Letang slight > Carlson
Dumo < Niskanen
Schultz = Orlov
Maatta/Oleksiak/Ruhwedel > Djoos/Kempny/Orpik
- Feds91Stammer

green >>>> All.

green >>>> All.
- Blackstrom2

Rights to Green for Orlov. Done.

Rights to Green for Orlov. Done.
- RafiDRW

AA for Vrana

AA for Vrana
- Feds91Stammer

is he even 21?

I was probably going to do a defense vs defense blog tomorrow if there's time, but I think it's probably pretty even. Without looking up their stats, I'll guess now and we'll see what I think tomorrow after some research. Call this my eye test. But I'm not going to pretend I know the Pens 5/6 guys much if at all.

Letang > Orlov
Doumalin = or slightly < Niskanen
Matta < Carlson for the points, but I'm guessing Matta is better at D
Shultz > Kempny
Oleksiac > Orpik everyone is better than Orpik
Rundwell = Djoos couldn't even tell you.

Being generous to Washington and giving the edge to Niskanen, the Penguins win the matchup 3-2 with one tie. Assuming Djoos is better than Rundwell would make it even, except that he has to play with Orpik so the best third pairing probably is going to be more effective. ON paper I can see how Washington would look to have the by far best top four, except I think the three non-Letang Penguins are probably pretty underrated.
- james_tanner1

The Pens won this matchup last year without Letang, but largely the same D Corps. Essentially Letang and Oleksiac are swapped in for Trevor Daley and Ron Hainsey. As far as that's concerned, that's an upgrade for Pittsburgh. This looks like the same Caps D to me other than Orpik is another year older and its missing Nate Schmidt, who was the best defenseman they had in the series last year as far as how he actually played. Matching the D's up in this kind of comparison is a pretty moot exercise anyways...its more of how the various pairings match up against the respective opposing forward groups, IMHO. This whole series hinges significantly on Malkin's health....If the Pens can roll out lines centered by Crosby, Malkin, Brassard, and Sheahan, they are eventually going to get a favorable matchup against the Caps bottom pair and exploit it. They just overwhelm teams this way eventually. Either that or maybe we'll just get "lucky" again.

Don't underestimate Chad Rundwell.
- jmatchett383

I have taken to calling him Roo-Weasel...he's sneaky good if you underestimate him.

is he even 21?
- Blackstrom2

How so?
Letang is far and away your best dman, despite the sour-grapes of your fellow fanners.

Schultz was dropped from Edmonton for a reason. He is super leaky.
Ya he has a bomb. Lots of guys can shoot the puck...doesn't mean he is a good defenseman.
Basically he is NFL kicker for hockey.

Did you not watch any of your own games? When he was forced to defend, he is brutal.
BUT he has two Cups...so must be Norris quality I guess.
- ghostibator

Edmonton also got rid of taylor hall for adam larsson...you are just finding lame excuses to say he's no good. last year he scored more than any defenceman on either team. Obviously i think Carlson is better than Shultz, but he is a damn good OD and 2nd pair guy.

If I didnt know better I would say that James Tanner = Mark Madden. What you explained is Madden to a T. And Madden still holds grudge against pens for letting Bylsma go, so it explains a lot really.
- cvrle1

Mark Madden absolutely holds no grudge for letting bylsma go lol. While he may play the "heel" character, you will get no better Pens infromation than from Mark Madden. He's is extremely smart and extremely objective and constantly preaches team first mentality. He only wants whats best for the Pens. If Crosby'Malkin/Letang/Murray/Sullivan are playing/coaching poorly, MM will be the first to tell you.

Mark Madden absolutely holds no grudge for letting bylsma go lol. While he may play the "heel" character, you will get no better Pens infromation than from Mark Madden. He's is extremely smart and extremely objective and constantly preaches team first mentality. He only wants whats best for the Pens. If Crosby'Malkin/Letang/Murray/Sullivan are playing/coaching poorly, MM will be the first to tell you.
- joecool2931

LOL

Madden still on the "Trade Malkin" train?

Don't underestimate Chad Rundwell.
- jmatchett383

Just the spelling mistakes with players' names shows how little this clown knows or cares about the sport. If he wants to pretend that he is a hockey blogger, he could at least do some remedial research and spell the names of the players he is blogging about. What a joke!

Mark Madden absolutely holds no grudge for letting bylsma go lol. While he may play the "heel" character, you will get no better Pens infromation than from Mark Madden. He's is extremely smart and extremely objective and constantly preaches team first mentality. He only wants whats best for the Pens. If Crosby'Malkin/Letang/Murray/Sullivan are playing/coaching poorly, MM will be the first to tell you.
- joecool2931

Madden provides the only real hockey talk on Pittsburgh radio. Snowflake pens fans don’t like him. Which is about 98 percent of pens fans.