3/16 practice update: No Geno but Godzilla's back
by Hooks Orpik on Mar 16, 2010 12:09 PM EDT
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PrintAccording to penguins.com Evgeni Malkin was the only player absent from Pittsburgh Penguins practice today. Enforcer Eric Godard made it threw his first practice with the team since he hurt his groin against the New York Rangers on January 25th.
There's no roster maximum of 23 players after the trading deadline, teams just must remain below the salary cap. Godard only makes the 23rd player on the team anyways, so there's nothing to worry about there anyways, but keep that in even though he'll be back soon, it doesn't mean the team can't still call up another player, if the cap space is there for the short term.
It's unknown (but seems unlikely) that Godard could be back in the lineup in two nights time. Why would the Penguins possibly try to rush a 3-4 minute player a game back? Oh yeah, Boston's on the schedule. If the Bruins try any rough stuff the Penguins still have quite a bit of muscle and willing participants to match them, but it seems likely they'll have their sights trained on Matt Cooke.
Here's the lines used from practice today. If Malkin has to miss some games is this a good lineup for the Pens to try out?
Ponikarovsky-Crosby-Dupuis
Kunitz-Staal-Guerin
Cooke-Kennedy-Fedotenko
Talbot/Rupp/Adams/Godard (rotation)
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Maybe it’s just me, but it doesn’t look like Staal/Guerin have meshed together. They’ve tried it lately but it hasn’t looked good. I’d try this:
Dupuis-Crosby-Guerin
Kunitz-Staal-Ponikarovsky
Cooke-Talbot-Kennedy
Rupp-Adams-Fedotenko
Imagine the forecheck that 2nd line could put on opponents.
Wayne Gretzky had it wrong: 100% of the shots Gary Roberts doesn't take DO go in.
Why break up the first line to bolster the second? Does the team generally favor depth over punch, or is it having X Y Z style players on lines, or…?
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Are you talking about my idea or what they actually used?
My guess is they want to see Ponikarovsky play with Crosby, the two of them have only played together on the PP, really, so they probably want to see what could happen there. Dupuis’ played well with Crosby and has been the best winger on the team since the Olympics, he deserves the top line minutes.
Then they can keep Kunitz/Guerin (usual linemates) together in between Staal, who slides up to 2C. From there, it’s pretty much anything goes.
Wayne Gretzky had it wrong: 100% of the shots Gary Roberts doesn't take DO go in.
My first post on here. I’ve been religiously viewing this site multiple times a day and decided to finally get involved. I love the name Hooks, and you do a great job with the Penguins news. I’m away at school (PSU) but am in great contact with the WBS penguins and go to most of the games and can povide some great insight to the minor league club. I’ve noticed alot of talk on here recently about losing Caputi and how Tangradi, Letestu, Johnson, Jefferey are getting the talk about highly touted prospects. But what about Chris Conner? I know he’s like 27 and only 5-8, a tiny guy, but he has 47 points (17g 30a) in 46 games and has been in my opinion one of the best players on the team this year. Just wondering why noone has been talking about him at all.
by TonyAndrock on Mar 17, 2010 12:33 PM EDT up reply actions
First of all welcome, and thanks for the nice words.
Conner’s a good player, gotta love his energy and he’s a great and fast skater.
But there’s a lot of players like him: smallish, good at producing points in the AHL but not so much in the NHL when going up against bigger, stronger defensemen and better goalies.
There’s nothing wrong with that, few people in the world can get to the top level, just looks like Conner has too much going against him (size, age) to ever be a NHL prospect. He could carve out a good career, but it’ll take some luck and some good breaks to stick in the NHL. He just doesn’t score enough to be a scorer and he’s not really a grinder/PK’er so he doesn’t fit on a lower NHL line.
Wayne Gretzky had it wrong: 100% of the shots Gary Roberts doesn't take DO go in.
Yeah, st pierre and aucion fall into that category as well I think. Lots of AHL points but haven’t found a niche in the NHL. But with the way the rules have been changing in the NHL i think its only a matter of time before you see the smaller speedy players making an impact. Also, not sure but i think conner is a free agent after this season so he might not even stick with the organization. Just like his style of play I’ve seen him alot this year and love how even though he’s small he still throws his body around and suprisingly is pretty tough to knock off the puck along the boards and behind the net. What did you think of him in his short stint in the NHL this season?
I liked him in training camp but thought he played rough in November. But I liked his latest stint scoring goals. He definitely showed he can play at the NHL level in spurts.
Like you hit on, I think there’s a good chance Conner goes to another team this summer, a lot of guys his age go to Europe where they can make a lot more money than they can in the AHL. Just depends if he wants to keep chasing the NHL or if he wants to get a bigger payday.
Wayne Gretzky had it wrong: 100% of the shots Gary Roberts doesn't take DO go in.
I completely agree that is what it will come down to. On a side note, Have you heard of or seen D Alex Grant at all lately? I was rather impressed. only 3g in 14 games but a +8. He needs to bulk up a little in my opinion (6-3 but only 195) but I really liked what I saw from him. Stuck up for his teammates when Hershey’s cheapshot arist Amadio elbowed one of his teammates in the head, and again a few games later in the home game against Albany that I went to. Scoring some goals lately too, I know he was only in because of Wagner’s injury but I was very impressed by him. I know its too early to tell but I think he has a future in the NHL and I hope he can play more in WBS this year and next season and develop into a top notch Dman.
I heard Grant looked good at times, but looked like a rookie at times, but I haven’t seen any WB/S games this season live, so you would know better than I.
What about your thoughts on Robert Bortuzzo? He looked awesome in camp, I have high hopes for him. Seems like he’s had a pretty steady season.
Wayne Gretzky had it wrong: 100% of the shots Gary Roberts doesn't take DO go in.
I like Bortuzzo. I’d say he’s having a steady season only 2g 8a in 62 games but it’s what he does defensively that I like about him. He’s usually always out there on the PK with Engelland, Lovejoy, Wagner, and Strait. Seems they all get some PK time but I’m impressed with his defensive abilities. Sure he’s had some tough games with alot of mistakes but he too is a rookie if im not mistaken. He too could blossom into a nice Dman but I think hes at least a year if not two away from holding down an NHL job. I personally like Lovejoy and depending on what Shero does with the Defenseman position this offseason (I think theres only two with contracts for next year) Lovejoy could and in my opinion should be an NHL Dman next season.
Kunitz and Sid have been playing very well together since Kunitz has been healthy. Id leave them together and put Poni Staal Dupuis on the second. I hope so anyway Fedotenkos been killing that second line. its time for him to visit the 4th line. Poni needs to find some chemistry with someone soon as well.
I like the lines in practice. I’d like to see a bit more of Poni with Crosby and though Staal and Guerin haven’t totally meshed, I’d like to see that attempted again. Having said that, Rupp rotating in on that second line with Guerin (if he can play on the right as well) would be interesting. Kunitz, Staal and Rupp should be able to plough through a few lines on the other side :)
If Geno isn’t good to go for NJ, I really like these line combos. Sid and Poni created some really good chances when they played at ES last game and I think Duper can play with anyone (but he always seems to play pretty well with Sid). I don’t really like the Guerin-Staal combo (hasn’t worked out all that well), but 11 and 14 showed a lot of chemistry a year ago. I would switch Feds/Cooke with Guerin.
871
Ideally Bylsma just puts Cooke in the starting lineup, he fights right off the draw and then we get back to a normal hockey game. Boston can’t afford to piss away a reg season game in their playoff predicament, clearly they need to address Cooke, but I think they’re smart enough to realize they only have a precious few games left and need to get some Wins, not justp lay Flyers goon hockey.
Wayne Gretzky had it wrong: 100% of the shots Gary Roberts doesn't take DO go in.
word is
Colin Campbell will be in attendance at the game. I’m certain there won’t be too much rough stuff. I see it playing out the way you say and it will certainly be “anti-climactic” from a Bruins fan perspective.
Milan Lucic and Zdeno Chara can chuck ‘em, and Shawn Thornton is a tough guy, but Boston isn’t made up off too many guys that will run around and act tough.
I’m not sayin they’re gutless, but their makeup isn’t really to be that tough. Boston does have 42 team fights (18 by Thornton) but they only will have 7 guys in the lineup that have dropped the gloves this season. Compare that to the Pens who’ll have at least 9 (maybe 10 or 11) that have fought this season.
Boston didn’t go after Cooke or anyone else in the last 5 minutes of last game after the hit, some fans think they’ll be dirty and take out Crosby or Malkin, but I don’t see that in them. It’s not like they have a clown like Carcillo, Downie, Janssen, Ott, etc on the roster.
That said, someone’s gotta force Cooke into a fight, but I don’t see them trying to pull dirty stuff from whistle to whistle.
Wayne Gretzky had it wrong: 100% of the shots Gary Roberts doesn't take DO go in.
by Hooks Orpik on Mar 16, 2010 10:21 PM EDT up reply actions
Oh, man. The Bruins game is the kind of situation where Godard comes in really handy, but I don’t like the idea of facing the Devils without Malkin. I think the practice lines look as good as can be expected, though.
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