Sid, Geno, Neal, Letang and Fleury to Toronto for Future considerations lol
- SayWhat...NoWay

TO would still not make playoffs

TO would still not make playoffs
- nh4442

Based on the play in our 3 losses we may not be there either.

Does Brian Strait not look like a regular out there? I like this guy...

Anyone here any comments after the game?

hate the mornings after a horrible loss......

what rumors are we going to start today?
- nh4442

Bylsma is going to simplify the power play, take Neal off the point, move him down low, put Sid beside the net, Malkin on the halfwall, Martin at the point to be the distributor, and move Letang to the left point where him and his right handed shot can blast one timers from Martin or work the backdoor.

how's that for a rumor?

Does Brian Strait not look like a regular out there? I like this guy...
- ECHockey20

His lack of playing time in Pittsburgh was less about his ability as a player and more about the log jam of players in front of him organizationally. That was your best waiver wire pickup.

Anyone here any comments after the game?
- powerhouse

i think all the comments were given right after the game... i wouldnt be surprised to see rumors of RS looking into a shutdown D..

defense- i liked letang/depres, orpik/martin is decent but martin with that turnover and orpik stood there for the one goal when flower was flopping around, he never took care of the guy in front of the net.. lovejoy/engels were just too slow for a fast team aka gardners goal... nisk is missed but that means despres either is sitting out or on the 3rd line D which isnt good

offense- the mixing up of the lines every shift isnt working... neither is the kuni sid dupes line... i would do jeffrey sid dupes and put kuni back with neal and geno for right now. sutter could also be slotted as 2nd line center and move geno to wing... there are some options other then tk or tangradi on 2nd line. 3rd and 4th line played well i thought.. liked vitale and adams game

goalie- flower made some saves and was left out to dry but he has to make the save nabokov was making... vokun looked great and should have maybe started.. maybe start him the next game and keep him in if doing good...

coaches- need to be able to change up the game plan during the game, and do something with that horrid pp

GM- go fleece someone and get a shutdown D (trade martin ) and a winger with grit for top 6 (iggy or clowe)

Anyone here any comments after the game?
- powerhouse

The Pens website oddly doesn't have any of the players scrums on it, just Byslma's.

Just a poopty effort... we say it again and again, but something has to wake this team up. They get up for one or two games, and then they fall off again. Whether it's coaching or lack of leadership in the room, there obviously is a problem, and it goes back to last season.

Watching special teams last night, told the whole story. On our PP entry, 4 guys stand around at the blue line while one player tries to skate it into the zone through 4 penguins and 4 islanders... And if we actually get into the zone on the third or 4th try, after a shot, it's one and done when we get beat to loose pucks.

On the Islanders' PP, they bring it up, and the Pens back off, giving them the blue line like it's a present, then stand around while the Islanders go hard into the corners or behind the net to corral the loose pucks.

His lack of playing time in Pittsburgh was less about his ability as a player and more about the log jam of players in front of him organizationally. That was your best waiver wire pickup.
- Gunner Staal

he was our best D in last yrs playoffs... i thought for sure he was getting a shot if they would have moved martin... feel bad for burtuzzo.. he isnt getting a shot.. him and lovejoy should alternate games

i think all the comments were given right after the game... i wouldnt be surprised to see rumors of RS looking into a shutdown D..

defense- i liked letang/depres, orpik/martin is decent but martin with that turnover and orpik stood there for the one goal when flower was flopping around, he never took care of the guy in front of the net.. lovejoy/engels were just too slow for a fast team aka gardners goal... nisk is missed but that means despres either is sitting out or on the 3rd line D which isnt good

offense- the mixing up of the lines every shift isnt working... neither is the kuni sid dupes line... i would do jeffrey sid dupes and put kuni back with neal and geno for right now. sutter could also be slotted as 2nd line center and move geno to wing... there are some options other then tk or tangradi on 2nd line. 3rd and 4th line played well i thought.. liked vitale and adams game

goalie- flower made some saves and was left out to dry but he has to make the save nabokov was making... vokun looked great and should have maybe started.. maybe start him the next game and keep him in if doing good...

coaches- need to be able to change up the game plan during the game, and do something with that horrid pp

GM- go fleece someone and get a shutdown D (trade martin ) and a winger with grit for top 6 (iggy or clowe)
- nh4442

The main need on this team is getting rid of some of the quantity on D and getting back some quality. I would like to see them go after somebody with grit in their game. I thought that was one of the big bright spots with Despres last night--he seems willing to use his size and throw the body around a bit.

The main need on this team is getting rid of some of the quantity on D and getting back some quality. I would like to see them go after somebody with grit in their game. I thought that was one of the big bright spots with Despres last night--he seems willing to use his size and throw the body around a bit.
- Rawdog9755

our D isnt that balanced IMO, im still on the trade martin for something bandwagon clears cap and room for despres when nisk is healthy... try to acquire a better shutdown D.. but dont ask me who bc I have no idea

The main need on this team is getting rid of some of the quantity on D and getting back some quality. I would like to see them go after somebody with grit in their game. I thought that was one of the big bright spots with Despres last night--he seems willing to use his size and throw the body around a bit.
- Rawdog9755

Despres needs to play full time and if mistakes come with it, so be it. He was the best defensemen on the ice last night. The problem for the Penguins, he was the best defensemen on the ice last night. Kris Letang for all his talent couldnt make a single simple play to get the puck to the net.

The main need on this team is getting rid of some of the quantity on D and getting back some quality. I would like to see them go after somebody with grit in their game. I thought that was one of the big bright spots with Despres last night--he seems willing to use his size and throw the body around a bit.
- Rawdog9755

Just have to ask in regards to all the trade speculation... Would a trade really change anything? Would having Clowe or Iginla or Perry or hell, all three and then some, really have changed the outcome last night? Lack of direction, lack of effort, lack of adjustment. No player movement will remedy those things.

The main need on this team is getting rid of some of the quantity on D and getting back some quality. I would like to see them go after somebody with grit in their game. I thought that was one of the big bright spots with Despres last night--he seems willing to use his size and throw the body around a bit.
- Rawdog9755

Subway sandwich of the game!!! I though the looked a lot better last night. 44/7 and 5/6 were hard to watch. Listening to a interview of duper this morning and one statement stuck out and bothers me. He said we got away from our system and it cost us. My thought was is it acceptable for a team to deviate from their system (game plan) for almost an entire game? Is it the coaches job to bring them back to that game plan and focus them? Also the leaders on this team need to have a hand in that as well. Hearing that a lot lately with them.

i think all the comments were given right after the game... i wouldnt be surprised to see rumors of RS looking into a shutdown D..

defense- i liked letang/depres, orpik/martin is decent but martin with that turnover and orpik stood there for the one goal when flower was flopping around, he never took care of the guy in front of the net.. lovejoy/engels were just too slow for a fast team aka gardners goal... nisk is missed but that means despres either is sitting out or on the 3rd line D which isnt good

offense- the mixing up of the lines every shift isnt working... neither is the kuni sid dupes line... i would do jeffrey sid dupes and put kuni back with neal and geno for right now. sutter could also be slotted as 2nd line center and move geno to wing... there are some options other then tk or tangradi on 2nd line. 3rd and 4th line played well i thought.. liked vitale and adams game

goalie- flower made some saves and was left out to dry but he has to make the save nabokov was making... vokun looked great and should have maybe started.. maybe start him the next game and keep him in if doing good...

coaches- need to be able to change up the game plan during the game, and do something with that horrid pp

GM- go fleece someone and get a shutdown D (trade martin ) and a winger with grit for top 6 (iggy or clowe)
- nh4442

Letang and Despres were pretty good. The only real mistakes that I saw Despres make, was at times getting too cute with the puck in his zone. Instead of just making sure it got out, he tried some little soft bank passes that got picked off, or just went to an open area. Martin played his first bad game, and while Orpik stood around on Moulson's goal, it was about 1:20 into the kill, and he had to be tired. I think I had more problem with them standing around for the first 1:20 of the kill, that made that goal possible in the first place.

I don't disagree with the lines... I'd keep the third line intact, but I don't know what the solution to the first two lines is. Neither of them are generating many chances. Jeffrey deserves another shot there, but if things don't improve, Bennett's gotta be given a shot there when he gets healthy.

Fleury was flopping last night, but I don't know how much of that goes to being hung out to dry, and our defense letting cross ice passes go through all night, and not clearing rebounds.

I liked everything you wrote until the GM part... c'mon... if it was that easy, we'd have a shutdown D-man and another top-6 winger already. This isn't fantasy hockey when you have a few teams ran by morons who don't know anything.

Interesting quote from Capuono...

"I'm sure nobody gave us much of a chance tonight against a really good hockey team, but you know what systematically I thought we were a little more structured."

Lot's of truth there....except the part about the Pens being a really good hockey team. Seriously, this club just looks poorly coached in virtually every phase. They're very easy to defend.

I got to get this off my chest.... I still hate Paul Martin. Yes, he's playing better, but he is no where near a 5 million dollar player.

Interesting quote from Capuono...

"I'm sure nobody gave us much of a chance tonight against a really good hockey team, but you know what systematically I thought we were a little more structured."

Lot's of truth there....except the part about the Pens being a really good hockey team. Seriously, this club just looks poorly coached in virtually every phase. They're very easy to defend.

I got to get this off my chest.... I still hate Paul Martin. Yes, he's playing better, but he is no where near a 5 million dollar player.
- madmike71

His contract is what it is... no use worrying about it at this point, it doesn't change anything.

Despres needs to play full time and if mistakes come with it, so be it. He was the best defensemen on the ice last night. The problem for the Penguins, he was the best defensemen on the ice last night. Kris Letang for all his talent couldnt make a single simple play to get the puck to the net.
- Gunner Staal

Agreed. He was one of the lone bright spots in the Philly series last year and it was only going to be a matter of time before he regained his form. If memory serves, hasnt he been prone to slow starts in the past when he was in WBS?

new blog is up fyi