ESPN Pens Article

[MarioLives]

For the leader is sports, they sure don't get hockey. Even us fans know that the Pens are not the team to beat this year. They have gotten worse on paper than the team that went out last year. Do we hope the blue line will somehow play better? Of course, but they are not the team to beat just yet. IMO

"On paper, Pittsburgh is the team to beat in hockey's toughest division"

http://espn.go.com/nhl/preview2012/team/_/name/pit

[meow]

On paper, I don't see how anyone can say the Pens are better than the Rangers.

[Idoit40fans]

Hockey people will call the Pens the team to beat too. Its a safe pick, they have Crosby and Malkin.

[beLIEve]

When you do 1 for 1 comparisons, the pens win out in almost every star area on paper.

Star forwards:
Crosby + Malkin > Nash + Gaborik + Richards

Star Defense:
Letang > Del Zotto

Goalies:
Yes, Lundqvist > Fluery
But as a tandem? Ludqvist + Biron is at least equal to Fleury + Vokoun.

[thehockeyguru]

When you do 1 for 1 comparisons, the pens win out in almost every star area on paper.

Star forwards:
Crosby + Malkin > Nash + Gaborik + Richards

Star Defense:
Letang > Del Zotto

Goalies:
Yes, Lundqvist > Fluery
But as a tandem? Ludqvist + Biron is at least equal to Fleury + Vokoun.

As a tandem? You cant play two goailies and there is NO WAY that Biron plays a playoff game so advantage Rangers.

[newarenanow]

Vegas also likes the Pens odds.

[no name]

Maybe we are over critical of the pens, but our blueline looks awful this year. Ok we got some young talent but until they are NHL ready we just don't stack up even vs the Flyers.

look at our cup year defence

Gonch-Orpik
Letang-Eaton
Scuds-Gill
Gogo

vs

Letang-Orpik
Martin- ????
Engelland-Lovejoy
Sneep\Brotuzzo\ and that other dude.

not overly impressive.

[shmenguin]

bounced in round 1. no issues addressed in the offseason. roster gets conclusively worse. darlings of the league.

does not compute

[Digitalgypsy66]

Katie Strang is a good writer, and covered the Islanders for Newsday before covering all of the NYC area teams for ESPN.

But I'm not feelin' it this season either. I think the Rangers have the players, coaching, and experience to make a run this year.

[beLIEve]

When you do 1 for 1 comparisons, the pens win out in almost every star area on paper.

Star forwards:
Crosby + Malkin > Nash + Gaborik + Richards

Star Defense:
Letang > Del Zotto

Goalies:
Yes, Lundqvist > Fluery
But as a tandem? Ludqvist + Biron is at least equal to Fleury + Vokoun.

As a tandem? You cant play two goailies and there is NO WAY that Biron plays a playoff game so advantage Rangers.

I was referring to coming out on top in the division race when saying they have the best tandum. Goalie advantage obviously goes to the Rangers in a playoff scenario. But again, thats the only area the Rangers win out in. Could goaltending only be enough? Sure it could. But we aren't talking about what-ifs in this thread. We're talking about "on paper".

[Rylan]

Damn the pens are not as bad as their playoffs were and they aren't as good as their win streak but they are definitely closer to the team that won x amount of games in a row than the joke of a playoffs they had.

[shafnutz05]

My expectations for this season are pretty average. Maybe a first-round series win, but that's about it.

[MilPenFan]

I hope they can beat the Flyers because that is likely who they will play in round 1 of the playoffs. They looked so owned by Philly last spring it was ridiculous.

1. Rangers
2. Div. Winner
3. Div. Winner
4. Pens/Flyers
5. Pens/Flyers

[Kovy27]

Maybe we are over critical of the pens, but our blueline looks awful this year. Ok we got some young talent but until they are NHL ready we just don't stack up even vs the Flyers.

look at our cup year defence

Gonch-Orpik
Letang-Eaton
Scuds-Gill
Gogo

vs

Letang-Orpik
Martin- ????
Engelland-Lovejoy
Sneep\Brotuzzo\ and that other dude.

not overly impressive.

Niskanen?

[largegarlic]

I honestly think this will be a sort of transition/re-tooling year too, but I don't think it's crazy for people to see the Pens as serious Cup contenders. The Rangers probably got better, but what other top teams in the East improved?

[Steve Dave]

Where is Boucher?

Maybe we are over critical of the pens, but our blueline looks awful this year. Ok we got some young talent but until they are NHL ready we just don't stack up even vs the Flyers.

look at our cup year defence

Gonch-Orpik
Letang-Eaton
Scuds-Gill
Gogo

vs

Letang-Orpik
Martin- ????
Engelland-Lovejoy
Sneep\Brotuzzo\ and that other dude.

not overly impressive.

Niskanen?

[Idoit40fans]

^ I don't get it.

[no name]

^ I don't get it.

Me either and i wrote it...

If you look at the cup year team our D was much stronger, than this year so i don't see us being good.

[MRandall25]

Phillipe Boucher was on the Cup team.

[thepittman]

I'm ready to go all the way bros

[pekkasteele]

When you do 1 for 1 comparisons, the pens win out in almost every star area on paper.

Star forwards:
Crosby + Malkin > Nash + Gaborik + Richards

Star Defense:
Letang > Del Zotto

Goalies:
Yes, Lundqvist > Fluery
But as a tandem? Ludqvist + Biron is at least equal to Fleury + Vokoun.

How about:
Pens 3rd+4th line =?= Rags 3rd+4th line

and
Pens 3rd D-pair =?= Rags 3rd D-Pair?

I donät know how the Rangers look this year so I can't tell, but that is important to.

[Lt. Dish]

I'm ready to go all the way bros

Me too--and I think a ticked off and embarrassed two-headed monster is driving the bus.

[scals37]

The Pens flat out did not come to play last year.. simply put, they're a contender every year with the best two players in the league healthy, on top of 10 million in cap room to work with this year..

Everyone really thinks the Rags infinitely improved their team with the Nash trade?

[SDPen77]

Hey as a Pens fan I like thier chances too. With Crosby and Malkin alone I can see why most consider them a true threat.

[PhantomJB93]

Regardless of what happened last season, when you have two potential 50 goal scorers, a 40 goal scorer, numerous 20 goal scorers, and one of the top Dmen and goalies in the league, you are going to be favored in almost every matchup.