Icelanders @ Penguins

[nocera]

An automatic penalty because a stick broke isn't a lapse in judgement.

[beachboy76]

These late penalties are killing us. First against the Caps, then in Brooklyn (we lost both 2-1) and now again against the Isles. Stupid lapses in composure from otherwise intelligent guys (Cullen, Bonino, etc)


That's probably the biggest gripe of mine in the last few weeks


Can't make these mistakes in May

Scoring on the PP here and there would make those penalties less scary.

[Craig]

Man Kessel sucks

Who would have thought the guy that signed a max length deal to play for a basement dweller wouldnt handle playoff contention well.

[Faubert5]

Ugh. What a stupid rule.

Hold on to your stick. From what I saw he barely slashed, it was a small whack.

The putrid PP comes back to bite them. The continuation of trotting the same unit out there when nobody is willing to shoot should be corrected.

It's become a time-honored tradition.

[BigMck]

Man Kessel sucks

Who would have thought the guy that signed a max length deal to play for a basement dweller wouldnt handle playoff contention well.

Trade him to Edmonton for their 1st round pick, this year and next. Talent suck.

[Dickie Dunn]

Kessel is so lazy he should be from Russia.

[Rocco]

3 back of the Rangers and Isles, 3 clear of Detroit for the 1st WC spot, 4 clear of Philly for a playoff spot.

[Pavel Bure]

Why for the majority of the Crosby/Malkin era has the PP just sucked. Why has it almost always been 4 guys at a stand still while one tries to carry it over the blue line? Awful.

[Silentom]

Damn, I just assumed someone had tonight. Huge series of games tonight, LGP!

My bad, I did sign up for this one. I started watching Jessica Jones after dinner, and got drawn into it. Ended up watching it until around midnight.

Bit tired this morning.

[Jim]

I mentioned elsewhere... Does Letang realize that his eye-to-target line does not match the puck-to-target line?

[dodint]

I need a Benny Hill sequence for Bonino and Co. missing the net from 15ft out 19 times in a row in OT. I like Bonino and am not on that particular kill-him-bandwagon but I have no idea why he was out there in that situation for so long.

[mikey]

Why for the majority of the Crosby/Malkin era has the PP just sucked. Why has it almost always been 4 guys at a stand still while one tries to carry it over the blue line? Awful.

I don't know the percentage off-hand, but since 2005-06 to yesterday, the Penguins have the third most power play goals in the NHL over that stretch (San Jose and Detroit) and the most goals overall. Given that percentages and ratios don't win games but goals do, I'd say we have far from "sucked" on the power play.

The drop pass or slingshot entry as I like to call it, is highly effective for clean NZ entries and has been used by a lot of teams over the past ten years at least, I started to notice it perk up in 2007 or so...I like it, and use variations of it frequently with teams that I coach. It pushes the PK all the way back and gives your best playmaker a number of options...

[Gaucho]

They had two bad years (with Gonchar) and later when Sid and Geno both missed significant time in 2010-11, but mostley they've easily been Top 10, if not Top 5 in the league.

[large garlic]

I went to the game last night and am now 6-0 or 7-0 on the season (can't quite remember how many I've been to).

--In general, I thought the game wasn't that exciting until the end of the 3rd/OT. It seemed like there were lots of whistles for offsides, icing, pucks going out of play, etc. And there didn't seem to be many clean breakouts or zone entries for either side...lots of chip it up the boards and hope to win puck battles. I suppose credit does go to both teams for keeping things tight defensively and forcing that sort of play.

--As mentioned above, the PP is back to looking clueless. I think I like the idea of taking Kessel off the top unit, but it might take some time to adjust to having two d-men on points with Crosby's line (essentially) as the forwards...at least I'm hoping it's a matter of adjusting to a new set-up.

--Speaking of Kessel, it's not good when Rust and Sheary (no offense to those guys) are more noticeable in good ways than your supposed top winger. Kessel had one rush that I remember where he blew by the d-man on the outside and got off a good wrister than went just wide, but other than that, they weren't getting much from him.

--Speaking of Rust, I take back my endorsement of the Kennedy comparison yesterday. I still kind of think it holds, since he's fast, seems to get lots of chances, yet doesn't end up with much final product, but he makes a lot of nifty, smart plays to get the team out of jams in their own end or to keep possession alive in the offensive zone that Kennedy just didn't make.

--Dumoulin continues to impress each time I see him live.

--Cole looked pretty good. He was making quick, confident decisions with the puck and was generally solid defensively. I'm not sure he's quite living up to his contract, but he's making the case to at least be a very solid #6 d-man going forward.

--Daley is so good holding the puck along the boards. I thinking last night that Crosby might be the only one on the team better than him at this. It's such a big help to have a d-man who can absorb pressure, work his way out of it, and then make a constructive play with the puck.

[shmenguin]

rust seems a lot more skilled than kennedy was. you'd never use TK and "nifty" in the same sentence.

[nocera]

rust seems a lot more skilled than kennedy was. you'd never use TK and "nifty" in the same sentence.

Man, TK, that was a nifty shot into the goalie's chest.

[shmenguin]

rust seems a lot more skilled than kennedy was. you'd never use TK and "nifty" in the same sentence.

Man, TK, that was a nifty shot into the goalie's chest.

careful now...despite my last post, i am still TK fan boy numero uno.

[Silentom]

They important question is "How is Rust's shot placement?"

If he doesn't fire it right into the chesticles of the goalie, then he is already better than pig boy.

[mikey]

Last night, there was a play, maybe late second period - maybe - where Rust beats a guy with speed and drops his shoulder. He gets a half stride maybe even a full stride on the d-man, near the dot...he stops up and looks to slide a pass into the middle...the Kennedy comparison just won't get close enough because he thinks the game better...Kennedy would have lobbed that into the goalie's chest...our Kennedy is Hagelin now, he's a closer comparison probably than Rust is...despite handedness and where he sits on the lineup card...

[columbia]

Hagelin knows how to pass, so - as far as the offensive side of things - I'd say he has something on Kennedy. I suppose you could mention cycling for TK, but that really feels like a Staal thing.

[MalkinIsMyHomeboy]

Rust already seems smarter than Kennedy ever was

I think down the line he could be a possible cheap winger for Sid

[mikey]

Yeah, Hagelin and Rust both have a bit better vision than Kennedy. That's fair. Hagelin is an even worse finisher for the opportunities he gets. Sometimes Kennedy would roof one or go high blocker. Hagelin hits chest, chest, chest, wide, chest, chest, groin, wide, chest, chest, chest...

[shmenguin]

screw you guys and your chest shots.





#blindsquirrelnut