I am a firm believer in taking everything I am given and saying thank you, so thank you Arizona for the win to break the Penguins’ winless streak.
And speaking of believing, I am currently wearing a tee-shirt that bears an iconic quote from the 90s “I want to believe” (Fox Mulder anyone?) Penguins, I want to believe that you turned it around. However, we have been down this road before, from Oct 18 through Oct 27 you looked like world beaters as you feasted on the very same Western Conference teams. In fact you kicked of that run with a 3 – 0 whitewash of an Eastern Conference Scoring Machine, the Toronto Maple Leafs, backstopped by an incredible 38 save performance by Matt Murray, facing far more lethal shooters with far more high percentage shots against.
Against this mid-level Western Conference team, yes you did cut down on the percentage of high quality shots and your defense did funnel more shots to the perimeter and gave up fewer break-away and odd man break shots, but you were still out-shot by Arizona, giving them more than 5 more shots than their season average. Your fats were still pulled out of the fire by your goalie.
And sorry, Mike Sullivan, your line shuffling didn’t, I repeat didn’t improve secondary scoring, or even primary scoring. The only thing your line shuffling did was change which of your top 2 Centers drove the scoring. Your line shuffling put Sidney Crosby in the driver’s seat, while Evgeni Malkin languished with no Wingers that could finish. You took Phil Kessel off of his Wing and split his time between Crosby and Riley Sheahan. While with Crosby, Kessel was able to reach the score sheet, but while on Sheahan’s line, no! You did leave Malkin with Carl Hagelin, and I do like Hagelin as a 4th or maybe 3rd line Left Wing, where his inability to score doesn’t hamstring a top 2 line, but he hasn’t been able to hit the ocean with a beach ball since his 1st season in Pittsburgh, so big surprise he hasn’t been able to put a puck into 4’ x 6’ net.
Yes, Bryan Rust did respond, a little, to being called out by Jim Rutherford; well sort of. Rutherford really didn’t mention names, it was the media that linked Rust’s name as well as Olli Maatta’s name to Rutherford’s rant, earlier in the week. However, Rust only reached the scoreboard on the top line with Crosby and only with an assist on a solid redirect from Dominik Simon. Interestingly enough Maatta picked up the secondary helper on that goal. Furthermore, Rust missed several golden opportunities of his own to get on the scoreboard and did nothing when not paired with Crosby and Simon. Again, no secondary scoring.
As for Maatta, he did he pick up an assist and he did make a decent play to break up a play around the net. However, over-all, when a defense allows a team more shots than their season average, particularly when the actual number of shots was just 1 shy of 40, well, they really shouldn’t brag about anything. They should simply say thank you to their goalie for baling them out and slink away.
Patrick Hornqvist also got on the scoreboard with a nice goal, drifting up into a soft spot to wait for a slick little pass from Simon, while flanking Crosby. (Once again, we are talking about the 1st line and not secondary scoring or even primary scoring from the other top line). When saddled with Hagelin on Malkin’s line he didn’t do too much. When give the opportunity to pot his second goal of the game, late in the 3rd period, he opted to try and force a cross ice pass to Hagelin, but the pass was broken up and no shot was recorded. No secondary scoring.
Brian Dumoulin finished off the scoring, shooting back across the grain, off of a Crosby feed. Unfortunately, here again, we are talking about a play from the number 1 line.
Believe me, I really do want to believe, but the enigmatic Dr Scully is telling me that the evidence is less than compelling. So, I will wait a bit before I jump up and down. I will wait to see what you Penguins do against New Jersey on Tuesday. (By the way Penguins, it is my birthday that day, a win would be a great present, hint, hint), Thursday against Tampa Bay, Saturday against Ottawa, and the Following Monday against Buffalo.
Odds and Sods
Wilkes Barre – Scranton defeated the Hartford Wolf Pack last night, 4 – 1. Thomas DiPauli was the big gun. He had a goal, 2 assists and 12 penalty minutes to lead the way. Anthony Angello had an assist, his third to give him 7 points in his 11 games played. He was +2 for the game raising his season total to +5. Teddy Blueger had 1 goal and 1 assist in the game and was a +3, giving him 5 goals and 3 assists on the season, in 13 games.
9 straight games where the Penguins haven’t scored a goal without one of 71 or 87 on ice and 5 games where the Pens haven’t scored without 87 on the ice.
Also Guentzel and Kessel have factor in a lot of goals on the ice and have goals of their own.
Malkin and Crosby can’t do it by themselves . With only Kessel AAnd Guentzel.
Guentzel has been playing great.
Malkin 16 games 7g 14a 21 Pt
Crosby 16 games 8g 11a 19pt
Kessel 16 games 8g 11a 19pt
Guentzel 16 games 6g 6a 12pt
Some points out the playoffs.
So you tell me.
Pens need shake up and playing to help them win games. They need a better supporting cast to get the job done without constant line shuffling, double -shifting and passengers.
Whether I understand it or not. If Rutherford doesn’t want to put this team in place like he did with Carolina Tenure. Then he needs to get it together and do what’s best for business and not for players loyalty.
Everyone should be on the trade list. Except Crosby, Malkin, Kessel , Dumoulin, Guentzel And Shultz. I would like to see some other players stay. I won’t say .
Penguins and Rutherford should trade Letang to get a decent return and make this team better. Of course some other players should be traded too. With or without Shultz in the lineup. The time is now. Weight your options . Take the blinders off. Get something while he health right now.
Shop him and get some offers. Letang has nothing to offer the Penguins anymore. Penguins don’t need another foward on the ice and bad over passing quarterback. A player lost on defensive fundamentals and shot the puck in shin pads where pens desperately tryna get a goal to tied. Instead Devils get EN goal. Gives up defensively and HE Plays A FOWARD ON THE ICE. Letang should have traded during the summer and use 10 million better after Sabres gave them cap space .
Penguins will not win games nor stanley cup playing this way. I don’t see it with Letang on this team with.
Hello TOR & Rick Buker,
Penguins got a lot of issues. Pens are sinking emright now. Sleep walking.
They are weak and very fragile . Penguins are very stale and out of sync.
Sheahan has no business with Kessel and Guentzel. Kessel and Guentzel should not be playing on the third line. Simon and Rust have no business being with Crosby. They both should playing on the third line. Crosby is carrying his line. Guentzel carrying the third liine. Malkin carrying his line. To much heavy-lifting and passengers.
-Lines combos are ridiculous,
– bad tactics and strategies
-bad coaching
-lackluster play and no urgency
-bad defensively
– secondary scoring.
-Johnson and Letang should not be playing together. Let alone Johnson on the top pairing.
– DefEnse pairing are bad
– no grit, puck battles, heavy forecheck, no good transition game, no simplicity in their game.
-coach have no idea what to do and no great in game adjustments
-disengaged and disinterested.
-Malkin need better linemates that are creative and can finish . So I get why he is disengage. He needs L W and Kessel there. Whether people like it or not Kessel and Malkin need each other.
-Crosby needs Guentzel on his line. They both need each other. Whether people like it not. Mike Sullivan is to blame here. They need a better right winger there.
There’s no way Sullivan thinks his team can win like this.
Like I said .. When Crosby get hound and swarming with players trying keeping him out offensive zone . Simon And Rust won’t do anything to help. They won’t finish nor open up space for him when he get the opportunity to fly the zone on the rush or when he’s winning battle down low. It’s baffling to me against Guentzel and Kessel talent are being wasted on the 3rd line with a center who isn’t effective enough for them.
Letang won’t win you a game or giving you best chance to chance on the ice. He’s to busy worrying about jumping in to play to get a goal and not playing the pens need to win games . His bad in his zone. Bad defensively. Do to much . Do not leave the way on the ice.
I don’t know. Whether Penguins will win this game. But they need a massive shape up and some firing within the coaching staff. It’s crazy. He always line shuffling in game all time But when needs to do Line shuffling or go heavy load with starts to win . He doesn’t do it.
There’s no way your star Phil Kessel is fighting. If so . It won’t end well.
Penguins are the same team from last season. To many similar issues from last season. 🤦🏽♂️🙆🏽♂️ They are 1-2 Devils with one period left. Penguins are already some points out the playoffs.
Pens needs trades and new systemic changes.
Sorry for typos . iPhone changes it . Back and Forth.
Hello Good Morning,
Everyone else is happy over this win. There’s nothing to be happy about and rave on this team. Yotes were the better team for -about 50 minutes. They had grade A chances and nice 4-5 powerplay where they did not capitalize at all. 4 pens players were very, very good. ( Jake, Sid, Phil , DeSmith,Dumoulin) 2 pens players were on the top their game and very dominant to get a win. (Sid and DeSmith) To many passengers and no secondary scoring and still lingering issues. It will happen against the Devils. Expose them more. Sorry.
Yotes didn’t have an answer for Sidney Crosby and they didn’t capitalize on their chances. Pens first period was poor .
DeSmith ? Very, very solid goaltending. I always thought he was very good and solid when he get a chance.
Line Shuffing is annoying the hell out me. Mike Sullivan do not know what he’s doing. I can’t wait for trades to come.
Malkin? Something is bothering him and he’s clearly frustrated on the ice and I bet it’s Mike Sullivan and other things.
Simon? He did good. He still have problems. He looks good because he plays with Sidney Crosby and Sidney Crosby dominance. He should be on the top line. Rutherford stated that he should be move into the bottom 6 more where he belongs. Simon is Sheary 2.0 with Mike Sullivan. Point Blank Period. I hate Simon there. He isn’t short term nor long term answers for Sidney Crosby.
Simon and Rust look good? Not that much . Sidney Crosby carried them. He made everything happen on the ice. They caught fire with Sidney. One unbelievable sequence because Sidney started to and he outmanned the Yotes. Simon got a easily goal. Resemblance of Sheary easily goals.
You see the difference between Simon and Rust and Guentzel and Kessel. Guentzel And Kessel had better hop and jump with Sid. Sustained pressure.
Kessel And Guentzel? It evident. They are not bottom 6 players and should be on the 3rd line. Simply not with Sheahan. You see the chemistry and smooth transition among them with Sid. You see why Guentzel belongs with Sidney Crosby. Guentzel And Kessel not playing in the top 6 doesn’t make sense and to keep rotating Crosby doesn’t make Sense.
I like Simon & Rust( as bottom liners) but it’s funny that at this point in his career, Sidney Crosby is STILL playing with guys who are only Top-6 forwards because they’re playing with him.
They are not the answer there. They will not help him when he’s getting hounded and double teamed to stop him.
I don’t know . We can agree on this or Agreed to disagree. When Guentzel is scoring he’s doing a lot of noticeable solid things and he battles on the ice . He plays great on both side of the puck. Yes. I’m frustrated that he playing on the 3rd line. Some fans tend to say he nothing . He belongs playing for 1W spot.
Sheahan? He’s brutal. There’s nothing there with Guentzel and Kessel. It was like that last season. Guentzel and Kessel are tryna carry him to keep puck territory and get some goals for this line. Sheahan is still doing Detroit Red wing game. He better playing 4C or help doing a trade.
Pens need a reliable 3C that wants to play 3C while chipping in offensively and defensively. I would like to see Teddy Blueger get a chance to keep 4C position.
Cullen ? He really tryna to make things offensively and fourth line needs better wings. Wilson and ZAr are doing ok. It isn’t enough. I prefer Johnson and Angello
I’m happy they won this game. It’s a lot of odd and passengers. Stars can win games on their own. Trades needs to happens and players needs to play where they belong. Rutherford stated that. Simon and Rust.
Devils , TB , Buffalo and Ottawa are the true big test for them. I would say Devils , TB and Buffalo.
Hey Dee,
I am not disagreeing with you. There was no secondary scoring. Outside of playing on Crosby’s line, Rust did nothing, Simon did nothing, no one did anything. Malkin, was trying but getting no help and may have been frustrated with rotating wings pretty much every shift.
The only thing that was better, from a team perspective, was a reduction high percentage scoring chances. Total shots were still very high, and a couple of individuals pulled up there boot straps and played out of their mind.
And I agree, I can’t wait for some trades.
Hey ToR,
Thank you.
It’s amazing that some fans are doting on this win. (Simon and Rust)
I can’t wait to see them going against another team this week. Very interesting.
Malkin and Crosby don’t like the constant line shuffling. It wears you out and mentally shut you down to be who want on the ice. It make
Unfortunately, Sullivan doesn’t know what to do. I don’t like the double-shifting.
Yes. I do like them work hard to cautiously to reduce high percentage chances.
Line Shuffling is troublesome. It’s desperation.
Would you trade Sheahan? He has been brutal. What if Brassard comes back and still doesn’t help 3C position? What you do with him? Do you think two Top -6 fowards are being wasted there? On the third line right now.
Bottom- 6 fowards are getting it easy on Crosby’s line? Lines example with Brassard return?
Hey Dee,
I would like to see Sheahan turn his game around. He showed some real flashes right before the Brassard trade but has reverted to the Sheahan that came to Pgh, the Sheahan that couldn’t score. He is looking more and more like a 4th line C again, a 4th line C on a non playoff team. Unless he turns it around, yes, I trade him.
Brassard? If he doesn’t come back and start playing the way he was playing in that 9 – 1 dismantling of Calgary then I trade him too. I wasn’t a fan of the trade to begin with. I wanted Pageau. However, from what I have so far of Brassard, I am not sure if he is the problem (at 3rd C) or is it a question of a lack of quality Wings on this team. Or at least a lack of Sullivan to try something new, instead of rolling out the same ineffective Wings.
Rarely do I agree with Mark Madden, but he voiced some of the same things I have been ranting about in a column this past weekend. The only forward that Sullivan refuses to give a top 9 shot is Sprong. Madden even mention my tired refrain of, “Sullivan, if you won’t hold all the forwards acountable defensively, you don’t have a right to try and hold Sprong accountable.”
At this point I think it useless and Sprong may need a change of scenery.
Right now, the only true top 6 Forwards the Pens have are Crosby, Malkin, Kessel, and Guentzel, period. I like Hornqvist but he really isn’t a top 6. Just because the Pens are paying him like one doesn’t make it so. Like Sprong, I don’t dislike him. If the Pens could find a RW for Crosby and a LW for Malkin, then maybe I would play Sprong and Simon with Brassard and see what happens.
Problem is how do the Pens get top 6 forwards? You have to give to get. A Johnson may help a little?
In the end, next season, I really would like to see Bellerive, Blueger, and Pavlychev all get a legit shot at the 3rd and 4th C positions so Brassard, Cullen, and Sheahan are all expendable for me. I doubt all three (Bellerive, Blueger, and Pavlychev) really could just turn it on and earn NHL positions, but watching in frustration the current state of the Pens bottom 6, I can dream can’t I.
Hey TOR,
Spot on. I love it.
Brassard seem to be good because he played with Sid and Guentzel that night. So jury is still out on him . Maybe it’s the ineffective wingers or him. He did have Kessel. It didn’t work well. Brassard has done anything. He was more minutes and he don’t understand the 3C situation.
Sprong? I read that article two to three time some days ago I have seen comments on Sprong and something from source. Like I said .. Sprong May have his issues and needs to improve more. Let’s face it . Mike Sullivan did put him a situation to fail and put him bad spot this season. Yes. Sprong could’ve given him a more chance within his limited ice time. I wasn’t impressed and I probably was to harsh on him at one point. I look back and kind put myself in shoes to see his world. C’mon . Sprong kind needs a elite center to help show what he offer to this team.
I’m very displeased with Mike Sullivan. ( for a very longtime) I wonder if Sprong May have gotten some more ice time with Malkin would he had come around to have some consistency on the ice. He seem to make some steps after that shift with Malkin. I don’t know. There’s no way you put struggling Rust who has been utterly ugly this season with Crosby.
Rust has struggled mightily this season yet hes gotten multiple attempts with Sid. So the earning the spot stuff for Sprong is utter BS at this point.
Simon as well. Simon was playing poor in games. Do to much etc..They didn’t earned their ice time there . It was given to them. Players like Sprong need a strong leash . He didn’t get it and Sully was impatient with him. It’s Bs to me.
It isn’t about the talent or Players shot. It about being fair with players and playing within their strengths. Fair chances and accountability.
Source? Organization have been considering to trade Sprong for a very longtime. Every since his first time around with Mike Sullivan. They had meeting to give him a chance under a agreement together to give him a chance ( well notion)to prove them wrong. Rutherford is the only one that seem high on given him a chance and not trading him. His hands are tied with so he gotta trade him.
Sullivan? He has been averaging at best for the past two seasons. He average beforecthey won their second stanley cup. He was very, very good during 2015-2016 season after Johnson firing. That’s all.
Sullivan isn’t held to no solid criticism because he help won b2b Stanley cups and change the culture before first Stanley cup. Other than he hasn’t done anything. He walked into elite centers that were looking for a changing and wanted to win. They did it for him.
He hasn’t adapt to coach players the right way and adapt to the league. Hes coaching his system. He has been bad for the past two seasons. No changes to adapt to key opponents etc.. players are not to blame.
It’s the coach and brutal decisions every game. He got fired for a reason. Boston and New York.
Rutherford is holding on to him. For loyalty and sentiment? Winning two cups? What has he done lately? Nothing at all.
They are not on the same page. Players are tuning him out.
Whether it’s variables or proof in the pudding. There’s disconnect between them. It’s there. Disconnect with players as well.
Sullivan’s only likes his guys. Murray, ZAR, Rust and Simon are the ones left.
I don’t care how you like a player or know a player you give them fair amount of leash around every single player. A GM isn’t gonna bring in a guy that you like. He gonna bring in a guys to help the team. It’s your job to play players with their strengths and abilities to help you win. He hasn’t done that. I imagine this team not having stars and he would be fired by now. He leans on and use Pens stars to much. His strategy and tactic is weak.
If Rutherford bring in new players and he does the same . Then he needs to be fired . Pens players needs a new coach. Coach Q would be a great coach.
Sprong’s situation is BS. During the 5-game losing streak , Sprong could have easily got maybe a shot with Crosby and Geno to see what he has to off to help them. Sullivan if didn’t offer nothing. Then you cut him and trade him. Sullivan didn’t. Sullivan already had his mind made up.
I still believe Simon-Brassard-Sprong could’ve been a be great Line.
Either way Sprong is gonna get trade and hopefully Sid-Jake get a RW . Bottom lines needs fixing and right players needs to be together for more than 10-20 games.
Hey Dee,
Yes the bottom 6 need fixed too, but it doesn’t really do any good to fix the roof, if the foundation is shaky. In this case the foundation is the top 6. Supporting actors don’t bring in academy awards or $$ for movies. Without stars role players have no roles to play. So I am not really worrying about them. After the Pens get a couple of true top 6 wingers to drive their top 2 lines, then they can worry about filling in the extra pieces.
Dee & Other Rick
Today Tom Wilson’s suspension was reduced to 14 games and he’s eligible
to play tonight in Minnesota. It will be interesting to see if his impact improves
the Caps record over the next 10 or 15 games.
Second – I think its funny how everyone is talking about Simon – he has (4) goals
playing alongside the best player in the world. For the sake of beating a dead
horse – Reaves has (4) goals and Sheary (5).
Third – Why is everyone killing Rust?? He has (1) goal in 15 games – two more goals and he would tie his best season of 15 in 2016-17.
Fourth – I love Malkin “who doesn’t” but he’s always had the Pen’s top winger or
wingers playing alongside of him. Crosby gets the leftovers and he still finds away
to consistently be around the 90pt mark. One factor is the difference in work ethic / Crosby is a freak.
Look forward to your feedback. Hope everyone is well.
Hey Mike,
Funny isn’t it, Wilson’s suspension is commuted on the heels of the NHL Concussion settlement. I guess they figure that now with that behind them, they can go back to the same old same old, ignoring of thugee play. I think I might have to have Cops waiting at every game for the next time the criminal commits assault and then ask for a racketeering investigation against the leagues player safety committee.
As for Simon, I don’t dislike Simon, but I am not ready to erect a statue to him either. Given the lack of NHL calibre LWs on the Pens roster he has little competition when it comes to scoring. He may be the smartest idiot in the room, nothing more. When everyone else is downright abysmal, Simon’s 4 goals looks huge in comparison. Compared to the rest of the league….Eh.
I have always loved Rust’s speed and grit. He is a deceptive tough. He doesn’t drop people like Reaves, but neither does he get knocked off of his game when he is hit. Unfortunately, complacency may be knocking him off of his game. At the beginning of the season, when others suggested Rust was expendable, I hedged; now, not so much.
Malkin – Crosby? Well, Malkin tends to get the better Wingers, true, but there are many who suggest that this is because Crosby still chooses who his Wingers are. When they are less than top 6 or worse not even top 9, the ubiquitous they say it is because Crosby won’t work with the only 2 Wingers that are top 6/9.
Unless the Penguins make a trade, or a miracle happens, I am starting to fear that they will only be able to scrape together 1 NHL top six line, maybe 1 AHL top 6 line and a couple bottom 6 NHL/AHL lines. At this point, with Sullivan’s obstinate refusal to give Sprong even a sniff of a real shot, Reaves could be competing for a top 6 spot on this roster.
I really hope I am just over-reacting, but I fear not.
Hello Mike,
I repeat , repeat, I don’t have hate against Dominik Simon at all. He isn’t top line winger for long term or short term for Crosby’s line. It diminishes where Guentzel belongs g and have earned a spot there. It reminds of Sheary’s situation. Sullivan tried his hardest to keep Guentzel away and demoted for no reason. Guentzel is being wasted on the third line. Sorry. I am Guentzel fan . I love the hard work and all the things he does with or without points. He takes a better and go to those hard right areas. You can’t expect Guentzel to get points if he with a center that don’t chip nothing offensively to wingers and Guentzel carrying all the work to establish something for the 3rd line. Sheahan use his wingers to much and not offensively ready to effectively help his wingers.
Simon is good complementary wing to have on the 3rd line or to throw into a trade. Every Ahl player or 3rd line play should not be playing on Crosby’s line . Simon wasn’t doing nothing really until he got with Sid that elevates game . I like that he try to win battles .hes a marginal player that doesn’t finish and not a goal scorer for Crosby. He’s does to much. To cute with puck . East / west game that doesn’t fit and Crosby does to much work .
Crosby can get hounded and tied up all night. They won’t be able to help him.
I’m amazed at how Crosby gel well with being double – shifting with Kessel and Guentzel that quick than his own linemates. Crosby doesn’t sustain offensive pressure with Simon and Rust.
Simon and Rust do not make Sidney Crosby better.
I like Rust. I just don’t like him with Crosby at all. He gets to cute with puck. Weak on the puck. Weak on puck battles and against the boards. Does to much. Very streaky and not a finisher etc.. He hasn’t never mesh with Crosby’s line.
I like him better when he playing on the third line or occasionally with Malkin.
I don’t see no point in playing Simon and Rust with Crosby. To keep double – shifting him. Playing Rust and Simon 10-12 mins a game on a top line . They are not good going against top lines around the league and help make open space for Crosby. He has been doing all that and spending to much times still in his own zone defensively.
I don’t like to see top -6 fowards taking the heat to be playing on third line . Wasting forwards. Then bottom – 6 fowards getting easily opportunity to be some top -6 fowards with Crosby making it easy for them . There’s nothing to rav about Simon and Rust. They have done nothing.
I respect Simon and Rust game to extent on this team. Rust and Simon belong to the bottom- 6 to help this team. GM already said that he wanted them there and the coach is doing something else. Rust and Simon didn’t earn that ice time to be with Crosby.Crosby deserves better than them, imo. He shouldn’t be make his space for himself and stuff on the offensive zone . Players not finish is unbelievable passes. In this point in his career he should not be playing with bottom -6 fowards.
Simon seem to have urgency in playing them there and it a recurring them there .
I hate see Rust go . I wouldn’t mind trading Rust and Simon in a trade. If Penguins needs too.
I love Malkin. I really do. He’s second best player to me behind Crosby in Sometimes I hate when Malkin playing disengaged and disinterested in games . (He gets impatient and try hard to put everything on his shoulder that frustrated him)He has very, very good wingers that open up very good space for him and to be player on his line to get points. He get easily matchups. He try to make up for it . Late in games to win. He needs to take it more in stride. He gets it easily every game. Most team give him more space than Crosby to get easily goals.
Crosby’s get short end of stock to much.
I hope to see Guentzel back with Sid . Hopefully new RW for them.
Also Rust has begin to be complacency and settle down. Not playing his game. I think the term was to much for him. I won’t have mind using 10 million someone else to strengths this team.
Tom Wilson- Garbage player. I had a feeling it would get reduced and he will play sooner or later. He will get suspended again.
Arbitrator needs to be fired.
It needs to be more competition in LW spot. Jake Guentzel is excluded.
Rutherford want Rust and Simon in the Bottom-6 . I don’t think Crosby chooses his wingers at all. He suggests it and Sullivan give the finally word to the line combos. Simon is on Crosby’s line because Sullivan want him there. Sheary 2.0 situation. Not a fan.
I would like to see some trades and players play where the belong .
Hey tOR,
Sometimes you just need to take wins any way you can get them. Teams go on rolls teams get in funks, even the best teams. The amount of posts the team has hit just tells me that maybe they are “gripping their sticks” too tight.
The key takeaway is the solid performances that Casey Desmith has put the last couple games he has played. He is now perched up at the top of the save % list with only Pekka Rhine ahead of him. Two shutouts in 9 games has him leading the league in shutouts also.
I do agree with you that the Penguins, especially the wingers, are playing better defense and really cut down on the quality chances the other teams are getting.
You may have placed Sullivan between a rock and a hard place. If he doesn’t make changes then Bylsma is used as a derogatory word to describe him, if he does make changes then that’s not what helped the team win. It could also be described as a no win situation.
I agree 100% Phil,
You take every win you get and teams do go on rolls and slumps. My worry is that pretty much all of their best games have been against Western Division teams. I want to see them beat Eastern Conference teams and beat them convincingly. We are 15 games into the season now.
The secondary scoring may be as you suggest, just a case of gripping sticks too tightly. In fact, that is no doubt exactly what is happening in many cases. The question is how to get the team to lighten up. Often times it really doesn’t happen until someone gets traded and new blood brings new attitude.
As for DeSmith, I have been behind all of the Pens goalies, from Matt Murray to Tristan Jarry. I am not surprised by his recent success and am a firm believer in play the hot hand. So I go right back with him. The Penguins bloated team GAA is not a question of bad goaltending. There have been soft goals given up by all 3 goalies. However, those soft goals didn’t start coming until after the Defense went AWOL.
I may have placed Sullivan between a rock and a hard place, sort of like he has done to Sprong, so if I did, I have no apology for him. However, at least at this point, his changes aren’t really what helped the team win. There still is no secondary scoring. All that has happened is team D improved a little. And all of this may be more related to JRs rant, calling out the team for their poor play and suggesting that it may be time to trade away some dead wood.
So far, JR really hasn’t gone public like this until something is in the works. I am not going to be surprise if a trade still comes down. Although I am pulling for Sprong to get out from under the hypocritical coaching he has gotten, I am also hoping it doesn’t stop with him. I still feel it is time for others to go.
As we both have said, take the wins when you can get them, but beating Arizona hardly qualifies as anything great, particularly when the only teams you are beating are from the same conference, a conference that you only play a couple of games against.
I really hope I am wrong and you can tell me you told me so, but to quote Laertes;
“I am satisfied in nature,
Whose motive in this case should stir me most
To my revenge. But in my terms of honor
I stand aloof, and will no reconcilement”