GDT #46: Pens vs Wild

[mikey]

I agree with that much. I like winning more than most. I get that...

We're also 9-8-3 vs East / 20-4-2 vs West and only have four games left this season vs the West.

We gotta find away to beat the teams near us if we're gonna be serious about this...only Carolina (.500) and NJ (.464) are worse in our division vs this conference...

If we get to the Final, we're a walk...but we gotta get through three rounds of teams that we play .500 hockey against...

[willeyeam]

i have a take

i don't really want to make a trade

[MalkinIsMyHomeboy]

what's Bonino up to these days?

[mikey]

Doing well in Nashville...still LHS...

[dodint]

Man, I hate to say it because I'm gonna get beaten up here because everyone is so high...this team isn't anything special to a man...it's well-coached and believing in their defensive structure and the new faces have fit in like gangbusters (Jarry, Tanev, not Chucky, etc.)...but it's a pretty average roster with some star power...

Playing structured defense, but having a couple guys who can just take a game over when the time comes...that's a great combination...but this isn't a particularly noteworthy roster for me...

You think the dynamic breaks down a little in a best of seven? Roaming around plinking against random teams a few times a week isn't the same as facing off with another playoff team for two weeks.

[PFiDC]

Minus Kessel what star power did the 16 or 17 team have that this one doesn't?

I agree that the Pens are in for a test the second half of the season. But to say this team is meh outside of 87 and 71 is a little bit of a stretch IMO.

[Lemon Berry Lobster]

Minus Kessel what star power did the 16 or 17 team have that this one doesn't?

I agree that the Pens are in for a test the second half of the season. But to say this team is meh outside of 87 and 71 is a little bit of a stretch IMO.

Hey I saw you went to the game, if you had a minute, I had a few questions. I you don't mind, can you answer? Thanks!


1) Were there a lot of Wild fans there?
-How many, what % would you say?

2) Was this the normal amount the Wild bring?
-If not, what is? Was this more or less than normal?

3) How did the turnout of Wild fans compare to the Flyers ?
-Who brought more fans?


4) On TV, I saw a few patches of green , which surprised me, but you said there were very few. Wondering if this was an optical illusions.

[MalkinIsMyHomeboy]

Man, I hate to say it because I'm gonna get beaten up here because everyone is so high...this team isn't anything special to a man...it's well-coached and believing in their defensive structure and the new faces have fit in like gangbusters (Jarry, Tanev, not Chucky, etc.)...but it's a pretty average roster with some star power...

Playing structured defense, but having a couple guys who can just take a game over when the time comes...that's a great combination...but this isn't a particularly noteworthy roster for me...

You think the dynamic breaks down a little in a best of seven? Roaming around plinking against random teams a few times a week isn't the same as facing off with another playoff team for two weeks.

tbh, I think stars generally mean less in the playoffs and well coached defensive teams with great goaltending do better

Obviously I wish we had Guentzel but I think we're in a very good position for a playoff run right now

[Troy Loney]

Is Jarry a star? 2.12 GAA & .930 SV%

[mikey]

Man, I hate to say it because I'm gonna get beaten up here because everyone is so high...this team isn't anything special to a man...it's well-coached and believing in their defensive structure and the new faces have fit in like gangbusters (Jarry, Tanev, not Chucky, etc.)...but it's a pretty average roster with some star power...

Playing structured defense, but having a couple guys who can just take a game over when the time comes...that's a great combination...but this isn't a particularly noteworthy roster for me...

You think the dynamic breaks down a little in a best of seven? Roaming around plinking against random teams a few times a week isn't the same as facing off with another playoff team for two weeks.

I think this team is prone to that, yeah. Any time you have vulnerable players...and this roster is pretty average...you run the risk of the advanced scout getting to you...what's nice is that we have a goalie who is very smart and athletic and there isn't much of a book on him...plus, ya know, 87, 71, 58...dynamic skill.

But yeah, I don't think we're out of the woods by any means...we have a lot to prove...

[mikey]

Minus Kessel what star power did the 16 or 17 team have that this one doesn't?

I agree that the Pens are in for a test the second half of the season. But to say this team is meh outside of 87 and 71 is a little bit of a stretch IMO.

Minus one star when most teams only have 1 or 2 tops is a massive percentage of star power...

What legitimate top six pieces do we have? What legitimate top nine players do we have that can impact on a third line...? I'm actually asking for a list in this instance haha

[mikey]

Man, I hate to say it because I'm gonna get beaten up here because everyone is so high...this team isn't anything special to a man...it's well-coached and believing in their defensive structure and the new faces have fit in like gangbusters (Jarry, Tanev, not Chucky, etc.)...but it's a pretty average roster with some star power...

Playing structured defense, but having a couple guys who can just take a game over when the time comes...that's a great combination...but this isn't a particularly noteworthy roster for me...

You think the dynamic breaks down a little in a best of seven? Roaming around plinking against random teams a few times a week isn't the same as facing off with another playoff team for two weeks.

tbh, I think stars generally mean less in the playoffs and well coached defensive teams with great goaltending do better

Obviously I wish we had Guentzel but I think we're in a very good position for a playoff run right now

Stars enable well-coached defensive teams to succeed...that's what we're experiencing right now, in fact...

Ovechkin, Crosby, Crosby, Keith, Kane, Quick all were stars at the time...Williams and ROR are lesser lights...but it still takes some star power to push it somewhere...the Blues are a bit of an exception, but they had about 9 top-4 d-men...the Caps, star power...Pens, star power...Hawks, star power...Kings closer to St. Louis, but with better forwards...Hawks, star power...

You gotta have difference makers...they're the "3" in 3-2.

[Jim]

Minus Kessel what star power did the 16 or 17 team have that this one doesn't?

I agree that the Pens are in for a test the second half of the season. But to say this team is meh outside of 87 and 71 is a little bit of a stretch IMO.

Hey I saw you went to the game, if you had a minute, I had a few questions. I you don't mind, can you answer? Thanks!


1) Were there a lot of Wild fans there?
-How many, what % would you say?

2) Was this the normal amount the Wild bring?
-If not, what is? Was this more or less than normal?

3) How did the turnout of Wild fans compare to the Flyers ?
-Who brought more fans?


4) On TV, I saw a few patches of green , which surprised me, but you said there were very few. Wondering if this was an optical illusions.

LOL

[PFiDC]

Minus Kessel what star power did the 16 or 17 team have that this one doesn't?

I agree that the Pens are in for a test the second half of the season. But to say this team is meh outside of 87 and 71 is a little bit of a stretch IMO.

Hey I saw you went to the game, if you had a minute, I had a few questions. I you don't mind, can you answer? Thanks!


1) Were there a lot of Wild fans there?
-How many, what % would you say?

2) Was this the normal amount the Wild bring?
-If not, what is? Was this more or less than normal?

3) How did the turnout of Wild fans compare to the Flyers ?
-Who brought more fans?


4) On TV, I saw a few patches of green , which surprised me, but you said there were very few. Wondering if this was an optical illusions.

I'm not around these parts much but is LBL Doublewinder or is this just a joke?

[PFiDC]

Minus Kessel what star power did the 16 or 17 team have that this one doesn't?

I agree that the Pens are in for a test the second half of the season. But to say this team is meh outside of 87 and 71 is a little bit of a stretch IMO.

Minus one star when most teams only have 1 or 2 tops is a massive percentage of star power...

What legitimate top six pieces do we have? What legitimate top nine players do we have that can impact on a third line...? I'm actually asking for a list in this instance haha

Part of my point is that Kessel isn't really a star. He was also on our 3rd line. Yes, he was in serious consideration for the Conn Smythe one of those years (can't remember which...) but he's not a star IMO.

Letang is more a star than Kessel and they didn't have him for one of those cups.

[mikey]

2016-19:
Kessel was fourth in ES ice time per game among team forwards (14:43; Crosby, Guentzel, Malkin)
Kessel was third in ATOI per game among team forwards (18:15; Malkin, Crosby)

Kessel was 10th in the NHL in points during that time (303). Behind Kane, Kucherov, McDavid, Crosby, Marchand, Guadreau, Panarin, Ovechkin, Tavares.

He was fourth in playoff scoring during that time...
1. Crosby 68
2. Couture 65
3. Malkin 57
4. Kessel 56
t-4. Ovechkin 56

So just eyeballing it...RS+PO, Kessel is roughly top-7ish, top-5ish in scoring...

Most importantly, he's one of just a few guys in the league that can beat a goalie clean with a wrist shot...that's so valuable in this league.

So, in short, none of that Kessel stuff is really on point in terms of what he did for us and his stature in the league, he was a Third-Team RW All Star in 2018...

[willeyeam]

2019-2020 Rust is significantly better than 2018-2019 Kessel. Fight me

[Gaucho]

Rust never sleeps.

[mikey]

Yeah, let's see at the end of the year if Rust can keep up his 103 point pace and 18.6% shooting percentage...I'll be surprised...

[NTP66]

Get this negative nilly **** outta here ya jag.

[mikey]

Just being realistic...don't get too high or too low, friend...

[willeyeam]

Yeah, let's see at the end of the year if Rust can keep up his 103 point pace and 18.6% shooting percentage...I'll be surprised...

Didn't say he would

[robbiestoupe]

Just being realistic...don't get too high or too low, friend...

Don't go into the Pitt thread

[Lemon Berry Lobster]

Minus Kessel what star power did the 16 or 17 team have that this one doesn't?

I agree that the Pens are in for a test the second half of the season. But to say this team is meh outside of 87 and 71 is a little bit of a stretch IMO.

Hey I saw you went to the game, if you had a minute, I had a few questions. I you don't mind, can you answer? Thanks!


1) Were there a lot of Wild fans there?
-How many, what % would you say?

2) Was this the normal amount the Wild bring?
-If not, what is? Was this more or less than normal?

3) How did the turnout of Wild fans compare to the Flyers ?
-Who brought more fans?


4) On TV, I saw a few patches of green , which surprised me, but you said there were very few. Wondering if this was an optical illusions.

I'm not around these parts much but is LBL Doublewinder or is this just a joke?

Just jokes

[willeyeam]

Just being realistic...don't get too high or too low, friend...

Don't go into the Pitt thread

That's usually good advice tbh