Team Toughness & Beat Up On Craig Adams Thread

[Wes C Addle]

Penguins notice new team toughness

http://triblive.com/sports/penguins/6915262-74/penguins-hit-crosby#axzz3FoK87H8A

Letang noticed it.

One of the few Penguins who always defended teammates in past years, Letang was pleased to see two new teammates come to his aid.

“That's what we need,†he said. “We need to stick up for each other. I appreciated those two sticking up for me. It was nice to see.â€

Only one player in the locker room dismissed the notion the Penguins weren't tough enough last season.

Right wing Craig Adams said the Penguins weren't in a position to retaliate against Staal in the spring because being short-handed in the postseason isn't worth retribution.

“I just shake my head at that stuff,†Adams said. “That's what playoff hockey is. The best players are usually going to get a rough ride. That's part of winning in the playoffs. That's why it's so hard to win. It's part of the sacrifice you make. If we had gone out and given them four or five power plays, I don't know that doing that would have been the best way to handle it.â€

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[ColePens]

And this thread is very important because you see two cultures. Adams' quote was a ****ing joke. The fact that he thinks it is okay to touch a star like that, you realize why he's a problem in the locker.

Tangers reaction straight EXACTLY what we were missing. As soon as Comeau took that penalty and Sill fought I knew some things were really changing.

 

[Wes C Addle]

And this thread is very important because you see two cultures. Adams' quote was a ****ing joke. The fact that he thinks it is okay to touch a star like that, you realize why he's a problem in the locker.

Tangers reaction straight EXACTLY what we were missing. As soon as Comeau took that penalty and Sill fought I knew some things were really changing.

Yeah lots of good stuff in there. Loved that Johnston seems to recognize the importance of it too. While he's not endorsing going all Trevor Gillies on someone, it's clear he liked the response.

 

[Zen Arcade]

I loved the reactions last night from Downie, Comeau and Sill.

It doesn't even need to be the fighters that are responding, Comeau isn't a feared fighter, but he showed up and did what needed to be done.

The team needs a pack mentality to be successful, I mean, that 2009 team would straight up swarm people if someone stepped out of line. One of the enduring images of the 2009 playoffs for me is seeing Miroslav Satan pounding on Patrick Eaves with a huge grin on his face. That's team toughness.

 

[Michael8771*]

It's certainly a positive sign, that said it's only one game, I don't think we should draw any conclusions just yet.

 

[Speaking Moistly]

Wow. **** off, Adams. Go find Bylsma and do whatever the hell you two did.

New coach Mike Johnston doesn't like seeing his team short-handed but had no problem with Comeau and Downie protecting a teammate.

“I liked the response from our team,” he said. “There was a hit. Whether we thought it was clean or not, we still thought it was a dangerous hit. I like how we responded. Sometimes you take a stance. I thought they did it at the right time.”

Good to see Adams aligning himself to the new coach, though.

Crosby said the Penguins handled the situation correctly.

“When you're up 6-3 and guys take liberties, you want to react the right way,” Crosby said. “I think we did a good job of that.”

Comeau promises the Penguins will continue to respond in a similar fashion.

“We've got stars on this team,” he said. “And if someone is going to take a run at one of those guys, we will step up."

Downie said he will continue to protect teammates.

“I think anyone who gets hit like that,” said Downie, referring to Kesler's hit on Letang, “we're all going to stick together. This is a pretty tight-knit locker room.”

Rob Scuderi said. “It might not mean much in terms of standings, but it goes a long way in this room. I don't think it's a secret that the philosophy behind the changes made this summer was to be tougher.

So they're talking about how good it is for the team, how it's right and how they're united, and then there's Adams... I had reached the point where you let him ride out the year left on his stupid contract because it was easier and didn't cost an asset, but he's got to go.

 

[ProgOg]

Holy ****, Adams. There is being an old & bad player with a bad contract, and then there is being a guy whose opinion is opposite to what the rest of the team says. And on a matter that is considered one of the key points of the last postseason.

If he said that about Dubinsky it would be ****** already. But about "multiple head shots"-Staal?

 

[mpp9]

Craig Adams should shut his ****ing mouth and be happy he has a spot on the team.

 

[Zen Arcade]

Thank god the Pens didn't retaliate against Staal, they might have lost the series if they did!

 

[jmelm]

Tangers reaction straight EXACTLY what we were missing. As soon as Comeau took that penalty and Sill fought I knew some things were really changing.

And just wait until Bort gets back, and injects another, bigger and perhaps more intimidating guy who will add to that toughness element. And further....

Simon Despres. Simon Despres has already taken one step forward in terms of physical play and realizing how impactful he can be when he plays the game that way, and how doing so is really the thing that's going to be the difference of simply being a player on this team, and being a REALLY valuable player on this team. I think, with a bit of time and with this type of environment around him, Despres may just learn that showing that toughness and showing that willingness to stand up for teammates will take his game and his worth to another gear.

Like Comeau, he doesn't have to be a fighter. But if even just a bit of Bort will rub off on to him, that could help go a long way to improving the overall toughness and pack mentality of this team.

 

[Captain Hook]

I kind of get what Adams is saying. Sticking up for teammates and taking the penalties that may come with it in a crucial playoff situation or game is certainly a fine line that needs to be walked. I don't agree with him that it's not worth it if he means it's never worth it.

The Pens basically did nothing the whole series to deter the Rangers from doing what they were doing and the Rangers were not exactly lighting it up on the PP either. They were 3/26 in the series with 2 of those PP goals coming in one game. The other 6 games the Rangers only scored once on the PP. It's not like the Pens were getting burned so bad on the PK that they couldn't afford to take a single penalty or two somewhere along the way to stick up for one of their stars. It may have boosted Crosby's moral a bit if someone would have actually done something in his defense and who knows what happens then.

 

[Fordy]

Someone's mad they didn't get their double digit ice time

 

[Zen Arcade]

I kind of get what Adams is saying. Sticking up for teammates and taking the penalties that may come with it in a crucial playoff situation or game is certainly a fine line that needs to be walked. I don't agree with him that it's not worth it if he means it's never worth it.

The thing is, some of Staal's antics, like he when he tried to throw a flying elbow at the back of Crosby's head came late in games where the Pens were comfortably ahead.

You need to think you're going to kill those penalties and take that risk to send a message. Adams is speaking from a loser's mentality.

 

[Coastal Kev]

Just when I thought I couldn't loathe Adams anymore than I already do..... I implore the Pens to dump this guy. I have supported you through thick and thin for over 30 years. Do me a this solid, I want this bozo gone IMMEDIATELY!!!!!!!!!

 

[Kristopher Letang]

Thats why I'm mad Bylsma didn't find a job. We could have traded Adams for a 1st overall pick. It's really not funny how Bylsma and Adams seems to be the same person ...

 

[SHOOTANDSCORE]

Yeah Craig. Avoiding having to kill a penalty in the playoffs is much more important than stepping up when someone is trying to scramble the brain of the best player in the world.

Keep shaking your head, maybe some sense will seep into it

 

[Zero Pucks]

There's just so much wrong with what Adams said. Just shut the **** up and get off of this team already!

I'm sure he understands the joy of being a star player and getting pounded in the head every shift. Because it's just so much better for the other team to beat the **** out of and injure your team's star players with no repercussions, than it is to take a two minute penalty.

It's also lovely to see our all-star penalty killer is afraid to kill off a penalty.

 

[Michael8771*]

If Adams is one tenth of the polarizing figure within the team that he is to this board I can't imagine him sticking with the Pens much longer. And I'm not necessarily saying I agree or disagree with his comments. But clearly he doesn't go along with the ''groupthink'' on this matter.

 

[MtlPenFan]

So basically Adams is saying that Sid and Geno should suck it up.

Just get rid of this sack of **** already. So tired of him being quoted over the years as if his ****ing opinion is actually worth something.

 

[Giskard]

Adams is now even worse when he talk ...

 

[Michael8771*]

Yeah Craig. Avoiding having to kill a penalty in the playoffs is much more important than stepping up when someone is trying to scramble the brain of the best player in the world.

Keep shaking your head, maybe some sense will seep into it

Well, putting your team shorthanded if a games on the line, particularly in the playoffs, might not be the best way to go about things. The message you send by doing that is ''if you rattle us enough, we'll come back at you and take dumb penalties''.

There's better more viable ways to send a message without hurting your teams chances.

 

[Michael8771*]

The thing is, some of Staal's antics, like he when he tried to throw a flying elbow at the back of Crosby's head came late in games where the Pens were comfortably ahead.

You need to think you're going to kill those penalties and take that risk to send a message. Adams is speaking from a loser's mentality.

In this scenario yes. If you're either comfortably ahead or getting blown out, that's a different story. But the best way to go about such matters is INITIATE! Let the opposition make bad decisions, put them on their heels. That in general is how you mitigate the dumb undisciplined retaliatory penalties we have been prone to take.

And when I suggest that we initiate, I'm not saying we take runs at people exactly. But if you make a serious and concerted effort to target a few key players with big hits, shift in and shift out, they'll understand that it's gonna be a very long and uncomfortable experience.

 

[SHOOTANDSCORE]

In honor of possibly the last remaining member of the Get Along Gang, I have changed my avatar.

 

[Zen Arcade]

In this scenario yes. If you're either comfortably ahead or getting blown out, that's a different story. But the best way to go about such matters is INITIATE! Let the opposition make bad decisions, put them on their heels. That in general is how you mitigate the dumb undisciplined retaliatory penalties we have been prone to take.

And when I suggest that we initiate, I'm not saying we take runs at people exactly. But if you make a serious and concerted effort to target a few key players with big hits, shift in and shift out, they'll understand that it's gonna be a very long and uncomfortable experience.

I want them to initiate too, but I've been beating that drum for about 3 years now.

You also don't even need to take a penalty, Downie didn't. Just give them a face wash, a shove, anything really, other than just standing there and watching it happen.

 

[billybudd]

Calling it now. The day Martin gets moved, Adams gets sent down. Where he will ride buses and be a scratch. Judging from this quote, he knows it. You don't contradict a coach to the newspaper if you think you have a future.

It's dumbfounding to me that somewhere along the line Adams concluded the team was about him and his mediocre penalty killing. And that the important people should just eat baseball swings to the head and suck it up.