Lovejoy should be benched and give Strait his spot and Martin should be watching the game in the press box as well and give Despres his spot lol thats for the defence for now
He hasn't done **** behind the bench except look confused... Why would he change up something? I'll bet money he plays the Malkin line vs. Coultier and watch 35 million of Pens get ****ing owned by a rookie.
He got lucky the first year, he's been figured out and can't adjust his system.
TWO SHORT-HANDED GOALS in one game? Seriously?
How many breakaways in two games? 10+ The Back-6 have ZERO clue as to what they are doing. Gap is 4 to 5 feet. The Flyers cycle untouched.
this looks reasonable. as someone said in the gdt - none of our d-men trust their partners. even if Letang has to cover Orpik's gaffes, he knows what those gaffes may be. they have enough history that Letang knows what Orpik is capable of and can tailor his game accordingly. and Després can make the pass that Michalek for some inexplicable reason can no longer make.
Other than Orpik, the Penguins defensemen are ALL (throughout the whole organization, including recent drafts picks (Despres, Morrow, etc)) easy to play against. They are "Shero type" players. They are not tough at all. Yes, Engelland can fight, but no one is afraid of him in the corners. Shero is looking for players that can move the puck because he has some theory that it's the future. He doesn't care if they are tough.
Think about it. Martin is probably the most feeble defeseman in the NHL; I'm not sure if he knows checking is allowed. Michalek hardly hits. Letang only hits people when he's mad. Lovejoy sucks. Engelland hits but no one is worried about him. Orpik is the only guy that the other team needs to keep their head up when he's around.
My point is that this is Shero's fault, not Bylsma. It's like he has his own "mold" of a player and can't be creative or do anything different. He can't sign Jagr but he can sign Sullivan because he likes him.
F Shero.
Engelland has been one of our better D-men. He needs moved up in the line up & away from Lovejoy. Lovejoy needs to enjoy his last couple game as a NHL player from the press box.
If you want lines just keep them the same and maybe bring in Despres. If you can change how the Defense actually plays (pretty doubtful after 3-4 weeks of the same garbage)
TSN has some great highlights, slomo's, and quotes as they spent 10 minutes breaking down the problems
1. Correct Gap- 8 feet away can't happen. They can't let Flyers forwards cycle untouched in the corners. Go back and watch the Jagr goal. Nobody near and it was 5-v-5 not a PP.
2. Overplaying- they are overplaying every assignment
3. They are positionally unsound across the board. They should be between the Offensive Player/Puck and Goalie. They are constantly to side, chasing, or overplaying to try to go up ice
4. Stop trying to transition before the puck is secure. Two or three times they released and left 2 Flyers right at Fleury's feed
I could go on but until they play correctly line changes are the least of their problems.
Last edited by Chancellor Vitale: 04-13-2012 at 10:47 PM.
I'd like to say call up such and such a player and sit such and such a player, but in reality at this point no call up is going to make the difference in this series. The answers have to lie in the dressing room right now.
Other than Orpik, the Penguins defensemen are ALL (throughout the whole organization, including recent drafts picks (Despres, Morrow, etc)) easy to play against. They are "Shero type" players. They are not tough at all. Yes, Engelland can fight, but no one is afraid of him in the corners. Shero is looking for players that can move the puck because he has some theory that it's the future. He doesn't care if they are tough.
Think about it. Martin is probably the most feeble defeseman in the NHL; I'm not sure if he knows checking is allowed. Michalek hardly hits. Letang only hits people when he's mad. Lovejoy sucks. Engelland hits but no one is worried about him. Orpik is the only guy that the other team needs to keep their head up when he's around.
My point is that this is Shero's fault, not Bylsma. It's like he has his own "mold" of a player and can't be creative or do anything different. He can't sign Jagr but he can sign Sullivan because he likes him.
F Shero.
I'd like to say call up such and such a player and sit such and such a player, but in reality at this point no call up is going to make the difference in this series. The answers have to lie in the dressing room right now.
Exactly. Not trying to be mean but the PENS on the ice have to get the collective-heads-out-of-@ss. If the PENS Defensive System is based off being 4-5 feet from the puck and competing for the puck like a baby seal then we are "getting to our game"
Ok, I was going to post this after the first game but I was too angry. Now I feel even more strongly about this. I will try to break down my thoughts in the simplest way possible...
Craig Adams: I have LOVED what Craig Adams has brought to this team over the last few years and I have never before advocated he be taken out of the line-up, but things have changed now. In the regular season, you're not going to have as many players sacrificing their body to block shots and deliver big checks like Adams. But this is the playoffs and now all players on the team realized they need to sacrifice for the win, and Adam's offerings become less unique (and therefore can be more easily replaced). At the same time, Adams does not provide ANY offensive threat -- either at even-strength or short-handed.
Now let’s examine other teams whose top-6 forwards/star players get significant time on the penalty kill: Giroux (PHI); Toews, Hossa & Sharp (CHI); Datsyuk & Zetterberg (DET); Kopitar, Richards & Brown (LA); Roy & Pominville (BUF); Parise, Kovalchuk & Elias (NJ); Bergeron (BOS); Kesler & Burrows (VAN); Pavelski & Marleau (SJ); Eriksson (DAL); Plekanec (MTL); Backes, Oshie & McDonald (STL); Ladd & Little (WIN); Koivu (MIN); Eric Staal (CAR); Alfredsson & Michalek (OTT); Weiss (FLA); Perry (ANA)…..even J. Thornton, L. Couture, R. Getzlaf, R. Vrbata & N. Backstrom all averaged one minute or more per game on the PK.
Now let’s examine the Pens top 6 forwards’ PP time (in minutes): Malkin (0:02); Neal (0:02); Kunitz (0:08); Crosby (0:07, and likely only that for face-offs); Kennedy & Sullivan (both 0:00). Jordan Staal is our only “star” forward who gets significant PK time, and he’s not even technically in our top 6. We are one of the only teams in the NHL who doesn't use our top players on the PK, and while that's a decent & practical strateg for the regular season, we could really take advantage of having those options for the playoffs.
Now I’m not suggesting all of these guys should see/are appropriate for PK time, but I think this shows an important problem. The same way you want to be unpredictable on the PP, I think it helps to be able to throw out a different look when PKing and put guys out there who can keep teams guessing & put opposing guys back on their toes when on the PP. I watched Evgeni Malkin play on the first PK unit for the Men’s national team and in the Russian Super League when he was a youngster. Neal, Kunitz & Crosby (and Malkin) are all excellent defensive players, and utilizing them on the PK – even if it is on occasion – is a legitimate weapon for us to be able to utilize.
I tie these two things together because they are both issues we should address, and I recognize that by removing Adams from the line-up in favour of a guy like Tangradi or Jeffrey (who is an excellent PKer, by the way) would cause a trickle-up effect and necessitate Bylsma & Co. to find a replacement for his ice-time. Replacing some of his lost minutes with some of our skilled top-6 forwards could end up being an excellent strategic move, and possibly generate some additional offense on the PK.
Additionally, a guy like Tangradi could replace Adam’s physicality, while providing more of an offensive threat. Dustin Jeffrey could be an option to replace Adams on the PK, while also providing an additional element of offense on the 4th line at even strength. Both of these guys could be a factor on the 2nd PP unit, and each of these guys could have an opportunity to move up/give another option on the wing with Geno/Sid/Staal if we need to shake things up. While Steve Sullivan has good skill, he gives us nothing on the forecheck and really might be a better option as a 3rd/4th liner at this point in his career, rather than a regular fixture on Crosby’s wing.
And last but certainly not least: while the Pens are definitely not old, there is still some value in having those enthusiastic, young legs that guys like Tangradi & Jeffrey could provide...while at the same time giving those guys the experience they'll need in playoff situations to help contribute to our team in future seasons.
I really believe using some of our top players on the PK could seriously disrupt Philly’s potent power play in particular, and could be a really good idea in general. Utilizing our top assets in this way would give us some additional flexability in making some of those other changes to our bottom 6, which could really be a helpful option to have at our disposal.
So I will not repeat what I said there, but I will add that Bylsma needs to have an option for implementing some kind of defensive trap strategy -- whether it's 1-3-1, left-wing-lock, a New Jersey/Jacques Lemaire/Ken Hitchcock kind of plan, or whatever.
Much lesser teams, with weaker forwards, defensemen & goalies have implemented a trap that has been effective against better offensive teams than Philadelphia. We need to have different game plans beyond just "getting to our [one kind of] game".
These pairings are mindbogglingly stupid. The pens defense is soft as it is, let's put the two smaller guys together! And then the two defensive players that can't pass together (Orpik-Michalek). So disappointed in Bylsma right now. These pairings just amplify their already glaring weaknesses.
So I will not repeat what I said there, but I will add that Bylsma needs to have an option for implementing some kind of defensive trap strategy -- whether it's 1-3-1, left-wing-lock, a New Jersey/Jacques Lemaire/Ken Hitchcock kind of plan, or whatever.
Much lesser teams, with weaker forwards, defensemen & goalies have implemented a trap that has been effective against better offensive teams than Philadelphia. We need to have different game plans beyond just "getting to our [one kind of] game".
They need to try something but I don't think Byslma has it in him... he's kind of the like the Cheerleader coaches the Steelers get. If the plan fails then we are going down with the plan.
At this point, I think Micha-sof, Marti-soft, Lovejoy, & Orpik are so confused and playing so tight that they just are a nuclear explosion of mistakes.
