Post-Game Talk: Yikes. Pens struggle against a formidable Detroit Team

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mpp9

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Dec 5, 2010
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If Phil’s hurt, he should be playing with 71. He won’t be able to carry a line.

Brassard with some combo of PH, Sheary, Guentzel and Rust works for me. He can create his own offense.
 
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Fatty McLardy

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Oct 6, 2017
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Columbus with the addition Panarin scares me as a potential first round match up....only hope we have is Bobrovsky shitting the bed as usual in the playoffs.
 

JimmyTwoTimes

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Apr 13, 2010
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Phil got hurt. They also had a 6 point streak together before Brass went down last night.

I knew someone would mention that. Point is with how good those two are, they should be doing alot more. Even if they arent scoring they should be generating chances left and right..a threat to score every time they are out on the ice. Thats not happening. Not even close.

And they are way too talented seperately, for that not to be the case.

Yeah we brought Brassard in to be our 3C, and I would rather keep it that way but I wouldnt force it either. Id rather get the most out of Brassard, so they need to figure out how to do that.

JT Miller was supposedly going to be Tampas 3C for example...they put him with Kucherov and hes playing great.
 

JimmyTwoTimes

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Apr 13, 2010
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Columbus with the addition Panarin scares me as a potential first round match up....only hope we have is Bobrovsky ****ting the bed as usual in the playoffs.

Vanek also has 13 points in 14 games there. Cole 6 points..to go along with playing great on D. It also got everyone else going who were having down years ( team went from 6th in the league last year in goals to 24th this year before the deadline) .

They look great right now.
 

Speaking Moistly

What a terrible image.
Feb 19, 2013
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Brilliant response.

We won by NOT hitting most of our playoffs and winning through our depth.

The thing with the Pens’ hits, and the players have talked about it this season, is that they’re not about lighting people up. They’re about slowing the opposition down and separating the opposition from the puck. They can do that, they’re built to hit and play that way. Sullivan’s Pens haven’t been about crushing teams and they’ve won with that style. They’re about skating teams into the ground and attacking the puck all over the ice. They make some contact and skate away with most of their hits.

Idk if getting Reaves f***ed with some people’s heads or they’ve been waiting but the Pens haven’t been a heavy hitting team under Sullivan and this roster is about as gritty/physical as it’s ever been under him.
 
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ncm7772

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Apr 10, 2016
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It's going to be an interesting offseason around the league with respect to D-men with Karlsson , Doughty and Cole all available.

You're including Ian Cole, IAN FREAKING COLE, in a conversation with Erik Karlsson and Drew Doughty?

My god, some of you people have a bizarrely distorted opinion on Ian Cole.
 

Dipsy Doodle

Rent A Barn
May 28, 2006
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What exactly does Brassard really deliver here. I am not questioning his talent, just his usage. He is presently behind Sid and Malkin and to me that is not exactly what his value is. He is a second line center stuck on a third line role. And yes the cost was not something that was not costly. A first round pick, Cole, the goalie and Reeves is certainly a high acquisition cost. Have you not watched this Mr Softee defense without Cole. Have you not seen the team struggle in so many mediocre opponents since the TDL. GMJR got his wish. He is now Carolina Jimmy for believing grit and toughness isn't important in the playoffs. He will find it is at the expense of not giving the team the kind of balance needed now. This is not the 2016 Pens here.

The ability to churn out 3 great scoring lines at any given time, irrational Sully line combos notwithstanding.
 

JimmyTwoTimes

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Apr 13, 2010
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You're including Ian Cole, IAN FREAKING COLE, in a conversation with Erik Karlsson and Drew Doughty?

My god, some of you people have a bizarrely distorted opinion on Ian Cole.

If no 3peat..the "Curse of Ian Cole" will be talked about for the next 100 years.
 

ncm7772

Registered User
Apr 10, 2016
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LOL at people still griping over line combos.

That's FAR from the teams' biggest issue right now. Heck, that ain't even top 5. MIGHT be top 10. And since some of the line combo gripers will invariably call me out, here are issues that are bigger than line combos:

1) Zero effort/lazy play
2) Poor D Zone coverage
3) PK horrendous
4) Poor goaltending
5) Neutral zone defense looks lost
6) Team has tuned out HCMS (can't prove this, but I do believe this is happening)
7) Core is beaten, beleaguered and bruised from playing so much hockey the past 3 seasons

Okay, maybe like the 8th "biggest" issue.
 

BlindWillyMcHurt

ti kallisti
May 31, 2004
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There are lots of things going on so picking at just one thing is dumb of me.

But for heaven's sake shuffle the lines in a way that makes some sense. And I know you all seem to love it for whatever irrational reason but get Hornqvist off of Malkin's wing. Especially his OFF wing. There has been nothing there of note consistently in the past and there only was this season when Malkin was playing on another planet. I really don't think those two help each other at all. And, though I don't have their numbers in front of me and I may be wrong, I think their (lack of) ES production backs that up.

But again... lots going on. But that one sticks in my craw, for whatever reason.
 

Tom Hanks

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Nov 10, 2017
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Vanek also has 13 points in 14 games there. Cole 6 points..to go along with playing great on D. It also got everyone else going who were having down years ( team went from 6th in the league last year in goals to 24th this year before the deadline) .

They look great right now.

Vanek will disappear
 
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Gurglesons

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Dec 18, 2009
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I knew someone would mention that. Point is with how good those two are, they should be doing alot more. Even if they arent scoring they should be generating chances left and right..a threat to score every time they are out on the ice. Thats not happening. Not even close.

And they are way too talented seperately, for that not to be the case.

Yeah we brought Brassard in to be our 3C, and I would rather keep it that way but I wouldnt force it either. Id rather get the most out of Brassard, so they need to figure out how to do that.

JT Miller was supposedly going to be Tampas 3C for example...they put him with Kucherov and hes playing great.

Brassard and Kessel have come together for 40 scoring chances in 13 games.

That is an average of 3 scoring chances per game.

But, sure JT Miller, Kucherov, something.
 
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NMK11

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Apr 6, 2013
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Please cite me these “hits” that changed the game the last two playoffs.
Don't waste your breathe. These are the same people who think Reaves is a dynamic hockey player and that hitting actually scares good players into forgetting how to shoot.

Callahan’s 2016 “hit” on Letang changed the tenor of the 2017 games in playoffs? Niskanen’s “hit” changed a game in 2017. Orpik’s “hit” on Maatta had an effect on that game and probably Letang’s suspension. I await the “Reaves would have stopped it!!! ...from the bench or press box” response.

Seriously, the only hitting of note I can recall was them targeting an already injured Karlsson and they weren’t freight training him.
I take it back, this is the only correct response.

Lol your putting Cole in the same sentence as Karlsson and Doughty....
I mean, there are a handful here who think he's the difference between a cup and a first round flameout, so might as well lump them together
 

JimmyTwoTimes

Registered User
Apr 13, 2010
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Brassard and Kessel have come together for 40 scoring chances in 13 games.

That is an average of 3 scoring chances per game.

But, sure JT Miller, Kucherov, something.

Theyve passed the eye test to you? Youve been happy with that combo, and dont expect more from it?
 

Gurglesons

Registered User
Dec 18, 2009
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last-train-tocool.blogspot.com
Vanek also has 13 points in 14 games there. Cole 6 points..to go along with playing great on D. It also got everyone else going who were having down years ( team went from 6th in the league last year in goals to 24th this year before the deadline) .

They look great right now.

Great D? He has a 44% FF on a team KILLING it.

He also is averaging a penalty again. He is Ian Cole still it seems.
 
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Gurglesons

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Dec 18, 2009
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San Diego, CA
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Theyve passed the eye test to you? Youve been happy with that combo, and dont expect more from it?

Our third line was PPG for six games straight and producing a SCORING CHANCE on average three times a game. That isn’t a shot. That is a scoring chance.

That is GREAT. Especially considering they are dragging Sheary around with them.
 

Sidney the Kidney

One last time
Jun 29, 2009
55,519
46,242
What exactly does Brassard really deliver here. I am not questioning his talent, just his usage. He is presently behind Sid and Malkin and to me that is not exactly what his value is. He is a second line center stuck on a third line role. And yes the cost was not something that was not costly. A first round pick, Cole, the goalie and Reeves is certainly a high acquisition cost. Have you not watched this Mr Softee defense without Cole. Have you not seen the team struggle in so many mediocre opponents since the TDL. GMJR got his wish. He is now Carolina Jimmy for believing grit and toughness isn't important in the playoffs. He will find it is at the expense of not giving the team the kind of balance needed now. This is not the 2016 Pens here.

Are we seriously at the point where we're questioning what Brassard brings to the third line?

For much of the season the talk was how weak the bottom six center depth was. Now the talk is it's a waste because it's got a second line center playing third line?

What?
 

larueskee

Player/Member USA Hockey or affilates 1972-2006
Mar 15, 2017
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Look Cole would have been a better guy to keep around than Dumolin. All the minutes he gets is killing the team. Laughing at plus minus is dumb too. It is directly related goal differential which is what wins games or loses games. Maata has improved this year but Dumo is not even a average defensemen yet the coach treats him like a frigging all star. Letang oh boy I'm glad I'm not paying him. If the Pens don't repeat it won't be the curse of Ian Cole but the foolishness of Sullivan and Rutherford.
 

RizzleMcRib

Cheeseburgers and rocket ships.
Jun 17, 2014
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Look Cole would have been a better guy to keep around than Dumolin. All the minutes he gets is killing the team. Laughing at plus minus is dumb too. It is directly related goal differential which is what wins games or loses games. Maata has improved this year but Dumo is not even a average defensemen yet the coach treats him like a frigging all star. Letang oh boy I'm glad I'm not paying him. If the Pens don't repeat it won't be the curse of Ian Cole but the foolishness of Sullivan and Rutherford.
If the Pens don't repeat it will be because there are 15 other teams that are also playoff caliber teams.
 
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