Game 77 vs. Jets - Thoughts from the Morning After

[Take the Body Shoot the Puck]

Hopefully Letang can do the same for Scuderi. Or vice versa. Or just play Despres.

Playing Despres is blasphemy!

[Tanger58]

Guys, I've been watching hockey for my entire life and I cannot explain what it is about Paul Martin that just inexplicably brings out the best in Brooks Orpik. After a really bad month without him, Orpik's Corsi-For percentage was 75% last night with Martin. Only three shooting attempts against that pairing.

I don't care if its something we can never understand, Paul Martin is a wizard and I love it.

Wizardry, trust, chemistry, black magic, mind-melt. A combination of all these elements.

Great to see our #1 Dman Paul back and he looked like he didn't miss a game. Led Pens' players with ice time at almost 24 mins. Seems like alot for a guy's first game back but maybe that is what he wanted. Hopefully Orpik can keep this up.

-Borts and Scuds not so good. Scuds confidence looks low and he is usually out of position.
-Good to see Stempy and Beau battling for that spot. Either one looks good for different reasons and makes the 3rd line decent.
- Megna is going to score soon - dude is flying and aggresive
- Nice goal by Gibby - has played very well/consistenly.
- The Crosby frustration penalty was unneccessary. He needs to eliminate those. At least he sparked himself after that.
- Wheeler is fast for his size

[Mad City Mike]

- A win is a win, but another inconsistent effort.
- Sid was really good after the penalty.
- Martin, what can you say? Just so calm with the puck.
- Scuderi, what can you say? Just so, SO horrible. I never thought I'd say this, but I think Engelland might be a better choice.
- Why was the Winnipeg crowd so quiet? Sick of winter and the Jets?
- Steigerwald's call of the Bennett goal might be one of the worst in history.
- Young Dan Bylsma scored a goal. That means Old Dan Bylsma will want him resigned for 5 more years.

[Mad City Mike]

I love BB with Sid, I just hope it doesn't turn into Barnum and Bailey out there.

Don't you mean the Harlem Globetrotters?

[Penspal]

- Megna's chip and collect is like solid gold. Its HCDB hockey to the max.
- Scuds is playing like Turd. While I believe in letting guys "play out of a funk", we are talking skunky funky at this point
- Book on Paul Martin - Great skater, good quick accurate passes, good head for the game & surprisingly quick & shify in puck battles. His gap control is A+
- Pyatt is finishing every check, which is good, but he's back to lumbering around instead of the short burts of speed he exhibited vs Yotes
- Jussi's work on the wall setup first Pplay goal. Considering there is no major help/changes coming to Pens Offense (side of Geno), JJ is best of the rest.

[DesertPenguin]

Way to early to really say for sure, but would keeping Bennett as Sid'd long term RW really be so bad? Maybe we don't need to trade for a winger for Sid. Personally I think this lineup would be killer, and is feasible under the cap for next season:

FORWARDS
Chris Kunitz ($3.850m) / Sidney Crosby ($8.700m) / Beau Bennett ($0.900m)
Nikolai Kulemin ($3.500m) / Evgeni Malkin ($9.500m) / James Neal ($5.000m)
Pascal Dupuis ($3.750m) / Brandon Sutter ($3.000m) / Lee Stempniak ($3.000m)
Adam Payerl ($0.627m) / Marcel Goc ($2.200m) / Jayson Megna ($0.874m)
Craig Adams ($0.700m)
DEFENSEMEN
Olli Maatta ($0.894m) / Paul Martin ($5.000m)
Rob Scuderi ($3.375m) / Kris Letang ($7.250m)
Simon Despres ($1.700m) / Robert Bortuzzo ($0.600m)
Brian Dumoulin ($0.832m) /
GOALTENDERS
Marc-Andre Fleury ($5.000m)
Jeff Zatkoff ($0.600m)
------
CAPGEEK.COM TOTALS (follow @capgeek on Twitter)
(estimations for 2014-15)
SALARY CAP: $71,100,000; CAP PAYROLL: $70,851,625; BONUSES: $308,333
CAP SPACE (22-man roster): $248,375

[dodint]

I thoght Dupuis was promised Sids wing.

[meecrofilm]

Pens cancelled practice again today. Do they ever practice? I'm beginning to think not.

[DesertPenguin]

I thoght Dupuis was promised Sids wing.

Yeah yeah. I think that era is over. Especially given Duper's injury, he will take a long time to get fully up to speed.

Even if he has lost a step though, a line of Dupuis - Sutter - Stempniak would slay dragons. Forcheck, Backcheck, Paycheck, with plenty of offense to be effective for a 3rd line.

[meecrofilm]

The top line with Bennett got a little too fancy for my tastes last night. I think that's ultimately why Bylsma moved Neal up to that unit later in the game.

My concern with Bennett is that you get the most from him when he's carrying the puck. He was making play after play the first couple of games and, while I thought the top line played pretty well, I think Beau probably helps the Sutter or Jokinen lines a lot more. Sid, Stemp, and Kunitz have been just fine.

I actually think that is why you need BB with Crosby. Teams limit Crosby time and space in the playoffs, by having BB carry the puck, it prevents teams from shut down Sid and that line losing its effectiveness.

Absolutely. That's a big element that was missing from KCD.

[The Snapshot]

- A win is a win, but another inconsistent effort.

I think that it is hard to call a game where you give up 15 shots to team, on the road, and one who is clinging to hope of a Playoff berth as an inconsistent game.

There was only one brief stretch in the 2nd period where the Pens were sloppy, but you can't expect a top of the lower tier team like that to be held to absolutely nothing. They do have some speed, size and talent throughout that lineup.

[Great58]

I like Bennett with Sid alot more than I liked him with Geno. I just hope each of them knows when to shoot instead of dish.
I like Stempniak on the third line. Not a knock on Lee, but this seems more his natural position.
I'd keep JJ with Malkin and Neal when Geno returns. It's been a good line whenever Geno has been playing well.

[Take the Body Shoot the Puck]

Way to early to really say for sure, but would keeping Bennett as Sid'd long term RW really be so bad? Maybe we don't need to trade for a winger for Sid. Personally I think this lineup would be killer, and is feasible under the cap for next season:

FORWARDS
Chris Kunitz ($3.850m) / Sidney Crosby ($8.700m) / Beau Bennett ($0.900m)
Nikolai Kulemin ($3.500m) / Evgeni Malkin ($9.500m) / James Neal ($5.000m)
Pascal Dupuis ($3.750m) / Brandon Sutter ($3.000m) / Lee Stempniak ($3.000m)
Adam Payerl ($0.627m) / Marcel Goc ($2.200m) / Jayson Megna ($0.874m)
Craig Adams ($0.700m)
DEFENSEMEN
Olli Maatta ($0.894m) / Paul Martin ($5.000m)
Rob Scuderi ($3.375m) / Kris Letang ($7.250m)
Simon Despres ($1.700m) / Robert Bortuzzo ($0.600m)
Brian Dumoulin ($0.832m) /
GOALTENDERS
Marc-Andre Fleury ($5.000m)
Jeff Zatkoff ($0.600m)
------
CAPGEEK.COM TOTALS (follow @capgeek on Twitter)
(estimations for 2014-15)
SALARY CAP: $71,100,000; CAP PAYROLL: $70,851,625; BONUSES: $308,333
CAP SPACE (22-man roster): $248,375

I would be happy with this, especially that 3rd line.

[Idoit40fans]

I still dont understand the push for Kulemin.

[meow]

I still dont understand the push for Kulemin.

Nor do I. He has a nice two-way game. So do 300 other wingers out there.

[columbia]

I'd trade Neal for Kesler.

[MalkinIsMyHomeboy]

I'd trade Neal for Kesler.

Anyone who wouldn't make this trade is James Neal.

[Crankshaft]

I'm not sure if I would trade Neal for Kesler.

[The Snapshot]

Fun fact. Five Pens forwards have just under 14 minutes of ice-time last night. Lee Stempniak, Jussi Jokinen, Brian Gibbons, Tanner Glass and .....Craig Adams.

I'm having trouble imagining a universe where that makes sense.

[MalkinIsMyHomeboy]

I'm not sure if I would trade Neal for Kesler.

Okay, James Neal

[slappybrown]

I'm not sure I make that trade either off the top of my head.

[Mango Salsa]

Ive been noticing a trend lately that this years whipping boy (Letang) is now being touted as the savior and missing link on our much maligned defense. Did everyone forget what a turd he was this season?

[Penspal]

I would never trade Neal for Kessler - #blasphemy

[MalkinIsMyHomeboy]

Ive been noticing a trend lately that this years whipping boy (Letang) is now being touted as the savior and missing link on our much maligned defense. Did everyone forget what a turd he was this season?

It's a combination of a ton of sympathy being garnered from his stroke as well as realization that Skud, Orpik and Engellend (as a d-man) are all doing pretty poorly. Letang can be inconsistent but I'd rather lose with him playing than with those three playing instead of him.

[Idoit40fans]

Ive been noticing a trend lately that this years whipping boy (Letang) is now being touted as the savior and missing link on our much maligned defense. Did everyone forget what a turd he was this season?

It's a combination of a ton of sympathy being garnered from his stroke as well as realization that Skud, Orpik and Engellend (as a d-man) are all doing pretty poorly. Letang can be inconsistent but I'd rather lose with him playing than with those three playing instead of him.

Yeah its pretty weird.