Exactly. The real questions is will his level of greatness make it worth grabbing him as a keeper in my hockey league. Decisions decisions.
- kgrpitt

Oh for sure, if he keeps up this pace he'll score twice next year.

Not sure I would call last nights' game "pissing away points". We got a point vs a very good Blackhawks team that was running at near full strength. Take Keith, Kane, Saad, Oduya, and 2 more 3rd/4th line players off their team and have them play against a healthy Pens team, I think they would be happy with a point.

What worries me is when the PP isn't functioning when the team is at or near full strength. They're back to trying too hard to make the pretty passes, instead of just firing the puck at the net and having kuni/hornqvist/perron pick up the garbage. As Eddy said last night, they need to get back to the shoot first mentality and that will open up the lanes for the pretty passes.

I would actually rather see the team struggle for a little while, get healthy down the stretch, and then build some momentum going in to the post-season. The season the won they cup they were struggling through the mid-way point of the year. They don't need to be the top seed in the East at the end of the year, just be playing solid hockey and have their depth available.
- mw630

I wasn't referencing last night's game in particular, more the 4-game losing streak and the .500 streak that goes all the way back to the beginning of December.

Said it before and I'll say it again, why not use Pouliot in a role like Krug 2 seasons ago? Shelter him and let his offensive skills shine. He was all over the place last night generating chances.
- usethe1-2-2

Like a 2008-09 Letang. Bottom pairing, but some PP minutes.

That second power play unit right now is lacking any sort of punch. Some of that has to do with forward injuries, but when you get Hornqvist and Comeau back, you could have a respectable second unit with guys like Pouliot, Ehrhoff, Bennett, Hornqvist (or Kunitz).

Like a 2008-09 Letang. Bottom pairing, but some PP minutes.

That second power play unit right now is lacking any sort of punch. Some of that has to do with forward injuries, but when you get Hornqvist and Comeau back, you could have a respectable second unit with guys like Pouliot, Ehrhoff, Bennett, Hornqvist (or Kunitz).
- rival22

I thought Letang played regular minutes in 08/09 and it was GoGo who played the sheltered minutes.

I wasn't referencing last night's game in particular, more the 4-game losing streak and the .500 streak that goes all the way back to the beginning of December.
- jmatchett383

Yeah, they're not playing great hockey right now - that's for sure. Some has to do with injuries and line juggling, and some is just poor plays that players have to correct (Bennett throwing the puck blindly up the middle in the Philly game). I'll be concerned if they get healthy and are still playing this way around game 60 -65 of the year. Right now, get through the injuries, make adjustments, and start playing more fundamental hockey.

I wasn't referencing last night's game in particular, more the 4-game losing streak and the .500 streak that goes all the way back to the beginning of December.
- jmatchett383

You can look at it this way... we are playing sub par most nights with this crippled lineup. Currently, we are 5th in the east... 9th place is 10 points away, and its freaking Florida.

If we ever are in risk of losing out on the playoffs due to Florida... wow.

Yeah, they're not playing great hockey right now - that's for sure. Some has to do with injuries and line juggling, and some is just poor plays that players have to correct (Bennett throwing the puck blindly up the middle in the Philly game). I'll be concerned if they get healthy and are still playing this way around game 60 -65 of the year. Right now, get through the injuries, make adjustments, and start playing more fundamental hockey.
- mw630

That's all fair. But I just glanced at the schedule, and they got off to a crazy good start (the PP was at about 50% for a month or so) but over the past 2 months, I think they're actually below 0.500.

Now, some of that can be attributed to injuries. I think they'll be just fine, but it is troubling that they've had these lingering issues.

You can look at it this way... we are playing sub par most nights with this crippled lineup. Currently, we are 5th in the east... 9th place is 10 points away, and its freaking Florida.

If we ever are in risk of losing out on the playoffs due to Florida... wow.
- Guile

I'm not saying that's gonna happen, although Florida is a better team than they're given credit for.

While I agree in general, the new playoff format might hand them a matchup that is less than ideal....fwiw.
- madmike71

But less than ideal could happen anywhere. Heck, right now Boston is the second wild card team. You could finish first in the East and have to play Boston in the first round.

I'm not saying that's gonna happen, although Florida is a better team than they're given credit for.
- jmatchett383

Its still Florida

Its still Florida
- Guile

Yes, indeed it is. I fail to see the point.

I thought Letang played regular minutes in 08/09 and it was GoGo who played the sheltered minutes.
- jmatchett383

GoGo only played with injures, but during the playoff run in 2009, the d pairs when healthy were:

Gonchar - Orpik
Gill - Scuderi
Letang - Eaton

Its still Florida
- Guile

The jersey and location is still relatively the same but they have played up this year. Can't ever rule anything out.

Just have to hope that the Penguins can get Hornqvist, Comeau and Despres back as a start and hopefully sooner rather than later. They can even things up a lot.

Also praying Malkin and Letang can get health over the break. We'll see...

I think he is a clone of Letang with a better shot tbh, but I see where you are coming from.
- usethe1-2-2

I see a Gonchar-in-his-prime as his closest comparable/ceiling. Maybe with the potential to develop a little more physicality. He's actually pretty stocky.

Spalling's stick is where offense goes to die. I think we should check Spallings stick for Sutter's corps.

F Sutter.
- madmike71

Spaling is right up there with my least favorite player. Good person, but I don't like anything about his game.

Keep not having top 6 players and now, the best Dman on your team. Its hard to even get a true grip on if this team's powerplay needs worked on or not when half is missing.

But playoffs? Not worried about missing it... starting to think we may drop to a mid seed though, which isn't the end of the world.
- Guile

I think it would be good for us to go into the playoffs as a mid seed. I think we need to play the underdog role again.

Spaling is right up there with my least favorite player. Good person, but I don't like anything about his game.
- YouMeAndDupuis9

He's just so vanilla and does nothing well. He's not a skill guy, he's too soft to be a grinder... he skates well and seems to be good positionally, but he has no puck skills at all.

If he's making $700k, he's an ok depth guy to have around, but he's making 3x that.

But less than ideal could happen anywhere. Heck, right now Boston is the second wild card team. You could finish first in the East and have to play Boston in the first round.
- rival22

Oh I agree, but this year, I'd easily rather play Boston than either the Rags or Isle. Teams with speed are giving us fits and Boston is not what they used to be. I would love to see either the Rags or Isle get booted out in the first.

I realize this is looking waaaaay ahead, but the Pens haven't exactly been winning divisional games.

He's just so vanilla and does nothing well. He's not a skill guy, he's too soft to be a grinder... he skates well and seems to be good positionally, but he has no puck skills at all.

If he's making $700k, he's an ok depth guy to have around, but he's making 3x that.
- rival22

100% pure vanilla extract.

If players have shortcomings, they have to do at least one thing very well. Fast, physical, PK, faceoff, puck battles, playmaking, sniping, etc..I just dont see any attribute he excels at.

He's just so vanilla and does nothing well. He's not a skill guy, he's too soft to be a grinder... he skates well and seems to be good positionally, but he has no puck skills at all.

If he's making $700k, he's an ok depth guy to have around, but he's making 3x that.
- rival22

It was just an overpay for a player whose stats were inflated from getting top PP time on his last team... and because we wanted to punch Sutter down half a mil per year. Would have been better off giving Sutter an extra 500K a year and getting another "Spaling" for a million less.

I'm sure it's just a dry spell, but are any of you SOMEWHAT worried about the playoffs?

I mean, this team shouldn't have any trouble making it, but you can't keep pissing away points like this.
- jmatchett383

Nope

It was just an overpay for a player whose stats were inflated from getting top PP time on his last team... and because we wanted to punch Sutter down half a mil per year. Would have been better off giving Sutter an extra 500K a year and getting another "Spaling" for a million less.
- Guile

Maybe Spaling was a requirement of Nashville in the Neal/Hornqvist trade.

Maybe Spaling was a requirement of Nashville in the Neal/Hornqvist trade.
- jmatchett383

From I remember back then, it was a choice by JR as a backup if a deal with Sutter couldn't be reached. We obviously don't know what an alternative to Spaling would have been draft pick wise (2nd to 4th area), but most here were wanting the draft choice instead.

Maybe Spaling was a requirement of Nashville in the Neal/Hornqvist trade.
- jmatchett383

Doubt it. I think JR knew he needed to have depth. To me, I'd rather have had a 2nd (Nash had 2).

I still can't get over the Stempy deal with the Rags. I think he was good here and would much rather have him over Spaling.

Doubt it. I think JR knew he needed to have depth. To me, I'd rather have had a 2nd (Nash had 2).

I still can't get over the Stempy deal with the Rags. I think he was good here and would much rather have him over Spaling.
- madmike71

Maybe. I'm just thinking Nashville may have wanted Pittsburgh to eat Spaling's salary.