Official Gameday Thread Pens v Devils 4/25/13

[MayIsForHockey]

Well, it ended just in time to see the Steelers' pick.

[Inkio]

Iginla won't be with Malkin in the postseason so the fact that they don't gel is ok.

Yes he will...

[Malkamaniac]

Also Iginla on his weak side is annoying. Especially if its known Crosby will be back.

[farnham16]

Don't think Iginla works on the left wing at all.

Dupuis Sid Iggy
Kunitz Malkin Neal

[murphydump55]

Don't think Iginla works on the left wing at all.

Dupuis Sid Iggy
Kunitz Malkin Neal

he looks bad on the left and with Geno

[nocera]

[pcm]

Hopefully Blysma realizes this between now and Wednesday.

Or we could slot everyone in their natural position and go with:

Kunitz-Sid-Iginla
Morrow-Malkin-Neal
Cooke-Sutter-Dupuis

[tfrizz]

Also Iginla on his weak side is annoying. Especially if its known Crosby will be back.

But it's not "known" he'll be back. All they'll say is "he hasn't been ruled out" for game 1 of the playoffs, but that doesn't mean he'll play.

[shmenguin]

i'm probably overreacting, but i hate the way the lines are shaping up. morrow-jokinen-bennett was just so impressive. i don't like breaking them up at all. and for what purpose? so sutter can move up the depth chart and both adams and glass stay in the lineup? i don't see cooke-sutter-morrow having nearly the effect that this line did. and i don't see jokinen doing anything sandwiched between the wondertwins on the 4th line.

[Malkamaniac]

Also Iginla on his weak side is annoying. Especially if its known Crosby will be back.

But it's not "known" he'll be back. All they'll say is "he hasn't been ruled out" for game 1 of the playoffs, but that doesn't mean he'll play.

He was cleared. It's an almost certainty hell be back. Even then you give Neal preference over a future HOF guy?

Even strength it's been bust all year.

[pens2005]

Also Iginla on his weak side is annoying. Especially if its known Crosby will be back.

But it's not "known" he'll be back. All they'll say is "he hasn't been ruled out" for game 1 of the playoffs, but that doesn't mean he'll play.

He was cleared. It's an almost certainty hell be back. Even then you give Neal preference over a future HOF guy?

Even strength it's been bust all year.

What do you mean preference over Crosby? Meaning you shouldn't put Neal with Iginla?

[Malkamaniac]

I agree with shmenguin too. The lines were clicking, the need to tinker sucks when were two games away from playoffs.

[Malkamaniac]

Also Iginla on his weak side is annoying. Especially if its known Crosby will be back.

But it's not "known" he'll be back. All they'll say is "he hasn't been ruled out" for game 1 of the playoffs, but that doesn't mean he'll play.

He was cleared. It's an almost certainty hell be back. Even then you give Neal preference over a future HOF guy?

Even strength it's been bust all year.

What do you mean preference over Crosby? Meaning you shouldn't put Neal with Iginla?

As in giving Neal his 40 goal wing spot and rendering a hall of famer useless by putting him on the off wing.

[pcm]

i'm probably overreacting, but i hate the way the lines are shaping up. morrow-jokinen-bennett was just so impressive. i don't like breaking them up at all. and for what purpose? so sutter can move up the depth chart and both adams and glass stay in the lineup? i don't see cooke-sutter-morrow having nearly the effect that this line did. and i don't see jokinen doing anything sandwiched between the wondertwins on the 4th line.

God forbid Blysma breaks up Kunitz-Sid-Dupuis. Adding a future HOF'er to that line (who also happened to assist on Sid's most important goal of his career, and requested a trade to specifically come here and play with Sid) while balancing the rest of the lines just doesn't compute...

[pens2005]

Also Iginla on his weak side is annoying. Especially if its known Crosby will be back.

But it's not "known" he'll be back. All they'll say is "he hasn't been ruled out" for game 1 of the playoffs, but that doesn't mean he'll play.

He was cleared. It's an almost certainty hell be back. Even then you give Neal preference over a future HOF guy?

Even strength it's been bust all year.

What do you mean preference over Crosby? Meaning you shouldn't put Neal with Iginla?

As in giving Neal his 40 goal wing spot and rendering a hall of famer useless by putting him on the off wing.

Gotcha...and I agree!

[Inkio]

i'm probably overreacting, but i hate the way the lines are shaping up. morrow-jokinen-bennett was just so impressive. i don't like breaking them up at all. and for what purpose? so sutter can move up the depth chart and both adams and glass stay in the lineup? i don't see cooke-sutter-morrow having nearly the effect that this line did. and i don't see jokinen doing anything sandwiched between the wondertwins on the 4th line.

God forbid Blysma breaks up Kunitz-Sid-Dupuis. Adding a future HOF'er to that line (who also happened to assist on Sid's most important goal of his career, and requested a trade to specifically come here and play with Sid) while balancing the rest of the lines just doesn't compute...

TRUUUUUTHHHHHH

[pcm]

Malkin-Neal need a guy who can muck things up and get to the net and open up space... in other words, they need Kunitz or Morrow.

[tfrizz]

i'm probably overreacting, but i hate the way the lines are shaping up. morrow-jokinen-bennett was just so impressive. i don't like breaking them up at all. and for what purpose? so sutter can move up the depth chart and both adams and glass stay in the lineup? i don't see cooke-sutter-morrow having nearly the effect that this line did. and i don't see jokinen doing anything sandwiched between the wondertwins on the 4th line.

God forbid Blysma breaks up Kunitz-Sid-Dupuis. Adding a future HOF'er to that line (who also happened to assist on Sid's most important goal of his career, and requested a trade to specifically come here and play with Sid) while balancing the rest of the lines just doesn't compute...

I'm afraid Iggy's doing too much floating out there to work with Sid and either Kunitz or Dupuis. All three of those guys skater hard from the time they step on the ice until they stop off it.

It's not that I don't think it'd be worth a shot, even though I think it'd be a rather big failure... it's that I don't know that it's something you want to do in the playoffs. For the most part, the forwards have already looked lost these last couple guys with all the line juggling going on... and it's going to get worse as Neal and Crosby come back.

[DelPen]

So...

14-87-12
10-71-18
19-36-9
24-16-27

That work?

[pcm]

Guerin was the same way...until he played with Sid for a few games and realized that if just got open, Sid would get him the puck. Iginla's got such a nasty shot, he thinks the game at a high level, and he can most definitely find the soft spots in defensive coverage. I think he'd do wonders with Sid, and as a vet, it wouldn't take him long to figure it out.

But just because Dupuis and Kunitz have figured it out as well, doesn't mean that nobody else can. What happens when a guy like Iginla figures out how to play with Sid? My gosh, will we never know how dominant Sid could really be if he played with real all-stars, instead of just players he makes look like all-stars?

[Inkio]

So...

14-87-12
10-71-18
19-36-9
24-16-27

That work?

Makes too much sense for HCDB to actually do.

[Steve Dave]

Hopefully Blysma realizes this between now and Wednesday.

Or we could slot everyone in their natural position and go with:

Kunitz-Sid-Iginla
Morrow-Malkin-Neal
Cooke-Sutter-Dupuis

This makes the most sense. Gives Crosby an elite winger and Kunitz can be a grinding third wheel. Provides Malkin's line with a gritty veteran, looked good as a line the one game this was tried. Dupuis gives 3rd line speed and a scoring threat, solid 3rd line.

[tfrizz]

Guerin was the same way...until he played with Sid for a few games and realized that if just got open, Sid would get him the puck. Iginla's got such a nasty shot, he thinks the game at a high level, and he can most definitely find the soft spots in defensive coverage. I think he'd do wonders with Sid, and as a vet, it wouldn't take him long to figure it out.

But just because Dupuis and Kunitz have figured it out as well, doesn't mean that nobody else can. What happens when a guy like Iginla figures out how to play with Sid? My gosh, will we never know how dominant Sid could really be if he played with real all-stars, instead of just players he makes look like all-stars?

I'm a big believer in the thing that makes Kunitz-Crosby-Dupuis work is their speed.

Something to keep in mind with Guerin is that he had 17 regular season games to get acclimated to playing with Crosby. Crosby's played a total of 0:50 since Iginla was acquired. If he didn't get hurt, I don't think there'd be any debate right now because there would've been time to find line combinations that worked.

[MRandall25]

Just because lines make sense doesn't mean they'll work immediately.

I'd love to be proven wrong, but getting out the pitchforks because Bylsma doesn't have the lines YOU want is just worthy

[Malkamaniac]

Hopefully Blysma realizes this between now and Wednesday.

Or we could slot everyone in their natural position and go with:

Kunitz-Sid-Iginla
Morrow-Malkin-Neal
Cooke-Sutter-Dupuis

This makes the most sense. Gives Crosby an elite winger and Kunitz can be a grinding third wheel. Provides Malkin's line with a gritty veteran, looked good as a line the one game this was tried. Dupuis gives 3rd line speed and a scoring threat, solid 3rd line.

Agree with those lines. Sucks for Duper but he's versatile and will go all out one first or third line.