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Take off Letang for Bennett on first PP unit?

Shockmaster

Registered User
Sep 11, 2012
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Simple question, do you want to see Beau Bennett on the first PP unit over Letang while Malkin is out?
 
Letang deserves to take a seat with the way he's playing on the man advantage. But I doubt DB has the balls to sit him for a rookie.
 
Yes! I've wanted that ever since Geno went out.

Letang will probably be better on the second unit anyway, working with less-talented players, as you'd think he wouldn't defer as much (his biggest problem) if he thought he were the most talented player on the ice.

Niskanen is also a suitable alternative.
 
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It depends on the team that the Pens are playing.

Agressive PK... Letang in a more standard set up
Passive PK... Bennett in a mushroom

One thing I would like to see more of from the PP is Neal in the high slot and Kunitz backdoor. Net front is great but I think the Pens almost lose the man advantage when using it. When the net front player is so close to the goalie he's going to have problems getting rebounds and getting good shots off. Also some goalies are so aggressive on the Pens shooters because there is no one behind them. When you put a player weak side post the goalie has to respect that player because of the passing of Sid and Malkin.
 
When Geno gets back, yea he should be off and Martin on. But for now, no, I think he is doing as well as anyone. The whole unit has trouble getting into the zone. Once they figure that out, I think the team will be ok.
 
No reason at all / no risk at all to taking Letang off teh PP. Whatever he was doing right last year before he got hurt, he's not doing it this year. If nothing else it will get Bennett some experience there and let the coaches see what he might be capable of with more space available to him. He also naturally plays from that side / shoots from that side so WFM.
 
Chancellor Vitale said:
No reason at all / no risk at all to taking Letang off teh PP. Whatever he was doing right last year before he got hurt, he's not doing it this year. If nothing else it will get Bennett some experience there and let the coaches see what he might be capable of with more space available to him. He also naturally plays from that side / shoots from that side so WFM.
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Not unless you consider 'your PP might not look like a cluster**** in the offensive zone' a risk . . .:D
 
As bad as Letang is on our PP I still think ultimately he will be our best option (after developing a bit) out there barring a trade. I'd rather him figure it out for the playoffs. That being said... he has been very poor this year on the PP
 
boardin087 said:
As bad as Letang is on our PP I still think ultimately he will be our best option (after developing a bit) out there barring a trade. I'd rather him figure it out for the playoffs. That being said... he has been very poor this year on the PP
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Martin has looked great there and now seems to be a threat to shoot (at least somewhat). He has been getting shots through, which is the most important thing. As he continues to shoot PK'ers will have to respect the shot, opening up Sid and Geno. Plus Martin distributes the puck much better than Tanger. Frankly, I think he is a fine PP QB at this point and I'd rather him stay there in the playoffs.
 
KIRK said:
Not unless you consider 'your PP might not look like a cluster**** in the offensive zone' a risk . . .:D
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Not only that but based on how Bennett has consistently backed up any D who pinches to keep the puck in our zone, he would play responsibly there as well.
 
Shady Machine said:
Martin has looked great there and now seems to be a threat to shoot (at least somewhat). He has been getting shots through, which is the most important thing. As he continues to shoot PK'ers will have to respect the shot, opening up Sid and Geno. Plus Martin distributes the puck much better than Tanger. Frankly, I think he is a fine PP QB at this point and I'd rather him stay there in the playoffs.
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I think that 'great' might be a bit much, although I would agree if you'd written 'like the second coming of Bobby Orr compared to Letang on the PP'. ;)

Chancellor Vitale said:
Not only that but based on how Bennett has backed up pinching D in our zone, it's clear to me he would play responsibly there as well.
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So, basically you're saying 'right hand shot, creative with puck, puts puck on net, responsible defensively'. Wouldn't it have been easier to say 'no place for him on a top PP in Bylsmaworld'?
 
Shady Machine said:
Martin has looked great there and now seems to be a threat to shoot (at least somewhat). He has been getting shots through, which is the most important thing. As he continues to shoot PK'ers will have to respect the shot, opening up Sid and Geno. Plus Martin distributes the puck much better than Tanger. Frankly, I think he is a fine PP QB at this point and I'd rather him stay there in the playoffs.
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Well I'm also of the opinion that our best PP is Letang/Martin/Neal/Crosby/Malkin. I think Kunitz is expendable
 
mpp9 said:
Letang deserves to take a seat with the way he's playing on the man advantage. But I doubt DB has the balls to sit him for a rookie.
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In all fairness, Bylsma could have taken Martin off the first PP unit when Letang recovered from that lower-body injury earlier in the month. He instead chose to keep Martin on because it was working.
 
Letang, for all the gifts he has, is starting to get Dion Phaneuf bad with his shot. That's a habit that might not be fixed if he keeps this up. I am not sure if Beau has a good enough slap shot, I would say play Niskanen there. He will take a shot if he has one, he doesn't pass it off as much as Letang.
 
KIRK said:
I think that 'great' might be a bit much, although I would agree if you'd written 'like the second coming of Bobby Orr compared to Letang on the PP'. ;)
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Yeah I should have added the qualifier that great meant as compared to Letang. We just don't have a PP QB on this team but to me Martin has looked better on the PP this year than Letang ever has. Letang is fine either as a complimentary PP guy or leading a 2nd unit with less talented players. He doesn't have the puck poise or distributing ability to give Sid or Geno prime scoring chances.

I've seen Martin and Despres make the pass to Geno for a one timer better than Letang's "let me fire it into your feet pass". I laugh (and cry a little) when Geno would just one touch it back to Letang for another go and he'd pass it into Geno's skates a second time.
 
I'd way rather have Niskanen back there. I don't know how much I'd trust Bennett at this point being the primary left-side option on a traditional umbrella-style powerplay (which is what you'd think it would turn out to be if Bennett was worked into the powerplay formation), because he'd have an increased defensive responsibility (if there's a turnover, he might be the last man back in certain situations). While he's looked very responsible so far, I don't think he should be rushed into that role yet.
 
Let's just calm down with the Beau Bennett stuff.

He looked like a baby deer trying to walk on that one-timer from the best passer in the game. Off balance and falling backwards.

The difference between the AHL and the NHL isn't the speed or skill, it's thinking the game. Give me a guy who's seen it all over a rookie with almost no powerplay time under his belt.
 
Harv said:
Let's just calm down with the Beau Bennett stuff.

He looked like a baby deer trying to walk on that one-timer from the best passer in the game. Off balance and falling backwards.

The difference between the AHL and the NHL isn't the speed or skill, it's thinking the game. Give me a guy who's seen it all over a rookie with almost no powerplay time under his belt.
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UnderratedBrooks44 said:
Absolutely not. For Beau Bennett? Come on.
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Yeah, this pretty much sums it up. I love BB as much as anyone else here, but let's not give a rookie -- who may have fragile confidence if he gives the puck away on a goal against -- too much responsibility too soon. That's exactly how your ruin young players' development.
 
yes he looks lost and is becoming a causality out there on the PP. Something isn't working, so trying something that might.
 
SirBrad said:
yes he looks lost and is becoming a causality out there on the PP. Something isn't working, so trying something that might.
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Notwithstanding my feeling that Letang is a black hole on the PP, someone here should note that the real problem with the PP isn't one of personnel nearly as much as it's one of lack of movement (puck and especially player) and proper utilization of personnel.

Obviously, goal number one is to score. But, you maximize your probability of scoring where you approach coaching the PP like a game of chess. You use pieces to attack in combination in order to create isolated 2 on 1's in quality scoring areas, such that even if you don't score you do pressure the opposition throughout and build momentum. Let's just say that Dan Bylsma and staff are checkers fanatics who have designed a PP predicated on scoring off the rush or off unforced errors by the PK (as distinct from forcing the PK to make mistakes).

Whether or not BB over Letang alleviates THAT more fundamental problem is debatable at best.
 
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