2013 Penguins

[evolver115]

It would be cool to hear what everyone thinks about line combinations now that Iginla and Morrow are in the fold.

Here is what I came up with:

Kunitz|Crosby|Dupuis
Neal|Malkin|Iginla
Cooke|Sutter|Morrow
Glass|Adams|Kennedy

For the stretch run in the regular season, might as well keep the Crosby line intact. I'm sure by the time the playoffs roll around, Bylsma will probably be back to his line combination juggling that he seems to always do.

I heard a quote from Bylsma, yesterday, that Neal is comfortable shifting over to LW so Iggy can slot in on Geno's right. Talk about a wealth of talent. Geno will have arguably two of the best goal-scorer's in the game flanking him through these last games.

That third line would be a real bitch to play against. I can see that combination being deployed against the opponent's top line(s) and making their lives a nightmare.

Glass, Kennedy, Vitale, Bennett and Jeffrey are interchangeable. I personally would like to see Bennett slot back in when he comes up after the rosters expand next week. At least, that is what I hope takes place.

 

[element1286]

I really can't see Iginla not playing with Crosby, maybe not within the first few games, cause that would cause the dreaded 'distraction' but I bet he starts with one shift, then one period. And then the next game, and no one would even know the difference.

Plus Neal scored 40 goals after he switched to RW, he's a shooter, and it helps to be on the off wing.

 

[SFNL]

As much as I want to see Crosby/Kunitz/Iginla, I just can't take Dupuis off of that line until he cools off.

 

[JustAsking]

I hate reading into this, especially when it involves a character guy like DUpper... but did wanyone wathc his post game interviews... a question was asked about if it was nice getting 71 back, his response was something like yeah and wait until 12 gets here, (it was how he said it) that to me it has already been relayed to him that he will now be onthe 3rd line, even though he has more goals than jarome(tied for 5th with Kane) and is playing on the best line in hockey, I think dupper still lost his sport and he's mad about it...

 

[thedddd]

They will change the line combo's probably a few times but the good thing is we are talking about veteran's here who have been around a long time. I don't think that Iginla/Dupuis or Morrow will care that much who they are playing with as long as win. Neither are at the point in their careers where stats matter as much as winning. On the other hand if this was Bennett/Tangradi or someone like that leaving Crosby's line to play with Glass and Vitale can be a Career killer.

About the only constant that is true without Malkin, Neal's value goes WAY south.

 

[SFNL]

I'd be a little mad too... I mean he's having the season of his life but who wouldn't on that line? Even though he has had this type of season, doesn't it seem like he misses a ton of opportunities also? I gotta believe that Iginla has close to 10 more goals than Dupper if he had been on that line from the beginning of the year. It defies intelligence to think that the 1st line wouldn't be even better if Iginla plays there instead.

 

[DeathByEmu]

It defies intelligence to think that the 1st line wouldn't be even better if Iginla plays there instead.

I agree, on paper thats 100% true.

But sometimes it doesnt work that way.


Jerome Iginla came here for one reason.. the Stanley Cup. He has a chance at a free flight to paradise, yea ... but I dont think he cares if he's sitting in first class with Sid, or on the 3rd line economy with Sutter... and long as the plane lands on the same inland in June.

 

[element1286]

Also, this probably isn't measurable because we can't really measure shot quality, but Kunitz and Dupuis have shooting percentage numbers that are off the charts. I'm not saying they aren't playing great, but I think there is a modicum of luck involved here with their gaudy numbers.

Before this season, Kunitz has scored 69 goals on 533 shots as a Pen, a 12.95% shooting percentage.

Before this season, Dupuis has scored 74 goals on 719 shots as a Pen, a 10.29% shooting percentage.

This season Dupuis is at 15.7% and Kunitz is at 25.6%.

If we regress their numbers from their previous highs as a Pen; Kunitz (17.9% high) goes from 20 goals to 14 goals. Dupuis (11.7% high) goes from 17 goals to 13 goals.

I'm not saying they don't deserve their stats, cause they happened, they do. Just that they might be riding a little bubble, and I think it could burst, and if it bursts Iginla is the better option.

 

[JustAsking]

Also, this probably isn't measurable because we can't really measure shot quality, but Kunitz and Dupuis have shooting percentage numbers that are off the charts. I'm not saying they aren't playing great, but I think there is a modicum of luck involved here with their gaudy numbers.

Before this season, Kunitz has scored 69 goals on 533 shots as a Pen, a 12.95% shooting percentage.

Before this season, Dupuis has scored 74 goals on 719 shots as a Pen, a 10.29% shooting percentage.

This season Dupuis is at 15.7% and Kunitz is at 25.6%.

If we regress their numbers from their previous highs as a Pen; Kunitz (17.9% high) goes from 20 goals to 14 goals. Dupuis (11.7% high) goes from 17 goals to 13 goals.

I'm not saying they don't deserve their stats, cause they happened, they do. Just that they might be riding a little bubble, and I think it could burst, and if it bursts Iginla is the better option.

I've never heard SId be referred to as a 'little bubble'.... ha!

Dupper is playing for a pay day... I know he is older, but he is playing really well, and he should get a raise next year for he and his family... stats go a long way into a players worth... if he goes from the 1st line to the 3rd line, he will lose money on his next contract... I know they all want to win a cup, but they all also want to take care of their families... esp an older guy with maybe only one more contract left... Dupper has worked very hard to get himself on that line, to be able to play with top end players, and to get himself a decent paycheck for his family...

 

[element1286]

I've never heard SId be referred to as a 'little bubble'.... ha!

Dupper is playing for a pay day... I know he is older, but he is playing really well, and he should get a raise next year for he and his family... stats go a long way into a players worth... if he goes from the 1st line to the 3rd line, he will lose money on his next contract... I know they all want to win a cup, but they all also want to take care of their families... esp an older guy with maybe only one more contract left... Dupper has worked very hard to get himself on that line, to be able to play with top end players, and to get himself a decent paycheck for his family...

Haha, yea. They have played with Sid in the past, so this isn't their first rodeo.

That may be true, but it shouldn't matter. If Iginla is only here to win, so is Dupuis. To be honest, if he goes to line 3, and still puts up numbers I could see an argument it increases his value more on the open market. It's easy to say, well he was playing with Sid, any idiot could put up gaudy numbers doing that.

 

[DeathByEmu]

14 in a ROW??

 

[JustAsking]

Haha, yea. They have played with Sid in the past, so this isn't their first rodeo.

That may be true, but it shouldn't matter. If Iginla is only here to win, so is Dupuis. To be honest, if he goes to line 3, and still puts up numbers I could see an argument it increases his value more on the open market. It's easy to say, well he was playing with Sid, any idiot could put up gaudy numbers doing that.

Of course mgmt will say that to Dupper, you got your numbers playing with Sid (that's there job), but Dupper will still have those numbers.. if he performs well on the 3rd line, that would strenghten his case for sure, but, no offense Sutter, you don't create space like Sid does... a big difference between Dupper and Jarome.. about 6 million dollars (this year alone)... Dupper is an undrafted player, I highly doubt he ever thought he would be in the top ten goal scorer in the NHL... he is this year. He wants a cup now, he wants his money in the summer... more stats more money. And as the Pens know, not any idiot can put up numbers playing with elite talent... Dupper has worked hard to be where he is.

For me, I don't care, I'm not a player and I'm not gettign paid... I want them to win..if that means Sid in goal and MAF an enforcer, so be it... just win... but hearing Dupper refer to number 12 (not 58 or 29) got me thinking that Dupper is not happy... to a degree...

 

[SFNL]

It would behoove Dupper to stay happy regardless... We are deep enough to give him the healthy scratch if his attitude changes & he isn't a positive-neutral force in the locker room... There ain't much room to play on this team right now.

 

[element1286]

Of course mgmt will say that to Dupper, you got your numbers playing with Sid (that's there job), but Dupper will still have those numbers.. if he performs well on the 3rd line, that would strenghten his case for sure, but, no offense Sutter, you don't create space like Sid does... a big difference between Dupper and Jarome.. about 6 million dollars (this year alone)... Dupper is an undrafted player, I highly doubt he ever thought he would be in the top ten goal scorer in the NHL... he is this year. He wants a cup now, he wants his money in the summer... more stats more money. And as the Pens know, not any idiot can put up numbers playing with elite talent... Dupper has worked hard to be where he is.

For me, I don't care, I'm not a player and I'm not gettign paid... I want them to win..if that means Sid in goal and MAF an enforcer, so be it... just win... but hearing Dupper refer to number 12 (not 58 or 29) got me thinking that Dupper is not happy... to a degree...

I'm sure TK, Vitale, and Glass aren't happy either. I know Dupuis is a good dude, but I really don't care about Dupuis feelings, and the coaching staff shouldn't either.

Also, I don't buy that Dupuis is unhappy, last time the Pens won the Cup Dupuis was getting healthy-scratched a bunch.

 

[JustAsking]

It would behoove Dupper to stay happy regardless... We are deep enough to give him the healthy scratch if his attitude changes & he isn't a positive-neutral force in the locker room... There ain't much room to play on this team right now.

Dupper is a class act... he's a hockey a player... he'll do his job...

his 'unhappiness' comes from me and what I read into his non-smiling-dupper-self to a question about getting 71 back (esp after a 2 goal 4-0 shut-out)... I'm normally wrong... but I'll continue with (next post)

 

[JustAsking]

I'm sure TK, Vitale, and Glass aren't happy either. I know Dupuis is a good dude, but I really don't care about Dupuis feelings, and the coaching staff shouldn't either.

Also, I don't buy that Dupuis is unhappy, last time the Pens won the Cup Dupuis was getting healthy-scratched a bunch.

Like my post last post up there, it's me reading into his 'happines'... but...

(and not to be a jerk) but come on... TK, Vitale, Glass are not even close to teh situation Dupper finds himself in. TK has what 3-4 goals (making 2million). Glass has 0 goals making 1.1 million (I know he PKs, so does Dupper)... Vitale is young, he doesn't count.. he's like Jock Calender... Dupper is tied for 5th in the league with 17 goals making 1.5 million. That's 400K more than a man who has zero goals... 500K less than a man who has 13 fewer goals... and more goals than (OV, Toews, Crosby, Staal) men making million and millions more than him per year... and he finds himself on a UFA year, and for nothing he did it, he may find himself demote to the 3rd line... is he worth those millions and millions, of course not... but he's worth a raise.. and the more he produces the more a raise he'll get... with a dimished role, a lesser raise... 1.5 mil sounds about right for a 3rd line winger... not a 1st line winger potting 17 goals... he's losing money.

Again, I don't care how he feels either... I'm a fan, I want them to win so I can feel like a champion for doing nothing other than sitting on my couch watching them make millions playing a game... sounds about right.. Let's Go Pens!

 

[SFNL]

The 3 headed monster should be fun to see at the end of periods as well

 

[element1286]

Iginla looked tremendous with Neal and Malkin.

 

[elyodee]

The best game Cooke ever played today....not that he hasn't had some good ones...but that play in the offensive zone during the 5 on 3...and then the goal to top it off...unreal!

 

[evolver115]

The best game Cooke ever played today....not that he hasn't had some good ones...but that play in the offensive zone during the 5 on 3...and then the goal to top it off...unreal!

First off, welcome to SportsHoopla

Yeah, Cooke was channeling his inner Sidney Crosby during that stretch of the second/third period, and basically dominated play. It is very interesting to see how after Cooke cut out the goonery.. that he's actually a pretty good hockey player. Set a career year in points, last season, and even though his scoring is down this season, he's an important piece in the puzzle for the Pens.