Game 28 vs Leafs - Thoughts from the Morning After

[Penspal]

Pens win 3-1

- comeback city.
- Sid, Duper, Kunny, best line in the league, bar none
- Nisky has added the "big hit" element, I like it
- MAF was fantastic and the difference in the game
- Despres has numerous skills which he showed last night. Could he become a crease clearing dman? I think so, but he needs a mentor, which the Pens do not have at this point.
- It was reported that Kennedy was battling illness, yet he played almost 14 mins? Where is the callup?
- Such a different game than Saturday night. Lacked energy early on, little hustle seen by either team, but Toronto is a fast club

[Pavel Bure]

Start dressing 7 D when Malkin comes back and have him and Crosby take turns centering the "4th" line with Vitale and Adams. Scratch one of Glass or Kennedy... although Kennedy played a real good game last night.

Edit: Heh when did I go over 10k?

[shafnutz05]

A different nickname for Kunitz, perhaps?

[Rylan]

Start dressing 7 D when Malkin comes back and have him and Crosby take turns centering the "4th" line with Vitale and Adams. Scratch one of Glass or Kennedy... although Kennedy played a real good game last night.

Edit: Heh when did I go over 10k?

Approximately 42 posts ago at the time of this posting.

[npv708]

The only illness Kennedy is battling is Colclough-itis.

[thepittman]

and we manage to bash Kennedy after another good game. Good job guys

[Pavel Bure]

and we manage to bash Kennedy after another good game. Good job guys

I thought he played a real nice game. Early on he made a dump in at the red line while continuing skating and running over the guy trying to defend him. I thought it was Bennett or Sutter at first but nope it was TK. He played a real solid game.

[The Snapshot]

I thought the Pens played a patient road game and wanted Toronto to open up, which they did not do. I think as soon as Toronto scored their goal the Pens picked up their play. I wouldn't say the Pens were really lethargic or anything early on.

If MAF is that good (or even close to that good) this team will win a lot of games. He has been playing a calmer game now for the last 5 periods of Hockey. He has shown in the past that he can be this good technically.

I hope I get to see Malkin return over these next three home games. I'll be in town for an extended trip and can't wait for Sunday especially. The Bruins are going to be p****d.

[tfrizz]

A different nickname for Kunitz, perhaps?

[thepittman]

Old people have now overused this honey badger BS. Can we let it die now?

[Froggy]

If there's any chance in the world that Kennedy caught the Chris Kunitz super flu, I want him out on the ice as much as possible.

[Shakes]

Start dressing 7 D when Malkin comes back and have him and Crosby take turns centering the "4th" line with Vitale and Adams. Scratch one of Glass or Kennedy... although Kennedy played a real good game last night.

Co-sign, at least until (and if) a trade is made. And you can even mix other forwards besides 87 and 71 into that if the Pens are winning late because Joe V. is solid on faceoffs.

GIF of the night is easy:



Post-game, Sid said something like: "I knew he was forechecking on the right of the net and that he would be coming out to the front. So you just throw it over there somewhere." Riiiight. As if anyone can just go forehand to backhand that quickly and whip that pass.

[RisslingsMissingTeeth]

I have watched so much hockey in my life and I simply cannot say how many times I have seen a team blow an extremely easy chance and then lose a game. Toronto's failures on the breakaway were the nail in their coffin. You just knew the Pens had them.

oh and Duper is Super. Anybody messes with out top line in these crazy trade threads, they need to see a shrink.

[The Snapshot]

oh and Duper is Super. Anybody messes with out top line in these crazy trade threads, they need to see a shrink.

Getting Malkin back with Neal and Bennett, and then getting Sutter back full time with Kennedy and Cooke leaves only Tanner Glass and Adams to worry about in terms of guys who are overmatched it seems.

The D and goaltender have great play in them. We just need to get it out of them night in and night out.

[Pitt87]

and we manage to bash Kennedy after another good game. Good job guys

Good is relative. I think he's gotten better over the last 3-4 games but I still don't see him out there producing as he has in the past.

We absolutely need a 40-50 point guy and a 20-25 goal guy on the 3rd line to be successful, and both guys can't be Sutter.

[thepittman]

and we manage to bash Kennedy after another good game. Good job guys

Good is relative. I think he's gotten better over the last 3-4 games but I still don't see him out there producing as he has in the past.

We absolutely need a 40-50 point guy and a 20-25 goal guy on the 3rd line to be successful, and both guys can't be Sutter.

So you're saying we're not successful?

[shmenguin]

Holy cow is that a lot to ask out of a 3rd liner

[penny lane]

Spit-balling here, but there must be some coaching going on with the team. They didn't panic nor get frustrated ... continued getting to their game.

Remember, never take what Sid does for granted- enjoy seeing him with all skills on display. He could shoot more, but, maybe he knows best.

congrats to the team; this week had some pitfalls they could have fell into.

Hope to get Evgeni back soon.

[Froggy]

If you are expecting 25 goals and 50 points out of Kennedy, then the problem isn't with Kennedy

[columbia]

Holy cow is that a lot to ask out of a 3rd liner

Yeah, that's not happening.

[Idoit40fans]

and we manage to bash Kennedy after another good game. Good job guys

Good is relative. I think he's gotten better over the last 3-4 games but I still don't see him out there producing as he has in the past.

We absolutely need a 40-50 point guy and a 20-25 goal guy on the 3rd line to be successful, and both guys can't be Sutter.

What? I need the third line to chip in a total of maybe a point a game, maintain a forecheck and play solid defense.

[The Snapshot]

and we manage to bash Kennedy after another good game. Good job guys

Good is relative. I think he's gotten better over the last 3-4 games but I still don't see him out there producing as he has in the past.

We absolutely need a 40-50 point guy and a 20-25 goal guy on the 3rd line to be successful, and both guys can't be Sutter.

He's streaky. We know that by now. He still lends energy to that line every night. Sometimes he skates a lot to do nothing, but he is also a guy who can add goals in streaks on our 3rd line. He is not a real problem on this team, and he very well might start a streak tomorrow, or as he has shown, in the playoffs.

Cooke and Sutter both have decent production. I don't see the 3rd line as nearly as much of an issue as the complete zero the 4th throws out there. If we can upgrade the 3rd I am fine with that. I am not going to cry if somehow Kennedy gets traded or replaced on that line, but he is not hurting us every night.

[slappybrown]

Start dressing 7 D when Malkin comes back and have him and Crosby take turns centering the "4th" line with Vitale and Adams. Scratch one of Glass or Kennedy... although Kennedy played a real good game last night.

Co-sign, at least until (and if) a trade is made. And you can even mix other forwards besides 87 and 71 into that if the Pens are winning late because Joe V. is solid on faceoffs.

GIF of the night is easy:



Post-game, Sid said something like: "I knew he was forechecking on the right of the net and that he would be coming out to the front. So you just throw it over there somewhere." Riiiight. As if anyone can just go forehand to backhand that quickly and whip that pass.

Pass should have been further away from the net so that he can one-time on the forehand. 2 out 10, would not view again.

[shmenguin]

and we manage to bash Kennedy after another good game. Good job guys

Good is relative. I think he's gotten better over the last 3-4 games but I still don't see him out there producing as he has in the past.

We absolutely need a 40-50 point guy and a 20-25 goal guy on the 3rd line to be successful, and both guys can't be Sutter.

He's streaky. We know that by now. He still lends energy to that line every night. Sometimes he skates a lot to do nothing, but he is also a guy who can add goals in streaks on our 3rd line. He is not a real problem on this team, and he very well might start a streak tomorrow, or as he has shown, in the playoffs.

Cooke and Sutter both have decent production. I don't see the 3rd line as nearly as much of an issue as the complete zero the 4th throws out there. If we can upgrade the 3rd I am fine with that. I am not going to cry if somehow Kennedy gets traded or replaced on that line, but he is not hurting us every night.

this.

kennedy and sutter aren't on the same page. cooke and sutter aren't either, for that matter. their production has generally been independent from one another. it doesn't mean any of them are bad players - they just don't click. at all. if you look at any given shift, you'll see that none of them are doing anything remarkable on offense - sutter included. but there's more of an investment in sutter than the other 2 guys, so if this unit can't turn it around soon, they'll be split up via a wing trade.

[tfrizz]

If you are expecting 25 goals and 50 points out of Kennedy, then the problem isn't with Kennedy

Yeah, those are pretty lofty expectations. However...

Career GP: 354
Career Goals: 73
Career Assists: 89

82-Game Pace: 17 goals, 21 assists


It's more than reasonable to be disappointed in the lack of production from Kennedy this season. 3 goals and 2 assists in 28 games just doesn't cut it, especially when you see that Cooke has 5 goals + 7 assists and Sutter has 8 goals + 5 assists. That's a rather substantial cap from 13 and 12 points to 5 points for guys who play (mostly) on the same line.