Cole's Plus.... Game Discussion (Pens vs. Canes 11.12.11)
I don't really know how to do a plus/minus because the game was so up/down. Some guys played great and crappy within the same game. I'll just touch on a few quick things:
1) I loved the passion to battle back from 3-0 down. That is something I didn't see last season. This team will not take "no" for an answer. They won't win 'em all, but they sure as hell will battle til the end.
2) Yeah... BJ had a few great saves to keep us in it, but then he just couldn't keep it up and let some softies in. I feel bad for the guy but we do ask a lot more from him than we do from other backups.
3) Geno is so passionate and looks great from time to time, but then he cannot finish and struggles defensively. I don't know what to take from it. Some guys on this board will love his game and some will hate it. I'm impartial. I just don't think Geno has come out of his shell yet this season.
4) Please change the Martin/Letang pairing. Come on now...we know it doesn't work.
5) The most important thing that I saw happen was Jordan Staal had an unreal third period. He was unstoppable. If he can find that game for a consistent amount of time, we are going to be great when Sid comes back. Watch out NHL... we are coming.
Extra note: Skinner is the real deal. He's going to have a very long career.
- Johnson
- Martin
+ I have an ample supply of Jack Daniel's
As I said in the GDT I hate to play this game...but if Fleury plays tonight we'd have 2 points right now. I'm a notorious goalie apologist (played goalie growing up, so it comes natural), but Johnson played like feces rolled in **** tonight...and Martin constantly being out of position didn't hurt. Letang didn't really help, but it was usually Martin's assignment that was left streaking untouched to the damn net.
That 5 on 3 was also stinking out loud. I want to complain about the complete lack of shots, and I will, but the main issue was that one timers were being served up, but not taken, because the passes were to the skates instead of the stick. We had about 3 perfect plays set up only to have the one-timer pass go to the skates. That's unacceptable.
I still...you don't ****ing pokecheck Chad LaRose...and to completely miss the pokecheck by about 3 feet...good lord, Brent.
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“The most terrifying fact about the universe is not that it is hostile, but that it is indifferent. If we can come to terms with this indifference and accept the challenges of life within the boundaries of death, our existence as a species can have genuine meaning and fulfillment. However vast the darkness, we must supply our own light.” - Stanley Kubrick
Minuses to Johnson, Martin, Letang, Vitale, 5-3 powerplay.
Loss puts BJ at 1-2-2 and he hasn't looked very good at all so far this season. If he can't get it together Thiessen might be getting a look sooner rather than later.
Was really hoping that whole week of practice would've helped with all the missed assignments we've been experiencing. We definitely need to tighten up defensively, too much sloppy play lately.
+ Jordan Staal. He's such a one period wonder sometimes, but when he heats up like that he's unstoppable.
+ Geno I thought played an inspired game.
+ Coming back from down 3-0. A lot of fight. It would be nice to have a comeback win for once though.
- Powerplay/ Kris Letang. Someone other than Letang needs to feeding Malkin for those one-timers because Letang literally cannot make that pass. He's ****ed it up so many times this season I've almost lost count. He passes it into Geno's skates or with too much pace almost every time. Also letang won't ever shoot on the powerplay.
- Brent Johnson. He had some nice saves but he also let in some pitiful softies. That Eric Staal goal can't happen. Imo he cost us a point or even two here.
- Steiggy/Errey's homeriffic love of Eric Tangradi. "And Eric Tangradi dumps the puck in and gets it back! That's exactly what we want out of him! Boy what a prospect!" Give me a break guys. They do this with every player the Pens call up. The minute that call up makes a single decent play it's like he's the best prospect ever.
---BJ lost the game, that simple
--Letang/Martin especially end of third total brain colapse
+i+ Jordan great third,
++ In different circumstances this would be Gino's best game of the season, he was all over it created chances, shots, I cannot beleiveitale someone thinks he had a bad game. If Ward didn't put a clinic on he would be celebrated tonight
+ Tangradi/Vitale Tangradi showed me a lot tonight, play him more
+/-Niskanen Engeland solid game tonight
-/+ Brooks
-Sully injured
---Malkin visibly irritated at the end of game for not getting a pass from I think duper or someone
---5 on 3 Letang cannot be a set up guy for gino
-Neal I cannot explain this but what's up with all these wide shots
++++++next game first line: Neal-C.....-Kunitz
Please stop ****ing around with the defense pairings Bylsma. Orpik has always worked best with Tanger and vice versa. Keep them together as the first pairing and Martin with Engelland until Michalek gets back. It's annoying seeing our top 4 running around like headless chickens on a game to game basis.
4) Please change the Martin/Letang pairing. Come on now...we know it doesn't work.
I didn't get to see half of the second and any of the third, but I agree with this above. The pairing just doesn't work. I don't know why Bylsma insists on it. I said in the GDT that he should put Orpik back with Letang and pair Martin with Engelland.
I want to say that that 5 on 3 where the Pens looked stupid was the difference, but then the Pens came back and tied it at 3 after going down 3-0. Still, maybe it would have been a different game if they'd scored at least once on that two man advantage.
Good to see the team capable of coming back even when down by three goals, it's just too bad they end up giving up two straight goals after they tied it. Kind of takes some of the enthusiasm about the fact they were able to tie it at 3 when they end up with the loss anyways.
On Brent Johnson: Is it me, or has he not looked anywhere as sharp or reliable as he did last season?
Plus:+
Ward was hot tonight and lets not get carried away, he has been average for some time now.
Ward had a 923 save percentage last year and 4 shutouts. He's a legit good goalie. It's not his fault the Canes are so atrocious defensively. If it weren't for him tonight we might have had 6 or 7 goals, and if it weren't for him in general the Canes would be a lottery pick team with the way they leave their goalies out to dry.
