Honour Over Glory
Blomqvist for Vezina + ROTY
- Jan 30, 2012
- 81,026
- 45,527
Speculation: Penguins off day talk thread: Dont look now, but we are good again!
- Thread starter Zirakzigil
- Start date
That's a hilarious comment by Fitzgerald though because the Devils are apparently scratching Nemec tonight and had a comment about how Holtz needs to earn his way up from the fourth line.
So sounds like they're still treating their young players like shit even with new coaching. The Sully special.
BlindWillyMcHurt
ti kallisti
- May 31, 2004
- 35,982
- 30,896
I haven't checked in with the Devils much this season.
Is Marino still the best defenseman in the NHL or whatever?
Is Marino still the best defenseman in the NHL or whatever?
I think Eller and Smith are as good as gone for picks.. TFP has Geuntzel going to Edmonton it appears as the front runners.
Gurglesons
Registered User
Gurglesons
Registered User
I think Dubas moves like Jake and Ned and then says "we looked at trades but we didn't get the value we wanted, we will reexamine how to make this roster younger in the offseason" or some other type of flaccid dick bullshit that he's been peddling since he came here.
Dude is just as shitty as Hextall only he can talk to the media so people respect him.
MrBrightside
Registered User
jjp66
Registered User
- Apr 10, 2015
- 814
- 304
has anyone noticed that pretty much anyone we trade for underwhelms here and anyone we trade away improves or flat out excels? hmm...... i wonder why???
BlindWillyMcHurt
ti kallisti
- May 31, 2004
- 35,982
- 30,896
There are just SO many bizarre mysteries this season!
pistolpete11
Registered User
- Apr 27, 2013
- 11,904
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Nothing is done until it's done, but I'm at least happy they seem to be trading Geuntzel for sure. Once we started getting 'reports' that he had come down on his asking price and he didn't want to have to find new restaurants or wear new gloves, I was worried they were going to re-sign him.
pistolpete11
Registered User
- Apr 27, 2013
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I'm more than OK with that. I just want to use Guentzel now to help restock the system a bit.
Sidney the Kidney
One last time
- Jun 29, 2009
- 56,710
- 49,039
BUT VANCOUVER IS SUPER SERIOUS AND ONLY WANTS TO GIVE UP A 7TH ROUND PICK!?!
It's Malkin's fault.
SomeDude
Registered User
I guess Jarry is starting again tonight…they better be showcasing him for a big trade lol…otherwise I have no idea why he is playing so much lol
Buddy Bizarre
Registered User
- Jul 9, 2021
- 6,392
- 4,564
Because he's the #1 goalie and Sully/Mgmt STILL think they're fighting for a playoff spot.
I don't agree with it, but that's the reason
GilbertSeinfeld
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- Mar 4, 2024
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pistolpete11
Registered User
- Apr 27, 2013
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Ned's more likely to be traded, so why risk him getting hurt? That's how I'd look at it.
Yes but he hasn’t played well in last couple starts…Caps can’t score so this game could do wonders for trade return lol
pistolpete11
Registered User
- Apr 27, 2013
- 11,904
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I don't think 2 or 3 games are swaying GM's. If they need a backup goalie, Ned's probably the best available and easiest to acquire. The only other goalies I've seen mentioned are Ullmark and Markstrom, both of whom are more starter than backup.
Thought this was telling…those of us who say a lot of our players get tight and panic when it comes time produce at the end of tight games, including Jarry, should pay attention: Geno confirmed it lol
Sidney the Kidney
One last time
- Jun 29, 2009
- 56,710
- 49,039
66-30-33
Registered User
Karl Prime
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- Feb 13, 2017
- 4,602
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Well, this turned into an essay... the important points I wanted to make when I started are in paragraphs 1, 4, 5, and 7.
Honestly, if I were Dubas, and allowed to, I would have fired Sullivan today and tried playing a faster, more up-tempo game the rest of the season. In a perfect world Sullivan adjusts to do this, but he's either not capable or won't. The dump and chase works on some shifts when they are able to get on defenders but too often they aren't able to get there fast enough and it leads to easy outs for the opposition. There's a reason the successful teams in the league thrive from carrying the puck through the neutral zone, because it's hard to consistently win the puck from dumping in, and then generating chances from the outside.
I was thinking earlier about the Pens finishing this season, how it so often seems like they get a few good chances, don't score, and then the other team gets one and does. Obviously having Smith and Rakell have bad goal scoring seasons hurts with the finishing success, but it just seems to have permeated through the lineup right from game 1 when Mrazek was stoning them. In the Edmonton blowout, Crosby has that great chance when it's 1-0 and then EDM goes down and scores. It definitely happens the other way, but it certainly feels like it happens more against PIT than for them (which you wouldn't think since they have gotten a lot of good saves this year).
And now for the "frustrated with the way EK has been used" portion of the show. I apologize - I swear I have a lot of thoughts on every other part of this team, but it sucks seeing something I was excited about go down the drain from bad coaching.
I do not buy the idea that they can't use Karlsson's skating in transition to full effect because of the team being older and somewhat slower - last season SJ was not a very good skating team yet he put up one of the best offensive seasons ever. There was one play a few games ago where he was in the defensive corner, skated out with the puck, got past the oz blue line, passed to Sid, and they created some pressure. He maybe does that once per game, if that. Imagine if he was creating possession and pressure 10x a game doing that?
I will say something about the PP because it's been such a drain, and of course he would have more than 43 points in 61 games right now if it were better. I know it's been a common opinion that he's been bad on it, which is fair, but it's definitely a collective failure This has been the worst PP Sid and Geno have been on, too. No matter what, a PP is more than one or two guys. Even Edmonton with McD and Drai, having Hyman as the net guy, RNH as a distributor, and Bouchard as the big one-timer all has played a big factor in its success. The way PIT run it, here's are EK's tasks: 1: bring the puck up ice and dish it back to the trailing teammate. 2: stay at the point and pass the puck to option one on the left or option two on the right. A one-timer for him is rarely available because there is always a guy in front of him. Occasionally he will send a puck for a tip, but that's a play you don't want to be running on the PP. I don't think Sid, Geno, Jake, and EK/Letang just forgot how to play on the PP this year, the set up is just horrible and the coaching staff hasn't adjusted. Puck movement too slow and predictable, no player movement, puck not getting low often enough.. But that's why I think that 75% of the problems are the set up, because I see guys making the reads that are available to them, and almost always going through the seams isn't available.
Don't get me wrong, I'm not saying "give EK free reign and he would have been a 100-point guy." I don't think that was ever going to happen even if he played similarly to last year. But using his skating in transition as a weapon probably would have brought him many more even strenngth points, considering his three primary targets would have been Crosby, Guentzel, and Malkin. There is no reason I see why he couldn't have had a season like his 2011-12 breakout, where he was one of two guys carrying the offense and still handling his responsibilities defensively.
It feels like he's not really a key focus of the offense, which is insane, and leads me to believe Sullivan only knows how to coach with heavy reliance on Sid, Geno, and Guentzel offensively. He rarely moves around in the offensive zone, rarely gets low, rarely skates with the puck. I know I've repeated it, but it's crazy to me that his main responsibilities offensively are sending breakout passes and taking point shots for screens and tips. And whenever he has tried to do his fancier stuff, often times it doesn't work out because there's rust, frankly. Last year Quinn made it clear the offense went as he went, and right from the first game he was carrying the puck often, making dekes, taking shots to score. This year it feels like you could replace EK with 2007 Joe Corvo and the team wouldn't change much - and that surely isn't what Dubas had in mind when he brought him in.
The best way I can put it is this: he's a Ferrari being driven around the city.
Honestly, if I were Dubas, and allowed to, I would have fired Sullivan today and tried playing a faster, more up-tempo game the rest of the season. In a perfect world Sullivan adjusts to do this, but he's either not capable or won't. The dump and chase works on some shifts when they are able to get on defenders but too often they aren't able to get there fast enough and it leads to easy outs for the opposition. There's a reason the successful teams in the league thrive from carrying the puck through the neutral zone, because it's hard to consistently win the puck from dumping in, and then generating chances from the outside.
I was thinking earlier about the Pens finishing this season, how it so often seems like they get a few good chances, don't score, and then the other team gets one and does. Obviously having Smith and Rakell have bad goal scoring seasons hurts with the finishing success, but it just seems to have permeated through the lineup right from game 1 when Mrazek was stoning them. In the Edmonton blowout, Crosby has that great chance when it's 1-0 and then EDM goes down and scores. It definitely happens the other way, but it certainly feels like it happens more against PIT than for them (which you wouldn't think since they have gotten a lot of good saves this year).
And now for the "frustrated with the way EK has been used" portion of the show. I apologize - I swear I have a lot of thoughts on every other part of this team, but it sucks seeing something I was excited about go down the drain from bad coaching.
I do not buy the idea that they can't use Karlsson's skating in transition to full effect because of the team being older and somewhat slower - last season SJ was not a very good skating team yet he put up one of the best offensive seasons ever. There was one play a few games ago where he was in the defensive corner, skated out with the puck, got past the oz blue line, passed to Sid, and they created some pressure. He maybe does that once per game, if that. Imagine if he was creating possession and pressure 10x a game doing that?
I will say something about the PP because it's been such a drain, and of course he would have more than 43 points in 61 games right now if it were better. I know it's been a common opinion that he's been bad on it, which is fair, but it's definitely a collective failure This has been the worst PP Sid and Geno have been on, too. No matter what, a PP is more than one or two guys. Even Edmonton with McD and Drai, having Hyman as the net guy, RNH as a distributor, and Bouchard as the big one-timer all has played a big factor in its success. The way PIT run it, here's are EK's tasks: 1: bring the puck up ice and dish it back to the trailing teammate. 2: stay at the point and pass the puck to option one on the left or option two on the right. A one-timer for him is rarely available because there is always a guy in front of him. Occasionally he will send a puck for a tip, but that's a play you don't want to be running on the PP. I don't think Sid, Geno, Jake, and EK/Letang just forgot how to play on the PP this year, the set up is just horrible and the coaching staff hasn't adjusted. Puck movement too slow and predictable, no player movement, puck not getting low often enough.. But that's why I think that 75% of the problems are the set up, because I see guys making the reads that are available to them, and almost always going through the seams isn't available.
Don't get me wrong, I'm not saying "give EK free reign and he would have been a 100-point guy." I don't think that was ever going to happen even if he played similarly to last year. But using his skating in transition as a weapon probably would have brought him many more even strenngth points, considering his three primary targets would have been Crosby, Guentzel, and Malkin. There is no reason I see why he couldn't have had a season like his 2011-12 breakout, where he was one of two guys carrying the offense and still handling his responsibilities defensively.
It feels like he's not really a key focus of the offense, which is insane, and leads me to believe Sullivan only knows how to coach with heavy reliance on Sid, Geno, and Guentzel offensively. He rarely moves around in the offensive zone, rarely gets low, rarely skates with the puck. I know I've repeated it, but it's crazy to me that his main responsibilities offensively are sending breakout passes and taking point shots for screens and tips. And whenever he has tried to do his fancier stuff, often times it doesn't work out because there's rust, frankly. Last year Quinn made it clear the offense went as he went, and right from the first game he was carrying the puck often, making dekes, taking shots to score. This year it feels like you could replace EK with 2007 Joe Corvo and the team wouldn't change much - and that surely isn't what Dubas had in mind when he brought him in.
The best way I can put it is this: he's a Ferrari being driven around the city.
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