I heard McCann and Tanev fought in a scrimmage. That’s good news to hear.
- Grinder47

Watched a lot of Jets hockey, as they are my regional broadcast. Tanev is an absolute workhorse. I doubt they would have let him walk if they hadn't had that Buff situation unfold as it did. Can't wait these boys to give Price the workout of his life.

That was also Therrian's team after he put them on notice for being soff and not care.
- Hockey66

No question. Bylsma inherited a disciplined young team. The further they got away from that structure, the further they went off the rails.

I agree... I've always said Therrian was a big factor in that cup win even though he wasn't behind the bench when it happened. He instilled alot of D structure and D mindset but he's an a-hole and he wore thin on the players. Enter Disco who then takes the shackles off a bit but with them still having some of Therrian's D tendencies left and voila, 2009 cup.
- MattStrat

Getting Sergei Gonchar back from injury helped Bylsma also.

No question. Bylsma inherited a disciplined young team. The further they got away from that structure, the further they went off the rails.
- madmike71

Yep. And I knew that you knew it was a lot of Therrian, I just wanted to make a post in broken English.

I don't think he will and Sullivan doesn't stike me as the kind to even ask a player to be teachers pet. Bylsma was just as guilty as Adams for doing that, I wish Geno beat Bylsma's ass too. He should have been fired so much sooner, it was also Shero's demise here.
- 668710

You guys crack me up. Malkin was being a hack and wack little female dog at practice and Adams would just rather drop the gloves than act like a little girl, Rob Rossi says anything and it’s untrue(unless it fits your narrative about a player), Adams has been seen at pens games in the lockeroom with the core since retirement. I’ll sell you guys my Adams jersey. 600 dollars starts the bid.

You guys crack me up. Malkin was being a hack and wack little female dog at practice and Adams would just rather drop the gloves than act like a little girl, Rob Rossi says anything and it’s untrue(unless it fits your narrative about a player), Adams has been seen at pens games in the lockeroom with the core since retirement. I’ll sell you guys my Adams jersey. 600 dollars starts the bid.
- Grinder47

hahaha

Ive met some of my current friends in life in a fight at a party or a bar when we were younger. We respected each other after the fight was done and became friends. 3 different guys I still talk to and hang out with to this day.

Getting Sergei Gonchar back from injury helped Bylsma also.
- Thunderbolt

No doubt.

hahaha

Ive met some of my current friends in life in a fight at a party or a bar when we were younger. We respected each other after the fight was done and became friends. 3 different guys I still talk to and hang out with to this day.
- MattStrat

I mean, who hasn’t gotten into a fight with a friend. I have no idea what Geno and Adams’ relationship is, but this was also a very frustrating and futile time for that team. Tensions were probably sky high in that locker room. I’m kind of shocked that Adams-Malkin episode was the only instance of locker room disfunction that got out.

I mean, who hasn’t gotten into a fight with a friend. I have no idea what Geno and Adams’ relationship is, but this was also a very frustrating and futile time for that team. Tensions were probably sky high in that locker room. I’m kind of shocked that Adams-Malkin episode was the only instance of locker room disfunction that got out.
- Victoro311

The Orpik, Adams, and Cooke rebellion was worse IMO. Bunch of vets deciding they wanted to undermine Sid's captaincy. No wonder the team couldn't get on the same page.

I wonder how Bylsma felt. Sid as a young captain, while common now in part due to the success he and Toews had, was a bit controversial at the time but Therrien pushed for it. I think he had to approach Sid 3 times before he accepted.

I was wrong about the move to bubble date last week....it was over the past few days. This is it...no covid this week and these playoffs are a go. The chance of exposure is higher in travel. So fingers crossed this all works out. I cant believe we're this close to 12 hours of hockey starting every day this weekend. The forecast looks like poop for where I am for the weekend... so I will have no probs staying inside hahah.

I mean, who hasn’t gotten into a fight with a friend. I have no idea what Geno and Adams’ relationship is, but this was also a very frustrating and futile time for that team. Tensions were probably sky high in that locker room. I’m kind of shocked that Adams-Malkin episode was the only instance of locker room disfunction that got out.
- Victoro311

Yeah it was probably a boiling point and there's no doubt they were fine after that.

The Orpik, Adams, and Cooke rebellion was worse IMO. Bunch of vets deciding they wanted to undermine Sid's captaincy. No wonder the team couldn't get on the same page.

I wonder how Bylsma felt. Sid as a young captain, while common now in part due to the success he and Toews had, was a bit controversial at the time but Therrien pushed for it. I think he had to approach Sid 3 times before he accepted.
- Tojo.

That was a bit different. While not a good move on them by any means, there was legitimate concern Crosby’s career was over and they wanted a team captain. They also nominated Geno, who was only a year older and came to the team a year later, so it wasn’t like they were undermining Sid because they thought he wasn’t qualified. It’d be different if they were trying to put Orpik up for the captaincy, but I think this was just some vets trying to stabilize a team that was twisting in the wind with Crosby retirement rumors.

EDIT: I actually looked back at some old stories and it seems a bit more nefarious than what I was remembering. Apparently Sid and Orpik disliked each other, Orpik pretty much unilaterally called the meeting and spearheaded the whole thing, and I couldn’t find any verification that Orpik was putting Malkin up. It may have just been a power grab by Orpik.

That was a bit different. While not a good move on them by any means, there was legitimate concern Crosby’s career was over and they wanted a team captain. They also nominated Geno, who was only a year older and came to the team a year later, so it wasn’t like they were undermining Sid because they thought he wasn’t qualified. It’d be different if they were trying to put Orpik up for the captaincy, but I think this was just some vets trying to stabilize a team that was twisting in the wind with Crosby retirement rumors.

EDIT: I actually looked back at some old stories and it seems a bit more nefarious than what I was remembering. Apparently Sid and Orpik disliked each other, Orpik pretty much unilaterally called the meeting and spearheaded the whole thing, and I couldn’t find any verification that Orpik was putting Malkin up. It may have just been a power grab by Orpik.
- Victoro311

The captaincy thing during his concussion was just the tip of the iceberg from what I understand. Those guys always resented Sid being named captain at such a young age and undermined him by telling other players he was too young to lead and they should listen to them instead.

Seemed to me there was a bit of a split with guys like Kunitz and Duper backing Sid as well as other young core guys like Malkin, Fleury, and Letang.

The captaincy thing during his concussion was just the tip of the iceberg from what I understand. Those guys always resented Sid being named captain at such a young age and undermined him by telling other players he was too young to lead and they should listen to them instead.

Seemed to me there was a bit of a split with guys like Kunitz and Duper backing Sid as well as other young core guys like Malkin, Fleury, and Letang.
- Tojo.

Weird to me that Staal was on the Orpik side given that he was even younger than Sid.

Dom at the Athletic did his series preview today. Here are a couple notes.

Habs top line had a slight edge on Sid's with a GSVA of 7.8 to 7.6. Sheary at only .4 had a lot to do with that though that is a dominant line.

Malkin's line had an 8.5 which was 2nd best line in the league. Also Malkin's 110 point pace was his beat in almost a decade. I hadn't seen that anywhere.

In fact every player on that line plus Hornqvist had a better rating than anyone in Montreal's bottom nine. Their best is Domi who for now seems to be centering the 4th line. The Pens have a 6 GSVA advantage and the biggest edge is 2nd and 3rd line. Our 3rd line actually rated above their second though I think Suzuki and Drouin are better than rated here and Hornqvist is always high. Domi on 4th makes them slightly ahead of ours but close.

Defense was a wash. Our top 4 had a slight edge but our 3rd pair gave it back. Goalies also a wash as Dom said both are living on past reputations.

Pens win 64%. Dom suggested 2 moves that would raise the Pens chances 3% each: bench JJ and start Jarry.

Weird to me that Staal was on the Orpik side given that he was even younger than Sid.
- Victoro311

I think Yohe or someone said Staal was kind of dragged in. Made it sound like they cornered him in the locker room and he was more of a pawn who out of the young stars was the one they could influence, but would have preferred to stay out.

Crosby on ice for practice.

Also no positives out of over 4000 tests last week in NHL after just 2 the week before. Might just pull this off.

Dom at the Athletic did his series preview today. Here are a couple notes.

Habs top line had a slight edge on Sid's with a GSVA of 7.8 to 7.6. Sheary at only .4 had a lot to do with that though that is a dominant line.

Malkin's line had an 8.5 which was 2nd beat in the league. Also Malkin's 110 point pace was his beat in almost a decade. I hadn't seen that anywhere.

In fact every player on that line plus Hornqvist had a better rating than anyone in Montreal's bottom nine. Their best is Domi who for now seems to be centering the 4th line. The Pens have a 6 GSVA advantage and the biggest edge is 2nd and 3rd line. Our 3rd line actually rated above their second though I think Suzuki and Drouin are better than rated here and Hornqvist is always high. Domi on 4th makes them slightly ahead of ours but close.

Defense was a wash. Our top 4 had a slight edge but our 3rd pair gave it back. Goalies also a wash as Dom said both are living on past reputations.

Pens win 64%. Dom suggested 2 moves that would raise the Pens chances 3% each: bench JJ and start Jarry.
- Tojo.

Thanks for all of that.

Crosby on ice for practice.

Also no positives out of over 4000 tests last week in NHL after just 2 the week before. Might just pull this off.
- Tojo.

That's pretty impressive.

Sportsnet series breakdown


https://www.sportsnet.ca/...u4qcR0OfdTnn3EnJ-9tvpFtoI

Pens win 64%. Dom suggested 2 moves that would raise the Pens chances 3% each: bench JJ and start Jarry.
- Tojo.

I do wish Jarry got the nod. I'll never hold my breath on JJ until he's no longer a Penguin.

Weird to me that Staal was on the Orpik side given that he was even younger than Sid.
- Victoro311

Yea, that seems weird to me as well, Being that Orpik is a hard nosed guy ie stay at home guy/tough in the paint. I feel like he would want some like Crosby, a selfless, lead by example, no shifts off kind of player. and not someone like Geno.

That was a bit different. While not a good move on them by any means, there was legitimate concern Crosby’s career was over and they wanted a team captain. They also nominated Geno, who was only a year older and came to the team a year later, so it wasn’t like they were undermining Sid because they thought he wasn’t qualified. It’d be different if they were trying to put Orpik up for the captaincy, but I think this was just some vets trying to stabilize a team that was twisting in the wind with Crosby retirement rumors.

EDIT: I actually looked back at some old stories and it seems a bit more nefarious than what I was remembering. Apparently Sid and Orpik disliked each other, Orpik pretty much unilaterally called the meeting and spearheaded the whole thing, and I couldn’t find any verification that Orpik was putting Malkin up. It may have just been a power grab by Orpik.
- Victoro311

Yet the entire team wore a C to practice when word got out that someone wanted a new captai, as if to say F off media. Sounds like an overblown, if not completely cooked up story to me by the media to me.

The captaincy thing during his concussion was just the tip of the iceberg from what I understand. Those guys always resented Sid being named captain at such a young age and undermined him by telling other players he was too young to lead and they should listen to them instead.

Seemed to me there was a bit of a split with guys like Kunitz and Duper backing Sid as well as other young core guys like Malkin, Fleury, and Letang.
- Tojo.

The Pittsburgh media was so nuts back then. Constantly trying to write gossip stories about the players/coaches/management/ownership. Rob Rossi was the leader of that group that was always looking for trouble.

I'm just glad they won the Cup in 2016/2017. This generation of Penguins would have been looked down upon by everyone if we only mustered one Cup over a decade ago. Like everyone else was saying, Bylsma was a trainwreck. He should have been shown the door in 2012. 2010 and 2011 there wasnt much we could judge him on, but 2012 was horrible. 2013 should have been the nail in the coffin. Shero was a good GM with evaluating players, his loyalty to coaches was brutal. Same thing happened to him in New Jersey.