I think Lovejoy is a good player. I just think they gave up too soon on Despres. This team isn't loaded with young, big, physical players and I hate giving up one of the few assets that has some of those qualities.

I agree about DP.....who knows if Hoff can stay healthy enough to have 7 healthy D.


- madmike71

My thoughts exactly. Not real optimistic about Ehrhoff being able to play at this point. Both returns have been for one game. And watching him almost fall over walking down the runway, for his own personal sake, I hope the Pens do the right thing and sit him out if he needs it.

Still love DeePo. At the very beginning of the season, my prediction was that Pouliot would be a major role player/contributor in the NHL by the end of the year".

A few months ago I was saying we need to give him a shot, and let him run the struggling powerplay. The responses were mostly "you think he's better than Martin, Letang, or Ehrhoff on the PP!??", "are you high?", "Pouliot has no NHL experience and you want him running the first PP unit??".

Feels good to gloat once in a while about being right haha.

Ha no im not, I will not condemn someone for not making a single play. That's just not fair.
- nbartley9

That weak side point was open all night. Borts, Goc, OT tip all came off of left boards to right point plays. Backes got totally away from Pouliot in front but we'll remember Lovejoy for at least staying with his man to the net. Hockey

Because Lovejoy will be on the decline by then and Despres might still have some upside.
- jfkst1

i'm saying that they'll just let Lovejoy walk in FA, and sign someone younger than Lovejoy in FA. Or even ideally, enough of the young prospects will be good enough that they don't need to buy a FA.

I think Lovejoy is a good player. I just think they gave up too soon on Despres. This team isn't loaded with young, big, physical players and I hate giving up one of the few assets that has some of those qualities.

I agree about DP.....who knows if Hoff can stay healthy enough to have 7 healthy D.


- madmike71

The thing about that is that I think that both the Good Ole JR regime and the In Shero we trust regime had the same feelings about Despres. Which speaks volumes.

Let's clear something up: Nick Spaling. Nick Spaling is really good at two things: cycling the puck, and whacking at the puck right around the net. That's not to be confused with having hands around the net, but Nick Spaling can be found right around the loose puck at the net.

The Penguins refuse to cycle the puck. Compare what the two teams did last night and you'll find that St. Louis uses a strong side cycle and shots from the point to create breakdowns (Borts and Goc goals) or confusion in coverage. Even though Bortuzzo scored the goal, the breakdown of the Penguins' coverage was done by Oshie and Backes on a boards-to-net play.

Although it was Steen who tipped in the OT winner with Lovejoy 1/2 a step late off the wall, the replay also shows David Backes leaving a totally unaware Derrick Pouliot off the puck battle along the boards in OT. He was all alone in front when the Blues had full control of the puck. Z had three plays he could have made that all would have been Grade A scoring chances.

When was the last time you remember the Penguins intentionally using the boards to create a scoring chance?

Great hands by Eager for the 2-0 goal. I'm not sure why Z decided to fly the zone when their guy was in a 65-35 puck possession situation with Beau Bennett. Confusion, broken play.

Finally, I really don't think I've seen a more pompous ass have a worse game than Sutter last night. There's a shift he's taking 4 on 4 around 12:00 mark in the second where Sutter calls out to Paul Martin to switch coverage on Lehtera in the RW corner.

Sutter then uses his incredible awareness and picks up the far left point which Comeau already had covered. Sutter appears to call/point to Comeau to pick up the guy he's already covering. Chest puffed out that he's running poop, Sutter watched as a wide open Tarasenko got a clean one-time on a moving goalie from the hash marks. Great pass by Pietrangelo. I'm so glad Pittsburgh has a guy to lead by example like Sutter on how to totally blow simple man-on-man coverage in a scoreless game.

What's worse, Sutter collects the rebound and loses the puck at the defensive blue line to Tarasenko, who creates a 2-on-1 against a flat footed Letang. Sutter goes on to commit that incredible cross-crease pass attempt to, you guessed it, Paul Martin which results in a chance in tight for C Lehtera and an identical nice pass by Pietrangelo to Tarasenko at the right circle. Sutter is late on coverage again and does more to screen MAF than suppress the shot. I'm glad Scuds got the A; Sutter is poison.
- Johnny Wrath

Sutter had numerous dangerous turnovers in our zone. Several involved the same sequence of time that were so bad it was laughable. He is a liability on the ice who thinks he is God's gift to hockey. He is a threat to turnover anytime he is on the ice. Why he is still in a Pens uniform is beyond me.

The thing about that is that I think that both the Good Ole JR regime and the In Shero we trust regime both had the same feelings about Despres.
- nbartley9

Correct. He was evaluated by two completely different GMs and shipped out for a more polished Ben Lovejoy, a guy who I seem to remember being compared to Despres in a player the 'Pens gave up on too early'. So we trade a developing player to pine over for a player who has developed and was complained about for the same reason. The GM sorted it out.

Let's clear something up: Nick Spaling. Nick Spaling is really good at two things: cycling the puck, and whacking at the puck right around the net. That's not to be confused with having hands around the net, but Nick Spaling can be found right around the loose puck at the net.



When was the last time you remember the Penguins intentionally using the boards to create a scoring chance?

- Johnny Wrath

You're right, Spaling is always in perfect position to do nothing. Kind of like the Kunitz we've seen the last month or so.

I think the Pens do a decent job at cycling the puck. But I mean literally cycling the puck. The focus always seems to be "mess around on the boards then dump it behind the net for someone else to do the same". So, I think they cycle well, but it rarely leads to anything. Rarely, we have someone in front of the net or rarely do we get it back to the D for an open slap shot.

To your last point, I disagree, I feel like that is 75% of the offensive strategy, shoot wide on purpose. It never works. Shoot it at the damn net.

Sutter had numerous dangerous turnovers in our zone. Several involved the same sequence of time that were so bad it was laughable. He is a liability on the ice who thinks he is God's gift to hockey. He is a threat to turnover anytime he is on the ice. Why he is still in a Pens uniform is beyond me.
- powerhouse

Comeau went from Sutter bugging him about coverage and dealing with Sutter's turnovers to scoring a transition goal the very moment non-Sutter plays in the defensive zone would be made. Play up the boards, a good bounce, and a 2-on-1 that Winnik did really well to pull off.

Sutter is the conductor of the minus train.

It also only took Anaheim 9 games to make Despres a healthy scratch
- willi

They also just sat Fowler, one of their better D men as well. They have a glut of defensemen right now. By all accounts the Ducks are quite pleased with Despres.
It will go down as another bad deadline deal.

Sutter had numerous dangerous turnovers in our zone. Several involved the same sequence of time that were so bad it was laughable. He is a liability on the ice who thinks he is God's gift to hockey. He is a threat to turnover anytime he is on the ice. Why he is still in a Pens uniform is beyond me.
- powerhouse

POTD

Because of this statement, which is something that becomes more evident daily.

They also just sat Fowler, one of their better D men as well. They have a glut of defensemen right now. By all accounts the Ducks are quite pleased with Despres.
It will go down as another bad deadline deal.
- all-pgh

Something about the Despres deal that sticks out with me was the fact that Good Ole JR said " our guys really wanted to get Ben back here". Also did you notice that Borts had multiple pictures of him being greeted by his former team mates last night?? During the broadcast? That did not happen with Despres, and there must be a reason why.

You're right, Spaling is always in perfect position to do nothing. Kind of like the Kunitz we've seen the last month or so.

I think the Pens do a decent job at cycling the puck. But I mean literally cycling the puck. The focus always seems to be "mess around on the boards then dump it behind the net for someone else to do the same". So, I think they cycle well, but it rarely leads to anything. Rarely, we have someone in front of the net or rarely do we get it back to the D for an open slap shot.

To your last point, I disagree, I feel like that is 75% of the offensive strategy, shoot wide on purpose. It never works. Shoot it at the damn net.
- YouMeAndDupuis9

You've identified the problem. Cycling in a superficial way doesn't do anything except probably yield a low % shot on net. The Penguins don't cycle well; there's not a purpose. They 'cycle' because 'the boards happen to be there', not because they plan on sucking coverage over to one side of the ice and hope to create an opening on the weak side or cause a coverage breakdown.

If the Blues weren't enough, watch Nashville cycle. Dear God, what a beautiful mess they make. Chicago does a great job at getting their offensive D in and make goalies have to track players on the move. I just feel like if the Penguins added one more team skill set to their kit then the playoffs wouldn't look like barren Earth.

They also just sat Fowler, one of their better D men as well. They have a glut of defensemen right now. By all accounts the Ducks are quite pleased with Despres.
It will go down as another bad deadline deal.
- all-pgh

Any chance Fowler is struggling without his old D partner Lovejoy ?

Something about the Despres deal that sticks out with me was the fact that Good Ole JR said " our guys really wanted to get Ben back here". Also did you notice that Borts had multiple pictures of him being greeted by his former team mates last night?? During the broadcast? That did not happen with Despres, and there must be a reason why.
- nbartley9

My recollection is that all of the Quebecois Penguins used Despres' place as the unofficial gathering spot. It was a landmark going away in that trade. I would have suspected that Despres would have gotten a similar reunion.

Borts was really close to Bennett and had been around the W/Bs grads. Seems like a solid guy, &c. Still. Pittsburgh's defense is better now than it was then and that's most important.

What do we think about Ek's blog suggesting that the 'wild card' spots be open to teams in both conferences? I like it.

What do we think about Ek's blog suggesting that the 'wild card' spots be open to teams in both conferences? I like it.
- Johnny Wrath

When the league adds 2 more teams, I want them to do 1-16 with division winners being the only guaranteed spots. I hate having teams benefitting from weak conferences and divisions (like the Pens did last year). It would also reward top regular season performers more.

When the league adds 2 more teams, I want them to do 1-16 with division winners being the only guaranteed spots. I hate having teams benefitting from weak conferences and divisions (like the Pens did last year). It would also reward top regular season performers more.
- jfkst1

You think they'll add 2 teams? I have my doubts. I did even before the mass media got on this new era dead puck narrative.

If they did the straight point WC they could more easily deal with the notion that the conferences aren't balanced. I'd like to see x-conference play. It'd also be a way for, say, Montreal and Boston to play for the Stanley Cup. Penguins vs. Flyers in the Finals. I would be really good with that.

You think they'll add 2 teams? I have my doubts. I did even before the mass media got on this new era dead puck narrative.

If they did the straight point WC they could more easily deal with the notion that the conferences aren't balanced. I'd like to see x-conference play. It'd also be a way for, say, Montreal and Boston to play for the Stanley Cup. Penguins vs. Flyers in the Finals. I would be really good with that.
- Johnny Wrath

Yeah, I do believe they will add two teams. Might not be sustainable, but this is the NHL we're are talking about here. They are too stupid to look at long term sustainability if short-term gain is possible. I could see Vegas and Seattle getting teams. I think the uneven number of teams in conferences the way they have it now is idiotic.

Pens fans down on the ex blues. Perron is/was super streaky and Lapierre is exactly what hes been the last 2 years. Seems Cole is fitting in but I guess its ok to be the 6/7th Dman on a team that dresses 7 dmen.

Any chance Fowler is struggling without his old D partner Lovejoy ?
- willi

Any chance Despres is struggling w/out his OLD D partner Scuderi???

Pens fans down on the ex blues. Perron is/was super streaky and Lapierre is exactly what hes been the last 2 years. Seems Cole is fitting in but I guess its ok to be the 6/7th Dman on a team that dresses 7 dmen.
- Gerk

What the hell is wrong with you coming in here being such a huge Gerk??

Ha corny, yes but I had to do it.

Pens fans down on the ex blues. Perron is/was super streaky and Lapierre is exactly what hes been the last 2 years. Seems Cole is fitting in but I guess its ok to be the 6/7th Dman on a team that dresses 7 dmen.
- Gerk

We didn't want Lap... Perron I don't think is fair to call streaky, his sample sizes since the Blues has been Edmonton (bleh), and injury plagued Penguins.

I'll admit to him having a slump recently, but with the top 6 being in and out, he needs some time with us healthy again.

What the hell is wrong with you coming in here being such a huge Gerk??

Ha corny, yes but I had to do it.
- nbartley9

Cole did have a nice assist on the Goc goal though.

Yeah, I do believe they will add two teams. Might not be sustainable, but this is the NHL we're are talking about here. They are too stupid to look at long term sustainability if short-term gain is possible. I could see Vegas and Seattle getting teams. I think the uneven number of teams in conferences the way they have it now is idiotic.
- jfkst1

I don't know. My understanding is that all of the teams have to be in Canada from now on. They really didn't do a good job with the Conferences, the division names, and I still don't think 'wild card' should be a hockey term.

Yeah, I do believe they will add two teams. Might not be sustainable, but this is the NHL we're are talking about here. They are too stupid to look at long term sustainability if short-term gain is possible. I could see Vegas and Seattle getting teams. I think the uneven number of teams in conferences the way they have it now is idiotic.
- jfkst1

I can Seattle maybe getting a team. But I see it through relocation (Arizona) as opposed to expansion.