Infirmary On Ice! Avs/Pens GNT

[ELYEAH82]

How about a win PLEASE!!!!

 

[evolver115]

How about a win PLEASE!!!!

At this point, getting the one is nice

Two would be better....

 

[ELYEAH82]

Did they just say the Pens havent lost a shoot out this year? FAIL

 

[evolver115]

Sweet!!! Put this one away

 

[ELYEAH82]

TK with a laser

 

[evolver115]

TK!!!

 

[pixburgher66]

TK has been the Pens best player since the injury bug bit. Been playing fantastically.

 

[evolver115]

TK has been the Pens best player since the injury bug bit. Been playing fantastically.

I agree. TK, Fleury and Letang have elevated their game during this horrible stretch of injuries. Staal is also really looking healthy again.

 

[JustAsking]

I agree. TK, Fleury and Letang have elevated their game during this horrible stretch of injuries. Staal is also really looking healthy again.

Good win by the Pens tonight... young guys playing some inspired hockey... I couldn;t pay much attention to the game... however though.

Ok.. hahahaha... Letang stepping up his game! that's brillant... he's been one of the worst defenseman the Pens have since the all-star break... I didn't watch today's game, but he has been horrid in his own end and decision making these past few weeks. Staal, TK, Fleury I agree... when I saw Letang in your post, I spit out my Chicken-Chow-Fun, I was laughing so hard... I'm sorry for that...

 

[pixburgher66]

Good win by the Pens tonight... young guys playing some inspired hockey... I couldn;t pay much attention to the game... however though.

Ok.. hahahaha... Letang stepping up his game! that's brillant... he's been one of the worst defenseman the Pens have since the all-star break... I didn't watch today's game, but he has been horrid in his own end and decision making these past few weeks. Staal, TK, Fleury I agree... when I saw Letang in your post, I spit out my Chicken-Chow-Fun, I was laughing so hard... I'm sorry for that...

Yeah, Tangarang was great tonight, but beyound tonight, he's been horrid.

 

[evolver115]

Ok.. hahahaha... Letang stepping up his game! that's brillant... he's been one of the worst defenseman the Pens have since the all-star break... I didn't watch today's game, but he has been horrid in his own end and decision making these past few weeks. Staal, TK, Fleury I agree... when I saw Letang in your post, I spit out my Chicken-Chow-Fun, I was laughing so hard... I'm sorry for that...

Guess it all depends on what you consider stepping up, means. IMO, since the malkin injury, he has assumed greater ownership of his responsibilities.

I don't remember saying Letang's been dominating, but two multi-point nights in two of his last three games sounds like he's doing some modest contributions to the team effort.


Chowda on the keyboard ain't so good, though

 

[pixburgher66]

Guess it all depends on what you consider stepping up, means. IMO, since the malkin injury, he has assumed greater ownership of his responsibilities.

I don't remember saying Letang's been dominating, but two multi-point nights in two of his last three games sounds like he's doing some modest contributions to the team effort.


Chowda on the keyboard ain't so good, though

I know at least from what I've seen, it's not as much his point production as it is his defensive game. He started to forget how to play defense for awhile there.

 

[loki604]

Good win by the Pens tonight... young guys playing some inspired hockey... I couldn;t pay much attention to the game... however though.

Ok.. hahahaha... Letang stepping up his game! that's brillant... he's been one of the worst defenseman the Pens have since the all-star break... I didn't watch today's game, but he has been horrid in his own end and decision making these past few weeks. Staal, TK, Fleury I agree... when I saw Letang in your post, I spit out my Chicken-Chow-Fun, I was laughing so hard... I'm sorry for that...

I agree. Letang has looked awful much of the time; he's definitely trying to do too much. And it's a different game playing with a bunch of scrubs than feeding Crosby and Malkin. There's a learning curve there.

 

[evolver115]

I know at least from what I've seen, it's not as much his point production as it is his defensive game. He started to forget how to play defense for awhile there.

Is Letang guilty of trying to do too much?? Probably.


But, that is what I meant when I said he's stepped up his determination. It may not play out well on the score-sheet. IMO, since Malkin has been done for the season, and the rash of injuries up front continue to pile on, Letang has been trying to make stuff happen.

Sometimes, he's got himself into trouble. Considering the circumstances, I don't know if you can say he's been playing any worse than the other defensemen.

 

[Darkstone42]

All the defensemen have had their play fall off since the injury bug bit. We notice Letang so much because he's also an offensive force, and one who is being asked to pick up the scoring with the snipers on the shelf. I think his defensive game is lacking from a combination of two things:

1. He has to focus more on offense, try to make more stuff happen, and it's resulting in more mistakes and poorer defensive position.
2. The lack of skill players up front has greatly diminished the team's puck possession time, and consequently put more strain on the defense as a whole. I get the feeling that the recent defensive deficiencies are not a result of players "forgetting how to play defense" so much as being exhausted from having to play so darned much defense.

 

[evolver115]

All the defensemen have had their play fall off since the injury bug bit. We notice Letang so much because he's also an offensive force, and one who is being asked to pick up the scoring with the snipers on the shelf. I think his defensive game is lacking from a combination of two things:

1. He has to focus more on offense, try to make more stuff happen, and it's resulting in more mistakes and poorer defensive position.
2. The lack of skill players up front has greatly diminished the team's puck possession time, and consequently put more strain on the defense as a whole. I get the feeling that the recent defensive deficiencies are not a result of players "forgetting how to play defense" so much as being exhausted from having to play so darned much defense.

Good observation.

I hope other pens fans aren't confusing my comments of Letang as playing great hockey. Although, considering some of the responses I've received since my first comment, it appears that way.

All I was attempting to say is that with the rash of injuries up front, Letang is making more effort to make something happen. He's putting forth an effort that is greater than what he had been.

If Bylsma isn't going to change the offensive approach of this hockey team, there are going to be many situations where the defensemen are going to look bad. That's just the difference between having forwards on the ice that have little two-way ability, as opposed to forwards like Kunitz, Crosby, Malkin and even a guy like Jeffery, who have the ability to be aggressive in the offensive zone, but able to make up for their mistakes with a quick transition.

And I'll say it again, this way no one spits more chowda on their keyboards.... I did not say Letang is playing great hockey.

I said he's stepped up his effort to compensate for the vast injuries the Pens are dealing with.