Penguins/NHL
POST-GAME CHATTER
The Penguins had their final dress rehearsal of the season tonight in a 2-1 loss to the Carolina Hurricanes and now the coaching staff looks to start finding some chemistry with their lines and d-pairs between now and Thursday night vs Dallas.
“Tonight when you look at our team, first time we have had majority of group together,” Mike Johnston told reporters afterwards. “When you look at it, every line had a different guy on it [from last year]. “We don’t have lines that have played together before. Now over next four-five days that’s the important thing, lines, defense pairs. Look at Carolina, probably had 16 guys that were together last year, not a lot of changes.
“As I told the guys, it’s a matter of chemistry. There were some positive signs tonight. Liked our backcheck. I like how we played in offensive zone, we just missed on some really good looks.”
COACHES WANT MORE COMPETE FROM PERRON
David Perron tonight started on the fourth line and coaches have not liked his consistency on a day-by-day basis. Perron mixed things up a bit more and saw time on the third line as the game progressed.
“He played a hard game, thought he played physical with energy,” Johnston said of Perron. “That’s how he has to play. We need that sort of passion, compete from him every night.”
Two Separate Power Play Units
As talked about early in camp, the coaching staff is very intrigued about using two power play units. We saw it tonight and it’s something they’re going to explore at times early in the year. Johnston in fact seems very intrigued about the two units because they give different looks.
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2 PP units Jay. After years of the same debate, under two different coaches, it’s the only solution.
It isn’t the solution though, it’s a sacrifice to avoid doing the right thing. There is no way realistically to run 2 true top units, ice time can not be divided even without disrupting the flow of the pp. Having the best pp player in the league only seeing :30-:45 of time will not and can not be considered an optimal situation. If they don’t have the ability to put the top players in the best position to succeed an absolutely have to split into 2 units then the better pp player needs to be put in the position to… Read more »
1 unit used properly and seeing 1:30 each pp has the ability to rival the greatest pp units of all time, splitting them into 2 units with inconsistent ice time at best will result in an above average unit this year. Nothing will change the fact that scenario 1 is better than scenario 2.
Using it a points during the season may just be a motivational tool. Those who are not cutting it on the big PP line will be earning unit 2 time?
My feed was so bad last night that I quit watching but wasn’t Dumoulin victimized on the first goal of the game? Thought I heard them say he got caught chasing which opened up the space for Staal to juke him with a head fake and get to the net on the wrap around.
Dumoulin did get beat, but looked good overall. He and Clendening looked really solid together.
I’m getting tired of the ecuse making with the powerplay because the coaches either don’t have the balls or don’t ve the power/control to do what is right and make it work. 1 unit consisting of Sid, Geno, Kessel, Hornqvist and Letang player 1:30 of every pp has the potential to be 1of the most dominant units of all time with the proper setup. Letang at the point, Geno on the half wall, Kessel on the left side working the half wall to the back door, Hornqvist in front and SID DOWN LOW. This nonsense about different looks is just… Read more »
What happen to Gonch?
He didn’t play?
is he still on roster?