Penguin Roundup - May 31st
Justin Maffei | National Hockey League
May 31, 12:55 PM | Hype this story!
Letang Mourning
The last thing on Kris Letang’s mind is Game 4 of the Stanley Cup Finals. Letang received news on Friday that his best friend, Luc Bourdon was killed in a motorcycle accident. The two shared a room for two seasons when they played in the Quebec Major Junior League and played together for the Canadian World Junior Champions in 2006. Bourdon was a defenseman for the Vancouver Canucks. He was 21-years-old. The NHL will observe a moment of silence before Game 4 tonight to honor Bourdon.
Sydor Stays
Unsurprisingly, Daryl Sydor will remain on the blueline for the Penguins with Kris Letang a healthy scratch once again. Other healthy scratches include Georges Laraque, Jeff Taffe, and Kris Beech.
Holmstrom Diving?
Hal Gill was called twice for cross-checking Tomas Holmstrom in Game 3, but the Penguins think that Holmstrom may have gone down rather easily. They acknowledge his ability in front of the goalie, but think he is diving. “It’s amazing. When he gets his ground in there and gets to where he wants to be, then you can’t move him. But if you don’t let him get to where he wants to be, he gets frustrated, and he starts diving” Brooks Orpik said of Tomas Holmstrom.
Roberts’ Last Stand
Though Gary Roberts did not announce his retirement, he knows that the time is near. He is trying to take advantage of what might be his last trip to the Stanley Cup Finals. “Deep down, I know this is probably the last time for me,” Roberts said. A desperate Gary Roberts may be exactly what the Penguins need to win this series.
Comments
Tom
May 31, 05:21 PM
Justin, For the record, I feel that the scratching of Laraque and Letang to be unfortunate and ill advised in a game where physical pressure against the Wings is at a premium. They are two of the Pens’ few really physical players.
Justin Maffei
May 31, 06:41 PM
Tom, Your concerns are understandable, but I have to respectfully disagree. Laraque does not have the speed to keep up with Detroit. He showed this in Game 1. We have to play much more in the defensive end rather than being able to control the puck in the offensive zone as had happened in previous series. We just haven’t been able to do that against the Wings. Roberts provides a good physical presences and is a better forward defensively. As for Letang, he was out of position for a few of the Wings goals in Games 1 and 2. Sydor is there for his veteran experience and his knack at jumping into the play offensively led to some good scoring chances. I know with respect to size, Sydor is not much of an upgrade (Letang is 6’0” 201 lbs, Sydor is 6’1” 211 lbs), but I would rather have Sydor in there against Detroit’s bigger bodies because he knows better than Letang how to use his positioning to defend them. Again, I am sure that many hold the same opinion as you and no one can fault that. Both players have played extremely well this season. I just feel that Roberts and Sydor in place of Laraque and Letang, respectively, are good moves. This also comes from a big-time Letang fan. I just see that he still has some deficiencies. Sadly, I also do not think that he would be ready to play tonight after losing his best friend. According to the article that I linked, he was very emotional when talking to reporters about the death of his best friend and ex-roommate, Luc Bourdon.
Eric
May 31, 06:45 PM
Laraque is not needed, and Letang hasn’t been himself in the finals. The Wings are quicker, and a slower Laraque out there trying to fight a team where no one else wants to fight, doesn’t work. Hall and Roberts are better than BGL.
Letang was put to the side, in favor of experience. And whether or not the Penguins needed it, Darryl Sydor played better than Letang. It’s just one game, yes. But he’s been there before, and knows what is needed of him. Also, in the wake of losing his buddy Luc Bourdon, it’s maybe not the best time for him to play. Even he described that it was hard for him at practice. I don’t think you want to take the chance to see if he has it in him for a game.
I think they were needed changes, as the team has done better following the mix-up.
P.S. I hope that Letang isn’t on his way to becoming the next “Colby Armstrong.” So adored by fans that sometimes his play on the ice isn’t scrutinized as some of the other members of the team. He’s still young and has time to mature and develop even further, like much of the other Penguins.
Tom
May 31, 10:01 PM
Justin and Eric, If Laraque is too slow, how about Sydor and Gill. Actually I was suggesting that Laraque replace Ruutu not Roberts. Letang is a punishing hitter and a far faster skater than Sydor. My point was that it is foolish to play non- hitting players when hitters are available, because hitting the Wings’ older players is what is needed. The first two periods have demonstrated the need for physical play.
Tom
May 31, 10:51 PM
Justin, Stick a fork in them. No offense, less hitting and no exit pass = loss.
Justin Maffei
Jun 1, 02:35 AM
Tom, Laraque is a forward, Sydor and Gill are defensemen. That makes a big difference as Laraque has to skate end to end and Sydor and Gill have to skate only about 2/3 of the ice. I would also disagree that Sydor is slow. He has probably the same speed as Whitney, Gonchar, and Scuderi. Gill is slow, yes, but he is there to clear out the front of the net so his size is needed. You give up his speed for his strength. As for Ruutu instead of Roberts, I only spoke of Roberts because he was the healthy scratch at the beginning of the series and replaced Laraque. Again, I feel Ruutu has much more speed than Laraque. Hitting is good, but you have to be able to catch the opposing players. More physical play is needed, yes, but from the players on the ice. As for Letang, I completely agree that he is extremely fast and a very good hitter, but his positioning cost us in the first two games. Twice I heard Sydor referred to in the game because of his good positioning disrupting a Red Wing scoring chance.
For your second comment, you are completely right. Without those three it is very difficult to earn a win. Malkin has me completely disgruntled. He looks timid. I was hoping someone would blind-side him so that he would get a fire lit under him. He just seems completely worn out and is playing without heart. If Malkin would get revved up again, it would be an entirely different series. They also need to be taking the body much more. Orpik and Roberts did well with that in the game, but few others. The exit passes will be cut off by the Wings – that is their game. We need to be looking down the boards. I think Therrien has done a great job all season, but feel that the coaching staff is being out-coached by Babcock’s bunch. Hopefully we will see a new team on Monday. Otherwise, we will be discussing the best offseason moves rather than in-game moves on Tuesday.
Tom
Jun 1, 05:51 PM
Justin, I I must have just realized that Laraque is a forward and that Sydor and Gill are defensemen! However, hitting is hitting, and other than Orpik and Roberts, no one is doing it with any authority. Incidently, Roberts and Laraque are excellent down low as is Staal. We do need to keep the puck in the Wings’ end if we are to have any chance of a second victory.
Gill is slow, Whitney is faster than Sydor and Scuderi, but not much. Gonchar is considerably faster than Whitney and Letang is considerably faster than Gonchar, from my observations. Only Gonchar, Letang and Whitney are good skaters. Only Orpik, Gill and Letang are strong on their skates.
I completely disagree with the assertion that Letang’s being out of position cost the Pens in the first two games. At the risk of becoming repetitive, the two goals in games one and two can hardly, with any justification, be blamed on the kid.
If I may observe without being seen as an apologist for the kid, the first goal, was a short handed goal by Cleary, regarding which Mike Adams wrongly accused Letang of “lazily skating back” to cover and Matt called a “gaffe”. I reviewed the play several times, and Letang did nothing in a lazy manner. The Pens were desparately trying to get a score late in the game. Coming back from the PP attack, the kid skated hard, caught Cleary (the Wings fastest skater) and played him to force a weak backhanded shot which Flower missed. No teammate came back to help, did they? They did not have the speed to do so. Rather than a “gaffe” it was a fine effort which just did not work. No other Pens’ defensemen and few forwards could have even come close to that sort of effort against a speedy opponent.
The second “gaffe” was a play against Filppula. The kid was in good position. He had to protect the close side of the net. Filppula made an incredible move to his left and, while falling, made an incredible shot which Letang could not reach. If that play was a “gaffe” then each goal allowed against the Wings by others were as well. Just observations rather than general baseless accusations made against a fine player.
The Fleas did not score while the kid was on the ice. When the Pens need speed and hitting, they sit their fastest and two of their hardest hitting players for imagined positional problems.
The Wings can easily cut off what passes for exit passes from Scuderi, Sydor, Whitney and Gill. They do not have the vision of the ice to spot the open attacker nor the ability to quickly, accurately and intelligently pass to that attacker with great velocity. Only Gonchar and Letang have that ability. I agree that the Pens need to look down the boards, but that is not an excuse for slow, sloppy, inaccurate exit passing with no clear objective.
Thus, I respectfully beg to differ from the conventional thought that the Pens are playing their best players. The team desparately misses the skill and physicality of Laraque and Letang.
Tom
Jun 1, 05:51 PM
Justin, I I must have just realized that Laraque is a forward and that Sydor and Gill are defensemen! However, hitting is hitting, and other than Orpik and Roberts, no one is doing it with any authority. Incidently, Roberts and Laraque are excellent down low as is Staal. We do need to keep the puck in the Wings’ end if we are to have any chance of a second victory.
Gill is slow, Whitney is faster than Sydor and Scuderi, but not much. Gonchar is considerably faster than Whitney and Letang is considerably faster than Gonchar, from my observations. Only Gonchar, Letang and Whitney are good skaters. Only Orpik, Gill and Letang are strong on their skates.
I completely disagree with the assertion that Letang’s being out of position cost the Pens in the first two games. At the risk of becoming repetitive, the two goals in games one and two can hardly, with any justification, be blamed on the kid.
If I may observe without being seen as an apologist for the kid, the first goal, was a short handed goal by Cleary, regarding which Mike Adams wrongly accused Letang of “lazily skating back” to cover and Matt called a “gaffe”. I reviewed the play several times, and Letang did nothing in a lazy manner. The Pens were desparately trying to get a score late in the game. Coming back from the PP attack, the kid skated hard, caught Cleary (the Wings fastest skater) and played him to force a weak backhanded shot which Flower missed. No teammate came back to help, did they? They did not have the speed to do so. Rather than a “gaffe” it was a fine effort which just did not work. No other Pens’ defensemen and few forwards could have even come close to that sort of effort against a speedy opponent.
The second “gaffe” was a play against Filppula. The kid was in good position. He had to protect the close side of the net. Filppula made an incredible move to his left and, while falling, made an incredible shot which Letang could not reach. If that play was a “gaffe” then each goal allowed against the Wings by others were as well. Just observations rather than general baseless accusations made against a fine player.
The Fleas did not score while the kid was on the ice. When the Pens need speed and hitting, they sit their fastest and two of their hardest hitting players for imagined positional problems.
The Wings can easily cut off what passes for exit passes from Scuderi, Sydor, Whitney and Gill. They do not have the vision of the ice to spot the open attacker nor the ability to quickly, accurately and intelligently pass to that attacker with great velocity. Only Gonchar and Letang have that ability. I agree that the Pens need to look down the boards, but that is not an excuse for slow, sloppy, inaccurate exit passing with no clear objective.
Thus, I respectfully beg to differ from the conventional thought that the Pens are playing their best players. The team desparately misses the skill and physicality of Laraque and Letang.
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