Ryan Wilson: Injury riddled Penguins to host upstart Rangers tonight Injury riddled Penguins to host upstart Rangers tonight

Is PO a guarantee tonight? Like I just said in last blog I cant help but think Cuuz will get a sweater before PO this eve because he was the first one called up from taxi. Hope that's not the case.

I’m going to be honest I think a lot of adjusting to a new environment stuff is way overblown. Hockey isn’t *that* complicated. This isn’t like a player in football moving to a different team and learning a new playbook. There are only so many forechecks and defensive zone systems in hockey and when you’re 27 years old with 497 NHL games under your belt you’ve seen them all.
- Ryan Wilson

This. Ceci seems like a low hockey IQ player. He has the skill, just not the brain. Where have we seen this before? Whoever is in charge of the fancy stats should incorporate hockey IQ in some manner (even though they are probably correlated quite a bit). The NHL game has gotten so fast that only fast thinkers succeed.

Is PO a guarantee tonight? Like I just said in last blog I cant help but think Cuuz will get a sweater before PO this eve because he was the first one called up from taxi. Hope thats not the case.
- MattStrat

You know Sully likes his vets, actual play be damned.

You know Sully likes his vets, actual play be damned.
- Hockey66

POJ was promoted from the Taxi Squad today

This. Ceci seems like a low hockey IQ player. He has the skill, just not the brain. Where have we seen this before? Whoever is in charge of the fancy stats should incorporate hockey IQ in some manner (even though they are probably correlated quite a bit). The NHL game has gotten so fast that only fast thinkers succeed.
- Hockey66

I agree with RW here as well. The guy has a large enough sample size of being garbage to the on ice product. Doesnt matter the system at this point.

Is PO a guarantee tonight? Like I just said in last blog I cant help but think Cuuz will get a sweater before PO this eve because he was the first one called up from taxi. Hope that's not the case.
- MattStrat

Think that was for financial reasons.

Jack Johnson helping the team for the first time was hysterical

Jack Johnson helping the team for the first time was hysterical
- [email protected]

When we bought him out? Or tonight when somebody smokes him lol

You know Sully likes his vets, actual play be damned.
- Hockey66

Ceci got benched after one game. That's a positive. Could be Reardon is having an impact.

I do think that some adjustment is needed when a player goes to a new team but yeah, a good player should be able to make contributions soon after joining a new team.

The bottom line, however, is that Ceci isn't that good, even ignoring any adjustments that he might need to make. He was on some bad Ottawa teams (often among the worst in the league) and did not seem to help them much. He was a - for three consecutive seasons, including the 2016-17 season, when they made it to the conf finals and the Pens defeated them. He was a -7 in the playoffs that year, despite being on their third pairing (I think), and I remember the Pens exploiting him on multiple occasions.

If he wasn't that good on an Ottawa team that only made it to the conf finals with a careful, rigid trapping system how is he going to be good on this Pens team, which as always plays a high-risk aggressive offense that puts added pressure on its defense? Playing defense for the Pens is tough and I don't see how Ceci is going to do well here. I hope I am wrong.

Is PO a guarantee tonight? Like I just said in last blog I cant help but think Cuuz will get a sweater before PO this eve because he was the first one called up from taxi. Hope that's not the case.
- MattStrat

Czuczman was actually only promoted to the taxi squad, not the main roster. POJ was promoted to the main roster today so it's almost certainly him.

I was wondering if Victor Mete from Montreal would be a good pick up if available.
- 123Kid

I like this suggestion. Montreal is deep at LHD, forget the name of the stud prospect that took his spot, so he might be available.

Yohe said yesterday there will be no JJ tribute video. Martin is getting one though.

Czuczman was actually only promoted to the taxi squad, not the main roster. POJ was promoted to the main roster today so it's almost certainly him.
- Tojo.

Awesome, thanks for that. I didn't catch that in the wording.

Looking forward to seeing the kid play tonight.

I like this suggestion. Montreal is deep at LHD, forget the name of the stud prospect that took his spot, so he might be available.
- Tojo.

That is my hope. He also fits our fast young player identity that JR was trying to build.

When we bought him out? Or tonight when somebody smokes him lol
- 668710

When someone smokes him!!

That is my hope. He also fits our fast young player identity that JR was trying to build.
- 123Kid

I don't think I've ever seen him play. But why not take the chance on him.

When someone smokes him!!
- [email protected]

Lol 😂

"Jack Johnson helping the team for the first time was hysterical"

Yes that was pretty funny lol. Probably jinx it now

JJ with the Gordie Howe Hat Trick tonight

JJ is gonna score tonight..

JJ is gonna score tonight..
- MattStrat

F you lol

Ceci got benched after one game. That's a positive. Could be Reardon is having an impact.
- madmike71

I have all the respect in the world for Jacques, but the fact nyr signed JJ after Martin became a coach, says a lot...

I have all the respect in the world for Jacques, but the fact nyr signed JJ after Martin became a coach, says a lot...
- wsldck

Well the way Ceci got benched right away says that Martin was the one that kept playing JJ... Sully should have benched him himself though.

Well the way Ceci got benched right away says that Martin was the one that kept playing JJ... Sully should have benched him himself though.
- 668710

I agree, but there was definitely gmjr pride involved w/ JJ too.