PENS vs Montreal Canadiens Round 1 (Best Of Five)

[Dipsy Doodle]

Even if Sheary is far from my ideal scoring line option, I'm excited to see what a top 6 with Guentzel, Zucker, and Rust on the wing can do.

That's a lot of speed, forecheck disruption, and tenacity.

 

[Randy Butternubs]

They already can, the TD is a last day for teams to trade for playoff eligible players. Wont be rental players though, would be a full member of the team.

Not quite what I was asking/hypothesizing. Will the rosters be locked and no teams can acquire players from other teams? Could the Pens, for example, acquire a player from Detroit to play in the series against Montreal?

 

[pistolpete11]

The format is silly, but if that's the tradeoff for getting Guentzel back and we get to watch hockey again relatively soon, I say that's a win.

 

[pistolpete11]

Also, I don't get the asterisk talk unless the champs end up being a team that wasn't even going to make the playoffs (like the Canadiens). That would piss me off, but if one of the top teams or even a bubble team win, it's as legit as any other Cup in my eyes.

 

[CrosbyMalkin]

This seems sort of pointed at me since I made the comment about not taking the results seriously. I didn't mean it in some meat-headed "sports are serious business" kinda way. I just meant that because the format is a little goofy I'll be taking the winner with a grain of salt.

To put a finer point on it, I'll probably be less convinced that whoever wins is actually the best team than in past years. We need look no further than our own team. The Pens are objectively better than Montreal in every way but, hey, anything can happen in a few games. It kinda just calls the validity of all of it into question for me.

All of that said, I'm not over here pouting about it or anything. I will still very much enjoy watching the hockey purely for the entertainment value.

I won't be any less convinced that whoever wins the Cup is the best team more than any other year. Tell me why it is any different than any other year? You still have to go through 4 best of 7 rounds to win the Cup just like any other season but now some teams like us actually have it harder than ever before with an extra round. I honestly don't see your argument. Any team that wins the Cup winning 4 or 5 rounds against the best teams in the league is just as legit as any other year. I would say much more legit than when it was just a six team league for the majority of the leagues creation.

I for one am glad to have playoff hockey and if the Pens win it all I would say this was the hardest odds ever for a Cup Championship. No team ever had to play 5 rounds to win. So if an asterisk goes by the Cup win then it should say won 5 rounds to do it and be as a plus not a minus.

 

[ziggyjoe212]

There will be a 16 team playoffs just like any other year. These playoffs will be no different than any other year.

 

[Bingo71]

[MOD]

Because apparently, no one wants to face "Patrick Kane & Carey Price"...you know, a guy that hasn't been on a worthy deep playoff team in like 4yrs and another guy that has never won a cup in his career and has had an up and down season.

God forbid anyone need to watch out for the likes of the Capitals, StL Blues, or the Penguins.

Sorry, maybe you misunderstood. I wasn’t claiming that “juggernauts” like Chicago and Montreal were going to go on a tear, I was talking more about both being original six teams and being “gifted” a play in chance at the playoffs when it looked like neither was going to make it on their own volition.

I said “look out” in regards to the backlash that would likely result, not worrying about the Price is right and intangibles Toews...

 

[WheresRamziAbid]

Not quite what I was asking/hypothesizing. Will the rosters be locked and no teams can acquire players from other teams? Could the Pens, for example, acquire a player from Detroit to play in the series against Montreal?

playoff eligible players have been locked since the trade deadline. Why would any other scenario exist?

 

[Honour Over Glory]

Sorry, maybe you misunderstood. I wasn’t claiming that “juggernauts” like Chicago and Montreal were going to go on a tear, I was talking more about both being original six teams and being “gifted” a play in chance at the playoffs when it looked like neither was going to make it on their own volition.

I said “look out” in regards to the backlash that would likely result, not worrying about the Price is right and intangibles Toews...

Mate, I don't even know what part of my post was taken out, so I am a little lost about what the reply is about now.

I agree with what you're saying.

 

[3ladesof5teel]

Just glad to be watching some hockey, guys will be fresh and healthy. Once these guys get thier legs underneath them we might see some great playoff hockey.

Is it ideal circumstances?..........no, but I think a total lost season takes a year away from our Crosby/Malkin era. Gimme whatever hockey I have left to watch these two on the ice

 

[Gurglesons]

Just glad to be watching some hockey, guys will be fresh and healthy. Once they guys get thier legs underneath them we might see some great playoff hockey.

Is it ideal circumstances?..........no, but I think a total lost season takes a year away from our Crosby/Malkin era. Gimme whatever hockey I have left to watch these two on the ice

Pretty much. And I guarantee this team for the most part is totally focused on getting back to playing hockey.

 

[ownal]

A well rested Horny needs to be on L1 with Guentzel & Crosby.

 

[DeSero]

I thought I’d visit this board to see the vast majority celebrating. Hockey is back with an established plan. Before the NBA and the MLB!

What are the negatives people are complaining about?

Pens have a play in series? Well, the team should’ve played better during the regular season. But this isn’t a bad thing, the pens weren’t exactly playing lights out prior to the stoppage. Getting games in before playing any of the teams above pens in the standings is a good thing.

Pens are more susceptible to injuries? Given we’re one of the older teams in the NHL, the team should benefit more than most from the extended rest. Also, we’re going to have Jake available at full health who wouldn’t have played in round 1 (and maybe round 2) had COVID never happened.

Larger market teams that weren’t in the playoffs are now in? There were games left to be played and anything could’ve happened. But that is naive — This will drive up viewership and improve the NHLs position at the bargaining table during the upcoming TV deal negotiation. This is necessary and will improve conditions for everyone involved (including the players and the fans).

The value of winning the cup is tarnished? This doesn’t matter and is classic sour grapes. But if you care about this, the team that wins won’t give a damn (and neither will those complaining now if the pens win).

Changes are going to be made to the 2021 season? The off-season will be shortened. That means hockey will be back sooner rather than later.

With a little bit of effort, a perceived negative can be viewed as a positive.

 

[Honour Over Glory]

I can't wait to see both the hawks and the Habs go 0-3 and laugh at the people that made a big deal about anyone being afraid of either player or their teams.

 

[AJRAYMOND]

It's ridiculous if Guentzel is not with Malkin and Rust. They were one of the top 3 lines in the NHL when Jake was healthy. You have Sheary back for Sid and Zucker which should form another great line. Problem could be not enough time to gel in a short playoff series. I'd rather see them complete the regular season and have the 16 team playoff with maybe a best of five in the first round and maybe have a 72 game regular season starting a month later next year. If it's going to go down like this, wait for Price to drop on the ice and shoot high. Let's get this going! Evgenius back to work!

 

[Gurglesons]

It's ridiculous if Guentzel is not with Malkin and Rust. They were one of the top 3 lines in the NHL when Jake was healthy. You have Sheary back for Sid and Zucker which should form another great line. Problem could be not enough time to gel in a short playoff series. I'd rather see them complete the regular season and have the 16 team playoff with maybe a best of five in the first round and maybe have a 72 game regular season starting a month later next year. If it's going to go down like this, wait for Price to drop on the ice and shoot high. Let's get this going! Evgenius back to work!

Ideally I’d run..

Guentzel - Crosby - Zucker
Marleau - Malkin - Rust
Sheary - McCann - Hornqvist
ZAR - Bleuger - Tanev

To start.

 

[57special]

I can't believe that some of you guys are complaining. You get a healthy Guentzel, Zucker(remember, he had a broken leg he was recovering from), Marino, Crosby? You'd rather waste a year of all of them, and maybe lose a goalie?

If you lose, you keep your #1 pick, and who knows how far up you will move? Surely MTL can't pick ahead of you if they beat you, but I'm pretty sure you would end up picking ahead of all the winners in the 1st round, plus the the bye teams, giving you a pick in the late teens at a minimum, which might be good enough to get you a Schneider/Guhle/Mercer/Zary.

With a healthy team you guys have a chance to win a Cup. What's wrong with that?

 

[57special]

If you give Crosby Guentzel and Zucker, Malkin is going to start to pout, and I wouldn't blame him.

 

[Honour Over Glory]

Ideally I’d run..

Guentzel - Crosby - Zucker
Marleau - Malkin - Rust
Sheary - McCann - Hornqvist
ZAR - Bleuger - Tanev

To start.

So, screw Malkin as usual.

 

[Gurglesons]

So, screw Malkin as usual.

Nah. Overload the top line.

 

[EightyOne]

Nah. Overload the top line.

Run 4 forwards?

I like it.

Letang - Malkin

 

[Honour Over Glory]

Nah. Overload the top line.

So then why aren't you?

For majority of the season, the top line was - Guentzel, Malkin, Rust.

So the thank you to Malkin, who has been the team's MVP all season, is to...f*** him over? Is that it? So the team goes out and gets Zucker and Guentzel is back and the solution is to put a geriatric with Malkin and Rust.

Yeah, that is f***ing stupid.

 

[Honour Over Glory]

If you give Crosby Guentzel and Zucker, Malkin is going to start to pout, and I wouldn't blame him.

He wouldn't pout, he would feel disrespected and he should. Because that is disrespectful as f***. A guy is on a 1.34ppg pace, leads the team in points by a decent margin, has been the MVP of the team all season long and the winger they want to put with him is Marleau, yeah, pouting? f*** that mate, I would be f***ing pissed.

G-M-R was one of the hottest lines in the league. That trio was on pace for numbers no Pens line has ever put up in the Sid & Geno era.

 

[Gurglesons]

So then why aren't you?

For majority of the season, the top line was - Guentzel, Malkin, Rust.

So the thank you to Malkin, who has been the team's MVP all season, is to...f*** him over? Is that it? So the team goes out and gets Zucker and Guentzel is back and the solution is to put a geriatric with Malkin and Rust.

Yeah, that is f***ing stupid.

# 1. I think Marleau will be very good after this break as he was in his first 20 in SJ.

# 2. Let’s be honest. Jake and Sid were killing it to start the year.

 

[Honour Over Glory]

You have a very small window to "tune up" and it would be insanely short sighted to stroke Crosby's ego and take away Guentzel off of Malkin's line. Sheary has been producing at 0.5ppg and Zucker was finding chemistry with Crosby, if you stick with those...there's still a very good balance. And you can rotate out Sheary with Jake, Marleau, or move Zucker to LW and throw Horny on the RW.

Guentzel, Malkin, Rust
Sheary, Crosby, Zucker
Marleau, McCann, Hornqvist
Aston-Reese, Blueger, Tanev