Pre-Game Talk: The All Purpose Off Day Thread

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deakka

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Nov 6, 2009
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So, no geno again tomorrow. but they refuse to put him on IR so they can call someone up... as it is now we have 2 lines with 0 chance of scoring
 

Pancakes

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Sid looks slow. Kirk has mentioned that, as have others. You know who else looks like they've lost a step? Kristopher Letang. Dude doesn't have that overpowering burst this year where he just escapes easily from any forechecker.

What we're seeing this year is just bizarre though. I never in a million years would have predicted both Letang and Sid being hot garbage for this much of the season. If it weren't for Malkin/Kessel we'd be at the very bottom of the standings. Murray has been not all that either.

We're such a mess right now. The way we have played would get a coach fired normally but clearly Sully is not going anywhere and nor should he be. I don't think many trades are available right now and we don't have a ton of assets anyways unless we're willing to throw away the one talented forward prospect we have.

This is a tricky situation. Maybe the trickiest of the Sid/Geno era. In the past the solutions were easy. Fire Bylsma. Fire Johnston. Make a trade or two to increase speed. Those solutions were sitting in front of us and fortunately JR/Mario took them. But now? We can't fire Sully. We don't have obviously tradeable guys to get rid of.

We're in a tough spot where the only answer might well have to come from within that locker room.
 

Speaking Moistly

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So, no geno again tomorrow. but they refuse to put him on IR so they can call someone up... as it is now we have 2 lines with 0 chance of scoring

Right, and I assume that rules him out for the 25th, too. Unless he’s guaranteed for the 27th he needs to go on IR and someone needs to be called up from WBS. At the very least the untouchable 4th liners need some kind of threat.
 

FreeBobbyFarnham

Registered User
Jun 16, 2015
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Kuhn was so bad last night, yet he's still in the lineup over Archibald. I hope JR forces Sully's hand and waives him. Can't stand him anymore.
 

Sidney the Kidney

One last time
Jun 29, 2009
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That first line is not going to help Crosby out of his slump. Geez.

With Malkin out, why not try Sid with Guentzel and Kessel? Sheahan looked good with Sheary and Hornqvist, and then ... well, hope that Rust can carry the bottom six.

It seems strange that Sully's answer to getting Sid out of his funk is by playing him with the one guy who frustrates him the most (Hornqvist).
 

ColePens

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Mar 27, 2008
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Kuhn is a GREAT 4th liner is paired with guys like Cully/Rust. That line was insane and Kuhn played the perfect role. Kuhn on a team with Reaves, Sheahan, Hags (not playing an important role), McKegg, Archi, and Rowney is f***ing terrible. And the usage of Kuhn is f***ing terrible.
 
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Sidney the Kidney

One last time
Jun 29, 2009
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Kuhn is a GREAT 4th liner is paired with guys like Cully/Rust. That line was insane and Kuhn played the perfect role. Kuhn on a team with Reaves, Sheahan, Hags (not playing an important role), McKegg, Archi, and Rowney is ****ing terrible. And the usage of Kuhn is ****ing terrible.

I think it just goes to show how much Cullen can carry a 4th line.
 

SEALBound

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Sid looks slow. Kirk has mentioned that, as have others. You know who else looks like they've lost a step? Kristopher Letang. Dude doesn't have that overpowering burst this year where he just escapes easily from any forechecker.

What we're seeing this year is just bizarre though. I never in a million years would have predicted both Letang and Sid being hot garbage for this much of the season. If it weren't for Malkin/Kessel we'd be at the very bottom of the standings. Murray has been not all that either.

We're such a mess right now. The way we have played would get a coach fired normally but clearly Sully is not going anywhere and nor should he be. I don't think many trades are available right now and we don't have a ton of assets anyways unless we're willing to throw away the one talented forward prospect we have.

This is a tricky situation. Maybe the trickiest of the Sid/Geno era. In the past the solutions were easy. Fire Bylsma. Fire Johnston. Make a trade or two to increase speed. Those solutions were sitting in front of us and fortunately JR/Mario took them. But now? We can't fire Sully. We don't have obviously tradeable guys to get rid of.

We're in a tough spot where the only answer might well have to come from within that locker room.

Letang is part of the core...but I think there's need to be at least a discussion about the longer term viability of him in Pittsburgh IMHO. You see what I see. He's not the speedy, dynamic skater he once was. Physical, mental...do idea. But he's got this year and four more at $7.25mil. That's a big chunk of change for what we may all be fearing but don't want to say. With that, there is still a market for him. Doughty and OEL are two names out there...not saying nothing about nothing...but those are two potentials, more so OEL. If you can bring him in...do you need Letang and can you fill several holes doing so?

Letang to Toronto for Kadri, Lilgenren, Grundstrom.

OEL to Pittsburgh for Lilgenren, Grundstrom, Sheary

Jake-Sid-Rust
Hags-Geno-Kessel
Rust-Kadri-Sprong
Kuhn-Sheahan-Reaves

Dumo-OEL
Maatta-Schultz
Cole-Hunwick

So basically: Letang+Sheary for OEL+Kadri. Does something like that make more sense than betting on the health of Letang?

Correct. We forget he was playing with Kuhn and Fehr in the latter part of the 16 postseason taking on top lines and heavy D-zone starts.

Dude was the best 4C in the game for 2 years.

Actaully it was Rust. Rust played a lot of 4th line minutes. Wasn't until the playoffs did Kuhn-Cullen-Fehr form. But to your point, yes Cullen was one of, if not thee, best 4Cs in the league for 2 years. We were incredibly fortunate to have had him. 30,000ft view though...he was the exception, not the rule to our 4C players.
 

PensandCaps

Beddy Tlueger
May 22, 2015
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I find trading Letang for someome who isn't as good as him(OEL) laughably dumb. Letang at 7.25 is a steal for the next 4 seasons. OEL aswell has stretches off bad play. Many #1 Dmen do. Hedman,Karlsson,etc

Many on here overreact to Letangs bad stretches because you see him play every nite and not Hedman, EK, Doughty or OEL. they too have runs of bad play.
 

Gurglesons

Registered User
Dec 18, 2009
91,453
73,640
San Diego, CA
last-train-tocool.blogspot.com
Letang is part of the core...but I think there's need to be at least a discussion about the longer term viability of him in Pittsburgh IMHO. You see what I see. He's not the speedy, dynamic skater he once was. Physical, mental...do idea. But he's got this year and four more at $7.25mil. That's a big chunk of change for what we may all be fearing but don't want to say. With that, there is still a market for him. Doughty and OEL are two names out there...not saying nothing about nothing...but those are two potentials, more so OEL. If you can bring him in...do you need Letang and can you fill several holes doing so?

Letang to Toronto for Kadri, Lilgenren, Grundstrom.

OEL to Pittsburgh for Lilgenren, Grundstrom, Sheary

Jake-Sid-Rust
Hags-Geno-Kessel
Rust-Kadri-Sprong
Kuhn-Sheahan-Reaves

Dumo-OEL
Maatta-Schultz
Cole-Hunwick

So basically: Letang+Sheary for OEL+Kadri. Does something like that make more sense than betting on the health of Letang?



Actaully it was Rust. Rust played a lot of 4th line minutes. Wasn't until the playoffs did Kuhn-Cullen-Fehr form. But to your point, yes Cullen was one of, if not thee, best 4Cs in the league for 2 years. We were incredibly fortunate to have had him. 30,000ft view though...he was the exception, not the rule to our 4C players.

Jesse Marshall just did an article on The Athletic where Letang was shown to statistically be doing a good job limiting chances on the ice. His issue is essentially getting poor goaltending behind him. Schultz is actually our worst D statistically in terms of bleeding scoring chances.
 

vodeni

Registered User
Oct 27, 2010
30,037
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Pittsburgh
Jesse Marshall just did an article on The Athletic where Letang was shown to statistically be doing a good job limiting chances on the ice. His issue is essentially getting poor goaltending behind him. Schultz is actually our worst D statistically in terms of bleeding scoring chances.
This is actually what I see without any data, Shultz pinching is hit and miss, and he is not all that transitioning back from the offensive zone resulting often in high scoring chances against...
 
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Gurglesons

Registered User
Dec 18, 2009
91,453
73,640
San Diego, CA
last-train-tocool.blogspot.com
Jesse Marshall just did an article on The Athletic where Letang was shown to statistically be doing a good job limiting chances on the ice. His issue is essentially getting poor goaltending behind him. Schultz is actually our worst D statistically in terms of bleeding scoring chances.

Also, not to make Jesse seem one minded. He did acknowledge Letang’s giveaways and being out scored. I’d post more, but I think I’ve already said more than enough from a paid website for someone that posts here.

It is weird because Letang is tied with a bunch of d-men for 5th in the league for scoring and his numbers aren’t actually that bad, it is just our team as a whole has looked terrible and Letang has played the most minutes so they go hand in hand.

Not trying to defend Letang. I don’t think he has been good this year, but I think it is important to observe that “bad” Letang is still a top twenty defenseman in the league.
 
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