There is a reason that there are currently 104 D men across the league consistently averaging 20+ minutes. They aren't skating as far or as hard.

Personally I don't buy in to the idea of resting players for the playoffs. I'd want my top guys out there as much as possible and use the third pairing much as it is used now. Sparingly.

/2 cents
- brianb0422

I'm not saying that if the game is close or on the line you keep your best players on the bench for the simply for the sake of limiting their minutes to a set number. But I also think playing your top guys +25min/gm hurts a team both over the course of a game and the season. A 1/2 D pairing can get worn down so that by the middle of the 3rd period they are going at 60-70%. If you can count of your 5/6 D pairing to play well, then why play them more minutes in the 1st and 2nd period at the expense of the 1/2 and 3/4 D pairings so that by the end of the 3rd the 1/2 D pairing is at 80-90%? Keep everyone fresh so you can just grind the other team down over the couse of a game.

Like I said in a previous post, just keep coming in waves until the other team can't take the constant pressure. Heck of a lot easier to do when you are fresher than the other team in the 3rd period.

First of all, I love the discussion. Nice to take my head off of the injuries and the Steelers.

I get that if we have all of our guys in the lineup we don't really need to be adding offense, but the last two years have shown us that it isn't realistic to think we will have a fully healthy team. I look at last year and if we had Malkin or had Neal playing like he was this year, we more than likely would have gone to the next round. Not saying we would have gone further, but one more piece would have helped tremendously.

We just have so much defensive depth that the logical thing is to move someone. Martin, Lovejoy, or one of our top prospects are the best bets to get something decent in return. Lovejoy won't return nearly as much. A prospect offers us no cap relief, not too mention hurts the future. So to me Martin is exactly what the Pens can afford to give up to get something valuable in return without hurting the future.

Like I said in a previous post, just keep coming in waves until the other team can't take the constant pressure. Heck of a lot easier to do when you are fresher than the other team in the 3rd period.
- s0rcerer1984

As you mentioned earlier the approach certainly worked well with the 3C model in '09, I just don't know if it translates to defense. You really don't see your D-men dragging in the third. Maybe Letang, but that's because he's rushing with the offense most times.

As you mentioned earlier the approach certainly worked well with the 3C model in '09, I just don't know if it translates to defense. You really don't see your D-men dragging in the third. Maybe Letang, but that's because he's rushing with the offense most times.
- brianb0422

For Dmen I would think the difference would be more in terms of winning battles on the boards or clearing the front of net rather than in rushes up the ice . ie, Strength more than speed.

Keep in mind i'm not saying that the sort of depth in D approach i'm advocating is going to win each and every game. I just think given the Pens current roster, its the way to ice the best team possible both now and in the future.

I also don't think its possible to score your way to a Cup win. Sooner or later, you need to win one of those 2-1 games and they always seem to come down to which team's 5/6 D pairing makes a mistake.

John, your optimism is great. Kinda makes me feel a bit better about our situation.

sooooo...............

sooooo...............
- nh4442

Well..... Channel 4 reported Letang skated "hard" before today's practice. That's badly needed good news!

I just want to see the Pens play all 60 minutes. We start off great then look worse than waking up with the exgirlfiend we dumped and had sex with for convienence.

I just want to see the Pens play all 60 minutes. We start off great then look worse than waking up with the exgirlfiend we dumped and had sex with for convienence.
- powerhouse

Wait....thats not okay? Dang, learn something new everyday.

Wait....thats not okay? Dang, learn something new everyday.
- kgrpitt

no repeats!!! but ex-gf's best friend/roommate/sister are all okay!!! 2/3 aint bad



@MolinariPGDave Molinari
If Penguins' front office feels major change is called for, how about this: Replace medical staffers with a squad of exorcists.

http://thehockeywriters.c...nguins-trades-salary-cap/

http://thehockeywriters.c...ment-performance-in-2012/

both good reads.. kinda talks about what we discussed

no repeats!!! but ex-gf's best friend/roommate/sister are all okay!!! 2/3 aint bad

- nh4442

I reject your rule. Repeat as necessary.

I am no long the Edmonton Suckiest Sucks, I am now All About the Benjamins.

I am no long the Edmonton Suckiest Sucks, I am now All About the Benjamins.
- Ben37

why?

why?
- nh4442

My name is Benjamin.

My name is Benjamin.
- Ben37

That is deep! haha

We have some work to do to secure our playoff positions.

I reject your rule. Repeat as necessary.
- brianb0422

I second this rule rejection.

That is deep! haha

We have some work to do to secure our playoff positions.
- kgrpitt

Yeah, I'm just hoping to beat Gunner this week.

Yeah, I'm just hoping to beat Gunner this week.
- Ben37

Yeah, that didn't work out for me to well last week.

Yeah, I'm just hoping to beat Gunner this week.
- Ben37

Lots of people start the week with such optimism, by Thursday they want the week to be over, bwahahaha.

Edit: I just checked and saw Vokoun really gave you a stellar effort.

Lots of people start the week with such optimism, by Thursday they want the week to be over, bwahahaha.

Edit: I just checked and saw Vokoun really gave you a stellar effort.
- Gunner Staal

So gunner, no take on what we have been discussing in the last two threads about trades, picking up brule on re-entry, letting the season go, etc....

I feel you have been gone for days!! haha

So gunner, no take on what we have been discussing in the last two threads about trades, picking up brule on re-entry, letting the season go, etc....

I feel you have been gone for days!! haha
- nh4442

I'm pretty sure I had food poisoning yesterday, I didn't do much of anything except sleep.

Honestly, I don't have any answers to their problems right now. I would hate to make panic trades though. I also think that Rob Rossi had some points that had some truth in them but he is going way overboard on saying that players at 25 years old are going to start to decline at the rate he was implying. Ovechkin should't be the prime example of that. Other teams would still kill to be in our position with the young core talent we have. Ask any Sabres fan what they would do just to have a Jordan Staal at center.

It appears that Letang is closer to playing than not, which is huge. If we can get the defense healthy again and have Flower play at a high level I think they can scrape the wins out like last year. Hopefully Jeffrey will contribute when he is back, and Kennedy will start finding the scoresheet more now that he is going to have more PP time.

Geno is going to have to be a machine through all of this.

I'm pretty sure I had food poisoning yesterday, I didn't do much of anything except sleep.

Honestly, I don't have any answers to their problems right now. I would hate to make panic trades though. I also think that Rob Rossi had some points that had some truth in them but he is going way overboard on saying that players at 25 years old are going to start to decline at the rate he was implying. Ovechkin should't be the prime example of that. Other teams would still kill to be in our position with the young core talent we have. Ask any Sabres fan what they would do just to have a Jordan Staal at center.

It appears that Letang is closer to playing than not, which is huge. If we can get the defense healthy again and have Flower play at a high level I think they can scrape the wins out like last year. Hopefully Jeffrey will contribute when he is back, and Kennedy will start finding the scoresheet more now that he is going to have more PP time.

Geno is going to have to be a machine through all of this.
- Gunner Staal

quick thought about this before i head into work and sux about the food poisoning...

Sometimes when Geno is put in that position it hurts us more bc he tries to do everything: holds the puck longer in our end creating turnovers, takes mulitiple penalties, and tries skating through the entire opposing team.... he has to realzie that he does have wingers that can help... even with kuni, dupes, tk and sulli on his lines, you give them mulitiple oppurtunities and some will go in...

quick thought about this before i head into work and sux about the food poisoning...

Sometimes when Geno is put in that position it hurts us more bc he tries to do everything: holds the puck longer in our end creating turnovers, takes mulitiple penalties, and tries skating through the entire opposing team.... he has to realzie that he does have wingers that can help... even with kuni, dupes, tk and sulli on his lines, you give them mulitiple oppurtunities and some will go in...
- nh4442

Yup, its a double edged sword. Part of what makes Geno who he is, is his ability to push the play hard with a high skill level, unfortunately he is prone to some mistakes when that happens. Have to take the good with the bad with 71. At the end of the day I think the good(great) far outweighs the bad.

Yup, its a double edged sword. Part of what makes Geno who he is, is his ability to push the play hard with a high skill level, unfortunately he is prone to some mistakes when that happens. Have to take the good with the bad with 71. At the end of the day I think the good(great) far outweighs the bad.
- Gunner Staal

My thoughts I think they come out and play inspired and win after the injuries and brooksies comments. I'm curious to see what we look like 3 games from now when that wears off.they either stand up and every man goes hard or they feel sorry for themselves and start pointing fingers.