Goals for tomorrow’s game: lose 9-10 and Sid gets 5 points.

Goals for tomorrow’s game: lose 9-10 and Sid gets 5 points.
- Brownsoldier

It'd be fun to see a 10-9 game, but more realistically I see us losing 5-3. Hopefully Sid scores, would love to see him get to 40 goals this year.

It'd be fun to see a 10-9 game, but more realistically I see us losing 5-3. Hopefully Sid scores, would love to see him get to 40 goals this year.
- MickV

lol I doubt we score 9 goals in the next 4 games combined.

It seems this bonehead penguins GM isn't to smart? If he doesn't know guentzels contract is up why did he trade for karlsson and bring in 10 mil for the next 3 years? If EK is so good why isn't he scoring like jake? Are we saying when jake makes the big money he will quit scoring? Guentzel had to know he was being traded when all this BS went down. I garauntee you when jake seen the trade for EK, he said "It looks like I am out". This would explain why Jake was never considered part of the click/core. How could a player playing on sids line for 9 years not be considered a core player? EK was considered that when he 1st walked in the penguins dressing room. I would never come here if I was Jake.
- jb55

A) Cap situation would have been the same. Petry, Granlund, and Ruutta would have been on the payroll again next year and combined make more.

B) They could afford Guentzel, Dubas chose not to seemingly more because of the length than the cap hit. They will probably fill out a lot of the bottom of the roster with their own cheap young players.

I dont know man. Some of the games like vs the Caps stick out as them not looking the same, or good, but then there are a lot of games when the final whistle blew they were the better team stat wise, just didn't win. PP going 0 for something. Like you say bottom six not converting. Jake and Rust gone f'd up the top line scoring too. I also think its possible I may have an easier time watching them subjectively than some others. I think its impossible not to look at the 29th ranked PP as the biggest culpirt though.
- MattStrat

I'll bet if we took a poll, most people here would consider you an optimist lol.

Not really arguing what is most impactful. Just that even with a bad PP, improvement in other areas would have made a difference too.

hahaha fair enough. I just think they may have had 4 to 8 more standings points if they didn't lost two of those guys around same time.

It's still a little hard for me to grasp that they're so close to a PO spot despite that absolutely shameful PP all season and no Jake the past 3 or 4 weeks.
- MattStrat

I consider health to be a positive overall. The top 3 centers and top 4 defensemen didn't miss a single game. Jarry only missed one I believe. If I told you coming in no missed time for Crosby, Malkin, Letang, Karlsson, and Jarry, you wouldn't have believed me.

I'll bet if we took a poll, most people here would consider you an optimist lol.

Not really arguing what is most impactful. Just that even with a bad PP, improvement in other areas would have made a difference too.



I consider health to be a positive overall. The top 3 centers and top 4 defensemen didn't miss a single game. Jarry only missed one I believe. If I told you coming in no missed time for Crosby, Malkin, Letang, Karlsson, and Jarry, you wouldn't have believed me.
- Tojo.

Nah. I didn't think they were making playoffs before the season even started haha. That narrative doesn't fit. I'm a realist. This team isn't as bad as a lot of people get on with a lot of nights. They definitely did find a different way to lose a lot of nights, being the more dominant team but losing in finals mins numerous times. A lot of games they rallied back to force OT only to lose in a crapshoot 3 on 3 or shootout. The worst they were was a three ish week period around losing their top wingers, and then trading one, but even then there were a number of one goal loses they did F all on the PP.

The Pens frequently looked like fools under Bylsma. To his credit, Sullivan got them under control. But I agree, I've hated the passivity of their game for years. Watching our best players get abused with no response sucks. Even worse, they're the ones that have to stand up for guys.
- madmike71

I don’t think they looked like fools. They look like and bunch of pusillanimous men now.

A) Cap situation would have been the same. Petry, Granlund, and Ruutta would have been on the payroll again next year and combined make more.

B) They could afford Guentzel, Dubas chose not to seemingly more because of the length than the cap hit. They will probably fill out a lot of the bottom of the roster with their own cheap young players.
- Tojo.

The only thing though is the Penguins are a much better team with Petry, Ruuta and Granlund. Probably in. Playoff spot all year, maybe it makes Jake think about wanting to stay. EK is a huge part of what’s wrong. I’d hate to eat any if his horrible contract but shipping him out fixes a lot immediately

The only thing though is the Penguins are a much better team with Petry, Ruuta and Granlund. Probably in. Playoff spot all year, maybe it makes Jake think about wanting to stay. EK is a huge part of what’s wrong. I’d hate to eat any if his horrible contract but shipping him out fixes a lot immediately
- Grinder47

I agree about EK as far as the PP goes. He was supposed to be the one that fixed it. It was already trending in a bad way last season. He completely failed to help/boost it haha. There's 4 other guys on the ice with him though, they have blame as well. Coaching obviously bad here too ie this season's slower version of Geno shouldn't have been used so much on the point.

I dont see how the PP is better with those 3 players though...Petry looks pretty cooked, or headed for completely cooked, this season....in 16 mins of PP time he has 1 shot and no points. He's now played only 29 mins less mins at even strength than he did for the Pens all of last season. In 61 games has 18 points..all ES.

Granlund would be on 2nd PP, maybe help that unit out, maybe not.

Rutta would never be on PP.

I believe I finally got a legit answer.

Still though If I were jake I wouldn't come back. This will go down as the 2nd worse trade by penguins GM as far as the return they got from carolina.
- jb55

If I was Guentzel, I would've asked to be traded back in November. As a matter of fact, I wrote this very same thing back in November.

Thank you, You and maybe 2 other people on here are the only sensible people on this site.
- jb55

hahahah

I have sat and thought about how different this team would be if we didn't make some moves of had a different GM. I don't think we make the playoffs either way. I think this team needs a coaching change. I don't see this coaching staff getting the same out of Granlund as San Jose. Heck even Nylander is showing the same. I have a feeling EK will get traded and light it up wherever he goes.


The coaches try to make everyone buy into their system which limits their abilities. Plus why buy into the system when Malkin and others don't follow the system and there isn't any repercussions.

I have sat and thought about how different this team would be if we didn't make some moves of had a different GM. I don't think we make the playoffs either way. I think this team needs a coaching change. I don't see this coaching staff getting the same out of Granlund as San Jose. Heck even Nylander is showing the same. I have a feeling EK will get traded and light it up wherever he goes.


The coaches try to make everyone buy into their system which limits their abilities. Plus why buy into the system when Malkin and others don't follow the system and there isn't any repercussions.
- 123Kid

This doesn’t help at all with the main culprit Sully, but I do believe Rierden and Velluci’s contracts are up at the end of this season. Hopefully they move on, and bring in someone who could potentially replace sully if it ever goes that far way. Send a small message with who they hire.

Dubas spoke very highly of granlund and Petry right before trading them last year, hopefully his standing firm on sully being the man is just more lip service.

I agree about EK as far as the PP goes. He was supposed to be the one that fixed it. It was already trending in a bad way last season. He completely failed to help/boost it haha. There's 4 other guys on the ice with him though, they have blame as well. Coaching obviously bad here too ie this season's slower version of Geno shouldn't have been used so much on the point.

I dont see how the PP is better with those 3 players though...Petry looks pretty cooked, or headed for completely cooked, this season....in 16 mins of PP time he has 1 shot and no points. He's now played only 29 mins less mins at even strength than he did for the Pens all of last season. In 61 games has 18 points..all ES.

Granlund would be on 2nd PP, maybe help that unit out, maybe not.

Rutta would never be on PP.
- MattStrat

Just not having EK around to (frank) everything up all the time is what would help. I’d swap EK for Mark Friedman any day.

- No Graves tonight
- No Carter tonight
- St. Ivany makes his NHL debut

- No Graves tonight
- No Carter tonight
- St. Ivany makes his NHL debut
- MattStrat

Healthy scratch for Graves?

Healthy scratch for Graves?
- Thorny87

He's healthy but has a child being born.

He's healthy but has a child being born.
- MattStrat

He can take all the time he needs

My goal is for EK to get a goal, since he's the highest paid plater on the team.
- jb55

I mean, they do play in the "Steel City" but I didnt know they were actually coating things in metal, installing sheet metal or armour plating...

Pavelski scoring on the pens is a given

Karlson is just bad at hockey. There’s no other way to put it. Hurts more than he helps. Even if if scores 100 pts.

Puustinen has good vision. He always seems to find open guys. That pass to Eller was sweet. I've been wanting to say this for a while but didn't want to jinx him. My goodness he does this too much for it to not to be part of his game.

Puustinen has good vision. He always seems to find open guys. That pass to Eller was sweet. I've been wanting to say this for a while but didn't want to jinx him. My goodness he does this too much for it to not to be part of his game.
- Thunderbolt

He’s got skill for sure. Probably the fastest straight line skater too. Pity Eller and Rust missed grade A chances

Piss poor effort Rusty

SpeD GaMe!!