Meow's Morning Meeting - 10-29-15 vs. BUF

Postby **meow** » Fri Oct 30, 2015 9:11 am

Good 40 minute effort from the team
Awesome 60 minute effort from Zatkoff
The lines seem to be building some chemistry
Lovejoy and Dumoulin are playing well. Never thought I'd say that.
It's good to get wins when you don't play especially great

Postby **NTP66** » Fri Oct 30, 2015 9:15 am

This may be an unfavorable opinion, but I'm actually hoping that they send Sprong back to juniors before the 10th game. I don't see the 9 minutes he's getting actually being terribly beneficial at this point, and we've still got Fehr likely coming back tomorrow to fill a spot.

Postby **Beveridge** » Fri Oct 30, 2015 9:19 am

I agree but I'd rather have Sprong and not have injuries and then hindsight complain he should have been sent back than send him back, get injuries and not have him.

I'm ok with either decision. I still lean toward sending him back.

Postby **meow** » Fri Oct 30, 2015 9:20 am

Fehr will either push Porter back to WBS or Sprong to the Q. Neither would surprise me and I don't think either decision is more correct than the other.

Postby **NTP66** » Fri Oct 30, 2015 9:24 am

Fehr will either push Porter back to WBS or Sprong to the Q. Neither would surprise me and I don't think either decision is more correct than the other.

I'd agree with this, and hope that Porter sticks around in this scenario. He has been more noticeable on the ice (in a good way), and I think it'd end up being a win/win for us.

Postby **meecrofilm** » Fri Oct 30, 2015 10:13 am

Plotnikov also needs to get more games as well. He's not gonna get better in the press box.

Postby **Morkle** » Fri Oct 30, 2015 10:21 am

I think Fehr coming back is what sends Sprong down. I kind of dig the Cullen, Porter, Beau experience.

Postby **large garlic** » Fri Oct 30, 2015 10:28 am

I only saw the first period last night, but it seems to me that Sprong is standing out less and less as the season progresses. I know he's not getting many minutes, but it kind of reminds me of Letang's 9 game trial. Initially, his speed and skill jumped out at you nearly every shift that he was on the ice, but the adrenaline (or something) gradually wore off, and it seemed totally appropriate to send him back to juniors.

Postby **Morkle** » Fri Oct 30, 2015 10:32 am

Hell - Letang still has Junior level shot accuracy

Postby **Morkle** » Fri Oct 30, 2015 11:11 am

Porter re-assigned.

Postby **Dickie Dunn** » Fri Oct 30, 2015 11:15 am

If Sprong is going to play less than 10 minutes per night there's no reason for him to be here, yet GMJR seems to want him to be here. Disconnect between coach and GM a la Melrose with Stamkos during his rookie year?

Postby **NTP66** » Fri Oct 30, 2015 11:15 am

Well, that's a little disappointing to me. Hopefully, Sprong seizes the chance to make the best use of his time possible, assuming they don't send him back before that 40 game mark (for his FA status).

Postby **Tico Rick** » Fri Oct 30, 2015 11:22 am

Fehr will either push Porter back to WBS or Sprong to the Q. Neither would surprise me and I don't think either decision is more correct than the other.

It looks like Fehr pushed Porter back to WBS. The Sprong Experiment continues...

Postby **FLPensFan** » Fri Oct 30, 2015 11:41 am

I was wanting Sprong to stay, but as others have said.....9 minutes a night on the 4th line every game is worthless. The talk is that Johnston sees Sprong make a mistake and reacts like its a fatal, game ending mistake. So, I'm up in the air as to whether he stays or not. If the goal of a 9 game tryout is to evaluate, it seems quite odd that you don't try a guy with top 6 talent in the top 6 to see if he can hold his own now. Playing him continually on the 3rd and 4th line, you may learn about him playing defense and where those holes are, but you aren't giving him much chance to show why he was drafted.

I keep noticing Sprong on the LW wall a lot. Like, half of his shifts. He's probably hearing it from the coaches that he is out of position, yet at the same time, I think this shows that giving him a shot at LW might not be such a bad idea. Again, that's where his future is on this team. Why not start putting him there? I bet he's less out of place than they think.

Postby **NTP66** » Fri Oct 30, 2015 11:47 am

I don't see him playing in a top-6 spot on this roster regularly, to be honest. Those lines are clicking finally, and I have to wonder if Fehr returning means that Sprong will see more time on the 4th than anything.

Postby **FLPensFan** » Fri Oct 30, 2015 11:55 am

I don't see him playing in a top-6 spot on this roster regularly, to be honest. Those lines are clicking finally, and I have to wonder if Fehr returning means that Sprong will see more time on the 4th than anything.

I don't really want him to play in the top 6 regularly right now. Over the course of a whole season, I think that might be a bit too much for him. But I would like to see him get a game, or 4-5 shifts in a game with Crosby and Malkin. When we were struggling and the lines were a mess would have been the best time to try this. But last night, for example, Malkin and Dupuis were out as PK unit when Lovejoy scored. MJ then sent the Crosby line out, with Kunitz in Dupuis's spot. It would have been a great opportunity right there to put Sprong there for a shift and see how he does.

There are opportunities to give him shifts here and there with Sid/Geno, Johnston just chooses not to do so.

Postby **NTP66** » Fri Oct 30, 2015 11:59 am

I actually thought the same when I saw Kunitz back out there after the PK. I get that they want somebody who does attempt to use their body in the corners to compliment 87 and 9, but I was looking for Sprong to be out there at that time, too. Spring didn't see the ice at all in the final 13 minutes of the game last night. His linemates for part of the night, Porter and Cullen, only had one shift in that 13 minute span themselves.

Postby **meow** » Fri Oct 30, 2015 12:01 pm

The talk is that Johnston sees Sprong make a mistake and reacts like its a fatal, game ending mistake.

I don't believe this for a second.

Postby **Gaucho** » Fri Oct 30, 2015 12:02 pm

But it's the talk.

Postby **NTP66** » Fri Oct 30, 2015 12:05 pm

I can't recall who wrote the article, but there was a recent quote from Johnston saying quite the opposite. He basically said that he uses those mistakes as learning experiences in coaching him (shocker!).

Postby **FLPensFan** » Fri Oct 30, 2015 12:13 pm

The talk is that Johnston sees Sprong make a mistake and reacts like its a fatal, game ending mistake.
I don't believe this for a second.

How about a minute? No idea if it's true. Most likely isn't. But I don't think Johnston is putting him in a lot of positions to get an actual evaluation of what he can and can't handle. He definitely doesn't trust him in close games in the 3rd period.

Last night, he got 2 shifts in the 3rd period. The last coming with 13 minutes left in the 3rd.
Against the Caps, 11 minutes left in the 3rd was his last shift. Cullen also got no ice time after that.
Nashville, nothing in the last 10 minutes.

It not even a thing against Sprong though. Johnston just stops rolling 4 lines in the 3rd period, or at least the last 10-15 minutes of it.

Postby **meow** » Fri Oct 30, 2015 12:25 pm

Sprong could probably handle some more high-stress minutes, but do you really think MJ is going to throw a guy in his 5th NHL game out there protecting a one goal lead? The whole, "this coach hates this player for this reason" crap is just that, crap. Everything MJ does has a very thought out reason behind it and playing a 18 year old in the dying minutes of a one game is not one of them.

Postby **tfrizz** » Fri Oct 30, 2015 12:45 pm

The talk is that Johnston sees Sprong make a mistake and reacts like its a fatal, game ending mistake.
I don't believe this for a second.
How about a minute? No idea if it's true. Most likely isn't. But I don't think Johnston is putting him in a lot of positions to get an actual evaluation of what he can and can't handle. He definitely doesn't trust him in close games in the 3rd period.

Last night, he got 2 shifts in the 3rd period. The last coming with 13 minutes left in the 3rd.
Against the Caps, 11 minutes left in the 3rd was his last shift. Cullen also got no ice time after that.
Nashville, nothing in the last 10 minutes.

It not even a thing against Sprong though. Johnston just stops rolling 4 lines in the 3rd period, or at least the last 10-15 minutes of it.

He shortens his bench. Pretty standard practice, especially in close games.

Postby **Pavement** » Fri Oct 30, 2015 5:44 pm

The talk is that Johnston sees Sprong make a mistake and reacts like its a fatal, game ending mistake.
I don't believe this for a second.
How about a minute? No idea if it's true. Most likely isn't. But I don't think Johnston is putting him in a lot of positions to get an actual evaluation of what he can and can't handle. He definitely doesn't trust him in close games in the 3rd period.

Last night, he got 2 shifts in the 3rd period. The last coming with 13 minutes left in the 3rd.
Against the Caps, 11 minutes left in the 3rd was his last shift. Cullen also got no ice time after that.
Nashville, nothing in the last 10 minutes.

It not even a thing against Sprong though. Johnston just stops rolling 4 lines in the 3rd period, or at least the last 10-15 minutes of it.
He shortens his bench. Pretty standard practice, especially in close games.

Pens could be involved in a lot of them this season.

Postby **Lemon Berry Lobster** » Fri Oct 30, 2015 7:22 pm

Huge minus to the guy that took the puck from the kid. I realize the Pens made sure the kid was taken care of but that guy is a real loser.