Pre-Game Talk: The All Purpose Off Day Thread | Drama Llama

[Tom Hanks]

I thought I remember Skinner refusing to waive his NTC for Pittsburgh?

The alleged story is he wanted to be closer to family and friends in Southern Ontario as in a shortish drive. That left 2 teams and Toronto probably wouldn’t have been interested or able too take him. That left Buffalo and they had some decent young guys got better depth and with Skinner became a competitive team.

 

[wej20]

If Wilson is a scratch then that's fine but otherwise just stupid. Sully will get him that first NHL point if it is the last thing he does.

Ew Wilson's making me root for Derek Grant to be in the lineup. I'm going to take a shower.

 

[Gurglesons]

I don't think Sully has a dislike of skilled guys if they've already established they can play in this league and have a track record, but I do think he gives less rope to unproven youngsters/rookies who are the skilled archetype over the grinder/plugger youngsters/rookies.

And before a guy like Guentzel is brought up, I think his style of play (with his grit and willingness to get his nose dirty) is what gave him the extra rope. Not saying players shouldn't try to play more gritty, but I do think the guys who are offensive minded but lack that grit element don't get as much rope. It's not just Sprong, either. After Sprong, Simon's the next guy who gets his ice time reduced the second Sully goes with "safe".

I’d bench Simon and Sprong first too. Who else would you bench when our top twelve wingers are Jake, Rust, Kessel, Hornqvist, Pearson, and ZAR?

 

[Tom Hanks]

If Wilson is a scratch then that's fine but otherwise just stupid. Sully will get him that first NHL point if it is the last thing he does.

Ew Wilson's making me root for Derek Grant to be in the lineup. I'm going to take a shower.

Someone else mentioned it that he’s probably called up due to 2 potential injuries and we aren’t training today so bring up someone else might be hard to get a grasp of our game plan.

He might not play anyway.

 

[wej20]

Someone else mentioned it that he’s probably called up due to 2 potential injuries and we aren’t training today so bring up someone else might be hard to get a grasp of our game plan.

He might not play anyway.

Is our gameplan that different to WBS that someone like Blugers couldn't get the call?

 

[DesertedPenguin]

Someone else mentioned it that he’s probably called up due to 2 potential injuries and we aren’t training today so bring up someone else might be hard to get a grasp of our game plan.

He might not play anyway.

That's a load of crap. WBS runs the same exact system.

 

[Tom Hanks]

Is our gameplan that different to WBS that someone like Blugers couldn't get the call?

Not sure about now. It used to be very similar.

He’s a centre though but I’d rather anyone play C over Sheahan right now. Get him off the team.

I’d imagine TB would probably be PKing too. We’ll see if Wilson goes back down straight away tomorrow.

 

[Peat]

I've got an idea and I'm not sure its my sanest but hear me out.

Right now Tanger and Dumo are our only two dmen with a positive goal differential away from Sid and Geno. Most of the guys apart from Ruh and Johnson have positive numbers with them, but not away.

So why not split them up more? Use Letang to bail out the bottom 6, maybe get Brassard going, and rely on the other guys to keep things steady with Sid and Geno?

That may be some potential match up things that aren't showing in the numbers, but on the surface, I feel like this makes at least some sense.

 

[EightyOne]

That's a load of crap. WBS runs the same exact system.

For all our sakes, I f***ing hope not!

 

[ronduguayshair]

I have no ****ing clue what that is but if I had to drive in this city, i'd uber around too. Jesus is it tough.

You guys never heard about that before? Its old news. I am still not sure what the question is. Sprong was talking Ubers to Cranberry his first training camp. Typically the older guys help the younger guys out with rides. It was odd.

 

[EightyOne]

Someone else mentioned it that he’s probably called up due to 2 potential injuries and we aren’t training today so bring up someone else might be hard to get a grasp of our game plan.

He might not play anyway.

I think I was the first to float that angle.

Look at it this way everyone, they're playing a big, fast, take no prisoners, probably going to murder you kind of team tonight...do we want You're My Boy, Blue to try and play this as his first game? And get hurt?

ORRRR, if, and it still is a big if, Wilson plays, wouldn't you rather sacrifice him to these wolves??

 

[The Old Master]

You guys never heard about that before? Its old news. I am still not sure what the question is. Sprong was talking Ubers to Cranberry his first training camp. Typically the older guys help the younger guys out with rides. It was odd.

they all know how sully feels about sprong. stay away from him as best you can. the kid is doomed and no one wants to be collateral damage.

 

[Andy99]

Our 6 most used forwards at ES (going by average time) are Sid, Guentzel, Geno, Phil, Pearson and Brassard. What are you looking for that isn't there in terms of giving playing time to skilled offensive players?

If its about Sprong, then I think we have to accept that Sprong is an exception. If its about ZAR... Sully having a strange fondness for guys who aren't that tough, skilled or fast doesn't meant that he doesn't like the real deal as well. I dunno. Simon? A kinda worthy point, but the amount of top 6 time he's got vs what he's produced in the bottom 6 is really good to begin with.

We’ve tried every plug in the universe in the bottom 6 and Brass hasn’t performed here in a bottom 6 role either...Simon, very little. It’d be nice to give a chance to someone else because we’re not winning with the current configuration...

 

[ronduguayshair]

they all know how sully feels about sprong. stay away from him as best you can. the kid is doomed and no one wants to be collateral damage.

His first camp was Mike Johnston.

 

[Sidgeni Malkby]

I've got an idea and I'm not sure its my sanest but hear me out.

Right now Tanger and Dumo are our only two dmen with a positive goal differential away from Sid and Geno. Most of the guys apart from Ruh and Johnson have positive numbers with them, but not away.

So why not split them up more? Use Letang to bail out the bottom 6, maybe get Brassard going, and rely on the other guys to keep things steady with Sid and Geno?

That may be some potential match up things that aren't showing in the numbers, but on the surface, I feel like this makes at least some sense.

We lost 2-1. I’m not blaming the D or the goalie on that one.

Though I’m fine with spitting Dumo and Letang, I really think the present setup will end up best for the playoffs (assuming).

I’m hoping that Riikola and Maatta turn into that solid 2nd pairing. There are signs of that but Riikola needs more games under his belt. I have said that before but he reminds me of a young Letang in some ways.

Besides, we really need to hold that 2nd pairing together until Schultz comes back. That would be a good problem to have.

The F are reminding me of the DB era. Great puck possession but not high quality chances.

Besides in full honestly, we aren’t playing with a confident bunch so that doesn’t help.

JR needs to shuffle up the bottom six and trade off dead weight for some youth and energy.

 

[Peat]

We’ve tried every plug in the universe in the bottom 6 and Brass hasn’t performed here in a bottom 6 role either...Simon, very little. It’d be nice to give a chance to someone else because we’re not winning with the current configuration...

I'm not necessarily disagreeing with the idea of trying new guys/changing the current configuration, but what's that got to do with whether Sully likes high offence guys? Mr Jiggyfly's already been over what's down there in WBS and its not like he's ignoring any there.

 

[KIRK]

There is an opportunity cost with “safe” players though.

It’s become quite apparent when you fill your roster with safe, untalented players, you will need your stars to carry the day, yet your team still keeps losing and losing and losing...

At what point does the lightbulb go off that this is a very flawed strategy?

At this rate? Perhaps if Geno asks for a trade, because we're now at the farcical stage of history repeating itself where this **** with the Pens is concerned.

 

[KIRK]

Fully expecting Sprong to get shafted again minutes wise. I know he hasn’t done a lot to earn more playing time, but neither have guys like ZAR. Give him some top 6 minutes and see what happens. It’s not like we can lose more at this point.

I'm still thinking maybe I'll see Sprong take his 2nd shift with Geno this year.

Fully expecting otherwise.

 

[KIRK]

Is Garret Wilson really that good, better than any other wingers at the farm?

Of course.

Signed,

Mike Sullivan

 

[Andy99]

I'm not necessarily disagreeing with the idea of trying new guys/changing the current configuration, but what's that got to do with whether Sully likes high offence guys? Mr Jiggyfly's already been over what's down there in WBS and its not like he's ignoring any there.

If he liked high offense guys, they’d be trying some other players in the bottom 6 instead of the same “safe untalented” players, as Mr. Jiggyfly calls them but instead we get a call up of Wilson...

 

[Peat]

If he liked high offense guys, they’d be trying some other players in the bottom 6 instead of the same “safe untalented” players, as Mr. Jiggyfly calls them but instead we get a call up of Wilson...

But none of them are high offence guys. How can this be about whether he likes high offence guys when there are none to try?

Like, sure, there's some interesting questions in why ZAR & Wilson vs Bloogs & Johnson (which have to be directed at more than just Sully). But its not like we're talking, I dunno, Sheary vs Kuhnhackl. We're talking Kuhnhackl vs hopefully Rusts but maybe Archibalds.

 

[KIRK]

I'm going to laugh my ass off when Horny is out but Rust can go . . . and Sully scratches Sprong for Wilson.

(only because it's entirely predictable, like the Wilson recall itself was)

 

[Andy99]

But none of them are high offence guys. How can this be about whether he likes high offence guys when there are none to try?

Like, sure, there's some interesting questions in why ZAR & Wilson vs Bloogs & Johnson (which have to be directed at more than just Sully). But its not like we're talking, I dunno, Sheary vs Kuhnhackl. We're talking Kuhnhackl vs hopefully Rusts but maybe Archibalds.

Agree that there’s not a lot of offense in WBS, but we have some guys will more offensive skill than Wilson...Johnson, TDP, Militec, Haggerty who had a very good raining camp...come on, if that retread is your answer to help the bottom 6, then might as well give up on the season...

 

[Andy99]

I'm going to laugh my ass off when Horny is out but Rust can go . . . and Sully scratches Sprong for Wilson.

(only because it's entirely predictable, like the Wilson recall itself was)

I predicted if Rust and Horny both were out, Sprong still wouldn’t play...Sully would go with
Jake-Sid-Simon
Pearson-G-Phil
ZAR-Brass-Wilson
Sheahan-Sid double shifted-Grant

 

[KIRK]

I predicted if Rust and Horny both were out, Sprong still wouldn’t play...Sully would go with
Jake-Sid-Simon
Pearson-G-Phil
ZAR-Brass-Wilson
Sheahan-Sid double shifted-Grant

I could see that.

It's dumb.

So, yes, I definitely could see Sully doing that.