I would direct you to the "Visit Cleveland Town" videos, but I don't have the heart for someone who actually lives in Ohio. But yo, Athens is the bomb!
- jmatchett383

You leave Ohio out of this

You leave Ohio out of this
- Pens_Burgh

Your avatar scares me. What is it from?

Are Dan Boyle/Keith Yandle your top shutdown pair this year? They are defensive stalwarts.

Says the Flyers fan whose best defenseman is...I don't even know who.
- jmatchett383

I doubt Yandle is still a Rags player after the deadline if not earlier.

That's because there are a lot fewer factors to consider in assessing players for a single game than a whole team over the course of a year.
- jfkst1

Why not report the 'plays' the player made either good or bad. His positioning on & away from the puck, in defence, in tight tussles.

There are all sorts of thing to report on in a game of hockey if you actually watch them - I'm taking that from watching highlights , but the reality is some find it easier to look at stats & just report their interpretation of them.

I'd much rather see what a player did well or bad rather than know his % of times he was on the ice when shot were counted.

Why not report the 'plays' the player made either good or bad. His positioning on & away from the puck, in defence, in tight tussles.

There are all sorts of thing to report on in a game of hockey if you actually watch them - I'm taking that from watching highlights , but the reality is some find it easier to look at stats & just report their interpretation of them.

I'd much rather see what a player did well or bad rather than know his % of times he was on the ice when shot were counted.
- Aussiepenguin

I watch the majority of games, as I think most "stats" people do. The ones doing the time stamps are watching much more closely than any of us.

Back to calmer topics regarding defensemen, I think teams with good/great 2-way/defensive forwards (NYR, Boston, Chicago, Anaheim, etc.) cover for whatever defensive deficiencies they might have and make their defensemen as a whole look a lot better than they actually are. Kind of like how defenses impact goalies and can make average goalies look good or good goalies look average.

This is what scares me about the Pens. Their forwards are pretty far down the list of 2-way / defense-minded forwards. Couple this with a thin / inexperienced / injury-prone / old and slow D corps and it is a recipe for disaster. Sure, you can win a lot of games 6-5 and 5-4 in the regular season, but come playoff time...as we've seen before. Of course the fewer PPs during the playoffs also come into play. It appears the Pens are going all-in for all offense, all finesse (notwithstanding the Tostito PTO). I feel like it's just another cruel set-up.

Who will be the Pens "shutdown" line? Every team needs one. The only two-way forward I can think of is Fehr and who knows how much he'll end up playing. Dupuis I suppose. Plotnikov? Every other forward seems to give a token effort on D - not good.
- thevelvetfog1

The forwards I question defensively are Plotnikov, Kessel, Malkin, and Bonino. Hornqvist and Kunitz are very good. Crosby, Perron, Dupuis, Bennett, Cullen, Fehr will all be at least average if not better. Johnston's system is big on gap control so I really don't worry about the forwards defensively. Lots of teams have a lot worse defensive forwards than Pittsburgh.

I watch the majority of games, as I think most "stats" people do. The ones doing the time stamps are watching much more closely than any of us.
- jfkst1

As much as I like to see stats on players & games (the ones I think are justified), I like hearing an opinion of a player or players games that aren't solely based on his/their advanced stats. Some blogs on here do have that & it's quite refreshing.

Personally I don't give a poop how many times a player is on the ice when a shot attempt is made, I'm more interested in that players actions that directly affect play.

Your avatar scares me. What is it from?
- thevelvetfog1

I have no clue. I stole it from a different forum

I have no clue. I stole it from a different forum
- Pens_Burgh

Looks like Sloth from the movie "The Goonies"

Looks like Sloth from the movie "The Goonies"
- MattStrat

Seriously how old are you dudes. That's sloth! Baby Ruth

Seriously how old are you dudes. That's sloth! Baby Ruth
- dbell646

One of my favourite movies when I was a kid. I'll still watch it when it comes on TV every now and then.

Seriously how old are you dudes. That's sloth! Baby Ruth
- dbell646

You know I thought it was but wasn't sure because of the hat and because it's cartoony looking.. Just googled it quick and it is. It's been a lonnnnnng time since I've seen that movie

Yea dude one eye willie's treasure was on a pirate ship

As much as I like to see stats on players & games (the ones I think are justified), I like hearing an opinion of a player or players games that aren't solely based on his/their advanced stats. Some blogs on here do have that & it's quite refreshing.

Personally I don't give a poop how many times a player is on the ice when a shot attempt is made, I'm more interested in that players actions that directly affect play.
- Aussiepenguin

Sometimes I do think the differences are coincidental, but more often than not, those positive shot/shot attempt differentials are due to a player doing something right. Even if it is the little things that can go unnoticed (positioning, backchecking, breakouts, zone possession, rebounds, etc.).

It goes beyond fighting.

Who are the Penguins' big hitters?

Who are the Penguins who will respond to opposing teams' shenanigans (literally the only guy I can think of is Letang).

And fighting is fighting, and it's part of team toughness. The Penguins have no one who can fight (except, once again, Letang).
- hardnosed

Loose description of big hitters. You've left out probably the biggest one in Plotnikov.

Plotnikov, Kunitz, Hornqvist, Dupuis, Perron, Cole all play with grit

Seriously how old are you dudes. That's sloth! Baby Ruth
- dbell646

Thats what I said, Booty Trap!

The forwards I question defensively are Plotnikov, Kessel, Malkin, and Bonino. Hornqvist and Kunitz are very good. Crosby, Perron, Dupuis, Bennett, Cullen, Fehr will all be at least average if not better. Johnston's system is big on gap control so I really don't worry about the forwards defensively. Lots of teams have a lot worse defensive forwards than Pittsburgh.
- jfkst1

Crosby is an average defensive forward?

Seriously how old are you dudes. That's sloth! Baby Ruth
- dbell646

I showed that movie to my Son yesterday! The epicness of it was lost on him.~ Different times.

Crosby is an average defensive forward?
- YouMeAndDupuis9

I put him in the grouping of "at least average."

I put him in the grouping of "at least average."
- jfkst1

That's fair. He's no Pavel Datsyuk/Sergei Fedorov away from the puck, but he's not a liability by any means.

Seriously how old are you dudes. That's sloth! Baby Ruth
- dbell646

I was thinking the same thing.....

I put him in the grouping of "at least average."
- jfkst1

If hes not in the top teir, hes just outside that... you realize hes been getting the harder matchups the last two seasons and still being "Crosby" for points.

Horny would now be with Malkin, hes quite good for D, Kunitz/Dupuis are as well.

Fehr has some solid 2 way skills as well. I believe Cullen should be more defensive minded by default for being an older player