Ryan Wilson: It doesn't Maatta what the defense pairings are It doesn't Maatta what the defense pairings are

Ryan Wilson: It doesn't Maatta what the defense pairings are
It doesn't Maatta what the defense pairings are
- Ryan_Wilson

Johnson sucks, blah blah

Low energy. Sad.

I actually do think that Dumo could prop up Johnson. On paper they're compliments. Hainsey and Dumo weren't.

I’m not so sure Brassard can do all the heavy lifting in transition to give Hornqvist more offensive zone time which he desperately needs to be relevant. He certainly won’t be assisting the carrying of the puck in the neutral zone. Isn't this what Simon's specialty is supposed to be?

I think Maatta and Riikola could be a good fit together. I don't think Johnson is a good fit with Schultz. Johnson needs to be benched, or play top6. He is not a top 4 dman from what we've seen.

I’m not so sure Brassard can do all the heavy lifting in transition to give Hornqvist more offensive zone time which he desperately needs to be relevant. He certainly won’t be assisting the carrying of the puck in the neutral zone. Isn't this what Simon's specialty is supposed to be?
- Thunderbolt

Simon doesn't really have a specialty. Better than Sheary defensively. Much worse than Sheary offensively.

I think the Pens have been guilty of over-passing so far.....which as you say, will render Hornie useless. Regardless of the line, they have to get the puck on net to take advantage of what he does best.

Maata sits last game, Oleksiak tonight. Should we assume Johnson is next?

Maata sits last game, Oleksiak tonight. Should we assume Johnson is next?
- Dr Blob

Honestly wouldn’t be shocked if Schultz sat before Johnson. Schultz has been visibly bad and Johnson is the bigger investment.

I actually do think that Dumo could prop up Johnson. On paper they're compliments. Hainsey and Dumo weren't.
- Victoro311

Agreed. Dumo and Hainsey's style don't really compliment each other.

Very clever. “I knew that jack would be bad... but even if he plays good it’s his line mates doing.”

That about sums up people’s frustration with the abuse of advanced stats.

Honestly wouldn’t be shocked if Schultz sat before Johnson. Schultz has been visibly bad and Johnson is the bigger investment.
- Victoro311

This is what annoys me... Johnson was a bad signing so we're going to spend the next 2 years blaming him for everything that ails the Penguins. Has he been great, no, but he hasn't been their worst dman in any of the games so far. I fully agree Schultz has been visibly bad at times.....especially at defending. Maatta was visibly bad against the Habs and I thought Oleksiak was plain awful against Vegas.

The biggest problem I've seen goes beyond individual players and performances. The Penguins have been soundly beaten to the puck in the last two games and they aren't good enough defensively to let other teams own possession.

This is what annoys me... Johnson was a bad signing so we're going to spend the next 2 years blaming him for everything that ails the Penguins. Has he been great, no, but he hasn't been their worst dman in any of the games so far. I fully agree Schultz has been visibly bad at times.....especially at defending. Maatta was visibly bad against the Habs and I thought Oleksiak was plain awful against Vegas.

The biggest problem I've seen goes beyond individual players and performances. The Penguins have been soundly beaten to the puck in the last two games and they aren't good enough defensively to let other teams own possession.
- madmike71

Johnson has been very solid once in his own end. He has been good positionally and muscling players off the puck, but he's actually worse in the offensive zone and against the rush.

He needs a complimentary player and I disagree with RW. Dumo could go a long way to help.

Johnson has been very solid once in his own end. He has been good positionally and muscling players off the puck, but he's actually worse in the offensive zone and against the rush.

He needs a complimentary player and I disagree with RW. Dumo could go a long way to help.
- Rinosaur

Basically the opposite of what I assumed would happen. Thought he’d be a very physical Dailey who could push play and get points but was less than useless in his own end.

Basically the opposite of what I assumed would happen. Thought he’d be a very physical Dailey who could push play and get points but was less than useless in his own end.
- Victoro311

I was very impressed how he was last game. He was freeing up a lot of pucks by basically shutting guys down.

Johnson has been very solid once in his own end. He has been good positionally and muscling players off the puck, but he's actually worse in the offensive zone and against the rush.

He needs a complimentary player and I disagree with RW. Dumo could go a long way to help.
- Rinosaur

Sullivan needs to reign in JJ, Oleksiak and Maatta. None of these players deserve the freedom to join the rush at will and they shouldn't pinch at the rate they do.

Sullivan needs to reign in JJ, Oleksiak and Maatta. None of these players deserve the freedom to join the rush at will and they shouldn't pinch at the rate they do.
- madmike71

I actually think Maatta is at his best when he's playing loosely and not being asked to be the "stay at home guy" in his pairing. Unfortunately, he gets paired with reckless defensemen A LOT. This is why I'm really excited for the Maatta-Riikola pairing. He's best when he's on a two two-way defensemen pairing rather than an offensive-defensive defenseman pairing.

Sullivan needs to reign in JJ, Oleksiak and Maatta. None of these players deserve the freedom to join the rush at will and they shouldn't pinch at the rate they do.
- madmike71

I honestly didn't see what Maatta was doing so wrong that got him benched. They need him for zone exits. JJ is not good at zone exits and Schultz is OK at them.

I dunno Hainsey is probably better than JJ to be honest.

I dunno Hainsey is probably better than JJ to be honest.
- j.boyd919

Well they need to figure out a way work with JJ because he's certainly not going anywhere soon. Nobody is taking that contract even with retention.

Johnson has been very solid once in his own end. He has been good positionally and muscling players off the puck, but he's actually worse in the offensive zone and against the rush.

He needs a complimentary player and I disagree with RW. Dumo could go a long way to help.
- Rinosaur

I don’t understand how Dumo could help if Dumos positives are his defensive zone play and his gap control on zone entries against, it’s just gonna he Hainsey 2.0 where they are buried in their own zone again if both of their positives are defensive zone contributions.

I don’t understand how Dumo could help if Dumos positives are his defensive zone play and his gap control on zone entries against, it’s just gonna he Hainsey 2.0 where they are buried in their own zone again if both of their positives are defensive zone contributions.
- j.boyd919

It should allow JJ to pinch in the o-zone without being a liability.

We had a good look at what happened to Dumoulin away from Letang when he played with Ron Hainsey.
- Ryan_Wilson

Funny, i would swear they won a cup together as first d-pair... but worth nothing in age of Corsi & %GF*Shoots_with_left_wrister_in_first_57_seconds_of_a_period_else_than_the_second.

It should allow JJ to pinch in the o-zone without being a liability.
- Rinosaur

Ah. So we’re sheltering them with O zone faceoffs then because they’re unlikely to transition to offense then.

Funny, i would swear they won a cup together as first d-pair... but worth nothing in age of Corsi & %GF*Shoots_with_left_wrister_in_first_57_seconds_of_a_period_else_than_the_second.
- VeryModernMan

So you would be comfortable running a Hainsey/Dumo first pairing over the course of an 82+playoffs season and would be confident they would be on the positive end of goal differentials? Because that sounds bananalands.

Sullivan needs to reign in JJ, Oleksiak and Maatta. None of these players deserve the freedom to join the rush at will and they shouldn't pinch at the rate they do.
- madmike71

Maatta is good on the rush as a trailing defenseman. I’d rather have Maatta pinch at the blue line than his partner given Maatta’s foot speed he could get walked on the ensuing odd man rush after his partner misses his pinch lol