Pre-Game Talk: Toronto Maple Leafs @ Pittsburgh Penguins 12/30/15

[ibar726]

practice tweets


At least Kunitz is not on the top PP...for however long that lasts again.

So Daley to third pairing with the disaster movie known as Cole at his side. This will be very interesting to see how he handles things... He was not happy about receiving 3rd pair minutes in Chicago which is part of the reason he asked to be traded (along with a lack of PP time)

 

[Empoleon8771]

You really can't argue that Perron has gotten preferential treatment over Kunitz.

Perron has been on the fourth line at times...when has Kunitz?

Even when Kunitz was playing on the third line, he still got top PP time, and was the first winger to replace Crosby on the top line, whenever Dupuis missed a shift or whatever.

He played 2 games on the 4th line. Kunitz has started in the bottom-6 7x as much as Perron has this year.

I'm also not arguing that Perron has gotten preferential treatment over Kunitz, I'm arguing that Kunitz hasn't gotten preferential treatment over Perron. Both have gotten way more opportunities this year than they have deserved.

 

[xxxxxxxxxxxxxx]

No, it's disproving the idea that Perron has somehow gotten shafted all the time while Kunitz has been gifted every single opportunity. Perron has been given just as much opportunity to not suck as Kunitz has and he hasn't taken it.

I'll be sure to keep a look out for Perron being square-pegged into the top-6 and on the first PP unit--all the while on his proper wing--over the next two years.

Please share where I've said that Kunitz sucking as anything to do with Perron. I'm saying Perron sucks just like Kunitz. Perron has been killing his lines just as much as Kunitz has this year, that's the reality of the situation. You just won't admit that because Perron was good more recently than Kunitz was. Perron sucking for less time than Kunitz has doesn't change the fact that Perron is still straight up garbage right now and just another pile of garbage with Kunitz. Maybe he hurts us less than Kunitz does, but he still has an overwhelming negative on our team and should be considered garbage just like Kunitz is.

If you don't understand the difference between "Perron has been a career 50pt player and hard-working winger who is 27 and could rebound to be a very effective player for us" versus "Kunitz is 36, has sucked for two years straight despite being gifted his spot on Sid's wing and the top PP unit, and has absolutely no chance of rebounding to any substantial degree nor will he do anything for this team moving forward," then I can't help you. Perron hasn't been anywhere close to as bad as Kunitz. Not even close. That doesn't mean Perron's been good, at all, he's been very disappointing. Kunitz has been a corpse on skates. At least Perron, even when he's not being effective, is working.

 

[Speaking Moistly]

What's even happening right now? Is this a roundabout way to defend Kunitz, complain about Perron or defend the coaching staff(s)?


Good god, Perron may be struggling like the team in general has, but Kunitz is just bad and he has been for awhile, since around the Olympics when he really started to become a sniper but now his hands are **** and he isn't good at getting into position. Kunitz isn't a new problem and his issues aren't systemic or something that can be written off as what the rest of them are going through. They're still putting effort and opportunity into that bloated corpse that could actually benefit other players. Like that L1 spot or his PP spot, those things could be used to get others on track or to optimize what they're already doing. At the very least someone that old and clearly gassed shouldn't be given so much ice time, it's exacerbating the problems he has.

 

[Empoleon8771]

What's even happening right now? Is this a roundabout way to defend Kunitz, complain about Perron or defend the coaching staff(s)?

Pretty clearly a complaint about Perron. How people can't get that blows my mind.

Well you're just wrong, so there's that. I'm not defending Kunitz, I'm saying Perron sucks. How people can't understand that blows me away. Perron is only producing more than Kunitz because he was with Malkin for that massive stretch of games while Kunitz was on the 3rd line. People just want to make excuses for Perron because JR wasted a 1st rounder on him, he's a **** player just like Kunitz is.

Here, I'll make my argument very clear here. Kunitz sucks ass. There is no way, shape or form you can legitimately argue against that. However, Perron also sucks ass. He may suck ass less than Kunitz does (debatable), but he still sucks ass. He has gotten just as much of an opportunity as Kunitz this year and he has done nothing with it. He has done nothing this year to suggest that he doesn't suck and has certainly done nothing to suggest that he should be here after his contract is done. This isn't a defense of Kunitz, it's saying Perron sucks.

I have no clue why people are just ignoring these parts and acting like I'm saying Perron sucks and Kunitz is good.

I'll be sure to keep a look out for Perron being square-pegged into the top-6 and on the first PP unit--all the while on his proper wing--over the next two years.

If you don't understand the difference between "Perron has been a career 50pt player and hard-working winger who is 27 and could rebound to be a very effective player for us" versus "Kunitz is 36, has sucked for two years straight despite being gifted his spot on Sid's wing and the top PP unit, and has absolutely no chance of rebounding to any substantial degree nor will he do anything for this team moving forward," then I can't help you. Perron hasn't been anywhere close to as bad as Kunitz. Not even close. That doesn't mean Perron's been good, at all, he's been very disappointing. Kunitz has been a corpse on skates. At least Perron, even when he's not being effective, is working.

It doesn't matter if he could be, he hasn't been. He's been garbage for us this year and for the end stretch of last year. It doesn't matter if he's better than Kunitz (which I don't think he has), he still sucks.

I've provided the evidence to support that Perron has been just as bad as Kunitz this year. If you want to ignore it, that's your own problem. I know Kunitz and Perron both suck, if you want to delude yourself into thinking that Kunitz is the worst hockey player in existence and Perron is just getting screwed over by multiple coaches, then be my guest. Both are hopefully going to be gone after the year, so it doesn't matter if one sucks less than the other. Both suck, that's the moral of the story.

 

[Asuna]

He played 2 games on the 4th line.

Two more games than Kunitz has ever gotten on the fourth line here.

Kunitz has started in the bottom-6 7x as much as Perron has this year.

You keep saying this, yet you have no proof.

I'm also not arguing that Perron has gotten preferential treatment over Kunitz, I'm arguing that Kunitz hasn't gotten preferential treatment over Perron. Both have gotten way more opportunities this year than they have deserved.

I have yet to see Perron on the LW with Crosby this season. Kunitz has been stapled there for various parts of the season while doing nothing.

Perron hasn't been very good this season...absolutely. But they could at least try Perron with Crosby on the LW at some point.

 

[Empoleon8771]

You keep saying this, yet you have no proof.

Games with Kunitz on the 3rd line: 14/35 (thanks to Kiith Nabaal for that)
Games with Perron on RW: 7/35

Perron played 7 games on RW, 2 were with Bennett and Bonino (for some reason, I think that is backwards), 2 were with Cullen and Rust and 3 was with Kunitz and Crosby. Perron spent 4 games in the bottom-6 this year, that's it.

Sorry, my bad. It's only 3.5 times as many for Kunitz. I provided the proof, you just ignored it.

I have yet to see Perron on the LW with Crosby this season. Kunitz has been stapled there for various parts of the season while doing nothing.

Perron hasn't been very good this season...absolutely. But they could at least try Perron with Crosby on the LW at some point.

What has Perron done to justify getting a top-6 spot at this point? He couldn't do anything with Malkin and Kessel, why would he be able to do anything with Crosby and presumably Hornqvist (who have both been worse than Malkin or Kessel)? People talk about wanting accountability on this team and then just advocate Perron being gifted a top line spot just because.

 

[Asuna]

Sorry, my bad. It's only 3.5 times as many for Kunitz. I provided the proof, you just ignored it.

Did you? I didn't see it.

What has Perron done to justify getting a top-6 spot at this point? He couldn't do anything with Malkin and Kessel, why would he be able to do anything with Crosby and presumably Hornqvist (who have both been worse than Malkin or Kessel)? People talk about wanting accountability on this team and then just advocate Perron being gifted a top line spot just because.

Perron has been working hard, making plays. He just lacks finish. Something he's shown in the past he can do.

Kunitz has been physical this season....that's about it. He'd do well on the fourth line.

 

[xxxxxxxxxxxxxx]

Kunitz was demoted--after an incredible length of time playing piss-poor hockey--because the team had no more excuses for him. How long did it last? The fact is, they begrudgingly demoted Kunitz, and the first instant they could, he was right back in his spot.

Perron's been extremely underwhelming, but he's also been tossed around the lineup and played on both sides. There's also a chance, a small one but a chance nonetheless, that he falls into place and ends up an effective player for us moving forward. That's not a possibility when it comes to Kunitz. Zero percent chance Kunitz suddenly rebounds after two calendar years of abysmal hockey despite being gifted every opportunity to turn it around. He's done, should've been moved last year. For anything.

Sure, they both suck, but Kunitz is by far and away the worst player on this team. Followed closely by Lovejoy and Cole. Difference is, Kunitz has been **** for years and he's gotten preferential treatment the whole way.

There's a difference between continuing to gift a 36 year old has-been with top-6/top PP unit minutes for years without results and trying Perron on Sid's wing opposite Hornqvist--a line that was dynamite last season before the wheels fell off the entire team. We know what we have with Kunitz--up and down the lineup. We don't know what we have with Perron on Sid's left wing until it's given a shot this season. I'm sure it won't be much better, but there's a chance. Again, Kunitz is a corpse on skates--a lazy corpse to boot. Whether or not Perron's bad defensively and not producing, he's still working his ass off and going to the dirty areas of the ice. Kunitz pulls up mid-rush to slowly skate to the bench.

 

[MrWilson*]

This thread isn't about pre-game, its about Perron and Kunitz. Why? Because no one wants to blame 'stars' for not producing. 3rd in shots in the entire NHL, most of which have been taken by the team's four highest paid players, and almost LAST in goals and PP Goals?

We all get it--you folks hate Perron and Kunitz. But its doubtful they are going anywhere this season, so deal with it. Here's a tip for all you geniuses--the multi-millionaires aren't worth it anymore. You want to make changes that matter? They don't rest with Kunitz and Perron. Get rid of a couple of these birds that are a collective -21 and are the result of BAD contracts, especially Crosby's but also Kessel's and Letang's.

BTW, MJ had us in the playoff hunt, in case you've forgotten. Now we're out, way out. And what has Sullivan done so far??? 2 for 7? Sucks, but it's tough to blame anything on Sullivan yet. He probably realizes he just has to keep it above water for a little while longer (and test out his WBS recruits for anything interesting) before something big happens here--the sale, trades, the next season ending injury, etc. He got a bump in salary for basically doing the same thing he was doing in WBS--and with some of the same players.

But Kunitz and Perron?? Geez, move on.

 

[canadianguy77]

Kunitz getting those minutes is more than just a performance issue; at some point it becomes a morale issue that reverberates throughout the lineup. I don't know why people can't seem to grasp that.

 

[Shady Machine]

Games with Kunitz on the 3rd line: 14/35 (thanks to Kiith Nabaal for that)
Games with Perron on RW: 7/35

Perron played 7 games on RW, 2 were with Bennett and Bonino (for some reason, I think that is backwards), 2 were with Cullen and Rust and 3 was with Kunitz and Crosby. Perron spent 4 games in the bottom-6 this year, that's it.



If you actually looked at how they were used, you wouldn't be saying this. Perron has played with Malkin and Kessel more than Kunitz has played with Crosby.



And of those, Perron was on line 2 LW for like 23 of those 35 games. He spent 2 games on the 4th line, 2 on the 3rd, 5 on the 2nd line with Hornqvist and Malkin and 3 on the top line with Crosby and Kunitz. Perron played with Malkin and Kessel from I believe the Buffalo game on October 29th to the Bruins game on December 16th then was put back together on December 18th, 19th and 21st.



This is just blatantly false, he was strung to Malkin and Kessel for at a 20 game stretch. He has played an overwhelming majority of the time along Kessel and Malkin, so you can't even argue that Kunitz is getting preferential treatment as compared to Perron. It's just not true.

Perron has played with Crosby or Malkin for 30 of 35 games this year. I don't know how you can actually argue that Kunitz (who only has 21 of 35 games with Crosby or Malkin) have gotten a better treatment than Perron.

Whatever man. I don't think you realize the difference between playing on the same wing all the time in the same role every game versus the constant change of sides, roles, etc. I'll have to agree to disagree and move on.

 

[Speaking Moistly]

Kunitz getting those minutes is more than just a performance issue; at some point it becomes a morale issue that reverberates throughout the lineup. I don't know why people can't seem to grasp that.

Yeah, he really is the final massive part of that problem, even if I expect it to live on in smaller ways. For some godforsaken reason they're made into the leaders who yap to the media about how the team is failing. That **** does not make a good environment, big minutes, big praise and big voices.

Dupuis was deified as a player even when he spent most of the season looking done after that "Dupuis is ageless/timeless" preseason game (the same thing that happened the season before and the season before that, tbh) and was the heir to Kunitz's spot.With added "please don't die" fun. Scuderi was Scuderi and had a few token scratches while he was bungling everything he could. Kunitz is over the hill, lazy and shouldn't be allowed in the top 6 yet he's still getting chances there and on the PP where he manages to look worthless. You get rid of all of them and that should do wonders. Adams is gone but never forgotten. That ****ing iron man streak.


It's like when Fleury was melting down in the playoffs and you could clearly see how the rest of the team freaked out at the hint of it starting. It's never in a vacuum. The best was when Clendening admitted that they wanted to win with their older players. They know.

.

 

[Hossa die Waldfee]

What's even happening right now? Is this a roundabout way to defend Kunitz, complain about Perron or defend the coaching staff(s)?

No he just wants to tell us we are bad at evaluating talent because Perron sucks too but Kunitz is the "whipping boy". The fact that Perron is 9 years younger and played better hockey this season is irrelevant.

Beside the fact that he is the only constant fixture (besides an already retired player) on the line where the best player of the last 5 years is producing like a 3rd line center. Maybe that makes Kunitz a slightly more obvious and urgent target...

 

[Fordy]

He played 2 games on the 4th line. Kunitz has started in the bottom-6 7x as much as Perron has this year.

I'm also not arguing that Perron has gotten preferential treatment over Kunitz, I'm arguing that Kunitz hasn't gotten preferential treatment over Perron. Both have gotten way more opportunities this year than they have deserved.

i want kunitz on the 4th line. not on the third getting every leftover top six shift

 

[Empoleon8771]

No he just wants to tell us we are bad at evaluating talent because Perron sucks too but Kunitz is the "whipping boy". The fact that Perron is 9 years younger and played better hockey this season is irrelevant.

Beside the fact that he is the only constant fixture (besides an already retired player) on the line where the best player of the last 5 years is producing like a 3rd line center. Maybe that makes Kunitz a slightly more obvious and urgent target...

Yes, you're right, it is irrelevant to the fact that Perron is also a bad hockey player. A bad hockey player is still a bad hockey player regardless of if he's 27 or 36.

I also like how it's Kunitz's fault that Crosby has been producing like a 3C. I guess it's Kunitz's fault that Crosby is making stupid passes all the time

Kunitz surely is hurting Crosby, but the most overwhelming reason Crosby isn't producing is all on Crosby. They should be putting Crosby in a better position to succeed (which would mean Sheary or Wilson are on LW for him, since they are our 2 best LWers this year), but Crosby's production struggles fall mostly on him. If anything, Perron (and Kessel, for that matter) missing a ton of chances this year have hurt Malkin's production more than Kunitz has hurt Crosby's production.

i want kunitz on the 4th line. not on the third getting every leftover top six shift

I don't want Kunitz on the team, but that's not relevant to the fact that he has played in the bottom-6 significantly more than Perron has this year and Perron has gotten completely undeserved chances in the top-6 this year.

I also enjoy everyone is running with the "Perron was used on the 4th line" meme as if it was for more than just 2 games. When you consider how each has been used, I think it's fair to say that both have been put in around the same quality of minutes this year at even strength.

 

[Fordy]

this "kunitz has played 7 games in the bottom six" thing is so fallacious. it seems like every defense of him is. we all know that even if he was listed in the "bottom six" (you mean to say third line, it's not comparable to when perron was on the 4th even tho you want it to be) he still was getting top pp time and shifts with crosby. we've had plenty of players in the "bottom six" have tremendous games this year and get less than 10 minutes. kunitz, by virtue of existing, gets preferential treatment no matter where he is listed in the lineup. if he's on the 3rd line he still isn't getting bottom six minutes and responsibilities, and you're all being intentionally misleading by saying it.

we want him to be in that spot in the lineup and in that role. not getting treated like he's the best winger on the team. just once! let's try it!

 

[Fordy]

Yes, you're right, it is irrelevant to the fact that Perron is also a bad hockey player. A bad hockey player is still a bad hockey player regardless of if he's 27 or 36.

I also like how it's Kunitz's fault that Crosby has been producing like a 3C. I guess it's Kunitz's fault that Crosby is making stupid passes all the time

Kunitz surely is hurting Crosby, but the most overwhelming reason Crosby isn't producing is all on Crosby. They should be putting Crosby in a better position to succeed (which would mean Sheary or Wilson are on LW for him, since they are our 2 best LWers this year), but Crosby's production struggles fall mostly on him. If anything, Perron (and Kessel, for that matter) missing a ton of chances this year have hurt Malkin's production more than Kunitz has hurt Crosby's production.


I don't want Kunitz on the team, but that's not relevant to the fact that he has played in the bottom-6 significantly more than Perron has this year and Perron has gotten completely undeserved chances in the top-6 this year.

unless, like most people that you're talking to, you believe there's so much downward momentum currently on his line and over the past years of career that he can no longer overcome it and to pretend like he has to or he should have to is ridiculous

he needs a spark and we have to hope against hope that there's something flammable left for that spark to catch on. tying kunitz to his back is like running the ****ing hose on him

 

[Fordy]

This thread isn't about pre-game, its about Perron and Kunitz. Why? Because no one wants to blame 'stars' for not producing. 3rd in shots in the entire NHL, most of which have been taken by the team's four highest paid players, and almost LAST in goals and PP Goals?

We all get it--you folks hate Perron and Kunitz. But its doubtful they are going anywhere this season, so deal with it. Here's a tip for all you geniuses--the multi-millionaires aren't worth it anymore. You want to make changes that matter? They don't rest with Kunitz and Perron. Get rid of a couple of these birds that are a collective -21 and are the result of BAD contracts, especially Crosby's but also Kessel's and Letang's.

BTW, MJ had us in the playoff hunt, in case you've forgotten. Now we're out, way out. And what has Sullivan done so far??? 2 for 7? Sucks, but it's tough to blame anything on Sullivan yet. He probably realizes he just has to keep it above water for a little while longer (and test out his WBS recruits for anything interesting) before something big happens here--the sale, trades, the next season ending injury, etc. He got a bump in salary for basically doing the same thing he was doing in WBS--and with some of the same players.

But Kunitz and Perron?? Geez, move on.

so you're saying it's more important to get kunitz going. we should give up and move on from our actually good players. got it

 

[Empoleon8771]

unless, like most people that you're talking to, you believe there's so much downward momentum currently on his line and over the past years of career that he can no longer overcome it and to pretend like he has to or he should have to is ridiculous

he needs a spark and we have to hope against hope that there's something flammable left for that spark to catch on. tying kunitz to his back is like running the ****ing hose on him

It's almost like I agree that Kunitz should be taken off that line, but also think most of his struggles are on him. You're not arguing against any point I made, you're just saying how bad Kunitz is.

Kunitz isn't causing Crosby to make idiotic passes (on Crosby). Kunitz isn't making Crosby play against tough competition (on coach). To blame Kunitz for Crosby's struggles is taking an extremely narrow approach to a very complex issue. Even when Sid and Kunitz weren't together, Crosby still wasn't producing (granted, he had an even worse winger on his line). The only time Crosby's line has looked good was when Kunitz was on it with Bennett and Sheary. There are way too many variables in Crosby's struggles this year for anyone to accurately say that it's all on 1 problem.

I guess my point in all of these posts is that I think everyone on here is too soft on players outside of Kunitz. Kunitz deserves every amount of criticism he's getting, because he's a trash hockey player. However, relative to how much Kunitz is getting trashed, there are a ton of players on this team that are given a free pass relatively speaking to the stuff Kunitz is getting. A lot of players on this team deserve much more criticism than they're getting, with using Kunitz as a benchmark for how players should be criticized.

 

[Fordy]

when did i say he was the only cause? he is not the only cause of anything but he is A cause. when horny is attached to malkin we know that it makes things harder on malkin. the same goes for kunitz and crosby.

if you truly get kunitz away from crosby and put two good players with him and against all odds he still can't figure out how to play anymore, THEN it will be on him. i guess we can just trade him then

unlike the people that defend kunitz, i think we should exhaust every other avenue before that instead of sticking with the status quo and saying he has to make it work himself

 

[Hossa die Waldfee]

Yes, you're right, it is irrelevant to the fact that Perron is also a bad hockey player. A bad hockey player is still a bad hockey player regardless of if he's 27 or 36.

I also like how it's Kunitz's fault that Crosby has been producing like a 3C. I guess it's Kunitz's fault that Crosby is making stupid passes all the time

First of Perron was not a bad Hockey player for the vast majority of his career. I know Kunitz wasn't too, but Kunitz will not rebound. Perron maybe. So I think it's logical that you try to put the guy with rebound potential in the better position than the guy who has no chance.

You did not get my point. I for myself am very frustrated with Sid's performance. I know that he is not playing well. I want the coaches to try to get him going. They are shuffling the RW, fine. They are not changing Kunitz. I get mad. You got it?
If Sid is done as a Hockey player (which he is not since he is playing a lot better since the coaching change) all this is pointless. Then we can draft in 2x in the top 10 but we will go nowhere. Therefore it would be nice to try something else on Sid's LW.

I don't want Kunitz on the team, but that's not relevant to the fact that he has played in the bottom-6 significantly more than Perron has this year

How is it then possible that Kunitz has just played 2 minutes less of 5on5 Hockey? (Nevermind the pp or 3on3, or 6on5...)

 

[Hossa die Waldfee]

I guess my point in all of these posts is that I think everyone on here is too soft on players outside of Kunitz. Kunitz deserves every amount of criticism he's getting, because he's a trash hockey player. However, relative to how much Kunitz is getting trashed, there are a ton of players on this team that are given a free pass relatively speaking to the stuff Kunitz is getting. A lot of players on this team deserve much more criticism than they're getting, with using Kunitz as a benchmark for how players should be criticized.

Are you using your ignore list?

There are tons of trade Horny and Perron for a bag of pucks posts. Or the guys who want to see Kessel crucified because he avoids hits. Cole and Lovejoy get constantly **** on or all theese "LoL Letang has no brain" and such posts. Even the golden kid Maatta isn't untouchable anymore and isn't there already more than one poster who seriously wanted to trade Sid? (maybe before is latest 15 in 15 "run"). Hell even Malkin after going pointless in his first gew games was already traded

 

[Empoleon8771]

First of Perron was not a bad Hockey player for the vast majority of his career. I know Kunitz wasn't too, but Kunitz will not rebound. Perron maybe. So I think it's logical that you try to put the guy with rebound potential in the better position than the guy who has no chance.

Perron makes more sense to be on the top line than Kunitz for exactly that reason, but that doesn't mean Perron should be on the top line. I still think it should be Sheary or Wilson right now.

You did not get my point. I for myself am very frustrated with Sid's performance. I know that he is not playing well. I want the coaches to try to get him going. They are shuffling the RW, fine. They are not changing Kunitz. I get mad. You got it?
If Sid is done as a Hockey player (which he is not since he is playing a lot better since the coaching change) all this is pointless. Then we can draft in 2x in the top 10 but we will go nowhere. Therefore it would be nice to try something else on Sid's LW.

It sounded like you were blaming Crosby's lack of production on Kunitz, which I have seen people do here. That's my bad for misunderstanding you.

How is it then possible that Kunitz has just played 2 minutes less of 5on5 Hockey? (Nevermind the pp or 3on3, or 6on5...)

Kunitz on the top line consistently played more than Perron on the 2nd line did, that's just how the lines were used. Crosby's line consistently got more ice time than Malkin's line.

Are you using your ignore list?

There are tons of trade Horny and Perron for a bag of pucks posts. Or the guys who want to see Kessel crucified because he avoids hits. Cole and Lovejoy get constantly **** on or all theese "LoL Letang has no brain" and such posts. Even the golden kid Maatta isn't untouchable anymore and isn't there already more than one poster who seriously wanted to trade Sid? (maybe before is latest 15 in 15 "run"). Hell even Malkin after going pointless in his first gew games was already traded

I have a very extensive ignore list, so that's a very distinct possibility

I think the most glaring example of this is how Lovejoy and Kunitz are treated as compared to Clendening and Perron. Lovejoy and Kunitz deserved every criticism that they've been given, but those same posters that are complaining about how bad those 2 are completely quiet anytime Clendening makes a horrible giveaway in front of his own net or Perron blows another golden opportunity.

I think in terms of this year, Kunitz, Lovejoy and Cole are treated fairly in the assessments, Perron, Clendening, Crosby, Bonino, Fehr outside of the PK and Plotnikov all deserve more criticism than they're getting and Letang, Sheary, Porter, Hornqvist and Zatkoff are criticized too harshly. All the other players are playing as well as we could have hoped or better (Dumoulin, Malkin, Bennett, Kessel, Daley, Maatta at least recently and Cullen). Including Kessel will raise some eyebrows, but what he is for us is what he is: he's a streaky goal scorer that shies away from contact. People unhappy about him being like that didn't know who Kessel was before we traded for him.

Me saying Zatkoff and Porter are getting more criticism than they deserve isn't saying they're good, it's just that people really hate those 2 for no good reason. In games where Zatkoff only lets up 1 goal, he shouldn't be only getting minuses in the PGT for example. Porter has become hated due to how Sullivan has used him, which I think is unfair.

Edit: I would actually move Kessel to treated unfairly after thinking about it for exactly the reasons I mentioned above. People are overly critical of him, people get pissed at him for being a streaky, soft goal scorer when that's all he has ever been in his career. That's like being pissed at Hornqvist for not being skilled enough with the puck (which people also do).

 

[Hossa die Waldfee]

Kunitz on the top line consistently played more than Perron on the 2nd line did, that's just how the lines were used. Crosby's line consistently got more ice time than Malkin's line.

So can we finally agree that Perron is outscoring (even if marginally) Kunitz with lesser opportunities?


For your last part I will cut it short.

I think Clenny obviously got a longer leash because he was a replacement for a certain player who is now killing the offense of the NHL's leading point scorer

Watching Zatkoff is just unhealthy, because of constant mini heart attacks.

Porter is just the reproduction of a lot of bland "pk specialists" this team strangely loves.

I think Horny deserves as much criticism as DP57. He hustles a lot as ever but his scoring touch is gone too and he is worse with the puck (and put in a position were he has to handle it too much)

Bonino and Fehr is all about production. I don't think they are playing bad hockey but there are no results (like with almos anyone on this team)

I'm no fan of Sheary but I've missed his big game and admit personal bias because he is a midget (and in my opinion without outstanding skills).

All in all I think this team gets too much **** on in general. I feel like MJ has sucked all the confidence out of our offense and now we are paying for it with a lack of finish. I'm really curious about the next few (healthier) games. And every fanbase I know is crying about certain players and their usage by their coaches. (Just look at MT in Montreal. Form worse to best to worse again in a very short time )