Ryan Wilson: Average Teams Have No Problem Exposing Current Penguins Average Teams Have No Problem Exposing Current Penguins

TRADE ALL THE PLAYERS!!!

Need more charts and graphs. Legitimacy must be questioned.

Blaming the 4th line for the Penguins' loss is likely blaming Seattle's kicker for losing the Super Bowl. Nonsensical.

Meanwhile, Greiss has beat one team with more wins than losses so far this year, and he got 6 goals of support in doing so that night. But no mention of him and his whiff or his overall timid play.

So the supposed goaltender who some folks claimed would be a better replacement for MAF plays terribly yet again, Sid and Geno are again invisible, and we lay blame on the 4th line?

Got it.

DP isn't anywhere near as stable as OM is yet. Not to say he wont get there but he isn't there yet. Still a bit too loose with his game. Keep playing him though.

Blaming the 4th line for the Penguins' loss is likely blaming Seattle's kicker for losing the Super Bowl. Nonsensical.

Meanwhile, Greiss has beat one team with more wins than losses so far this year, and he got 6 goals of support in doing so that night. But no mention of him and his whiff or his overall timid play.
- hardnosed

Bingo!

Ryan, your last two paragraphs could not be more correct.

Well they need to do something bc they have 2 scoring lines and some nights only 1... need more depth scoring players...

So the supposed goaltender who some folks claimed would be a better replacement for MAF plays terribly yet again
- 87_71_11_29

2.81 GAA, .909 SV%, and a losing record. Sad thing is, he's still playing better than Reimer.

So the supposed goaltender who some folks claimed would be a better replacement for MAF plays terribly yet again, Sid and Geno are again invisible, and we lay blame on the 4th line?

Got it.

DP isn't anywhere near as stable as OM is yet. Not to say he wont get there but he isn't there yet. Still a bit too loose with his game. Keep playing him though.
- 87_71_11_29

I seem to recall MAF being on the receiving end of very similar stompings. Was Greiss good, hell no, but it's hard to pin that on him when the team in front was worse.

This team will continue to be a 1 scoring line because sid refuses to play with horn and horn doesn't mesh with malkin.

I can't disagree with this; however, I think this is not the same process as last season.
Johnston doesn't come across as the type of coach who thinks this is the team to fit his system. He is smarter than that. He is experimenting with his lineup constantly.
He is treating the bulk of the regular season as training camp. Testing his lineup through injuries. When Comeau returns we will find out a lot. We will have top six grouping for the first time in awhile. (Although Beau could also be a part of that).

Two guys returning this week in Beau and Comeau should push some slugs out of the lineup. Still have a chance at a trade as well.

This team will continue to be a 1 scoring line because sid refuses to play with horn and horn doesn't mesh with malkin.
- drummer829

There has been no other report of this other than Rob Rossi. I don't believe it.

There has been no other report of this other than Rob Rossi. I don't believe it.
- madmike71

Exactly, what a crock story

This team will continue to be a 1 scoring line because sid refuses to play with horn and horn doesn't mesh with malkin.
- drummer829

Lets blindly believe 1 article by a source no one respects, when it has no shred of proof to it either

I seem to recall MAF being on the receiving end of very similar stompings. Was Greiss good, hell no, but it's hard to pin that on him when the team in front was worse.
- madmike71

And when he has, it's been harped on. Especially if he had whiffed for a Vancouver freebie.

And it's more about process than results. Results take care of themselves.

Greiss's process is timid, which is a problem because he lacks instincts and agility.

Blaming the 4th line for the Penguins' loss is likely blaming Seattle's kicker for losing the Super Bowl. Nonsensical.

Meanwhile, Greiss has beat one team with more wins than losses so far this year, and he got 6 goals of support in doing so that night. But no mention of him and his whiff or his overall timid play.
- hardnosed

Absolving the 4th line of blame is just as nonsensical. Having a 4th line that might pot a goal every couple of games sure would help a team that is getting shut out almost every other night. Nobody is putting all the blame on the 4th line and if you read comments about them not helping and that is what you take out of it then you need some help in comprehension.

Greiss was terrible last night, but so was the whole team. So what is the point in calling out a guy that plays 2 or 3 times a month?

And when he has, it's been harped on. Especially if he had whiffed for a Vancouver freebie.

And it's more about process than results. Results take care of themselves.

Greiss's process is timid, which is a problem because he lacks instincts and agility.
- hardnosed

RW feels MAF is an average goalie. It's obvious that offends a few around here. It doesn't matter much to me because I've been saying for years that until the players put more value in preventing goals than they do selling out to score them, this team goes nowhere. I lost track of how many odd man breaks last night....and because of this, I can't judge the goalie.

Absolving the 4th line of blame is just as nonsensical. Having a 4th line that might pot a goal every couple of games sure would help a team that is getting shut out almost every other night. Nobody is putting all the blame on the 4th line and if you read comments about them not helping and that is what you take out of it then you need some help in comprehension.

Greiss was terrible last night, but so was the whole team. So what is the point in calling out a guy that plays 2 or 3 times a month?
- PensFan1103

The 4th line has played very well recently. If their job is to score, Rutherford and Johnston should be fired immediately because none of those 3 guys are scorers. They're supposed to hit and make things tough on a defense. They've been doing that extremely well lately while providing energy. That's what they're there for. Expecting those 3 to carry the offense while Crosby shrinks and Malkin does his Captain Turnover impersonation is silly.

The point with Greiss is that they've got 7 back to backs down the stretch, so whoever the backup is, they're going to play a lot. He's looked lost lately, and that's a relevant concern, especially with Zatkoff and Murray playing well at WBS.

It's obvious that offends a few around here.
- madmike71

Big difference between being offended and believing that someone's opinion (Greiss + Reimer > Fleury) is wrong.

The 4th line has played very well recently. If their job is to score, Rutherford and Johnston should be fired immediately because none of those 3 guys are scorers. They're supposed to hit and make things tough on a defense. They've been doing that extremely well lately while providing energy. That's what they're there for. Expecting those 3 to carry the offense while Crosby shrinks and Malkin does his Captain Turnover impersonation is silly.

The point with Greiss is that they've got 7 back to backs down the stretch, so whoever the backup is, they're going to play a lot. He's looked lost lately, and that's a relevant concern, especially with Zatkoff and Murray playing well at WBS.
- hardnosed

Seeing some highlights... he looked very shakey last night. However, could that possibly be rust? They have really underused him lately, and if rustiness is the reason... ugh.

Blaming a team's 4th line when you get shutout is laughable. Griess continuing to prove why he is nothing more than an NHL backup is still laughable when I remember reading all the posts about why he should be our starter.

The 4th line has played very well recently. If their job is to score, Rutherford and Johnston should be fired immediately because none of those 3 guys are scorers. They're supposed to hit and make things tough on a defense.
- hardnosed

This just doesn't cut it in the NHL today. Two scoring lines, a checking line, and an 'energy' line is an outdated model. You need four lines that can control play and aren't a liability. I agree that the 4th line has played OK recently, but the bigger issue is Malkin having to play with Arcobello, and Brandon Sutter being awful. Comeau needs to come back and be just as good as he was before, and we still need to bring in a top 6 forward.

I'm just not sure how you fill that top 6 hole now. Best case scenario, you find someone desperate for center help and turn Sutter into a long term top 6 wing. Problem is then who steps into 3C? Spaling? Maybe Comeau and Bennett can prop him up, but I'm not optimistic. Barring that maybe see if something can be done for a low cost rental. Then you could roll Comeau - Sutter - Bennett, which has to be better than Spaling - Sutter - Downie. Go with Spaling - Lapierre - Downie as the 4th in the playoffs. They'd be physical and have some offensive ability as well.

Kunitz - Crosby - Perron
Tlusty - Malkin - Hornqvist
Comeau - Sutter -Bennett
Spaling - Lapierre - Downie

Just remember as well that superstar Crosby was shut down by a 19 year old rookie.

This just doesn't cut it in the NHL today. Two scoring lines, a checking line, and an 'energy' line is an outdated model. You need four lines that can control play and aren't a liability. I agree that the 4th line has played OK recently, but the bigger issue is Malkin having to play with Arcobello, and Brandon Sutter being awful. Comeau needs to come back and be just as good as he was before, and we still need to bring in a top 6 forward.

I'm just not sure how you fill that top 6 hole now. Best case scenario, you find someone desperate for center help and turn Sutter into a long term top 6 wing. Problem is then who steps into 3C? Spaling? Maybe Comeau and Bennett can prop him up, but I'm not optimistic. Barring that maybe see if something can be done for a low cost rental. Then you could roll Comeau - Sutter - Bennett, which has to be better than Spaling - Sutter - Downie. Go with Spaling - Lapierre - Downie as the 4th in the playoffs. They'd be physical and have some offensive ability as well.

Kunitz - Crosby - Perron
Tlusty - Malkin - Hornqvist
Comeau - Sutter -Bennett
Spaling - Lapierre - Downie
- Stillson14

Oh, I would much prefer to have a 4th line that can produce 40 points a season. But that's not what the Penguins have right now, and it's not the role that the current 4th line should be expected to play.

I wish Tlusty was realistic, but it's just not. I'd actually be surprised if the Penguins made any kind of moves. They're not going to improve upon what they have right now drastically enough to justify making a trade involving any kind of long-term assets.