Ryan Wilson: Penguins Hockey Is Back And So Are Their Same Problems Penguins lose to Montreal as bottom 6 woes continue

HABS NUMBA 1

Rossi also said they feel the same about Borts

It's hard to believe a guy like Despres, who wants to be in the NHL, is ignoring the coach's instructions.

We've seen Despres play a great game, then get immediately scratched the next game. The Penguins record with him in the lineup stops becoming a coincidence after a while and starts becoming a trend.

Engo has proven to be a great 4th liner and yet Bylsma continues to ignore that and plays him on the blueline at every opportunity.

Bylsma is asked about his "Despres is a top 4 defenseman" quote last year and responds by saying "that was before the arrival of Scuderi and Mattaa". Really Dan? Well you're missing Letang and Martin, your two best puck movers and you STILL scratch Despres? You say that the two aforementioned dmen pushed him out of the lineup, yet with two major injuries to the blueline he STILL can't find a spot?

I've said it before and I'll say it again, Dan Bylsma hurts this team more than he helps it. We will never win with him again and he proved it even more in the Olympics.

I want no part of Kessler. I love him as a player, but they need younger forwards not older. Sid will be skating between two 35 year old wings next year. Who knows what BB will ultimately become since he never plays.

I hope Jagr sticks around for another year and tries to jump a couple of those guys. He's my hero.

I want no part of Kessler. I love him as a player, but they need younger forwards not older. Sid will be skating between two 35 year old wings next year. Who knows what BB will ultimately become since he never plays.
- madmike71

Kesler would be a 2 year "rental".

It's hard to believe a guy like Despres, who wants to be in the NHL, is ignoring the coach's instructions.

We've seen Despres play a great game, then get immediately scratched the next game. The Penguins record with him in the lineup stops becoming a coincidence after a while and starts becoming a trend.

Engo has proven to be a great 4th liner and yet Bylsma continues to ignore that and plays him on the blueline at every opportunity.

Bylsma is asked about his "Despres is a top 4 defenseman" quote last year and responds by saying "that was before the arrival of Scuderi and Mattaa". Really Dan? Well you're missing Letang and Martin, your two best puck movers and you STILL scratch Despres? You say that the two aforementioned dmen pushed him out of the lineup, yet with two major injuries to the blueline he STILL can't find a spot?

I've said it before and I'll say it again, Dan Bylsma hurts this team more than he helps it. We will never win with him again and he proved it even more in the Olympics.
- shinoix

In fairness, HCDB is unlikely to say something like "he came to camp fat and has been ignoring our instructions at every turn" in an interview (assuming those reports are true) because it's not his style. He doesn't often take individuals to task in the media.

I want no part of Kessler. I love him as a player, but they need younger forwards not older. Sid will be skating between two 35 year old wings next year. Who knows what BB will ultimately become since he never plays.
- madmike71

He's only 29... Only 3 years older than crosby

Kesler would be a 2 year "rental".
- Ryan_Wilson

The way I see it, Pittsburgh has a short list of top line assets. You have a first for this year; you have Despres/Pouliot and Harrington and Bennett. That is it. You send a first, one of those Dmen and Bennett to Vancouver, which is the type of return that it would take, your asset list is severely limited moving forward. Trading away first round picks and not having a second doesn't replenish the farm system. We need more than one trade to fix things. Send three to vancouver, we won't be able to make a move for the final missing piece next year. You all the sudden turn into the Yankees farm system. It's as simple as that.


With possibly three blueliners moving on next year due to free agency, two of the forementioned could very well land spots in the top six.

Stand pat. If you want to do minor tinkering to the third line, send secondary assets, like guys in the same category as the two we sent to Calgary for Iggy and rework the roster in the offseason. Don't try to fix things now. We don't have the assets or cap space to do it.

HABS NUMBA 1
- HabzSquanch

You got a serious gift two points last night. Thank the refs for giving you that five minute major which led to that clown's second goal.

I'm driving to the game from Louisiana. They better play well Saturday! Why did Despres not start Thursday?

Kesler would be a 2 year "rental".
- Ryan_Wilson

Guess its just you and I on the Kesler train?

I'm driving to the game from Louisiana. They better play well Saturday! Why did Despres not start Thursday?
- hipcheck_goalie

Have a great time and dress warm. It's supposed to be like 14 degrees. As far as Despres coaching staff has issues (supposed) with him ignoring direction from them.

Guess its just you and I on the Kesler train?
- dbell646

I would take Kesler in a heart beat, sending Sutter the other way is just icing on the cake.

Kesler would be a 2 year "rental".
- Ryan_Wilson

I agree, it might look good short term, I just think it's bad asset management. Taking two of your more prominent young trade chips and turning him into one 30 year old player that can bolt after two years. I'm thinking beyond the next two years when Sid might be centering 36/37 year old wings.

I agree, it might look good short term, I just think it's bad asset management. Taking two of your more prominent young trade chips and turning him into one 30 year old player that can bolt after two years. I'm thinking beyond the next two years when Sid might be centering 36/37 year old wings.
- madmike71

I agree with this. It would be terrible asset management. Our list of assets that have high value on the trade market isn't big if you take away the obvious names (Crosby, Malkin, Neal, Maatta, et al). With the way things are going, Shero will feel the need to make the move for the final missing piece and NOT have any assets to deal.

You gave up alot for three rentals last year. The end result was failure.

Am I the only one who gets the feeling that Bylsma plays favorites? I just get the feeling that when it comes to guys like Despres, Bortuzzo, and Engelland, that Bylsma will go with the guy he likes more over who is the better fit. His handling of Despres just boggles my freaking mind. And the fact that he will play Engelland on the wing, really pisses me off. That experiment is ridiculous.

Am I the only one who gets the feeling that Bylsma plays favorites? I just get the feeling that when it comes to guys like Despres, Bortuzzo, and Engelland, that Bylsma will go with the guy he likes more over who is the better fit. His handling of Despres just boggles my freaking mind. And the fact that he will play Engelland on the wing, really pisses me off. That experiment is ridiculous.
- simethos

I would rather have Engo on the fourth line the rest of the way out. He is our most productive fourth line player. Hell, he is better than Kobaslew. If you have a better chance to win a game by putting Engo at forward, do it.

The same old problems indeed.

Montreal and their back-up goalie skated into the CEC and outscored Pittsburgh. Fleury remains inadequate, at least to the median level of team defense. That was always going to be a problem, though. It's baked into the model. Which, of course, isn't good enough. If only the Penguins would have, as should have been the case, lost to the Islanders last season...

Dan Bylsma has over-developed my palate for questionable player and line slotting. After the Iginla left-wing experiment and the defense pairings last post-season, Engelland and plenty of Tanner Glass on the Crosby line seem rather bland. It is for this reason that I am convinced that acquiring better forwards (Cammalleri, Kesler) would result in a similar fate: being eliminated from the post-season in similar high goals-against fashion with fewer assets moving forward.

It's awfully maudlin in here after the team lost one game...wow.

The way I see it, Pittsburgh has a short list of top line assets. You have a first for this year; you have Despres/Pouliot and Harrington and Bennett. That is it. You send a first, one of those Dmen and Bennett to Vancouver, which is the type of return that it would take, your asset list is severely limited moving forward. Trading away first round picks and not having a second doesn't replenish the farm system. We need more than one trade to fix things. Send three to vancouver, we won't be able to make a move for the final missing piece next year. You all the sudden turn into the Yankees farm system. It's as simple as that.


With possibly three blueliners moving on next year due to free agency, two of the forementioned could very well land spots in the top six.

Stand pat. If you want to do minor tinkering to the third line, send secondary assets, like guys in the same category as the two we sent to Calgary for Iggy and rework the roster in the offseason. Don't try to fix things now. We don't have the assets or cap space to do it.
- Oneonta Penguin

Whoa, now.

Since when did Kesler's value become greater than "Sutter and a non-1st rd pick"?

It's awfully maudlin in here after the team lost one game...wow.
- Ben37

The Pittsburgh Penguins, the worst Conference leading team in the NHL.

It's awfully maudlin in here after the team lost one game...wow.
- Ben37

I'm starting to wonder if watching the Penguins play is fun for some people in here.

Do you all enjoy watching, or do you just sit there, wringing your hands, and muttering under your breath about how bad things are, and who you want traded, benched or fired?

Whoa, now.

Since when did Kesler's value become greater than "Sutter and a non-1st rd pick"?
- Fosco

You weren't getting Kesler for Sutter and a 1st. You clowns think he is worth four assets and some of you clowns think that any combo of Despres/Pouliot and Bennett and a first isn't good enough. Ryan Kesler is a solid player and would help. However, he isn't the missing piece and it would be poor asset management to trade for a third line center like him and give that up.