Pre-Game Talk: The Calm Before the Storm

[Shady Machine]

I don't remember that happening at all.

Yeah billybudd is a solid poster, but sometimes he says some really weird ****

 

[MtlPenFan]

Not that Glass is particularly useful against the Flyers, but the Flyers bullied Megna and Zolnierczyk near to tears the last time we played them. Megna, in particular, was having a panic attack on the bench due to the taunts of Claude friggin Giroux.

You were watching a different game then.

What evidence did you see of that other than being influenced by what Regis was saying?

I thought those 2 actually got more annoying as the game went on, including AFTER he ran over Mason.

 

[MrBurghundy]

Yeah billybudd is a solid poster, but sometimes he says some really weird ****

We all get caught in our biases sometimes, so I won't ride that point too hard. I just never noticed Megna being intimidated, or Z being bullied for that matter.

 

[Mr Jiggyfly]

Well, being gritty makes him less useless than a fart in the wind like Kobasew.

I know all the reasons Glass sucks, I never talked about those. I'm saying it's idiotic to dislike a guy for not having grit when that's the one thing he has.

I'd rather have Kobasew. At least he can posses the puck and not be a total liability on the ice.

 

[MtlPenFan]

Yeah I don't recall that happening either. I'd need some video proof of that.

Never happened.

McGuire started saying how Giroux was threatening Megna for running over Mason. Lot of people threaten me, but I don't **** my pants. I actually get more annoying.

 

[Jag68Sid87]

I'd rather have Kobasew. At least he can posses the puck and not be a total liability on the ice.

I'll take door No. 3...regardless of what's behind it.

 

[Mr Jiggyfly]

Yeah I don't recall that happening either. I'd need some video proof of that.

Megna just didn't say much back to them, that's all. He doesn't run his mouth. Guys tried to jaw with him in the A and he rarely said much back. He pissed enough players off down there with his style that wanted to kill him. Then he came out for the next shift and did the same old irritating, hard nose style he always does.

Megna isn't huge, but he isn't scared of anyone.

 

[billybudd]

I don't remember that happening at all.

It happened. Shortly after pushing whatshisname into Mason, Pierre said Giroux was taunting him about "the sheriff coming for you." Camera cut to Megna sitting there looking terrified.

Edit: Same game, the mics picked up Glass telling both Schenns he'd beat their ***** at the same time if Brayden wasn't too chicken to drop the gloves. Both backed off.

If the hypothesis is that Megna can perform the "grit" function against Philadelphia as well as Glass, that isn't supported by the last game at all.

However, to be clear, this is not to say I think Glass should play in the next series. Based on what he's done in round 1 he absolutely should not.

The point is that just because you like one thing about a guy (in Megna's case, speed), you can't extrapolate that into thinking he does something well that he doesn't do at all (grit).

 

[Shady Machine]

You were watching a different game then.

What evidence did you see of that other than being influenced by what Regis was saying?

I thought those 2 actually got more annoying as the game went on, including AFTER he ran over Mason.

That's how I saw it as well.

 

[Shady Machine]

It happened. Shortly after pushing whatshisname into Mason, Pierre said Giroux was taunting him about "the sheriff coming for you." Camera cut to Megna sitting there looking terrified.

He did not look terrified. He's just a weird looking dude.

 

[JimmyTwoTimes]

Megna has a tiny ass face

 

[Old Gregg]

It happened. Shortly after pushing whatshisname into Mason, Pierre said Giroux was taunting him about "the sheriff coming for you." Camera cut to Megna sitting there looking terrified.

I highly doubt Megna is terrified of Claude ******* Giroux.

 

[Mr Jiggyfly]

It happened. Shortly after pushing whatshisname into Mason, Pierre said Giroux was taunting him about "the sheriff coming for you." Camera cut to Megna sitting there looking terrified.

Oh you mean the Megna "Twilight Zone" look?

That's old news. He's been doing that since he first got to the A. I've seen him get that look in the A half a dozen times after someone tried to get him off his game.

PM has no idea what he is talking about if he thinks Megna was scared. I've seen guys **** him up and he just keeps coming out and doing the same ****, driving the net and pissing guys off. He literally has no fear.

Don't let his small face fool you.

 

[metalan2]

Umm the series is either Friday or Sunday because the Power play Saturday lol.

 

[IcedCapp]

a guy i know told me his brother's sister's father's daughter's brother's friend works at a pharmacy and sold Megna some colostomy bags right after that game.

Safe to say Jayson was scared ****less.

 

[MrBurghundy]

I'd rather have Kobasew. At least he can posses the puck and not be a total liability on the ice.

I personally value puck possession players more than I value gritty players. There is nothing more annoying than playing against a guy you can never get the puck from and keeps you chasing him in your end all night long. Give me that over somebody who is always trapped in his own zone and throws a ton of late hits because he never has the puck.

 

[MrBurghundy]

It happened. Shortly after pushing whatshisname into Mason, Pierre said Giroux was taunting him about "the sheriff coming for you." Camera cut to Megna sitting there looking terrified.

Edit: Same game, the mics picked up Glass telling both Schenns he'd beat their ***** at the same time if Brayden wasn't too chicken to drop the gloves. Both backed off.

If the hypothesis is that Megna can perform the "grit" function against Philadelphia as well as Glass, that isn't supported by the last game at all.

However, to be clear, this is not to say I think Glass should play in the next series. Based on what he's done in round 1 he absolutely should not.

The point is that just because you like one thing about a guy (in Megna's case, speed), you can't extrapolate that into thinking he does something well that he doesn't do at all (grit).

You saw terrified, and I saw literally how Megna always looks. He certainly never played intimidated from that point on. I don't care about a guy who runs his mouth to be honest. Everybody knows Glass is an average fighter and they can exploit his weaknesses when he's on the ice.

 

[Mr Jiggyfly]

I personally value puck possession players more than I value gritty players. There is nothing more annoying than playing against a guy you can never get the puck from and keeps you chasing him in your end all night long. Give me that over somebody who is always trapped in his own zone and throws a ton of late hits because he never has the puck.

The Pens lose nothing if Glass is out.

The Blues outhit the Hawks something like 3-1 and they are golfing now. I value gritty guys and hitting, but it has to have a purpose behind it. I don't buy into the "investment hockey" BS DB sells. How did those investments pay off for the Bruins and Blues agt the Hawks?

I want a gritty player that hits and separates the man from the puck. He doesn't have to score a lot of goals, just be able to hold par and keep the puck at the other end of the ice. Glass hits, then has no concept of where the puck is in the rare instance he hits his target while they are still holding the puck. When he is lucky enough to find it, he has zero leverage in his board work and is easily stripped. It's comical and I'm tired of watching it and being told he has any value.

Adams isn't much better, but he had a few big hits and a shorty goal, so he is suddenly good now I guess.

 

[AjaxTelamon]

I'd rather watch Gibbons or Megna turning Timonen around all night long than Glass chasing the play around like a little kid trying to play with the big kids.

You don't out-Flyer the Flyers, you Chicago Blackhawks them with possession and by keeping your cool and making them pay on the PP. Their team gets very impatient and takes stupid penalties against good possession teams. We have the players to play that way.

 

[Jag68Sid87]

The Pens lose nothing if Glass is out.

The Blues outhit the Hawks something like 3-1 and they are golfing now. I value gritty guys and hitting, but it has to have a purpose behind it. I don't buy into the "investment hockey" BS DB sells. How did those investments pay off for the Bruins and Blues agt the Hawks?

I want a gritty player that hits and separates the man from the puck. He doesn't have to score a lot of goals, just be able to hold par and keep the puck at the other end of the ice. Glass hits, then has no concept of where the puck is in the rare instance he hits his target while they are still holding the puck. When he is lucky enough to find it, he has zero leverage in his board work and is easily stripped. It's comical and I'm tired of watching it and being told he has any value.

Adams isn't much better, but he had a few big hits and a shorty goal, so he is suddenly good now I guess.

No hit in that Blues-Blackhawks series meant more than Seabrook's hit on Backes.

Hits are like face-off wins. It's not how many, it's WHEN and HOW did it impact the game that matters.

This team needs more of what Seabrook provided, less of what Glass does.

 

[chuppa chupp]

It's scary how important Byslma believes Glass is to the Penguins' success. In the same game, I saw him on the same shift as Crosby and Malkin and then on the ice up one goal with minutes left IN THE ****ING POSTSEASON!

 

[MrBurghundy]

The Pens lose nothing if Glass is out.

The Blues outhit the Hawks something like 3-1 and they are golfing now. I value gritty guys and hitting, but it has to have a purpose behind it. I don't buy into the "investment hockey" BS DB sells. How did those investments pay off for the Bruins and Blues agt the Hawks?

I want a gritty player that hits and separates the man from the puck. He doesn't have to score a lot of goals, just be able to hold par and keep the puck at the other end of the ice. Glass hits, then has no concept of where the puck is in the rare instance he hits his target while they are still holding the puck. When he is lucky enough to find it, he has zero leverage in his board work and is easily stripped. It's comical and I'm tired of watching it and being told he has any value.

Adams isn't much better, but he had a few big hits and a shorty goal, so he is suddenly good now I guess.

I agree with everything you said, you just explained it better than I did.

 

[mpp9]

No hit in that Blues-Blackhawks series meant more than Seabrook's hit on Backes.

Hits are like face-off wins. It's not how many, it's WHEN and HOW did it impact the game that matters.

This team needs more of what Seabrook provided, less of what Glass does.

That hit was dirty and Seabrook was suspended for it. Orpik, Letang, Bortuzzo are guys who could throw a big hit. But I'd like to think they wouldn't line a guy's head up like that.

 

[Rocket of Russia]

7 pages worth of replies:

Here's my Joe V. theory

He stuck his leg out on purpose because he was pissed about the interference hit on Bennett.

When he realized that he overdid it and may get a penalty, he hammed it up in order to make it look like more of an accident than it really was, in order to avoid a fine or even a suspension, just in case.

After I saw the post-game picture with Vitale smiling and kneeling with the “Let’s Go Mettalurg” sign I thought the same thing.

I'm not saying Glass should play and I'd love Engo on the fourth line over him. Just using confirmation bias and attacking Glass for two of the legitimate things he can do are ridiculous. People on this board refuse to give credit to players they dislike for any reason.

Glass got credit for the last good thing he did for this team – the final game of the regular season he put Neil in his place. No need to act like Glass being a whipping boy isn’t totally justified.

Is Gibbons even close to returning? I can’t see Glass being taken out of the lineup against the Flyers. I wish it were true, but I don’t see it.

That second statement is one of the sillier things ever parroted around these boards.

Ah, going for the ole "I'm rational and the board is full of crazies" line of thinking.

Ok, Glass' hits are all late, but Milan Lucic's hits are all bone-crushing devastators that turn the puck over. Ok.

Glass’s hits don’t fulfill their intended purpose - to separate the man from the puck. If ever there was an example of going through the motions it's Glass's hitting. Mostly weak checks that come well after the defenseman has moved the puck and is given ample time to pin to the boards to absorb all that gritty impact, and more than likely take Glass out of the play as the action moves in the opposite direction. The most egregious spot he chooses to do so is along the defensive boards after the puck is moved to the point and guess who's finishing a weak hit instead of closing in on the point man to prevent a shot?

I believe we can win a cup but I'm still rooting for a Flyers' loss. Mostly because **** them, lose in the first round.

You know what? You're all right!

Megna-Vitale-Harry Z

A 4th line like that would drive the Flyers more crazy than anything they've done to the Pens the last 3 years.

They'd also be too busy dealing with them than concentrating on getting under Sid's and Geno's skin.

I mentioned that exact 4th line to a friend today. The only drawback is that the top 9 would have some tough cuts to be made: Crosby, Malkin, Neal, Kunitz, Jokinen, Sutter, Bennett, Stempniak, Goc….Gibbons and Adams….I’d have to sit Harry Z for Gibbons.

Not that Glass is particularly useful against the Flyers, but the Flyers bullied Megna and Zolnierczyk near to tears the last time we played them. Megna, in particular, was having a panic attack on the bench due to the taunts of Claude friggin Giroux.

My man, what game were you watching? The Flyers were losing their ***** mad at Megna and he gave zero *****. You’re without a doubt adding your own spin on an event that went down nothing like you described it. And for the record, nobody is scared of Clode. Nobody.

If the hypothesis is that Megna can perform the "grit" function against Philadelphia as well as Glass, that isn't supported by the last game at all.

However, to be clear, this is not to say I think Glass should play in the next series. Based on what he's done in round 1 he absolutely should not.

The point is that just because you like one thing about a guy (in Megna's case, speed), you can't extrapolate that into thinking he does something well that he doesn't do at all (grit).

Nobody is saying Megna is going to challenge Chara, Simmonds, or even Brayden Schenn. What he is going to do is use his speed to forecheck aggressively and just by playing his game will do something to drive the other team crazy. The more attention away from Sid, Geno, Letang, and Neal the better. Was Ruutu gritty by your very specific definition? No. Was he effective? 100%.

I personally value puck possession players more than I value gritty players. There is nothing more annoying than playing against a guy you can never get the puck from and keeps you chasing him in your end all night long. Give me that over somebody who is always trapped in his own zone and throws a ton of late hits because he never has the puck.

Agreed. It gets even worse when after 10 seconds of failure, you go the extra mile to get the puck and the next thing you know you get called for a stick infraction.

 

[Tasty Biscuits]

Who do you suggest they send out to get in other teams players kitchen then?

Ok, well, maybe if Glass actually did that, people wouldn't have as much of a problem with him.