Gonna be honest, didn't care for the throwbacks last night. Love the color combo, but the pattern just looks cheap IMO.

Tonight should be interesting to see how MJ adjusts his players. I think we will see Greiss tonight, maybe Bortz, and Adams needs a night off.

Whats the over/under on GA for Greiss? I'm going with the shutout. Then the trade MAF rants will really kick up. I read 2 articles that say the Pens will resign him.

The Penguins had 2 shots in 20 minutes after the first 10 minutes of the game? If that's not an adjustment in play by the other team I'm not sure what is. As I said, it's early, but sometimes you just cant carry the puck in against a team so intent on not crossing the red line on a forecheck. That wasn't just a late third period strategy by the Flyers either. It was employed regularly in the 2nd.

Malkin was terrible last night. His whole line was. It's fine to call it how it was for a game. Get him back to center. Comeau and Downie at times were our best forwards.

Our fourth line is NOT an anchor right now.

All that line business you just mentioned sounds great...but...why did the Pens roll all over the Flyers in the first 10 minutes and then get out played after that?

One team got better...forced a different game...dare I say the other did not ADJUST to it?

- icedog97

Bingo. The 4th line held possession for long periods of time. Sill was a one man wrecking crew in regards to retaining possession that one shift.

Like I said last night, stretch pass or controlled breakout, it doesn't matter if you can't dump and chase successfully when the other team dares you to.

Last night the Flyers dared the Penguins to dump and chase, and HCMJ never adjusted his strategy. HCDB would have adjusted and then his players wouldn't have been able to pull it off, HCMJ kept doing what he was doing.

Reminiscent of the Dallas game - if the "grand plan" isn't working, don't change what you're doing, keep doing the same thing and hope for different results.

The lines/players are fine, but HCMJ has a huge learning curve to deal with and it's going to take time.

Does the MAF hate/dislike have more to do with his performance, or his performance coupled with his cap hit?

The Penguins had 2 shots in 20 minutes after the first 10 minutes of the game? If that's not an adjustment in play by the other team I'm not sure what is. As I said, it's early, but sometimes you just cant carry the puck in against a team so intent on not crossing the red line on a forecheck. That wasn't just a late third period strategy by the Flyers either. It was employed regularly in the 2nd.

Malkin was terrible last night. His whole line was. It's fine to call it how it was for a game. Get him back to center. Comeau and Downie at times were our best forwards.
- Deadstar

I thought Comeau, Downie, Goc, Spaling all had decent games. It was the first time I really noticed them doing much.

Does the MAF hate/dislike have more to do with his performance, or his performance coupled with his cap hit?
- jmatchett383

The cap. He's a decent G getting paid like a very good G. If he were getting 3/yr I think ppl would calm down about him.

Does the MAF hate/dislike have more to do with his performance, or his performance coupled with his cap hit?
- jmatchett383

It's money and performance.

The cap. He's a decent G getting paid like a very good G. If he were getting 3/yr I think ppl would calm down about him.
- sammy87

So, if he agrees to, say a 4-year deal worth $13.5M, how would you feel?

I know other teams shouldn't dictate your cap hits and contracts, but Fleury's cap hit is 15th of all goalies in the league. Technically he's paid like a slightly above average goalie.

You call roll the dice on signing low cost goalies every year, but missing on one could completely ruin a team's chance for a year.

Gonna be honest, didn't care for the throwbacks last night. Love the color combo, but the pattern just looks cheap IMO.

Tonight should be interesting to see how MJ adjusts his players. I think we will see Greiss tonight, maybe Bortz, and Adams needs a night off.

Whats the over/under on GA for Greiss? I'm going with the shutout. Then the trade MAF rants will really kick up. I read 2 articles that say the Pens will resign him.
- sammy87

Greiss is no messiah, but I can realistically see him being a bridge goalie over the next few years while Jarry and Murray develop. There is just no scenario in which it makes sense to keep MAF, as much as I like him as a human being. If he plays lights out this season and does above average in the playoffs, he will at minimum be looking for an extension with the same figures as his current contract, which we can't afford. If he plays at a level that earns him a pay cut, why resign him? If thats the case we can find an even cheaper option that provides the same numbers as Fleury.

The only way we keep Flower is if he plays spectacularly and still agrees to a pay cut, which will not happen. Say all you want about loyalty to your city and your team, its tough to leave money on the table when you're a new father. I hope this happens and Fleury leaves Pittsburgh on a high note and earns a paycheck. I love the guy and want him to depart as favorite son rather than a cancer that we just couldn't wait to get rid of.

Does the MAF hate/dislike have more to do with his performance, or his performance coupled with his cap hit?
- jmatchett383

Cap hit. Overwhelmingly cap hit. I think most people would agree that they'd rather have MAF on their team than guys like Ward, Pavelec, Reimer, and Niemi. However, Give me Reimer at 2 mil or so over Fleury at 5 mil. I'd hate it, and every day I'd reminisce over the good ol' days when Flower was between the pipes and I had a guy I could root for, but that's just what's best for the team.

So, if he agrees to, say a 4-year deal worth $13.5M, how would you feel?
- jmatchett383

Too long a term. 2 years - 3 tops. By then the landscape changes for available goalies. Right now I only keep him because there's not much better available. Just wish he came cheaper.

Too long a term. 2 years - 3 tops. By then the landscape changes for available goalies. Right now I only keep him because there's not much better available. Just wish he came cheaper.
- JoeAvg

Less years will likely increase the price.

Ice was terrible last night. Its just an atrocity at this point

So, if he agrees to, say a 4-year deal worth $13.5M, how would you feel?
- jmatchett383

I wouldn't be pleased.

I wouldn't be pleased.
- acdc1206

That's an AAV of $3.375M per. Or do you not like the length?

Eddie "chip and chase" Olczyk
- Ryan_Wilson

You were the first person I thought of when Eddie was talking about CAC!

The Pens will be ok... For the most part last night they looked good once they got possession in the offensive zone, but their trouble was getting there. Mike Johnston is a tactician, and I'm interested to see how he adjusts. His system was mostly successful in the first 4 games, and you knew that once more and more film was there for other teams, they'd counter it. Now the ball is in Johnston's court to see how he adjusts.

The Penguins desperately need some top six or legit top 9 help. Bennett will provide that if he can stay in the lineup, but even then, it's thin. We know all too much about injuries, and even if Bennett is back, we are one injury away from being in trouble again.

I think now is the time to move Malkin back to center... maybe not tonight with no skate today, but with a day of practice, I'd like to see Malkin back centering the second line Saturday.

Mike Johnston loves Brandon Sutter, and he seems to be waiting until Bennett is back, but it's time to move him back to the third line, with our without Bennett.

Dupuis - Crosby - Hornqvist
Kunitz - Malkin - Comeau
Spaling - Sutter - Downie
Sill - Goc - Anyone but Adams

Once Bennett is back, ideally he would play with Sutter, as they had some chemistry in camp with Downie. Move Spaling to the 4th line to give Goc someone who doesn't have hands like feet... It would be great if you could add a real RW to play with Malkin and move Comeau to the 4th line too.

Nothing worse than litening to a former coach rant about doing something that doesn't work. It's like they don't know why they got fired in the first place.
- usethe1-2-2

I love how Eddie always talks about "turning the stick over and going upstairs".

This made me laugh:

@MarkMaddenX: @GunnerStaal Maybe you'll find that out if you ever get good at your job, minor-leaguer.
- dbell646

What was this in response to?

Less years will likely increase the price.
- jmatchett383

It's all irrelevant anyway since he's not going to sign for that much of a pay cut.

I do have an idea that should help his game though. Put a remote controlled electromagnet on his butt and when he starts to stray from the net to play the puck the coach can bump up the power and suck him back in toward the pipes.

That's an AAV of $3.375M per. Or do you not like the length?
- jmatchett383

Definitely the length. I really hope that Jarry or Murray will be the Pens goalie of the future sooner rather than later. However, with young goalies you never know.

Definitely the length. I really hope that Jarry or Murray will be the Pens goalie of the future sooner rather than later. However, with young goalies you never know.
- acdc1206

You're probably looking at a gap of at least 2 years for either of them. If you want MAF at 2 years, he'll cost you at least $4M per.

Hey all. As a Flyers fan I truly am baffled on the Pens inability to handle the Flyers. You're exactly the type of team that SHOULD give us trouble aside from the given that you are a better team.

Our defense is atricous. If you dump and chase on them, you will probably get the puck back most of the time.

Question: I'm seeing multiple blogs out there regarding Sean Couturier "underachieving" and only playing well against Pitt. Is the the general concensus out there? This is the most baffling thing I've ever heard. You wouldn't take this guy?

Back in the 2009 playoffs, prior to the SCF, every Crosby goal (with the exception of one of the hat trick goals vs. Washington) was scored by him driving towards the net, getting in an open spot, and shooting from high percentage areas. No dipsy-doo dangling skating through 4 guys and triple deking the goalie. Pure hard work and determination. The team doesn't seem to want to do that in the playoffs the last number of years.
- jmatchett383

I think wires get crossed in this age of "possession" hockey.

It's not a video game.

It's fantastic that the we have players who can do this...dangle...hold the puck...make crazy passes and score highlight reel goals.

But none of it matters if you can't get into a position to do it on the ice at the right times.

Sometimes it takes 3 simple things (and maybe ugly to some) to happen before that one glorious goal.

From a Flyers point of view, Bellemare's goal was a thing of beauty and it required nothing but simple, hard working things to make it happen.