Training Camp Thread (Thursday = day off)

[Tom Hanks]

I’m doubtful on how far we or anyone in our division will go but I don’t think anyone in our division is clearly better than us and most of them are overrated as I see it right now. That’s why I’m confident on how high we’ll finish.

 

[KIRK]

Generally agree and I don’t read much into camp/preseason games that much but more time to work with Sid the better as he’s very particular in how he wants things for a kind of new player.

Although if Sully has said that’s where Kappy would start he’s obviously spoken to Sid. We know his 2 favourites are Jake & Rust. Also the fact he’s been a Penguin before likely helps.

Oh, I fully expect Sullivan's first move if Kapanen doesn't work out with Sid and Zucker-Malkin-Rust picks up where they left off in the playoffs to be flipping Rust and Kapanen, because clearly the problem with L2 would be Malkin's lack of chemistry with Rust.

 

[KIRK]

I’m doubtful on how far we or anyone in our division will go but I don’t think anyone in our division is clearly better than us and most of them are overrated as I see it right now. That’s why I’m confident on how high we’ll finish.

Vignault will trap the shit out of the Pens, which will give them fits. Same with Trotz. Boston has out number. Caps are a tough matchup traditionally (though there's a question on how things play with Lavs). Rangers and Buffalo will be better. And, the Pens often find a way to make Devils games harder than they should be. Just think it was the worst possible option from the proposed divisions.

 

[Tom Hanks]

Oh, I fully expect Sullivan's first move if Kapanen doesn't work out with Sid and Zucker-Malkin-Rust picks up where they left off in the playoffs to be flipping Rust and Kapanen, because clearly the problem with L2 would be Malkin's lack of chemistry with Rust.

I really really really wanted Zucker with Sid. But I also think Kappy should be with our best winger so would have gone and Sid is going to want Rust or Jake on his line unless some crazy chemistry happens.

Sooooooo......
Zucker-Crosby-Rust
Guentzel-Malkin-Kapanen

This might be a weird year for lines as there is a clear divide in top 6/bottom 6 plus we are very weak on actual LW’ers in the bottom 6 if McCann goes up (Zucker or Jake won’t be moving down).

Weird as in not too much change especially if we are winning.

 

[KIRK]

I really really really wanted Zucker with Sid. But I also think Kappy should be with our best winger so would have gone and Sid is going to want Rust or Jake on his line unless some crazy chemistry happens.

Sooooooo......
Zucker-Crosby-Rust
Guentzel-Malkin-Kapanen

This might be a weird year for lines as there is a clear divide in top 6/bottom 6 plus we are very weak on actual LW’ers in the bottom 6 if McCann goes up (Zucker or Jake won’t be moving down).

Weird as in not too much change especially if we are winning.

In a world in which @Scandale du Jour and I are finally happy, the 2nd line is Poulin-Malkin-Rust.

Failing that, I think there should be duos of Zucker-Kapanen and Jake-Rust and that the best way to maximize what those duos and the top six as a whole give you would be Zucker-Sid-Kap and Jake-Geno-Rust.

But those combos are even less likely to ever be played than Poulin-Malkin-Rust.

 

[Tom Hanks]

Vignault will trap the shit out of the Pens, which will give them fits. Same with Trotz. Boston has out number. Caps are a tough matchup traditionally (though there's a question on how things play with Lavs). Rangers and Buffalo will be better. And, the Pens often find a way to make Devils games harder than they should be. Just think it was the worst possible option from the proposed divisions.

Definitely have different views on teams. I have a very @Pens x type view of most opponents in our division

If they don’t figure out the trap this season we’re ****ed anyway even if we make the playoffs (not sure how much it would be pushed on us in regular season). Hopefully the new coaches bring some insight into that. It’s always been Sully’s nemesis. Even in our B2B.......Ottawa!

 

[KIRK]

Definitely have different views on teams. I have a very @Pens x type view of most opponents in our division

If they don’t figure out the trap this season we’re ****ed anyway even if we make the playoffs (not sure how much it would be pushed on us in regular season). Hopefully the new coaches bring some insight into that. It’s always been Sully’s nemesis. Even in our B2B.......Ottawa!

Spoiler: The Trap

Sullivan won't 'figure it out' this year any more than previous years.

 

[Gurglesons]

Vignault will trap the shit out of the Pens, which will give them fits. Same with Trotz. Boston has out number. Caps are a tough matchup traditionally (though there's a question on how things play with Lavs). Rangers and Buffalo will be better. And, the Pens often find a way to make Devils games harder than they should be. Just think it was the worst possible option from the proposed divisions.

I think you already saw the Flyers give up on AV’s system in the playoffs.

BOS largely had our number because they had a defense that could hold up against our forward depth pretty much every year until this one.

 

[KIRK]

I think you already saw the Flyers give up on AV’s system in the playoffs.

BOS largely had our number because they had a defense that could hold up against our forward depth pretty much every year until this one.

I think part of the issue with the Flyers during the regular season is they needed a month and a half really to lock things in. The trap was new to them. Came back in the summer, and it's like they were back at the beginning. Obviously, I hope they've given up on it, but I think it's a more subtle issue along the lines that I described.

I obviously also hope you're right about the Boston.

 

[Gurglesons]

 

[Gurglesons]

I think part of the issue with the Flyers during the regular season is they needed a month and a half really to lock things in. The trap was new to them. Came back in the summer, and it's like they were back at the beginning. Obviously, I hope they've given up on it, but I think it's a more subtle issue along the lines that I described.

I obviously also hope you're right about the Boston.

AV’s teams have a history of quitting on him quickly.

 

[Tom Hanks]

Spoiler: The Trap

Sullivan won't 'figure it out' this year any more than previous years.

Spoiler: Sully’s secret weapon

He got a Disney+ membership this off-season. What do you think they were doing first day of camp?

 

[KIRK]

AV’s teams have a history of quitting on him quickly.

Not this quickly, but again I hope you're right.

 

[LRS87]

Guentzel/Kap, Poulin/Rust, McCann/Zucker please.

 

[Gurglesons]

Not this quickly, but again I hope you're right.

Niskanen is going to be a huge loss for that team.

 

[Honour Over Glory]

Jordan Nolan just signed a 1yr deal and will start on Malkin's wing while Freddie Gaudreau will be the 4th line Rw.



Sully be like...

 

[Honour Over Glory]

I think you already saw the Flyers give up on AV’s system in the playoffs.

BOS largely had our number because they had a defense that could hold up against our forward depth pretty much every year until this one.

Rangers were all about that trapping AV system but you can see the Flyers just slowly unravelling in it. I'm glad GG never ended up there, he would have done serious damage in the playoffs as their coach.

 

[DesertedPenguin]

Yeah, this didn't crop up just the last two days.

From before New Years, a story from Yohe that includes info on Kapanen likely not being available for at least the start of camp, several days before anyone else.

Penguins' criticisms are 'negative and jealous,' defiant GM Jim Rutherford says

Stop and think for a minute. If Rutherford is already aware and telling Yohe of the issue on or before the article is published Dec. 30, they've probably been working on it a bit in the Pens front office.

Stuff happens. There's a global pandemic going on. And it's entirely possible Kapanen had his ducks in a row but things went sideways.

 

[Giskard]

Is Kapanen the only NHLer stuck outside North America?

 

[Jesse]

Questioning Kapanen's ability to fill a role based on immigration issues is an absolute hack statement to make. Sorry, Jesse, not sorry. Shitty take.

Guys develop in season chemistry all the time. Pre-season and camp where everyone who is a lock to make the team are only going 3/4 speed, is not the end of the world to miss.

This was a biased, agenda driven tweet. Jesse's already made up mind about Kapanen it would appear. I thought he was better than that. Guess not. I could see this from Ryan Wilson.

It would be a hack statement to make. Good thing that's not at all what I said and you've 100% completely made up something based off of a tweet that correctly indicated the time to build chemistry in camp would not be there given he's missing all of camp.

Last week I ran a poll on twitter about the confidence level of my followers regarding Kapanen's ability to play with Crosby. The poll had a pretty low confidence level. "If you are concerned about his ability to play that role...." = if you voted in my poll accordingly.

Way cooler to just willingly misunderstand stuff and call someone a hack, though. I think you're the one with the garbage take here.

 

[Pens x]

Is Kapanen the only NHLer stuck outside North America?

If this is the case, can we all agree that this is on Kap/his agent?

Would you all consider his pattern of sleeping too late and being late for team practices an issue or were those just alarm clock malfunctions?

 

[Tom Hanks]

Is Kapanen the only NHLer stuck outside North America?

Granlund.

Ullmark is here now but is missing some of camp because of quarantine, his immigration from Sweden had been delayed

 

[Tom Hanks]

 

[Empoleon8771]

But some NHL.com analysts say the Penguins aren't a playoff team though.

I'm actually intrigued with seeing Jesse throw some positive comments towards Ceci here:



I know Ceci was good defensively last year, but he was mostly a trainwreck all around in Ottawa. Maybe he learned his limitations and adjusted his play style to play accordingly? If Ceci is good defensively, he does make sense as a D partner for Matheson.

 

[Empoleon8771]

I eye-balled the numbers and I'm pretty sure the Penguins are near top-5 in all of those categories analytically. They're definitely top-3 on defense (only Boston and Tampa are better) and on the PK (only New Jersey was better), and they're around 5th-7th overall when it comes to offense and the PP.

I do get why fans are down on this team, but people make way too big of a deal out of the Penguins bad 3rd line. And frankly, their 3rd line is pretty strong analytically. The Penguins have an absolutely stacked top-6 F and top-4 D with a great 4th line and what appears to be a solid 3rd pair. The 3rd line being McCann with 2 reclamation projects doesn't tank the team.