GDT: Game IV Pens vs Habs 1730hrs EST: Battle of the Prime

[PanniniClaus]

How long before Nedeljkovic is back?

 

[DesertedPenguin]

How long before Nedeljkovic is back?

Theory is sometime this week.

 

[MeinerEiner]

So, JSI plays three solid games as a rookie and gets scratched?! Sure, the 3rd pairing was the main concern so far.

 

[HandshakeLine]

Lol

Who said this year was going to be different? Lol. Pay up!

 

[Gurglesons]

The youth movement is already over. Only took 3 games.

 

[SEALBound]

I'm okay with this. Rotating guys in and out should be the norm.

 

[Coastal Kev]

I'm okay with this. Rotating guys in and out should be the norm.

When will he rotate the crust overpaid vets?

 

[SEALBound]

When will he rotate the crust overpaid vets?

Which ones specifically?

I haven't really had much of a problem with anyone's play. Pettersson was rough last game but what are you going to do, scratch Pettersson for Shea?

If you want to say Puustinen should be in over Puljujarvi, I wouldn't argue necessarily but PoolParty earned the spot over Puustinen in camp so saying Puustinen should be in over him would be a direct contradiction of the "they need to earn it" argument.

 

[Big Friggin Dummy]

The youth movement is already over. Only took 3 games.

"What do you want? These guys didn't post 2 ppg in the 10 minutes a night they were given, they didn't earn it. That's why we're keeping Acciari in the lineup for 82 games--cuz we're trying to ice the best lineup to put us in the best position to win games."

 

[CheckingLineCenter]

You know, you have to be 500 to look like a 500 team. Giving up 4.333 goals a game isn't 500 hockey.

Well tbf you can’t be .500 in 3 games

While I’d rather see the old guard make the playoffs once more if they suck real bad and get a top 3 pick, that is fine with me

 

[Gurglesons]

"What do you want? These guys didn't post 2 ppg in the 10 minutes a night they were given, they didn't earn it. That's why we're keeping Acciari in the lineup for 82 games--cuz we're trying to ice the best lineup to put us in the best position to win games."

“Mike Sullivan hasn’t played youth because he hasn’t had good young players”.

 

[Big Friggin Dummy]

I'm more concerned with whether or not Sid can hit a PPG through another season than pretty much anything else tbh. There's no path for purposeful development of McG under this coach. This team's golfing in a week if by some miracle they climb to the top of the shitpile and make the playoffs. There are too many genuinely terrible teams for them to really have a shot at a top-5 pick. Things are bleak.

“Mike Sullivan hasn’t played youth because he hasn’t had good young players”.

Mike Sullivan, noted for his aversion to playing bad players.

 

[Gurglesons]

Well tbf you can’t be .500 in 3 games

While I’d rather see the old guard make the playoffs once more if they suck real bad and get a top 3 pick, that is fine with me

I’m expecting to go like 3-7 or 2-8 through the first 10 games.

 

[MeinerEiner]

I'm okay with this. Rotating guys in and out should be the norm.

Rotating guys in and out of the line-up is fine, as long as it is the standard for every player.

Going back to preseason, the Pens had a well working 3rd line in McGroarty - Eller - Puljujarvi. This line was by far the best line the Pens iced in these games as well as against the Rangers. They were the only guys showing a pulse out there.

Then Rust comes back and Sulli can´t get out of his own way and scratches Puljujarvi. The question I have is why does he not scratch a guy like Hayes or Beauvillier? Leave the 3rd line alone and see what they can do in the next games.

Now it´s the same situation with JSI. The 3rd pair had two good games and is building some chemistry. Even Graves looks kind of okay with JSI. Boom, JSI gets scratched.

Even going back to last season, there was this game against the Canes where a 4th line of Gruden, Puljujarvi and I don´t know who the third guy played a very good game. And what happened next? Correct, they never played together again.

Sullivan´s roster decisions don´t make sense!

 

[Empoleon8771]

McGroarty is the guy that deserves to be scratched for Puljujarvi

McGroarty is the guy who has been the worst forward for them this year and it's warranted for him to be scratched. I would have given him a few more games to decide whether to just send him down or keep him up, but he's been their worst forward and the only issue I have with him being scratched is that he should be in the AHL if he's not playing in the NHL.

Then Rust comes back and Sulli can´t get out of his own way and scratches Puljujarvi. The question I have is why does he not scratch a guy like Hayes or Beauvillier? Leave the 3rd line alone and see what they can do in the next games.

It's hilarious how this site preaches that it wants accountability and to reward players playing well, but only if it's young players or players this place likes. Beauviller is leading this team in goals right now yet people are still complaining about him not being scratched.

 

[Andy99]

McGroarty is the guy that deserves to be scratched for Puljujarvi

McGroarty is the guy who has been the worst forward for them this year and it's warranted for him to be scratched. I would have given him a few more games to decide whether to just send him down or keep him up, but he's been their worst forward and the only issue I have with him being scratched is that he should be in the AHL if he's not playing in the NHL.



It's hilarious how this site preaches that it wants accountability and to reward players playing well, but only if it's young players or players this place likes. Beauviller is leading this team in goals right now yet people are still complaining about him not being scratched.

Yeah, I don’t want him scratched and sitting. Send him to Wilkes. They have4 days off now until their next game…

 

[SEALBound]

Rotating guys in and out of the line-up is fine, as long as it is the standard for every player.

Going back to preseason, the Pens had a well working 3rd line in McGroarty - Eller - Puljujarvi. This line was by far the best line the Pens iced in these games as well as against the Rangers. They were the only guys showing a pulse out there.

Then Rust comes back and Sulli can´t get out of his own way and scratches Puljujarvi. The question I have is why does he not scratch a guy like Hayes or Beauvillier? Leave the 3rd line alone and see what they can do in the next games.

Now it´s the same situation with JSI. The 3rd pair had two good games and is building some chemistry. Even Graves looks kind of okay with JSI. Boom, JSI gets scratched.

Even going back to last season, there was this game against the Canes where a 4th line of Gruden, Puljujarvi and I don´t know who the third guy played a very good game. And what happened next? Correct, they never played together again.

Sullivan´s roster decisions don´t make sense!

If the sole intent is to merely bash Sullivan without context, fine, I won't engage. I want to bash Sullivan frequently myself.

But why was McG-Eller-Puljujarvi able to be a line in the pre-season? What context is important there?

 

[MeinerEiner]

It's hilarious how this site preaches that it wants accountability and to reward players playing well, but only if it's young players or players this place likes. Beauviller is leading this team in goals right now yet people are still complaining about him not being scratched.

Do you think Beauvillier played well against the Rangers and is it worth it keeping one guy, who played one game for your team, in the line-up instead of keeping a working line intact?

 

[Ugene Magic]

I think a bad game from Jarry tonight will lose him the starting job for the foreseeable future.

What goaltender has looked to be "The ONE" to push forward with, with this lack of defense?

I'd say nobody has a leg up on anyone. That's the harsh reality with this team.

Ned just hasn't played yet, but so far the starters are all 3.0 or above.

The team collectively has to come together and give their all to keep goals out of the net. This roster doesn't yet have that feel to it. I'd give it until the 20 game/1/4 season mark until real change is needed.

 

[Empoleon8771]

Do you think Beauvillier played well against the Rangers and is it worth it keeping one guy, who played one game for your team, in the line-up instead of keeping a working line intact?

What "working line" would be kept in tact? McGroarty-Eller-Puljujarvi was great for 1 pre-season game and generally look invisible in the two games it was a line in the regular season.

Either way, this is just proving my point that this place picks and chooses when it wants to apply "accountability" to players and lineup decisions. This place does the same thing Sullivan does but just favoring young players rather than favoring veterans.

 

[MeinerEiner]

But why was McG-Eller-Puljujarvi able to be a line in the pre-season? What context is important there?

The important context is that Dubas and Sullivan said in preseason that there will be roster spots open. Imo Puljujarvi and MCG played well enough in these games to earn a chance to play as members of a working line.

What message does it send to young players when you work your tail off, play good hockey and then get scratched? Same goes for JSI.

 

[SEALBound]

Do you think Beauvillier played well against the Rangers and is it worth it keeping one guy, who played one game for your team, in the line-up instead of keeping a working line intact?

Yes.

I think that should be pretty obvious. The eye test AND the adv stats support that Beauvillier was one of our better forwards in the first two games.

It was 100% the correct decision to keep him with Sid and then add Rust at the expense of one of McG or Puljujarvi.

I'm as excited about McGroarty as anyone but I'm not going to keep him in the lineup just for the sake of having the new shiny toy in the lineup.

 

[Empoleon8771]

The important context is that Dubas and Sullivan said in preseason that there will be roster spots open. Imo Puljujarvi and MCG played well enough in these games to earn a chance to play as members of a working line.

What message does it send to young players when you work your tail off, play good hockey and then get scratched? Same goes for JSI.

McGroarty did not play good hockey to warrant staying in the lineup. I was willing to give him longer before pulling the plug, but he has been their worst forward so far and his performance warrants him getting scratched.

I'm as excited about McGroarty as anyone but I'm not going to keep him in the lineup just for the sake of having the new shiny toy in the lineup.

This is exactly what it is, it's not "accountability" it's "accountability for players this board doesn't like".

 

[MeinerEiner]

What "working line" would be kept in tact? McGroarty-Eller-Puljujarvi was great for 1 pre-season game and generally look invisible in the two games it was a line in the regular season.

Either way, this is just proving my point that this place picks and chooses when it wants to apply "accountability" to players and lineup decisions. This place does the same thing Sullivan does but just favoring young players rather than favoring veterans.

They were arguably the best line against the Rangers.

I don´t care how old a player is, as long he deserves to play.

Sending the right messages to players and being honest is very important as a coach.

 

[SEALBound]

The important context is that Dubas and Sullivan said in preseason that there will be roster spots open. Imo Puljujarvi and MCG played well enough in these games to earn a chance to play as members of a working line.

What message does it send to young players when you work your tail off, play good hockey and then get scratched? Same goes for JSI.

No.

The important context is that Rust is hurt which necessitated bumping DOC up to play with Sid and Beauvillier. That allows an open slot on L3 to be filled by McG and Puljujarvi. Once Rust comes back, he bumps DOC. DOC is better than both McG and Puljujarvi so he bumps one of them.

Yeah, that line look decent in the pre-season. They were decent in the first game and okay in the next two. But in reality, that line hasn't been lighting the world on fire to the level that you can't mess with it.