A team built to beat the Metro

Postby **FistOfCaufield** » Mon Mar 21, 2016 10:17 am

Well I think it's starting to become obvious now - the Identity of this team.
Speed.

Speed upon speed, with speed and skill on the backend, and speed up front. You want to throw Radko Gudas out there, you'll lose the race to the puck. You want to throw Mike Weber out there? he'll be a few steps behind as the puck goes over his head.

When the team uses their speed all over the ice, you see the result that we saw this weekend - a very limited number of shots against because it's damn near impossible to get the puck 200 feet with all that speed on your shoulder.

Goals are coming from the rush, but more importantly now goals are coming from turnovers caused in the offensive zone. We saw it with the Hagelin goal against Philly - and last night the Daley goal - Kunitz and Sid chasing up the wall forcing the turnover which Horny pushed back to Sid.

It'll be interesting to see what teasm try to counter with in the playoffs. You can always counter a system... but it's much different to counter against something physical like size and speed. A few quick finishes and the game can be over before you know it.

Postby **MalkinIsMyHomeboy** » Mon Mar 21, 2016 10:18 am

Speed upon speed, with speed and skill on the backend, and speed up front. You want to throw Radko Gudas out there, you'll lose the race to the puck. You want to throw Mike Weber out there? he'll be a few steps behind as the puck goes over his head.

yeah, but unfortunately their recovery includes boarding guys

Postby **Silentom** » Mon Mar 21, 2016 10:25 am

They have to be smart and not lose their cool, and they need to get the PP figured out for it to truly work.

Postby **Craig** » Mon Mar 21, 2016 3:20 pm

Either they figured out something or are getting hot at the right time. In any case i feel better than i have in years at this time.

Postby **columbia** » Mon Mar 21, 2016 3:21 pm

Either they figured out something or are getting hot at the right time. In any case i feel better than i have in years at this time.

+1 It feels good to root for a team, which seems to care.

Postby **Trip McNeely** » Mon Mar 21, 2016 3:29 pm

I just can't believe the Pens are beating teams with so much more size, toughness, grit, snarl, ferocity, {insert hockey adjective}

Postby **Silentom** » Mon Mar 21, 2016 3:31 pm

Speed kills, yo. Big tough guys are good at throwing a check, but you can't check a player you can't catch.

Postby **shmenguin** » Mon Mar 21, 2016 3:34 pm

is this alley oop thing a tactic, or are they just improving?

Postby **MalkinIsMyHomeboy** » Mon Mar 21, 2016 3:42 pm

I don't think speed is the only thing we have. Our third and fourth liners have ridiculous motors...Cullen, Kuhnackl, Rust, Sheary, Fehr, etc...they can forcheck like hell and cause a lot of turnovers. That's something we haven't had in a while.

makes me nostalgic for the Tanner Glass-Craig Adams days where I'd get a heart attack every time they touched the ice because I knew we'd be stuck in our zone for their entire shift

Postby **PFiDC** » Mon Mar 21, 2016 5:21 pm

Either they figured out something or are getting hot at the right time. In any case i feel better than i have in years at this time.

They haven't had to fight for a playoff spot since 2009. This team, IMO, has needed a season like this, even with the Malkin injury. This isn't exactly the same team but in '92 the Pens beat the Rags without Lemieux.

Postby **FistOfCaufield** » Mon Mar 21, 2016 5:29 pm

I don't think speed is the only thing we have. Our third and fourth liners have ridiculous motors...Cullen, Kuhnackl, Rust, Sheary, Fehr, etc...they can forcheck like hell and cause a lot of turnovers. That's something we haven't had in a while.

Right, but I think it's the speed and really using that speed all over the ice. Constantly chasing down the puck on the forecheck and having the speed to get there just early enough to make the opponent uncomfortable. We've certainly seen that from the third and fourth line, but when you have Crosby and Kessel start doing it - your going to find nights where you keep very good offensive teams to under 20 shots. It's an exciting proposition - I hope they can keep it up.

Postby **Avyran** » Mon Mar 21, 2016 5:47 pm

I'm curious of the young guys keep up their strengths in the playoffs, when the NHL's "toughness" turns into hooking & interference for days upon end. For tradition or some other forsaken thing.

However, I think that MIMH calls out something important; it's not just speed, but the energy of the team. They're outworking the opponent, and using their strengths (speed) effectively in forechecking & pressure. That's what makes me optimistic, because the Pens're forcing their style upon the NHL atm.

Postby **shafnutz05** » Tue Mar 22, 2016 8:33 pm

This is the first time in a few years that I've had this level of excitement going into the playoffs. For once, it actually feels like the team is peaking at the right time. The bottom six is the best it's been since 2008-09. Special teams is a bit of a concern, but I'm hoping Malkin's return and the play of the aforementioned bottom six guys helps that out.

While it'd be nice to have a playoff spot clinched 3 weeks out, it has been a ton of fun watching this team go from being on the outside looking in, to putting up an absolutely incredible (and unexpected) streak of games, dismantling the NHL-best Capitals and hottest-team-in-the-league Flyers on back to back days. I'm more engaged and watching more games than I have in years.

Could they flame out? Sure. But this team has a heart and snarl I haven't seen in a while.

Postby **NTP66** » Wed Mar 23, 2016 8:26 am

Source of the post This is the first time in a few years that I've had this level of excitement going into the playoffs.

This.