Fifth Avenue Forum

Indeed

Source of the post I just associated Scuderi as the first defense first guy on the team

No worries. I associate Scuderi with a pylon, so when you jumped from Letang to Scuderi there wasn't much I could do in the way of a reasonable response.

I like Pouliot, I just hope he's not being groomed to be what Letang was a few years ago. I used to be super hard on Letang but I thought he had really tightened up his game last season. Pouliot is a good problem to have.

Seriously though, no hard feelings. We're on the same team here.

I think what he's saying is more that he likes Letang, he likes what he brings to the table, but as a team, we really only need one or two of a Letang type, offensive-minded defender. I think Letang doesn't get quite enough credit for his defensive skills, but I tend to agree that as a team, you don't need more than one or two offensive minded defensemen.

edit: nevermind, he responded... lol

You were right. Letang is great. But even if you could make a copy of him I wouldn't want them both in the same game. I'd keep one as a spare for when he gets hurt.

Source of the post I just associated Scuderi as the first defense first guy on the team

No worries. I associate Scuderi with a pylon, so when you jumped from Letang to Scuderi there wasn't much I could do in the way of a reasonable response.

I like Pouliot, I just hope he's not being groomed to be what Letang was a few years ago. I used to be super hard on Letang but I thought he had really tightened up his game last season. Pouliot is a good problem to have.

Seriously though, no hard feelings. We're on the same team here.

Pouliot is (or was) projected to be a top prototypical PP QB. Letang while he is our best defenseman isn't a prototypical NHL PP QB. That is the difference I believe. I'm somewhat discouraged that Pouliot took a big step back when the organization was counting on him to be in the top 6 this year but I realize that he's only 21 and defense is the toughest and longest position to develop

letang isn't a good PP QB and can't stay healthy.

thus ends the list of flaws in his game.

...and he's not even bad on the PP. he just can't run it.

letang isn't a good PP QB and can't stay healthy.

thus ends the list of flaws in his game.

...and he's not even bad on the PP. he just can't run it.

Agreed. And like I said Pouliot is the only prospect in our D core with that potential. And that's if he matures

"Sprong will be sprung in Spring"

letang isn't a good PP QB and can't stay healthy.

thus ends the list of flaws in his game.

...and he's not even bad on the PP. he just can't run it.

I can list a few more. Even if you think he's good defensively, he entirely lacks composer and it's extremely easy to get under his skin. He's also one of the only offensive-defenseman I have ever seen that can't one-time a puck (or at least it's a rare phenomenon). As for the powerplay, he sometimes is actually really bad. He get's into a weird brain funk and over-handles the puck, goes into full-blow pass-first mode, and becomes a raging turnover monster. But this is certainly not unique to him. I think Crosby, Letang, and Malkin, share some sort of neurological pathogen that randomly flares up in all three of them to cause these exact systems. That's how they can go from best to worst-looking powerplay in the league in the span of 20 minutes.

I'm not suggesting that Letang is bad, I just don't understand how people miss his brightly glaring flaws. I don't even bother to argue about his defensive play. It's not an "I'm right, you're wrong," situation, I just accept that we see things very differently and that's fine.

he's improved a lot with his discipline in the last 2 years

As for the powerplay, he sometimes is actually really bad.

He had among the most Power Play points per game last season for defensemen. If you think that's "actually really bad" then I'm not sure what you consider good

As for the powerplay, he sometimes is actually really bad.

He had among the most Power Play points per game last season for defensemen. If you think that's "actually really bad" then I'm not sure what you consider good

Did you miss the word I prefaced that statement with? You didn't retype it in quotes, so I feel that you did. It was really important.

And without even looking, I'm going to guess he's also right up there with most turnovers.

he's improved a lot with his discipline in the last 2 years

I have also improved my eating habits greatly over the past two years but I still eat some straight up garbage.

Outside of one incident in the last two years, Letang has been nearly unflappable...unlike early Letang, this guy just smiles and skates away 99% of the time.

Either way, i'd rather try to tame a tiger than paint stripes on a kitty...

Either way, i'd rather try to tame a tiger than paint stripes on a kitty...

Totally overanalyzing this analogy here and pushing the thread off-topic, but have you ever dealt with kitties? They're little freaking psychos. They'll rub against your leg and purr for one instant, let you reach down and pet them between the ears, and then with no warning, wham! They pounce and grab your face with their fangs while clawing you frantically with all four paws until you're a bloody mess. If you could transmogrify house cats so that they were suddenly all the size of tigers, my money would be on the kitties. I think I'd be the first person to sign up for the Mars colony ship, suicide mission or no.

The last thing I want in the organization is more Letang. One is plenty. I'm weird though, I like defensemen to play defense. I'm not tearing down Letang, just saying that more than one at a time is too much.

That's cool. If it was 1992

Makes sense, that's about when I started watching hockey.

JR on Pouliot (from the Post-Gazette):

General manager Jim Rutherford said he saw defenseman Derrick Pouliot make some headway in training camp and indicated his stay in the minors could be a short one if he shows improvement.
“He’s actually made some headway. He worked really hard this summer and is more like a man now. He just needs to get a little more confidence with the puck,” Rutherford said.
When training camp opened, Pouliot seemed a lock for not only the season-opening lineup, but also the top six. Now, he’ll have to prove he can get back there.
“He’s an offensive puck-handling, puck-moving guy,” Rutherford said. “It wasn’t there right now but it could be there a week from now. The important thing is for him not to be here and sitting around. To get playing some games. He’s a good enough player to get back here.”

JR on Pouliot (from the Post-Gazette):

General manager Jim Rutherford said he saw defenseman Derrick Pouliot make some headway in training camp and indicated his stay in the minors could be a short one if he shows improvement.
“He’s actually made some headway. He worked really hard this summer and is more like a man now. He just needs to get a little more confidence with the puck,” Rutherford said.
When training camp opened, Pouliot seemed a lock for not only the season-opening lineup, but also the top six. Now, he’ll have to prove he can get back there.
“He’s an offensive puck-handling, puck-moving guy,” Rutherford said. “It wasn’t there right now but it could be there a week from now. The important thing is for him not to be here and sitting around. To get playing some games. He’s a good enough player to get back here.”

I'm of the mind that a challenge [for Pouliot] like this can only be beneficial to his development. Clearly, for one reason or another, he wasn't ready, and rushing him into a roster spot would have been a mistake.

After Rutherford's comments about Beau Bennett and him wishing he gave him more AHL time last year, I'm not shocked that Pouliot's starting in the AHL.

Yeah, I'm happy about this. DP didn't really look the part so far and that's ok, he's a real young player, natural progression. He'll go back to the AHL and the game is going to feel slow to him hopefully and he can improve in all facets of his game...no need to rush him to throw him on the pile of iffy defensemen we already employ, let's see if we can develop a good top-4 guy here...

The Penguins decided to keep the eight players that would've had to clear waivers and Pouliot made it a fairly easy decision.

So opening night, without projecting lines: Farnham odd man out in the forward groups and Erixon one of the 2 dmen?

Do you guys see Clendening as the other odd man out? Cole, Maatta, Letang, Lovejoy, and Scuds (hate it or not) I would say are locks, leaving Clendening or Dumoulin for the 6th spot.

Sprong either earns his spot and forces the Pens to make a trade or send Farnham down with Fehr gets back (minus injuries which we'll happen I'm sure) or goes back to Juniors after the Caps game.

Figures the first game I'm going to this year, Buffalo, is game 10 and I might miss Sprong.

Not to give false hope, but they can scratch him and keep him around for that Buffalo game...just saying'...

So opening night, without projecting lines: Farnham odd man out in the forward groups and Erixon one of the 2 dmen?

Do you guys see Clendening as the other odd man out? Cole, Maatta, Letang, Lovejoy, and Scuds (hate it or not) I would say are locks, leaving Clendening or Dumoulin for the 6th spot.

Sprong either earns his spot and forces the Pens to make a trade or send Farnham down with Fehr gets back (minus injuries which we'll happen I'm sure) or goes back to Juniors after the Caps game.

Figures the first game I'm going to this year, Buffalo, is game 10 and I might miss Sprong.

I honestly hope the reason they are keeping Clendening out is for him to get more acclimated.