'13 Playoffs Game 1 vs OTT - Thoughts from the Morning After

[Troy Loney]

I just feel like there was blind optimism from Islander players like Okposo and Hamonic, that and penguin killers like tavares and grabner made that a series. I can just see guys like gonchar and alfredsson being like..."f'this, we can't beat this team".

[RxBandit66]

I'm not a fan of Adams either, but as long as the PK is putting up great numbers, Bylsma would be foolish to mess with it. Adams is the de facto captain of the PK unit, and he does block a lot of shots. On offense, he's a complete zero, but the Pens have plenty of firepower to make up for that. Having too many guys in the lineup like Adams, however, makes it difficult to come back from a deficit in games because the coach has to run his top 6 out there the entire time.

the pk against the islanders wasn't good - despite the 90% rate. you up the sample size and we would be back down below 80%. but it certainly looked good last night.

my issue with the unit is closing speed. adams is slow. sutter is beyond slow. cooke isn't much of a burner. and then there's murray. guys are getting all day to make decisions because we can't pressure anyone. we aren't lacking in grit, but we're light on raw talent. hopefully the former is enough to balance the latter.

There is a speed issue, and Bylsma could negate that by putting Sid out there for a shift or two on the PK. Even Vitale could help in that regard. But Bylsma does not seem to trust him in that role. I never could understand the umbilical cord that Bylsma has attached to Adams.

[MRandall25]

Because Adams is one of the best PKers on the team.

[MarioLives]

Not sure why all the hate on Adams. He plays solid defense, kills penalties, and works hard. The Pens have enough skill and playmakers. Adams provides this team a stable defensive forward.

[RisslingsMissingTeeth]

Not sure why all the hate on Adams. He plays solid defense, kills penalties, and works hard. The Pens have enough skill and playmakers. Adams provides this team a stable defensive forward.

I think this is where the problem lies. I do not think he plays solid D, is terrible at clearing pucks on the PK because of his lack of speed and skill, and has to work hard because he doesn't have any talent to allow him to work any less hard.

But here is the plain and simple truth. No way Dan changes lines when he has just won 3 games in a row with the line-up he has. It would be insane to start changing pieces until you lose. The press would eat him alive.

[shmenguin]

i don't find adams to be hard-working on any note-worthy level. it's on the "big deal, you want a cookie?" level. his defensive effectiveness at even strength is also pretty rotten.

historically, he's been a phenomenal penalty killer, but ever since the philly collapse, there's not much evidence that it's still the case.

[Idoit40fans]

I certainly agree on the kills penalties and works hard. I don't think he's valuable at even strength in any regard. He's too slow to help sustain a forecheck and too slow to get back. He's a pk specialist as far as i'm concerned and not a 2 years ago Jordan Staal level of effectiveness, more of an he does his job level of effectiveness.

[AlexPKeaton]

Yeah Adams is just too damn slow to be effective at anything but PKing.

[Gaucho]

I have no complaints about Craig Adams.

[DocEmrick]

Craig Adams is in the mid-tier of the Freemasons. His wife's father was one of the big-wigs trying to solidify the North American Union.

[Pitt87]

i don't find adams to be hard-working on any note-worthy level. it's on the "big deal, you want a cookie?" level. his defensive effectiveness at even strength is also pretty rotten.

historically, he's been a phenomenal penalty killer, but ever since the philly collapse, there's not much evidence that it's still the case.

He has a knack for having every clear/shot attempt blocked. Shots, i don't really care about, but the guy struggles to clear the zone and he fails to gain the red line at ES almost every time.

[pcm]

Blackhole Sutter on the other hand looks like Craig Adams without the passion.

[MarioLives]

Too be honest, I barely notice him even strenght....maybe you are right, maybe that is an issue. So far the penalty Kill has done well and I just dont notice him as a liability. He is slow, so that may be an issue. Why Vitale is not killing penalties is beyond me and it seems beyond a lot of people on here.

[pcmforless]

If they continue to win, I like everyone and the job they are doing Seriously though I though they played a good game last night, there are some guys that could do more I am sure, but they seemed to play a good game as a team last night and it didn't seem like anyone was trying to do too much.
Dupuis goal was great and iced the game and I think takes a even more wind out of the sails of a Sens team coming off a pretty convincing series win over Montreal.

[DelPen]

I wouldn't say the lone Sens goal was a softy by Vokoun. He didn't have it covered but he had no help to keep the Sens away from the net after. If either Engellend or Murray does their job then that goal never happens.

[GSdrums87]

Faceoffs were pretty bad for them last night. I know he had the best % but I'd so much rather see Jokinen for the 3rd line over Sutter. Dude just doesn't have much giddy-up right now. Also, with this slower Sens team, maybe Eaton finds his way back into the lineup?

[MRandall25]

I wouldn't say the lone Sens goal was a softy by Vokoun. He didn't have it covered but he had no help to keep the Sens away from the net after. If either Engellend or Murray does their job then that goal never happens.

But, at the same token, people would be crucifying Fleury for it and calling it a terrible goal. Regardless of who was on the ice.

It was a pretty soft goal that was preventable by Vokoun. Gotta hug the post better.

[Be1isarius89]

- Iggy just keeps racking up points on the PPlay. Is he now the Pens Play specialist? Better be, cause his even strength is sort of

Iginla 2 goals 8 assists 1 pp goal 3 pp assists

He has been bouncing between lines and shifting from left wing to right wing. He'll be fine.

[marek]

Blackhole Sutter on the other hand looks like Craig Adams without the passion.

agreed. I said it against the isles. Sutter is a fourth line center man at best right now on this team.

[Nizzy]

Adams is fine. He's a slower veteran 4th liner. He is good on the PK but SLOW. I think Vitale could do a better job.

Adams is fine until you realize you have a 30 goal scorer sitting. Who can do everything Adams can but also better at face offs and actually score some goals. And he's way faster.

[Pens4Life87]

Its time to sit Morrow & Adams and play Jokinen & Bennett. Can you image how much more dangerous this team would be with adding the OFFENSIVE SKILLS to the bottom 6 by replacing these 2? No just offensive skills but SPEED as well.

Morrow, 7 games, 0 goals, 2 assists, -3 rating, 4 total shots.
I thought this guy was a great fit for the squad when we got him. He was great in the regular season for the Penguins but its clear he doesn't have much left. I'm kind of happy that he is playing this way because it's an obvious no resign to be. This means Iginla will probably be easier to keep, plus no way Morrow can make it 82 games. Just a complete lack of speed right now. I don't think he fits with the "system". I would sit him until we need him. His legs could use the rest.

Adams, Didn't even look at his stats. He doesn't make mistakes but he also doesn't do anything else out there. He can PK... so can Vitale, Dupuis, Cooke, Jokinen. We will be fine if Adams sits. There's enough veterans on the team now.

Add Jokinen and Bennett to the bottom 6.


edit:

I want to see Jokinen for Adams first actually.

Why would you tinker with a PK that shut down the opposistion?

[MarioLives]

I wouldn't say the lone Sens goal was a softy by Vokoun. He didn't have it covered but he had no help to keep the Sens away from the net after. If either Engellend or Murray does their job then that goal never happens.

But, at the same token, people would be crucifying Fleury for it and calling it a terrible goal. Regardless of who was on the ice.

It was a pretty soft goal that was preventable by Vokoun. Gotta hug the post better.

agree, Fleury would have been hammered for that. I know I got a bit nervous after that one.

[Lt. Dish]

Faceoffs were pretty bad for them last night. I know he had the best % but I'd so much rather see Jokinen for the 3rd line over Sutter. Dude just doesn't have much giddy-up right now. Also, with this slower Sens team, maybe Eaton finds his way back into the lineup?

I thought TOR's horrific faceoff performance in the third contributed greatly to their collapse the other night. Can't protect or build on your lead if you hardly ever win the puck.

Geno actually had a good night in the dot. Does anyone think we see Jussi in game 2, given in part due to Kyle Turris' dominance?

Jean-Gabriel Pageau is making his presence known as a royal PITA.

[Eismann]

Sutter's only effective in open ice. Seeing as how the Pens are abjectly refusing to play that way, Jussi's the better option.

[Dr Rosenrosen]

I thought one of the Pens' greatest assets last night was going into Zen mode when Neil (and others) tried to turn things into the '12 Flyers series.