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.
- Rawdog9755

You're not making much of a convincing case here without an InPronPEVSMP% statistic....

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.
- kgrpitt

Im with you man. Our bottom 6 was garbage last several years, and after 1 good game from Bennett he needs bumped up. Id rather leave it this way and keep the depth spread so when series like NYR happen we might actually have a 3rd line capable of contributing when 1 and 2 get snuffed.

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.
- Rawdog9755

So you are waiting to see if he gets hurt instead of letting him play in the role he was drafted to play in? Again why? That doesn't make any sense.

You want him to develop into the best possible player and you have a need for top six talent. There is no reason to play him 3rd line right now. You want depth, put Dupuis down there where he can be in a more fitting role and put Bennett on Malkin or Crosby's wing.

And if you think this is from last night, I've been preching this since Dan scratched Beau for Glass against the Rangers last year.

Montreal had 6 PP opportunities last night and didn't score any goals. The defense was great but MAF was positionally sound.
- Barnaby36

Takes 30 seconds to see Montreal went 0 for 3 last night on the PP. Don't start your comments with obvious exaggerations, it makes the rest of what you have to say look foolish.

Takes 30 seconds to see Montreal went 0 for 3 last night on the PP. Don't start your comments with obvious exaggerations, it makes the rest of what you have to say look foolish.
- nords21

Regardless of a 30 second stat check, MAF was much better than Price last night, we dealt with the trolls yesterday, and now they are quiet. MAF is on his way to a potential career year and his numbers and play are spectacular right now despite any nit-picking you or anyone else can come up with.

I'd put Kunitz with Geno where we know he can play. Bennet on their wing. Have Sid duper and horny on the top line. Until this mythical new top 6 guy shows up.

So this is kind of random but I was trying to find realistic possibilities for trade partners people who are out of playoff picture and would anyone find vermette an interesting player for the pens to target.

1PM presser for the Pens, guessing it's news on Dupuis......not feeling good about it

Pens have called a 1 pm press conference!

1PM presser for the Pens, guessing it's news on Dupuis......not feeling good about it
- ryman1566

This isn't going to be good. Crap.

Does BB and PH play on the same side?

why not put both with 87 and Dupes and Kunitz with Malkin?

So you are waiting to see if he gets hurt instead of letting him play in the role he was drafted to play in? Again why? That doesn't make any sense.

You want him to develop into the best possible player and you have a need for top six talent. There is no reason to play him 3rd line right now. You want depth, put Dupuis down there where he can be in a more fitting role and put Bennett on Malkin or Crosby's wing.

And if you think this is from last night, I've been preching this since Dan scratched Beau for Glass against the Rangers last year.
- usethe1-2-2

That was nail in the coffin for me against Dan. I was already out on Shero, but no excuse for Glass to be in for BB.

Press conference is at 1. Given the nature of these ambiguous conferences I wouldn't really expect to hear positive news.

Crossing fingers for the best, but if this is a long term issue for Dupuis, does this speed up the 'Get a Top-6 Winger' process?

Does BB and PH play on the same side?

why not put both with 87 and Dupes and Kunitz with Malkin?
- sammy87

Beau is a natural right wing like PH, both right handed shots. Kunitz and Duper are both natural left wings with left shots. If you can split that up it would make a very strong top six.

It would also help out in the probable trade. It is easier to find a good third liner than a true top six winger. Spaling Goc Comeau as a third unit with Sutter Downie and the trade winger would be great depth.

I hate press conferences.

People need to quit acting like if we move Beau up to the top two lines that its a far gone conclusion that the depth evaporates. There is no law saying that Comeau and Spaling are the guys that Beau will be replacing. Yes, we don't want those guys up there long term, but Wilson makes a great point that by the end of the season we should see Dupuis on the third line. Why not see how that would look now? Configure the lines as such:

Comeau/Spaling-Crosby-Hornqvist
Kunitz-Malkin-Bennett
Dupuis-Sutter-Downie

Comeau hasn't done anything wrong in his top 6 roll and at the end of the day it really doesn't matter who you put with Crosby and Hornqvist. That line will produce. Bennett and Sutter are obviously great together, but Dupuis is a great player too. He brings a different skill set to the line than Bennett, but you know what, Sutter is playing for a long term contract here. If he is to be the Pens' 3C for any extended amount of time after this short deal then he needs to prove that he can adapt to different line mates with different playing styles and still produce. Switching out Dupuis and Bennett makes that third line more defensively sound while still having plenty of production potential, and gives Geno his Robin that he hasn't had all season. It doesn't eliminate depth, it just changes the dynamic.

Trade for a more legit top 6 for Crosby, bump Comeau/Spaling back down to the fourth and that lineup is perfect to me.

But press conferences can have good news too!

Press conference is at 1. Given the nature of these ambiguous conferences I wouldn't really expect to hear positive news.
- Ryan_Wilson

And following Dupuis sitting out for an undisclosed illness...

I'm gonna focus on "it won't be too bad", last time resulted in a player ultimately being "fine" and only out 2 weeks.

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

Yea cause we never talk about Fleury.

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

Would love either of those deals. Make us all happy JR.

Don't want to speculate too much but IF Dupuis is out for any extended period of time, our weakness becomes even more glaring. May force the hand of Jimmy Deals to make a move. I would be very happy with a move like mentioned above...but now, hypothetically, we are in a position of desperation and teams will prey on us.

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

It's blind luck. Hard for the other team to score in that exact 3 minute time window when he is on the ice

edit- seriously, anyone better at math than me. If the oppositions scores 2 goals on average per 60 minutes. Doesnt that make the odds of scoring while Sill is on the ice for 3 minutes like .005% ?

1PM presser for the Pens, guessing it's news on Dupuis......not feeling good about it
- ryman1566

In real life I would be patient and not speculate about something potentially serious. Since its Hockey Buzz....I'm putting $20 saying he has a concussion from the Phaneuf hit.

Would love either of those deals. Make us all happy JR.

Don't want to speculate too much but IF Dupuis is out for any extended period of time, our weakness becomes even more glaring. May force the hand of Jimmy Deals to make a move. I would be very happy with a move like mentioned above...but now, hypothetically, we are in a position of desperation and teams will prey on us.
- YouMeAndDupuis9

Too early for desperation. This team could call up Megna right now and barely skip a beat.

I've been on it a long time also. Other than Sid and Geno I would argue he's the best player on the team!!! Just stay healthy a bit. Agreed on Sid line is his place.