Post-Game Talk: Emporer Penguins take the crown from the Kings

[Peat]

To state the obvious - unless someone calls with a big swinging dick "I want my player now here's the picks if you don't like it I'm doing a deal today with someone else" offer - they've got ample time to sort out whether there is a hot streak or an unexpected reversal of fortune.

I also suspect that Dubas is going to keep looking for bargains until the deadline hits regardless of the results. The question is less whether you're open to acquiring potential long term fits at the right price, it's whether you're going to keep your own rentals rather than selling them or buy short term boosts.

 

[BlindWillyMcHurt]

I feel like it would be REALLY quite stupid at this point to hold on to some of these guys that they have so desperately helped claw their way back to near-respectability but what do I know.

 

[ncm7772]

My not watching has helped the team the past couple weeks.

 

[Pancakes]

To state the obvious - unless someone calls with a big swinging dick "I want my player now here's the picks if you don't like it I'm doing a deal today with someone else" offer - they've got ample time to sort out whether there is a hot streak or an unexpected reversal of fortune.

I also suspect that Dubas is going to keep looking for bargains until the deadline hits regardless of the results. The question is less whether you're open to acquiring potential long term fits at the right price, it's whether you're going to keep your own rentals rather than selling them or buy short term boosts.

MP being hurt kinda forces Dubas to wait anyways. That's the main trade chip and I doubt someone is scrambling to get that done now with him week to week.

Rakell has an 8 team no trade and is playing so well right now that there's no way they'll trade him unless someone put out an outrageous offer. Probably not even then. I could see him getting dealt in the off season though pending how the rest of the season goes.

The rest of the UFAs we have likely have little to no trade value. DOC might have had some last year but I can't see him having a whole lot now. And guys like Beauvillier or Grizlick are only getting late picks at best.

 

[IcedCapp]

I hope they don't buy, either.

Though for Malkin's sake I kind wish they would at least a little bit. That second line is brutal and I actually dunno how much is on Malkin for being old, slow and mostly-bad these days. I just can't agree re: Toms. I think he's kind of a nothing. Though I definitely don't mind the attempt.

I'm not sold on either of the top-2 lines, though I know they'll never remove Rust from Sid's hip. (I feel like, even if it's producing, they are on the ice for a ton of goals against). I wouldn't be opposed to moving pieces for Geno's line, but you're moving Bunting out in the process, yes?

 

[BlindWillyMcHurt]

I'm not sold on either of the top-2 lines, though I know they'll never remove Rust from Sid's hip. (I feel like, even if it's producing, they are on the ice for a ton of goals against). I wouldn't be opposed to moving pieces for Geno's line, but you're moving Bunting out in the process, yes?

Yes. Gladly. Current little streak notwithstanding. In fact it is best done ASAP before he slides back into the toilet.

I know everyone seems to love that top line. I don't get why, either. I would prefer to split up Rust and Raks and place one of each on each top line then scrape together whatever you can as a third wheel for each to best compliment that configuration. At least for now until if/when something better can be figured.

You are right that the WHOLE top six is wonky and frankly has been a long, long time.

EDIT: In the end... gun to head... I probably don't pull the trigger on any deal involving anything better than "decent" futures for the sake of Malkin. At this rate I'm not even confident he finishes out his deal. Don't see the point in trading quality assets for his sake at this point, really. They should have maybe done that years ago. But it sucks watching the guy try the best he is capable of at this point in time and get very little tangible help nearly every night.

 

[BusinessGoose]

My not watching has helped the team the past couple weeks.

You know your task for the rest of the year

 

[IcedCapp]

You know your task for the rest of the year

stream every game on every device he owns?

Yes. Gladly. Current little streak notwithstanding. In fact it is best done ASAP before he slides back into the toilet.

I know everyone seems to love that top line. I don't get why, either. I would prefer to split up Rust and Raks and place one of each on each top line then scrape together whatever you can as a third wheel for each to best compliment that configuration. At least for now until if/when something better can be figured.

You are right that the WHOLE top six is wonky and frankly has been a long, long time.

EDIT: In the end... gun to head... I probably don't pull the trigger on any deal involving anything better than "decent" futures for the sake of Malkin. At this rate I'm not even confident he finishes out his deal. Don't see the point in trading quality assets for his sake at this point, really. They should have maybe done that years ago. But it sucks watching the guy try the best he is capable of at this point in time and get very little tangible help nearly every night.

I could have seen us approach Letang and Malkin about moving if the team just continued to be one of the two-worst in the league, but if they continue to do this "will they/won't they" foreplay shit with the playoffs, I can see everyone riding off into the mediocrity sunset while saying, 'dang we were always 1 point out, what coulda been!'

 

[BlindWillyMcHurt]

I could have seen us approach Letang and Malkin about moving if the team just continued to be one of the two-worst in the league, but if they continue to do this "will they/won't they" foreplay shit with the playoffs, I can see everyone riding off into the mediocrity sunset while saying, 'dang we were always 1 point out, what coulda been!'

Indeed. It's a REAL jackass, shit-or-get-off-the-pot way of doing things. But I'm told this is a plan to be taken seriously or something.

I would have been fine with either approach (with some caveats) but this in between stuff sucks and really, really was entirely avoidable with just a little bit of sack and a willingness to take some hard cuts at the ball in either direction. Safe is death and this team has been mega safe from the B2B onward.

 

[Karl Prime]

Sid could have had 5 goals the last two games with the chances he had. I have a feeling he is going to go on a real heater - like, 8 goals in 5 games kinda heater.

Obviously Bunting and Tomasino aren't the ideal linemates for Malkin but I can't see Sully breaking up RCR. I just think Geno needs to be less playmaker-y and shoot more. He still has the stickhandling and enough speed to weave through defenders but after that he's always looking for the perfect pass which usually isn't there.

As for EK, this has felt like a weird season. It doesn't feel like he's a key part of the offense, which is odd with his skillset. I think he's been a bit unlucky not to have 25-26 points right now with some of the chances that haven't gone in, both his (Ullmark save) and ones he's set up (especially a few weeks ago when Beauvillier missed some grade A chances).

What it very interesting is that after last night he was tied for 12th in the league in defensive point shares with 4.5. (No, you didn't read that incorrectly. Defensive point shares. He had 0.3 last night alone. For context, the highest DPS he's had is 5.7 in 16-17. He's on pace to shatter that mark. It feels weird that it's so high already because the team has given up quite a few goals this year, but it seems that EK is excelling in whatever Hockey Reference uses for determining the number of defensive point shares. But it adds up. What I deem to be EK's six best defensive seasons - 16-17, 12-13, 11-12, 14-15, 23-24, and 24-25 - are all his six best DPS-per-game seasons.

If any of you remember from last year I could bang on and on about my confusion of Karl's usage - why he's not carrying the puck much (despite still skating like the wind), or taking many risks, or driving the offense like he's capable of doing. I've long since accepted that he's playing within the framework of Sullivan's system and Sully doesn't want EK being the one man breakout or creating space for himself at the blueline. Frankly, Letang has been playing a little more like EK lately with his roaming down in the zone. I wonder if EK was just going through low confidence and deciding to play as much of a risk-free game as he could. He looked a lot more like himself vs LA, though.

The other thing I want to mention is Sully putting EK and Letang on the PP together late in the game. I don't get it. They haven't played on the PP together all year, and Letang/Grz have been great together. EK had two turnovers and took the penalty, and of course he's to blame for it, but I just feel like you either put out Letang and Grz, or EK. That has what's been working lately for both PP units. Don't try something you know doesn't work just because it's a tie game and you desperately want the lead.

Anyway, hope you all are doing well this holiday season. I will never not be jealous of you guys getting to watch Crosby on your team for the last 19 years. Watching him every game has made me appreciate him more, even if his game isn't quite the same as it used to be. I don't think I've ever seen anyone better at shielding the puck and using advanced skating technique to avoid defenders.

 

[HandshakeLine]

People think that tanking doesn't also require an immense amount of planning and execution to do right too.

 

[Luigi Lemieux]

I agree that there's a lot of mediocrity, but visually they look like a team that has belief in themselves. They just won't give up. And they're carrying the play in many of these games. Their biggest improvement (despite many warts and lapses) is their puck support and slot to slot play. It's as if a light switch went on. It's also troubling to me how few injuries the core has sustained. I brought this up before but Sid and Geno missed a ton of games in their primes, like more than a couple full seasons worth! Now, nothing! Logic would suggest you're more susceptible to injuries with age and wear and tear, not in their cases. Weird!

The league is way softer now than 10-15 years ago. They used to take head shots and cross checks in front of the net nightly, slew foots and slashes regularly. Nowadays it's pretty much nothing, at worst a push or a shove. They should be able to stay healthy barring hitting a rut or falling awkwardly.

 

[Ryder71]

The league is way softer now than 10-15 years ago. They used to take head shots and cross checks in front of the net nightly, slew foots and slashes regularly. Nowadays it's pretty much nothing, at worst a push or a shove. They should be able to stay healthy barring hitting a rut or falling awkwardly.

But my precious friend, Trouba in '21 I believe tried to take Sid's head off, that was only three years ago. I think this phenomenon is much more recent. McDavid for example missed games last year, six I believe, he's missed a handful this season. Mackinnon two years ago missed 11 games, 17 games the year before. Bedard has missed a good number of games. 14 last year, Jack Hughes has missed quite a number. AO lately has missed a ton. Conversely in his prime, you couldn't get him off the ice. The game is faster now than ever before. My point is, if such players get injured it's pretty remarkable our old injury prone stars have avoided this each going on nearly three years now. In Geno's case he's missed five games or more THIRTEEN consecutive years! From 9-10 through 21-22 and in NINE of those seasons missed over a dozen.