Tanner Glass is that bad. I watched 95% of Penguins games last year, and he was a big part of the reason why we had the worst 4th line in the NHL.
- cap1681

This is not an overstatement. I can't think of too many players in the last 30 years that I've disliked more than Tanner Glass. Other than two or three games (in two years) he was a total bum.

It's hard for me to understand how another team gave him a contract.

I don't get how everyone here is saying the pens got worse. Bottom 6 is way better and hornqvist produced on a poor offensive team and will add a much better overall game than Neal. Defense improved wth Ehrhoff and maatta is only getting better. New coach and staff looks to be the boost letang needs and Kapanen is a potential Calder candidate. Greiss also adds much more stability and can be relied on if/when fleury poops the bed. Don't forget last year they lead the league in man games lost and still won the division.

Be all "Isles are the Isles" and be blinded by the blue and orange all you want but:

Nelson-Tavares-Okposo
Kulemin-Grabovski-Strome
Lee-Nielsen-Grabner
Bailey-Cizikas-Clutterbuck (plus Conacher and Martin)

That is deeper than any other team in the division hands-down right now.
- Snowblind

Conacher will reap the points off Tavares as he did with Stammer , I see him on the first line with Okoposo

- TheJerseyDevil1

You can laugh, but the Rangers just made the SCF and unlike the Devils, we didn't lose our best player immediately after.

I like to call a spade a spade, and this comment is not for the sake of trolling.

But how in God's green Earth do Rags commenters have sky high expectations for Lombardi and Stempniak? You're delusional if you're excited for that.
- TheJerseyDevil1

It's not that we have sky high expectations for them, it's more that we have expectations that they'll replace Brian Boyle and Benoit Pouliot. If they even just match their production/impact, which a lot of us feel like they will and might slightly exceed, then we're just as good as last year where we made the SCF.

Lombardi and Stempniak will be on our 3rd and 4th lines, respectively. Lombardi might not even make the team out of camp. We have Nash, MSL, Stepan, Zuccarello, and Brassard that we have high expectations for. Stempniak and Lombardi just have to be serviceable in the bottom 6 for us to be just as good if not better than last year.

Be all "Isles are the Isles" and be blinded by the blue and orange all you want but:

Nelson-Tavares-Okposo
Kulemin-Grabovski-Strome
Lee-Nielsen-Grabner
Bailey-Cizikas-Clutterbuck (plus Conacher and Martin)

That is deeper than any other team in the division hands-down right now.
- Snowblind

I'm sorry but that isn't as deep as you think it is. Nelson, Strome, and Lee are all grossly unproven. Strome tore up the AHL last season and many of you expected him to tear up the NHL once he got called up and while he did look good out there, it rarely led to production. Who's to say he starts producing now? Gabovski and Kulemin are again good players but they would be 3rd liners on a true contender.

You can laugh, but the Rangers just made the SCF and unlike the Devils, we didn't lose our best player immediately after.
- rangerdanger94

Hey we lost our best player the season afterwords! Lost our second best player immediately after!

I don't get how everyone here is saying the pens got worse. Bottom 6 is way better and hornqvist produced on a poor offensive team and will add a much better overall game than Neal. Defense improved wth Ehrhoff and maatta is only getting better. New coach and staff looks to be the boost letang needs and Kapanen is a potential Calder candidate. Greiss also adds much more stability and can be relied on if/when fleury poops the bed. Don't forget last year they lead the league in man games lost and still won the division.
- drummer829

I really don't see how your bottom 6 improved at all. You lost Stempniak and Gibbons and signed Downie (who will likely never play worse hockey in his career due to multiple serious concussions)?

Also, Maatta will be out long term to start the season and it will take 2 or 3 months to adjust to the new coach. Penguins will still be a force with all their talent, I just don't think you'll win the division mostly due to a bad first quarter of the season.

This is not an overstatement. I can't think of too many players in the last 30 years that I've disliked more than Tanner Glass. Other than two or three games (in two years) he was a total bum.

It's hard for me to understand how another team gave him a contract.
- madmike71

I think everyone is aware that Tanner Glass isn't Sydney Crosby. He was brought in to replace Derek Dorsett. If he can hit people and isn't afraid to block slapshots with his face, he will fill that role perfectly. The fact that he will actually have NHL linemates in Dominic Moore and Lee Stempniak makes me confident he'll perform better than he did in Pitt with Vitale and Adams. No matter how much you hated watching him, Bylsma loved him and he was the first person AV begged Sather to sign. He's probably a great lockerroom presence.

day two of ranger fans getting poopty about nothing

zzzzz

Hey we lost our best player the season afterwords! Lost our second best player immediately after!




- MannySilvers

Unlucky break. Sky would've been the limit right now for you guys had you kept Kovy and Parise.

Ehrhoff is a wash with Nisk?

So... there is something you will find very few to agree with right there. I like Nisk, I won't deny that, but I'm not stupid. Him repeating his level of play when not in the 5-6 defensive pairing is HIGHLY unlikely.

Ehrhoff > Nisk. -1 to your argument


Horn vs Neal... regular season stats, I might even give it to Neal by a couple goals. Post season, Neal was crap, Horn plays the style of game that is needed. A game the Rags were better than the Penguins at, you should recognize that. Spaling... would have preferred a 2nd round pick instead of him, they had 2.

Horn > Neal. another -1.

Defense... They will be beyond questionable until Mattaa and Pouliot are back and in good health... but dead foot Orpik gone, and a plethora of young defensemen ready to come up to fill... ONE (frank)ING POSITION! Two if Scuds is dumped... so boo hoo, a rookie defensmen is going to play for a few months until Maatta comes back.
And again, Ehrhoff > Nisk.

-1 point to your argument again.

Bottom six is better, top 6 virtually the same.



ITS A BETTER TEAM NO MATTER HOW MUCH YOU DON'T WANT TO BELIEVE IT

You are beyond homering this, good day bud.
- Guile

Different opinions means I am a homer, ok man.

Different opinions means I am a homer, ok man.
- MidnightMarauder

To say that Hornqvist > Neal is ridiculous. There's a reason Nashville had to include another NHL player with Hornqvist to get Neal and not the other way around.

I see it all the time.

"Phaneuf's terrible Corsi should be ignored because he plays the toughest QoC!"

or

"Stralman is an elite possession play."
"But he plays the easiest QoC of any player on the Rangers when adjusted for zone starts."
"QoC doesn't matter."

or

"Glass is the worst player in the NHL because of his Corsi."
"But he played on the worst 4th line in the league."
"That doesn't matter!"

or

"Erhoff's possession numbers were terrible."
"That's because he played on the worst team in the league!"
- rangerdanger94

What, you mean Glass's poor corsi numbers weren't just due to the fact he played with some horrendous hockey players?

I really don't see how your bottom 6 improved at all. You lost Stempniak and Gibbons and signed Downie (who will likely never play worse hockey in his career due to multiple serious concussions)?

Also, Maatta will be out long term to start the season and it will take 2 or 3 months to adjust to the new coach. Penguins will still be a force with all their talent, I just don't think you'll win the division mostly due to a bad first quarter of the season.


I think everyone is aware that Tanner Glass isn't Sydney Crosby. He was brought in to replace Derek Dorsett. If he can hit people and isn't afraid to block slapshots with his face, he will fill that role perfectly. The fact that he will actually have NHL linemates in Dominic Moore and Lee Stempniak makes me confident he'll perform better than he did in Pitt with Vitale and Adams. No matter how much you hated watching him, Bylsma loved him and he was the first person AV begged Sather to sign. He's probably a great lockerroom presence.
- rangerdanger94

Maatta may be ready for training camp, as his timetable after surgery in May was 4-6 months.As for your second point, that's your opinion. The last time the Penguins got a new coach, they went from being just outside the playoffs, to winning the Stanley Cup. Teams adjust to new coaches differently.

To say that Hornqvist > Neal is ridiculous. There's a reason Nashville had to include another NHL player with Hornqvist to get Neal and not the other way around.
- rangerdanger94

As i said before, Neal is a better offensive player. Hornqvist is a better 2 way player. The Pens need the latter a lot more than the former, considering they have 2 of the best offensive players in the NHL already in their lineup.

Unlucky break. Sky would've been the limit right now for you guys had you kept Kovy and Parise.
- rangerdanger94

I try not to think about it too much.

Part of me feels like Parise was going to Minnesota regardless of what NJ did. For god's sake he just captained the team to the SCF.

And while Kovy leaving obviously was a huge blow in the short run, I was starting to worry the Devils were becoming the Caps, a team who's entire offense was run through one (Russian) superstar. Our forward bunch is a little awkward right now but I think in 3-5 years it'll ultimately be a good thing Kovy isn't around anymore.

Or what I really mean to say is in 3-5 years it'll be the perfect situation when Kovy comes back

To say that Hornqvist > Neal is ridiculous. There's a reason Nashville had to include another NHL player with Hornqvist to get Neal and not the other way around.
- rangerdanger94

To disagree and back it up is one thing; but just stating something, because you really, really, really think so doesn't make it a fact.

This guy thinks I am a homer because I think the Rangers didn't lose as much as many think they did and Pittsburgh is going to so much more improved just because.

It's lazy and I will continue to point that out. Someone also pointed out the fact the Pens finished 13 points better in the standings last season and what did the Rangers do to close that gap?

Answer: knowing Vigneault's system and not starting the first month of the season on the road. That the core of this team knows their roles and are comfortable in them will prove to be a great advantage immediately out of the gate.

"I'm sorry but that isn't as deep as you think it is. Nelson, Strome, and Lee are all unproven. Strome tore up the AHL last season and many of you expected him to tear up the NHL once he got called up and while he did look good out there, it rarely led to production. Who's to say he starts producing now? Gabovski and Kulemin are again good players but they would be 3rd liners on a true contender."

So it is a good thing that those younger players will be sprinkled throughout the lineup then playing on lines with two more-established players then.

Show me a team in the Metro that is deeper at forward right now.

I don't get how everyone here is saying the pens got worse. Bottom 6 is way better and hornqvist produced on a poor offensive team and will add a much better overall game than Neal. Defense improved wth Ehrhoff and maatta is only getting better. New coach and staff looks to be the boost letang needs and Kapanen is a potential Calder candidate. Greiss also adds much more stability and can be relied on if/when fleury poops the bed. Don't forget last year they lead the league in man games lost and still won the division.
- drummer829

I think the Pens took a little hit losing Neal, but the improvements far exceed what they lost. I still hate Downie.......with a passion.

Just dumping that turd Bylsma is a major improvement. Everything I've read about HCMJ system is music to my ears. "puck support", "puck support", and "puck support". No more stretch passes into a trap.

As i said before, Neal is a better offensive player. Hornqvist is a better 2 way player. The Pens need the latter a lot more than the former, considering they have 2 of the best offensive players in the NHL already in their lineup.
- cap1681

Hornqvist is not a good skater and how do you know he will mesh with either Crosby or Malkin?

How about Bennett, how will he adjust to playing a full time top six role? Will Kunitz, despite getting up there in age, continue to produce at his all star clip?

There are more questions than people are willing to admit in Pittsburgh.

Can someone please explain to me all this Columbus love of a 3rd seed?
Grant it, I know they are a gritty team but that's all I see..
Please don't bring up R. Johansen bc I know about him and most of the other players.


Thanks.......................................

Can someone please explain to me all this Columbus love of a 3rd seed?
Grant it, I know they are a gritty team but that's all I see..
Please don't bring up R. Johansen bc I know about him and most of the other players.


Thanks.......................................
- Ur Not Me

I tend to agree. I personally see them as a bubble team. But honestly I see pretty much every team in this division besides the Pens as a bubble team.

Can someone please explain to me all this Columbus love of a 3rd seed?
Grant it, I know they are a gritty team but that's all I see..
Please don't bring up R. Johansen bc I know about him and most of the other players.


Thanks.......................................
- Ur Not Me

Because unlike the Isle we have a defence and a goalie .....there! start throwing your rocks at me

So it is a good thing that those younger players will be sprinkled throughout the lineup then playing on lines with two more-established players then.

Show me a team in the Metro that is deeper at forward right now.
- Snowblind

The Islanders and Flyers likely have the deepest group of scoring forwards in the division.

What could be each team's undoing is on the back end.

I tend to agree. I personally see them as a bubble team. But honestly I see pretty much every team in this division besides the Pens as a bubble team.
- MannySilvers

Columbus should be right on the playoff bubble. There is a lot of young talent there but offensively they will struggle.

The Islanders and Flyers likely have the deepest group of scoring forwards in the division.

What could be each team's undoing is on the back end.
- MidnightMarauder

The Devils are "deep" in the sense that they could ice 5 quality 3rd lines.

I tend to agree. I personally see them as a bubble team. But honestly I see pretty much every team in this division besides the Pens as a bubble team.
- MannySilvers

They are. Personally I see the metro going in the same direction as last season with exception to the non playoff teams swapping some positions. I feel as if the Isles and Caps got better but not convinced NJ and Carolina got better.