I dont see why guys like Rust and Farnharm aren't playing. you need guys with energy who dont give a frank, they just want to play.

continuing to give spots to older guys like Adams and Sill is a big mistake and nothing more than "business as usual"

this game is a great example. you see no anger, no post scrum whistles. play ends and everyone goes about their business.
- SuperHenderson13

I could not agree more! Farnham and Rust are heart and soul give it all type players.

I dont see why guys like Rust and Farnharm aren't playing. you need guys with energy who dont give a frank, they just want to play.

continuing to give spots to older guys like Adams and Sill is a big mistake and nothing more than "business as usual"

this game is a great example. you see no anger, no post scrum whistles. play ends and everyone goes about their business.
- SuperHenderson13

I really hope HCMJ reevaluates the team over the break. The energy line provides no energy. There are far too many complacent bodies including the recent waiver claim on this team. There is no heart and soul on this team and there is no hunger or fight. This team is at or make or break point where things can easily collapse under them if they can't overcome this nonsense.

Question is who are the 2 odd men out when Comeau and Hornqvist come back? I think Sill is the easy one but is Adams the second one? Would Johnston be willing to take Adams out? I hope so.

I think a lot of people are freaking out, some of it justified, some of it not. fact is i want these problems to come up now and we work to fix them.

remember last few years? penguins fly through the regular season, get all of these expectations and then we find out this team is a mess.

the problems are there, question is now whether the penguins will address them.
- SuperHenderson13

Some good points....

People freak out because their problems today are exactly the same problems that have plagued them for years. Somebody brought up dealing with a clogged neutral zone......excellent point. They still don't handle that well. Turnover central.

Letang actually has balls, and elevates his game when he needs to. Trading him would be counterproductive.
- hardnosed

I couldn't disagree with you more but your opinion. Respect it.

as good as perron looks with sid...we need some work ethic on that line..thats what dupes was good for. This game isnt being lost because of sid and geno..its lost because no one is grinding in the dirty areas...the players that do that are your horns and dupes..comeau etc
- taleisyreXIII

Maybe but our defense has crappy gap control, especially on PK. Getting in our zone is as easy as busting through a screen door.

Maybe but our defense has crappy gap control, especially on PK. Getting in our zone is as easy as busting through a screen door.
- powerhouse

Thats on the pk fowards as much as the d...our best pk forward...dupes

Downie is a better hockey player than at least 2 guys in our top six right now. Why is he not in the top six?

Maybe but our defense has crappy gap control, especially on PK. Getting in our zone is as easy as busting through a screen door.
- powerhouse

That's part of the strategy. They sit back and basically allow the entry and then go from there. A very safe PK. Same with dealing with net front guys. The system is to just let them sit there and not pay attention to them.

By and large it's worked, but it hasn't worked today.

Pens can't adjust their game.
Islanders and Rangers have long figured out how to play against us.

Unless we adjust and start dumping the puck more often we'll continue to get crushed by Rangers and Isles. It has become painful to watch our play in the neutral zone. In the second period there was a sequence where we turned over 4 times in a row the puck to them.

Downie has been good today...one of the only guys willing to play dirty down low hockey. The exact kinda play we need against the metro. Also despite a selfish penalty..u dont bench one of our top 6 wingers we have atm.
- taleisyreXIII

Being good today isn't the point. Lacking any self control is the point. Teams without discipline do not win Cups.

Was house hunting all morning and just turned on the game. Did scuderi really stick out his stick ad deflect it in his own net?

Downie is a better hockey player than at least 2 guys in our top six right now. Why is he not in the top six?
- Grinder47

I don't even think Downie should be dressed today because of Friday night, but outside that I kind of agree. Every line has to have a guy who will get in on the dump and chase and have a chance of getting the puck. If it takes Downie out there with Sid and Perron to make that happen, I'm all for it.

Also, Zach Sill playing blows my mind. I can't find any plausible explanation for it.

Pens can't adjust their game.
Islanders and Rangers have long figured out how to play against us.

Unless we adjust and start dumping the puck more often we'll continue to get crushed by Rangers and Isles. It has become painful to watch our play in the neutral zone. In the second period there was a sequence where we turned over 4 times in a row the puck to them.
- Conse

Can't just wait until you're being frustrated to play dump and chase, because this team doesn't practice it or play that style often.

It's gotta start happening in practice, and it's gotta start being used in games even when they're not being frustrated.

And while it's on the forwards to retrieve, the defensemen have to get used to and better at the dump - soft dumps to the corners that have a chance of being retrieved.

Being good today isn't the point. Lacking any self control is the point. Teams without discipline do not win Cups.
- madmike71

So we sit sid and geno down when they take a game losing penalty...we have the 2nd best pk in the nhl...bad penalties will happen..you dont throw ur best players under the bus or single them out that way..this is a team game. I will never agree to sitting down a player for passion.....now bad play or consistent inability to play thats all together different.

Some good points....

People freak out because their problems today are exactly the same problems that have plagued them for years. Somebody brought up dealing with a clogged neutral zone......excellent point. They still don't handle that well. Turnover central.
- madmike71

Perhaps its the players then?

I'm done blaming the coaches and the GM.

Until they start to perform, lead, and drive this team to where we all think they can go to, my scope is focused solely from this point forward on 87, 71, 58, and 29.

We keep blaming coaches and GMs.

At what point do we start to finally not just hold 58, 71, and 29 accountable but, god forbid, 87 as well.

And our neighborhood blogger RW can come on here with all the charts and graphs he wants about how great 87 is. No chart shows leadership ability, character, will to win, playing the right way, passion, etc..

The core 4 haven't shown it as a group since the Cup in 2009.

Also, Zach Sill playing blows my mind. I can't find any plausible explanation for it.
- Conse

I'd take Farnham 10 out of 10 times over Sill. Farnham was drawing penalties at a ridiculous clip. Just hustling and agitating. As long as he's capable of that, he should be up.....especially with the injuries.

Sill should just be waived at this point. He's not close to being an NHL'r

So we sit sid and geno down when they take a game losing penalty...we have the 2nd best pk in the nhl...bad penalties will happen..you dont throw ur best players under the bus or single them out that way..this is a team game. I will never agree to sitting down a player for passion.....now bad play or consistent inability to play thats all together different.
- taleisyreXIII

Downie's penalty wasn't about passion, it was purely selfish. It's a team game, yes. That's why you punish selfishness.

I don't even think Downie should be dressed today because of Friday night, but outside that I kind of agree. Every line has to have a guy who will get in on the dump and chase and have a chance of getting the puck. If it takes Downie out there with Sid and Perron to make that happen, I'm all for it.
- hardnosed

F that. The entire team needs to play more like Downie. Hes suppose to be the entire character of the team and when he goes over everyone gets all up in arms. I say you just tell him to go nuts, benefits more than it hurts.

Can't just wait until you're being frustrated to play dump and chase, because this team doesn't practice it or play that style often.

It's gotta start happening in practice, and it's gotta start being used in games even when they're not being frustrated.

And while it's on the forwards to retrieve, the defensemen have to get used to and better at the dump - soft dumps to the corners that have a chance of being retrieved.
- hardnosed

Quit listening to edzo..he is a clear pens hater. Who in his game is going to separate puck from player in a dump and chase game...u want sid banging bodies? Sutter cant...spaling cant..sill can downie can adams can..but they r not good...we r missing components for that style

At what point do we start to finally not just hold 58, 71, and 29 accountable but, god forbid, 87 as well.

- 87_71_11_29

What exactly does hold accountable mean?!?

also, the losing record versus the Metro is a huge problem. Penguins have played the West and Atlantic really well but you can't be one of the top teams in the Metro and have a losing record.
- SuperHenderson13

Penguins still have some depth issues this season and while getting Comeau and Hornquvist back will help, the 4th line looks like it will remain an issue no matter what.

Penguins have a shot at the Cup this season, but are set-up better next season and going forward w/ the new Cap money helping to add depth. NYR are going to lose some talent this offseason due to the Cap and CBJ & NYI are going to have to spend their money on re-signing their own.

Penguins need to get better internally (Dumoulin, Harrington, and Pouliot) as well as externally (via adding some value UFAs).

Downie's penalty wasn't about passion, it was purely selfish. It's a team game, yes. That's why you punish selfishness.
- hardnosed

It is absolutely passion...he is fired up from a no call...trying to get calls for his teams. He cares and wants to win...got frustrated. .as we see many many players do and took a kinda questionable one right after a terrible hack.

Quit listening to edzo..he is a clear pens hater. Who in his game is going to separate puck from player in a dump and chase game...u want sid banging bodies? Sutter cant...spaling cant..sill can downie can adams can..but they r not good...we r missing components for that style
- taleisyreXIII

I've been talking about this long before today.

It is absolutely passion...he is fired up from a no call...trying to get calls for his teams. He cares and wants to win...got frustrated. .as we see many many players do and took a kinda questionable one right after a terrible hack.
- taleisyreXIII

Acting out of frustration with 2 1/2 left in a one goal game is selfishness.