Maybe so, but I'm at the point where I think Wilson would be a better fit on the first PP and that is unfortunate.

He's butchered a ton of grade A chances that didn't require a one timer too.
- madmike71

I agree, but in my opinion, its similar to Letang.. the things he does well go unnoticed but when he makes a mistake its "(frank)ing letang, again with the (frank)up" same with Kessel, when he's making slick passes, and shooting the puck often (albeit not scoring) it goes unnoticed, but the second he loses a battle along the boards, or whiffs on a chance , every one is female doging. The dude has 25 points in 34 games under Sully, that puts him around 55-65 points on a full season under Sullivan. I have no reason to female dog if he's going to put up those kind of numbers. Not to mention he just did a ton of damage of an 18 game stretch recently, but again that goes unnoticed because he whiffed on a one-timer. Give the dude a break.

I'll strongly disagree with you here. Very few guys in the NHL are known as players who are great at one-timing a puck. Ovechkin and few others have mastered that skill. The precision which is need t do it properly on a hard pass or in a tight space and get the puck where you want it can only be done by few gifted players.
Just watch a full series of games on any given night in the NHL and tell me how many times you see guys:
a) Whiff on a one timer
b) Shank on a one timer
c) "dust off the puck" aka handle it to settle it down before shooting it.

If it was so easy guys would be one-timing the puck all night long.
Agian its easier for one to sit at home and say what skills someone SHOULD have, but if its not in his skill set, who has the fault? him, or the people that blame him for not being able to do it, knowing its not one of his skills.

I'll bet quite a hefty sum that we go on the rink tonight, I stand on the goal line to the side of the net, you stand dead in the middle of the high slot and I whip you passes to you (not slide them over to you at 5mph, maybe 35mph) and you will shank 95+% of them and that's without defenders or a goalie in net distracting you or causing you to adjust to the puck as it comes into your wheelhouse.
- MiloslavHorava

Bro, NHL 94. One-timer all day. That was 94. This is 2016. Everyone be one-timing.

The call for Kessel to change his stick is borderline insane and laughable.
He has over 260 goals in his career thus far (267 I think as of today). How many of those goals came on one-times vs wrist shots / snap shots, backhands?

I'd venture to guess a LARGE majority of his goals do NOT come from one-timers, yet you want HIM to change his stick so he can score on one-timers. Does it not hit home that the whip he gets on his wrist and snap shots would then decline and his goals scored form those shots drop off as well? Are you willing to add an extra 5 goals via one-timers and sacrifice 10 goals via snapper and wristers every year?

The guy is in his 10th NHL season and has played hockey longer and at a more competitive level than any of these armchair hockey studs making the argument. He knows his game, he is having a down year, he is with a new team, still trying to figure things out. Stop with the insanity.
Crosby is having a bad year compared to the standard he set for himself
Malkin is having an avg at BEST year compared to his performance in the past
The team is under performing for their talent, there is no doubt about that, but they are singling out the new guy.
- MiloslavHorava

Kind of a shame that a Rangers fan gets it and most Pens fans don't.

Bro, NHL 94. One-timer all day. That was 94. This is 2016. Everyone be one-timing.
- j.boyd919

Yeh if the real sport was as easy my career wouldn't have ended in college... I'd be playing D on the Kings with Gretzky, Robitalle, Granato and Rob Blake

Yeh if the real sport was as easy my career wouldn't have ended in college... I'd be playing D on the Kings with Gretzky, Robitalle, Granato and Rob Blake
- MiloslavHorava

I used sarcasm font... I agree with you 100% hahah

Kind of a shame that a Rangers fan gets it and most Pens fans don't.
- jaydogg1974

Thanks.... I think lol
I've read some of your posts on this subject and others, you seem to see things not through the lens of black and gold glasses. I try to do the same when posting on the Ranger board. There is a different between being a fan and truly understanding the game and what goes on having played it

I used sarcasm font... I agree with you 100% hahah
- j.boyd919

My bad I thought this was Italics, had no idea its sarcasm

My bad I thought this was Italics, had no idea its sarcasm
- MiloslavHorava

Must be new around these parts

I'll strongly disagree with you here. Very few guys in the NHL are known as players who are great at one-timing a puck. Ovechkin and few others have mastered that skill. The precision which is need t do it properly on a hard pass or in a tight space and get the puck where you want it can only be done by few gifted players.
Just watch a full series of games on any given night in the NHL and tell me how many times you see guys:
a) Whiff on a one timer
b) Shank on a one timer
c) "dust off the puck" aka handle it to settle it down before shooting it.

If it was so easy guys would be one-timing the puck all night long.
Agian its easier for one to sit at home and say what skills someone SHOULD have, but if its not in his skill set, who has the fault? him, or the people that blame him for not being able to do it, knowing its not one of his skills.

I'll bet quite a hefty sum that we go on the rink tonight, I stand on the goal line to the side of the net, you stand dead in the middle of the high slot and I whip you passes to you (not slide them over to you at 5mph, maybe 35mph) and you will shank 95+% of them and that's without defenders or a goalie in net distracting you or causing you to adjust to the puck as it comes into your wheelhouse.
- MiloslavHorava

Name another top 6 F that can't one time at all. Jagr is the only one I know and he isn't from this generation of players.
No one is saying he's gotta be Ovie. But he can't be completely incapable of it.
Jokinen, Neal, Sullivan, Malone, Guerin, Kunitz, Dupuis, Iginla, Cooke, Hossa, Hornqvist, etc. All of them can one time the puck with at least basic efficiency. This has never been an issue before. It's like having a computer programmer that can't use Microsoft Office. Maybe he can get away with it in his old office that was all messed, but he's not going to here. Regardless, he isn't scoring enough on his snapshot to compensate either.

Letang has all the talent you could ask for a Dman. His 1-timer ability is not good. He could lead d men in goals from being able to blast a 1 timer from the left side on the PP, but he's just not good at it. He can't even come close to hitting the net. Do you think he never tries at practice?

So I'm a big Kessel hater, but just expecting him to be great at a 1 timer is dumb, he has a lot of skill, thats not 1. The blame falls on JR for picking him up and putting him in a position to fail and not doing his due diligence on what the teams needs are.

I actually like the Penguins so sorry for the optimism, but Hagelin is back skating today. Will be great to get him back.

Ok, everyone go back to hating everything.

Letang has all the talent you could ask for a Dman. His 1-timer ability is not good. He could lead d men in goals from being able to blast a 1 timer from the left side on the PP, but he's just not good at it. He can't even come close to hitting the net. Do you think he never tries at practice?

So I'm a big Kessel hater, but just expecting him to be great at a 1 timer is dumb, he has a lot of skill, thats not 1. The blame falls on JR for picking him up and putting him in a position to fail and not doing his due diligence on what the teams needs are.
- sammy87

Not being good at it and not being capable due to equipment decisions are two very different things.

I actually like the Penguins so sorry for the optimism, but Hagelin is back skating today. Will be great to get him back.

Ok, everyone go back to hating everything.
- YouMeAndDupuis9

No hate from me here

Letang has all the talent you could ask for a Dman. His 1-timer ability is not good. He could lead d men in goals from being able to blast a 1 timer from the left side on the PP, but he's just not good at it. He can't even come close to hitting the net. Do you think he never tries at practice?


- sammy87

My god. Complaining about Letang's point totals this year. He's nearly a PPG player. You truly are insane.

Letang is productive, who gives a poop if he is scoring on one timers, wrist shots, or f*cking kicking the puck.

By the way, the pens blog did an analysis on the narrative of Letang missing the net. He actually hits the net with greater percentage than any other of the "elite" PP QBs like Burns, Subban, etc.

My god. Complaining about Letang's point totals this year. He's nearly a PPG player. You truly are insane.

By the way, the pens blog did an analysis on the narrative of Letang missing the net. He actually hits the net with greater percentage than any other of the "elite" PP QBs like Burns, Subban, etc.

Letang is productive, who gives a poop if he is scoring on one timers, wrist shots, or f*cking kicking the puck.
- YouMeAndDupuis9

actually gonna KINDA defend sammy this time and say I think he meant letang COULD be even better. he never said letang was bad. just that he could be better. Crosby could be better too if he played like he used to and shoot.

Maatta-Letang
Dumoulin-Daley
Cole-Schultz
Lovejoy-Pouliot

Looks like Cole/Schultz are still a pairing.

My god. Complaining about Letang's point totals this year. He's nearly a PPG player. You truly are insane.

Letang is productive, who gives a poop if he is scoring on one timers, wrist shots, or f*cking kicking the puck.

By the way, the pens blog did an analysis on the narrative of Letang missing the net. He actually hits the net with greater percentage than any other of the "elite" PP QBs like Burns, Subban, etc.
- YouMeAndDupuis9

Not complaining about Letang at all just saying that he's not good at a 1 timer. BFD. Neither is Kessel. Im actually defending Kessel on this argument. And the pass from Crosby wasn't even a good set up for a 1 timer vs TOR.

But if you knew anything about Kessel, you would already know this.

My god. Complaining about Letang's point totals this year. He's nearly a PPG player. You truly are insane.

Letang is productive, who gives a poop if he is scoring on one timers, wrist shots, or f*cking kicking the puck.

By the way, the pens blog did an analysis on the narrative of Letang missing the net. He actually hits the net with greater percentage than any other of the "elite" PP QBs like Burns, Subban, etc.
- YouMeAndDupuis9

I saw that, pretty good article. Some of their guys are solid analysts but sometimes they are just god awful.

Maatta-Letang
Dumoulin-Daley
Cole-Schultz
Lovejoy-Pouliot

Looks like Cole/Schultz are still a pairing.
- Pens_Burgh

I hope they try pouliot and schultz and see if it works any good. if it does then trade cole in the offseason and ride out lovejoys contract since he can be a good 7th d

Name another top 6 F that can't one time at all. Jagr is the only one I know and he isn't from this generation of players.
No one is saying he's gotta be Ovie. But he can't be completely incapable of it.
Jokinen, Neal, Sullivan, Malone, Guerin, Kunitz, Dupuis, Iginla, Cooke, Hossa, Hornqvist, etc. All of them can one time the puck with at least basic efficiency. This has never been an issue before. It's like having a computer programmer that can't use Microsoft Office. Maybe he can get away with it in his old office that was all messed, but he's not going to here. Regardless, he isn't scoring enough on his snapshot to compensate either.
- jfkst1

Kessel can 1 time it, its just not his strength. Living in ATL Hossa scored most of his goals on writers, I dont see OV winding up that much. I dont watch too many other teams any more but there are a plenty of goal scorers that their primary weapon is not a 1 timer and even would defer to wrist shot. Its happened in the past.

Not complaining about Letang at all just saying that he's not good at a 1 timer. BFD. Neither is Kessel. Im actually defending Kessel on this argument. And the pass from Crosby wasn't even a good set up for a 1 timer vs TOR.

But if you knew anything about Kessel, you would already know this.
- sammy87

Youre missing the point. Why complain about Letang not being good at one timers when he is super productive already.

It's like saying, man if only Patrick Kane would do more spin moves, he'd be even better.

Name another top 6 F that can't one time at all. Jagr is the only one I know and he isn't from this generation of players.
No one is saying he's gotta be Ovie. But he can't be completely incapable of it.
Jokinen, Neal, Sullivan, Malone, Guerin, Kunitz, Dupuis, Iginla, Cooke, Hossa, Hornqvist, etc. All of them can one time the puck with at least basic efficiency. This has never been an issue before. It's like having a computer programmer that can't use Microsoft Office. Maybe he can get away with it in his old office that was all messed, but he's not going to here. Regardless, he isn't scoring enough on his snapshot to compensate either.
- jfkst1

So his whole career starting with the US National development program, U of Minnesota, NHL, and US Olympic teams some would say he has been pretty damn successful.... until now.... when the Penguins aren't winning ?
All of a sudden he sucks because he isn't scoring on one-timers from Crosby??
Does that not sound s little odd to you???

I hope they try pouliot and schultz and see if it works any good. if it does then trade cole in the offseason and ride out lovejoys contract since he can be a good 7th d
- martox

Lovejoy is a UFA after this season and won't be back more than likely. I'd like to see Cole and Schultz paired for a few more games. They've looked pretty good so far. We already know Lovejoy and DP are a good pair but Schultz with DP could be interesting. We now have 8 capable defenseman and 4 good pairings... Gonna be interesting to see who sits etc for the rest of the year.

Youre missing the point. Why complain about Letang not being good at one timers when he is super productive already.

It's like saying, man if only Patrick Kane would do more spin moves, he'd be even better.
- YouMeAndDupuis9

Im not complaining about Letang dips!it. Just saying he has a lot of talent and a 1 timer isn't one of them.

Crying about Kessel not being able to 1 time and a bunch of nerds using charts suggesting he use a stiffer stick is about the dumbest thing. He's never been good at it. Its like asking Mccutcheon to be a better HR hitter. Not his game bro.

Yeesh ticket prices have gotten extreme this year. I remember the last two season the reseller's value had gone down a lot (mostly cause i think too many were buying to resell). But now prices are big again.

Oh well, gotta get to another game before the postseason!