Pittsburgh Sports Media Gibberish - Part IX

[Shady Machine]

It's not really Pittsburgh media, but here is an article on Fleury and Bales:

Zen and the art of NHL goaltender maintenance: Marc-Andre Fleury keeps calm, keeps winning








I didn't know too much about Bales, so this was interesting.

Good stuff. Still can't believe it took this long to get a real goalie coach to tell him these things that many have been watching for years.

 

[SuburbanRhythm]

Lange on DVE right now.

Just said Scuderi is a "real professional" and "has alot to do with the season Despres is having"

 

[Winger for Hire]

To be fair to Scuds, he is a real professional, unlike Craig Adams.

 

[SuburbanRhythm]

Fair enough...

And if we twist this to mean "Scuderi has been so bad, he's giving Despres a chance to shine", I'll buy it

 

[vikingGoalie]

It's not really Pittsburgh media, but here is an article on Fleury and Bales:

Zen and the art of NHL goaltender maintenance: Marc-Andre Fleury keeps calm, keeps winning




I didn't know too much about Bales, so this was interesting.

Excellent article thanks for posting that link.

Meloche was a joke of a coach, he really was just a confident of Fleury's.

 

[Dying Alive]

Lange on DVE right now.

Just said Scuderi is a "real professional" and "has alot to do with the season Despres is having"

I know people don't like to hear it but it's very possible that's true. It doesn't mean Scuderi is babysitting him or anything like that, but it's not out of the question that he's mentoring Despres and giving him advice. If there's one thing you can say for Scuderi it's that he seems to be universally respected within the organization (and in the Kings organization too, it seems).

 

[Ugene Magic]

To be fair to Scuds, he is a real professional, unlike Craig Adams.

Slight differences. Scuds can afford to be a professional due to having a contract with term left. He's not facing UFA status.

Adams is probably looking at retirement and trying to fight it. Scuderi will probably doing the same in a couple years, but difference in pay scale will see Adams having to work after hockey when Scuderi can live off his last two contracts fairly easy. Somewhere around 10 million maybe more.

They both have a couple cups and should be thankful and professional on their way out.

 

[Winger for Hire]

I know people don't like to hear it but it's very possible that's true. It doesn't mean Scuderi is babysitting him or anything like that, but it's not out of the question that he's mentoring Despres and giving him advice. If there's one thing you can say for Scuderi it's that he seems to be universally respected within the organization (and in the Kings organization too, it seems).

Seconded... I don't know why it's so hard to accept/believe that Scuds is a good mentor to Despres.

I'm as a big a critic as any of his on ice play, but he's always seemed (from afar) to be a really good locker room guy. And those are the guys who make the best mentors/coaches. Players who had to work for where they got to and not have everything come natural (see Wayne Gretzky in Phx).

 

[dbeats]

Fair enough...

And if we twist this to mean "Scuderi has been so bad, he's giving Despres a chance to shine", I'll buy it

I think to call him "so bad" would be inaccurate and succumbing to group think. While definitely a 3rd pair dman, outside of 4 on 4 I don't see him as a liability this year anymore like he was last year.

Of course, his contract is a different story...and if you are including his contract in your assessment of him then I'd agree more.

 

[Mr Jiggyfly]

I heard the Madden interview with Scuds and he was pretty honest about himself. Said positioning and playing it safe is what got him to the NHL and not really great talent. He explained that if he has time he looks to make a play (I laughed), but he more or less has to keep it simple. He said he felt he was a mobile guy when he came into the league and he was, but he knows he only limited years left now. Felt he can still skate well, which isn't entirely false.

The knock on Scuds has been the same since he came up through the ranks: he is offensively Pejorative Slured. It's just gotten worse with age now. He's a big liability with the puck on his stick, especially in the attacking zone.

I still think he is quite solid in his own end, but is he outstanding enough there to justify all of the plays that die on his stick in the other end? The contract is also an issue. If he was given a 2 year deal, it would have made sense, given the young kids in the system. But the long term deal he got, is probably the biggest reason people dislike Scuds. Well that and he is the artist known as the half board assassin.

 

[Winger for Hire]

Slight differences. Scuds can afford to be a professional due to having a contract with term left. He's not facing UFA status.

Adams is probably looking at retirement and trying to fight it. Scuderi will probably doing the same in a couple years, but difference in pay scale will see Adams having to work after hockey when Scuderi can live off his last two contracts fairly easy. Somewhere around 10 million maybe more.

They both have a couple cups and should be thankful and professional on their way out.

So because Adams' has never been good enough to get a big contract and is looking at retirement sooner, we can excuse him being a locker room cancer, narc, and running players in practice? Nope, sorry, I can't get on board with that.

Contract status has nothing to do with being professional. I might buy into your train of thought if the roles were reversed. Adams being the model pro and Scuds being the disruption, because then it'd make sense. The pending UFA looking to hang on longer by being the player/coach and the player with term and "big" money not caring because he's set.

 

[Ugene Magic]

So because Adams' has never been good enough to get a big contract and is looking at retirement sooner, we can excuse him being a locker room cancer, narc, and running players in practice? Nope, sorry, I can't get on board with that.

Contract status has nothing to do with being professional. I might buy into your train of thought if the roles were reversed. Adams being the model pro and Scuds being the disruption, because then it'd make sense. The pending UFA looking to hang on longer by being the player/coach and the player with term and "big" money not caring because he's set.

Roles reversed don't work at all, and did you just bypass my last sentence?

 

[IcedCapp]

Seconded... I don't know why it's so hard to accept/believe that Scuds is a good mentor to Despres.

I'm as a big a critic as any of his on ice play, but he's always seemed (from afar) to be a really good locker room guy. And those are the guys who make the best mentors/coaches. Players who had to work for where they got to and not have everything come natural (see Wayne Gretzky in Phx).

Here's my issue, plainly:

I have no trouble saying Scuderi has been a positive, helpful influence on Despres. I do have a problem saying he has. "a lot to do with the season Despres is having."

You know who has a lot to do with the season Despres is having? Simon Despres. The one thing I've failed to hear anyone say or write over the past 41 games is that Simon Despres is actually a good ****ing player.

Mike Johnston giving him a chance/confidence? yeppers
Rob Scuderi reinventing the mentor position? boyhowdee
Simon Despres has actually been a good player for a number of years but has been ****ed out of it, but now that he's finally playing we're all getting a chance to see it? Nope. Because saying that would be a big indictment on the two ****tards in charge before. And we can't have that.

 

[td_ice]

Lange on DVE right now.

Just said Scuderi is a "real professional" and "has alot to do with the season Despres is having"

Haha.....I remember an interview with Lange when Mike Yeo was here running the PP, and was taking heat. Lange said that "Mike Yeo is the best and most knowledgeable coach I have ever been around when it comes to coaching a PP unit."

I don't put any stock into what Lange says because he is never going to say anything but sunshine and roses to anyone still in the organization.

 

[Winger for Hire]

Here's my issue, plainly:

I have no trouble saying Scuderi has been a positive, helpful influence on Despres. I do have a problem saying he has. "a lot to do with the season Despres is having."

You know who has a lot to do with the season Despres is having? Simon Despres. The one thing I've failed to hear anyone say or write over the past 41 games is that Simon Despres is actually a good ****ing player.

Mike Johnston giving him a chance/confidence? yeppers
Rob Scuderi reinventing the mentor position? boyhowdee
Simon Despres has actually been a good player for a number of years but has been ****ed out of it, but now that he's finally playing we're all getting a chance to see it? Nope. Because saying that would be a big indictment on the two ****tards in charge before. And we can't have that.

I don't disagree with any of that.

 

[Rocket of Russia]

Here's my issue, plainly:

I have no trouble saying Scuderi has been a positive, helpful influence on Despres. I do have a problem saying he has. "a lot to do with the season Despres is having."

You know who has a lot to do with the season Despres is having? Simon Despres. The one thing I've failed to hear anyone say or write over the past 41 games is that Simon Despres is actually a good ****ing player.

Mike Johnston giving him a chance/confidence? yeppers
Rob Scuderi reinventing the mentor position? boyhowdee
Simon Despres has actually been a good player for a number of years but has been ****ed out of it, but now that he's finally playing we're all getting a chance to see it? Nope. Because saying that would be a big indictment on the two ****tards in charge before. And we can't have that.

Yep. It would be one thing if they made mention to Scuderi a few times relative to talking about Despres' play, but I hear Scuderi worship regularly and hear jack about Despres. Why no one is talking about Despres' play is beyond me. He was a player specifically mentioned in the discussions with Lemieux and Burkle - you would think his play this year might be drawing some attention in that regard.

 

[Joejosh999]

Good article on MAF and Bales.
Best part for me was the note that MJ has the D taking the body/boxing out on rebounds, vs DBs having the D play the puck.
As a G myself, can't tell you how annoying it was to watch Letang or whoever whiff on a bouncing rebound only to have somebody swat it in, where if they'd just tied up their man, MAF would have been able to cover. Even in my beer leagues I tell my D to do that. I'll get the puck, you just tie up your man so I have a chance to grab it.
My DB Hate is strong.

 

[roquay]

Scuderi is a liability for a number of reasons.
- He struggles with his passing. In an offensive system this is a killer.
- he makes way too much money for a bottom pair guy.
-With Maatta out Despres should slot straight into the top 4 but because of Scuderi we have to adjust our pairings because of his weaknesses.

Despres would be playing this well with anyone probably better because he'd be in the top 4 with a better partner.

 

[Shady Machine]

Good article on MAF and Bales.
Best part for me was the note that MJ has the D taking the body/boxing out on rebounds, vs DBs having the D play the puck.
As a G myself, can't tell you how annoying it was to watch Letang or whoever whiff on a bouncing rebound only to have somebody swat it in, where if they'd just tied up their man, MAF would have been able to cover. Even in my beer leagues I tell my D to do that. I'll get the puck, you just tie up your man so I have a chance to grab it.
My DB Hate is strong.

DB really was an idiot.

 

[billybudd]

Jesse Marshall's got a pretty thorough explanation of what Scuds' puck moving responsibilities are in the context of the breakout.

http://thepensblog.com/2015-archives/breaking-down-the-breakout.html

Seems to be a defined job on every pairing. I've noticed Ehrhoff behaves the same way when he's paired with Letang.

Scuderi is a liability for a number of reasons.
- He struggles with his passing. In an offensive system this is a killer.

Read the article. Scuds isn't supposed to be making breakout passes at all on controlled breakouts. He's not stationed in the correct area of the ice to make them.

What you're complaining about is by design and not specific to Scuderi.

 

[ObsessedCreative*]

I had a dream last night we traded scudz and we waived Adam. I was pissed when I woke up and realized it was a dream.

 

[IcedCapp]

I had a dream last night we traded scudz and we waived Adam. I was pissed when I woke up and realized it was a dream.

I had a dream that someone stole my car while I was picking my son up from school, then retuned it, thn waited for me to get in it before ramming me from the side.

I was happy to wake up.

 

[ProgOg]

Letang has really showed his leadership this season I think. He's appearing much more mature and insightful than he has in seasons past. He's also been more consistent on the ice.

Jesse Marshall's got a pretty thorough explanation of what Scuds' puck moving responsibilities are in the context of the breakout.

http://thepensblog.com/2015-archives/breaking-down-the-breakout.html

Seems to be a defined job on every pairing. I've noticed Ehrhoff behaves the same way when he's paired with Letang.




Read the article. Scuds isn't supposed to be making breakout passes at all on controlled breakouts. He's not stationed in the correct area of the ice to make them.

What you're complaining about is by design and not specific to Scuderi.

I really like Marshall, and this article is a good read - good overview over what they have been doing so far.

 

[ObsessedCreative*]

I had a dream that someone stole my car while I was picking my son up from school, then retuned it, thn waited for me to get in it before ramming me from the side.

I was happy to wake up.

I think having adams on this roster and dressed for games is a worse nightmare!

 

[Shady Machine]

Jesse Marshall's got a pretty thorough explanation of what Scuds' puck moving responsibilities are in the context of the breakout.

http://thepensblog.com/2015-archives/breaking-down-the-breakout.html

Seems to be a defined job on every pairing. I've noticed Ehrhoff behaves the same way when he's paired with Letang.




Read the article. Scuds isn't supposed to be making breakout passes at all on controlled breakouts. He's not stationed in the correct area of the ice to make them.

What you're complaining about is by design and not specific to Scuderi.

Solid article. I still think Scuds waits too long to make the pass back to Despres at times, which handcuffs or limits Despres' options, but this helps to shed light into the pairings. They have plenty of options to either increase Despres' ice time or change the pairings if they really wanted to.