It was like Saad all over again
- nh4442

it just illustrates the compounding problem the penguins face today.

if you get saad and forsberg, theres two good young wingers. you dont trade for kessel, you still have kapanen, harrington, and your first. but instead, you need to spend assets year after year to find the right top 6 wingers.

Shero really f'ed up this team. i know a lot people here liked him, but he killed us from 2011 and on.

I liked his trades but hated his drafting and free agency.

Just like I like JR drafting and free agency but hate his trades..

Clearly he's horrible. RW just show that if a defenseman doesn't average .7pts/gm when they're 23 that there's basically no change he can be a good NHL defenseman so why waste time on a player that clearly has no future? Ship him out and let someone else be fooled.
- jaydogg1974

You sir, are an idiot.

With Despres they had margin for error. Ray, Dan and JR mangled that situation thoroughly. With the team teetering on missing the playoffs they can't exactly tolerate a bunch of defensive errors. I don't know if Pouliot is ready but Warsofsky has looked very much like an AHL'r as of late.

Cole and Warsofsky pairing was frightening the other night.

JR is padding his AHL numbers do put him in a trade package.
- sammy87

How do you "pad stat" on a defenseman? Stats dont show if he is doing well at defending.

Did you seriously say to move on from Plotnikov in the last blog? Name one guy out there that does what he does in the dirty areas of the ice for that cheap. Its very unlikely he get much of a raise but I almost promise he gets at least a 1 year deal. He is an RFA after all. Almost no risk in keeping him at around 1-1.5 mill to play 4th line.

With Despres they had margin for error. Ray, Dan and JR mangled that situation thoroughly. With the team teetering on missing the playoffs they can't exactly tolerate a bunch of defensive errors. I don't know if Pouliot is ready but Warsofsky has looked very much like an AHL'r as of late.

Cole and Warsofsky pairing was frightening the other night.
- madmike71

Exactly. They don't have the luxury of making a point with whatever they are trying to do with Pouliot unless they have no interest in making the playoffs. They desperately need points now. I fail to see how Pouliot playing a reduced role in the NHL is going to be a setback in his development compared to him playing top minutes in the AHL.

how has tim erixon looked? is he any option at all for the pens?
- rinaldo

Erixon = Clenn = Warsofsky = Cole

But all are > Loveboobs

Erixon is in the unfortunate position of being option-less as well. So any help needed at the NHL level would come from the previously mentioned "dime a dozen" guys.

What is a realistic return for Perron and Kunitz that addresses weaknesses/roster holes?

Erixon = Clenn = Warsofsky = Cole

But all are > Loveboobs

Erixon is in the unfortunate position of being option-less as well. So any help needed at the NHL level would come from the previously mentioned "dime a dozen" guys.
- stowerkraut

so its safe to say he wont get any shot in their top 6? always liked him for some reason

What is a realistic return for Perron and Kunitz that addresses weaknesses/roster holes?
- stowerkraut

Perron probably nothing. He'll bring back pics/prospects by a contending team at the deadline. No ones gonna want him in a hockey trade. It's conceivable with Kunitz's recent play that he can be packaged with some other assets to bring back a mid pairing defenseman from a short sighted team.

so its safe to say he wont get any shot in their top 6? always liked him for some reason
- rinaldo

Unless there was a rash of injuries (which is always possible with the Pens) and it was an emergency.

He is out of options so he'd have to clear waivers when sent back down and I'm guessing would get plucked. Same reason Clenn is rotting in the press box.

He isn't exactly tearing poop up but I believe he's been pretty serviceable. Maybe Reverend can comment as I don't watch to many WBS games.

He's at:
GP G A PT ± PIM
23 2 9 11 10 8

it just illustrates the compounding problem the penguins face today.

if you get saad and forsberg, theres two good young wingers. you dont trade for kessel, you still have kapanen, harrington, and your first. but instead, you need to spend assets year after year to find the right top 6 wingers.

Shero really f'ed up this team. i know a lot people here liked him, but he killed us from 2011 and on.
- SuperHenderson13

The Goligosky trade is what (frank)ed us... when Shero made that trade, he got the NHL's biggest boner for thinking he can swap puck moving D for solid players.

Perron probably nothing. He'll bring back pics/prospects by a contending team at the deadline. No ones gonna want him in a hockey trade. It's conceivable with Kunitz's recent play that he can be packaged with some other assets to bring back a mid pairing defenseman from a short sighted team.
- Victoro311

I think the Sheary's and Wilson's will be given an opportunity to provide the same output and if it is deemed they can they will part ways with both.

Which is fine. I believe a team will overpay for Perron come TDL. Same with Kuni.

Are we in agreement that the best the D will ever look, as currently constructed, is:
Letang - Mattaa
Daley - Dumo
Cole - Pouliot

If so, I say you run with this for 15-20 games and re-assess.

I see no reason to rush him. Keeping in WBS playing top line minutes is the best thing for him to get him ready. Bringing him up could go either way but I like the safe move of letting him play as much as possible. Also, getting back to the Jake Muzzin comment. He himself admitted he was not worthy of being drafted at all because he wasn't any good. Giving him time is not the end of the franchise...

I see no reason to rush him. Keeping in WBS playing top line minutes is the best thing for him to get him ready. Bringing him up could go either way but I like the safe move of letting him play as much as possible. Also, getting back to the Jake Muzzin comment. He himself admitted he was not worthy of being drafted at all because he wasn't any good. Giving him time is not the end of the franchise...
- Mino42

They didn't dump Muzzin until 2010. He was drafted in 2007. He had injury issues which played a role in being let go.

Erixon = Clenn = Warsofsky = Cole

But all are > Loveboobs

Erixon is in the unfortunate position of being option-less as well. So any help needed at the NHL level would come from the previously mentioned "dime a dozen" guys.
- stowerkraut

See i disagree with that. All are certainly better than Lovejoy, but I feel like Warsofsky's play has been infinite times better than cole and clenn. I will honestly say at this point I would rather see lovejoy in the lineup than cole... He is just that bad.

Are people still blaming the D for our stars missing open nets???

Maybe it's because I don't understand the mechanics of the game enough, but is a bad pass or bad decisions on D to blame for lack of scoring? Philbo & Sid missing open nets in the same game, Geno a couple of games later, passes being (frank)ed up by our F??? All due to the D??

If our GA isn't too bad isn't that a sign that the D are doing something right? Why use Pouliot if all the guys being paid to develop him aren't on board with him playing in the nhl (now its a given we aren't going to be told who wants what, unless JR isn't happy with Sully ), give these guys playing now time to get some cohesion. Teams that beat us are also beating other teams - Stars Hawks yesterday (no shame in getting beaten by the Stars), so if our attack got its radar on track maybe we wouldn't be losing games by a goal of 2??

Cole isn't a #2 D but has been playing it - Tanger hasn't played well by all accounts ((frank) it send Tanger down!), so if Daley starts getting consistent & Maatta gets back on the road to being a star defender we may just be ok for top 3 D. Add an ever improving Dumo (there were 3 of us praising his potential pre-season - Sammy you weren't 1! ), our D looks pretty decent doesn't it?

See i disagree with that. All are certainly better than Lovejoy, but I feel like Warsofsky's play has been infinite times better than cole and clenn. I will honestly say at this point I would rather see lovejoy in the lineup than cole... He is just that bad.
- dink32788

Fair point. I agree Warso is currently playing better but will he in late March when playoff style hockey in the regular season comes around....? I haven't seen him win a 50/50 battle in the corner yet.

Lovejoy fits in about as well as Edgar Winter would in the Wu-Tang Clan.

You are all pathetic.

You are all pathetic.
- Grinder47

Why don't you start just writing your comments down on paper instead of typing them here, because nobody here gives a flying (frank) about your holier than thou nonsensical opinions of hockey.

You are all pathetic.
- Grinder47

Who's more pathetic? Us or the old man that comes in here only to heckle us and get angry at our comments? It must be bad for your cholesterol.

You sir, are an idiot.
- dink32788

Say the person that wasn't bright enough to understand the sarcasm of busting on RW and his numbers are the only things that matter mentality. Actually as I'm type this it just occurred to me that you calling me an idiot is a complement.

You are all pathetic.
- Grinder47

A little early Xmas cheer Grindy boy??? Who has been putting brown musket in his lunch time orange juice again???? Eh.........eh........... you ol sunova gun you!!

http://nypost.com/2015/12...-killer-there-we-said-it/

Are people still blaming the D for our stars missing open nets???

Maybe it's because I don't understand the mechanics of the game enough, but is a bad pass or bad decisions on D to blame for lack of scoring? Philbo & Sid missing open nets in the same game, Geno a couple of games later, passes being (frank)ed up by our F??? All due to the D??

If our GA isn't too bad isn't that a sign that the D are doing something right? Why use Pouliot if all the guys being paid to develop him aren't on board with him playing in the nhl (now its a given we aren't going to be told who wants what, unless JR isn't happy with Sully ), give these guys playing now time to get some cohesion. Teams that beat us are also beating other teams - Stars Hawks yesterday (no shame in getting beaten by the Stars), so if our attack got its radar on track maybe we wouldn't be losing games by a goal of 2??

Cole isn't a #2 D but has been playing it - Tanger hasn't played well by all accounts ((frank) it send Tanger down!), so if Daley starts getting consistent & Maatta gets back on the road to being a star defender we may just be ok for top 3 D. Add an ever improving Dumo (there were 3 of us praising his potential pre-season - Sammy you weren't 1! ), our D looks pretty decent doesn't it?
- Aussiepenguin

Much of what you said is correct in a very general sense but are also incorrect when you delve deeper into the more advanced understanding of the game.

Situations like Kessel/Crosby not finishing open plays are somewhat isolated occurrences that happen multiple times in pretty much every game and they happen to every player no matter how elite. Sure if they bury some of those chances there would be more goals and possibly more wins but it would be masking the bigger issues of the team. No 3 forwards in the league are going to score regularly 3 on 5 so scoring and creating offense can't be viewed as the sole responsibility of the 3 forwards on the ice, the defense has to be involved to consistently generate scoring. Also with the trapping and clogging up of the neutral zone in today's game it's almost impossible to consistently generate offense with being able to enter the zone with speed and control of the puck, again no 3 forwards in the league will accomplish that regularly 3 on 5 so again the only way to consistently enter the zone properly relies the defense being involved by either being able to get the puck to the forwards in a position where they can do something with it or by skating with the puck and joining the rush. The defensemen are as important to the forwards creating offense as the forwards are to helping the defenseman playing D, neither can or will be consistently effective without all 5 players being effective.

As playing good defense, GA is a really poor way to evaluate overall defense because too many factors are involved in keeping pucks out of the net. A goalie having an extremely high sv% can keep the GA down even though they play poor defense, and on the other hand a team can play really good defense but if the goalie has a poor sv% the GA will be high even though they played great D.