GDT: Preseason #4 Pens vs Sabres | 10/05 • 7:00pm Est

[Dennis Reynolds]

Really happy with a lot of players after tonight's game. Wasn't the best defensive effort, but young guys like O'Connor, Bjorkqvist, and Zohorna all looked really good.

Danton Heinen is going to surprise everyone who criticized his signing this offseason.

 

[3ladesof5teel]

Some of those D men stick around for years

Lindstrom, Bourque, Neidermayer, Murphy, Rafalski etc

Edit :Had to add Coffey for obvious reasons

Hopefully Tanger can do the same

 

[Glamor Toad]

I think he has improved since 2019. I can't say when but there was a point where his health stuff kept being a scare. I thought he was only a few years from a steep decline. Show's what I know!

 

[Glamor Toad]

Some of those D men stick around for years

Lindstrom, Bourque, Neidermayer, Murphy, Rafalski etc

Hopefully Tanger can do the same

I'm hoping you're on the money here. Rafalski was a huge boost to those 2008 Red Wings. I'm hoping that's a good comparison

 

[3ladesof5teel]

I'm hoping you're on the money here. Rafalski was a huge boost to those 2008 Red Wings. I'm hoping that's a good comparison

Alot of those Dman had big parts in the teams success late in their careers. Obviously some of the athleticism was lost but IQ played a big part in it. Can Letang make that transition.....IDK but I think he has been much better in that aspect of his game as his career goes on

 

[StaalForOne]

Letang has already lost a step, I think. He used to be able to hunt guys down on the back check. He can't do that like he used too, but the edges and acceleration in his own zone still are great. At least I think i recall a few instances last year where maybe he caught the player and tied up where in the past he could flat out lap skaters.

 

[Gurglesons]

Letang has already lost a step, I think. He used to be able to hunt guys down on the back check. He can't do that like he used too, but the edges and acceleration in his own zone still are great. At least I think i recall a few instances last year where maybe he caught the player and tied up where in the past he could flat out lap skaters.

it happened tonight. He never used to lose foot battles from the bench to behind the net, but someone did it tonight.

 

[HuskerTornado]

No streaming service does.

Nhl.tv did

 

[dogthateats]

 

[dogthateats]

Some yikes toi totals again tonight

Letang played 28:50
Heinen 22:07
Dumo 24:52
Rust 22:35
Carter 21:41

 

[Gurglesons]

I was ripping on Big Z earlier, but what he did tonight is how you prove you belong in the NHL. Had a frustrating game, stuck with it, kept to his strengths and ended up contributing a huge goal.

 

[AuroraBorealis]

Got dragged away for raid duty halfway through the 3rd Maybe that was the key for victory tonight?

+++
- DOC!
- KAPtain clutch
- Rusty
- Another solid outing for Heinen

- - -
- DeSmith...wasn't fond of the flopping all night, even beyond a few of the goals.
- Inability to protect the house
- Poor puck management, allowing for free Sabres exits
- Damn posts denying Carts

 

[Peat]

Me last night at the end of the 2nd: Eh, I should get some sleep, feel I've seen what I wanted to see

Me reading the start of this page: Wow, everyone's really chill for a game we lost, maybe people are more laidback about pre-season than I realised

Me halfway down: Wait a minute...

Me checking the score: Bloody hell

 

[Peat]

Anyway.

Liked Heinen-Carter-Rust for most of the night. Think Heinen's going to be a sneaky good pick up as a guy who can really improve the condition of the puck without having many appreciable weaknesses. This is usually a good team for third wheels like that. Carter should have enough juice to provide some fun moments next season.

Kapanen is doing everything possible in pre-season to suggest he's about explode. Feels like he can hurt a team so many ways. Zohorna... up and down. Can't knock the confidence. Showed what he could, showed what might get him sent to WBS. I suspect he's probably a W at this level.

McGinn and Blueger as expected, mostly. Bjorkqvist seemed to fit in well enough on that line and think he could be a safe 4th liner soon enough.

Liked DOC even before finding out he scored 2 goals. First one was very nice. I think he's doing everything possible in pre-season to suggest he's ready. Liked Angello and feel like he's in this tough position where he's not dynamic enough to really be an ideal starter, but is clearly NHL quality, and maybe he'd become dynamic with enough ice time... I think for his sake he needs to be in an org with less of a logjam, but hope nobody notices that and picks him up on waivers. Hallander is about the only guy I wasn't happy with but first game on NA ice, been dealing with injuries, whatever.

Dumo-Tanger, not much to say.
Pettersson-Friedman... I thought I saw Pettersson trying more with the puck last night, which I liked. Friedman's a useful guy.
Riikola is also useful, although I have to admit I don't love his O zone choice making and didn't love it tonight either. POJ was much of a muchness with these four guys, showed some quality at times, did enough to suggest he's got a good future and it could be now with a different depth chart but won't be now with ours.

Didn't love DeSmith's night.

 

[EightyOne]

Some yikes toi totals again tonight

Letang played 28:50
Heinen 22:07
Dumo 24:52
Rust 22:35
Carter 21:41

Idiotic

 

[HandshakeLine]

Me last night at the end of the 2nd: Eh, I should get some sleep, feel I've seen what I wanted to see

Me reading the start of this page: Wow, everyone's really chill for a game we lost, maybe people are more laidback about pre-season than I realised

Me halfway down: Wait a minute...

Me checking the score: Bloody hell

This is my exact same experience too! the tyranny of distance and all…

 

[CascadiaPenguin]

This is my exact same experience too! the tyranny of distance and all…

Old eastern Euro, pre theoretical physics, not so important. Gravitational waves. Dimples in time/space continuum. Every Penguin game, all the time.

 

[TJHKY]

 

[HandshakeLine]

Something @Peat hit on that I’d like to mention. Since DOC (it’s funky enough) is making a serious run at 4th line C, it’s becoming pretty clear that Zohorna’s best bet here would be to transition to LW, which is where he also had some of his best success in the Extraliga with his brother and with Erat. So, I think when he gets sent down, where he plays in WB/S is going to be kind of telling.

I get wanting to put the big dude at center, but A) the competition for C on this team is hot, and B) as much as we need centers now, Crosby is back in a month and Malkin not long after.

 

[Peat]

Something @Peat hit on that I’d like to mention. Since DOC (it’s funky enough) is making a serious run at 4th line C, it’s becoming pretty clear that Zohorna’s best bet here would be to transition to LW, which is where he also had some of his best success in the Extraliga with his brother and with Erat. So, I think when he gets sent down, where he plays in WB/S is going to be kind of telling.

I get wanting to put the big dude at center, but A) the competition for C on this team is hot, and B) as much as we need centers now, Crosby is back in a month and Malkin not long after.

Got to factor next year in too though. Would surprise nobody if Carter wasn't here; there's a few questions about how well Malkin bounces back from that that knee injury too. Grooming a guy to have a shot at a top 9 scoring C slot if needed next year isn't a bad idea at all. I know the obvious move in such a scenario is to promote Blueger, but I like multiple plans.

It seems like it's easier for guys who play C a lot to swing back to W than vice versa, so I'm happy to see Zohorna get WBS C reps if that's what happens as long as they consider him for W opportunities up here. That to me seems ideal (and I think his debut up here was LW?). But if I had to make a bet I think, regardless of who we have, he just seems the sort of guy who plays better without the added responsibilities of being a C - compared to a guy like DOC, who looks very involved and diligent as one.

 

[HandshakeLine]

Got to factor next year in too though. Would surprise nobody if Carter wasn't here; there's a few questions about how well Malkin bounces back from that that knee injury too. Grooming a guy to have a shot at a top 9 scoring C slot if needed next year isn't a bad idea at all. I know the obvious move in such a scenario is to promote Blueger, but I like multiple plans.

It seems like it's easier for guys who play C a lot to swing back to W than vice versa, so I'm happy to see Zohorna get WBS C reps if that's what happens as long as they consider him for W opportunities up here. That to me seems ideal (and I think his debut up here was LW?). But if I had to make a bet I think, regardless of who we have, he just seems the sort of guy who plays better without the added responsibilities of being a C - compared to a guy like DOC, who looks very involved and diligent as one.

I’m not entirely sure Carter being gone and Malkin not recovering are anywhere close to sure things, but I think that’s otherwise on the money.

 

[Peat]

I’m not entirely sure Carter being gone and Malkin not recovering are anywhere close to sure things, but I think that’s otherwise on the money.

Oh, 100% they're not close to sure - but they're not close to sure the other way either. They're possible enough that preparing for them just in case is the smart play. Although I'd also add that if either goes, there's a decent chunk of cap that might get thrown at the problem (particularly with Malkin)... but you still might as well try developing an internal candidate if you think there's a guy with potential.

 

[Tender Rip]

Something @Peat hit on that I’d like to mention. Since DOC (it’s funky enough) is making a serious run at 4th line C, it’s becoming pretty clear that Zohorna’s best bet here would be to transition to LW, which is where he also had some of his best success in the Extraliga with his brother and with Erat. So, I think when he gets sent down, where he plays in WB/S is going to be kind of telling.

I get wanting to put the big dude at center, but A) the competition for C on this team is hot, and B) as much as we need centers now, Crosby is back in a month and Malkin not long after.

Well, I think Z at W was always the only option to have him in on a full team this season.
Sid, Geno, Carter, Blue.

He can be a bigger difference maker there, so if DOC is better defensively and on draws, by all means let’s get Z some games at wing, stat.

 

[RSPens]

Really happy with a lot of players after tonight's game. Wasn't the best defensive effort, but young guys like O'Connor, Bjorkqvist, and Zohorna all looked really good.

Danton Heinen is going to surprise everyone who criticized his signing this offseason.

DOC and Angello looked good the whole game, Zohorna, Bjorkqvist and Hallander looked like crap until the 3rd period. The entire team picked up their socks for the 3rd. McGinn didn't really look great most of the game. Friedman had a rough game, but actually looked better after coming back from the injury. I will definitely agree on Heinen, he is a very heads up player, literally, it is very noticeable that he skates with his head up (the first thing all players are taught, but even some great players...cough...cough...Lindros...can't seem to do it). I know it sounds like a weird thing to praise someone on, but it means that he is not likely to get caught off guard, less likely to get plowed over and more likely to be able to make the smart play instead of the rushed play. He seems like a very great complimentary player that can be just as successful flagging a top line as he is skating on a bottom line.

 

[RSPens]

Well, I think Z at W was always the only option to have him in on a full team this season.
Sid, Geno, Carter, Blue.

He can be a bigger difference maker there, so if DOC is better defensively and on draws, by all means let’s get Z some games at wing, stat.

I want to see Big Z driving the net like Rust and the way DOC was doing it. The best way for that to happen is to put him on the wing. I want to see what Zohorna - Geno - Kappy can do as a line, but obviously that's not happening any time soon. So maybe they should try Zohorna on the 4th line wing on Thursday, run Zohorna - DOC - Angello and give Zohorna PP2 time and try rotating DOC and Angello on the PK to see what they are capable of. I think if they want Big Z as a centre, he should start in the AHL. If they can accept that he is a winger, the 4th line in the NHL is fine.