Ryan Wilson: Last place! Last place!

I agree with your assessment Ryan.

The Penguins started this season with a bad leg because of the personnel decisions made by Rutherford.
1. Signing Matt Cullen. Yes it was for the league min and 1 year, but a guy like Anthony Duclair signed around the same time for the same deal. There is no one who could reasonably say that we are better off with Matt Cullen than a younger player like Anthony Duclair.
2. The Jack Johnson signing has been as horrible as imagined. A lot of Penguins beat writers and Pens management said it won't be as bad and that Johnson needed a change. He is brutal. He is not a very skilled hockey player and his hockey intelligence (or lack there of) does not make up for that. It is going to be a shame when we have to 1) buy him out this offseason or 2) convince a team to take a valuable piece in order to dump his contract.

There were plenty of options Rutherford could have taken this offseason to boast this group. Instead, those were his two "big moves".

This season, the coaching deserves blame to with their roster management. Jack Johnson with Letang? Sprong in the press box? I like Sullivan and think he is 10x the coach Dan Bylsma is, but it sure feels like 2010-2014 again.

It is clear that Sullivan and Rutherford are not seeing eye to eye and that normally never ends well for the coach (see Chicago). If Sullivan is fired, would Joel Quenneville come here? Maybe, maybe not. I could see Rutherford wanting a "Yes Man" and not an established coach like Rutherford.

More moves need to be made. The defense is weak and slow. I've never seen someone skate as slowly as Olli Maatta does sometimes. I dont think I've heard Rust's name once this season. You have a defense and a bottom 6 of passengers. No one is contributing outside of the top 6. The good thing is that this team has the fire power that they can quickly turn it around. I certainly dont think the team's season is over. A lot of hockey left, but if the Penguins maintain the status quo, the season is pretty much over. Getting Crosby and Schultz back will help, but they aren't miracle workers.

Whats the deal with Sheahan? Didnt see anyone talking about it. Is he hurt or was he a healthy scratch?

Sheahan wont be a difference maker but he is a way better 4th line center than Cullen and at least he wont take stupid penalties when your team is 5v3.

Im afraid Cullen will never sit a game this season. If thats the case Sully needs to go.

Ryan has some good points. However, what are the advanced stats saying on the splitting up of Letang and Dumoulin? Is it workin* out to where hey are giving up less or is jack Johnson being an anchor?
I feel Ryan only brings them up when it fits his narrative, and since he isn’t, splitting hem up has actually worked.

I just posted this in the last blog but Oskar Sundqvist has 4 goals in 10 games with the Blues....Why again do they have Sheehan and Cullen as 4C options?

Why not have DP as a bottom pairing Dman instead of paying JJ $3.5mil?

Why if the rumors were true Domi not a Penguin?

Why is JR the GM instead of Bottereli?

Why is Sully still a coach?

From the last thread...

I love how people are making this moving Murray talk so easy. First off, making a trade for a proven starting goalie is PROBABLY the hardest move to make.

Look at alllll the teams in the NHL that get poop for never bringing in a good goalie year-after-year. It's (frank)in hard unless you're prepared to give up MAJOR parts. I posted this earlier, but for all of those continuing to talk about moving Murray, ask yourselves these questions:

1) Is DeSmith or Jarry ready to be a starter? Coming in for stretches and playing an entire season are very different. Probably the major adjustment for every newer goalie.

2) What do you expect to get in return for Murray? I can assure it's not another #1 goalie.

Now, should Sullivan keep starting DeSmith? Sure, I can't argue that. At least from two games I paid closer attention to, the Pens played tighter games with him in net. Last night was a clear example when they played the same in front of both goalies.

Murray is the #1 and you can't blame Sullivan to go back to him to see how's handling things.

I just posted this in the last blog but Oskar Sundqvist has 4 goals in 10 games with the Blues....Why again do they have Sheehan and Cullen as 4C options?

- sammy87

Dude, you gotta stop this poop. Players don't work on teams sometimes then excel on another. It happens. So now we're going to start comparing former 4th liners?

Whats the deal with Sheahan? Didnt see anyone talking about it. Is he hurt or was he a healthy scratch?

Sheahan wont be a difference maker but he is a way better 4th line center than Cullen and at least he wont take stupid penalties when your team is 5v3.

Im afraid Cullen will never sit a game this season. If thats the case Sully needs to go.
- Conse

Bradford reported he was a healthy scratch.

Not to forget that he had a single goal in 42GP with Blues last year.
But we also know that it was the quest for Reaves coz he was shipped.
Exactly that Reaves, who could now inhale our 4th line some kind of life...
- VeryModernMan

Well don't start using logic now. Clearly the Pens just needed to give Sundqvist a few more years.

From the last thread...

I love how people are making this moving Murray talk so easy. First off, making a trade for a proven starting goalie is PROBABLY the hardest move to make.

Look at alllll the teams in the NHL that get poop for never bringing in a good goalie year-after-year. It's (frank)in hard unless you're prepared to give up MAJOR parts. I posted this earlier, but for all of those continuing to talk about moving Murray, ask yourselves these questions:

1) Is DeSmith or Jarry ready to be a starter? Coming in for stretches and playing an entire season are very different. Probably the major adjustment for every newer goalie.

2) What do you expect to get in return for Murray? I can assure it's not another #1 goalie.

Now, should Sullivan keep starting DeSmith? Sure, I can't argue that. At least from two games I paid closer attention to, the Pens played tighter games with him in net. Last night was a clear example when they played the same in front of both goalies.

Murray is the #1 and you can't blame Sullivan to go back to him to see how's handling things.
- Rinosaur

Murray has been the weaker goalie. I think it is totally fine to blame Sully for playing him. He shouldn’t get a look unless it’s a back to back or DeSmith stumbles.

Bradford reported he was a healthy scratch.
- madmike71

In Grant they believe... for the moment.

I mean look, Grant doesn't knock my socks off, but at least for right now he's not playing any worse than Sheahan IMO.

We can get into a long discussion about Sheahan's usage/deployment, but that's the least of the issues at the moment.

If they're getting at least similar play from Grant then moving Sheahan is exactly the move I expect to free up space for a larger move.

He shouldn’t get a look unless it’s a back to back or DeSmith stumbles.
- Thorny87

I don't completely disagree, but I also don't hold it against Sullivan for checking in on Murray.

Last night was a prime of example that when you play like dogpoop allowing far too many quality/high-danger chances, you're playing with fire no matter who's in goal.

I still believe goaltending is not the main issue. The main issue is team defense and dedication to putting in 60 minutes of quality play.

Last night was also a prime example of how good the players on this team are if they can swing back at a moments notice. Imagine if they came out of the gate with the sense of urgency they had in the 3rd, which can be said for many games this year. The result would have been very different.

This is why I believe it's time to move some major players out and bring guys who are hungrier and want that cup.

Here's the thing about this column... JJ hasn't been good obviously, and Murray has been worse. The bigger culprits in these last two games don't even get a single word mentioned about them. Geno and Kessel were plain awful defensively last night. Geno with another selfish penalty while Kessel looked comical on the defensive side of the puck. I mean, I expect JJ to commonly make mistakes, but I can't accept the crap effort from Geno and Kessel last night. DK's site has nice video layout of Kessels defensive/less work last night. Phil was actually great the first couple of weeks in this department and I don't understand what's changed.

Sully needs to scrap his system right now. This team isn't capable of playing a high risk game. This reminds me of the Disco days when the coach insisted on sticking with his game plan even when it was obvious the opposition was exploiting the flaws every night. Time for less risk, neutral zone trap with a counter attack. How many odd-man breaks can you give up before you realize the players aren't capable of executing his plan? The defensive work of the five skaters reminds me of the MAF seeing a sports shrink days.....it's very comparable.

Sully needs to scrap his system right now. This team isn't capable of playing a high risk game. This reminds me of the Disco days when the coach insisted on sticking with his game plan even when it was obvious the opposition was exploiting the flaws every night. Time for less risk, neutral zone trap with a counter attack. How many odd-man breaks can you give up before you realize the players aren't capable of executing his plan.
- madmike71

What system are we talking about here? This is Disco Dan in the sense there is no real system and wants guys to just dump in and fight for the puck.

Here's what I think is gone from before:

1) Short tape-to-tape passes on zone-exits to create controlled zone-entires so the Pens already have possession of the puck.

2) Attacking, but not over-attacking/committing. They don't have to "trap," but they play far too deep which keeps leading to odd-man rushes with nobody there to keep them in check

3) Effort for 60 minutes.

This is a weird season so far.

I so want to punch the smugness of this blog.

So who do we think is traded first?

Maatta? Sprong? Sheahan?

I think we all wish it was JJ...
After last night I felt Sprong looked ok so I am hoping he stays a bit longer and maybe gains the respect of the coaches by working hard and netting some points.

I so want to punch the smugness of this blog.
- jmatchett383

I honestly can't disagree with much of what he wrote. I'm going to stick to my guns on MM though. Yeah, play DeSmith for the moment, but last night was a clear example that when the Pens play like pure poop, it doesn't matter who's in goal.

Matt Murray looking a lot like Jim Carey and Andrew Raycroft right now....

So who do we think is traded first?

Maatta? Sprong? Sheahan?

I think we all wish it was JJ...
After last night I felt Sprong looked ok so I am hoping he stays a bit longer and maybe gains the respect of the coaches by working hard and netting some points.
- 123Kid

Johnson isn't going anywhere.

I think Sheahan goes first to clear up space.

Next? I think it will be Maatta and either Horn or Rust.

There’s no drama like goalie drama. Is there a true starter? Will the Pens continue to alternate goalies hoping one gets hot?

What system are we talking about here? This is Disco Dan in the sense there is no real system and wants guys to just dump in and fight for the puck.

Here's what I think is gone from before:

1) Short tape-to-tape passes on zone-exits to create controlled zone-entires so the Pens already have possession of the puck.

2) Attacking, but not over-attacking/committing. They don't have to "trap," but they play far too deep which keeps leading to odd-man rushes with nobody there to keep them in check

3) Effort for 60 minutes.
- Rinosaur

I agree on the short passes exiting the zone. Caufield isolated this specific issue with Maatta last night. Maatta chose a longer pass to a covered man instead of short pass to a wide open Sprong. Instant turnover.

They play far too deep because Sullivan wants constant puck pressure. Here's the problem, we are too slow for constant puck pressure. It's obvious, we don't win any races. To make matters worse, we have defenseman pinching ALL of the time and they aren't making those plays. They're getting killed by pinching so much.

I agree on the short passes exiting the zone. Caufield isolated this specific issue with Maatta last night. Maatta chose a longer pass to a covered man instead of short pass to a wide open Sprong. Instant turnover.

They play far too deep because Sullivan wants constant puck pressure. Here's the problem, we are too slow for constant puck pressure. It's obvious, we don't win any races. To make matters worse, we have defenseman pinching ALL of the time and they aren't making those plays. They're getting killed by pinching so much.
- madmike71

There's an illusion of speed occurring here IMO. Outside of the current lineup, who else was really that fast? Hagelin, Kunitz and Daley? Nobody else here has really lost a step aside from Cullen.

What made the Pens appear so fast IMO was not how fast they actually skated, but the system they played had them everywhere on the ice. They attacked hard, but at the same time weren't all deep in the o-zone. They made sure to be in position to support each-other.

Bonino wasn't/isn't fast. Phil, Sid, Letang, Hornqvist and Geno are no slower than they were. So, even with Hagelin and Schultz in the lineup, the only speed that was really missing was Daley and Kunitz.

The ability is there to do what they did before. Even JJ is fast enough to play in this system, he's just not good enough.

I still believe. I still think they make playoffs... Then who knows....

Johnson isn't going anywhere.

I think Sheahan goes first to clear up space.

Next? I think it will be Maatta and either Horn or Rust.
- Rinosaur

Rumors are swirling about Maatta to ANA for Manson or Montour on other sites.

Maybe Maatta, Sprong, Sheahan, and a lower pick for Manson, Cogliano, and Aberg.

Guentzel - Crosby - Simon
Pearson- Malkin - Kessel
Cogliano - Brassard - Rust
ZAR - Grant - Aberg