GDT: Preseason Game 5: Pittsburgh Penguins vs. Detroit Red Wings -- Final Countdown to the season!

[Victor Z]

Riikola looks like a guy skating on egg shells. There are glimpses of talent but seems like he's playing to not make huge mistakes. Once they were up at the end he was pushing the play.

He's surely aware that one mistake means a lengthy trip to the doghouse; that's typical Penguins coaching at work. Take a young unproven guy, who maybe has the ability to be a decent player but isn't star material, and make damn sure he knows he has to be PERFECT at all times -- or he'll be banished faster than you can say "Jack Johnson". That method really brings the best out of a young player, eh?

 

[AuroraBorealis]

Hoping to be back in Pittsburgh by then and able to get a seat in the arena but work is dicking around and haven’t told us when we can come back from this hell hole.

Either way, I’ll either be at the game or lurking here watching some of you guys posting acting like a meteorite is about to kill us all.

There is no meteorite. We have a great team which will go far this year. Have a good week.

Also please don't lurk. We need more posters here.

 

[Hockey4Lyfe]

There is no meteorite. We have a great team which will go far this year. Have a good week.

I firmly believe that also. But some here are ready to jump shit at the first sign of something going wrong.

And thank you! You have a great week yourself.

 

[Tender Rip]

Stop by to take a break from finishing up work here in the armpit of America in San Fran/Oakland and see that some of you guys already want to draw and quarter some of the young guys with exactly a month of preparation on this team.

Are you suggesting that there are people on this forum who occasionally proffer rash and/or less than tempered opinions?!?

Aren't you a mean buzzkill... don't you know that in this day and age, any opinion is as good as another and that there's no reason one person's viewpoints on a matter cannot differ wildly from day to day without being considered inconsistent in the least? We're stable geniuses here!

Upon reflection, I think you make a good point though.

 

[Honour Over Glory]

Stop by to take a break from finishing up work here in the armpit of America in San Fran/Oakland and see that some of you guys already want to draw and quarter some of the young guys with exactly a month of preparation on this team.

Can’t wait until next Thursday!

Eh, I get a lot of it is overreaction, but some of it is...well, let's just say some of the guys being harped on, are carring forward the crap people didn't like about them last season. That triggers a lot of people, you want to see an improvement after how the last 2 seasons went down and especially last season and the performances by some individual players.

When those guys show up and play like they're entitled and just not engaged when they should still be fighting for their roles, yeah...that'll anger people.

 

[JackFr]

Dominik Simon first star <3

 

[Hockey4Lyfe]

Eh, I get a lot of it is overreaction, but some of it is...well, let's just say some of the guys being harped on, are carring forward the crap people didn't like about them last season. That triggers a lot of people, you want to see an improvement after how the last 2 seasons went down and especially last season and the performances by some individual players.

When those guys show up and play like they're entitled and just not engaged when they should still be fighting for their roles, yeah...that'll anger people.

I don’t mind people harping on what you stated. Stuff that guys are carrying over from last year and still seem like it hasn’t gotten better.

I was speaking more in terms of people all over Kahun. He’s young and played in a couple preseason games and people want to throw him in a hole and bury him already.

 

[Honour Over Glory]

I don’t mind people harping on what you stated. Stuff that guys are carrying over from last year and still seem like it hasn’t gotten better.

I was speaking more in terms of people all over Kahun. He’s young and played in a couple preseason games and people want to throw him in a hole and bury him already.

Yeah, I get the Kahun thing from your standpoint. To add to that, I usually ignore those comments because for one, he's a new guy getting used to a new system, he's going to look a little lost and will take time to adjust. If he's that lost a month into the season and still hasn't picked it up, yeah I might worry a little and maybe move the guy before that negativity spreads to other scouts and GM's.

But there are guys that I was hoping to see more from, that I haven't yet and I am not going to comment on them by name, but we will have to see a month in.

Because our current core can't even play the current "system" properly, so I can't expect some new kid to figure it out and play it well when no one does.

 

[Gurglesons]

My big issue with Kahun is the compete level. He’s made some nice plays, but he looks super lost and effortless.

 

[WayneSid9987]

I'd like to take Kahun for a spin on a:
Kahun-Bjugs-Tanev/Rust line.
Certainly not writing him off yet.
I'd much prefer we moved on from/write off the likes of Bjugs/ZAR/JJ first.

McCann-Sid-Jake or Jake-Sid-McCann
Chucky-G-Horny
Kahun-Bjugs-Rust/Tanev
Simon-Bluegs-Rust/Tanev

Is something i'd like to see tried.

 

[Dipsy Doodle]

My big issue with Kahun is the compete level. He’s made some nice plays, but he looks super lost and effortless.

 

[Honour Over Glory]

My big issue with Kahun is the compete level. He’s made some nice plays, but he looks super lost and effortless.

So have many others, except for Kahun, he's new. If that continues into the season after a sit down with the coaching staff and a benching, then cool...trade him. We're in spot where it doesn't matter if he fails or not, we still got rid of a big contract and player that was not a good fit at all and many here deemed, unmovable.

I think the issue for a lot of this is the team the last 2yrs, plays with no direction anymore. But we can't talk about that without triggering people.

 

[Sidney the Kidney]

Of course he's injured ALREADY!!! before he gets to play his first reg season game with us.

I'd be worried if he wasn't injured. It's just not the Penguins way.

 

[Peat]

He's surely aware that one mistake means a lengthy trip to the doghouse; that's typical Penguins coaching at work. Take a young unproven guy, who maybe has the ability to be a decent player but isn't star material, and make damn sure he knows he has to be PERFECT at all times -- or he'll be banished faster than you can say "Jack Johnson". That method really brings the best out of a young player, eh?

Counterpoint - Riikola's had 32 games and a tendency for too-reckless play is one of the things most people have picked up about him in them. If he can't curtail that and learn to live within his limits, he's probably not an NHL player. If Sully's not telling him that, he's not doing his job right, and if that results on Riikola playing a bit on eggshells at times, that's probably a lesser gamble than seeing whether he has the talent to keep playing loosey-goosey with the puck in his possession.

 

[ColePens]

My big issue with Kahun is the compete level. He’s made some nice plays, but he looks super lost and effortless.

Compete level of Blueger, Rust, and Tanev were all positives to me. Kahun, Simon, ZAR, Riikola, and the stars were bruuuuuutal. Coasting beyond coasting. No urgency.

That's one thing i loved about Marino. He has a sense of urgency.

 

[Coastal Kev]

I don’t mind people harping on what you stated. Stuff that guys are carrying over from last year and still seem like it hasn’t gotten better.

I was speaking more in terms of people all over Kahun. He’s young and played in a couple preseason games and people want to throw him in a hole and bury him already.

I listened to the game and Bourque did the same thing regarding Kahun....seemed really weird, there was almost vitriol in his tone.

Weird stuff. I like what JR has accomplished, I just have a running fear that our meathead coach will muck it up.

 

[Andy99]

Yep....

 

[RSPens]

Just throwing it out there, but Rust sure was flying on Geno's wing. If he keeps this up into the regular season he might have a fixed spot there and the Pens might have a very dangerous 2nd line. Then again Tanev didn't look too bad there either. Having so many versatile players is such a nice problem to have.

 

[CheckingLineCenter]

Yep....

? Dude didn’t make it out of preseason.

If he’s talking about last year we were so GD injured that Johnson basically had to play.

Why are we still complaining about the best news to come out of preseason?

 

[BlindWillyMcHurt]

They look poised to start the season with JJ on the bench...

...until Riikola takes a swig of his Gatorade the "wrong way" then he's right back in there.

 

[Empoleon8771]

? Dude didn’t make it out of preseason.

If he’s talking about last year we were so GD injured that Johnson basically had to play.

Why are we still complaining about the best news to come out of preseason?

It's because a huge part of this fanbase just *****es nonstop.

Like for real, the Penguins gave Johnson a year and then they pulled the plug on it. Are you really going to whine that they didn't pull the plug earlier, when pulling the plug on JJ wouldn't have changed anything? They're making a good decision now, that's what matters.

 

[Randy Butternubs]

They look poised to start the season with JJ on the bench...

...until Riikola takes a swig of his Gatorade the "wrong way" then he's right back in there.

 

[BlindWillyMcHurt]

 

[Andy99]

It's because a huge part of this fanbase just *****es nonstop.

Like for real, the Penguins gave Johnson a year and then they pulled the plug on it. Are you really going to whine that they didn't pull the plug earlier, when pulling the plug on JJ wouldn't have changed anything? They're making a good decision now, that's what matters.

What fan base are you talking about? That was Jesse making the comment...if anyone “whines” too much, it’s people on this board about other people posting stuff on this board...

 

[Empoleon8771]

What fan base are you talking about? That was Jesse making the comment...if anyone “whines” too much, it’s people on this board about other people posting stuff on this board...

Lol okay whatever you say

Some sections of Penguins fans, especially on HFPens, often radiate negativity. If you think this isn't the case, well that's just you being oblivious.