Game 6 vs. NY Islanders - Thoughts from the morning after

[joopen]

- What did Kennedy do to piss off DB? Got demoted to the 4th line for most of the game. I saw where he took a really long shift on one of the power plays.

he took the bad penalty, but i don't think that was it. i think everyone agreed that he super uncomfortable on the 2nd line. bylsma probably put him on line 4 as sort of a "don't think - just go around and hit people and forecheck" gesture. it was effective. though if tanner f'ing glass starts the next game on line 3, you can edit my post to simply say, "bylsma is an idiot".

See practice lines listed above on twitter

[slappybrown]

Noticed Kunitz had the A last night and not Orpik... was Orpik stripped of the A, or are they doing a home/road alternating thing?

They are alternating

[headh]

I dont think I've ever seen Malkin this disinterested.

0r
Sidney

Both of them trying to do it all on their own

They both deserve better wings on their lines and better defensive players to back them. Kunitz, 71 and 18 is a real live #1 line. The problem is that they simply lack enough Wing talent to surround both Sid and Geno with respectable finishers. The other thing that has to be really frustrating to them is the lack of any reasonably good defensive puck management. It's ridiculous turnover after ridiculous turnover from our defensive players. Instead of a great "outlet pass" starting our odd man rush we are continuously starting the other team's odd man rush. That gets real old real quick for offensive minded players.

[DelPen]

See practice lines listed above on twitter

This makes no sense. At least it might look liek Adams will play LW instead of Kennedy. Still, this is just stupid. Kuntitz and Dupuis are doing nothing with Sid, Malkin can't geta LW to work so isn't it abvious to at least try this:

14-71-18
15/25-87-9
24-16-48
10-46-27

the third and 4th lines played great using those 6 people. got the job done until Bylsma started screwing around shielding Tangradi. Mix your top 6 around, whatever, but leave those grinding sets alone so they can do their job. having a line with two natural LW and two RW is madness.

[murphydump55]

What I'm getting tired of is DB's refusal to punish or bench anyone with a "name".

Despres, Lovejoy, Kennedy, Tangradi, Jeffrey - Are all on a short leash, which I don't always disagree with.

However, we've seen Martin, Kunitz, Letang, Crosby, Malkin, Dupuis, Cooke, etc all look downright horrible for games at a time, yet they keep getting trotted out there. One mistake by the aforementioned names and they'll get bumped down or get their shifts cut. Multiple bad games by any of the big names and nothing happens.

We need some kind of accountability here. When Martin makes a soft play resulting in a turnover that turns into a goal. Sit him. When our first PP unit can't even enter the zone or get a shot off.....sit them. Make a point! Start the 2nd PP unit! They did it in WBS, and I've seen other NHL coaches do it. When Malkin takes stupid penalties, bench him for a bit. I know you can't consistently scratch these guys or bench them for half the game, but you have to at least put some anger and fear into them. Torts has tough love, Therrien had tough love, we need a coaching staff that doesn't coddle the whole time, but holds them accountable for their mistakes or horrible effort/play.

Shero will make a move soon, whether it's a trade or the firing of DB.....something will be done.

[sil]

I dont think I've ever seen Malkin this disinterested.

0r
Sidney

Both of them trying to do it all on their own

They both deserve better wings on their lines and better defensive players to back them. Kunitz, 71 and 18 is a real live #1 line. The problem is that they simply lack enough Wing talent to surround both Sid and Geno with respectable finishers.

That darn salary cap.

[shmenguin]

- What did Kennedy do to piss off DB? Got demoted to the 4th line for most of the game. I saw where he took a really long shift on one of the power plays.

he took the bad penalty, but i don't think that was it. i think everyone agreed that he super uncomfortable on the 2nd line. bylsma probably put him on line 4 as sort of a "don't think - just go around and hit people and forecheck" gesture. it was effective. though if tanner f'ing glass starts the next game on line 3, you can edit my post to simply say, "bylsma is an idiot".

See practice lines listed above on twitter

well then...

[columbia]

I had other plans and missed the game....TK was on the 4th line?

[bh]

He started with Malkin and halfway through the first he started taking shifts with Adams and Vitale.

Honestly Kennedy is best on the third line. I liked what I saw from Jeffrey with Neal and Geno.

[shmenguin]

I had other plans and missed the game....TK was on the 4th line?

eventually. he started stepping on neal's toes and made a few iffy plays. combine that with an offensive zone frustration penalty, and it was 4th line city after that (some time in the 2nd period). after the demotion, he was one of our best players, though, FWIW.

tanner glass was on the 3rd line the whole game.

so tanner glass and dustin jeffrey are slotted into our top 9 with a fully healthy offense. greeeeaaat

[headh]

I dont think I've ever seen Malkin this disinterested.

0r
Sidney

Both of them trying to do it all on their own

They both deserve better wings on their lines and better defensive players to back them. Kunitz, 71 and 18 is a real live #1 line. The problem is that they simply lack enough Wing talent to surround both Sid and Geno with respectable finishers.

That darn salary cap.

Other organizations seem to be working around that pesky salary cap a little better. Some of those teams play their two best players together on the same line. Some of them get guys who are willing to be a net front presence and play them with their really talented players. It's more than just the salary cap imo.

[joopen]

It is painfully obvious that TK is the key to the 3rd line being successful so far this year. The third line, for years, has been who we counted on to create a little momentum for us with a long hard cycling shift to generate some kind of offense or momentum. It was almost like clockwork. It started off doing the same thing again this year then TK gets shuffled off to the 2nd line out of position and now Cooke and Sutter look lost.

[shmenguin]

i think there's certainly a lack of speed on that line. even when staal was center, you needed either kennedy or dupuis to provide a little burst. i like glass as a 4th liner, but he's worthless in any other capacity. i don't get it.

[DelPen]

i think there's certainly a lack of speed on that line. even when staal was center, you needed either kennedy or dupuis to provide a little burst. i like glass as a 4th liner, but he's worthless in any other capacity. i don't get it.

It's like playing Asham or Rupp with malkin and Sid. Fine to send a message. All three are good hockey players and can keep up a shift or two. But not full time.

And Malkin and Neal don't need another shooter, they need a guy to make space. That's Kuntiz. Crosby's line needs some hands besides himself, having both Kuntiz and Dupuis ended up being dumb.

Easy solution? Kennedy wth Sid on the RW, Dupuis or Cooke on the LW. still have problems on the 3rd and 4th with positions but at least you might score some more.

[penny lane]

Pittsburgh Penguins ‏@penguins
More Malkin: Last 4 games haven't been good. We need change. Neal low is better. He likes it and last season scored most (PP) goals in NHL
Penguins ‏@penguins
Evgeni Malkin: We changed it this morning. Maybe it will be better. I'm at point. It's new but I played it before. I hope it works tommorrow

[joopen]

Hopefully they focused their attention to zone entry, how to not get every shot blocked, and when its appropriate to try a cross ice pass (not very often)

[Gaucho]

Just focusing would be a start.

[murphydump55]

Pittsburgh Penguins ‏@penguins
More Malkin: Last 4 games haven't been good. We need change. Neal low is better. He likes it and last season scored most (PP) goals in NHL
Penguins ‏@penguins
Evgeni Malkin: We changed it this morning. Maybe it will be better. I'm at point. It's new but I played it before. I hope it works tommorrow

Geno makes the point I've been saying all along. Neal lead the league in PP goals last year.......let's move him, that wasn't good enough. He should play the point. What the heck were you thinking Bylsma?

This, combined with the Strait decision, the keeping of Despres and scratching him, the refusal to give Bortuzzo a chance, even though he was the best dman out of him, Strait and Despres in WBS, the forcing of Tangradi without doing anything to earn it, etc, etc.

I'm seriously scratching my head at these decisions this year. Nothing makes any sense to me....and it's not even like they're proving me wrong.

[Gaucho]

Well, it's a long season, and... oh wait...

[DontToewsMeBro]

Bortuzzo should play ahead of Lovejoy and Engelland. There is no excuse not to have a relatively physical 6'4" defensemen who can log bottom pair minutes in the press box over Ben Lovejoy.

[LAChrisPaul]

I agree with Penny Lane. I was saying to my friend who I watch games with last night, "I haven't seen them playing like this since the last days of Michel Therrien." It's hard to watch at this point. It's not the losses, it's the play. It's totally boring, totally uninspired. No one looks like they're on it except maybe Neal. Something has to happen soon.

[sil]

Other organizations seem to be working around that pesky salary cap a little better. Some of those teams play their two best players together on the same line. Some of them get guys who are willing to be a net front presence and play them with their really talented players. It's more than just the salary cap imo.

No other organization pays two players $17,400,000 either.

[headh]

Other organizations seem to be working around that pesky salary cap a little better. Some of those teams play their two best players together on the same line. Some of them get guys who are willing to be a net front presence and play them with their really talented players. It's more than just the salary cap imo.

No other organization pays two players $17,400,000 either.

That appears to be a valid point. Paul Martin and Flower chewing up 5Mil each are interesting choices at this point.

[DelPen]

Other organizations seem to be working around that pesky salary cap a little better. Some of those teams play their two best players together on the same line. Some of them get guys who are willing to be a net front presence and play them with their really talented players. It's more than just the salary cap imo.

No other organization pays two players $17,400,000 either.

Well the Rangers (Gaborik, Nash), Caps (Ovechkin, Backstrom), Kings (Kopitar, Doughty), Canes (Staal, Staal) and the Wild (Suter, Parise) come really close then a few have some more players in the $6-7 million range with Heatley, Richards, Semin, Ward, etc.

We drop to $5 million for Martin, Fleury and Neal. Crosby, Neal and Malkin are no more expensive than several other teams top three so there shouldn't be a problem being competitive right now.

[slappybrown]

I believe the appropriate spelling is "Ovenchicken."