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WhoDaresWins wrote:Bylsma, who knows better than most how much Martin struggled in 2011-12, projects him as a top-four defenseman, and is leaning toward deploying him with Brooks Orpik on the top defense-oriented pairing.
"Depending on how our lineup shakes out in camp and going into the first game, being paired with Orpik is a possibility that we maybe haven't done in the past," Bylsma said.
"We don't have a lot of left[-handed] shots, so to put two left shots together is [potentially problematic] ... but Paul has been a player who has played 28 minutes, 27, 26 minutes. A lot of minutes in a defending situation against good players.
"With a physical player like Brooks, that type of pairing would be a possibility that we could see. And one we'll probably see a little bit of in camp."
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penny lane wrote:Gaucho wrote:I sure hope it's not Reese.
Wait, maybe it's Gonchar.
Whatever.
oh my; that would be a special pair~ Sergei & Paul Martin!![]()
"I know how [Martin] motivates himself and holds himself accountable," defenseman Brooks Orpik said Tuesday. "And I think he was just as disappointed as anybody else last year in how he played
mikey287 wrote:Martin did some of his best work in New Jersey paired with a somewhat sluggish, physical defensive defenseman in Bryce Salvador (a career third pairing guy), for reference. Conversely, it could be the style of play the Penguins employ that is causing his hiccups, not his partner.
no name wrote:I would like to see a shutdown pair in the mold of Gill and Scuds. we got way to many puck moving softies.
I know this is what Dan B wants but we won the cup with the shutdown pair.
joopen wrote:I guess that leaves Letang with Niskanen.
shmenguin wrote:mikey287 wrote:Martin did some of his best work in New Jersey paired with a somewhat sluggish, physical defensive defenseman in Bryce Salvador (a career third pairing guy), for reference. Conversely, it could be the style of play the Penguins employ that is causing his hiccups, not his partner.
what would you make of his play on the first goal of the game here?
http://video.nhl.com/videocenter/consol ... 32&lang=en
is this the sort of play that can be a result of a guy who is uncomfortable, or is it just lousy hockey, or is it just that skinner made an unbelievable move - because these are the moments that stick out for me. IIRC, this game against carolina was martin's masterpiece. he had a few plays that set the tone for the rest of his season. plays that seemed like they shouldn't happen under any circumstance.
joopen wrote:I guess that leaves Letang with either Niskanen or Engelland... If this move settles down both Orpik and Martin it will be absolutely beneficial. I would say they probably put Engelland with Letang so that Kris might help cover for some of Engelland's short comings while still having a puck mover with a "stay at home". I guess the third pairing is Niskanen and whatever WB/S guy makes the cut.
mikey287 wrote:joopen wrote:I guess that leaves Letang with either Niskanen or Engelland... If this move settles down both Orpik and Martin it will be absolutely beneficial. I would say they probably put Engelland with Letang so that Kris might help cover for some of Engelland's short comings while still having a puck mover with a "stay at home". I guess the third pairing is Niskanen and whatever WB/S guy makes the cut.
Engelland cannot handle those kind of minutes at the NHL level. Letang has to face major competition for 22+ minutes per night...Engelland is a #7 d-man in terms of skillset on a really good team. That's too much of a stretch. Hurts transition, too much on Engelland's plate defensively. Game moves too fast for him, thus his benchings in the playoffs when the tempo increases. Too big of a stage for him.
mikey287 wrote:In this instance, the best (not really a right or wrong thing) answer of the three you gave is really credit to Skinner. That's a very tough play and Skinner isn't chopped liver in this league. It's a result of a 50/50 puck in a weird place on the ice and Skinner got the jump on Martin while having the inside track. Martin could have played that worse, but he was rendered pretty ineffective by Skinner's protection abilities and ends up flailing while failing. I also kind of wonder if that could have been stopped by Johnson. No push off when Skinner commits to release the shot from in close. One push towards the puck, and that probably hits Johnson in the arm. But that's sometimes what you deal with a replacement level goaltender.
Mr. Colby wrote:I still think Strait, Bortuzzo, or Lovejoy are traded before the 19th
pcm wrote:Figured Martin's "secret partner" was going to be Orpik. Blysma is trying to employ a top shutdown pairing and a top puck-moving pairing in Letang-Niskanen. It does seem a little crazy at first, but I actually think it might work.
Orpik-Martin
Martin's biggest problems have been his (1) crease presence and (2) his ability to get back into a broken play, ie. speed. These have lead to confidence issues for him, and mental focus, etc. Orpik's leadership, physical presence, and skating speed should be a perfect complement. They are also both good enough puck movers to transition from a defensive play to a scoring chance. The biggest issue is that they're both lefties.
Letang-Niskanen
Is Niskaken ready for 20+ minutes a night? I think so. He was the Pen's best d-man in the playoffs (which isnt saying much). He brings a cool, even-tempered game to balance Letang's firey nature. Whether behind Malkin or Crosby's line, the two should be able to create opportunities with their transition game.
Paekman wrote:Also, we've got a lot of right-handed defensemen. What are people's thoughts on lefties playing LD, while righties play RD? Is it kind of an underrated aspect of putting together D pairs, or is it kind of a wash or even unimportant at the NHL level?
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