Actually I like that better with Asham on Sid's wing than Kennedy. Yeah Kennedy has the speed and hustle to match Crosby, but I'm afraid he'll ruin any offensive flow that line could muster. Asham is an underrated passer and has a damned good shot. No clue if he can anticipate Sid well enough to play with him though and he doesn't have the wheels either. I doubt it happens so it doesn't really matter though
I do too, and for two reasons:
1. Asham, as you say, is a really underrated passer and is 100X better than Kennedy in the on ice awareness department.
2. As Boocock noted, do you want to be the dumb SOB who sneezes in Sid's direction with Cooke and Asham on the ice?
I'm just at the point where I see Kennedy as the guy who is NOT with the program right now. I feel for Sid (two words: JUSTIFIABLE HOMICIDE). I think Geno would deport himself back to Russia if he were stuck with Kennedy. And, frankly, I like where Staal's offensive game has been all year with the Duperstar.
Has anyone given any thought to the fact that playing with Crosby might turn Kennedy's game around, rather than ruining Sid's?
They have looked good together in the past, and Kennedy knows he is going to be **** up a creek with Bylsma and everyone else if he pulls his tunnel vision crap with Sidney f'in Crosby on his line.
I personally think it will force him to adjust his game for the better, and he'll look more like the Kennedy we saw late last season.
Has anyone given any thought to the fact that playing with Crosby might turn Kennedy's game around, rather than ruining Sid's?
They have looked good together in the past, and Kennedy knows he is going to be **** up a creek with Bylsma and everyone else if he pulls his tunnel vision crap with Sidney f'in Crosby on his line.
I personally think it will force him to adjust his game for the better, and he'll look more like the Kennedy we saw late last season.
I truly hope you're right. I'm in the doubters camp, but nothing would make me happier than to be wrong in this case.
1. Asham, as you say, is a really underrated passer and is 100X better than Kennedy in the on ice awareness department.
2. As Boocock noted, do you want to be the dumb SOB who sneezes in Sid's direction with Cooke and Asham on the ice?
I'm just at the point where I see Kennedy as the guy who is NOT with the program right now. I feel for Sid (two words: JUSTIFIABLE HOMICIDE). I think Geno would deport himself back to Russia if he were stuck with Kennedy. And, frankly, I like where Staal's offensive game has been all year with the Duperstar.
I would like to see the double body guard treatment Sid would get with Cooke and Asham on his line
Quote:
Originally Posted by thecore
Has anyone given any thought to the fact that playing with Crosby might turn Kennedy's game around, rather than ruining Sid's?
They have looked good together in the past, and Kennedy knows he is going to be **** up a creek with Bylsma and everyone else if he pulls his tunnel vision crap with Sidney f'in Crosby on his line.
I personally think it will force him to adjust his game for the better, and he'll look more like the Kennedy we saw late last season.
I'm more worried about Kennedy costing Crosby a bid to the Hockey Hall of Fame by dragging his game down so much
I would like to see the double body guard treatment Sid would get with Cooke and Asham on his line
I'm more worried about Kennedy costing Crosby a bid to the Hockey Hall of Fame by dragging his game down so much
If anyone's game is gonna drag Sid's down, it would be a pair of wingers like Cooke and Asham. What's the point of putting two "bodyguards" on Sid's line if it makes the line useless and ineffective offensively? What's the point of risking further injury to Sid by playing him if you don't give him linemates with enough skill and speed to at least sort of keep up with him?
If anyone's game is gonna drag Sid's down, it would be a pair of wingers like Cooke and Asham. What's the point of putting two "bodyguards" on Sid's line if it makes the line useless and ineffective offensively? What's the point of risking further injury to Sid by playing him if you don't give him linemates with enough skill and speed to at least sort of keep up with him?
Because I think Kennedy is terrible, haven't I made that clear yet?
I guess the Asham idea did stir the pot a bit. He does have experience playing with skilled players (with Alexei Yashin and Oleg Kvasha, The "Ash" Line). But, while Sid is a fantastic 5v5 player on both sides of the ice, the idea really is quite silly and not in a good way. It would work if Crosby was effective on the power play, Cooke kept his game up, and Arron Asham played his role well.
Hopefully Kennedy works out. He has not played like the Tyler Kennedy we know and (insert emotional status here) this year. And, in the past, Crosby and Matt Cooke have played together on the power play.
For the record, Dupuis is a Top 6 player. Sidney Crosby is not.
I guess the Asham idea did stir the pot a bit. He does have experience playing with skilled players (with Alexei Yashin and Oleg Kvasha, The "Ash" Line). But, while Sid is a fantastic 5v5 player on both sides of the ice, the idea really is quite silly and not in a good way. It would work if Crosby was effective on the power play, Cooke kept his game up, and Arron Asham played his role well.
Hopefully Kennedy works out. He has not played like the Tyler Kennedy we know and (insert emotional status here) this year. And, in the past, Crosby and Matt Cooke have played together on the power play.
For the record, Dupuis is a Top 6 player. Sidney Crosby is not.
You're right, it is a silly idea. Experience playing with skilled players is not the only, or even primary trait that makes an effective linemate for Crosby. Max Talbot, Ryan Malone and Miro Satan all had experience playing with skilled players, but did not make good linemates for Crosby.
A lot of players who don't mesh as a 5-on-5 line play together on the powerplay. Doesn't make them good even-strength linemates. See: Crosby + Billy Guerin in '09-'10 (another guy who had experience playing with skilled linemates).
You're right, it is a silly idea. Experience playing with skilled players is not the only, or even primary trait that makes an effective linemate for Crosby. Max Talbot, Ryan Malone and Miro Satan all had experience playing with skilled players, but did not make good linemates for Crosby.
A lot of players who don't mesh as a 5-on-5 line play together on the powerplay. Doesn't make them good even-strength linemates. See: Crosby + Billy Guerin in '09-'10 (another guy who had experience playing with skilled linemates).
Guerin was also 39 years old and had used up all he had left on the Cup run. During the stretch run and playoffs Billy showed more chemistry with Sid than Hossa did, Hossa was just physically more gifted and that's why he put up good numbers.
I doubt Asham would be a good fit with Sid but I feel the same way about TK. Maybe (hopefully) I'm wrong though and they click from the first shift on. I guess we'll see soon enough!
You're right, it is a silly idea. Experience playing with skilled players is not the only, or even primary trait that makes an effective linemate for Crosby. Max Talbot, Ryan Malone and Miro Satan all had experience playing with skilled players, but did not make good linemates for Crosby.
A lot of players who don't mesh as a 5-on-5 line play together on the powerplay. Doesn't make them good even-strength linemates. See: Crosby + Billy Guerin in '09-'10 (another guy who had experience playing with skilled linemates).
Guerin's not really a good example there. He had the mind, the instincts, the experience, and the net front presence to play with Sidney Crosby at both even strength and on the power play during the '09-'10 season. To be less than tactful and brutally blunt, he was old.
I'm sure Sid will be a better third line center than Dustin Jeffrey (who is a good play in his own right, don't get me wrong). That, a speedy recover, and proficiency on the power play are all that matter at this point.
We just gained:
- A Center
- A Face-Off guy
- A plus shot with accuracy
- Passing skills
- Great stick work
- A player that knows when passing lanes will open
- A man capable of fetching the puck behind the net (one of the most forgotten aspects of his game, at many points over his career have I been left saying "Thanks Sid", for he is always able to help out behind Fleury)
- A Power Play specialist
- The Captain of the hockey team
Sid can perform the 3rd line center role no matter who he is playing with. We're not exactly creating a third scoring line here (Although it basically could operate like that in the same sense the Cooke-Staal-Kennedy line operated in that fashion).
Had to bump this thread, because I'm still in awe that Duppers is on the verge of hitting the 50 point mark for the first time in his career. And he's doing it without having ridden Crosby's coat-tail for the entire season!
Had to bump this thread, because I'm still in awe that Duppers is on the verge of hitting the 50 point mark for the first time in his career. And he's doing it without having ridden Crosby's coat-tail for the entire season!
I just realized there's a very real possibility of Dupuis being a 50-point player this season, and unless Bylsma dramatically changes things, he won't have a single PPP. CORRECTION: I misread the "PP" column on nhl.com to be "powerplay, as in points on the powerplay." Apparently PP = "powerplay goals." Dupuis has one powerplay assist.
To put that into context, there are 95 players in the NHL who have 46 points or more. Only three of those guys — Alex Tanguay (48), Adam Henrique (46) and Dupuis (46) — have zero pointsgoals on the power play.
And of those 95 players, only five — Jagr (16:18), Semin (16:45), Vanek (16:58), Lucic (17:01) and Seguin (17:03) — average less icetime per game than Dupuis' 17:11 average.
Yeah, I remember some actually upset that we resigned him even for the $1.5 million cap hit.
One thing about this team, most seem to give a home town discount to stay here. One reason I am not worried about the upcoming signings. I think that the players will make it work to keep the team pretty much together. I do believe more and more that Staal is going to stay. I always thought Crosby, Malkin, Letang, etc. would.
I just realized there's a very real possibility of Dupuis being a 50-point player this season, and unless Bylsma dramatically changes things, he won't have a single PPP.
To put that into context, there are 95 players in the NHL who have 46 points or more. Only three of those guys — Alex Tanguay (48), Adam Henrique (46) and Dupuis (46) — have zero points on the power play.
And of those 95 players, only five — Jagr (16:18), Semin (16:45), Vanek (16:58), Lucic (17:01) and Seguin (17:03) — average less icetime per game than Dupuis' 17:11 average.
Pascal's having a remarkable season. Kudos to him
according to NHL.com and Yahoo! he has 1 power play assist.
Dupuis even strenght scoring is stunning. He got 2 even strenght points less than Neal and 9 more than Kunitz. He is top 30 in the league in even strenght scoring tied with players like Kovalchuk and just ahead of Parise and Daniel Sedin,
