Just about scrub can get a bunch of assists playing with Crosby and Malkin, so that's not convincing.

How many grade A chance has he completely blown? About 10+. 3-4 in this game alone.
- Hockey66

Most of Sids 3rd wingers put up 40-45 points at ES. Horny, Dupuis, Sheary, Bugsy, etc. that’s typical what 3rd wheels put up unless you have super lines like Raantan-MacK-Landeskog

Are you arguing against your own point?
- Hockey66

Uhh... no? 39 points is hovering around 40.

Take a look at most of Sids wingers not named Guentzel or Kunitz. Most of those guys hovered around 40-45 points.
- j.boyd919

So what youre saying is Simon isnt special and everyone who plays with Sid gets the same amount of points. Simon cant finish, we have players who can, Id like to see some of these grade A chances buried once and a while.

Nice Geno.

Good game all round cept for the pp. Jarry was solid.

Howd Rikki and Letang fair together stats wise? I like that better than the JJ alternative

Nah.... He just needs his role reduced. He's a good bottom 6 player. You can't send him down anyway.....somebody would claim him. He's exactly the type of bottom 6 wing you need. Makes like 700k and can play up the lineup if necessary. "If necessary" is the key. Even with this battered lineup, there's better players to try in that spot.

Jarry deserves to keep the net by the way.
- madmike71

If Simon remains in the top 6 and Murray remains the starter then I think it's perfectly legitimate to seriously question Sully's judgment.

I think he should be named the starter going forward. It's been over 3 years since Murray has been consistently good.
- Hockey66

Murray was actually great from December to the end of last year and October this year. He stunk in November.

Murray was actually great from December to the end of last year and October this year. He stunk in November.
- Tojo.

Jarry has earned the net, it should be up to Murray to win it back.

This team really deserves to be higher in the standings. Injuries have held this team back from making some serious noise.

Murray was actually great from December to the end of last year and October this year. He stunk in November.
- Tojo.

So 6 months out of the last 15? That doesn't cut it for me.

This team really deserves to be higher in the standings. Murray has held this team back from making some serious noise.
- Victoro311

FTFY

Simon sucks. If the Pens weren't a mash unit right now, he'd be on his way to WB. Either way he needs to be shipped off in a deal for a new Dman. You are hurting the team when you can't bury those chances. Theres really no defending him at this point.

Jarry looks better than Murray.

I dont think the Blues played a very good game though. It was an off night for them.

How do you fit in on a new team by bouncing around lines constantly? He has played exactly 17 games and is over .5 points per game. So banish him to the 4th line and reduce his minutes? Has Simon earned top 6 over Galch? Galch has 7 years of consistent goal-scoring. Simon has 0. They are the same age. Galch has 128 goals, Simon has 14.
- Hockey66

As I said, I don't like all Sully's choices and am not defending Simon. But he's playing RW and Galchenyuk plays LW.

Sully has tried McCann plenty, but it isn't working. Maybe he gets a shot with Malkin or Sid later, but right now that's Jake's spot.

Right now, Sully is trying to win games with a depleted line-up. He doesn't have the luxury of just leaving Galchenyuk in prominent role when he has another option in Kahun for that second scoring line and you certainly can't put Galchenyuk on a shutdown line.

FTFY
- stackthepads

We get it, dawg.

This team really deserves to be higher in the standings. Injuries have held this team back from making some serious noise.
- Victoro311

I truly believe if this team can get and stay healthy they’re a legit contender.

We get it, dawg.
- Victoro311

finally

Uhh... no? 39 points is hovering around 40.
- j.boyd919

More often than not the Pens have had terrible depth scoring, but now that our bottom six is legitimate, we shouldn't be putting non-goal scorers in the top six.

And all of those guys you mentioned scored goals at a rate at least double of what Simon does and has throughout his career. You just can't have a guy in the top 6 who has no goal-scoring ability.

It was funny at the end of this game that Sully puts him on the PP in garbage time to try to help him out and he skies his only chance from the slot.

So 6 months out of the last 15? That doesn't cut it for me.
- Hockey66

Murray had 3 good years and 1 bad one coming into this year. I can see anyone not having confidence in him right now or not wanting to give him a big extension, but to act like he's been terrible for years is wrong.

As I said, I don't like all Sully's choices and am not defending Simon. But he's playing RW and Galchenyuk plays LW.

Sully has tried McCann plenty, but it isn't working. Maybe he gets a shot with Malkin or Sid later, but right now that's Jake's spot.

Right now, Sully is trying to win games with a depleted line-up. He doesn't have the luxury of just leaving Galchenyuk in prominent role when he has another option in Kahun for that second scoring line and you certainly can't put Galchenyuk on a shutdown line.
- Tojo.

Galch on his off-wing has a better chance of scoring than Simon, though. And the other aspects of the game aren't that drastically different to make up for it.

So what youre saying is Simon isnt special and everyone who plays with Sid gets the same amount of points. Simon cant finish, we have players who can, Id like to see some of these grade A chances buried once and a while.
- stackthepads

I don’t think Simon is special at all. I think he fits on Sids line just fine and if he’s scoring at a top 6 pace it allows Sully to spread talent onto the other lines I think it’s fine.

Jarry has earned the net, it should be up to Murray to win it back.
- stackthepads

I agree with this

Galch on his off-wing has a better chance of scoring than Simon, though. And the other aspects of the game aren't that drastically different to make up for it.
- Hockey66

Simons inability to complete a play aside, I get the feeling that Crosby likes playing with him, if he didnt then he wouldnt be on Sids wing (see Hornqvist).

Jarry has earned the net, it should be up to Murray to win it back.
- stackthepads

I got no issues with that. I'm just pushing back against this idea he's been bad for 3 years.

Simon sucks. If the Pens weren't a mash unit right now, he'd be on his way to WB. Either way he needs to be shipped off in a deal for a new Dman. You are hurting the team when you can't bury those chances. Theres really no defending him at this point.

Jarry looks better than Murray.

I dont think the Blues played a very good game though. It was an off night for them.
- sammy87

Scoring the first goal has a tendency to do that to teams. St. Louis did play well in the second period, Jarry was better.

The good news for the Golden Boy is even though he was 0-4 in SOG, his shooting percentage didn't go down much.

Great game by a depleted lineup against the defending champs.

I thought we were screwed with that defensive lineup so of course we get the shutout.

Great game by Jarry - solid as a rock.

Riikola has been pretty good this year. He was such a trainwreck last year that I didn't really trust him but it looks like he is coming around, and may even be permanent 3LD quality. Silky smooth skater / puck handler and is making some good decisions out there.

Trotman has done an admirable job. Haven't noticed him and that's a good thing.

Rudy has had a rough season so far. So many penalties and sub-par play from him. I'm sure sitting in the press box doesn't help.

What else can you say about Marino? I think he has locked down 2RD going forward. Such a HUGE boon to a depleted defensive corps on a cap-strapped team.

Galch on his off-wing has a better chance of scoring than Simon, though. And the other aspects of the game aren't that drastically different to make up for it.
- Hockey66

Disagree, Simon does plenty of thing significantly better than Galchenyuk, like playing defense.

Look, I wouldn't have Simon on the top line either, but I'm not bending over backwards to make Galchenyuk work. Give me Kahun or Tanev there first.