Loose pucks: Grzelcyk's just ... wow, I can't anymore
• I'm running out of ways to describe how devastatingly awful Matt Grzelcyk's been, even as opponents appear to torment him, but his formula on this night at least was familiar:
— Hockey Daily 365 l NHL Highlights & News (@HockeyDaily365) December 11, 2024
Yeah, the old ill-timed, ill-advised, ill-supported pinch. Just take one look at Blake Lizotte still being low -- and in full view -- to know that Grzelcyk had no business bumping up there, particularly with Nathan MacKinnon out there. That's not a system issue. That's just ... bad.
I can't anymore with this guy. I just can't.
• Sidney Crosby vs. his best bud MacKinnon didn't exactly bubble over: Sid had no points, two shots, five attempted shots and, at the least, a superb 27-10 showing on faceoffs, while MacKinnon had a goal, four assists, a plus-4 rating and all of the wow factors available. Imagine them on a line together in a couple months.
• It was terrific to see Phil Tomasino back and, almost instantly, creating offense again. No trace of his upper-body injury. Can't afford to have him cooling off.
• It was equally terrific to see Cody Glass rewarded with another all-around solid effort with his first goal in this sweater, thanks to an exceptional look from Evgeni Malkin:
"It was a good feeling," Glass would say of scoring. "At one point, I didn't think I was ever gonna score again. But that's what happens when you play with Geno. He'll find you anywhere."
Dude's got some offense to him. He's no plugger. Mike Sullivan slid him up to the second line with Geno and Tomasino, bumping Drew O'Connor down, and he made it stand up.
• Several players on the roster are more talented than Michael Bunting, but only Bunting plants himself in places to score goals like these:
— Hockey Daily 365 l NHL Highlights & News (@HockeyDaily365) December 11, 2024
There's no reason, between what's above, all his other offense of late and his innate ability to fill the bumper role on the power play, that he shouldn't be on the No. 1 unit. As in, now.
• Scratching Jesse Puljujarvi and suiting up Noel Acciari -- yet again the Penguins' least productive player in terms of general team possession -- blows my mind, no matter how often similar moves get made. One player's been immensely visible, at least when he's permitted to participate, and the other brings borderline nothing.
THE ASYLUM
Loose pucks: Grzelcyk's just ... wow, I can't anymore
• I'm running out of ways to describe how devastatingly awful Matt Grzelcyk's been, even as opponents appear to torment him, but his formula on this night at least was familiar:
Yeah, the old ill-timed, ill-advised, ill-supported pinch. Just take one look at Blake Lizotte still being low -- and in full view -- to know that Grzelcyk had no business bumping up there, particularly with Nathan MacKinnon out there. That's not a system issue. That's just ... bad.
I can't anymore with this guy. I just can't.
• Sidney Crosby vs. his best bud MacKinnon didn't exactly bubble over: Sid had no points, two shots, five attempted shots and, at the least, a superb 27-10 showing on faceoffs, while MacKinnon had a goal, four assists, a plus-4 rating and all of the wow factors available. Imagine them on a line together in a couple months.
• It was terrific to see Phil Tomasino back and, almost instantly, creating offense again. No trace of his upper-body injury. Can't afford to have him cooling off.
• It was equally terrific to see Cody Glass rewarded with another all-around solid effort with his first goal in this sweater, thanks to an exceptional look from Evgeni Malkin:
"It was a good feeling," Glass would say of scoring. "At one point, I didn't think I was ever gonna score again. But that's what happens when you play with Geno. He'll find you anywhere."
Dude's got some offense to him. He's no plugger. Mike Sullivan slid him up to the second line with Geno and Tomasino, bumping Drew O'Connor down, and he made it stand up.
• Several players on the roster are more talented than Michael Bunting, but only Bunting plants himself in places to score goals like these:
There's no reason, between what's above, all his other offense of late and his innate ability to fill the bumper role on the power play, that he shouldn't be on the No. 1 unit. As in, now.
• Scratching Jesse Puljujarvi and suiting up Noel Acciari -- yet again the Penguins' least productive player in terms of general team possession -- blows my mind, no matter how often similar moves get made. One player's been immensely visible, at least when he's permitted to participate, and the other brings borderline nothing.
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