deczola
Registered User
Hey guys and gals, this is my first ever post and I don't know if it's against the rules for someone new to start a new thread, but I thought I have a good topic.
From the second Crosby and Malkin have stepped onto the ice, they were as good as a pair to build around as there is in the NHL. Within a few years of them being here, the correct pieces were around them and we made 2 Cup finals and since then have wasted their talent year after year. With this duo, we should win multiple Cups and still be sitting at one is not the end of the world, but we had chances to win more.
Watching old games, the one thing that jumps out at me is that Crosby and Malkin have much less ice space. Crosby should be the only focal point of his line and ditto Geno. At our best on the Cup winning year we had: Kunitz/Crosby/Guerin and Feds/Malikn/Talbot. I keep reading about the front 6 and wingers and our bottom six blah blah blah. We won a Cup with players THAT FIT the concept of making Crosby and Malkin the players that drive the team.
I keep reading posts here about getting 50 goal wingers and huge upgrades at wing. We had an elite goal scorer in Neal on these lines and we were a worse team for it. We need wingers THAT CREATE SPACE for Crosby and Malkin. These wingers do not have to be All-Stars or even 30 goal scorers, they need to be wingers who understand their role, know when to drive to the net, know when to dig in a corner and to protect the puck with their body.
A classic example of this was Bill Guerin. No Guerin, No Cup. He was an elite player but on the downslide of his career when we got him but was a true professional. When he came to the Pens, he did what needed to be done to win. He gave Crosby acres of space a few times a game and with a talent like Sid, that makes him very dangerous. On simple outs from the D Zone, he would body protect the puck and chip it to Sid flying up the ice. At other times, Sid enter the zone, he would recognize where he needed space and either drive hard to net to create late or get down to goal line to cycle.
We need players that will give Sid and Geno room. We do not need All-World players to do so, the GM needs to identify players that fit that style. I know I'm in the minority here, but players like Perron is not the type of player needed to play on the top line. He's got good hands and can score and when we acquired him, I knew right away he will score with better players. It would be best to get a quality 3rd line going which we haven't had in years and having Perron on that type of line.
Kunitz does work well with Sid and gives him space. Kuntiz - Sid - someone else at RW is needed. Maybe Hornquist can be that player, he seems to have an intellect, but shoots to much taking away from Sid's chances. I think a player like a Drew Stafford would fit with Sid or Geno and we may need one more.
If I was GM I would try something like this:
Kunitz - Crosby - ??? (limited Cap Room)
"Stafford" - Malkin - Bennett
Perron - Sutter - Hornquist
Adams - Goc - Comeau
If I could not find a player that fit what the need, I would just go for Stafford and do this
Kunitz - Crosby - Hornquist
Stafford - Malkin - Bennett
Perron - Sutter - Comeau
Goc - Sill - Adams
thoughts
From the second Crosby and Malkin have stepped onto the ice, they were as good as a pair to build around as there is in the NHL. Within a few years of them being here, the correct pieces were around them and we made 2 Cup finals and since then have wasted their talent year after year. With this duo, we should win multiple Cups and still be sitting at one is not the end of the world, but we had chances to win more.
Watching old games, the one thing that jumps out at me is that Crosby and Malkin have much less ice space. Crosby should be the only focal point of his line and ditto Geno. At our best on the Cup winning year we had: Kunitz/Crosby/Guerin and Feds/Malikn/Talbot. I keep reading about the front 6 and wingers and our bottom six blah blah blah. We won a Cup with players THAT FIT the concept of making Crosby and Malkin the players that drive the team.
I keep reading posts here about getting 50 goal wingers and huge upgrades at wing. We had an elite goal scorer in Neal on these lines and we were a worse team for it. We need wingers THAT CREATE SPACE for Crosby and Malkin. These wingers do not have to be All-Stars or even 30 goal scorers, they need to be wingers who understand their role, know when to drive to the net, know when to dig in a corner and to protect the puck with their body.
A classic example of this was Bill Guerin. No Guerin, No Cup. He was an elite player but on the downslide of his career when we got him but was a true professional. When he came to the Pens, he did what needed to be done to win. He gave Crosby acres of space a few times a game and with a talent like Sid, that makes him very dangerous. On simple outs from the D Zone, he would body protect the puck and chip it to Sid flying up the ice. At other times, Sid enter the zone, he would recognize where he needed space and either drive hard to net to create late or get down to goal line to cycle.
We need players that will give Sid and Geno room. We do not need All-World players to do so, the GM needs to identify players that fit that style. I know I'm in the minority here, but players like Perron is not the type of player needed to play on the top line. He's got good hands and can score and when we acquired him, I knew right away he will score with better players. It would be best to get a quality 3rd line going which we haven't had in years and having Perron on that type of line.
Kunitz does work well with Sid and gives him space. Kuntiz - Sid - someone else at RW is needed. Maybe Hornquist can be that player, he seems to have an intellect, but shoots to much taking away from Sid's chances. I think a player like a Drew Stafford would fit with Sid or Geno and we may need one more.
If I was GM I would try something like this:
Kunitz - Crosby - ??? (limited Cap Room)
"Stafford" - Malkin - Bennett
Perron - Sutter - Hornquist
Adams - Goc - Comeau
If I could not find a player that fit what the need, I would just go for Stafford and do this
Kunitz - Crosby - Hornquist
Stafford - Malkin - Bennett
Perron - Sutter - Comeau
Goc - Sill - Adams
thoughts
