Is Burke still running the show?
- dbell646

Has yet to be determined. It could be Shero.

I think Burke did a great job in 2010.

Kostopolous signed.
- Deadstar

That's a relief. I was getting worried.

Counting playoffs, Simon Despres has played 38 NHL games.

He's been a minus player in only 4 of them, and only 1 this season (out of 17 games).

Counting playoffs, Simon Despres has played 38 NHL games.

He's been a minus player in only 4 of them, and only 1 this season (out of 17 games).
- rival22

Its not my favorite stat but that is certainly the side of that stat I want to see him on. Unlike the great Jack Johnson who has 6 non minus games on the season.

Jack Johnson makes this team worse defensively. Regardless of who we give up.

Counting playoffs, Simon Despres has played 38 NHL games.

He's been a minus player in only 4 of them, and only 1 this season (out of 17 games).
- rival22

Scratch him.... Eaton is back!

Just going to throw out there that the coach that some want fired is the odds on favorite to coach Team USA at the Olympics.

Its one thing to have criticisms, I have had some recently, but the calling for a firing is very over the top.
- Gunner Staal

Didn't know that Rangers and Flyers fans want their coach fired.

If Burke is GM, expect Ron Wilson to get a long look. With Wilson being out of work in the league, he should have plenty of time on his hands.

Tanner Glass does suck, not like he is an impact player but he will go down as a fail.... He can't fight very well, has no offensive ability (even for a 4th liner) and has mediocre hitting. There is a reason he has gone from Vancouver to Winnipeg to Pittsburgh in 1 and 2 year stints. Asham was definitely a better guy to have.

Tanner Glass does suck, not like he is an impact player but he will go down as a fail.... He can't fight very well, has no offensive ability (even for a 4th liner) and has mediocre hitting. There is a reason he has gone from Vancouver to Winnipeg to Pittsburgh in 1 and 2 year stints. Asham was definitely a better guy to have.
- nelson911

You're actually comparing Glass moving from team to team to a guy that has played for the entire division plus another team? Asham simply couldn't stay on the ice and was too injury prone. I liked the Glass signing at the time but he does need to show more on the fourth line. Not necessarily putting up points but the little things that don't show up on the stat sheet. He's been a disappointment so far.

Just going to throw out there that the coach that some want fired is the odds on favorite to coach Team USA at the Olympics.

Its one thing to have criticisms, I have had some recently, but the calling for a firing is very over the top.
- Gunner Staal

I support Dan although I don't agree with a lot of his personnel decisions, but rest assured if he was to get fired he wouldn't be unemployed long.

I support Dan although I don't agree with a lot of his personnel decisions, but rest assured if he was to get fired he wouldn't be unemployed long.
- canadianpenfan

He fixed one today. Bennett playing with Malkin and Neal. If Despres is no longer scratched there will be much less to be upset about.

You're actually comparing Glass moving from team to team to a guy that has played for the entire division plus another team? Asham simply couldn't stay on the ice and was too injury prone. I liked the Glass signing at the time but he does need to show more on the fourth line. Not necessarily putting up points but the little things that don't show up on the stat sheet. He's been a disappointment so far.
- acdc1206

He won't show it, never has, never will....

The team's 4th line is a weak point.

He fixed one today. Bennett playing with Malkin and Neal. If Despres is no longer scratched there will be much less to be upset about.
- Gunner Staal

Yessssss

Now all he has to do is scratch Eaton for Martin.....

Not that Eaton deserves to be scratched cause he played well against Tampa but Depres has been around and needs to play. Hell scratch Orpik over Depres

NH and Orpik, have at it:

http://www.capgeek.com/trade-machine/
- Gunner Staal

Yessssss

Now all he has to do is scratch Eaton for Martin.....

Not that Eaton deserves to be scratched cause he played well against Tampa but Depres has been around and needs to play. Hell scratch Orpik over Depres
- nelson911

Personally I would scratch Engelland and Bortuzzo to let Eaton keep playing.

People still ripping Bylsma despite the fact they needed to send Bennett down to make temporary room for Malkin and him saying Despres has been playing really well?

Personally I would scratch Engelland and Bortuzzo to let Eaton keep playing.
- Gunner Staal

Sure why not..

Sure why not..
- nelson911

Niskanen/Eaton sounds like a good bottom pairing to me.

Letang/Despres
Orpik/Martin
Eaton/Niskanen

Niskanen/Eaton sounds like a good bottom pairing to me.

Letang/Despres
Orpik/Martin
Eaton/Niskanen
- Gunner Staal

Nothing against Eaton or Niskanen, but upon Martin's return that top pairing really needs to be Letang-Despres (as you suggested) as opposed to Letang-Niskanen or Letang-Eaton.

Why do I get the feeling though that this won't happen...

He fixed one today. Bennett playing with Malkin and Neal. If Despres is no longer scratched there will be much less to be upset about.
- Gunner Staal

It's only fixed if he decides to stick with that line come Thursday.

Ok...give it all you've got now Bennett. If you wanna stick around, backcheck, pass and score some points.

Niskanen/Eaton sounds like a good bottom pairing to me.

Letang/Despres
Orpik/Martin
Eaton/Niskanen
- Gunner Staal

Yea those look good

You're actually comparing Glass moving from team to team to a guy that has played for the entire division plus another team? Asham simply couldn't stay on the ice and was too injury prone. I liked the Glass signing at the time but he does need to show more on the fourth line. Not necessarily putting up points but the little things that don't show up on the stat sheet. He's been a disappointment so far.
- acdc1206

Glass needs to be better at checking. He needs be be better at cycling the puck. Period. Right now he is what I would call a floater. Poor positioning and not much effort.

Here is the Wicki description of Glass, please note under playing style it says aggressive, physical and leadership qualities. OK, (scratches head).

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tanner_Glass

I support Dan although I don't agree with a lot of his personnel decisions, but rest assured if he was to get fired he wouldn't be unemployed long.
- canadianpenfan

I'll speak up for those of us that are less than enamored with Disco....

Let me say that I fully believe Bylsma is going nowhere this year. That being said, this team exhibits many of the same traits that sent them home early last year. The personnel on this team is better than that and many in my camp are real nervous that we'll waist another year on a team that isn't prepared to play "playoff" hockey.

Until we see this team build and hold leads, Bylsma's critics will remain. I know lots in this forum don't live in Pittsburgh, but if you did, you'd hear some of the most respected "sports guys" (including some ex-players) in town question whether the Pens play a "style" that's conducive to winning in the playoffs.

I'll say it again, If a manager/coach mismanages personnel, there's a pretty good chance he's mismanaging other issues as well. I sincerely hope I'm wrong!

I'll speak up for those of us that are less than enamored with Disco....

Let me say that I fully believe Bylsma is going nowhere this year. That being said, this team exhibits many of the same traits that sent them home early last year. The personnel on this team is better than that and many in my camp are real nervous that we'll waist another year on a team that isn't prepared to play "playoff" hockey.

If and when we see this team build and hold leads, Bylsma's critics will remain. I know lots in this forum don't live in Pittsburgh, but if you did, you'd hear some of the most respected "sports guys" (including some ex-players) in town question whether the Pens play a "style" that's conducive to winning in the playoffs.

I'll say it again, If a manager/coach mismanages personnel, there's a pretty good chance he's mismanaging other issues as well. I sincerely hope I'm wrong!
- madmike71

Here's my argument to the Pens not playing a style that is conductive to winning in the playoffs... They haven't really given it a chance.

The first game of the Flyers' series is about as close as we came to seeing the system in a playoff situation, and they've played pretty well, but basically blew the game late.

The rest of the series was an emotional meltdown and a mess. There was pretty much no system in place after that point, or any players left with the emotional control to stick to it.

This year and playoffs is a big test, and barring major injuries, pretty much anything short of a conference final has got to be viewed as a disappointment.


There are some things about Bylsma that I don't like, but honestly with any coach that is going to be the case. Even as far as the personnel decisions that Byslma makes at times, we have to realize that there might be more to the decisions, or more things behind the scenes with a player, their contract, player evaluations, locker room dynamics, etc.

Blysma, Granato and Reirden have each played in, and seen more professional hockey games than all of us combined.

Ray Shero is a smart hockey guy, so is Tom Fitzgerald, and that one French-Canadien guy who sits in the owner's box.

I'm not saying that they don't make mistakes or bad decisions, but if we see something as obvious at Tyler Kennedy playing like he is, or that Simon Despres is better than Robert Bortuzzo, chances are those guys see it too.

We ask what is Despres doing wrong, but maybe it's a case of the team knows what they have in Despres, and want to get a better look at Bortuzzo to evaluate him before any future roster moves. Or maybe they just want to make Despres a little pissed off to see how he responds. I have no idea.

We tend to live and die game to game, and just by reading this blog or twitter, our emotions drastically go up and down game to game. But Shero and crew don't care about one game in February against Florida, they are worried about the big picture and the future.

Sorry, that rant was much longer that I planned lol..