Fire DB

[pcm]

Like with Therrien, the Pens would have to be out of the playoff picture with no signs of improvement in January for DB to get axed. Because the metro is so weak, there's almost zero chance of that happening. I could see the Caps and even the Rags passing the Pens if they slumped. But not the Canes also.

Of course, this will just hide the fact that the Pens are an average team, and would be outside looking in right now if they played in the west.

[Beveridge]

EVERY single team in the east would be on the outside looking in if they were in the West right now. By that logic, all eastern conference teams are average (which I wouldn't argue against).

[count2infinity]

I don't understand the comparison to the west... Numbers will likely even out by the end of the season.

[RxBandit66]

I don't understand the comparison to the west... Numbers will likely even out by the end of the season.

Most likely they will. A few teams will break away from the pack but the rest will be fighting for a handful of playoff spots.

The Pens could use a little more speed and grit up front, but they need to evaluate what they already have before they make too many changes. Kobasew brings a little of both into the mix, and he'll be back soon. Gibbons has speed but not size/grit. On faceoffs the team does fine. It's just a few minor tweaks, and the team staying healthy of course, that will determine how far they go.

[Hugo Stiglitz]

Again, the issue here is accountability...

Of course we don't open our mouths when we win and jump to criticizing DB when we lose...there is good reason. The reasons we lose are always the same.

How often to the Penguins get outplayed at their full effort and play responsible hockey? Rarely.

How often do they phone it in? Frequently.

How often to the play irresponsible and careless hockey? Frequently.

When they don't do those two things they're great. All those issues were present last night. Any of those players who decided to phone it in should get benched during a game. Any of those players who continue to make errant passes should be benched for the rest of the period.

[Steve Dave]

DB's tactics aside, with the recent injuries to Bennett and Glass, I would like to see DB roll these lines...

Kunitz Crosby Megna
Dupuis Malkin Neal
Jokinen Sutter Kobasew
Sill Vitale Adams

[bhaw]

They need to figure out what the 3rd line's role is ASAP. Are they shut down? Are they a 3rd scoring line? Are they supposed to provide energy? Checking? What?

Jokinen - Sutter - Kobasew seems like a solid line, but they are kind of a mish-mash of all those things. I'd like to see some more noticeable direction for that line. Sutter seems best suited for a shutdown role, but those are just my observations. And since I would have fired DB instead of naming him the coach for team USA, those opinions are probably invalid.

[Idoit40fans]

The direction is North.

[shmenguin]

The 3rd line has a role. It's to only worry about defense. Same as last year. And we saw how that turned out...

[mikey287]

The 3rd line has a role. It's to only worry about defense. Same as last year. And we saw how that turned out...

Very well. Sutter and Cooke did a very good job with tough minutes.

[shmenguin]

And we did a good job of scoring 2 goals in a 4 game sweep

[MRandall25]

And we did a good job of scoring 2 goals in a 4 game sweep

And the 3rd line had 1/2 of those

[shmenguin]

And they got a sweet participation trophy at the pizza party after the game.

We don't win the cup with a 3rd line that plays in one zone. We wouldn't have won in 09 with this tactic, either. Just like in 09, Boston wasnt pressing. Priority one was to hold back, clog up the ice against the talent and wait for your chance and hope you execute when it comes. A shut down line that plays in one dimension, combined with a nothing 4th line, isn't going to help in that series. Maybe we get lucky and a deep team eliminates all the well coached, disciplined teams before we have to face them. Not a good gamble though.

[Idoit40fans]

How did they do the 3 previous years before the cancer known as sutter came in?

[shmenguin]

Staal got hurt against MTL so who knows

You want to try and apply anything to that Tampa series?

And against Philly? They scored a lot. So there's that at least. Don't know how the secondary guys were suppose to overcome the complete breakdown of all the people allegedly leading the team on and off the ice.

[mikey287]

And we did a good job of scoring 2 goals in a 4 game sweep

I get what you're trying to say, but we don't have that same personnel. We had a second line center playing third line center, we don't have that luxury anymore.

I mean, you cite scoring two goals in four games, shouldn't that fall more on the guys playing 16 or 18 ES minutes per night + 5 more on the power play. Instead of the guys playing 13 or 14 ES minutes and 0 power play? Just doesn't make sense...

I mean, the third line was a net positive in those playoffs...right or wrong?

Hint:

Spoiler:

right.

[SolidSnake]

If I never watched a hockey game in my life I'd be convinced that Jordan Staal was the greatest player that ever lived

[shmenguin]

And we did a good job of scoring 2 goals in a 4 game sweep

I get what you're trying to say, but we don't have that same personnel. We had a second line center playing third line center, we don't have that luxury anymore.

I mean, you cite scoring two goals in four games, shouldn't that fall more on the guys playing 16 or 18 ES minutes per night + 5 more on the power play. Instead of the guys playing 13 or 14 ES minutes and 0 power play? Just doesn't make sense...

I mean, the third line was a net positive in those playoffs...right or wrong?

Hint:

Spoiler:

right.

...and dustin penner has the league lead in +/- right now, so there's that.

but anyways...there's more than just scoring involved in this equation. hanging back and giving your team extra defenders is nice. but you're losing the possession battle and you're doing squat to wear a team down physically. the 3rd line isn't hard to play against. it's hard to score against, i suppose, but that's a different thing. staal was a luxury, yes. but we're entitled to a bottom 6 that is better than what he have - and had last year. and if the answer is, "tough s***" - we have money problems", well that's a little more concerning than it's being portrayed as in penguin land, no?

[meow]

Entitled?

[sil]

Sid, Geno, Neal, and Iginla got shut out against Boston in 4 games!!??!??

Clearly the culprit is Brandon Sutter! Damn him!

I reminded of that old lady from Ace Ventura. "It's all that Dan Marino's fault...everybody knows that!"

[shmenguin]

"Fault"? Eh. Sutter did what he was asked, so I'm not really assigning blame to the players themselves. Much like it's not Adams' fault that he doesn't do anything at ES. He does what's expected. Can't blame the players for the makeup of the roster or the tactics they're assigned.

[sil]

Well the old lady said "fault", not me. ;^)

Spoiler:

"Would you like a cookie son"?

[Hugo Stiglitz]

Sutter is not the problem and I know most of those comments are in jest. However, I think the Sutter experiment needs to be re-examined after this season.

I just hope Shero isn't stubborn and has to hold on to Sutter to not make the Staal deal look bad.

[Gaucho]

Huh?

[columbia]

What's wrong with Sutter that would necessitate a change (and one that fits under the cap)?