GDT: Back In Our Barn - Hawks @ Penguins - 19:00 EST

[Darren McCord]

I wish zar started on line 4 tonight. I’d like to see DOC get a game in the top 9.
DOC - TB - McGinn

with rust out we need some production from line 3. Well and line 2. Ideally they would try.

DOC - Erod - kap
Zucker - TB - McGinn

 

[AuroraBorealis]

Tbf, PP wasn't doing bad before they added McCann

Then what are the numbers?

 

[HandshakeLine]

Letang then got roofied by an unspecified member of the 'Hawks staff. "Just a Blackhawks thing, if you print this we'll sue," an unspecified Blackhawks employee said.

 

[Pens x]

ZAR playing on the third line?

 

[BlindWillyMcHurt]

Malkin should be on the right wall. He has the best left shot on the team, so you give him the position he's most likely to score in. When you're on the right wall you're far less likely to get blocked than at the point. What's more is that there's more net to shoot at because of the acute angle and how far the goalie has to move.
Using the same philosophy, Carter should be on the left wall, as the best right shot on the team.
Sid would be my net-front guy since he'll provide screens, outstanding deflections and will outmuscle and beat guys to rebounds.

Then you can use Letang and Guentzel/Kapanen at the points. Jake at the point sounds wrong, but think of the benefits. He has soft hands and would do a terrific job with distribution, possession and holding the line. I also feel that him and Letang would be less addicted to passing to each other a million times like 58+71.

I honestly don't have many good answers for the powerplay setup. I think having all three of the top centers out there at once is potentially perilous to TOI. I don't like any other point options even though I agree that Malkin up there is not the best use of his talents. Using 2 D takes too many good forward options/shooters off the table. So I'm a little flummoxed, TBH.

I DO know that it starts with movement and not trying to apply one zone entry to every single situation. The team is trying to break up the other team's PK box by passing through it without actually creating lanes and seams with movement and as a result there are a ton of deflected pucks that just bounce to the corner or flat out clears. Not to mention the insane amount of blocked shots.

 

[LOGiK]

I make it 13

Sid/Jake/Geno/Matheson/ZAR G1
Sid/Geno/Matheson/ZAR G2
Sid/Geno/Rust/Matheson G3

Add a bit for losing Rust in game I guess.

Not tracking other teams but I don't think anyone's mentioned anything comparable in news reports I've seen.

ZAR is back tonight?

add: yep... ok yeah 13, didn't account for him back in my MGL assessment.

 

[BlindWillyMcHurt]

Also as for the game... Chicago gets their first regulation win, today. I tend to think this one will be a stinker for the Penguins even if I don't much like the look of that Chicago defense.

 

[AuroraBorealis]

I honestly don't have many good answers for the powerplay setup. I think having all three of the top centers out there at once is potentially perilous to TOI. I don't like any other point options even though I agree that Malkin up there is not the best use of his talents. Using 2 D takes too many good forward options/shooters off the table. So I'm a little flummoxed, TBH.

I DO know that it starts with movement and not trying to apply one zone entry to every single situation. The team is trying to break up the other team's PK box by passing through it without actually creating lanes and seams with movement and as a result there are a ton of deflected pucks that just bounce to the corner or flat out clears. Not to mention the insane amount of blocked shots.

When you're getting blocked all the time that means you're predictable. Everyone knows Malkin is the trigger man. He's been in that position for over a decade and they also know no one else wants to be the shooter. This is why we're forced to resort to combination low plays. We're not a threat from the perimeter.

My issue is that it's possible to do both. Tampa does. Point gets set up on triangle plays all the time in the bumper position. He did against us, and they were unlucky not to score on the 1 opportunity they had.

I agree we're a little thin on point options. Matheson not actually being as good offensively as his talent would suggest is the problem. We can't rely on Zucker because he'd do stupid shit. Marino hasn't stepped up on the PP at all either. In fact from what I've seen he's the worst of our whole D-corps at it, for god knows what reason.
I was hoping for Joseph to play this year and start proving his worth in this capacity on PP2, but that doesn't look to be happening.

 

[BlindWillyMcHurt]

When you're getting blocked all the time that means you're predictable. Everyone knows Malkin is the trigger man. He's been in that position for over a decade and they also know no one else wants to be the shooter. This is why we're forced to resort to combination low plays. We're not a threat from the perimeter.

My issue is that it's possible to do both. Tampa does. Point gets set up on triangle plays all the time in the bumper position. He did against us, and they were unlucky not to score on the 1 opportunity they had.

I agree we're a little thin on point options. Matheson not actually being as good offensively as his talent would suggest is the problem. We can't rely on Zucker because he'd do stupid shit. Marino hasn't stepped up on the PP at all either. In fact from what I've seen he's the worst of our whole D-corps at it, for god knows what reason.
I was hoping for Joseph to play this year and start proving his worth in this capacity on PP2, but that doesn't look to be happening.

We're just going to have to wait until this team gets wise and brings Tankov over and puts him directly on the NHL roster and top powerplay sight unseen. He'll fix it.

 

[AuroraBorealis]

We're just going to have to wait until this team gets wise and brings Tankov over and puts him directly on the NHL roster and top powerplay sight unseen. He'll fix it.

Quality idea.
Also Zohorna net front skyscraper.

 

[Dipsy Doodle]

Also as for the game... Chicago gets their first regulation win, today. I tend to think this one will be a stinker for the Penguins even if I don't much like the look of that Chicago defense.

The Hawks have a history of clowning us, but we dummied the Lightning with our B team so who knows.

 

[BlindWillyMcHurt]

Quality idea.
Also Zohorna net front skyscraper.

NOW we're cooking with meth!

Really the thing to do is a Tankov, Zoho, Legare (I hear his skating has really improved), Cam Lee and ZAR lineup. It's your classic setup. You have your net guy in Zoho, your sniper in Legare, Cam Lee is basically Gonchar, ZAR provides sticktuativeness and Tankov is your superstar talent that could probably do it by himself but wants to remain humble.

Really it's kinda stupid that me and you are sitting here on the sidelines with ideas like these.

 

[Sidney the Kidney]

Crosby out, now Rust out, combined with the Hawks always having the Pens number makes me think tonight won't be a very good outcome.

 

[AuroraBorealis]

NOW we're cooking with meth!

Really the thing to do is a Tankov, Zoho, Legare (I hear his skating has really improved), Cam Lee and ZAR lineup. It's your classic setup. You have your net guy in Zoho, your sniper in Legare, Cam Lee is basically Gonchar, ZAR provides sticktuativeness and Tankov is your superstar talent that could probably do it by himself but wants to remain humble.

Really it's kinda stupid that me and you are sitting here on the sidelines with ideas like these.

We're beyond out of the box thinking territory now. We have taken the box, removed the tape holding it together, stomped on it and then ripped apart the cardboard in disgust.

 

[BlindWillyMcHurt]

We're beyond out of the box thinking territory now. We have taken the box, removed the tape holding it together, stomped on it and then ripped apart the cardboard in disgust.

There IS no box. We ARE the box.

...

You wanna hit this?

 

[Tasty Biscuits]

Crosby out, now Rust out, combined with the Hawks always having the Pens number makes me think tonight won't be a very good outcome.

That's the only thing that makes it feel like we actually have a chance against them tonight.

 

[AuroraBorealis]

Crosby out, now Rust out, combined with the Hawks always having the Pens number makes me think tonight won't be a very good outcome.

Must be new to Penguins hockey. Our points % goes up with "key" injuries. We don't ask why. It just is.
Yeah the Hawks were our daddies but we broke that curse in 2019. Trending upwards now. Won 1 of the last 1.

 

[AuroraBorealis]

That's the only thing that makes it feel like we actually have a chance against them tonight.

This guy Penguins'

 

[Sidney the Kidney]

Also, broken record, but it's crazy how it's always our key guys that get hurt. This is only the third game of the season and we're already without, or will be without, Crosby, Malkin, Guentzel, Rust and Matheson.

 

[Dipsy Doodle]

Also, broken record, but it's crazy how it's always our key guys that get hurt. This is only the third game of the season and we're already without, or will be without, Crosby, Malkin, Guentzel, Rust and Matheson.

Hard to imagine why certain segments of the fanbase would value a star winger who literally never misses a game.

 

[BlindWillyMcHurt]

Also, broken record, but it's crazy how it's always our key guys that get hurt. This is only the third game of the season and we're already without, or will be without, Crosby, Malkin, Guentzel, Rust and Matheson.

Yeah but ZAR is coming back to the lineup!

 

[Sidney the Kidney]

Hard to imagine why certain segments of the fanbase would value a star winger who literally never misses a game.

I'm still surprised we didn't break Kessel's ironman streak.

 

[Sidney the Kidney]

Yeah but ZAR is coming back to the lineup!

This is like dropping your ice cream in dirt, then having a dog shit on your ice cream.

 

[BlindWillyMcHurt]

This is like dropping your ice cream in dirt, then having a dog shit on your ice cream.

Yeah but... he... uh... blue box good?

 

[Ryder71]

No Rust huh? Definitely and uphill battle.