Sort of like me with you and ND ... sorry for your loss.

Have a good one bub.
- Oneonta Penguin

We had a good record but this has been the most disappointing season since Quinn's senior year. Kelly can't get it done. He needs to go

My impressions.

Dumo is the real deal. Strong on the puck with head up anticipating being hit and turning with the puck away from the hit to make a smart play. Over 20 min of ice time and looking smarter each game. What a pick up for us.

That fourth like is also getting better and better. Plots is substantially better and his big frame can really delver a check. He will get a goal soon, bank on it.

The Malkin line is the real deal as well, Perron adding some bulk is showing with him winning more puck battles along the wall and his hits allow Malkin to scoop up pucks and get them to the net.

Is that Bennett? 'Too soft' Bennett crunching people? WTF?

Sid needs to shoot more, period. His line also needs a legit banger so he can find loose pucks and do some magic. I suggest Sundqvist for the banger. Adding Sprong for speed and shooting on his line is an experiment worthy of trying as well.

Great team effort. Let's not miimize MAF either. He was nothing short of fantastic as he turned away, calmly, many early shots. He is more upright and positionally strong as the year goes on and that bodes well for the Pens!
- powerhouse

Agree with most of this, though I'm not so sure about Sundqvist as a top line NHL player...

I've been really impressed with Plots the last 4 or so games. He has so much more confidence, skating looks better, hands are decent, great along the wall, and most importantly, he's ramping up the physicality. I think he HAS to be a physical force for us since he and Kunitz are the big hitters. I think he's earned the promotion to Geno's line but also dont mind letting that 4th line stay intact for eternity.

We had a good record but this has been the most disappointing season since Quinn's senior year. Kelly can't get it done. He needs to go
- Victoro311

Be careful ... Tennessee canned Fullmer and it hasn't been relevant since. Richt averages more than nine wins per game; he gets canned ... they could very well be the next Tennessee with an uninspired hiring of a DC from Bama (think the next Will Muschamp).

I think BK is a complete Richardweed of a human being. That said, he has done a great job despite injuries. Now, I have to go take a second shower for giving such a Richard a compliment.

Be careful ... Tennessee canned Fullmer and it hasn't been relevant since. Richt averages more than nine wins per game; he gets canned ... they could very well be the next Tennessee with an uninspired hiring of a DC from Bama (think the next Will Muschamp).
- Oneonta Penguin

How do you win 9 times in one game? The Penguins could use some of that math.

So.. from a few comments it looked like Sid's line was invisible last night but the rest of the team was flying? How was the D looking?

I passed the (frank) out at like 8

Game ended a lil before 3am my time. At office 8:30am. Tad tired but it was worth it. I really like what I saw for the most part. Its both encouraging and discouraging that they can beat the top teams in the league, even on the road, but lose to the (current) non playoff teams often. A little perplexing really.

Losing to those teams could come back to haunt at the end of the season...especially if the injuries fire up again. The flip side positive of that is we know they can play really well and beat the top teams. They have to bring it every night against every team...but they should know all of this right? they are pros after all....

So.. from a few comments it looked like Sid's line was invisible last night but the rest of the team was flying? How was the D looking?

I passed the (frank) out at like 8
- Pens_Burgh

Not great. Scuds with the typical turnovers.....he makes 3 or 4 plays a game that could easily end up in our own net. Dumo and Lovejoy were fairly solid. Cole, Scuds and Letang are consistently not so good. Warsofsky *sp was ok as a stopgap. Letang was a 15% CF....just wow.

Be careful ... Tennessee canned Fullmer and it hasn't been relevant since. Richt averages more than nine wins per game; he gets canned ... they could very well be the next Tennessee with an uninspired hiring of a DC from Bama (think the next Will Muschamp).

I think BK is a complete Richardweed of a human being. That said, he has done a great job despite injuries. Now, I have to go take a second shower for giving such a Richard a compliment.
- Oneonta Penguin

Well it may make you feel better to know that you're wrong. He's an abysmal in-game decision maker. Has an intrinsic inability to determine when to go for it and when to kick the field goal and when to go for two or just kick the PAT. Been terrible at establishing the run sans this season and 2012. He's had a terrible red zone offense his entire tenure. And he has an over complicated ply book that he has to constantly burn time outs to get play calls in with all of his QBs except for Rees who just sucked on his own.

His assistant hires are highly suspect. He refuses to diverge from his "coaching tree" from when he coached at GVS and the quality of his coaching staff reflects that. Both Diaco and BVG have been joke d coordinators.

Also there's either a problem with player development or scouting during the recruiting process because the amount of five star and high end for star busts he's had have been absurd.

Not great. Scuds with the typical turnovers.....he makes 3 or 4 plays a game that could easily end up in our own net. Dumo and Lovejoy were fairly solid. Cole, Scuds and Letang are consistently not so good. Warsofsky *sp was ok as a stopgap. Letang was a 15% CF....just wow.
- madmike71

Boy.. was the game closer than the score then? Did see Kessel had an empty netter.

Seems like Dumo and Lovejoy are our only consistent pair every game.

Also guessing Scuderi is paired with Letang still?

Not great. Scuds with the typical turnovers.....he makes 3 or 4 plays a game that could easily end up in our own net. Dumo and Lovejoy were fairly solid. Cole, Scuds and Letang are consistently not so good. Warsofsky *sp was ok as a stopgap. Letang was a 15% CF....just wow.
- madmike71

Not until the Pens scored the 4th did I feel the game was out of reach. Sharks played pretty well, but a few bad bounces and great game by MAF was the game.

Wtf? You're a hard man to please chimp man!

I'm calling you out on your response!! Your Chitzu thinks your full of fur balls!
- Aussiepenguin

Where are you from in OZ, anyhow? Alice Springs? Your humor is very much "Slim Dusty".

Wtf? You're a hard man to please chimp man!

I'm calling you out on your response!! Your Chitzu thinks your full of fur balls!
- Aussiepenguin

Who the hell separates a season into 23 game chunks? It's a marathon, not a sprint.

I guess some say a win is a win. We got the lucky bounces this time. We haven't had too many lucky bounces all season. When it was 3-0, I knew they'd give up one with something dumb. And after it was 3-1, I was on the edge of my seat because SJ was playing in our zone for very long stretches of time.

The biggest liability I saw out there - Letang. What the hell, comrade? That's a $7 million loogie, Marge

I guess some say a win is a win. We got the lucky bounces this time. We haven't had too many lucky bounces all season. When it was 3-0, I knew they'd give up one with something dumb. And after it was 3-1, I was on the edge of my seat because SJ was playing in our zone for very long stretches of time.

The biggest liability I saw out there - Letang. What the hell, comrade? That's a $7 million loogie, Marge
- chimpira

Gotta remember that he and Olli were turning it around together. Just hold out until they get a solid five or six games in with each other and then see what happens. With the way Dumoulove is playing, if Maatta and Letang can improved, we could have a serviceable, not great, top 4 that can do the job as long as Crosby comes back from the dead.

Gotta remember that he and Olli were turning it around together. Just hold out until they get a solid five or six games in with each other and then see what happens. With the way Dumoulove is playing, if Maatta and Letang can improved, we could have a serviceable, not great, top 4 that can do the job as long as Crosby comes back from the dead.
- Victoro311

Sure, but he costs $7 mil!!

Boy.. was the game closer than the score then? Did see Kessel had an empty netter.

Seems like Dumo and Lovejoy are our only consistent pair every game.

Also guessing Scuderi is paired with Letang still?
- Pens_Burgh

I agree with Sammy, I didn't feel comfortable until the 4th goal was scored. The Pens finally got a little "puck luck" and MAF played great again. I don't want to trash a nice win... 2nd and 4th lines were very good. Still, this D will be an issue long term. Maatta supposedly will return soon and even though he's not been all that good so far this year, it will knock Scuds down where he belongs. Actually, he belongs on the retired list.....but you know what I mean.....

I guess some say a win is a win. We got the lucky bounces this time. We haven't had too many lucky bounces all season. When it was 3-0, I knew they'd give up one with something dumb. And after it was 3-1, I was on the edge of my seat because SJ was playing in our zone for very long stretches of time.

The biggest liability I saw out there - Letang. What the hell, comrade? That's a $7 million loogie, Marge
- chimpira

Letang and Crosby remain passengers on this team. That 100% must be fixed if the Pens want to contend.

Okay... WHY are people still suggesting Sundq for every missing spot on this roster? No one here knows a damn thing about if hes truly NHL ready or not. In fact, according to basic NHL readiness by points, he is NOT. 9 points in 18 games, he would be at the very bottom of that standard if he was a defensman.


Guys, I want Sundy to be legit too, but trying to throw him onto every which line blindly and too early is why Bennett is as messed up as he is. Grab a beer in two hours and relax over him.


edit: I take that saying no one... we have two known AHL gurus for this board, I enjoy their opinions on our players when they pop in.

That 4th line is playing awesome. Cannot break that line up. Even if they aren't scoring, they are keeping the puck in the other teams zone for most of their shift. That tires out players. Hopefully they can start putting them out against other teams top lines, and let them wear them out.

Regardless of if Dupuis can go Saturday or not, i can't see them breaking up either that line or Malkin's line.

Was impressed with Warsofsky. He fits into what this team wants in a d-man.

Malkin is on a different level right now. Watching him right now is how i used to watch Lemieux. You can't take your eyes off of him when he is on the ice, because he may do something spectacular at any given moment.

Letang and Crosby remain passengers on this team. That 100% must be fixed if the Pens want to contend.
- jfkst1

Correct. I was thinking last night.... The two guys they absolutely need to get going are paired with 3 of our worst, oldest, slowest players. That's almost comical.

For the record, I think Kunitz has been skating pretty well. I think he had 2 assists last night.

Correct. I was thinking last night.... The two guys they absolutely need to get going are paired with 3 of our worst, oldest, slowest players. That's almost comical.

For the record, I think Kunitz has been skating pretty well. I think he had 2 assists last night.
- madmike71

And it didn't look like anyone tried to get under Sid's skin last night - there were no Dubinsky, no Mark Staal type of players/plays. He couldn't handle passes, he couldn't make passes, he did the same blind backhand crap as he always does. I don't know what's going on there, but I don't like it. It really is tough to watch. A 5G game and somehow Sid didn't register a single point. That hasn't happened very often. Weird. Just plain weird.

I agree with Sammy, I didn't feel comfortable until the 4th goal was scored. The Pens finally got a little "puck luck" and MAF played great again. I don't want to trash a nice win... 2nd and 4th lines were very good. Still, this D will be an issue long term. Maatta supposedly will return soon and even though he's not been all that good so far this year, it will knock Scuds down where he belongs. Actually, he belongs on the retired list.....but you know what I mean.....
- madmike71

Gotcha, I did see something about Maatta. Any word if he'll be back on this road trip?

Gotcha, I did see something about Maatta. Any word if he'll be back on this road trip?
- Pens_Burgh

From what I've heard, if the contact practices go well this week. he might see a game on the WC trip.

wow, sounds like Kopitar is going to get PAID!!!

8 years 78 Mil is the rumor out there. 9.75M cap hit.

wow, sounds like Kopitar is going to get PAID!!!

8 years 78 Mil is the rumor out there. 9.75M cap hit.
- cap1681

Well didn't most everyone guess he's get in the 11m AAV range?