Post-Game Talk: Rangers 3, Penguins 1 - One Word for This Powerplay

[Randy Butternubs]

 

[DearDiary]

I have the opinion that Crosby and Malkin have always been bad powerplay players, but they produce on the powerplay due to the insane amount of talent on the powerplay unit.

Guys like Gonchar, Hornqvist and Kessel are elite powerplay players. Crosby and Malkin are elite players that put up points on the powerplay.

The biggest knock against Crosby/Malkin is how predictive they are. Look at other top players with the puck, they're moving it back and forth with their stick, they could shoot, pass or rush to the net. Crosby/Malkin just stand there, move the puck a bit and freeze waiting for an opposing player to move their stick from a lane. Both Crosby/Malkin are well known to do this, I don't see any other top player having opposing players faking an open lane so the puck goes by or through them.

 

[Honour Over Glory]

The biggest knock against Crosby/Malkin is how predictive they are. Look at other top players with the puck, they're moving it back and forth with their stick, they could shoot, pass or rush to the net. Crosby/Malkin just stand there, move the puck a bit and freeze waiting for an opposing player to move their stick from a lane. Both Crosby/Malkin are well known to do this, I don't see any other top player having opposing players faking an open lane so the puck goes by or through them.

Well, that's part of the problem.

You have 2 players that want to keep passing it back and forth, on the same f***ing unit. Literally no one ever bites on the Crosby wind-up fake one timers, no one, it's easily one of the more idiotic things that Crosby does on the powerplay outside of giving up a shot and forcing a pass that Malkin also does. Letang for all of his idiotic tendencies, at least tries to shoot sometimes, but even then, he plays hot potato with those 2 wankers as well.

They needed to do 2 units for a long time and have never figured it out, they won't with this current staff either.

It should be:
Unit - 1
Crosby
Kapanen
Zucker
Letang
POJ

Unit - 2
Malkin
Guentzel
Rust
Matheson
Ceci

I hate to give Ceci that spot, but out of the other options, Ceci has the better shot on the right side, I would like Marino there or even Riikola, but they seem to like a RH shot, at least 1, on the point and for how idiotic Ceci can still be, in the offensive zone, he actually looks less brain dead.

 

[Sidney the Kidney]

I watch the Rangers and after about 25 seconds I see what they are trying to accomplish - Zibenajad on the off angle one timer/Fox with the screen shot from the top of them umbrella/Panarin with the one timer from the right circle (after moving the puck low). These are all basic plays that they will use based on what the PK is giving them. Teams need to have an idea of what they are trying to do once they set up. My Peewee teams have an idea of what they are trying to do (give it to the kid with the huge shot and crash the net).

After watching them the last 2 years since Kessel left, what is the Pens basic plan, what are they trying to set up? I still can't even figure that out.

There is no setup. They free-wheel and hope for things to develop through sheer talent. But there is no actual setup where they have set plays or set roles for where the puck needs to go, and who needs to be the one to take that final shot.

And yes, I'm a broken record, but I've never seen a team refuse to use the bumper spot as little as the Pens do. They move the puck around until Letang or Crosby makes a slow pass to Geno for a one-time shot from 50 feet out that the goalie can see. That's about it.

 

[Angrrus]

How was that such a problem? Torts didn't lose the locker room, and PLD looked like a bit of a dick and even apologized for the quality of his play. CBJ did rather nicely in the trade as well.

I mean they don't want to create tension and escalate the rift to the pont where a superstar wants out. It's awful for the team atmosphere and it's bad for the business. And with the influence Crosby and Malkin have, it will likely result in the whole team confronting the coaches.

 

[HandshakeLine]

Truly the greatest moral crisis of our age.

 

[Icarium]

And yes, I'm a broken record, but I've never seen a team refuse to use the bumper spot as little as the Pens do. They move the puck around until Letang or Crosby makes a slow pass to Geno for a one-time shot from 50 feet out that the goalie can see. That's about it.

They used the bumper slot when there were injuries and Jake or Rust was moved to PP1 in previous seasons. it worked well enough... only to abandon the idea once Jake became a regular on PP1. They barely attempted deflections with Horny. If we had signed Pavelski, they probably wouldn't have used his deflections skills either because they seem to want to score only pretty goals. It's maddening.