Salary Cap: Pens Salary Cap Thread: If we score 6 we win, its science!
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pistolpete11
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Are you inspired by POJ or Smith in a top pairing role?
It might not be a long term solution, but Rutta would be the best option currently in the organization to replace Dumo.
Actually Petts has been our best D man, sad to say….I think he should play with Letang…if Petry needs him despite being bad, then what does that say about Petry…I also don’t think Rutta has played LD a lot…I’d go…
Petts-Letang
Dumo-Petry
POJ-Rutta
molon labe
Registered User
For all the hype about Rutta being a crease clearer.... I've yet to see it. Dude is softer than Zahorna was.
Anyway, I continue to agree with the sentiment that our 'depth' is what's letting us down. We're still a 1.5 line hockey team. That recipe would be fine if we were defensive minded and played slow...but we don't. So it's either all cylinders firing or none. The Alfa Romeo of the NHL.
Zucker is constantly broken, at 5.5m. Kappy never was worth his contract and the only flashes he shows are utterly irrelevant (flying down the ice only to stop and shoot at the chest of the goalie or pass backward), McGinn brings nothing, as will Blueger. The crowd that complained infinitely about the youngsters getting their shot also have nothing to say because our youngsters suck. So, it's make a move or just accept the fact that we're going to be playing the 1/2 seed this year in the first round.
I thought he'd have at least one game where he showed....something. It's rare that a call up is a non factor to that extent, even a guy who is traditionally an AHL tweener.
Shit we could call up the worst player in WBS and they'd probably do more than Caggiula did. I can barely even remember a shift he took.
AuroraBorealis
Back-to-back hater
If there was to be a coaching change in the summer, Cassidy is who I wanted.
Look at him with those 8-2-0 Knights. One of the best 3 coaches in the league IMO.
Look at him with those 8-2-0 Knights. One of the best 3 coaches in the league IMO.
Trotz would have been interesting and I bet he would have come out of retirement if the Pens offered him that job.
AuroraBorealis
Back-to-back hater
We'd become mega boring and low scoring with him though. In the playoffs I'd like that but during the reg season...oof. Not worth.
Boring for sure. Might be what the doctor ordered when you're an old team though
Empoleon8771
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If playing POJ with Letang makes Letang play smarter and more conservatively, I wouldn't hate it being tried.
The top pair will live or die on Letang. If you give Letang a partner that makes him play less risky and more structured, I think that's something that is worth considering.
pistolpete11
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If Letang needs Petts, what does that say about Letang?
Those might be some pairings to try in the meantime (although breaking up their best pairing, Petts-Petry, to go to a pairing that hasn't looked great in the past, Petts-Letang, wouldn't be my first choice). But my premise was getting rid of Dumo. Dumo looks terrible and while giving him some less minutes against easier competition might lessen his impact on the game, I don't think it changes him being cooked.
Regarding Rutta playing LD, my understanding is he did it with Hedman in Tampa, but as I said in my initial post, it wouldn't be my long term goal. He'd be a fill in until they found someone else to replace Dumo...unless they look good together in which case then I'd just be looking for a 3RD.
I'm just concerned about him keeping the puck out of the net....which he's done a pretty good job of despite heavy D-zone starts.
9 (or less) games ago, you were convinced they needed to dump POJ, so I'm not even a little bit surprised you now think he should be on the top pairing.
I'd hate to break up the MP/Petry pair but maybe they should consider doing that. Run something like:
MP-Letang
Dumoulin-Petry
POJ-Rutta
See if Dumoulin is still god awful even when on the 2nd pair. If he's still bad, then put POJ with Letang and MP with Petry and just put Dumo on the third pair and hope for the best
Empoleon8771
Registered User
Are you genuinely this dense that this is what you got out of my post?
My post was entirely about getting Letang to play smarter and more conservatively. Thinking playing POJ with Letang may make Letang play a safer and more structured game doesn't mean I suddenly think POJ is a top pair defenseman.
Letang has been worse than Dumoulin. Dumoulin has had to clean up Letang's messes all season so far.
pistolpete11
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Dress it up however you want, bud. You're suggesting to play POJ on the top pairing.
Empoleon8771
Registered User
Breaking news: there is more nuance to roster building than "play the 2 best D on the top pair, play the next 2 best D on the 2nd pair and play the worst 2 D on the bottom pair".
You're seemingly incapable of understanding that nuance.
No, misconception going around Rutta played LD w Hedman…Hedman is a LD lolIf Letang needs Petts, what does that say about Letang?
Those might be some pairings to try in the meantime (although breaking up their best pairing, Petts-Petry, to go to a pairing that hasn't looked great in the past, Petts-Letang, wouldn't be my first choice). But my premise was getting rid of Dumo. Dumo looks terrible and while giving him some less minutes against easier competition might lessen his impact on the game, I don't think it changes him being cooked.
Regarding Rutta playing LD, my understanding is he did it with Hedman in Tampa, but as I said in my initial post, it wouldn't be my long term goal. He'd be a fill in until they found someone else to replace Dumo...unless they look good together in which case then I'd just be looking for a 3RD.
I'm just concerned about him keeping the puck out of the net....which he's done a pretty good job of despite heavy D-zone starts.
9 (or less) games ago, you were convinced they needed to dump POJ, so I'm not even a little bit surprised you now think he should be on the top pairing.
Buddy Bizarre
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- Jul 9, 2021
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In my fantasy there would be a reporter who asked this question:
"Mike Sullivan, you had what had analytically been the best line in hockey with Geno/Rust/Zucker. Why did you break it up?"
"Mike Sullivan, you had what had analytically been the best line in hockey with Geno/Rust/Zucker. Why did you break it up?"
vodeni
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serious question: What in Letang's game (this season) you see as risky that he needs " a safer and more structured" game. If you were the coach what would you tell Letang? I watch him closely super closely and I cannot see one thing in his game that would be considered risky and needs smart and structured play( if you take out stupid passes on PP, but thats a different story). He barely even attempts to skate with puck any more, he is not holding or attempting to hold the blue line, he is deep in his zone where he is super conservative with the puck, trying to figure out what to do with it, wasting time and getting forechecked the shit out of him, and making attempts to send the puck around the wall. He is also getting beat one on one way more often than before and has nothing to do with playing smart or conservative. When Letang is at his best is when he takes chances, he drives the play, he holds the blue line, he helps breaking out of our zone. He does nothing of that right now.
BlindWillyMcHurt
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Buddy Bizarre
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It'd be an interesting response because Sully always talks about "the process" and "playing the right way".
You could say it'd be a hypocritical response
BlindWillyMcHurt
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OK well just pretend it's me, then haha. Because I think that line is smoke and mirrors and hasn't actually worked on anything but paper pretty much forever. To me... "Expected Goals" translates to "We suck at finishing the play."
I know people have decided that after like five good games ZMR is good to go. But I remain pretty unconvinced. Though it does seem pretty obvious that Malkin and Rust at least should be playing together so Raks can be on Crosby's RW where he can actually do work.
Agree…I’d rather risky Letang at ES but the coaches have clearly neutered him …he’s usually awful on the PP but now he’s just dreadful to watch at ES…in fact, the whole team is rather boring, reflecting the coach lol
Buddy Bizarre
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I think we disagree here then. I take the approach that goals/SH% tend to normalize over the course of time. They got, what 5 games together? I'd be willing to lay down money that they start filling the net if you give them 15-20 games
What's the worst that could happen: we establish that trio doesn't really work?
Producing certain failure is a step closer to the final answer than wasted time.
BlindWillyMcHurt
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It's not like we haven't seen them in the past as a unit. Everyone was jazzed about them, then. They put a bunch of shots on goal, dominated territorially and scored I think zero goals that entire playoffs.
At this point I'm mostly thinking toward how to best configure L1 to carry the entire offensive load and just hope that L2 can play the opposition to a draw most nights. Huzzah. How exciting.
I do not think the the solution to making L2 anything other than a glorified possession 4th line that eats minutes... best case... actually exists on this roster.
Letang and Carter not at practice this morning..so maybe we will see new D pairs…although if he was injured you’d think Smith would be called up
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