Not yet, he's too young, but if he keeps it up then the sky is the limit. And there's not another kid that produces anywhere close to him in hat I've seen.
- Dcoms

Right on. Still impressive numbers for a kid playing rep. Encourage his parents to let him try out for AAA when he hits Pee-Wee, playing with and against like talented kids and the quality of AAA coaching is worth it's weight in gold. If money is an issue, maybe old uncle DCOMS will have to sponser him. That's great you have a good little hockey player in the family, nothing beats youth hockey.

My suggestion for staying positive is remembering that its only December. Hockey is a long season. Living in NJ, and being surrounded by mostly Devils fans, I will never forget the year that the Devils were basically eliminated from the playoffs by 1/1 and made an outrageous comeback and just barely missed the playoffs by 1 or 2 pts posting some insane record. Not like it cant be done.

I really think this team isn't that far off from achieving what everyone thinks they can. Sure our D is a little suspect, but we knew that. We also brought in a crap ton of new players and we have to figure out what works and what doesn't.

These boards have become downright depressing lately. I want CPF back and Bullies and GIF wars and Bartley and all the things that made these boards fun in the first place. Rather than everyone making these boards a contest of "I am more right than you are and if you don't think so, youre a RW fanboy", we should be flaming fans of other teams when they come into here and spout their poop, and make Bartley proud. We should stick by our team through thick and thin and hope against hope that they turn this poop around. Because that's what real fans do.
- thickman1178[/img]

Theres my favorite quote I hear every season. It used to be, "but its only October" then it was "but its only November" Soon it will be "but its only January" Then of course it will be followed by "well the trade deadline is coming" Then finally "all we have to do is get into the playoffs" One of these months (or seasons) we will actually show concern when it is needed and not put it off til some other day.

Jesse Marshall ‏@jmarshfof 22m22 minutes ago
I think we can unequivocally say at this point that Plotnikov drives puck possession. More specifically, drives shot attempts.

Jesse Marshall ‏@jmarshfof 23m23 minutes ago
When you separate Plotnikov from his teammates, their shot attempt production goes right in the toilet. Guy is a solid possession player.


Would Plotnikov and Sprong be crazy as Sid's linemates?

I still like
Simon Crosby Hornquist
Perron Malkin Kessel
Sprong Bonino Bennet
Sundquist Fehr Dupuis
Cullen
Letang Dumoulin
Cole(Matta) Clendening
Pouliot Lovejoy
- Dcoms

Why would you take a player like Simon (who I am a fan of) and immediately throw him on the top line when he's never played an NHL game in his life?

Theres my favorite quote I hear every season. It used to be, "but its only October" then it was "but its only November" Soon it will be "but its only January" Then of course it will be followed by "well the trade deadline is coming" Then finally "all we have to do is get into the playoffs" One of these months (or seasons) we will actually show concern when it is needed and not put it off til some other day.
- Reverend Killtaker

Last December is when the injuries really kicked in and everything went down hill.

Why would you take a player like Simon (who I am a fan of) and immediately throw him on the top line when he's never played an NHL game in his life?
- Reverend Killtaker

Yea that was a ridiculous idea...

Just read something on TIOPS though about Simon being a potential trade asset...

MT is doing a fine job in MTL. But to add to your point, Crosby has basically lead a mutiny against 3 coaches now if this were true. Thats like T.O level of selfishness.
- sammy87

Where exactly is the proof for this? I've never read this from any respected reporter. I'm not sure I've even seen hacks like Rossi say this.....and he hates Sid.

I agree, and I think you'd agree some sort of Shake up is needed. Shero F'd is by going all in EVERY year, by trading all our high picks and prospects, and now GMJR who was hired to right the ship has done the exact same thing. He's traded 3 1st's and Despres for Perron, Kessel and Lovejoy... And this team is no better and officially now has no future... It's now or never.. We should have went the Detriot route... Yzerman/Lidstrom had Zetterberg/Datsyuk inslulating them in their older years and then passed the torch, now you have Zetterberg/Datysuk in their older years and the next generation of Tatar/Larkin/Nyquist are insulating them and are ready to receive the torch... Yes, Detroit is the model franchise of the league, but you can't have that if you don't draft and develop prospects... Right now we should ideally have 2-3 quality 20-23 year olds in the line up taking attention away from Sid and Geno and ready to take the torch... But we don't because we traded everything away and continue to do so hoping we can get the magic beans that finally brings us back to glory..... Ahhh I'm just frustrated where this team has gone.. And we've traded so many young assests the only way to get some back is trading a stud...

Anyways, I gotta hang some Christmas lights. Argue with you gents later! Lol
- Willaged

Pittsburgh has had basically the same success since 2008 that Detroit has and arguably has had more success. How can you justify Detroit as the model franchise if there success is similar to the teams you claim are doing things wrong?

Yea that was a ridiculous idea...

Just read something on TIOPS though about Simon being a potential trade asset...
- YouMeAndDupuis9

I really want to hang on to him. The kid is really good at least at the AHL level. Sniper hands, great passer, not afraid to take the body, skates well, leads on the ice. Im not sure how that will transfer to the NHL but right now, he is everything you want in an AHL prospect.

Theres my favorite quote I hear every season. It used to be, "but its only October" then it was "but its only November" Soon it will be "but its only January" Then of course it will be followed by "well the trade deadline is coming" Then finally "all we have to do is get into the playoffs" One of these months (or seasons) we will actually show concern when it is needed and not put it off til some other day.
- Reverend Killtaker

PR campaigning 101 !

This would be an awful move in the long term, but I think Big Buff could turn us into cup contenders. Replace Johnston with Sullivan and go get Buff -- profit.

(until next year when we mortgaged the future and cant sign Buff)

I really want to hang on to him. The kid is really good at least at the AHL level. Sniper hands, great passer, not afraid to take the body, skates well, leads on the ice. Im not sure how that will transfer to the NHL but right now, he is everything you want in an AHL prospect.
- Reverend Killtaker

Could just be a case of being an older/more developed prospect?

Would you say he has leapfrogged Sundqvist as a prospect?

Pittsburgh has had basically the same success since 2008 that Detroit has and arguably has had more success. How can you justify Detroit as the model franchise if there success is similar to the teams you claim are doing things wrong?
- jaydogg1974

Wings issues are injuries too. Dats, Z, and Franzon were big pieces in their cup years. Since then they have been plagued with injuries. On top of that Howard hasn't been consistent. They are outstanding at finding guys deep in the draft and turning them into good 2-3 line players.

Officially has no future? Give me a break. We have 2 franchise goalies waiting in the wings and a good young defense and Sprong. 1-2 bad seasons in order to draft a couple franchise centres and we are just fine. Plus we'll be able to get first round picks for any and all of Crosby, Malkin, Kessel, Letang and maybe Fleury when the time comes 5 years from now. Could you please exaggerate some more though?
- Dcoms

You mean similar to the stellar future Edmonton has with the 10, yes that's right 10 1st round picks in their lineup the other night and still the worst team in the league. I'm by no means saying Pittsburgh has no future because quite frankly I'm not clairvoyant and don't know the future but this notion that having 1st round picks guarantees a great future is as asinine as suggesting they have no future.

Would you say he has leapfrogged Sundqvist as a prospect?
- YouMeAndDupuis9

I wouldn't say that at all being that they are totally different styles. Sundie is def. benefiting from his time in WBS and he is getting better every game and will be a solid bottom 6 asset. His stick handling is getting really good and his effort high. He has shown some offensive skill but not a lot. He does play physical and shows no signs of intimidation. Exactly what you want from a 3rd or 4th line guy. I can see him getting called up and not looking out of sorts but playing as much as possible now is whats helping not rotting in a box.

Simon I can see getting a call up to, but I think he needs this season and maybe some of next season still. I wouldn't rush him to quickly like they did with Despres, DP, or Bennett. Let him play, score a lot, and build confidence then unleash him.

Where exactly is the proof for this? I've never read this from any respected reporter. I'm not sure I've even seen hacks like Rossi say this.....and he hates Sid.
- madmike71

What I meant was that if its true that Crosby doesn't buy into MJ's system, you know the players didn't like MT, and throw in Disco. All 3 are different systems, whats the common denominator?

I have no clue if its 87 or not, but I just dont see a new coach changing anything.

Wings issues are injuries too. Dats, Z, and Franzon were big pieces in their cup years. Since then they have been plagued with injuries. On top of that Howard hasn't been consistent. They are outstanding at finding guys deep in the draft and turning them into good 2-3 line players.
- sammy87

Not arguing any of that and you won't find a bigger wings fan in the Pittsburgh area, my son now wears #19 because of my affection for Yzerman and that organization. My point though was how can you label Detroit a model franchise when they've done basically nothing since 2008? The fact that fans like shiny new objects(young players) and they have them doesn't negate winning, the model franchises should be the franchise that have the most success and until the Wings find that level of success again their franchise plan should not be considered the model any more than Pittsburgh's should be.

Never really found Bartley to be all that interesting or the messiah all you other guys did. He did have an impersonator a month or so ago on here. What happened to that guy?
- Dcoms

Not a messiah. Just someone who could lighten the mood a bit. This place is Heath Ledger level of "Why so serious"

Just because you have season tickets dont try and pretend to know about hockey. Take your snot nosed brats who ruin it for everyone else, get thhem pn the jumbo tron , check ur emails and leave before ypu hit traffic.
- Grinder47

First of all don't act like you know anything about me, I've been a STH before Sid came to this team, I've been playing for over 25 yrs which include high school, amatuers, and college AcHA div II, I am a 10 yr level 3 coach.. I know more about the sport than you will ever try to pretend you know.

Second, I don't care about you saying stuff about me or others on here but if you ever say anything about my kids, who are 7 and 6 and have stayed to the end of the game every time they went, I personally come find you in your mother's basement and rip your (frank)ing heading off. Understand

- Misterbator

And this is why we need a board mod. I don't mind some of the people who come here and actually want to debate and have meaningful conversation, but this dude is just a clown with no real team to root for so he comes here trying to troll us.

Not arguing any of that and you won't find a bigger wings fan in the Pittsburgh area, my son now wears #19 because of my affection for Yzerman and that organization. My point though was how can you label Detroit a model franchise when they've done basically nothing since 2008? The fact that fans like shiny new objects(young players) and they have them doesn't negate winning, the model franchises should be the franchise that have the most success and until the Wings find that level of success again their franchise plan should not be considered the model any more than Pittsburgh's should be.
- jaydogg1974

I agree. It will be interesting to see what the Wings do post Z and Dats.

I dont think the Pens model is very good though and has proven to be a failure.

What I meant was that if its true that Crosby doesn't buy into MJ's system, you know the players didn't like MT, and throw in Disco. All 3 are different systems, whats the common denominator?

I have no clue if its 87 or not, but I just dont see a new coach changing anything.
- sammy87

If that is the case (which I dont find hard to believe) then we are stuck with it regardless. Sid is on this team till he retires unless the team is sold and the new owners wants to make some big news and big changes. Which logically a new owner wouldn't do because Sid will always make money for the team. So the only thing left to do is the next best thing. That is replace the coach. Its the only logical next step unless like I said a new owner wants to rebuild. Honestly if a new owner wanted to trade sid flower letang and geno to rebuild for 3-4 years it would give the team some amazing building assets. Probably would be able to come back stronger than they are now. But the chances of that are so incredibly low in my opinion. So lets just focus on this team staying win now becuase thats the most likley outcome.
So #FireJohnston

What I meant was that if its true that Crosby doesn't buy into MJ's system, you know the players didn't like MT, and throw in Disco. All 3 are different systems, whats the common denominator?

I have no clue if its 87 or not, but I just dont see a new coach changing anything.
- sammy87

I've never seen anything to indicate that Crosby or the players didn't like Disco. Actually, I think they were pissed when Dan and Ray got the boot.

It's a hell of a leap making Sid entirely responsible for MT's firing. Kunitz, Duper and Malkin and Letang were on that team too. Sid was having a nice season before MT got canned. That team REALLY missed Sarge. I'd say that was the biggest factor in the team struggling, but yes, I've read the players as a whole didn't care for MT.

Theres my favorite quote I hear every season. It used to be, "but its only October" then it was "but its only November" Soon it will be "but its only January" Then of course it will be followed by "well the trade deadline is coming" Then finally "all we have to do is get into the playoffs" One of these months (or seasons) we will actually show concern when it is needed and not put it off til some other day.
- Reverend Killtaker

Hey, I was just saying whats in my head to stay positive. Use whatever works for you. Or go slice your wrists because the sky is falling and we should trade everyone and this franchise is a horrible disaster and always will be for 5,000 years.

Whatever floats your boat.

I've never seen anything to indicate that Crosby or the players didn't like Disco. Actually, I think they were pissed when Dan and Ray got the boot.

It's a hell of a leap making Sid entirely responsible for MT's firing. Kunitz, Duper and Malkin and Letang were on that team too. Sid was having a nice season before MT got canned. That team REALLY missed Sarge. I'd say that was the biggest factor in the team struggling, but yes, I've read the players as a whole didn't care for MT.
- madmike71

Not that it really means anything and I don't even remember the source anymore but I remember reading or hearing a report around that time about a conversation between RS and MAF that began because RS walked past MAF and he wasn't smiling, the just of the report was basically that MAF didn't see a future with the organization if MT was going to remain the coach.

I've never seen anything to indicate that Crosby or the players didn't like Disco. Actually, I think they were pissed when Dan and Ray got the boot.

It's a hell of a leap making Sid entirely responsible for MT's firing. Kunitz, Duper and Malkin and Letang were on that team too. Sid was having a nice season before MT got canned. That team REALLY missed Sarge. I'd say that was the biggest factor in the team struggling, but yes, I've read the players as a whole didn't care for MT.
- madmike71

I think you can say they didn't really show up during the Disco years in the playoffs. Those game were just brutal. Im not making the leap, just suggesting that IF Sid is revolting against MJ, it might not be the first time.

I do think that MJ has gots to go.