Let's Face It - 04/07/09
Jonathan Farzalo | Pittsburgh Penguins
Apr 7, 02:42 PM | Hype this story!
Let’s Face It...Marc-Andre Fleury can never win when it comes to thoughts about his game. When he is good people jump all over him and say “I told you so, this guy is the savior.” When he is cold, “he is the worst pick ever and the Penguins will never win with him in the net.” What is so hard is that this comes game to game, week to week, day to day. Only Jordan Staal has as many people jump ship and then stowaway onboard so frequently.
Let’s Face It...The Penguins are actually having fun playing hockey again. You can see it on their faces, you can see it after the games, and you can see it during morning skates and practices. It’s contagious. Sure when you win you are happy and when you lose not so much, but what they are displaying lately is something different.
Let’s Face It...The fact that Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin don’t score on the power play in the same game more often is rather sad. It’s a clear indication of:
1. Mike Yeo is an idiot
2. Sidney Crosby doesn’t shoot enough and belongs where he was last few games; along the goal line…let him reacquaint himself there.
Let’s Face It...While the ‘hip check’ is a useful and legal tool for a player to employ, there should be less of a gray area about how it can be used legally. Agree or disagree about the hit on Malkin being low, if that particular hit wasn’t so be it, but there are others that are.
Let’s Face It...Fighting with visors is dumb. I’m talking to you Sidney Crosby and Keith Ballard.
Let’s Face It...While Petr Sykora leads the team in game winners, he has also been invisible over the past 8 games or so. That wouldn’t be as hard to take if he had other intangibles, like, passing, hitting, penalty killing, faceoff ability, something, anything at all. Alas, he does not, except that he is fully capable of falling down, skating back lazily on the play, and missing the net.
Let’s Face It...The Penguins need to win tonight against a battered, bruised and depleted Tampa Bay team. The Lightning are without their captain Lecavalier, are one of the bottom feeders in the league, and the Pens can clinch a playoff berth with a win…do it.
Comments
Guest
Apr 7, 03:01 PM
Mike Yeo is no longer in charge of the PP.
Jonathan Farzalo
Apr 7, 03:11 PM
We have had this discussion here before.
Yes, yes he is. For some reason tons of people think that when IHCDB took over and Yeo moved in charge of d-men, that Yeo stopped working the PP, that is simply NOT true. Unless something has changed in the last few games that was not announced, Yeo is in charge of the PP and defensemen. IHCDB said so himself when taking over and as far as I have seen/heard has yet to say otherwise.
That said, we can all WISH Yeo was NOT in charge of the PP…
Jonathan Farzalo
Apr 7, 04:06 PM
True Tom, very true. I agree, I though that Cooke could fill that spot nicely, big body with rough play, but, I think he can for small spurts, but they need a perm. fill, and Malone did that last year, we’ve never found the guy for that spot this year. I’d hate to put Staal there, he has been too good at center lately, and never looks comfy at wing, despite those who like to point to his left wing 29 goal season (which is a padded stat since some of those goals were from the center position, some from the pp, and 7 from the pk).
You are correct though, that 2nd line is just puking right now…
Matt Bodenschatz
Apr 7, 04:09 PM
@Guest, Jonathan is correct. Bylsma shifted Yeo’s even strength coaching duties to the defensemen, though his special team duties remain with the power play.
@Tom, I don’t necessarily buy this . Malkin didn’t get to where he is despite not having a power forward on his left side. The line is struggling right now, but I have zero evidence of this being a result of no power forward. Would a power forward help? Sure. A power forward would help ANY line. But Malkin's line has been spectacular all season, and the makeup has been relatively the same for the most part. Malkin’s line simply needs to regain confidence and begin playing the way it did a month ago.
bag o' pucks
Apr 7, 05:07 PM
Ebbs and flows in production are not uncommon during the course of a season and, frankly, unless you’re an advocate of line-switching every shift (hi, Michel), you must allow proven players to play through slumps. It’s not like Sid’s line is tearing things up, either. After the shot of adrenaline the team got by a coaching change and some trades a return back to earth was inevitable.
They’ve lost two games in a row, folks. Let’s not revisit kneejerk reactions and tired pleas for net-crashing forwards. Like it or not, barring injury, this is the lineup the Pens will win or lose with in the post-season.
Tommy
Apr 7, 07:48 PM
Let’s Face It…Fighting with visors is dumb. I’m talking to you Sidney Crosby and Keith Ballard.
Pass that along to Matt Cooke and Kennedy
Jonathan Farzalo
Apr 7, 08:00 PM
Tommy, agreed. I probably should have added, “without taking them off”. But yea.
Matt Bodenschatz
Apr 7, 11:59 PM
@Tom, after 15ish games of success, you just don’t simply change lines because of two subpar games. Malkin’s line has been fine all year, and the loss of Malone has not resulted in regression of any kind. Again, would a power forward be a nice addition? Of course. As I said, what line wouldn’t benefit from a power forward? But there is no reason to mix things up after two sub-par outings.
ballofhate
Apr 7, 11:59 PM
Tom, an ostrich buries its head in the sand despite knowing the situation. You can’t even be credited for that much. What, the Pens are keeping Pesonen and Satan in the minors because they’re an instant solution to the problem? That makes tons of sense. If Caputi were ready wouldn’t he be here? Do you really think that you’ve come up with some way to improve the team that Shero and co. haven’t considered? You bring up the same thing all the time and it’s clear that you just don’t get it. Sure, you bet I’m excited to see Tangradi and Zabotel in the mix next year, but that’s months away and they’ve got to earn their jobs. You don’t pencil them in just because they’re big. Hell, being big is all that matters? Fire Craig Patrick for trading Chris Wells! Yeesh…
Jonathan Farzalo
Apr 8, 07:47 AM
I am going to call out players more often…
...Sykora with ANOTHER game winner.
bag o' pucks
Apr 8, 11:09 AM
Indeed. Although everyone seems to be playing pretty well, right now. Who’s next, JF?
And Balls, direct, but when you’re right you’re right.
BallofHate
Apr 8, 02:10 PM
Ideal player management is keeping Satan and Pesonen in the AHL, where they belong. Everyone understands your point, ya drama queen. The issue is that you’re wrong and you keep whining about the same moronic point.
Matt Bodenschatz
Apr 8, 02:36 PM
Just to confirm that Mike Yeo is, in fact, the PP coach, notice the 1:30ish mark of this video.
Max Talbot refers to Yeo as “Power play coach Mike Yeo.”
bag o' pucks
Apr 8, 02:43 PM
For what it’s worth, Jon Bombulie had a take on Pesonen the other day:
“I think the Pesonen saga this season has been a great lesson in the vagueries of the process by which NHL teams decide which prospects get plugged into their lineups. It’s like: Is he a draft pick? How much time and money has the organization invested in him? Does he have NHL size? Does he have NHL speed? Does he have NHL physicality? How will he fare against elite competition? How old is he? Is he under contract for next year? Can we find someone better on the trade market? Can he do anything with fourth-line minutes? Can we trust him with top-six minutes?
Is the process entirely fair? Absolutely not. But good luck changing it.”
Bear in mind that fans who follow, and sometimes reporters who cover, minor league clubs have a tendency to over-estimate the skill sets of the guys they see on a daily basis. To them those guys aren’t assets, they’re guys they know. It’s hard for them to separate their fondness for them and see the shortcomings in their game.
Also, there have been a lot of European scouts at WB/S games recently, which is not uncommon at this point in the AHL season. It’s their chance to attempt to lure guys who’s NHL window is closing or has closed over to the Euro leagues with higher paychecks. Guys like Minard, Taffe, Mormina, James, Henrich, Cote, Daoust, et al, have decisions to make. They’re good players, just not NHL caliber players. Are they ready to face that hard reality? Do they want to make some more money in Europe or stay in NA as depth guys for that occasional cup of coffee as career minor leaguers?
I think it’s safe to say that this is Satan’s last season in North America. Pesonen’s a coin toss, maybe he stays in NA and gives it one more go at an NHL roster, maybe he goes back to Europe to be a star again. Maybe he does both, and if he doesn’t stick after camp next fall he pulls a Kris Beech and bails after the cut.
BallofHate
Apr 8, 06:01 PM
This is a good example of what I’m talking about, Tom. You have zero frame of reference for what you, and you alone, consider valid points. You seem to create these fantasies in your head and you don’t know what you’re talking about.
You compare Tangradi’s excellent playoff performance to that of Tavares in a manner that seems to indicate that Tangradi is a superior hockey player. But that’s not where I’ll start. First off, 18 points in ten games played with a four goal performance in his last game. That is good. I know I like it considering Tangradi is the Pens’ property. Tavares has fourteen points in nine games… Wait, that means they both had 14 points in their first nine games and the difference is Tangradi’s tenth game played, a sweet four-goal performance. If, prior to this last game, their production was equal, how exactly do you consider that “far better than Tavares?”
Never mind the fact that Tangradi is a year and a half older than Tavares. Here’s another comparison for you, their numbers from 06-07, when Tavares played as a 16-yr old:
Tangradi: 65gp, 5g, 15a, 20pts, finished the season at 18 yrs old.
Tavares: 67gp, 72g, 62a, 134pts…all as a 16-yr old.
So let’s not attempt to indicate that Tangradi, as good as he is, is in the same league as Tavares. But you’re the same guy who, a few days ago, mentioned Pesonen and Minard in comparison to Crosby, Malkin, Ovechkin, Kane, Toews, etc. You’d have to move up several grades to even reach sophomoric with such naivete’.
I’m thrilled Tangradi is having a great post-season. Will he make next year’s roster? If he’s one of the 13 best forwards in camp, do it. You just count your eggs way before they’re hatched, fella. The guy has never played against professionals before. Cut him a little slack and grant him a learning curve before you toss him into the deep end of the pool.
And just to be clear, you’re asking how would I improve on 16-3-3 in the last 22 games? I wouldn’t change a damn thing. Only a moron would.
bag o' pucks
Apr 8, 06:56 PM
@Tom, re: Pesonen. That’s possible, Tom. I tend to err on the side of caution (two and half years ago I thought the prudent course of action would be to send some kid back to junior after his nine-game NHL stint, he turned out to have a pretty good season). This much is certain about Pes, he has an exclusively top six skill set. Whether he has an NHL-caliber top six skill set is the matter of debate. He does not possess a bottom six skill set of any kind, it would seem.
And that’s the dilemna he faces. The Pens, rightfully, don’t have the faith he can play a Max Talbot type game, but they also don’t trust him enough to give him top six minutes at this level, yet.
Pes has good speed and good hands. I think he’s 9/11 in the shootout in WB/S, so he’s got shifty, quick hands. He reminds me a bit of Erik Christensen (though perhaps without Christensen’s wrister). That’s not exactly a good thing, as Christensen has struggled to find his niche in the NHL, already on his third club. Erik’s not quite a top six guy, and not at all a bottom six guy. Those kinds of tweeners usually have stellar minor league careers, which is a mixed blessing, to say the least.
I think Pesonen’s exit interview this season will contain advice regarding getting stronger, gaining several pounds of muscle, and working on his shot if he wants a legit chance at an NHL roster in the Fall. Then, it’s up to Pes whether he wants to give the NHL another go, or go back to being The Man in Finland.
I think the Pens would like to have Pes back next year, but I don’t think they’ll lose any sleep if they don’t get him back. Not with the likes of the kids they have coming into the system that may be only a year or two away from serious top six contention. The WB/S roster will have a decidedly different look to it in the Fall, and that’ll a good thing for the future of the big club.
bag o' pucks
Apr 8, 09:05 PM
Actually, Tom, your angry friend is correct in that you did use Crosby, Malkin, Ovechkin, Toews, etc., as examples that players don’t need experience to have NHL success in a direct comparison to support your opinion that neither should Pesonen or Minard. I also recall the post. It was an illadvised example on your behalf.
Balls is also correct that comparing Tangradi’s year to Tavares’ is see through and creates unrealistic expectations for Tangradi. I think Tangradi will be a very good NHL regular (though perhaps not next season). Tavares has a shot to be a regular in the All-Star game.
And if you’re referring to those who consider NHL experience as “Kool Ade drinkers,” you’re referring to the entire NHL community. Folks that know a lot more about hockey success than you or I. Again, illadvised.
BallofHate
Apr 10, 06:24 PM
Tom said, “Because you feel that my reference to players as examples of why Pesonen and Minard ought to ought not to have to play time at the AHL, I shall repeat exactly what I said…”
Tom also said: “The reference to those of you who worship the idol of experience as Kool Ade drinkers refers to requiring excessive AHL and NHL time on lower lines for truely skilled players (e.g. Letang, Staal, Stamkos, Schenn, Kessel, etc.). A player who is ready and can play at the NHL level ought not to be held back in my humble opinion and to do so is ill advised.”
In paragraph one, you indicate that Pesonen and Minard “ought to ought not to have to play time at the AHL level”. In paragraph two, you mention that “truely skilled players (e.g. Letang, Staal, Stamkos, Schenn, Kessel, etc.) ought not to be held back…”
This is why you get picked apart, Tom. Your points lack consistency, accuracy and common sense. Pesonen and Minard are not truely skilled players in the same sense that Letang, Staal, Stamkos, Schenn, Kessel, etc., are. The Pens have no Letang, Staal, Stamkos, Schenn, or Kessel in their prospect pool. Pesonen and Minard don’t even belong in the same conversation as those five guys yet you use them in the same context and then claim that you don’t. Let alone the fact that I don’t recall anyone ever saying that Staal, Stamkos, Kessel, etc., should ever spend any time in the minor leagues. We’re not discussing players of that caliber. I like Zabotel, too, but if you think he’s on the same level as Jordan Staal, you seriously should put down the “Kool Ade.” Tom, Let’s Face It, you’re clueless. Stop trying to pass yourself off as someone who could recognize a great prospect from a Chris Minard.
ballofhate
Apr 10, 09:46 PM
One of us is clearly in need of some tutoring. What you wrote was, “ought to ought not to have to play…” That’s gibberish, man! I thought I was talking to an adult. I don’t pick on kids. Spring Break’s almost over and school’s back in session Monday, be on time or you’ll have to sit in the corner.
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