Johnson isn't the reason the Pens lost to Toronto. Cullen is disrespected once again calling him not an NHL player. Shame On you. It's up to the coach to give Cullen some nights off if age is getting to him.

Anyway as Grinder said, the team is playing like a bunch of pussies. This goes for the stars too. I never saw Crosby miss so many passes in one game as last night.
- Barnaby36

Commentators said the same thing & more.

Yeah I dunno, it's tough though, Simon is looking good with Sid and Jake... so does removing him from that line kill his mojo? Honestly they should have let Hornqvist walk IMO.
- j.boyd919

Simon was still a question mark at the end of the season last year. He still has to earn his minutes. But he can play.

I am a big fan of Hornqvist and always will be. I have said it before and I will say it again, I don't want twenty of him but you need guys like him. Is he worth the money, I have no idea but if you let him go you need someone to replace him and the closest thing they have is ZAR. ZAR couldn't make the team, so like it or not, signing Horny was the move.

Yeah I dunno, it's tough though, Simon is looking good with Sid and Jake... so does removing him from that line kill his mojo? Honestly they should have let Hornqvist walk IMO.
- j.boyd919

I think Simon is a marginal player. He's having a nice start, but I don't see him much more than a 35-40 point player at best.....JMO. His style is part of the Penguins problem right now. Lot's of cute passes. Over-passing. East/west game. I understand that Crosby would prefer this kind of winger over a north/south player but I think Sullivan needs to be the coach and get Hornie back on his wing. Somebody that goes to the net and opens up some space. Simon will never be that player. I think Guentzal, Sid and Hornie is a perfect line. Dominant player between a sniper and net front guy. I ride that line 90% of time and maybe give Simon or Sprong some odd shifts up there too.

I'm hoping when Brass comes back he's back at 3C with Horn and Rust flanking him.

I think Simon is a marginal player. He's having a nice start, but I don't see him much more than a 35-40 point player at best.....JMO. His style is part of the Penguins problem right now. Lot's of cute passes. Over-passing. East/west game. I understand that Crosby would prefer this kind of winger over a north/south player but I think Sullivan needs to be the coach and get Hornie back on his wing. Somebody that goes to the net and opens up some space. Simon will never be that player. I think Guentzal, Sid and Hornie is a perfect line. Dominant player between a sniper and net front guy. I ride that line 90% of time and maybe give Simon or Sprong some odd shifts up there too.
- madmike71

That’s a 45-40 point player getting probably 90% of his points at 5v5. Horny is a 50 point player that gets 15-20 of his points on the PP. So at 5v5 they give pretty much the same value. (Also not saying Horny isn’t valuable on the pp. just point out the production.)

Simon was still a question mark at the end of the season last year. He still has to earn his minutes. But he can play.

I am a big fan of Hornqvist and always will be. I have said it before and I will say it again, I don't want twenty of him but you need guys like him. Is he worth the money, I have no idea but if you let him go you need someone to replace him and the closest thing they have is ZAR. ZAR couldn't make the team, so like it or not, signing Horny was the move.
- Thunderbolt

You don't realize you need a player like him until you don't have a player like him. Bringing him here was on par with bringing Kessel here IMO. I remember what it was like before we got him. Highly skilled, but largely a perimeter team.

You don't realize you need a player like him until you don't have a player like him. Bringing him here was on par with bringing Kessel here IMO. I remember what it was like before we got him. Highly skilled, but largely a perimeter team.
- madmike71

I completely agree. I believe he was an absolutely integral part to the Penguins over the last few years, but I think the problem with management (and this isn't just on the Pens, most teams fall victim of this too) is that, they don't know when to move on. They could have let Horny walk and (if they didn't sign JJ) tried to go after say.. JVR. Who is basically the same player, actually probably better, and 2 years younger. Same actually goes for Cullen too, they let him walk, exactly when they should have, and unfortunately for some reason they thought it'd be smart to bring him back. But again, that is a mistake that ALL GMs make. (Shero did it with Scuderi.)

Commentators said the same thing & more.
- Aussiepenguin

I'm glad they noticed the things I did.

I completely agree. I believe he was an absolutely integral part to the Penguins over the last few years, but I think the problem with management (and this isn't just on the Pens, most teams fall victim of this too) is that, they don't know when to move on. They could have let Horny walk and (if they didn't sign JJ) tried to go after say.. JVR. Who is basically the same player, actually probably better, and 2 years younger. Same actually goes for Cullen too, they let him walk, exactly when they should have, and unfortunately for some reason they thought it'd be smart to bring him back. But again, that is a mistake that ALL GMs make. (Shero did it with Scuderi.)
- j.boyd919

I look at it this way. Rutherford probably sees the window as 2 to 3 more years. I don't see our prospect group being able to extend the window beyond that. Hornqvist has had some dings, but it's not the nagging kind. Knee, hip, back. I think it's largely been broken bones. I guess JVR might have been a better signing, but there's was no guarantee you win that bidding war. I'll say this... You don't sign a 5.3 mil winger for the 3rd or 4th line. It's becoming a little too common for Rutherford and his coach not being on the same page with players and roles.

Sully is the easiest to replace if you need to shake things up.

How many coaches have the Pens had in the Crosby Era? just looked it up, 4. Not sure if Olchyk was there for Crosby. Interesting Disco had the 2nd longest run as a Pens coach. Didn't seem like he was there for that long, but he had some pretty disappointing seasons.

Got pounded 398.50 - 573.5.

Different approach again this week. Throwing in quantity over quality & some left field players hoping they get the chocolates.

Board meeting tonite sacked all Pens players!

It was so satisfying when kapanen chipped that puck by Kessel and went in to score. We still have you guys a gift with Kessel but at least kapanen seems like he'll be an above average nhler. And we won the Matthews lottery so i feel better about the Kessel gift

These blog titles are approaching Garth level.

It was so satisfying when kapanen chipped that puck by Kessel and went in to score. We still have you guys a gift with Kessel but at least kapanen seems like he'll be an above average nhler. And we won the Matthews lottery so i feel better about the Kessel gift
- Njuice

Leafs are set up good for sure. It was a win-win for both sides no doubt.

These blog titles are approaching Garth level.
- jmatchett383

I would just say the blogs are approaching Garf level.

Got pounded 398.50 - 573.5.

Different approach again this week. Throwing in quantity over quality & some left field players hoping they get the chocolates.

Board meeting tonite sacked all Pens players!
- Aussiepenguin

There is a ton of good players that play 4 this week. You should be able to find both quality and quantity.

Got pounded 398.50 - 573.5.

Different approach again this week. Throwing in quantity over quality & some left field players hoping they get the chocolates.

Board meeting tonite sacked all Pens players!
- Aussiepenguin

You should try using analytics.

You should try using analytics.
- Feds91Stammer

YOU should shut up and get back to your Wings board

Burn. Lol

YOU should shut up and get back to your Wings board

Burn. Lol
- Barnaby36

nah

Sully is the easiest to replace if you need to shake things up.

How many coaches have the Pens had in the Crosby Era? just looked it up, 4. Not sure if Olchyk was there for Crosby. Interesting Disco had the 2nd longest run as a Pens coach. Didn't seem like he was there for that long, but he had some pretty disappointing seasons.
- sammy87

Pretty sure Eddie O coached sid for like half of his rookie season.

Riiki in Chad out

Has anyone read point 5 of the NJD blog that just got posted? It's a funny read for most on this board.

Has anyone read point 5 of the NJD blog that just got posted? It's a funny read for most on this board.


- iworkatinitech

hahaha...i'll just bring it on over here for everyone:

5. An exploitable pairing

Bad things tend to happen when Jack Johnson's pairing is on the ice. Shocking, I know. In almost 40 minutes with Juuso Riikola, they're rocking a 42.03 xGF% and have been out-scored 3-0. As a whole, Johnson has a ~43 xGF% and minus-8 goal differential on the year. He is #NotGood and pretty easy to take advantage of. Though the Devils are really shallow up front right now, I won't be surprised if they're still able to cause Johnson some problems.

Riiki in Chad out
- Thorny87

Should be JJ out.

hahaha...i'll just bring it on over here for everyone:

5. An exploitable pairing

Bad things tend to happen when Jack Johnson's pairing is on the ice. Shocking, I know. In almost 40 minutes with Juuso Riikola, they're rocking a 42.03 xGF% and have been out-scored 3-0. As a whole, Johnson has a ~43 xGF% and minus-8 goal differential on the year. He is #NotGood and pretty easy to take advantage of. Though the Devils are really shallow up front right now, I won't be surprised if they're still able to cause Johnson some problems.
- MattStrat

It's quite telling when other teams flat out drool knowing there is always going to be a pairing to exploit on the Pens with JJ out there. How management cannot "put their big boy pants on" and just sit/demote/waive/etc him is unfathomable. I for one would be interested in seeing what a CR/JR pairing would look like as a 3rd pairing.