Post-Game Talk: Wings 1 - Pens 5 - The ColePens Gets Horny (And Then Takes Out ZAR) Edition

[ColePens]

The Riikola thing is a reaction against perceived (and in LOGiK's case, definite) overhyping, particularly of a sort driven by refusing to consider quality of competition.



Sometimes I question his physical gifts. He skates well, but I don't think he's an elite skater. He can definitely cause damage when he lines people up, but he often seems to lack strength in board battles. Obviously his reach isn't the blueliner ideal. I guess pretty physically gifted is fair if you consider most NHL dmen are very physically gifted in one area. There's nothing Riikola's awful at, but nothing outstanding.

The IQ thing does seem to be the big one though. He looks like a guy who's always looking for a hero play - the big shot, the big hit. A little more patience wouldn't seem to go amiss. I was reminded of what @ColePens said about Sully's quote about not just banging it out around the glass maybe being aimed at Riikola. He's an NHL talent, no doubt of it, but a better sense of what he can and can't do would go a huge way.

Riiko is one of those guys you cannot just simply assess with game highlights/watching the game. There is something so much deeper to that and at this point I just have to put my faith in Sully. So here is what I see. Here is what I think. And remember... this is 100000% speculation.

Speed: I think Riiko's speed is so weird. I think he's quick and he can skate well. But then i notice time to time he's gliding in against a 2 on 1 because his guy got past him. And I can't make heads or tails why he got beat because the camera angle isn't wide/deep enough to show me the evolution of the play. So i actually don't know if he's fast, slow, etc. He really reminds me exactly of Despres. Quick but not always in position so he gets caught.

Offensive Instinct: Boy if you asked me to watch this kid with the puck, I'll tell you there is massively untapped potential there. Yesterday he took the puck to the net and almost had a glorious goal. He legit scored a goal that same way this year. He has a bomb of a shot and often gets it through. He's got a nice little release.

But it does make me wonder about transition offense. So we know he's good blue line in, but I don't see him coming up late in the play like Letang/Schultz/Marino do. I don't see him skating the puck to pressure a lot anymore. I want to say it's there, but the in/out of the lineup has sorta made him cautious.

Passes: I don't know why Sully thinks he's a glass dumper and Pets isn't. I honestly cannot fathom it. I think he makes a solid pass. I think he likes to skate to pressure and dish. When he has to, he does make the safe play. I think with Ruh, he has good chemistry on d- to d passes. He's about equal in Ruh in retrieving pucks and quick transitions. They are good, but not great. Not John Marino like but that's quite a gem. I think Pets is equal to Riiko in retrieving the puck and getting it to a player asap. But Pets is more of a spaz than Riiko is.

IQ: Boy i don't know. I wish was at practice. There are some shot/pass attempts that I adore. He's thinking so well. There are times he finds himself out of position and i'm like "Why did that even happen?" I honestly can't tell just by 11-12 mins of gametime and how sporadic he's used.



I don't know man. I wish i was at practice to see him work and study film and get into that room, but you know... i have a career. I like making money and working. So i can only stick with my thought that he really reminds me of Despres. If this was Bylsma, i'd be flipping out at his usage. But Sully has earned more than his fair share of faith. So i have my faith in Sully. Period.

 

[Peat]

Riiko is one of those guys you cannot just simply assess with game highlights/watching the game. There is something so much deeper to that and at this point I just have to put my faith in Sully. So here is what I see. Here is what I think. And remember... this is 100000% speculation.

Speed: I think Riiko's speed is so weird. I think he's quick and he can skate well. But then i notice time to time he's gliding in against a 2 on 1 because his guy got past him. And I can't make heads or tails why he got beat because the camera angle isn't wide/deep enough to show me the evolution of the play. So i actually don't know if he's fast, slow, etc. He really reminds me exactly of Despres. Quick but not always in position so he gets caught.

Offensive Instinct: Boy if you asked me to watch this kid with the puck, I'll tell you there is massively untapped potential there. Yesterday he took the puck to the net and almost had a glorious goal. He legit scored a goal that same way this year. He has a bomb of a shot and often gets it through. He's got a nice little release.

But it does make me wonder about transition offense. So we know he's good blue line in, but I don't see him coming up late in the play like Letang/Schultz/Marino do. I don't see him skating the puck to pressure a lot anymore. I want to say it's there, but the in/out of the lineup has sorta made him cautious.

Passes: I don't know why Sully thinks he's a glass dumper and Pets isn't. I honestly cannot fathom it. I think he makes a solid pass. I think he likes to skate to pressure and dish. When he has to, he does make the safe play. I think with Ruh, he has good chemistry on d- to d passes. He's about equal in Ruh in retrieving pucks and quick transitions. They are good, but not great. Not John Marino like but that's quite a gem. I think Pets is equal to Riiko in retrieving the puck and getting it to a player asap. But Pets is more of a spaz than Riiko is.

IQ: Boy i don't know. I wish was at practice. There are some shot/pass attempts that I adore. He's thinking so well. There are times he finds himself out of position and i'm like "Why did that even happen?" I honestly can't tell just by 11-12 mins of gametime and how sporadic he's used.



I don't know man. I wish i was at practice to see him work and study film and get into that room, but you know... i have a career. I like making money and working. So i can only stick with my thought that he really reminds me of Despres. If this was Bylsma, i'd be flipping out at his usage. But Sully has earned more than his fair share of faith. So i have my faith in Sully. Period.

Good post. Double like. Quadruple like on wishing I could just study film/watch Pens practice and having faith in Sully. When I win the lottery and set up my own firm watching all NHL video to do my own damn stats, I'll give you a call.

I can't help but notice though that a fairly simple easy explanation to some of the things you mention - not always in position, not timing the late run as the dman - is that basically he's not processing the game right on some level. Maybe what I said about patience. Maybe it's just he gets locked into "This is what's happening!" and he doesn't keep looking for warning signs that something else might open up. I guess the easiest way to describe it might be he has vision but not discernment? Like the sporting equivalent of the nerd who makes all the difficult questions seem easy but has no common sense. Or Letang as he's commonly known around here - save Letang's gifted enough to get away with it and Riikola falls a little short. And Letang probably has better instincts than commonly given credit for.

I still wish we could have seen a season of Riikola-Gudbranson. I feel like we'd know a lot more about Riikola.

 

[ColePens]

Good post. Double like. Quadruple like on wishing I could just study film/watch Pens practice and having faith in Sully. When I win the lottery and set up my own firm watching all NHL video to do my own damn stats, I'll give you a call.

I can't help but notice though that a fairly simple easy explanation to some of the things you mention - not always in position, not timing the late run as the dman - is that basically he's not processing the game right on some level. Maybe what I said about patience. Maybe it's just he gets locked into "This is what's happening!" and he doesn't keep looking for warning signs that something else might open up. I guess the easiest way to describe it might be he has vision but not discernment? Like the sporting equivalent of the nerd who makes all the difficult questions seem easy but has no common sense. Or Letang as he's commonly known around here - save Letang's gifted enough to get away with it and Riikola falls a little short. And Letang probably has better instincts than commonly given credit for.

I still wish we could have seen a season of Riikola-Gudbranson. I feel like we'd know a lot more about Riikola.

Dude we could podcast, youtube, and live the life. Between that and fostering animals. That's what I would do with my lottery.

We'd have to let @KIRK get a 5 minute special where he rants at everything. Viewers would love it.

 

[Randy Butternubs]

Dude we could podcast, youtube, and live the life. Between that and fostering animals. That's what I would do with my lottery.

We'd have to let @KIRK get a 5 minute special where he rants at everything. Viewers would love it.

I'll do the artwork.

 

[ColePens]

@Randy Butternubs on artwork/graphics.

@KIRK @HandshakeLin @IcedCapp on a 30 minute roundtable discussion: "Things that make you mad today" where mostly they talk about kids these days not understanding.

 

[HandshakeLine]

@Randy Butternubs on artwork/graphics.

@KIRK @HandshakeLin @IcedCapp on a 30 minute roundtable discussion: "Things that make you mad today" where mostly they talk about kids these days not understanding.

The inexorable grind of time’s wheel is something that annoys me, but it’s not the fault of the kids. I’m just mad they don’t appreciate my deep cut Ruuttu chirps.

 

[Gurglesons]

@ColePens. I do think the last two games show you Petts vision his move with Zucker and the give and go with Sid were like Letang level.

 

[ColePens]

@ColePens. I do think the last two games show you Petts vision his move with Zucker and the give and go with Sid were like Letang level.

The pass to Zucker was incredible. Massive credit on that one. If i'm nitpicking a bit that give/go with Sid was a little slower developing than i would have liked. But it got there. I think a faster team snuffs that out.

I also think Pets wanted nothing to do with shooting since he just crushed someone in the face. This also is not taking anything away from Pets. I've said it many times - he's shown the glimpses of being a top 4 dman. He just hasn't played like a 4m player this year. I have faith in what JR/Sully see. Young dmen go through hell trying to stay consistent.

 

[Peat]

@Randy Butternubs on artwork/graphics.

@KIRK @HandshakeLin @IcedCapp on a 30 minute roundtable discussion: "Things that make you mad today" where mostly they talk about kids these days not understanding.

... you're editing that down to 30 minutes from however long it'll actually be. Possible days

 

[IcedCapp]

@Randy Butternubs on artwork/graphics.

@KIRK @HandshakeLin @IcedCapp on a 30 minute roundtable discussion: "Things that make you mad today" where mostly they talk about kids these days not understanding.

I could devote 2 days towards how these little shits don’t understand the pain of the “internet” in the 90s. Don’t pick up the phone,KIDS

 

[SouthGeorge]

@ColePens. I do think the last two games show you Petts vision his move with Zucker and the give and go with Sid were like Letang level.

Best player in the world could make a d pairing of me and you look good. I've only been trying to get this point across for years. But no, lets waste 7.25 million on TOI and potential hair gel sponsors.

 

[Ugene Magic]

You see the flashes of Riikola, the skating, stick handling and the shot. I think it's for lack of trust and letting him play more. I was in awe with his breakin where his skating was that of Coffey. That's where the comparison ends. It was fluent and mesmerizing.

I have been a fan since he signed, we just don't get to see him enough. They put up with the brainfarts of the the regulars, do they think Riikola's is all that more alarming?

 

[The Old Master]

Offensive Instinct:

But it does make me wonder about transition offense. So we know he's good blue line in, but I don't see him coming up late in the play like Letang/Schultz/Marino do. I don't see him skating the puck to pressure a lot anymore. I want to say it's there, but the in/out of the lineup has sorta made him cautious.
the not coming up late could be because he feels its nessacery to cover for his partner

IQ: Boy i don't know. I wish was at practice. There are some shot/pass attempts that I adore. He's thinking so well. There are times he finds himself out of position and i'm like "Why did that even happen?" I honestly can't tell just by 11-12 mins of gametime and how sporadic he's used.

he's not perfect, but for the most part he gets back to cover for it.
it is hard to tell from the tv.
it has been a while since hes been scored on.