For some reason? How about trying to oversell a call and flop around like a ballerina dancer at the Pens blue line as a result leading to the game winning goal vs the hottest team in the NHL. Had he not done that who knows the outcome of the game that night.
I think thats why he's in the doghouse because other than that he looked better than half the forwards playing....up until last night that is.
- MattStrat

Big guys fall hard, ha I didn't really see that play as an obvious flop. Stone though last night pretending to have a concussion was embarrassing to the sport.

Big guys fall hard, ha I didn't really see that play as an obvious flop. Stone though last night pretending to have a concussion was embarrassing to the sport.
- freeBartley

I thought Plotnikov embellished, but an outright flop, no way. The problem with embellishing there is that nobody is behind you so if you go down a little easy and don't get the call you are giving a great scoring chance to the other team, which of course is exactly what happened.

I thought Plotnikov embellished, but an outright flop, no way. The problem with embellishing there is that nobody is behind you so if you go down a little easy and don't get the call you are giving a great scoring chance to the other team, which of course is exactly what happened.
- PensFan1103

Yeah I exaggerated a bit...but still, If he stays on his feet there who knows what would of happened.

I haven't seen enough out of Plotnikov, and evidently he is in the dog house for some reason.

I want someone with a little bit of grit and toughness on our blue line.
- freeBartley

Plotnikov can fight. He will be back in the lineup soon. I really don't want a D-man fighting (this hurts the PK). I still see the Pens trying to get a D at some point before the trade deadline. I still have hope the Pens could get another D like Cody Franson (not necessarily him). Leave the fighting to the forwards.
Here is a Plotnikov fight from the Khl on YouTube.

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=aGsczpsmhcU

Why the hell isn't sundqvist up?? He needs to be playing in nhl...screw the farnham experiment.

Why the hell isn't sundqvist up?? He needs to be playing in nhl...screw the farnham experiment.
- nh4442

They probably want him to get more minutes in the AHL for development. Pens bottom 6 has been fine this year. Malkin and Crosby lines need to get better. Especially Crosby himself. Worst 4 games he's probably ever played as a Penguin.

Plotnikov can fight. He will be back in the lineup soon. I really don't want a D-man fighting (this hurts the PK). I still see the Pens trying to get a D at some point before the trade deadline. I still have hope the Pens could get another D like Cody Franson (not necessarily him). Leave the fighting to the forwards.
Here is a Plotnikov fight from the Khl on YouTube.

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=aGsczpsmhcU
- so_buzz11

I totally hear that, I don't want a fighter, I just want a tough dude that can toss some bodies around.

It is mind boggling. I read yesterday 99 games played 90 missed.
- dbell646

That's actually surprising. I'm shocked he's played 99 games. Sure doesn't seem like it.

He blocked a shot.... I think in zona. It definitely looked like it hurt. I'm not sure if that's it, but maybe he broke something and tried to play through it. He's definitely embarrassed by his injury history.

Why the hell isn't sundqvist up?? He needs to be playing in nhl...screw the farnham experiment.
- nh4442

That said, Farnham looked pretty good yesterday IMO.

That said, Farnham looked pretty good yesterday IMO.
- poopmouth

I'd rather have Farnham in the lineup than Scuderi.

That said, Farnham looked pretty good yesterday IMO.
- poopmouth

I thought so too. I dont get the hate really, he was effective and provides something on the roster that no one else really does. He doesnt really have a place on the roster when Dupuis and Fehr are back, but until then I like watching him play, he's fun.

I totally hear that, I don't want a fighter, I just want a tough dude that can toss some bodies around.
- freeBartley

Well thats easy to accomplish unless you want to add stipulations like:

- Being able to skate at an NHL level
- NHL level offensive awareness
- NHL level defensive awareness
- Puck control
- Passing ability
- Shooting ability

Some reason Sid and Geno anger everyone.

Now we have Horny, and he angers everyone.

Tanger, Horny,and Geno play dirty; Kuni can also have a dirty side.

Last night if Neil decides to murder Geno, what would we have done? Nothing. We can't.

The level in which we piss other teams off is off the charts, look what happened with Dallas and Tampa last night.

We need toughness, the league has changed quite a bit in the past few years, but there is still that element of toughness that a team needs.

Goons are gone (sadly), but tough a-holes like Neil(who is my favorite non Pen of all time) still play in this league. We are vulnerable and if someone decides to kill our superstars we have no deterrent.

If I was a coach of any team in the league I would tell my players to punch either Sid or Geno right in the teeth after every single play.

F Skill
- freeBartley

I knew this argument was going to get brought up again soon at some point. I don't understand how our boys can lay out nice, solid hits all game and people still think we need more #gritness. Its like if we don't have one ineffective player who can't skate who's sole job is to facilitate staged fights then we're a soft team. We're really not. The team we put together and the system that we run is not conducive to the bruiser style game that Anaheim and Winnipeg play, but we are still playing quite physically considering the finesse style game that we play. We fight on the boards, we shove people off pucks, and if someone leaves themselves vulnerable we punish them. What more do you want? To change our entire style of play to something that's not well suited for our current roster? We are certainly less soft this year so far in four games than we've been in years past.

And the whole everyone having each other's backs and protecting our stars is a locker room thing. We don't need Glass or Engo on this team, we just need everyone to sack up and take pride. Guys like Cole, Sergei Plotnikov, Fehr, and Dumoulin should be able to handle making sure no one has foul play with any of our boys, whether it be Crosby or Cullen, it's just a matter of getting them in that mind set.

What in the hell is going on with Beau Bennett? He seemed fine at the end of the last game and Johnston won't say Richard about his actual injury beyond the fact that he's injured. Has Johnston or Old Man Ruth even acknowledged that he's on the IR yet? Is there any utility to having him on the IR for cap relief right now?

ok picture this......

dupuis gets healthy

ferh gets healthy

bennet gets healthy

crosby stops sucking and finds some chemistry with kessel

malkin continues in beast mode

scuderi continues to sit

puoliat finds that skill of yesteryear

all this happens with no one else getting injured

i just jizzed in my pants.

I have no idea how they can send Sprong down now. I just don't see it, with the injury history of this team, would you rather be able to move Sprong up and play in the top 2 lines or a guy like Farnham? I mean, that right there should settle things. What if Duper ends up not being able to play, who knows how long BB will be lost for, all of a sudden your 4th line is going to look like last year. They must keep a skilled guy in the lineup, the ELC should not have any say in if he stays or not. That should be the last thing they are thinking of here.

ok picture this......

dupuis gets healthy

ferh gets healthy

bennet gets healthy

crosby stops sucking and finds some chemistry with kessel

malkin continues in beast mode

scuderi continues to sit

puoliat finds that skill of yesteryear

all this happens with no one else getting injured

i just jizzed in my pants.
- pensfan024

Do we have to picture that last part?

I am looking forward to see how Fehr fits in, we are strong on the RW and weak on the LW. If Fehr comes in and Sprong goes back to the juniors, I would hope that the organization requests that he be played on the left side.

Do we have to picture that last part?

I am looking forward to see how Fehr fits in, we are strong on the RW and weak on the LW. If Fehr comes in and Sprong goes back to the juniors, I would hope that the organization requests that he be played on the left side.
- Thunderbolt

Picturing the last part is required

I knew this argument was going to get brought up again soon at some point. I don't understand how our boys can lay out nice, solid hits all game and people still think we need more #gritness. Its like if we don't have one ineffective player who can't skate who's sole job is to facilitate staged fights then we're a soft team. We're really not. The team we put together and the system that we run is not conducive to the bruiser style game that Anaheim and Winnipeg play, but we are still playing quite physically considering the finesse style game that we play. We fight on the boards, we shove people off pucks, and if someone leaves themselves vulnerable we punish them. What more do you want? To change our entire style of play to something that's not well suited for our current roster? We are certainly less soft this year so far in four games than we've been in years past.

And the whole everyone having each other's backs and protecting our stars is a locker room thing. We don't need Glass or Engo on this team, we just need everyone to sack up and take pride. Guys like Cole, Sergei Plotnikov, Fehr, and Dumoulin should be able to handle making sure no one has foul play with any of our boys, whether it be Crosby or Cullen, it's just a matter of getting them in that mind set.
- Victoro311

Not to mention...Kunitz, Dupuis, Hornqvist, Perron, and Letang play a gritty game. I love the way Perron plays, he's a menance in front of the net. Dont know why he gets called soft.

We have good grit, imo.

Not to mention...Kunitz, Dupuis, Hornqvist, Perron, and Letang play a gritty game. I love the way Perron plays, he's a menance in front of the net. Dont know why he gets called soft.

We have good grit, imo.
- YouMeAndDupuis9

The only logical conclusion is that there are two types of grit and we have the wrong kind, because I see a good amount of grit out there but people keep female doging about how soft we are. I don't get it. Our softness has been an issue in years past but a lot of that was because our #gritness guys like Glass, Adams, Pyatt, and Vitalle sucked. Now that we have forwards that can actually play hockey comprising our bottom 6 and defensemen that aren't pylons people just assume that we're soft.

Why the hell isn't sundqvist up?? He needs to be playing in nhl...screw the farnham experiment.
- nh4442

It must burn you that he hasn't done anything wrong yet.

It must burn you that he hasn't done anything wrong yer.
- Reverend Killtaker

Credit where credit is due, Farnham had a good game.

I have no idea how they can send Sprong down now. I just don't see it, with the injury history of this team, would you rather be able to move Sprong up and play in the top 2 lines or a guy like Farnham? I mean, that right there should settle things. What if Duper ends up not being able to play, who knows how long BB will be lost for, all of a sudden your 4th line is going to look like last year. They must keep a skilled guy in the lineup, the ELC should not have any say in if he stays or not. That should be the last thing they are thinking of here.
- Thorny

I'm not a big fan of Mark Madden, but he was all over this issue today. How the hell do you send down Sprong at this point when it's clear he can capably play in the NHL? This team needs all of the youthful exuberance it can get. Not to mention they cannot possibly rely on some of the "experienced" guys to stay healthy.

I'm not a big fan of Mark Madden, but he was all over this issue today. How the hell do you send down Sprong at this point when it's clear he can capably play in the NHL? This team needs all of the youthful exuberance it can get. Not to mention they cannot possibly rely on some of the "experienced" guys to stay healthy.
- madmike71

Really insightful stuff there by Madden...

I'd be dangling Scuderi to CBJ right now, they're in real trouble on the back end.