GDT: #15 | HABS @ PENS | Wed, Nov 11, 2015 | NBCSN, SN

[Fordy]

I'll bet a good penny on the fact that Beau won't make it through the entire game on Sid's line

putting the over-under at... 1 and a half periods. but that's super generous because i believe he'll miss shifts from the first 10 minutes on

 

[robopigeon]

I was at the Dallas - Oilers game a few weeks back and man, what I'd do to have Lindy Ruff as the coach right now. Dallas plays a lot of simple, well executed, varied hockey. They were experimenting with this board pass thing in the first couple periods, and it was an interesting wrinkle on an outlet pass. And it was systematic, every 10 minutes or so, if the Oilers didn't shut off the boards, someone would chip a pass off the boards. And eventually it sprung Spezza for a goal.

How long has it been since we experimented with creative breakouts...?

 

[Captain Hook]

I don't have a problem with Maatta being sat for a game or two if that's what they chose. He has played poorly. He's struggled to even receive basic passes the past few games. It is frustrating that guys like Scuds and Kunitz get off Scott free for poor play but it is what it is.

It would also be nice if they figured out a way to stop Max Pac for once. The guy seems to score against us every damn time we play the Habs.

 

[Shady Machine]

I don't have a problem with Maatta being sat for a game or two if that's what they chose. He has played poorly. He's struggled to even receive basic passes the past few games. It is frustrating that guys like Scuds and Kunitz get off Scott free for poor play but it is what it is.

It would also be nice if they figured out a way to stop Max Pac for once. The guy seems to score against us every damn time we play the Habs.

Wait you are fine with continuing selective accountability?

 

[radapex]

I was at the Dallas - Oilers game a few weeks back and man, what I'd do to have Lindy Ruff as the coach right now. Dallas plays a lot of simple, well executed, varied hockey. They were experimenting with this board pass thing in the first couple periods, and it was an interesting wrinkle on an outlet pass. And it was systematic, every 10 minutes or so, if the Oilers didn't shut off the boards, someone would chip a pass off the boards. And eventually it sprung Spezza for a goal.

How long has it been since we experimented with creative breakouts...?

Every breakout is an experiment for the Pens right now. The experiment is whether the defense can actually execute it or not

 

[Zero Pucks]

I'll bet a good penny on the fact that Beau won't make it through the entire game on Sid's line

Bennett will earn his demotion. Crosby's first 5 drop passes to no one will be all his fault.

 

[Son Goku]

Every breakout is an experiment for the Pens right now. The experiment is whether the defense can actually execute it or not

This is sad if only we had Despres or Martin. Jesus.

 

[DesertPenguin]

This is sad if only we had Despres or Martin. Jesus.

Despres - Letang
Dumoulin - Cole
Maatta - Clendening
Scuderi

Sigh

 

[Al Smith]

I'll bet a good penny on the fact that Beau won't make it through the entire game on Sid's line

I'd go double or nothing on first period, depending on number of PP. I'd say absolutely he won't make it through Period 2 on Sid's line.

 

[Jag68Sid87]

Yohe and Mackey tweeting that it looks like Sprong is playing

He better damn well be in there. He provided a lot of energy the last couple of games. I like Plotnikov and feel he should see time instead of you know who, but if anyone should sit between the two rookies right now, it's Plotnikov.

Besides, Sprong's a Montrealer...he will come out FLYING tonight against the Habs. Please play him.



Oh, and PLEASE beat the Habs tonight!



- signed, all Penguins fans in the province of Quebec

 

[flaneur]

nice detail on the gdt: gallagher screening fleury

 

[radapex]

He better damn well be in there. He provided a lot of energy the last couple of games. I like Plotnikov and feel he should see time instead of you know who, but if anyone should sit between the two rookies right now, it's Plotnikov.

Besides, Sprong's a Montrealer...he will come out FLYING tonight against the Habs. Please play him.



Oh, and PLEASE beat the Habs tonight!



- signed, all Penguins fans in the province of Quebec

It seems really strange to me that a team struggling with possession keeps sitting the guy that's statistically their best possession player, though. Plotnikov has a team-leading 54.88 SAT% and 61.90 USAT%. Sprong, in comparison, is near the bottom with 44.52 and 46.46 respectively.

It should be noted, too, that there are only 7 positive possession players on the team so far this season - Plotnikov, Bennett, Rust (IR), Kessel, Dumoulin, Malkin, and Lovejoy. Kuinitz is the next best at 50.00% SAT%. Everyone else is a negative. If you prefer USAT%, you can move Kunitz to the positives and add Scuderi (50.60 USAT%). The rest remain negative possession players.

 

[Al Smith]

It seems really strange to me that a team struggling with possession keeps sitting the guy that's statistically their best possession player, though. Plotnikov has a team-leading 54.88 SAT% and 61.90 USAT%. Sprong, in comparison, is near the bottom with 44.52 and 46.46 respectively.

It should be noted, too, that there are only 7 positive possession players on the team so far this season - Plotnikov, Bennett, Rust (IR), Kessel, Dumoulin, Malkin, and Lovejoy. Kuinitz is the next best at 50.00% SAT%. Everyone else is a negative. If you prefer USAT%, you can move Kunitz to the positives and add Scuderi (50.60 USAT%). The rest remain negative possession players.

Maybe we hired an analytics guy to only selectively confirm playing decisions and to keep quiet otherwise. Or maybe our analytics expert is using some other proprietary metrics to justify playing Scuds every night. Or maybe coaches and GM ignore him for the most part.

 

[Scandale du Jour]

He better damn well be in there. He provided a lot of energy the last couple of games. I like Plotnikov and feel he should see time instead of you know who, but if anyone should sit between the two rookies right now, it's Plotnikov.

Besides, Sprong's a Montrealer...he will come out FLYING tonight against the Habs. Please play him.



Oh, and PLEASE beat the Habs tonight!



- signed, all Penguins fans in the province of Quebec

God, yes!

 

[radapex]

Maybe we hired an analytics guy to only selectively confirm playing decisions and to keep quiet otherwise. Or maybe our analytics expert is using some other proprietary metrics to justify playing Scuds every night. Or maybe coaches and GM ignore him for the most part.

As I noted in my post, Scuderi is actually ranks well among Pens defensemen in terms of possession. Using SAT% he ranks third - Dumoulin (51.55), Lovejoy (50.78), Scuderi (48.49), Letang (47.45), Maatta (46.40), Cole (45.38), Clendening (42.86). Using USAT%, he ranks second - Dumoulin (52.54), Scuderi (50.60), Lovejoy (50.34), Clendening (50.00), Maatta (48.02), Letang (46.78), Cole (45.24). As much as I dislike Scuderi being in the lineup, the possession numbers are actually in his favour.

 

[Penguinsyay]

Like…

Perron-Malkin-Kessel
BB – Bonino – Hornqvist
Fehr – Cullen – Sprong
Kuntiz – Crosby – Dupuis

?

Well when you put it that way it doesn't seem so bad! I doubt they were talking about reuniting them with reduced minutes though. I actually was just saying in another thread how that line would make all of the other lines stronger, and maybe re-ignite some spark in Crosby.... he would have to step it up to make up for the weakness of his line. Haha.

 

[StroShow]

Looks like Clendening in tonight for Scuderi..... or Maatta

 

[AjaxTelamon]

As I noted in my post, Scuderi is actually ranks well among Pens defensemen in terms of possession. Using SAT% he ranks third - Dumoulin (51.55), Lovejoy (50.78), Scuderi (48.49), Letang (47.45), Maatta (46.40), Cole (45.38), Clendening (42.86). Using USAT%, he ranks second - Dumoulin (52.54), Scuderi (50.60), Lovejoy (50.34), Clendening (50.00), Maatta (48.02), Letang (46.78), Cole (45.24). As much as I dislike Scuderi being in the lineup, the possession numbers are actually in his favour.

The reason Scuds is close to even is because he has a very disproportionate OZ start %. He starts 36.7% in the O zone, and only 29.5% in the D zone. With those numbers in mind, his shot totals for and against are about equal, which really, really sucks.

Dumo, on the other hand, is almost exactly the inverse. He starts only 28.6% in the Ozone, and 35.7% in the DZone, but the team still gets substantially more shots for than against (about 4 more shots per 60 minutes of TOI) when he is on the ice. That's crazy good.

So, anyways, Scuds sucks.

 

[Al Smith]

As I noted in my post, Scuderi is actually ranks well among Pens defensemen in terms of possession. Using SAT% he ranks third - Dumoulin (51.55), Lovejoy (50.78), Scuderi (48.49), Letang (47.45), Maatta (46.40), Cole (45.38), Clendening (42.86). Using USAT%, he ranks second - Dumoulin (52.54), Scuderi (50.60), Lovejoy (50.34), Clendening (50.00), Maatta (48.02), Letang (46.78), Cole (45.24). As much as I dislike Scuderi being in the lineup, the possession numbers are actually in his favour.

But the eye test is to the contrary - although he has improved in the D-zone after the first three or so games, when he was absolutely horrific. I get your point - or at least implicit in your point - that he is among the best of a generally mediocre at best group.

Still, it's hard to point to him as being a factor in offensive zone possession since he rids himself of the puck to his partner immediately in the D-zone, rarely plays any part in moving the puck through center ice, and makes virtually no contribution in the offensive zone. When he is on the ice, offensively the team is essentially plyaing 4 or 4.5 v 5. And I don't think that overcomes whatever benefits his defensive skills bring to the game.

The team's glaring weakness when they start to play Metro teams like the Rags, Blue Jackets, Caps, Isles is going to be moving the puck out of their D-zone, and Scuds is at best a non-factor there, and at worst, a bigger liability than any of their other D - although Cole has lately been making one or two horrendous D-zone giveaways per game.

 

[Sidney BrOSSby*]

Scuderi should stop the trash talking and go make his bed. Then, we can decide who plays in the top 4. I'm thinking power play quarter back or simply putting him on the blue line by himself. He makes teams think twice about crossing the blue line without their heads up.

 

[Kristopher Letang]

For some reason BB is a beast against Montreal. Everyone gonna follow on his line. Should be a good game, I really have a good feeling.

 

[Shady Machine]

The reason Scuds is close to even is because he has a very disproportionate OZ start %. He starts 36.7% in the O zone, and only 29.5% in the D zone. With those numbers in mind, his shot totals for and against are about equal, which really, really sucks.

Dumo, on the other hand, is almost exactly the inverse. He starts only 28.6% in the Ozone, and 35.7% in the DZone, but the team still gets substantially more shots for than against (about 4 more shots per 60 minutes of TOI) when he is on the ice. That's crazy good.

So, anyways, Scuds sucks.

Yup exactly.

 

[Jag68Sid87]

It seems really strange to me that a team struggling with possession keeps sitting the guy that's statistically their best possession player, though. Plotnikov has a team-leading 54.88 SAT% and 61.90 USAT%. Sprong, in comparison, is near the bottom with 44.52 and 46.46 respectively.

It should be noted, too, that there are only 7 positive possession players on the team so far this season - Plotnikov, Bennett, Rust (IR), Kessel, Dumoulin, Malkin, and Lovejoy. Kuinitz is the next best at 50.00% SAT%. Everyone else is a negative. If you prefer USAT%, you can move Kunitz to the positives and add Scuderi (50.60 USAT%). The rest remain negative possession players.

Possession is great and all, but Sprong creates scoring chances. He shoots the puck. He's more dangerous, and for a team that can't score goals this season (i.e. 95% of the NHL), players who can create scoring chances and shoot the puck are like gold.

Well, except for this organization, apparently.

I like Plotnikov, don't get me wrong. We need his presence in the lineup, too. But if we have to choose, and Johnston has made it clear that we do, we need to use Sprong way more than Plotnikov.

That is, until the next mystery absence by Dupuis.

 

[66-30-33]

Looks like Clendening in tonight for Scuderi..... or Maatta

Probably Maatta. Scuds? no way, not again, not ever again! Guy is a crucial cog to our D, and we will be worse off without him saving Fleury's bacon time and time again.

 

[66-30-33]

Habs fan coming in peace...
Should be a good game tonight. Good test for Condon against the lieks of Geno, Sid and Phil among others. even with your teams slow offensive start, you're just bound to break out one of these days.
Here's to an entertaining game!
Cheers

Lol we have been this way since around Feb. As long as MJ is our coach, we will not be playing to our strengths. MJ has killed us in a way even Dan Bylsma never could.