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A couple weeks back I asked my readers to submit questions for my mailbag, things got busy and the submissions were filed away. I apologize for not getting to them sooner because a lot of questions were good, but already answered. Many good questions about Maatta and if he would stay up or not, clearly we now have the answer to that.
In the future I will be more timely with my responses.
Here are October's submissions:
Mayonnaise or miracle whip? - Dbell646
I don't often use either but I think you gotta go with real mayonnaise. Remember, using Miracle Whip is using a Bob Kraft product. You are supporting the New England Patriots and Tom Brady by doing so.
How long can Pens ride the flower train? Should they wait and give Zatkoff another couple of chances or go out and get a better backup? - nh4442
It appears the Penguins will be able to ride this train for a while. Fleury has been great so far this year. The Metropolitan Division is weak and the Penguins have gotten off to a hot start. Given that the Penguins are in a very advantageous spot in the standings, they can afford to roll with Zatkoff for the time being. The Penguins can't go into the playoffs with Zatkoff as the #2 but they can use him while they wait for clarity on the Vokoun situation.
Question Hi, it's early, I know, but do you see any chance at all keeping Jokinen after this season? - OnIceEnforcer
Jokinen has been a very good acquisition for Ray Shero he was the best trade out of all the Shero moves last year. Funny enough it was a move that would have never been made if Crosby didn't break his jaw. Jokinen is a very good fit with the Penguins he is able to play center or wing on any line. He is a solid faceoff guy and it never hurts to have another shootout specialist on the roster.
Will the Penguins look to keep Jokinen around? It will all depend on what Jokinen is looking to make. He will have to take less than market value to stick around. The cap is going up again next year but so are Letang and Malkin's cap hits. I don't think the Penguins could afford more than 3M per season on Jokinen.
Looking at the defensive scheme it seem their is a premium on jamming up the neutral zone. Problem is, when that fails the path to the net is open. Any suggestions on how to jam up the neutral zone that don't leave us quite so exposed? - Powerhouse
There really isn't a magical fix to that problem. It boils down to the forwards having a responsibility to provide back pressure which assists the defensemen's ability to maintain proper gap control.
It's a matter of keeping your third forward high in the offensive zone so that you have a guy available to assist your d men in the neutral zone.
Risk management is key. You can't make the high risk plays with 3 forwards deep in the zone. Without a back checking forward in close proximity to the puck the defense will be left out to dry in the neutral zone. It becomes an impossible task to maintain proper gap control. If you give NHL caliber players space and the ability to generate speed in the neutral zone you are asking for trouble.
Responsible forward play is the key variable.
Question So at points last season reports out of WBS said Phillip Samuelsson was their best well rounded d-man. I haven't ever heard a peep about seeing him at the nhl level, even as a 5-7 d-man. Any hope this young man makes a dent on the pens? -ChrisMS
I think the cards are stacked against him. The Penguins organizational depth is strongest at the position he plays. The fact Olli Maatta has already made the leap to the NHL further hampers his chances. Simon Despres, Brian Dumoulin, and Scott Harrington all appear to be ahead of him on the depth chart. Robert Bortuzzo's emergence takes another spot away from Samuelsson.
I believe Samuelsson will have to leave the Penguins organization to get his opportunity in the NHL. It speaks more to the job Shero has done stocking the defense position than it does about Samuelsson.
Thanks for reading!
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