Ryan Reaves having success in Western Conf Finals

[Legacy User]

good to see

http://www.post-gazette.com/sports/peng ... 1805170166

[Steel Ubaldo]

Glad to see Reaves is doing well. Really liked him. I believe that moving him this year before the playoffs was a HUGE mistake. It’s difficult to get all fired up at Rutherford after back to back Cups but the move made no sense.

[Louis Lipps Service]

Reaves was a healthy scratch for Vegas all the way until the last game of the previous round against the Sharks and has exactly 0 points in the 4 games since then.

I wouldn't exactly call that a key cog to the process.

[fractalsteel]

Does this mean I can start a thread about Matt Niskanen, or Brooks Orpik or maybe Chris Kunitz?

[SteelPro]

Does this mean I can start a thread about Matt Niskanen, or Brooks Orpik or maybe Chris Kunitz?

Or James Neal, or Marc Andre Fleury, or David Perron

[Louis Lipps Service]

How about a Tanner Glass thread?

[fractalsteel]

How about a Tanner Glass thread?

Yup, and after that one we can look into what Craig Adams, George Laraque and Ruslan Fedotenko are up to these days.

[Legacy User]

you guys could start those threads, but i didn't see any articles published in the Post Gazette today about any of those jagoffs

However, i did share the article about Ryan Reaves in this thread

If you don't like it, don't fuckin' read it

[Legacy User]

Glad to see Reaves is doing well. Really liked him. I believe that moving him this year before the playoffs was a HUGE mistake. It’s difficult to get all fired up at Rutherford after back to back Cups but the move made no sense.

1000% agreed.

Also agree with Reaves about how the Pens mis-used him. He is showing his value now.

[Louis Lipps Service]

Glad to see Reaves is doing well. Really liked him. I believe that moving him this year before the playoffs was a HUGE mistake. It’s difficult to get all fired up at Rutherford after back to back Cups but the move made no sense.

He is showing his value now.

How is he showing his value, exactly?

He hasn't even played in over half of the games Vegas has played in the playoffs, and only got a sweater because William Carrier is out with an injury, meaning Reaves could very well be a healthy scratch again before this series is even over.

He's made absolutely no positive impact on the stat sheet, whatesoever. 0 goals, 0 assists, -1 +/-, 4 PIM.

Hell, he hasn't even been good at the one thing he's supposed to be good at, as he's routinely gotten out-gooned by Dustin Byfuglien.

[Legacy User]

Glad to see Reaves is doing well. Really liked him. I believe that moving him this year before the playoffs was a HUGE mistake. It’s difficult to get all fired up at Rutherford after back to back Cups but the move made no sense.

He is showing his value now.

How is he showing his value, exactly?

He hasn't even played in over half of the games Vegas has played in the playoffs, and only got a sweater because William Carrier is out with an injury, meaning Reaves could very well be a healthy scratch again before this series is even over.

He's made absolutely no positive impact on the stat sheet, whatesoever. 0 goals, 0 assists, -1 +/-, 4 PIM.

Hell, he hasn't even been good at the one thing he's supposed to be good at, as he's routinely gotten out-gooned by Dustin Byfuglien.

I guess I don't value 4th line players in terms of goals/assists/points like you do. There are some guys who bring good energy and shut down players on the other team, and make things harder for the other team. It doesn't always get reflected in a stat line.

Ryan Reaves emerged from the Vegas Golden Knights’ dressing room late Wednesday, his right eye a little swollen but a gigantic smile plastered on his face.

The reason was his team’s 4-2 win over the Winnipeg Jets in Game 3 of the Western Conference final at T-Mobile Arena, a game in which Reaves not only played but starred.

In 9:42, Reaves delivered six hits and blocked a shot while playing a key energy role on a fourth line with Pierre-Edouard Bellemare and Ryan Carpenter, a trio that was entrusted with shifts against top Jets scorers such as Blake Wheeler and Patrik Laine.

It’s a dose of responsibility that Reaves rarely saw during his brief time in Pittsburgh, and he had zero problem pinpointing why things never really worked out during an interview with the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette.

[Ice]

How about a Tanner Glass thread?

Yup, and after that one we can look into what Craig Adams, George Laraque and Ruslan Fedotenko are up to these days.

This pretty much sums up the pointlessness of the thread, which goes well with Reaves' pointless postseason. Of course, with this posted, Reaves will score the game winning goal in Game 7 of the Cup Final.

[Louis Lipps Service]

He is showing his value now.

How is he showing his value, exactly?

He hasn't even played in over half of the games Vegas has played in the playoffs, and only got a sweater because William Carrier is out with an injury, meaning Reaves could very well be a healthy scratch again before this series is even over.

He's made absolutely no positive impact on the stat sheet, whatesoever. 0 goals, 0 assists, -1 +/-, 4 PIM.

Hell, he hasn't even been good at the one thing he's supposed to be good at, as he's routinely gotten out-gooned by Dustin Byfuglien.

I guess I don't value 4th line players in terms of goals/assists/points like you do. There are some guys who bring good energy and shut down players on the other team, and make things harder for the other team. It doesn't always get reflected in a stat line.

Ryan Reaves emerged from the Vegas Golden Knights’ dressing room late Wednesday, his right eye a little swollen but a gigantic smile plastered on his face.

The reason was his team’s 4-2 win over the Winnipeg Jets in Game 3 of the Western Conference final at T-Mobile Arena, a game in which Reaves not only played but starred.

In 9:42, Reaves delivered six hits and blocked a shot while playing a key energy role on a fourth line with Pierre-Edouard Bellemare and Ryan Carpenter, a trio that was entrusted with shifts against top Jets scorers such as Blake Wheeler and Patrik Laine.

It’s a dose of responsibility that Reaves rarely saw during his brief time in Pittsburgh, and he had zero problem pinpointing why things never really worked out during an interview with the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette.

I fully understand the role of a 4th liner. I understand scoring isn't everything and not even most things.

I'm saying you, and this blatant puff-piece of an article that was written solely to be borderline clickbait to the yinzer "Pownd da rawk!" fanbase, are grossly overstating it's importance in the 2018 version of the NHL.

Vegas was one of the best teams in the regular season, and then the most dominating team in the playoffs...all before Ryan Reaves ever even entered the lineup.

You really think that now that he's suddenly there, he deserves credit for them playing well?

Or do you think that maybe you, and this article, are trying to squeeze that team's success into an agenda?

I think it's a giant heaping of that second one. And I like Reaves! Seems like a good dude. Wish he was better and could have stuck around. But he wasn't. So no he's a guy that was a healthy scratch for most the playoffs, and probably will be again before the playoffs are over.

[fractalsteel]

you guys could start those threads, but i didn't see any articles published in the Post Gazette today about any of those jagoffs

However, i did share the article about Ryan Reaves in this thread

If you don't like it, don't fuckin' read it

Steel,
I don't believe you are being honest here. I think you posted this because of your obsession with the player and because you wanted to goad Hacksaw into another argument.
Like Crosby4life posted prior, the piece in the PG was fluff and meant to get clicks.

I have no ill will towards the player and if hoists the cup this year I'll be happy for him and the other former Pens on the Vegas roster.

[jeemie]

We would not still be in the playoffs had we kept Ryan Reaves.

[Legacy User]

you guys could start those threads, but i didn't see any articles published in the Post Gazette today about any of those jagoffs

However, i did share the article about Ryan Reaves in this thread

If you don't like it, don't fuckin' read it

Steel,
I don't believe you are being honest here. I think you posted this because of your obsession with the player and because you wanted to goad Hacksaw into another argument.
Like Crosby4life posted prior, the piece in the PG was fluff and meant to get clicks.

I have no ill will towards the player and if hoists the cup this year I'll be happy for him and the other former Pens on the Vegas roster.

I won't lie- you're right. But that's only part of it. I do think we lost a lot when we lost a guy like Kunitz -- maybe not the fastest guy in the world, but he plays with an edge. Similar to Reaves. I think you need a guy like Kunitz or Reaves in the playoffs if you want to go far. We let Kunitz leave, we traded for Reaves and then..... we didn't use him. That's what the article was about.

Anyway, I will note that the 4th line scored another goal for Vegas tonite (Reaves +1).

[fractalsteel]

We never completely replaced Kunitz. I was on board with trying to replace #14 with Reaves but after a few weeks, it was OBVIOUS to most that he could only fill the physical end of things that Kuni brought. Reaves will never be much of an offensive threat.

The Pens play a style under Sullivan that is NOT fitting to what Reaves can do(which is limited IMO). If Sullivan couldn't find a place for Reaves in the way he wanted his team to play then I'm going to side with the HC's decision to scratch him.
I mean Sullivan came in right away and proved that his system worked with his current team and unfortunately for Reaves there was NO true place for him in that system.

I get the fourth line ideal but even under Sullivan, that line has to more than be tough to play against. They have to produce from time to time. I'll bet that if Cullen had stayed Reaves still would have been an odd cog in the machine.

Nothing against the player. He should be happy because he is so close to playing for it all.

[swissvale72]

Reaves scores go-ahead goal in Game #5 of conference finals!! Hahaha...where's Steel??

He's only played 5:09 total in first two periods, though.

[Legacy User]

Reaves scores go-ahead goal in Game #5 of conference finals!! Hahaha...where's Steel??

He's only played 5:09 total in first two periods, though.

Yea I’m amazed that this guy can play 9 mins/game for the best team in hockey and yet we couldn’t work him into our rotation

By the way Swiss - that is a GAME WINNING goal sending his team into the SC Finals

[swissvale72]

Reaves scores go-ahead goal in Game #5 of conference finals!! Hahaha...where's Steel??

He's only played 5:09 total in first two periods, though.

Yea I’m amazed that this guy can play 9 mins/game for the best team in hockey and yet we couldn’t work him into our rotation

By the way Swiss - that is a GAME WINNING goal sending his team into the SC Finals

You're right, Steel.....turned out that way. My post was mid-way through 2nd period. Didn't realize Reaves is from Winnipeg.

[fractalsteel]

If Vegas wins the cup I hope Reaves gets to play in at least one game-that is the only way he gets his name on the cup.

[jeemie]

Reaves scores go-ahead goal in Game #5 of conference finals!! Hahaha...where's Steel??

He's only played 5:09 total in first two periods, though.

Yea I’m amazed that this guy can play 9 mins/game for the best team in hockey and yet we couldn’t work him into our rotation

By the way Swiss - that is a GAME WINNING goal sending his team into the SC Finals

That’s the way it works sometimes.

Not everyone is a fit everywhere.

Reaves was not putting us over the top. Our fourth line was actually pretty high energy. It just couldn’t produce goals.

It’s also foolish to think Vegas wouldn’t have been in the Cup Finals without him.

He is NOT all that.

And I was on board with getting him.

[jeemie]

If Vegas wins the cup I hope Reaves gets to play in at least one game-that is the only way he gets his name on the cup.

He’ll play one game.

[Legacy User]

Reaves scores go-ahead goal in Game #5 of conference finals!! Hahaha...where's Steel??

He's only played 5:09 total in first two periods, though.

Yea I’m amazed that this guy can play 9 mins/game for the best team in hockey and yet we couldn’t work him into our rotation

By the way Swiss - that is a GAME WINNING goal sending his team into the SC Finals

That’s the way it works sometimes.

Not everyone is a fit everywhere.

Reaves was not putting us over the top. Our fourth line was actually pretty high energy. It just couldn’t produce goals.

It’s also foolish to think Vegas wouldn’t have been in the Cup Finals without him.

He is NOT all that.

And I was on board with getting him.

I never said he would put us over the top

But he brings an element to the game that we were sorely lacking

I’m amazed he couldn’t earn time on a team that didn’t even make the ECF but yet he’s playing quality minutes for the best team in hockey— maybe he’s not so bad

[Legacy User]

How about a Tanner Glass thread?

Yup, and after that one we can look into what Craig Adams, George Laraque and Ruslan Fedotenko are up to these days.

These posts are very juvenile in retrospect

Guy gets the GWG in the WCF — his fucking STICK is going to the HOF— hahahahahaha!!!!!

[jeemie]

Except it turns out we weren't missing what Reaves brought to the table, steel.

We were missing secondary scoring, not fourth line energy.

[Ice]

By the way Swiss - that is a GAME WINNING goal sending his team into the SC Finals

Hey, I almost called it. I think if he does score the GWG in the Cup Final, we should all pitch in and get Steel a Ryan Reaves sweater as a reward for his undying devotion. It's like the anti-Cotch Watch.

[fractalsteel]

How about a Tanner Glass thread?

Yup, and after that one we can look into what Craig Adams, George Laraque and Ruslan Fedotenko are up to these days.

These posts are very juvenile in retrospect

Guy gets the GWG in the WCF — his fucking STICK is going to the HOF— hahahahahaha!!!!!

Says the guy who gets into bedwetting contests with Hacksaw and shares tales about swapping blow jobs.

This article was a sucker article.
There is little to nothing going on with the Pens this offseason. No big free agency news, no expansion draft, no coaching changes, very little. So this scrub writer has to dredge up some fairy tale bullshit because there is nothing to talk about and you fell for it.

WOW, you really are a hockey savant. You were right about a fourth line winger who carved out this littlest niche for himself and found some luck with the 'feel good' story of the year in the NHL.

Somewhere in your brilliant hockey mind, I have no doubts that you equate the value of Reaves to that of Fleury concerning the GK's.

[Donnie Brasco]

I never said he would put us over the top

But he brings an element to the game that we were sorely lacking

I’m amazed he couldn’t earn time on a team that didn’t even make the ECF but yet he’s playing quality minutes for the best team in hockey— maybe he’s not so bad

What exactly were we lacking?

We lost because of the following:
1. Goaltending was subpar - Last I saw, RR doesn't play goal
2. Defensive coverage was atrocious (especially Letang) - RR is average defensively. He's not going to win any Selke Awards in his career or be in the conversation
3. Secondary scoring - this is the only X factor or possibility you can hang your hat on. Maybe RR pots a couple goals, but his track record indicates that he isn't exactly a known scorer or playoff performer

Look, I like Reaves and think he's a decent hockey player. I'm happy for all the former Pens (save for James Neal) having so much success with LV. But Reaves isn't the reason we lost to the Caps, nor is he the reason LV in in the SCF.

Reaves is definitely a better fit for a Western Conf team. Reaves looked out of place on the Pens, much like Kuhn/Rowney does and Kunitz did before them. We play at a pace that isn't suited for those guys. Not saying you shouldn't have a few of those heavy players in your lineup, but having or not having them are gonna move the needle much.

[jeemie]

Off-topic...I wonder if Fleury taught the Knights it's OK to touch the conference trophy, and that indeed, more "conference-trophy-touching" teams have won the Stanley Cup than lost it (IIRC).