It's the regular season. That has never been the question for fleury. The reason he isn't getting a blog is because this song and dance has to last into june.

Now the biggest question outside of Fleury in the playoffs has been the lack of top 6 talent in pittsburgh and our never ending quest to find it. It is now playing on our third line and it is young and cheap.

The Pens have a golden opportunity here to establish him as a top six winger with either Sid or Geno and that will help solve a ton of problems.

If Beau can become an everyday top 6, then those prospect for prospect moves like Dumo for Jurco or Rattie are perfect depth moves without hurting the draft/payroll
- usethe1-2-2

If a wait and see approach gets applied to Fleury, Bennett is an equally likely candidate to have the same approach applied to him.

I'm not knocking MAF, I've been one of his biggest supporters on this site even through all the rough times. I've always said that the team in front of him is a large part of his problem. They've been flat out awful defensively for years.

This year it's the exact opposite. They're significantly better defensively under this coach and I'm not surprised at all that MAF looks legit again.

Still think the story was BB last night. Montreal was awful last night offensively.
- madmike71

Careful. Someone will post a hundred GIFs showing what stellar "defense" Fleury has had in front of him...consisting of Orpik looking surprised, Letang looking at everything except the player he's supposed to be covering, and other Penguins players couples-skating with their checks...

Two pages and nobody has made a Penguins fan bandwagon joke yet?

I think something's wrong with the internets.

I like Bennett on the third line for now. Sutter has above average offensive skills, but can't seem to generate offense on his own. Having a very good playmaker on that line changes the dynamic completely.

There seems to be a chemistry between those three, I say let's ride it out for a few weeks and see what happens.

If a wait and see approach gets applied to Fleury, Bennett is an equally likely candidate to have the same approach applied to him.
- Rawdog9755

Stop trying to be logical on the Internet!

It's the regular season. That has never been the question for fleury. The reason he isn't getting a blog is because this song and dance has to last into june.

Now the biggest question outside of Fleury in the playoffs has been the lack of top 6 talent in pittsburgh and our never ending quest to find it. It is now playing on our third line and it is young and cheap.

The Pens have a golden opportunity here to establish him as a top six winger with either Sid or Geno and that will help solve a ton of problems.

If Beau can become an everyday top 6, then those prospect for prospect moves like Dumo for Jurco or Rattie are perfect depth moves without hurting the draft/payroll
- usethe1-2-2

This is a team problem. Our Top 6 couldn't buy a goal when needed in the last couple seasons (Boston and Rangers) so lets not pretend Crosby and Malkin are perfect and can do no wrong. Leadership has been lacking as well.

This is a team problem. Our Top 6 couldn't buy a goal when needed in the last couple seasons (Boston and Rangers) so lets not pretend Crosby and Malkin are perfect and can do no wrong. Leadership has been lacking as well.
- Barnaby36

Well said. At the end of the day, we lost to Boston and NYR because we couldn't score enough.

Mike Johnston LOVES Brandon Sutter. Even going back to camp, he would go out of his way to talk about Sutter, even if the question had nothing to do with him. He's like the anti-Bartley. I think he will keep Bennett there to help fulfill the potential that he sees in Sutter.

I mean its unreal though. Kid has one good game and gets a whole blog basically. Fleury gets his 4th shutout and is a footnote.
- Rawdog9755

Who?


People have been asking for depth for years and now we have it and want to stack the top two lines. At this point, I enjoy watching Sutter with a competent line-mate and giving the other team hell.

I like Bennett on the third line for now. Sutter has above average offensive skills, but can't seem to generate offense on his own. Having a very good playmaker on that line changes the dynamic completely.

There seems to be a chemistry between those three, I say let's ride it out for a few weeks and see what happens.
- rival22

Very good point. Sutter can't create for others but can finish fairly well. Is this line possible at all?

Kunitz-Crosby-Hörnqvist
Sutter-Malkin-Bennett

Downie-Spaling-Dupuis
Comeau-Goc-Megna/Adams

Try to ride 2 hot top 6 lines and 2 capable bottom lines.

Well said. At the end of the day, we lost to Boston and NYR because we couldn't score enough.
- 87_71_11_29

Sixty percent of the time it works every time...

Like I said last night, I don't know why people don't believe that HCMJ was serious this summer when he talked about pairs. Sutter and Bennett make a great pair. Why mess with that?

And I also believe that thinking in terms of top 6 is antiquated. It's a top 9 league now. You better have three lines that can score, and the Penguins currently do.

In terms of trades - I really have no interest in taking another blind shot at finding Malkin a winger. He just doesn't mesh well with most players who play on his line.

There's one guy I'd be interested in bringing in - Juicy. We know they can play together, he's a decent bargain at 4 mil with term, and he just doesn't fit into what appears to be a longer rebuild in Florida. Obviously they'd have to take on salary, but I'd be willing to sweeten things up to make it happen.

Mike Johnston LOVES Brandon Sutter. Even going back to camp, he would go out of his way to talk about Sutter, even if the question had nothing to do with him. He's like the anti-Bartley. I think he will keep Bennett there to help fulfill the potential that he sees in Sutter.
- rival22

That's true. I have a feeling he loves Sill's energy too. Nothing wrong about that as long as he's not a minus player on the ice. Sill isn't that good but...

If a wait and see approach gets applied to Fleury, Bennett is an equally likely candidate to have the same approach applied to him.
- Rawdog9755

Why? Fleury has had some serious struggles in the playoffs, with the exception being that Rangers series of recent. Your damn right it should be a wait and see approach.

Bennett was pushed down the lineup by Bylsma and has continued to show top six play. Why keep the kid down? There is no wait and see approach, he either has it or he doesn't and you find that out now.

I have a feeling he loves Sill's energy too. Nothing wrong about that as long as he's not a minus player on the ice. Sill isn't that good but...
- Barnaby36

Sill STILL hasn't been on the ice for a goal against all year long.

This is a team problem. Our Top 6 couldn't buy a goal when needed in the last couple seasons (Boston and Rangers) so lets not pretend Crosby and Malkin are perfect and can do no wrong. Leadership has been lacking as well.
- Barnaby36

It isn't just a team problem. Fleury has been bad the past four playoffs with one exception.

And yes, our top six could use more talent, enter Beau Bennett. That's why he was drafted. It will be easier to get a good third line winger than a top six winger with our cap issues so why not put him up there?

It isn't just a team problem. Fleury has been bad the past four playoffs with one exception.

And yes, our top six could use more talent, enter Beau Bennett. That's why he was drafted. It will be easier to get a good third line winger than a top six winger with our cap issues so why not put him up there?
- usethe1-2-2

I am all for it....and I'd even ride a Sutter-Malkin-Bennett line to see how it goes. Good chemistry. Spaling and Goc can take the C spots in the bottom lines.

Like I said last night, I don't know why people don't believe that HCMJ was serious this summer when he talked about pairs. Sutter and Bennett make a great pair. Why mess with that?

And I also believe that thinking in terms of top 6 is antiquated. It's a top 9 league now. You better have three lines that can score, and the Penguins currently do.

- hardnosed

I agree and have been saying the same thing about the top 9 being the new top 6.

In the playoffs, if you can have an offensively talented third line going up against other teams third D pairing, you can have a lot of success.

Also, if the Pens third line is out against an opponent's top scoring line, every second that they can spend in an opponent's end is an advantage.

That's true. I have a feeling he loves Sill's energy too. Nothing wrong about that as long as he's not a minus player on the ice. Sill isn't that good but...
- Barnaby36

That 4th line with Sill, Adams and Goc just barely hangs on most nights. After a handful of decent games, Adams is starting to look like.....well.....Craig Adams. I was hoping Sill could translate to the NHL. So far he hasn't.

Sill STILL hasn't been on the ice for a goal against all year long.
- hardnosed

Amazingly. Never hated the guy but I got accostumed of hearing people saying here that Sill isn't that good. If it's working fine, let the energy/character guy ride with team.

That 4th line with Sill, Adams and Goc just barely hangs on most nights. After a handful of decent games, Adams is starting to look like.....well.....Craig Adams. I was hoping Sill could translate to the NHL. So far he hasn't.
- madmike71

In the perfect world he'd be in the AHL but I could see him as a 13th forward since he's cheap as hell.

I am all for it....and I'd even ride a Sutter-Malkin-Bennett line to see how it goes. Good chemistry. Spaling and Goc can take the C spots in the bottom lines.
- Barnaby36

I'm all for Bennett jumping up, but Downie and Sutter have been a great combo. Toss them Spaling and that is a pretty solid third line that is going to produce.

I'd like to see BB in the top 6, but there is really no rush at this point. Maybe it's me, but it seems like Hornqvist and Malkin don't have a lot of chemistry. Hornqvist with Sid was much more menacing IMO.

Bottom line... I don't care where he plays.......just that he plays.
- madmike71

agree 100% about malkin not having alot of chemistry with horny, put him back with sid and slide bo wit "make me a milkshake malkin"

Why? Fleury has had some serious struggles in the playoffs, with the exception being that Rangers series of recent. Your damn right it should be a wait and see approach.

Bennett was pushed down the lineup by Bylsma and has continued to show top six play. Why keep the kid down? There is no wait and see approach, he either has it or he doesn't and you find that out now.
- usethe1-2-2

The wait and see approach with Bennett is 100% because to this point he has shown to be more fragile than the love child of Dipietro and Gaborik.

Like I said last night, I don't know why people don't believe that HCMJ was serious this summer when he talked about pairs. Sutter and Bennett make a great pair. Why mess with that?

And I also believe that thinking in terms of top 6 is antiquated. It's a top 9 league now. You better have three lines that can score, and the Penguins currently do.

In terms of trades - I really have no interest in taking another blind shot at finding Malkin a winger. He just doesn't mesh well with most players who play on his line.

There's one guy I'd be interested in bringing in - Juicy. We know they can play together, he's a decent bargain at 4 mil with term, and he just doesn't fit into what appears to be a longer rebuild in Florida. Obviously they'd have to take on salary, but I'd be willing to sweeten things up to make it happen.
- hardnosed

I think you mess with that because it is November and you can. Sutter and Downie also make a great pair. If Malkin and Bennett make a great pair then you have a solid pair on each line.

There is nothing stopping you from giving him a 5-10 game stint on Sid and Geno's lines over the next month to see what you have.