I'm with you on the disappointment of Malkin's and especially Crosby's performance against the Bruins but it could easily be argued that Bruins have 3 of the top 25 players in the world (Chara, Bergeron and Rask). If they're not top 25, atleast they're damn near close to that.
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I think four games is too small of a sample size to make any significant judgements on. Pittsburgh does need to make changes, but you don't do that by cutting ties with one of the best players in hockey.
And I'd disagree with that statement too - if Chara isn't a top 25 player... then who is? The guy is the most dominant defenseman in hockey. And Rask is one of the best goalies in hockey, too.
Boston, simply put, is a great team. There are many ways to skin a cat (win a Cup) - you can build a deep and balanced team from top to bottom (Boston, LA last year). You can have star players and build around them (Chicago, Pittsburgh, Detroit).
I think the best thing that Shero can do is to make minor tweaks, get a new goalie, and pray to the gods that Crosby can stay healthy.
^Yes. Completely agree.
In May of 2010, Boston could have swept Philadelphia in 4 games.
Instead, Philadelphia won 4 straight games.
Boston and the other of the final four NHL teams have all really done a great job of keeping their core players in tact.
Maybe THAT is what we should consider the "key" to a succesful team... keeping the key players together and building around those pieces.
The best players on LA (Quick, Kopitar, Doughty), CHI (Toews, Kane, Keith, Crawford), PIT (Crosby, Malkin, Letang), BOS (Rask, Bergeron, Krejci)... are all home-grown drafted players.
Chara is the only key player on those teams that had played on another club... and he's been a Bruin for a long, long time.
There's a simple solution to PIT's problems: Steve Ott.
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Manhandled? You said in the ramblings yourself that Malkin dominated Chara and just couldn't score on Rask. Crosby had a tough series, I would love to see what Pittsburgh could do in the playoffs when Crosby isn't coming off of an injury. Remember in 2008 (the year they lost to Detroit) Crosby was coming off a high ankle sprain entering the playoffs. 2009 is the only year Crosby didn't enter the playoffs coming off an injury (or was injured) and they won the cup. I for one, have a lot of faith in Crosby's ability to stay healthy next year, and his jaw injury actually enforces that. The fact that he took a shot like that and had not even a wisp of concussion symptoms is incredible encouraging. The broken jaw was a Taylor Hall type thing. You can't really say he is injury prone for something that was just unlucky.
Couldn't agree more...if we divide up the top 25 players evenly (relatively), by position...
top 14 forwards
top 8 defensemen
top 3 goaltenders
Chara would definitely be in my top 8 D in the league
Rask would definitely be in my top 3 goaltenders in the league
If you considered faceoffs and two-way play...Bergeron would be close to the top 14 forwards.
Malkin and Crosby would be in the top 14
Letang would be in the top 8
Both have top players...and if Chara and Rask were not on Boston...Pittsburgh would have walked all over them. Boston's top 25 players just outplayed Pittsburgh's top 25 players.
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So who do you put him ahead of: Quick, Lundqvist, Rinne, Lehtonen? Thats high praise for 138 GP (Yes I said Lehtonen, Dallas would be have floundered in a Florida type situation the last couple years without him. He regularly and dominantly steals a lot of games for them.)
Steve Ott would help...but I think David Clarkson would help more. A guy who could play top line minutes but not let them get pushed around. Trade Fleury...let Dupuis go...let Morrow go...trade Kennedy's rights...let Iginla go (unless he is willing to take a sizeable discount)...promote Bennett full-time...promote Despres full-time...lots of cap-space to make it happen...and as good as Dupuis has been for us...Clarkson would be a much better fit for this team.
Kunitz-Crosby-Clarkson
Iginla/Bennett-Malkin-Neal
Cooke-Sutter-Jokinin/Jeffrey
Glass-Jokinen/Jeffrey-Vitale
Fleury's money goes to Clarkson...that leaves the Pens about 8 mil to sign Iggy, Cooke, Jeffrey and some press box guys. Plus they should be able to get an asset back for Fleury and Kennedy's rights...I think it could work...and it would be a much better team. Let those guys play together all year and they are a more skilled...tougher team than this year...but keep everything in tact.
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FWD -
DEF-
GOAL-
PITT just needs some composure in their dressing room. I don't know if that comes with a playoff vet or coaching.
You can tell things are bad when Crosby is picking a fight with Chara, or the fiasco with Philly..
Teams like Chicago, Boston, Detroit, LA; you know when it's a big moment there going to show up. You see it overtime (last night was great), you see it when they are in a hole, and they have the confidence and composure to stay the route and win games..
I think Boston is great for this. When they won the cup their first round was a little shaky but ended up winning. Even this year, even though it may have been partly Boston's surge and Toronto's collapse!
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I'd rather see Bennett with Crosby. Cros thrives off of Dupuis speed. IF (big if, there is a lot of interest) but IF Pitt signs Clarkson, I would rather see their lines shaking out as
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