bad. The defense didn´t make it easier for him, though. We still did have tons of scoring chances, but Markstrom is a legit NHL goalie and that was a difference.

Horrrible games by Orpik and Crosby, I have to say. Kunitz was invisible all night long and then he failed on a crucial breakaway. Maatta wasn´t on the ice for a single goal allowed, if I´m right. He was fine in this game full of craps.

Our team will be all right. They kind of underestimated the Cats tonight but it´s just one meaningless game. Our backup is a problem. Going with Zatkoff is an immediate handicap for us, at least we know it now.

You're not. Look at the first one. Maatta puts the puck up the wall to Kunitz. Kunitz, instead of chipping out, tries to chip sideways in the defensive zone to get Sid the puck. The turnover ended up in the Pens net a few seconds later.

 

[BlindWillyMcHurt]

Bylsma is aware that Malkin played the PK (very well) for years before he was around, right? I think he could have handled a minute, out there. I'm not saying it would have actually produced a goal... but what a boneheaded decision.

Also... I'm not sure why Crosby felt the need to try to exact his pound of flesh from Weaver. Hit looked perfectly clean, to me. So what... Dupuis got buried. It happens. I hate it when players stir **** up after a clean hit and that includes Crosby.

Forgettable game. The Penguins always seem to put these kind of performances up during road trips in Florida.

 

[KIRK]

bad game all together. I really want to give another chance to Zatkoff but its not like he was left by himself there most of the goals were soft,
+we know Matta is good
- I am in minority here but Bortuzzo doesn't do anything for me, never has, never understood love for him, rather have Despres there
---we don't have third line, it will take another year for slow moving momentum of pgh hockey media/establishment that Sutter is either miscast as a third line center or he is simply awful
everybody else not good...didn't like Sid's cheap shot at the end

Add half this board to that list.

 

[Shockmaster]

+ Bennett: Really looked good out there and would have drawn penalties if the refs were competent.
+ Malkin: Had some jump in his game and finally got on the board
+ Maatta/Bort: They looked better than the top 4. Maatta is the real deal.
+ Fourth line: They're looking good in the early portion of the season.
+ Flyers lost too. Never a bad thing regardless of how early it is into the season.

= Dupuis: Not a spectacular game, but I thought he played well enough.

- Top 4 D: Their worse game thus far. Did not make things easy for Zatkoff.
- Refs: They missed multiple calls against the Panthers
- Zatkoff: He wasn't getting much help, but it was not a good showing from him.
- Team defense: Reminded me of the Flyers series from 2012.

 

[AquaticBirdman]

But do we still have a chance of making the playoffs?????

 

[KIRK]

Bylsma is aware that Malkin played the PK (very well) for years before he was around, right? I think he could have handled a minute, out there. I'm not saying it would have actually produced a goal... but what a boneheaded decision.

Also... I'm not sure why Crosby felt the need to try to exact his pound of flesh from Weaver. Hit looked perfectly clean, to me. So what... Dupuis got buried. It happens. I hate it when players stir **** up after a clean hit and that includes Crosby.

Forgettable game. The Penguins always seem to put these kind of performances up during road trips in Florida.

Malkin got 1 shift on the PK in preseason. He used his reach to break up two passes and clear the puck in about 40 seconds. That type of work has no place on the Pens PK.

 

[radapex]

the Pens were discombobulated from start to finish, even before the goals started trickling in. I'm hoping The Systemâ„¢ comes back tomorrow.

If I'm not mistaken, tonight was Granato's turn in the rotation so tomorrow would be Martin's.

 

[Waffle Fries]

I'll look forward to when Letang comes back if Maatta still is starting.

I'm not putting a qualifier on it. What Letang does for this team is much, much more important than whether a 19 year old gets to play.

 

[Al Smith]

Well, Zatkoff obviously sucks. His rebound control is non-existent. He´s very bad. The defense didn´t make it easier for him, though. We still did have tons of scoring chances, but Markstrom is a legit NHL goalie and that was a difference.

Horrrible games by Orpik and Crosby, I have to say. Kunitz was invisible all night long and then he failed on a crucial breakaway. Maatta wasn´t on the ice for a single goal allowed, if I´m right. He was fine in this game full of craps.

Our team will be all right. They kind of underestimated the Cats tonight but it´s just one meaningless game. Our backup is a problem. Going with Zatkoff is an immediate handicap for us, at least we know it now.

OM was on the ice for the first goal, IIRC.

Orpik was particularly bad among many who had bad nights. Scuds for four years is going to turn out to be a mistake.

 

[Will Hunting]

You're not. Look at the first one. Maatta puts the puck up the wall to Kunitz. Kunitz, instead of chipping out, tries to chip sideways in the defensive zone to get Sid the puck. The turnover ended up in the Pens net a few seconds later.

Well, that goal happened too fast.. I kinda missed the start of the game. But there were too many goals that I already forgot that it happened and didn´t check it. OK then..

 

[KIRK]

+ Bennett: Really looked good out there and would have drawn penalties if the refs were competent.
+ Malkin: Had some jump in his game and finally got on the board
+ Maatta/Bort: They looked better than the top 4. Maatta is the real deal.
+ Fourth line: They're looking good in the early portion of the season.
+ Flyers lost too. Never a bad thing regardless of how early it is into the season.

= Dupuis: Not a spectacular game, but I thought he played well enough.

- Top 4 D: Their worse game thus far. Did not make things easy for Zatkoff.
- Refs: They missed multiple calls against the Panthers
- Zatkoff: He wasn't getting much help, but it was not a good showing from him.
- Team defense: Reminded me of the Flyers series from 2012.

Neutral zone work was absolutely pathetic, and there was no collapsing in the defensive zone. Ergo, reminded me of the last 4 years.

 

[DrDangles]

Don't look too far into this one. We hit a few posts, played pretty sloppy, and iced an AHL goalie that played at an AHL level. You can't win em all, and we always seem to cough up losses to teams we 'should' beat. Florida played a solid game and capitalized on everything the Pens gave them, not to mention Markstrom made some pretty big saves.

Sid had an off game, but just be glad he had one against Florida as opposed to Boston/Washington/Philly/Detroit.

Beau needs to be playing top 6 minutes, DB needs to try him on that top line and break up Kunitz - Sid - Duper, he's done nothing but prove himself worthy of a shot.