Or..... perhaps they need to make sure everybody gets to play, it's Godard's turn to be in, and Comrie's turn to be out. Maybe people are lookin' for some kind of controversy that doesn't exist?
Or..... perhaps they need to make sure everybody gets to play, it's Godard's turn to be in, and Comrie's turn to be out. Maybe people are lookin' for some kind of controversy that doesn't exist?
You don't scratch the 3rd most talented guy in the line-up presently (sad as that may be) to dress Godard for 3:24 because of some sort of retarded little league baseball system. To say nothing about the fact that we're not rivals with Toronto and Godard served no purpose in this game (to say nothing of Engelland being the guy that fought their heavyweight).
Comrie was scratched because of something Bylsma was seeing in games and/or practice that soured him. I'm not saying its right or wrong, but Bylsma has proven to be a very poor judge on those sorts of things. It took him how long to do that to Fedotenko last year? Comrie looked pretty decent in the first two games of the year but was admittedly absent from that Devils game...still...one bad game isn't enough in my eyes to warrant a scratch for a team lacking the talent we lack right now. Especially with as many players out of the line-up as we have right now. When you're lacking your three best defensive players and are having troubles scoring offensively you don't have the luxury of 'sending a message' to one of your most talented players in order to play a goon, when one is already forced into your line-up due to injury. There is no reason for Godard and Engelland to ever be in the line-up on the same night.
You don't scratch the 3rd most talented guy in the line-up presently (sad as that may be) to dress Godard for 3:24 because of some sort of retarded little league baseball system. To say nothing about the fact that we're not rivals with Toronto and Godard served no purpose in this game (to say nothing of Engelland being the guy that fought their heavyweight).
Comrie was scratched because of something Bylsma was seeing in games and/or practice that soured him. I'm not saying its right or wrong, but Bylsma has proven to be a very poor judge on those sorts of things. It took him how long to do that to Fedotenko last year? Comrie looked pretty decent in the first two games of the year but was admittedly absent from that Devils game...still...one bad game isn't enough in my eyes to warrant a scratch for a team lacking the talent we lack right now. Especially with as many players out of the line-up as we have right now. When you're lacking your three best defensive players and are having troubles scoring offensively you don't have the luxury of 'sending a message' to one of your most talented players in order to play a goon, when one is already forced into your line-up due to injury. There is no reason for Godard and Engelland to ever be in the line-up on the same night.
ummm... there's nothing retarded, or little league about giving ice time to your depth players against the 2nd worst team in the league, and resting your top players and spreadin' the love around. With your logic, Godard would never see ice, and what good would he be to us if/when we ever did call on him??
ummm... there's nothing retarded, or little league about giving ice time to your depth players against the 2nd worst team in the league, and resting your top players and spreadin' the love around. With your logic, Godard would never see ice, and what good would he be to us if/when we ever did call on him??
There's nothing retarded about giving ice-time to Godard if the coach thinks his skill set is needed for the game in question.
On this team - with the lack of top6 weapons we have - the coach is however retarded if he believes Godard was more needed than Comrie for this game. No less so when we already had Rupp and Engelland there, and it only gets worse if you look at how he actually used Godard.
Now - things are of course different if Comrie wasn't fit to play, but if that is the case it is untraditionally lousy communication from the Pens organisation to call it a healthy scratch as it obviously prompts a lot of questions with the way Comrie has been hyped on the official site and hockey media in general. And - of course - considering how bizarre the decision otherwise looks.
I assume Comrie was/is hurt because Bylsma said he was a game-time decision, and also because he didn't skate this morning.
I read that he skated on the fourth line yesterday morning.
I'm pretty sure Bylsma made the decision to sit him as a healthy scratch. I'm also pretty sure Errey and Steigerwald did not say Comrie's name and avoided the subject.
Nobody is 100% certain Comrie was a healthy scratch, but if he was...this is the poorest coaching decision of all time.You don't sit your only skilled top 6 winger 4 games into the season...you just don't. He wasn't very visible during the Devils game but he made tons of nice plays in the first two games and he looked like the only guy who could make things happen with the puck on his stick outside of Malkin and Crosby. If Bylsma is "sending a message" to the new guy while our two superstars had 2 points between them and the rest of the roster sucked, I'll be really, really disappointed.
A healthy scratch typically isn't a game time decision. In spite of what Mark Madden says, this is almost certainly due to a minor injury, illness, or off-ice issues.
Its not time to throw Duffman under the bus after three games. Comrie is exactly what the Pens need in their top-6 right now.
I am not giving the benefit of the doubt to Bylsma simply because he has been making dumb decision after dumb decision since he was extended to 3 years.
I read that he skated on the fourth line yesterday morning.
I'm pretty sure Bylsma made the decision to sit him as a healthy scratch. I'm also pretty sure Errey and Steigerwald did not say Comrie's name and avoided the subject.
Nobody is 100% certain Comrie was a healthy scratch, but if he was...this is the poorest coaching decision of all time.You don't sit your only skilled top 6 winger 4 games into the season...you just don't. He wasn't very visible during the Devils game but he made tons of nice plays in the first two games and he looked like the only guy who could make things happen with the puck on his stick outside of Malkin and Crosby. If Bylsma is "sending a message" to the new guy while our two superstars had 2 points between them and the rest of the roster sucked, I'll be really, really disappointed.
A healthy scratch typically isn't a game time decision. In spite of what Mark Madden says, this is almost certainly due to a minor injury, illness, or off-ice issues.
Its not time to throw Duffman under the bus after three games. Comrie is exactly what the Pens need in their top-6 right now.
Yeah, I find it hard to believe it was a healthy scratch. Especially when the word came from MM.
Looks like DB confirms he was indeed a healthy scratch. Curious decision to say the least.
On why Mike Comrie was scratched:
Mike is a guy who adds offensive ability and can play in different spots. And he did do that to some degree, he could have three points right now if we hit an open net or it doesn’t clang off the post to a guy he passed to. Just puck battles on both ends of the rink and being hard on the puck and being able to make those plays, everyone looks differently. Mike Comrie is not going to be Matt Cooke, but he has to be able to do that and be those things for the power play and for his line and do all those things on the rink both offensively and defensively. He got scratched in last night’s game, but he will get another opportunity.
Looks like DB confirms he was indeed a healthy scratch. Curious decision to say the least.
On why Mike Comrie was scratched:
Mike is a guy who adds offensive ability and can play in different spots. And he did do that to some degree, he could have three points right now if we hit an open net or it doesn’t clang off the post to a guy he passed to. Just puck battles on both ends of the rink and being hard on the puck and being able to make those plays, everyone looks differently. Mike Comrie is not going to be Matt Cooke, but he has to be able to do that and be those things for the power play and for his line and do all those things on the rink both offensively and defensively. He got scratched in last night’s game, but he will get another opportunity.
I bet it's because the guy is lazy as all hell, coming from an Isles fan who watched him for years...chances are you guys will learn to hate him this season, he definitely has skill and can score goals but the guys lack of effort makes you dislike him.
I bet it's because the guy is lazy as all hell, coming from an Isles fan who watched him for years...chances are you guys will learn to hate him this season, he definitely has skill and can score goals but the guys lack of effort makes you dislike him.
Here's the thing, though. We are so desperate for ANY sort of skill up front that we simply need him in the lineup. In all 3 games he was our most dangerous forward outside of the big two. If Bylsma wants to send a message to him, I would think that a stern meeting (perhaps with the GM present) would be more than enough. We gained absolutely nothing last game by sitting Comrie and dressing Godard. I'm still shocked that Bylsma would actually do this. I don't even think that Therrien ever did something so stupid.
I bet it's because the guy is lazy as all hell, coming from an Isles fan who watched him for years...chances are you guys will learn to hate him this season, he definitely has skill and can score goals but the guys lack of effort makes you dislike him.
That is very discouraging. If this holds true, Duffman will quickly become this year's whipping boy.
A healthy scratch typically isn't a game time decision. In spite of what Mark Madden says, this is almost certainly due to a minor injury, illness, or off-ice issues.
Its not time to throw Duffman under the bus after three games. Comrie is exactly what the Pens need in their top-6 right now.
