Ryan Wilson: Isle be better next time Isle be better next time

I don't know if the Pens have a starting goalie problem, but I'm not giving him 8 mil for 7 years.

I don't know if the Pens have a starting goalie problem, but I'm not giving him 8 mil for 7 years.
- madmike71

As of right now I agree but its only early. We know he's capable of better and he could start a great streak as early as his next start.

EDIT: I dont really wanna give any goalie 8 mill hahah

I was surprised to hear last night that Eberle is goalless so far this season as well...

As of right now I agree but its only early. We know he's capable of better and he could start a great streak as early as his next start.

EDIT: I dont really wanna give any goalie 8 mill hahah
- MattStrat

Didn’t MM do this last season? Wasn’t he one of the best goalies for like February March or something? I know he went through some long hot stretch because I’d lost faith in him as a capable starter until then

I will also disagree with RW on Bjugstad. Bjugstad is great insurance if a center goes down. Blandisi went from looking fine to looking out of place recently. If Bluegers line is the shutdown line and Blan neuters his line because Bjug is out then we went from 4 solid lines with 3 of them scoring to 2

Didn’t MM do this last season? Wasn’t he one of the best goalies for like February March or something? I know he went through some long hot stretch because I’d lost faith in him as a capable starter until then
- WSCTeton17

Yeah he's shown signs of this before but it was usually around returning from injuries and also the passing of his dad that he looked like it.

I'm not worried about MM yet. I think he's capable...actually no, I KNOW he's capable.

I will also disagree with RW on Bjugstad. Bjugstad is great insurance if a center goes down. Blandisi went from looking fine to looking out of place recently. If Bluegers line is the shutdown line and Blan neuters his line because Bjug is out then we went from 4 solid lines with 3 of them scoring to 2
- WSCTeton17

I think what he meant is that Bjugs hasnt really contributed much of anything in his games this season, therefore the on ice product wont be hurt that much. I do know our faceoffs have been sh!t since he went though. I really liked what I saw out of Bjugs most nights last season...this season I cant recall one game where I thought overall he was good.

Didn’t MM do this last season? Wasn’t he one of the best goalies for like February March or something? I know he went through some long hot stretch because I’d lost faith in him as a capable starter until then
- WSCTeton17

He did. My worries are inconsistency and injury. I'm not willing to invest a "cap altering" contract on a guy with these problems. You can get average tending in this league for a lot less.

Thanks for the couple responses from my last post in the previous blog. I think we can conclude that both Petterson and Murray could have made better decisions.

In that vein, along with the principle of the article, giving Jarry a few more starts isn't a bad thing.

I was surprised to hear last night that Eberle is goalless so far this season as well...
- MattStrat

He's only played 10 games. Still disappointing, but he was out injured for quite awhile.

Didn’t MM do this last season? Wasn’t he one of the best goalies for like February March or something? I know he went through some long hot stretch because I’d lost faith in him as a capable starter until then
- WSCTeton17

He did. His turnaround came in December and was largely credited to spending extra time with the goalie coach and making 3 technique changes. No sure I they ever were made public.

I agree that right now Jarry should get a start every week, and should have had 2 or 3 extra starts already.

I think what he meant is that Bjugs hasnt really contributed much of anything in his games this season, therefore the on ice product wont be hurt that much. I do know our faceoffs have been sh!t since he went though. I really liked what I saw out of Bjugs most nights last season...this season I cant recall one game where I thought overall he was good.
- MattStrat

I'd be trying him at wing as well as and keeping McCann at center. Though it's a luxury, it's a nice extra center for injuries, at least it would be if he ever stayed healthy. He has a history, so I'm not going to think he's this bad based on ten games, but he'll need to show more to stick around.

One place I might put him is 4th line RW. That line isn't the same without Tanev an I don't know that I'd be playing them as much and in so many key situations right now. Fine as a 4th line, but not as a shutdown one.

He's only played 10 games. Still disappointing, but he was out injured for quite awhile.
- eichiefs9

Yeah the "as well..." was for the criticisms of Galch not having one yet either....he was injured and also bitten by a spider resulting in crazy reaction and infection...13 games 0 goals and 6 apples. Eberle is 10 games 0 goals and 5 apples.

Didn’t MM do this last season? Wasn’t he one of the best goalies for like February March or something? I know he went through some long hot stretch because I’d lost faith in him as a capable starter until then
- WSCTeton17

I bet if you looked at all the no. 1 goalies over the last few years you’ll find similar streaks on all of them.

I will also disagree with RW on Bjugstad. Bjugstad is great insurance if a center goes down. Blandisi went from looking fine to looking out of place recently. If Bluegers line is the shutdown line and Blan neuters his line because Bjug is out then we went from 4 solid lines with 3 of them scoring to 2
- WSCTeton17

Bjugstad has looked pretty out of place all season.

I don’t know if you getting it is a good thing or bad thing. I’m lost, but I’m aware it’s directed at me.
- Rinosaur

You’re aware it was directed at you? You know nothing, Jon Snow. It wasn’t directed at you, wasn’t a reply to you either

Michael is in reference to Sullivan because I just said that he had made up his mind about where Galchenyuk plays. Was calling him by his dreaded full name as a mother would

Bjugstad has looked pretty out of place all season.
- j.boyd919

I was thinking about him last night. He got hurt early. Then returned for a handful of games. I wonder if (like Sid), he was trying to play through this core injury. Then finally opted for surgery after that last fall. Might explain why he's looked so terrible. Who knows.

I was thinking about him last night. He got hurt early. Then returned for a handful of games. I wonder if (like Sid), he was trying to play through this core injury. Then finally opted for surgery after that last fall. Might explain why he's looked so terrible. Who knows.
- madmike71

You're probably right.

Yeah the "as well..." was for the criticisms of Galch not having one yet either....he was injured and also bitten by a spider resulting in crazy reaction and infection...13 games 0 goals and 6 apples. Eberle is 10 games 0 goals and 5 apples.
- MattStrat

Yeeesh...really? I can't believe I didn't see anything about that, what a brutal thing to have to deal with in the middle of a season

Yeeesh...really? I can't believe I didn't see anything about that, what a brutal thing to have to deal with in the middle of a season
- eichiefs9

hahaha yeah man...and it was right after he got injured...so they couldnt rehab the injury because of the spider bite. You cant even make this poop up hahah. Its only November and this is the craziest injury season Ive seen yet...and thats saying something as a Pens fan.

I was thinking about him last night. He got hurt early. Then returned for a handful of games. I wonder if (like Sid), he was trying to play through this core injury. Then finally opted for surgery after that last fall. Might explain why he's looked so terrible. Who knows.
- madmike71

I was thinking the same thing but only because Sid did the same thing

Thanks for the couple responses from my last post in the previous blog. I think we can conclude that both Petterson and Murray could have made better decisions.

In that vein, along with the principle of the article, giving Jarry a few more starts isn't a bad thing.
- Thunderbolt

I agree that they both misplayed it but of the two MM misplayed it worse. No reason for him to come out that far unless he’s 100% sure he’s winning a loose puck battle

From the last thread...

He looked pretty good Tuesday night...and in a hand full of other games this season.
- MattStrat

Yeah, he did. He's looked PRETTY GOOD a few times, but he's now 12 games and still looks pretty good SOMETIMES. If he was signed for another year or two I'd say ok, let's be patient and see how this unfolds, but he's not and I'm not.

I know a few people think I've damned Galchenyuk from the beginning and I didn't. I never said he was a bad player. I said it was a bad trade and they're getting a player equally, if not worse defensively than Kessel with at most half as many points.

He was brought in to score goals. Nobody expected some crazy dynamic player, but he's simply not scoring goals or even getting himself into decent scoring position. Goal-scorers find themselves in positions to score because they know how to get there.

I'm not saying he WON'T get there, but I'm saying he's not and that's a problem for the Penguins who counted on him being a top-six winger who can score. The fact he's a pending UFA and currently most of the Penguins forwards are playing better than him makes me more impatient than I normally would be. If they can find another team who think he'd benefit from a change of scenery they should get what they can for him now.

Sorry for the WST length novel

The thing that bugs me about Murray is the fashion in which goals are scored against him. He's always been advertised as the guy who makes the saves you expect him to make (unlike the years of inconsistency from MAF) and doesn't make as many saves from high danger areas (like MAF has always done). That hasn't been the case in too many instances the past few years. There are years of evidence that the Penguins style of play (Lemieux and Crosby eras) make life very difficult for a goaltender. They should give Jarry some extra games for the following reasons.

1. He's hot right now and we need wins
2. Murray will benefit from some extra rest
3. Trading Murray should not be off the table at this point.

There could possibly be a disconnect between Murray camp and Pens brass on his value. I would think GMJR would have locked him up by now, as he's done in the past with goalies, if there wasn't. I ultimately think Murray should stay and has earned a legitimate raise per the same percentage of cap his last deal was. However if the two camps are far apart, perhaps a trade opportunity arises because there is an argument to be made that the Pens shouldn't invest highly in goaltending per their style of play.

I know this is a bit reckless talk, just stirring the pot.