Pre-Game Talk: Practice 4/18/13

[Ladyfan]

Scratching Looch right now doesn't make us a better team. Even the sub-himself way he's playing right, he's still a much better option than Thornton.

Haters can rejoice. But I would be very surprised if Lucic ain't playing in 100% of the playoffs game if healthy. Be it on any line.

And if we want to have a chance to reach late June, we'll need him.

Great post ! Thanks!

 

[bb_fan]

Pretty sure he would have owned up to it had he been dropped to the 4th line earlier...I'm not defending him...he has underperformed goal scoring wise and fighting wise...all his other numbers are right on par. He should have been taken to task earlier then this.

I agree.

and I've said this once or twice, but I thought the last 5-6 or more games, his skating has been much better and I've noticed him out there..... just not doing what I expect of him.

I think that's where my reprieve comes in. I feel like the effort to play has been there of the late, just the execution is off. no hitting, turn overs, and no goals.

 

[doakacola*]

I thought that you didn't have a clue before, but this statement confirms it. Have you watched Kreider play? Nobody is "untradeable", but that package is a joke, and I'm sure the Rangers would jump at it.

It's funny, people who defend players are fanboys, but you come out ridiculous statements like this and likely consider yourself "objective"...

Nothing "ridiculous " at all about the value inherent in that package in this draft. Kreider IMO
will turn out to be a consistent 30 goal guy.

In fact I have watched Kreider play, about as effective as Lucic.

 

[InGENEious]

Hey Guys,
Pens fan with many friends and relatives in Boston. Hoping for a good, solid game tomorrow. That anthem last night choked me up. The city of Pittsburgh is behind you guys all the way. We're Americans first, hockey fans second. Thoughts and Prayers.

 

[BBB24]

Cannot believe Clode would sit Lucic. He may have issues but the picture is becoming clearer that the issue may be Clode himself. Peverly, Seguin, Horton, Lucic all seem to have lost interest/effort, sorry but that many players, it falls on the coach. Sure he brought the cup in 2011, but that was the same year he was one shot away from being gone. Not calling for his dismissal, but he needs to take a look in the mirror and determine what the issues with team are. To many players falling off the truck.

 

[Sevren]

Nothing "ridiculous " at all about the value inherent in that package in this draft. Kreider IMO
will turn out to be a consistent 30 goal guy.

In fact I have watched Kreider play, about as effective as Lucic.

Kreider will never be as effective as prime Lucic. Never. Not a chance. And he's never going to be a consistent 30 goal guy. You are totally overrating him.

 

[GloryDaze4877]

Nothing "ridiculous " at all about the value inherent in that package in this draft. Kreider IMO
will turn out to be a consistent 30 goal guy.

In fact I have watched Kreider play, about as effective as Lucic.

Watched Kreider the other day in the AHL and the guy was INVISIBLE. JT Miller was 100 times better than Kreider, and in talking to some people that like him, and watch him frequently, this is not an isolated thing. A guy whose opinion I trust about such things told me he was worried about the turn Kreider's development has taken, and he's really not sure he's going to "make it".

Everybody is down on Looch right now, but I don't believe in knee-jerk reactions.


Ps I got your PM, and you are a real class act. Going forward, feel free to keep your commentary to the regular board and refrain from PMing me with your childish nonsense. I hope Lucic is one of the B's players that reads this board (and some do). He will get a big kick out of you I'm sure.

 

[Xegiie]

i would like also see Soderberg with Jagr and Krejci..
Since Krejci linei s officially not working..
why?
cuz Soderberg is new and Jagr played pretty much every game with someone else, so it would just make sense put these 2 together.
Although i think Jagr and Marchand was just great!

 

[Shaun]

Sitting Lucic against Pittsburgh would be a mistake. They are the team that could pull some **** and get Lucic engaged again.

 

[LouJersey]

Watched Kreider the other day in the AHL and the guy was INVISIBLE. JT Miller was 100 times better than Kreider, and in talking to some people that like him, and watch him frequently, this is not an isolated thing. A guy whose opinion I trust about such things told me he was worried about the turn Kreider's development has taken, and he's really not sure he's going to "make it".

Everybody is down on Looch right now, but I don't believe in knee-jerk reactions.


Ps I got your PM, and you are a real class act. Going forward, feel free to keep your commentary to the regular board and refrain from PMing me with your childish nonsense. I hope Lucic is one of the B's players that reads this board (and some do). He will get a big kick out of you I'm sure.

You're like the 4th person I know of that has got harassed via PM by this guy... I'm feeling kind of left out..

 

[KuralySnipes]

I'm for scratching Lucic for one game, but only one game. We don't need an over reaction. He's a great player that we are lucky to have. He is in a slump, and should sit a game to try to get out of it. No use to keep putting him out there hanging him out to dry.

 

[Danton Heineken]

Sitting Lucic against Pittsburgh would be a mistake. They are the team that could pull some **** and get Lucic engaged again.

Every team has been pulling **** against Boston. Mostly because they know Lucic won't engage. He's not the only one who isn't, obviously. But when Lucic is engaging, I have seen defensemen who are genuinely afraid of handling the puck in the corners when he is on the attack. He can really have that much of an effect on the opposition.

Remember his hit on Seidenberg in the 2009 playoffs? I don't think Dennis Seidenberg has ever been hit that hard, and now that he's on Lucic's team, I don't think he'll ever be hit that hard again.

Chara has said he holds back usually because he knows he can genuinely hurt people. When Lucic is playing his game, he doesn't hold back and he can hit with almost the same level of force.

 

[Dr Quincy]

But he doesn't care!

It's easy to say things. It's harder to do them. It's great that Lucic is saying the right thing but that means nothing. He has not given a decent effort this year and he didn't last year in the playoffs. I could give you quotes of Alexi Yashin saying the right things too. Would that convince you that he "cared" or would you be more convinced by his actions that he didn't?

 

[SPLBRUIN]

I can't see how anyone can be against his being benched tomorrow night, it's the last card Julien has left to play. He has kept him playing with his buddy Horton far longer then he should have, then he demotes him to the 4th line and he puts in an even weaker performance, Lucic has to decide if he wants to help this team or not, right now he is a turnover machine with little to no physical presence, he can't make it solely as a finesse player. Getting this guy going if it's possible is essential if this team expects to make a deep playoff run.

 

[Dr Quincy]

Guy comes out and places the blame squarely where it belongs, and people are still calling him out.

Freaking Hilarious!

I personally don't care where he puts the blame. I care how much effort he gives and how often he makes stupid lazy plays as opposed to smart plays that require hard work.

I'd rather he "say" "Screw you, fans" and perform than have him "say" the "right thing" and suck with no effort.

He's a good player who hasn't played well this year and didn't play well in the playoffs last year. If it was just a case of "bad results" (but good effort) that would be one thing. But it's been a complete lack of effort, horrible judgement, and really laziness. It doesn't take talent to get to the front of the net. Yet he doesn't do it. It doesn't take talent to keep your stick down late in a game.

Effort, judgement, discipline. Just haven't seen it from him in a long time. It's fair to call him out on that.

 

[Dr Quincy]

What people need to realize is that scratching Lucic for a game isn't just to send a message to him, but to other players as well.

 

[Ladyfan]

Hey Guys,
Pens fan with many friends and relatives in Boston. Hoping for a good, solid game tomorrow. That anthem last night choked me up. The city of Pittsburgh is behind you guys all the way. We're Americans first, hockey fans second. Thoughts and Prayers.

Thanks ! I hope for a good solid win for the B's

 

[Ladyfan]

Watched Kreider the other day in the AHL and the guy was INVISIBLE. JT Miller was 100 times better than Kreider, and in talking to some people that like him, and watch him frequently, this is not an isolated thing. A guy whose opinion I trust about such things told me he was worried about the turn Kreider's development has taken, and he's really not sure he's going to "make it".

Everybody is down on Looch right now, but I don't believe in knee-jerk reactions.


Ps I got your PM, and you are a real class act. Going forward, feel free to keep your commentary to the regular board and refrain from PMing me with your childish nonsense. I hope Lucic is one of the B's players that reads this board (and some do). He will get a big kick out of you I'm sure.

You are a wise man !

 

[Ladyfan]

Sitting Lucic against Pittsburgh would be a mistake. They are the team that could pull some **** and get Lucic engaged again.

Last time the B's played the Pens at home cooke was looking like he was going to go after Bergy .

Looch will be fine .

 

[Dr Quincy]

Last time the B's played the Pens at home cooke was looking like he was going to go after Bergy .

Looch will be fine .

I'm not for trading him, but there's nothing wrong with sitting him for a game. And when are people (not talking about you) going to learn that having a Looch (or a Thornton or a Laraque or a Probert or anyone) doesn't keep teams from taking liberties against your guys.

Cooke has done cheap shots against the Bruins with Lucic and Thornton and Chara on the team. He is what he is, and if he does something, we still have guys to go after him, with or without Lucic.

 

[Dennis Bonvie]

i would like also see Soderberg with Jagr and Krejci..
Since Krejci linei s officially not working..
why?
cuz Soderberg is new and Jagr played pretty much every game with someone else, so it would just make sense put these 2 together.
Although i think Jagr and Marchand was just great!

One of the problems with having a Jagr in a Julien system is that Jagr's long shifts can cause line instability. Last night Jagr had the most ice time by far of all the wingers, even though he doesn't play on the PK. He had 19 shifts for 19:10. The other right wingers had: Seguin 22 shifts for 14:49. Horton 16 for 12:34. Thornton 14 for 8:12 (Thornton being the only forward to get less ice than Lucic).

 

[westernhome]

I've been as mad as all of us at Lucic recently, but I am having second thoughts after his comments today and think he should play on Friday, and hope that he plays and gets in a fight and maybe gets out of this funk he is in, whatever the cause of it being on or off the ice, he needs to get his mind back on playing some mean angry hockey, and don't worry about getting penalties, we can kill those off if he gets them, better to have him playing with a snarl and not holding back.

 

[Duguay]

Wish he'd take his frustrations out on opponents rather than beating himself up over it. There's no confidence in his game right now. Needs to sinplify and play to his strengths- lay the body and shoot the puck and make contact through each whistle.

True dis. I actually thought that being on the 4th line would help him. You know, go out there with Thornton and cause some trouble & have some fun.

He is the straw that stirs the drink. This team is only as good as that guy elevates us too. When he is playing tall, he makes everyone else that much taller also.

 

[Danton Heineken]

True dis. I actually thought that being on the 4th line would help him. You know, go out there with Thornton and cause some trouble & have some fun.

He is the straw that stirs the drink. This team is only as good as that guy elevates us too. When he is playing tall, he makes everyone else that much taller also.

Problem is Thornton doesn't cause trouble anymore.

 

[TCL40]

I have no issues with Looch being scratched a game, but I think Horton has played worse and floated far more so I hope he gets a turn as well. Looch sometimes to me seems to be trying too hard. He is a disaster in the defensive zone but he always has been.