Also Murray gets his 12th shutout of the season tonight. ... Wilkes Barre has a legit chance at winning it all this year. ... it's a small consolation prize for me if Pittsburgh crashes and burns since I live 5 minutes from the arena in Wilkes-Barre

So WBS pens play philly farm team which is basically a roster of convicts like Rosehill, Stortini, Laurdisen, coached by (frank)ing Riley Cote. And after a Rosehill elbow/unsportsmanlike double minor they score a PP goal and win 3-0. Who knew that strategy paid off??

even that is slightly unfair to crosby.

take away boychuk and hamonic from the isles. and say matt martin to make up for downie.
- stayinthefnnet

Ofcourse its fair to Crosby, he is head to head with Tavares in the scoring race and I think you see him take his game to another level to drag us in.

Even with everyone in their line up they are playing like garbage. There is just as much pressure on them as there is on us and they know it. I think we can rise above it and it will be hilarious to watch their board blame the season on Halaks softy last night.

No chance do you see the Pens burn a year of Kap for what could turn out to be one round of playoffs....just doesn't make sense at all. I do believe he will be given every chance to make the team next year.

If the Pens sneak into the playoffs, I think you will see some of the WB guys brought up. Starting with about 3 forwards and probably Doums. Sucks for WB, but Pens are the priority.
- Thorny

They wouldn't burn a year of his ELC if they didn't play more than 9 games.

Ofcourse its fair to Crosby, he is head to head with Tavares in the scoring race and I think you see him take his game to another level to drag us in.

Even with everyone in their line up they are playing like garbage. There is just as much pressure on them as there is on us and they know it. I think we can rise above it and it will be hilarious to watch their board blame the season on Halaks softy last night.
- stackthepads

ive ridden him all year, and i still think hes already done that the past few games. there just are 0 troops behind him.

im not saying the pens cant win that game. they can. all im saying is should they lose, im not automatically going to say well crosby couldnt rise to the challenge of tavares. might as well pass the torch.

They wouldn't burn a year of his ELC if they didn't play more than 9 games.
- jfkst1

Pretty sure if he dresses for the playoffs, it burns a year....9 games or not.

Boston fans came to the realization much earlier in the season that they weren't as good as expected.
- jfkst1

What I'm saying is last year tukka rask was considered the best goalie in the league and this year with enough of a good team in front of him they really might not get in. No ones giving Tukka the $hit that crosby is getting, meanwhile Crosby is leading the league in scoring in 5 less games than Tavaras has played and he's in decline? Give me a break, what a joke.

Pretty sure if he dresses for the playoffs, it burns a year....9 games or not.
- Thorny

If they think Kappy can help in the playoffs they'll burn a year of his ELC quicker than JR can slug down a bottle of Ensure.

So WBS pens play philly farm team which is basically a roster of convicts like Rosehill, Stortini, Laurdisen, coached by (frank)ing Riley Cote. And after a Rosehill elbow/unsportsmanlike double minor they score a PP goal and win 3-0. Who knew that strategy paid off??
- stowerkraut

Wow. So many goons in one lineup/coaching staff

Sorry but it's delusional to think kapanen is the difference between us flaming out and winning the cup.... there is zero logical reasoning in burning a year of his elc to maybe see round 2.... try and hold out until letang gets back and go from there but without letang and hoff were not going very far in the postseason
- Yonk1216

There's also 0 logical reason to give up on the season for no reason. 0 logical reason to not try and improve your chance at the cup.

"Well guys, we lost in the first round but at least we didn't ice the best possible team...oh well, theres always next year!"

Sorry, we aren't going to agree on this.

No chance do you see the Pens burn a year of Kap for what could turn out to be one round of playoffs....just doesn't make sense at all. I do believe he will be given every chance to make the team next year.

If the Pens sneak into the playoffs, I think you will see some of the WB guys brought up. Starting with about 3 forwards and probably Doums. Sucks for WB, but Pens are the priority.
- Thorny

Hockey 101: the playoffs are 7 game series, hence, one round would be less than the 9 games Kapanen could play without burning his ELC. At that point you would have a clear idea if he is a contributor and then decide whether its worth burning a year and continuing to play him.

That's my point. I won't argue with anyone if they don't think he can help, that's your subjective opinion. But burning a year of ELC only matters IF we happened to get to the second round.

If they think Kappy can help in the playoffs they'll burn a year of his ELC quicker than JR can slug down a bottle of Ensure.
- madmike71

Haha

Also Murray gets his 12th shutout of the season tonight. ... Wilkes Barre has a legit chance at winning it all this year. ... it's a small consolation prize for me if Pittsburgh crashes and burns since I live 5 minutes from the arena in Wilkes-Barre
- Yonk1216

Nice game write up here
http://chirpsfromcenteric...om/2015/04/08/kapped-off/

I was wondering if Murray was partly a product of a great defense but then realized there isnt much behind Harrington-Doums

He's fallen so far off the radar. Does he even play (or shown he can play) an above average net-front game?
- YouMeAndDupuis9

Personally I think he plays the right way. Just about every goal he's scored this season was a redirect from parking right in front of the other team's goalie. I don't know if he's very physical, but he does seem to screen goalies a lot.

Unfortunately, WBS' success is due to a couple of actual prospects and a boatload of overage AHL lifers.

I am still very hopeful that Tom Kuhnhackl can develop into a Hornqvist type NHL player. UNderrated pick in my opinion; at age 23 it's time to see what he's got next season.

I know, I know. It's not a sexy name and it's not an electrifying player. But neither was Holmstrom. I don't think 87 and 71 have needed anything more than they have needed a guy to help them take the goalie's eyes and play reading away.
- Johnny Wrath

I've been a big fan of his ever since he was drafted. Mostly just because he's German I know he had a lethal shot in juniors, i wish he'd use it more nowadays. Hopefully we resign him!

So if we compare the Penguins to the team with the least man games lost int he NHL things look a bit better? Sure they do. But that same team destroyed the Penguins when down 1-3 last Spring. It was a different story then; St. Louis and his momma. It's always something that seemingly doesn't have to do with the Penguins being a really undisciplined, soft hockey team.
- Johnny Wrath

Last playoffs V the Rags, the only reason we went up 3-1 was because of the Rangers schedule. Had they had a break which they did once we got 3-1 up they regained their composure & the rest is history. We had an advantage but again could not convert.

I agree there is something missing in this team & I believe it's experience & leadership. Sid is a leader without doubt, anyone that plays like he does drags the team along, but he's not a communicator nor is he cool headed when under duress. This team needs an older influence with experience that has the respect of the players - I keep saying Brad Richards will be perfect. Someone needs to be able to go to Sid & say

'hey mate, just calm down & get back into your game, I'll look after the others. HEY SUTTER, MOVE YOUR (frank)IN ARSE YOU HOPELESS ARSEHOLE. SCUDS YOU OXYGEN THEIF, TRY & AT LEAST NOT LOSE THE (frank)IN PUCK! Now it's all good Sid!'.

Nobody in this team can do that. He's a guy that when things don't go his way he gets frustrated - now I'm only observing that I have no clue as I don't know him, but the way the Pens play when they get frustrated is a team that has no head & everyone just goes bananas.

Bit every team has their weaknesses it's just a know ours very well. Go ask someone that doesn't watch the Pens & they'll tell you how good we are, we just cannot play through adversity.

Well, he managed to play at least 5 games with it affecting him. That means it was forming prior to that point. Screenings anytime during that period should have identified it & it could have been handled earlier. It obviously begs the question of if they are doing screenings and how often in the case of someone with a known past issue, an issue that has a high likelihood of reoccurrence.

And on the issue of prevention? I can't really answer that. But their medical staff's job is to not only treat issues but work on preventative medicine too. I don't know what preventative steps can be taken in the case of blood clots & what can be done if someone has a history of them, but there has to be something beyond just staying on blood thinners to reduce the likelihood of them reoccurring.

Point is, there's some serious questions that should be asked (internally or publicly) of the medical staff & how they handle treating known issues or preventative medicine for the team.
- ScienceJesus

So now we have kids on blogs questioning what the medical staff does or doesn't do? Yeah you know more with all of your medical degrees huh? I read on another article on here from this week where one smarty was going through all the things that the Pens med staff did that was wrong including 87 concussion/neck injury from 20011-12. Chip Burke - one of the top ortho's in the country who shares a private practice with the Steelers head physician Jim Bradley, and who was the head physician for Team USA hockey in 2002 Olympics- had been with the Pens since 84 and became the head team doc in 1988. His teams misdiagnosis of the neck injury for concussion symptoms is what ultimately led to his firing in the summer of 2012. Burke operated on my right hand in 1997, shoulder in 1998, and left wrist in 2001 and I can assure you I've never had any post-operation difficulties, but then again I don't play in the NHL. So comparing injuries prior to the 2012-13 season is moot bc the Pens see a whole new med staff regime now. The Pens next head team Physician was Chris Harner - one of the founders of UPMC Center For Sports Medicine on the South Side- who is/was the president of American Orthopedic Society for Sports Medicine. This merger made the Pens the last Pgh sports team to form a fully working relationship with UPMC as their new UPMC practice facility will soon show. The Pens now have access to over 15 specialists at UPMC. Dharmesh Vyas became the team asst. physician who traveled with team in lieu of Montreal's medical staff clearing Letang fit to play in Nov 2011 after being concussed by a Pacioretty hit. Letang did score the GWG in OT though . I'm not sure if Harner is still on the Pens staff or not, bc the doc I see at every home game is Vyas and the doc I see at road games is also Vyas. If you're from Pgh you should know that UPMC is one of the top medical institutes in not only this country but the world. So to sit there and question them is idiotic and moronic at best. Funny how the same doc could operate on both Maatta and Pouliot shoulder yet one had to hurry back while the other took an extra 3 weeks off in Sept-Oct and yet the one who rushed back is the one who had his labrum operated on again. He wasn't rushed back by the staff he rushed himself back just like he did after the cancerous tumor was removed. There is nothing wrong with the medical staff of the Pens!!!! Players are free to get 2nd and 3rd opinions from outside docs, so.. This is what led to the discovery of Crosby's soft tissue neck injury anyway.. The issue I believe is with Strength and Conditioning coach Mike Kadar. The Pens just hired Gary Roberts to work at their new UPMC Sports Complex to oversee the philosophy and off-ice training regime. He'll be doing his training with younger players, injured players, family's etc.. He'll be in Pgh 1 week a month, so my guess is either Kadar will be fired or he'll now be following the Roberts strength and conditioning that Roberts uses to train multiple NHL players every off-season. Yes he'll still be doing that, but one thing is for sure and that's the Pens players will be more fit and eating a lot different working with a staff that Roberts oversees.

Don't know how this is the coaches fault.
You have aging stars that have played a ton of hockey over the past decade including international tournaments.
Combined with 7 years worth of brutal drafting.
I don't know if the scapegoat for Pens fans is actually working for the Pens.
Just seems like your team was poorly run, and now it will pay for it, playoffs or not.
- jimmy mcnaulty

LOL, you're an idiot and not just bc the ultimate nikka Bunk is your avatar.. Aging stars? Ya Sid, Letang and Geno are so aging that for the entire 2015-16 season they'll be a whole 28, 28 and 29 years old.. WOW that is soooo over the hill old.. They have played a ton of hockey over the past decade? Are you delusional or just really dumb? That argument made sense in 2010 after back to back SCF appearances, but not in the present tense.. They lost in rd 2, Rd 1, Rd 1, Rd 3, and Rd 2 since 2010, so that argument carries NO weight.. They have not played in that many international games and Crosby missed half of 2011 and 3/4 of 2012 season. That would technically add playing years to his body, duh. Malkin missed 1/2 of 2011 season after tearing his ACL, and has played in a whole 37 international games including the 2 Olympics since entering the NHL in 2006-07. This isn't including the 37 games he played in during the 2012-13 lockout just like the vast majority of NHL players who played over seas prior to the start of the NHL. And actually those 37 games mixed with the 31 of 48 NHL games that year is actually 14 games shy of a full NHL season. Malkin has played in a whole 96 Playoff games in his 9 year career. So again I'm not sure how that translates to a ton of hockey over a decade for Malkin. So in total 74 games outside NHL competition and 681 NHL games in a 9 year career. Crosby has played in 720 NHL games, and 22 international games in 10 NHL seasons.. Letang 584 NHL games, and 36 AHL, Junior, international games in a 9 year career.. Yeah you're so right they're washed up.. If you knew anything at all these 3 - along with MAF- aren't the problem.. The problem is 3 contracts to aging vets mixed with an an ex-coach and GM who wouldn't give younger players playing time.. The Pens are 2-3 players who contribute consistently away from being a legit threat again.. With somewhere in the neighborhood of $13 million coming off the books this summer plus Pouliot having a year of experience, Sundqvist, Harrington, Dumoulin and Kapenan being on ELC.. Shero might have thrown too many picks away and drafted too many D-men but this roster with 87 and 71 can be competitive for another 5-6 years if they start playing younger forwards and trading away top picks..

I don't make crap up and I'm not using google. I happen to watch tons of hockey, unlike you. I happen to know the game more than you and recognize talent more than you. The difference is I think Hoffman and Stone, both guys have produced 20 goals seasons at young ages without the help of a superstar are top six forwards in Pittsburgh, but you think Beau Bennett and his poopty play and broken wrists is a top six player. He has less goals than Lazar has this year and he is playing on a line similar to what Beau has been playing most of the year.

You are a weak individual. You think you are funny, but you aren't. You have yet to show any evidence that you know the game. Anyone who thinks Bennett is a top six, such as you, can't be taken seriously. Add in the fact that you still think Cooke and Downie are Gods ... more concrete evidence that you are a joke.

Saying that Hoffman and Stone aren't top six forwards in Pittsburgh when we have a third line guy in Winnik playing top line minutes; a broken down Kunitz playing top six minutes; Comeau playing top six minutes is something that demand seeking greater help from someone with a hockey IQ.

Dude, learn the game.
- Oneonta Penguin

While that dude you're talking to might be an idiot you might want to rethink what you say... As Josh Yohe and Mark Madden have said for years and have said this year " Beau Bennett has to play top 6"... But those two probably don't know what they're talking about. Bennett is useless anywhere else.. He's not physical enough for 3rd line duty, and playing him on the 4th line 6, 7, 8 minutes a game is advantageous. While Stone and Hoffman would both be top 6 as of right now on this Pgh team they sure as hell wouldn't have been any other year.. Maybe last year too. You're getting excited over two kids who have had one good season on a team who has a horseshoe up their butts over the last 2.5 months.. We'll see what happens with those two next year, I guess for right now everyone should hop on the Ott bandwagon though.

Also Murray gets his 12th shutout of the season tonight. ... Wilkes Barre has a legit chance at winning it all this year. ... it's a small consolation prize for me if Pittsburgh crashes and burns since I live 5 minutes from the arena in Wilkes-Barre
- Yonk1216

How does Wilkes have a chance at winning it all this year but the cupboards are bare?

Honest question.

How does Wilkes have a chance at winning it all this year but the cupboards are bare?

Honest question.
- brienstel

Honest answer.... I think most fans either see a blue chip prospect like Kap or garbage with that team..... which when you really get to the bottom of the situation, is wrong.

Take Tom Kuhnhackl, who we were discussing earlier, for example..... 4th round pick in 2010.... played in Europe until 2010-2011.... that year he averaged a point per game as a first year player in the OHL.... the following year he had some injury problems.

He's currently in his 3rd year in WB but because he hasn't cracked the lineup in Pittsburgh yet, he's viewed as a bust. But he missed his entire rookie season due to injury so in reality he's only 1.5 years into his professional development.

He absolutely has potential to develop into a solid bottom 6 NHL player with scoring upside, which is a very good AHL level player, but since he's not going to be playing along side Sid or Geno no one talks about them...... Same story for Anton Zlobin this year in Wilkes-Barre.

Detroit lets their prospects over ripen in the AHL but for some reason our fans want everyone called up immediately....

This entire post is also another argument as to why I think leaving Kap in the AHL this post season is a much better idea than trying to win a round in the NHL.... all this organization needs is a guy who's never played against NHL level competition on NHL sized ice getting a shoulder or knee destroyed and missing all of next season too.

Exactly. Its been a rough year in Philly but I expected it and have accepted it. Id be lying if i didnt say i held out some hope that this years flyers team could shock the world but it was obvious early that they just arent very good. Its the curse of the salary cap and all pro sports really, its cyclical. Take your lumps stock up young talent become a power house young talent starts aging you decline and repeat the whole process over again. Its been the playbook for the Hawks, Penguins, Lightning to a lesser extent but now the Penguins are on the downslope of that prosperity. Doesnt mean they wont compete, dominate or even win a cup in the next 3-5 years but that downswing is slowly happening.
- did109

That's moronic and idiotic at best, and delusional and silly at worst.. Not your cycle theory that in fact is spot on on how the sports cycle works. However, your saying/thinking that the Pens down slope is beginning is absolutely absurd!!!! Their two stars will be 28 and 29 for the entire 2015-16 season with Letang turning 28 at seasons end and MAF turning 31 around Thanksgiving. Has the play declined of 87 and 71? No. Have their teams declined? Absolutely. Obviously I don't have a crystal ball and can't predict the future, but saying that the two centers play is dropping is foolish. I would think the Pens can still get 5-6 years of good hockey left out of those two health permitting.. With Crosby only missing 19 games over the last 3 seasons and Malkin missing 51 health has been an issue for only one.. We can all blame the CEC ice or Maroon 5 for the rut that Malkin caught against Bos for his latest injury issue. If Kapanen, Sundqvist, Pouliot, Maatta, are all on the 2015-16 roster this team will be much improved.. In fact Sundqvist should have made this club out of camp. Plus they will try and sign Bluegar to an ELC this summer. The Pens have somewhere close to $13 million coming off the books with all 4 of those players being on ELC that's a good savings but too bad the FA pool isn't all that great. What kills this team are the contracts of Kunitz and Scuderi especially Scuderi's LTC.. If the Pens somehow eliminate 60-75% of those two contracts - even eat some salary to part ways with them- the better off they'll be. Dupuis contract hurts as well but at least they can get cap relief by keeping him on LTIR. Crosby and Malkin aren't on the decline YET, like Dats and Zetts are. People want to blame JR for this mess, but this is Shero's mess as he arrogantly tried to change the NHL and he foolishly thought others would follow which they didn't. He tried turning this team into a Euro trash team by acquiring smaller faster players while other teams in the East bulked up. The constant drafting of puck moving defensemen has yielded only 1 true blue chip player and unfortunately he had to rush himself back into play.. Thinking the Pens are on the decline is like thinking the Flyers core is on the decline with Vorchek and Giroux being 26 and 28 next season. The Pens' issue has been a few over priced contracts of mediocre players mixed with their two stars big contracts being a year or two in front of other stars around the league. Chicago will have this problem next season when Kane and Toews go from a combined cap friendly $13 million yearly to $21 million. Philly will find the following season when Vorachek, Schenn 2x's, and Couts, are all do for a nice raise in pay. Pgh really has to find a way to land Saad bc Chi can't keep Kane, Toews, Crawford, Hossa, Sharp. Seabrook, Bickell and Keith and give Saad the raise he'll want.

That's moronic and idiotic at best, and delusional and silly at worst.. Not your cycle theory that in fact is spot on on how the sports cycle works. However, your saying/thinking that the Pens down slope is beginning is absolutely absurd!!!! Their two stars will be 28 and 29 for the entire 2015-16 season with Letang turning 28 at seasons end and MAF turning 31 around Thanksgiving. Has the play declined of 87 and 71? No. Have their teams declined? Absolutely. Obviously I don't have a crystal ball and can't predict the future, but saying that the two centers play is dropping is foolish. I would think the Pens can still get 5-6 years of good hockey left out of those two health permitting.. With Crosby only missing 19 games over the last 3 seasons and Malkin missing 51 health has been an issue for only one.. We can all blame the CEC ice or Maroon 5 for the rut that Malkin caught against Bos for his latest injury issue. If Kapanen, Sundqvist, Pouliot, Maatta, are all on the 2015-16 roster this team will be much improved.. In fact Sundqvist should have made this club out of camp. Plus they will try and sign Bluegar to an ELC this summer. The Pens have somewhere close to $13 million coming off the books with all 4 of those players being on ELC that's a good savings but too bad the FA pool isn't all that great. What kills this team are the contracts of Kunitz and Scuderi especially Scuderi's LTC.. If the Pens somehow eliminate 60-75% of those two contracts - even eat some salary to part ways with them- the better off they'll be. Dupuis contract hurts as well but at least they can get cap relief by keeping him on LTIR. Crosby and Malkin aren't on the decline YET, like Dats and Zetts are. People want to blame JR for this mess, but this is Shero's mess as he arrogantly tried to change the NHL and he foolishly thought others would follow which they didn't. He tried turning this team into a Euro trash team by acquiring smaller faster players while other teams in the East bulked up. The constant drafting of puck moving defensemen has yielded only 1 true blue chip player and unfortunately he had to rush himself back into play.. Thinking the Pens are on the decline is like thinking the Flyers core is on the decline with Vorchek and Giroux being 26 and 28 next season. The Pens' issue has been a few over priced contracts of mediocre players mixed with their two stars big contracts being a year or two in front of other stars around the league. Chicago will have this problem next season when Kane and Toews go from a combined cap friendly $13 million yearly to $21 million. Philly will find the following season when Vorachek, Schenn 2x's, and Couts, are all do for a nice raise in pay. Pgh really has to find a way to land Saad bc Chi can't keep Kane, Toews, Crawford, Hossa, Sharp. Seabrook, Bickell and Keith and give Saad the raise he'll want.
- PghBorn

Everywhere I look its the rest of the world on the edge of their seat waiting to laugh at the Pens not making the playoffs.

Friday we play a team that has played just about as poorly as us with a full healthy roster and no one is saying peep about the Islanders.

Crosby vs Tavares on Friday for all the marbles.
- stackthepads

Agreed. Islanders are and have been playing like dog poop for a while now. I also agree with you on the point you made about the health of the team. Health isnt an issue (which it definitely is for your team) when our coach is healthy scratching superior players and giving 7th defenseman more ice time than any other player.

Should be a great game for obvious reasons and also tavares battling for the scoring title with crosby. Wondering if downie keeps his composure or implodes and ruins the game for you guys like he has done other times weve played?