Polaris922 Posted July 1, 2015 Share Posted July 1, 2015 Pens signed Sergei Plotnikov to a one year entry level deal. I love this move. Not long ago touted best European free agent available. Good highlight reel. Malkin's linemate... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ruxpin Posted July 1, 2015 Share Posted July 1, 2015 Pens signed Sergei Plotnikov to a one year entry level deal. I love this move. Not long ago touted best European free agent available. Good highlight reel. Malkin's linemate...Best player NOT playing in the NHL Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Polaris922 Posted July 2, 2015 Author Share Posted July 2, 2015 Best player NOT playing in the NHLWe'll see what he does. Entry level = cheap. Already friends with Malkin which seems to have an impact on him. I really think my team improved today by leaps and bounds. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hatrik98 Posted July 2, 2015 Share Posted July 2, 2015 Well hopefully he turns out to be a good signing. I'm still unsure on the Pens letting Comeau go. I thought he would potentially be a solid 2nd Liner. Great PK guy and was coming into his own as a scorer. I'm also disliking this Kessel deal. If he can show up for 50% of the games this next season, I guess the Pens will make out on the deal. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hatrik98 Posted July 2, 2015 Share Posted July 2, 2015 When the playoffs come around, the Penguins are still going to have that one issue......Muscle. No one to police the rink for Sid and Malkin. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ruxpin Posted July 2, 2015 Share Posted July 2, 2015 We'll see what he does. Entry level = cheap. Already friends with Malkin which seems to have an impact on him. I really think my team improved today by leaps and bounds.Agreed. But you still have Fleury and I think I've read somewhere that that's a bad thing. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
flyercanuck Posted July 2, 2015 Share Posted July 2, 2015 When the playoffs come around, the Penguins are still going to have that one issue......Muscle. No one to police the rink for Sid and Malkin. That's where kessel comes i .......ahh, never mind. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Polaris922 Posted July 2, 2015 Author Share Posted July 2, 2015 @hatrick98Grit gets nothing in the playoffs anymore. You have to score more than the other team. Period. Kessel scores in the playoffs. We need that. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
flyercanuck Posted July 2, 2015 Share Posted July 2, 2015 @hatrick98Grit gets nothing in the playoffs anymore. You have to score more than the other team. Period. Kessel scores in the playoffs. We need that. The team that won the cup was the 17th highest scoring team in the NHL. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Polaris922 Posted July 2, 2015 Author Share Posted July 2, 2015 The team that won the cup was the 17th highest scoring team in the NHL.And one of the highest scoring teams in the playoffs. Without any enforcer types, or true "grit" players that bring nothing else. They had depth scoring and talented players without huge contracts weighing on them. But look what this off season brings... Who else is on the way out... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
flyercanuck Posted July 2, 2015 Share Posted July 2, 2015 @Polaris922 Well enforcers have been gone from the playoffs for years....grit on the other hand has not. Grit isn't being a goon. Grit is being able to take and give punishment...both equally as well. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Polaris922 Posted July 2, 2015 Author Share Posted July 2, 2015 @Polaris922Well enforcers have been gone from the playoffs for years....grit on the other hand has not. Grit isn't being a goon. Grit is being able to take and give punishment...both equally as well. Honestly I see very little disparity in the league on that topic. Chicago doesn't stand out above any other as far as that goes. They were as injury riddled defensively as the Pens were going into the playoffs. Difference remained playoff scoring. As I said elsewhere the Pens scored one goal or less in 14 of their last 17 playoff games. THAT is their problem. Not grit. By comparison the Hawks have been one of the best playoff scoring teams in the league over the past six years. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
flyercanuck Posted July 2, 2015 Share Posted July 2, 2015 @Polaris922 Duncan Keith took an absolute beating throughout the playoffs. Teams targeted him. He just kept playing. A guy like Kessel would rather not go into that corner, or in front of the net, if he's going to get hit (a big reason he's been healthy, he avoids contact at all costs) Ask any Leaf fan. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Polaris922 Posted July 2, 2015 Author Share Posted July 2, 2015 @Polaris922Duncan Keith took an absolute beating throughout the playoffs. Teams targeted him. He just kept playing.A guy like Kessel would rather not go into that corner, or in front of the net, if he's going to get hit (a big reason he's been healthy, he avoids contact at all costs) Ask any Leaf fan. Not all players are corner guys. Sid and Geno do plenty of corner crap, as does Perron, Hornqvist... Kessel's forte is speed. I can live with a guy who doesn't grind if he can stay up with Sid. We have a lot of corner dwellers, not so many goal scoring wingers. I'm thinking Kessel may just hit the 40/40 mark and then some. I don't care if he's fat, shy, gay or cop groping... All I care about is points when we need them. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
notfondajane Posted July 3, 2015 Share Posted July 3, 2015 Not all players are corner guys. Sid and Geno do plenty of corner crap, as does Perron, Hornqvist... Kessel's forte is speed. I can live with a guy who doesn't grind if he can stay up with Sid. We have a lot of corner dwellers, not so many goal scoring wingers. I'm thinking Kessel may just hit the 40/40 mark and then some. I don't care if he's fat, shy, gay or cop groping... All I care about is points when we need them.I'll be good with that also! As long as he could help the vulcanized rubber disc out of our net Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nossagog Posted July 4, 2015 Share Posted July 4, 2015 http://triblive.com/sports/penguins/8668208-74/rutherford-plotnikov-malkin#axzz3empXeUyX Article about Plotnikov from the TribReview. Interesting point, he paid the $500k cost to terminate his KHL contract himself. I think he really wants it to work over here, and is willing to do whatever it takes. Can't wait to see him over here. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ruxpin Posted July 4, 2015 Share Posted July 4, 2015 Honestly I see very little disparity in the league on that topic. Chicago doesn't stand out above any other as far as that goes. They were as injury riddled defensively as the Pens were going into the playoffs. Difference remained playoff scoring. As I said elsewhere the Pens scored one goal or less in 14 of their last 17 playoff games. THAT is their problem. Not grit. By comparison the Hawks have been one of the best playoff scoring teams in the league over the past six years. I don't think you're necessarily going to agree with this either, but I think you and @flyercanuck are probably using "grit" differently. In the way that Flyercanuck is using it there IS a disparity, although I think it's very hard to use words to define it. It is for me, anyway. I realize injuries the past few years, but for me it's the difference between the Pens' Cup winner/finalist with Roberts or Geurin and Kennedy, Talbot, etc. and the past couple years where there wasn't that same "put your head down (figuratively, not a la Lindros) and gut it out." Yeah, scoring, but what causes the scoring? The fact of the matter is that most of the Tampa/Rangers games and even the Tampa/Chicago games were not about scoring (obviously, the team who scored more goals in each game won but it's always "what brought that about?"). It was about finding a way to be still working hard so when the opportunity arose you counterpunched with a winner. That kind of grit. I'm sure there's a better word for this, but I don't have it. "Character" as a team? I think that takes a paragraph or two to define just as "grit" did. So, I don't know. But it's something that's palpably different with Chicago than, say Anaheim or Pittsburgh (and a whole different stratosphere from Philly, so this isn't an attempt to throw stones). It's the difference between repeated trips deep into the playoffs and 3 cups and a string of first-round/second round exits. Whatever it IS (I call it grit with only a vague definition), it's something St. Louis and Washington just simply don't have--or completely disappears in the playoffs. Now that I'm re-reading this post I'll just say: Glad I cleared that up! You're welcome. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pilldoc Posted July 4, 2015 Share Posted July 4, 2015 @ruxpin Totally makes sense to me....but then again you and I usually think along the same wave pattern anyway...... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ruxpin Posted July 4, 2015 Share Posted July 4, 2015 you and I usually think along the same wave pattern anyway...... I'm sorry for you. They do make pills for that, you know. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pilldoc Posted July 4, 2015 Share Posted July 4, 2015 I'm sorry for you. They do make pills for that, you know. yeah .. but my presciption ran out. Let's see if I too can get stopped by border patrol while trying to bring them back to the states. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Polaris922 Posted July 4, 2015 Author Share Posted July 4, 2015 @ruxpinI get the meaning, thank you. I just don't think it's the difference maker for the Pens. They've spent the past couple years bringing in the Morrow, Murray, Winnik, Spalling, Downie grit types of players. Each season something else has derailed the train. Grit has been there, but scoring has not. All the tough take a hit and get back at 'em mentality in the world hasn't helped them score. As I posted elsewhere, 14 of the past 17 playoff games they've been held to one goal or less. Is that grit? Or the obstruction taking over and allowing opponents to completely neutralize Malkin and largely Crosby too. Adding a talented winger to give opponents someone else to worry about can't hurt. I'm honestly tired of the inability to put the puck in the net in recent playoff seasons. The whole defense first mentality derails our entire team. I'd rather win/lose 5-4 than suffer through these 1-0/2-1 losses another playoff season. If this is what "grit" brings... No thank you. I'll take talent.We have two of the most talented active hockey players in the world, if not three. Why not let them play the game to their ability and let the numbers fall where they may? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hf101 Posted July 4, 2015 Share Posted July 4, 2015 Plotnikov's one year ELC with the Pens carries a 3.78M cap hit including $2.85M in performance bonuses. He will be an RFA next summer. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hf101 Posted July 4, 2015 Share Posted July 4, 2015 I'm honestly tired of the inability to put the puck in the net in recent playoff seasons. The whole defense first mentality derails our entire team. I'd rather win/lose 5-4 than suffer through these 1-0/2-1 losses another playoff season. If this is what "grit" brings... No thank you. I'll take talent. That defensive effort does help Fleury. He isn't one that battles well in those 5 -4 losses. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Polaris922 Posted July 4, 2015 Author Share Posted July 4, 2015 That defensive effort does help Fleury. He isn't one that battles well in those 5 -4 losses.Does it matter when they lose? A loss is a loss. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ruxpin Posted July 4, 2015 Share Posted July 4, 2015 Does it matter when they lose? A loss is a loss.They could use some grit. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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