Salary Cap: Pens Salary Cap Thread: If we score 6 we win, its science!

[Pancakes]

The only reason there is a "things are failing" narrative is because the coach was too stubborn to admit he was wrong about GCRu. They're what...11-2-2...without that line together? Even if they don't keep that pace during the 7 game losing streak, I have no doubts they pick up a few more points and would be sitting more comfortably in the playoffs.

That doesn't mean everything else is hunky dory, but people would be a lot more patient if they weren't on the bubble.

Doesn't change the fact that Rust has continued to suck ass even on Malkin's line. Rust's failures are entirely his own doing. Sullivan has nothing to do with them.

I mean god Sullivan couldn't give Rust cushier deployments than he has. All the Crosby time he can want. All the Malkin time he can want. All the #1 pp time he can want. Sullivan has given Rust everything and Rust continues to shit the bed this year.

 

[HandshakeLine]

Then why let the dog shit all over the rug, when we could have let him out into the yard a few games ago?

 

[Sidney the Kidney]

Doesn't change the fact that Rust has continued to suck ass even on Malkin's line. Rust's failures are entirely his own doing. Sullivan has nothing to do with them.

I mean god Sullivan couldn't give Rust cushier deployments than he has. All the Crosby time he can want. All the Malkin time he can want. All the #1 pp time he can want. Sullivan has given Rust everything and Rust continues to shit the bed this year.

The fact Sullivan keeps rewarding him for shitty play kind of does mean Sullivan has a lot to do with Rust's play.

Maybe, just maybe, if Sullivan dropped him down to L3 and no longer on the PP, it would be a wake up call for Rust to start working hard again. But if he can just lazily coast around out there and not lose his spot, what incentive is there for him to improve?

 

[Empoleon8771]

You can immediately dismiss someone’s opinion if they complain about how Petry has done here while saying Matheson has been good in Montreal.

Just pure idiocy.

 

[Gurglesons]

The fact Sullivan keeps rewarding him for shitty play kind of does mean Sullivan has a lot to do with Rust's play.

Maybe, just maybe, if Sullivan dropped him down to L3 and no longer on the PP, it would be a wake up call for Rust to start working hard again. But if he can just lazily coast around out there and not lose his spot, what incentive is there for him to improve?

You can immediately dismiss someone’s opinion if they complain about how Petry has done here while saying Matheson has been good in Montreal.

Just pure idiocy.

Rossi said John Marino is playing like a Norris trophy winner in the Devils.

 

[Pancakes]

The fact Sullivan keeps rewarding him for shitty play kind of does mean Sullivan has a lot to do with Rust's play.

Maybe, just maybe, if Sullivan dropped him down to L3 and no longer on the PP, it would be a wake up call for Rust to start working hard again. But if he can just lazily coast around out there and not lose his spot, what incentive is there for him to improve?

The problem is there's really not anyone to promote in his place. Heinen has been as bad or worse over the past while. Kapanen is Kapanen.

If you demote Rust in the lineup, who are you going to put in his place? McGinn? Archibald? Poehling? Not really seeing any of them as being improvements in the top six.

I think given the options that Sullivan has (and given Rust's track record) letting Rust try to play through his struggles is the best route to go with. Having said that, I have been on record for a while saying that Rust should be demoted off the top PP in favor of Rakell or Petry. And that has happened recently, though I wouldn't be surprised if Sullivan puts him back on there soon.

 

[Empoleon8771]

Just to emphasize the point more:

Petry: 22 games, 3 goals and 9 points, +4, -0.29% xGF%Rel, 21:35 TOI/game
Matheson: 4 games, 1 goal and 2 points, -2, +3.36% xGF%, 23:48 TOI/game

I fundamentally can't comprehend how someone can say that Petry hasn't been anywhere near as advertised while Matheson has been good. I can see saying Matheson has been good, albeit in a small sample size, but what is Petry possibly lacking with his play on the year overall?

This fanbase as a whole really bothers me sometimes with the whipping boys/golden boys they pick out. Petry had 8 penalty minutes in his first 3 games of the year and people just now non-stop say he's been a problem because of his penalties.

 

[Andy99]

The problem is there's really not anyone to promote in his place. Heinen has been as bad or worse over the past while. Kapanen is Kapanen.

If you demote Rust in the lineup, who are you going to put in his place? McGinn? Archibald? Poehling? Not really seeing any of them as being improvements in the top six.

I think given the options that Sullivan has (and given Rust's track record) letting Rust try to play through his struggles is the best route to go with. Having said that, I have been on record for a while saying that Rust should be demoted off the top PP in favor of Rakell or Petry. And that has happened recently, though I wouldn't be surprised if Sullivan puts him back on there soon.

He was back on PP1 in practice today. You’ll see him back on it in the game tomorrow lol

 

[AuroraBorealis]

I'd say Kap's been fine/good for like half the games he's been in. His most recent in Montreal was a solid defensive effort in a L4 role.
I don't mind him back in the lineup, even on L2. Would he really be worse than Rust is right now?

I love Heinen but he's not doing much lately. 3 points in his last 17. Goalless.

 

[Empoleon8771]

I'd say Kap's been fine/good for like half the games he's been in. His most recent in Montreal was a solid defensive effort in a L4 role.
I don't mind him back in the lineup, even on L2. Would he really be worse than Rust is right now?

I love Heinen but he's not doing much lately. 3 points in his last 17. Goalless.

Nah, I just don't see this. He has 1 or fewer shots in 11 of 13 games this year. He's had like 2 or 3 noticeable games and has been invisible to bad for the rest of the games.

In his last 8 games, he has 7 shots, 3 hits and is a -7. He was doing effectively nothing at best when he was on the ice.

 

[Pancakes]

He was back on PP1 in practice today. You’ll see him back on it in the game tomorrow lol

I know that's gonna tilt some people but I'm kinda past caring about PP1. Moving Rust off it changed very little. It struggles because of players that will never be taken off of it. It's up to those players to figure it out, or not.

Shit you could put Ovechkin and McDavid onto our PP right now and it'd probably still struggle because of how badly Crosby, Malkin, and Letang have played on it. And Jake too for that matter.

 

[AuroraBorealis]

Nah, I just don't see this. He has 1 or fewer shots in 11 of 13 games this year. He's had like 2 or 3 noticeable games and has been invisible to bad for the rest of the games.

In his last 8 games, he has 7 shots, 3 hits and is a -7.

He sucked with Carter out. He may have not gotten many shots but he did create goals early. When it's like that I don't care about possession or shot counts.
The defense has not been good though, agreed.

 

[Empoleon8771]

He sucked with Carter out. He may have not gotten many shots but he did create goals early. When it's like that I don't care about possession or shot counts.
The defense has not been good though, agreed.

Shot counts matter with him because pretty much all he’s bringing is his speed and shot. If he’s not shooting the puck, what exactly is he doing? He’s not a good playmaker, isn’t physical and isn’t good defensively.

 

[Andy99]

Shot counts matter with him because pretty much all he’s bringing is his speed and shot. If he’s not shooting the puck, what exactly is he doing? He’s not a good playmaker, isn’t physical and isn’t good defensively.

Of course he needs to shoot but he’ll be a net positive if all he brings is a heavy forecheck and is pushing Dmen back w his speed or drawing penalties because of his speed…if he can do those two things, it will go along way to helping L3

 

[AuroraBorealis]

Shot counts matter with him because pretty much all he’s bringing is his speed and shot. If he’s not shooting the puck, what exactly is he doing? He’s not a good playmaker, isn’t physical and isn’t good defensively.

Well he did have 4 primary assists in the first 5 games at 5v5.
For me, he's totally serviceable when he's working hard. Problem is he takes many games off and gets down on himself.

I'd have to look at the goals L3 gave up that led to those minuses to give a fair assessment. Some of them were purely on the defensemen or Jarry, surely.

 

[Empoleon8771]

Of course he needs to shoot but he’ll be a net positive if all brings is a heavy forecheck and is pushing Dmen back w his speed or drawing penalties because of his speed…if he can do those two things, it will go along way to helping L3

That’s never been his game, though. He’s not like Hagelin who used his speed to be a menace on the forecheck, he’s a very straight line fast who mostly generates chances on the rush. In fact, I’d call Kapanen a pretty bad forechecker if we’re talking about that. It’s just not his skillset.

This isn’t hating on him or anything, it’s just being realistic with what he is. He’s a fast straight line skater with a nice shot that doesn’t really do anything beyond that. He’s just another Tyler Kennedy type of player.

 

[DearDiary]

Smith is t-17th in AHL Dmen scoring, t-30st in ppg among Dmen who have played within 3 games of him.

For people who watch him, is it because he's being made to play a defensive game?

 

[Andy99]

That’s never been his game, though. He’s not like Hagelin who used his speed to be a menace on the forecheck, he’s a very straight line fast who mostly generates chances on the rush. In fact, I’d call Kapanen a pretty bad forechecker if we’re talking about that. It’s just not his skillset.

This isn’t hating on him or anything, it’s just being realistic with what he is. He’s a fast straight line skater with a nice shot that doesn’t really do anything beyond that. He’s just another Tyler Kennedy type of player.

I agree with you overall…I’m just telling you what Sullivan wants Kap to do…I believe they brought him back to be a Hagelin type, and that they think it will be easy for him to simplify his game and do this, and they completely misjudge that role and the player: you need a pretty high hockey IQ for it, like Hags had lol

 

[Pancakes]

Well he did have 4 primary assists in the first 5 games at 5v5.
For me, he's totally serviceable when he's working hard. Problem is he takes many games off and gets down on himself.

I'd have to look at the goals L3 gave up that led to those minuses to give a fair assessment. Some of them were purely on the defensemen or Jarry, surely.

Confidence definitely seems to be a huge issue with him. I've never seen a player with worse confidence issues than him. When he's feeling it he can contribute but when he's not he's a real drag on whatever line he's on.

 

[ChaosAgent]

Kasperi may be scratched and it may be 44 hours after a loss, but he is not your savior.

 

[Gurglesons]

Confidence definitely seems to be a huge issue with him. I've never seen a player with worse confidence issues than him. When he's feeling it he can contribute but when he's not he's a real drag on whatever line he's on.

Haven't seen Rust?

 

[Pancakes]

Haven't seen Rust?

Rust used to be good even when he wasn't scoring. Not so much any more sadly.

 

[Gurglesons]

Rust used to be good even when he wasn't scoring. Not so much any more sadly.

Been that way for a few years.

 

[Pancakes]

Been that way for a few years.

Yeah ever since he developed a scoring touch in 2019 I feel like he lost a bit of his all around game. That's unfortunate because his grind game used to be super on point.

These days it feels like if his line isn't scoring he's not so useful.

That said he's streaky as f*** and I'm sure he'll go on a 10-15 game heater at some point this season and end up around 25 goals like he usually does.

 

[Sidney the Kidney]

I know that's gonna tilt some people but I'm kinda past caring about PP1. Moving Rust off it changed very little. It struggles because of players that will never be taken off of it. It's up to those players to figure it out, or not.

Shit you could put Ovechkin and McDavid onto our PP right now and it'd probably still struggle because of how badly Crosby, Malkin, and Letang have played on it. And Jake too for that matter.

How about try Rakell on that top unit to see if that works? Switching to Petry for a couple of games before going back to Rust doesn't sound like much of an effort to improve things to me.