This isnt actually true. There's just as many called in playoffs. Ive seen people share studies and articles on this subject. Its one of the assumed things that arnt actually true. I did a quick google and found these:

"The proclamation was usually supported with saying that in the playoffs there are less calls and power plays.

From this study, I did not find that to be true."


https://hockey-graphs.com...l-playoffs-and-penalties/


This article talks about how much more they were being called a few years ago...

https://www.si.com/nhl/20...er-play-goals-officiating
- MattStrat

Sure there are the same number of penalties called but are the actual number of infractions the same in the playoffs compared to the regular season ?

My completely professional, super-long scouting report on Zucker so far:

I really envisioned more of a 100% effort, gritty, two-way player. I think those were my expectations based on what a lot of MIN media said about him and how badly GMJR wanted him. So, yeah, I pictured Tanev with better hands. He looks like a stringbean on the ice, much smaller than I envisioned, and pretty easy to knock off the puck.

First observations... other than a few bursts of speed, I'm not seeing the same Tanev/Hagelin type speed. Maybe partly because he's still thinking a lot on the ice. Maybe because he was described as 'elite' speed and I had unrealistic expectations.
Also, he has kind of an odd, upright skating style.

I really expected better hands. Maybe I'm spoiled by Jake, or maybe it will come with time...but didnt expect him whiffing and flubbing passes as often as he has so far.

Overall though I think he's a great fit for Sid and will continue to get better. Hard to complain about a guy who already was 3 goals for us (with Sid playing out of his mind). He's got a really quick release and good hockey IQ so I can see him being a great fit. He just has to keep finishing, especially with Simon on that line.
- YouMeAndDupuis9

I'm seeing a very good defensively and positional sound guy. He's getting to the right places and they look to be clicking already...after just 3 games. I think Dupuis is the best comparison though I have only seen a few small instances of him being as fast. He's not that long off a broken leg...so could definitely be a factor.

I thought about Miles Wood too but NJ probably is gonna rape someone else with their demands.

How about Marcus Foligno?
- Barnaby36

He wouldn't be a bad pickup but I'm not as big of a fan of Foligno because he doesn't satisfy my #speedboner. He has way better analytics than I anticipated. Wood is younger and has a bit more offensive upside.

Not sure he moves the needle enough to be worth acquiring...I'm on the fence.

I brought up yesterday what this top six will look like when Jake is healthy, people immediately replied with no way, Jake plays with Sid and that's that. I just don't think that's that.

As long as Jake plays with either Sid or Geno he will continue to score at his rate and proved so this season. Zucker's overall style, while I'm sure would/will be fine next Geno, is far more suited for Sid's style of play than Geno. I don't think it's a given where Jake plays when he comes back. It can easily wind up being next to Geno if Zucker continues to flourish next to Sid.

I brought up yesterday what this top six will look like when Jake is healthy, people immediately replied with no way, Jake plays with Sid and that's that. I just don't think that's that.

As long as Jake plays with either Sid or Geno he will continue to score at his rate and proved so this season. Zucker's overall style, while I'm sure would/will be fine next Geno, is far more suited for Sid's style of play than Geno. I don't think it's a given where Jake plays when he comes back. It can easily wind up being next to Geno if Zucker continues to flourish next to Sid.
- Rinosaur

I think any winger would love to be in Jake's position lol Geno is a creating machine just like Sid.

Random thought...

I've made my feelings clear on Hornqvist. I'm happy when he's productive and creating havoc, but there are other parts of his game that drive me mental and those reasons have to be clear to the coaching stuff since he never lasts very long when moved up to the top-six. Plus, it's always just a matter of time before he's injured and leaving a void.

There would be elements to his play that would definitely be missed and while I still believe he's going to be the MAF of the Seattle draft, I would very much like the Pens to find a way to move him this off-season.

I don't know what will happen to Toffoli in VAN, but if he hits the market I'd want the Pens to sign him and move Hornqvist. Two very different players and while Toffoli doesn't bring the physical tenacity or net-front-chaos, I think his overall game is much better suited for this team than Hornqvist.

Zucker-Sid-Toffoli
Jake-Geno-Rust
Kahun-McCann-Simon
ZAR-Blueger-Tanev

If the Pens want to replace that tenacity they can do it on the back-end when they look to fill the 3rd pairing RD.

Random thought...

I've made my feelings clear on Hornqvist. I'm happy when he's productive and creating havoc, but there are other parts of his game that drive me mental and those reasons have to be clear to the coaching stuff since he never lasts very long when moved up to the top-six. Plus, it's always just a matter of time before he's injured and leaving a void.

There would be elements to his play that would definitely be missed and while I still believe he's going to be the MAF of the Seattle draft, I would very much like the Pens to find a way to move him this off-season.

I don't know what will happen to Toffoli in VAN, but if he hits the market I'd want the Pens to sign him and move Hornqvist. Two very different players and while Toffoli doesn't bring the physical tenacity or net-front-chaos, I think his overall game is much better suited for this team than Hornqvist.

Zucker-Sid-Toffoli
Jake-Geno-Rust
Kahun-McCann-Simon
ZAR-Blueger-Tanev

If the Pens want to replace that tenacity they can do it on the back-end when they look to fill the 3rd pairing RD.
- Rinosaur

IMO Lafferty should have a spot on this team next year. He's got speed and hustle. Very nice finding.

Btw, Agozzino hasn't been terrible. I'm glad he's signed for another year in WBS.

IMO Lafferty should have a spot on this team next year. He's got speed and hustle. Very nice finding.

Btw, Agozzino hasn't been terrible. I'm glad he's signed for another year in WBS.
- Barnaby36

Agozzino has been very mediocre IMO. Lafferty is absolutely fine to the be the extra forward. A permanent mainstay? With a healthy lineup I just don't see it. He'd have to rediscover his scoring touch with a bit more consistency.

Dillon would've looked good with us but I won't lose sleep over this deal. We'll be fine. JR will make a deal happen if he thinks we need someone tougher.

Speed kills and we are heading in the right direction a la 15/16.
- Barnaby36

Grit in hockey is like special teams in football. Special teams isn't as important as offense or defense just as grit isn't as important as possession and scoring, but as a third phase either can tip the balance.

Washington now is much more physical than those teams the Pens beat on the way to their Cups and we won't have Guentzel that series. It's not like Washington isn't loaded with skill too, so the large physical difference concerns me. Going to be a very tough task.

I brought up yesterday what this top six will look like when Jake is healthy, people immediately replied with no way, Jake plays with Sid and that's that. I just don't think that's that.

As long as Jake plays with either Sid or Geno he will continue to score at his rate and proved so this season. Zucker's overall style, while I'm sure would/will be fine next Geno, is far more suited for Sid's style of play than Geno. I don't think it's a given where Jake plays when he comes back. It can easily wind up being next to Geno if Zucker continues to flourish next to Sid.
- Rinosaur

Nah putting both Zucker and Guentzel with Sid is too top heavy. And Zucker and Rust fill too similar of roles for me to want them to play together so I’d rather not have G pimp Zucker down to Malkin and Rust. I think the Guentzel-Malkin-Rust line gets reunited.

Grit in hockey is like special teams in football. Special teams isn't as important as offense or defense just as grit isn't as important as possession and scoring, but as a third phase either can tip the balance.

Washington now is much more physical than those teams the Pens beat on the way to their Cups and we won't have Guentzel that series. It's not like Washington isn't loaded with skill too, so the large physical difference concerns me. Going to be a very tough task.
- Tojo.

This sentiment is almost verbatim what people said prior to the the last two times the Pens ousted the Caps in the 2nd round. When the Caps finally beat the Pens it wasn't because of physicality. They simply played better than the Pens.

Sure there are the same number of penalties called but are the actual number of infractions the same in the playoffs compared to the regular season ?
- willi

That's always been my thought. They call the same number of penalties but there's a lot more happening because the players know the refs don't want to call a lot of penalties in a playoff game.

Nah putting both Zucker and Guentzel with Sid is too top heavy. And Zucker and Rust fill too similar of roles for me to want them to play together so I’d rather not have G pimp Zucker down to Malkin and Rust. I think the Guentzel-Malkin-Rust line gets reunited.
- Victoro311

I didn't say put both Jake and Zucker with Sid. I was stated exactly what you said in the last sentence.

Look up at my projected lines from another post.

Grit in hockey is like special teams in football. Special teams isn't as important as offense or defense just as grit isn't as important as possession and scoring, but as a third phase either can tip the balance.

Washington now is much more physical than those teams the Pens beat on the way to their Cups and we won't have Guentzel that series. It's not like Washington isn't loaded with skill too, so the large physical difference concerns me. Going to be a very tough task.
- Tojo.

I don’t think that’s a good comparison. Special teams is an actual phase of the game in football and is also a big indicator of a well coached team since it’s very detail oriented. Grit is purely an intangible like leadership. Special teams is much more comparable to something like team backchecking.

I didn't say put both Jake and Zucker with Sid. I was stated exactly what you said in the last sentence.

Look up at my projected lines from another post.
- Rinosaur

I was agreeing with you. I was responding to your first stamens about people wanting him right back with Sid.

I brought up yesterday what this top six will look like when Jake is healthy, people immediately replied with no way, Jake plays with Sid and that's that. I just don't think that's that.

As long as Jake plays with either Sid or Geno he will continue to score at his rate and proved so this season. Zucker's overall style, while I'm sure would/will be fine next Geno, is far more suited for Sid's style of play than Geno. I don't think it's a given where Jake plays when he comes back. It can easily wind up being next to Geno if Zucker continues to flourish next to Sid.
- Rinosaur

Completely agree, Zucker's game suits Crosby more than Malkin though he'd still be good there. Jake didn't see any dropoff with Malkin. I wish he was playing because that line would shred the matchups they'd get with Sid drawing top defenses.

I was agreeing with you. I was responding to your first stamens about people wanting him right back with Sid.
- Victoro311

Completely agree, Zucker's game suits Crosby more than Malkin though he'd still be good there. Jake didn't see any dropoff with Malkin. I wish he was playing because that line would shred the matchups they'd get with Sid drawing top defenses.
- Tojo.

This is definitely a chicken or egg thing. While Zucker was always on JR's radar and looking for ways to acquire him, we don't know how aggressive he would have been had Jake not gone down. Jake's injury may have been the reason he bent on Addison. We will never know.

That said, if they had both Jake and Zucker, especially with the level Jake was playing before he got injured? The Pens would be steamrolling teams.

Agozzino has been very mediocre IMO. Lafferty is absolutely fine to the be the extra forward. A permanent mainstay? With a healthy lineup I just don't see it. He'd have to rediscover his scoring touch with a bit more consistency.
- Rinosaur

That's how I feel too. Lafferty will likely be on the team, but who would he push out of the line-up? And that's even if someone like Poulin doesn't make the team. Great guy to have as an extra though.

He wouldn't be a bad pickup but I'm not as big of a fan of Foligno because he doesn't satisfy my #speedboner. He has way better analytics than I anticipated. Wood is younger and has a bit more offensive upside.

Not sure he moves the needle enough to be worth acquiring...I'm on the fence.
- YouMeAndDupuis9

I'd like Foligno, but they probably expand the Zucker trade to get him. I think I read they don't want to trade him.

That's how I feel to. Lafferty will likely be on the team, but who would he push out of the line-up? And that's even if someone like Poulin doesn't make the team. Great guy to have as an extra though.
- Tojo.

Agreed. Lafferty at least has the basic intangibles necessary to play Sully's system, so he's a good extra forward.

This is definitely a chicken or egg thing. While Zucker was always on JR's radar and looking for ways to acquire him, we don't know how aggressive he would have been had Jake not gone down. Jake's injury may have been the reason he bent on Addison. We will never know.

That said, if they had both Jake and Zucker, especially with the level Jake was playing before he got injured? The Pens would be steamrolling teams.
- Rinosaur

Hell, we’d be steamrolling teams right now even without Jake if our blue line wasn’t such a disaster yet again. At least this iteration of stupid blue line woes has nothing to do with bad moves and is just poopty injury luck that will hopefully get better.

Agozzino has been very mediocre IMO. Lafferty is absolutely fine to the be the extra forward. A permanent mainstay? With a healthy lineup I just don't see it. He'd have to rediscover his scoring touch with a bit more consistency.
- Rinosaur

Lafferty is a damn fine 4th liner. Honestly I think he's a better fit than Aston-Reese. As for Agozzino, he's a decent call up.

I don’t think that’s a good comparison. Special teams is an actual phase of the game in football and is also a big indicator of a well coached team since it’s very detail oriented. Grit is purely an intangible like leadership. Special teams is much more comparable to something like team backchecking.
- Victoro311

I don't know that grit is completely intangible. Using the football analogy, Derrick Henry tangibly wears down defenses.

Just like physical forechecking wears down defenses and increases the likelihood of rushed decisions/turnovers.

To me, grit/physicality is a skill just like speed. If you are elite at it, it's a distinct advantage. The caveat being you still need to be well rounded. Speed - if you are elite at it with no other skills (Joe Vitale), it has no impact. Physicality - if you are elite at it with no other skills (John Scott), it has no impact.

Sure there are the same number of penalties called but are the actual number of infractions the same in the playoffs compared to the regular season ?
- willi

I'd agree there's more infractions let go...but that's not what we're talking about here. We're talking about the number of penalties dished out in a game/number of PP's awarded.