Game 18 vs Flyers - Thougths from the Morning After

[pcm]

Did Megna do somthing wrong?

Nobody goes to the net and sets up camp, takes the abuse, and sticks their ass in the goalies face (Morrow, as slow as he was, was good at this). They either stand to the side and waive their stick at the shot... or they don't go there at all.

[cheesesteakwithegg]

Someone needs to tell the Pens that you can't win games by playing on the perimeter for 60 minutes.

Oh, and 8 more years of Kris Letang. Awesome.

[Wyopen]

Someone needs to tell the Pens that you can't win games by playing on the perimeter for 60 minutes.

Oh, and 8 more years of Kris Letang. Awesome.

I hope Maatta isn't paired too long with Letang, he might adopt some Letang's habits.

[darkstar57]

the overreactions on this board following losses are hysterical. Its like we just got swept out of the playoffs by the bruins again.

Take a deep breath and relax, we started out hot and looked really good but have cooled off that happens over the the ebbs and flows of the season, for all the criticism malkins seams to be getting i think he has actually been playing great, he made about 4-5 passes (including the one on the crosby goal) that made me go wow, Sid needs a new move on breakaways, goalies know he is looking five whole, both breakaway attempts he tried to go 5 hole, not that hard to save.

Until we get scuds and martin back in the lineup (and even kobasew to a degree) and they get games under there belt we are really not going to know about this team.

[The U]

1. Every NHL goalie looks great with no traffic in front. These "hot goalies" we keep running into are our own doing.

2. The third line has been a jumble of players but no matter who the three skaters are, they have no life or energy. They're just three guys. They look like three guys you pick to play together during an exhibition/preseason game. What is that line's role? Hitting, scoring, defense? Right now they have no identity. The other 3 lines at least have an identity.

3. Brandon Sutter continues to just be "a guy" IMO. He makes some smart plays and flashes some nice defense but he is not the defensive guru or shut-down guy that many pretend he is. Does he get the opponent's number 1 Center off his game with his gritty, feisty, tenacious defense? Does he go to the front of the net and offer a big body presence in the paint on offense? I don't want the guy traded away or benched but I just think he's a bit underwhelming.

4. What did Megna do to get scratched and then sent to WBS? Too fast? Too many goals? To much skill? D'Agostini has done nothing to push Megna to the box.

5. Rip the jersey numbers and names off the players backs and watch them play and a stranger would have a hard time picking out which defenseman is the "elite" $7 million dollar player. I like Letang but he needs to be playing at an All-Star level on most nights. Not happening right now. Whether you love him or hate him, he'll either play great and be a mainstay on this roster for a long time, or he'll be traded away at some point and bring back a King's Ransom. Either way, we benefit.

6. James Neal typically has a power forward/physical presence to his game. He has none of that right now due to his injury I'm assuming.

7. This team is obsessed with streaking into the opponents zone and then pulling up and waiting for a trailer. Maybe two or three times per game somebody will lower their shoulder and make a power move to the net. This is another example of everything being based on finesse and tic-tac-toe hockey. Everything has to go exactly as planned to score when you are a finesse team. You will rarely get garbage goals, lucky bounces, etc. Everyone offensive possession is one-and-done, no cycling, no net pressure.

8. The team is small and soft. I feel like just about every forward is 5'11. This team needs to add some size and grit to the bottom six.... not to fight, but to play a tough game. I'd put one on line 3 and I'd put one on line 4 in place of Craig Adams.

9. Time to jumble some lines. The top six forwards need a spark and the third line are zombies. The 4th line is fine but would be improved by swapping out Adams for a Glass/Vitale clone that maybe has more size.

[RisslingsMissingTeeth]

Yawn. The Pens looked completely asleep. I guess the mid-year vacation is already setting in.

The problem in all of these losses is the incredible lack of good scoring chances and turnovers. We seem happy to cycle around the boards for 2 minutes and then turn it over. To me, that is coaching but others will have their own opinions.

Ray has to be loving all of these long term deals he signed.

[penny lane]

Okay, Jayson Megna really is being sent back to WBS.

After a few days of practice, after the 2 straight losses; I was expecting more fire.

[GSdrums87]

Something's gotta give. Give the lines a jumble, bring up Megna and Harry Z for some jump. Letang is garbage in his own end and not justifying that new contract in the other, nobody crashing the net trying to work for something. Perimeter shots allllll game. Horrible entry on the power play. Can't get the lines matched up in your favor AT HOME. The one thing this team should never struggle with is goal scoring. When does Bylsma stop and go "Hmm, this isn't working at the moment, lets give them a different look because why not?" Nah, keep starting the cycle of futility over again. Hold your ******* players accountable.

[pugilist13]

Letang is painful to watch. It's obvious there is no accountability on this club. I thought Jacques Martin could reign him in a bit and help refine his game, which i'm sure he's tried to do , but there'e no buy in from 58.

[wondermoose]

Same refusal to go to the net that has been the case the entire season and dating back into the playoffs. When Kunitz played with Geno during the MVP year, he had like 7 goals disallowed for goalie interference. I would get so frustrated, but I can see now how important it was that he was in the goaltender's kitchen at every opportunity. No balls, no brash. This team got neutered somewhere along the way.

And why, oh god why, is Engelland playing defense again? It just... boggles the mind that the coaches do that little ratings pow-wow after every game and they conclude he played well enough to keep his spot when guys with higher potential (that can't possibly be any riskier) wait in WBS. I just don't get it.

[columbia]

Is Dupuis planning on showing up this year?

[KG]

the overreactions on this board following losses are hysterical. Its like we just got swept out of the playoffs by the bruins again.

Take a deep breath and relax, we started out hot and looked really good but have cooled off that happens over the the ebbs and flows of the season, for all the criticism malkins seams to be getting i think he has actually been playing great, he made about 4-5 passes (including the one on the crosby goal) that made me go wow, Sid needs a new move on breakaways, goalies know he is looking five whole, both breakaway attempts he tried to go 5 hole, not that hard to save.

Until we get scuds and martin back in the lineup (and even kobasew to a degree) and they get games under there belt we are really not going to know about this team.

Problem is they are playing the same way that got them swept out of the playoffs last year. That is what has people reacting the way they are...

This team never learns or makes adjustments to their game....they have the approach that if they play their game then no team can beat them. This is why DB doesn't match lines etc. It's a very arrogant approach.

[wondermoose]

Is Dupuis planning on showing up this year?

Is anyone? I really feel like this all starts with the defense's inability to move the puck up the ice efficiently (eg, not turn it over repeatedly). That line works off of speed going up the ice and our breakout has been so god awful that I'm really not surprised Dupuis' production has gone down drastically (though he's still got 11 points ). He's always kind of been the ancillary point-getter on that line, even when he scores the goal.

With Dupuis, as long as he's not hurting the line (which he isn't) then I've got no problem with a lack of production. It ain't his job on that line to be responsible for making goals.

[penny lane]

Dave Molinari ‏@MolinariPG 4m Here's who's practicing: Fleury, Zatkoff, D'Agostini, Adams, Neal, Bennett, Jeffrey, Engelland, Martin, Bortuzzo and Maatta.

[wondermoose]

Dave Molinari ‏@MolinariPG 4m Here's who's practicing: Fleury, Zatkoff, D'Agostini, Adams, Neal, Bennett, Jeffrey, Engelland, Martin , Bortuzzo and Maatta.

For emphasis.

[pfim]

Martin was sorely missed last night, the pairings looked like poo.

[MRandall25]

Martin's absence definitely hurt the transition game over the last 2 games.

[Dickie Dunn]

With Dupuis, as long as he's not hurting the line (which he isn't) then I've got no problem with a lack of production. It ain't his job on that line to be responsible for making goals.

Incorrect. In the past I would whole heartedly agree with you, but Dupuis is now paid like a guy who is responsible for making goals.

[wondermoose]

With Dupuis, as long as he's not hurting the line (which he isn't) then I've got no problem with a lack of production. It ain't his job on that line to be responsible for making goals.

Incorrect. In the past I would whole heartedly agree with you, but Dupuis is now paid like a guy who is responsible for making goals.

Absolutely false. You don't pay a player more money to do something he has never done. You pay him to keep doing what he has always done. It's like Scuderi, he isn't making that much money for his one-timer. In Dupuis' case, it's play responsible, skate fast, forecheck hard, and be ready for Sid's passes. He carries a cap hit of $3.75 million, hardly enough to warrant a demand for goals and offense.

[PAPLine]

I don't think Emery played a that good of a game, the Pens didn't test him. Our best shots were from the outside with no screens. I was going hoarse shouting 'someone get in front.'
Defense and Fleury generally played pretty good. The exceptions led to the Fluers goals. You can't let opposition unmarked in front of your net, and you can't let rebounds sit there in the crease.
The Pens, to a man, need to stop shooting at the bullseye on the goalie's sweater.
Bylsma needs to learn that match-ups are important, better that just throwing out lines and letting the other coach pick the match-ups.
From my vantage point in 231, the crowd reaction mimicked the home team's play. Sort of like they hadn't played more than a couple of games in the past three weeks.

[indian]

Dupuis will be much more effective on the third line facing third pairing defensemen. Not rocket science. He overachieved last tow years, this is his normal production. D'Agostini needs to be replaced by Megna, Bennett to Sid's line.

[Tico Rick]

Park Engelland in front of the net on power plays. No, I'm not kidding.

[columbia]

The problem with that is that he isn't getting paid like a 3rd liner.
You want cash and security at his age? You are now expected to produce.

[indian]

Pens need size, big bodies , front of the net everytime.

[Pitts]

I didn't see a replay but did Letang just miss the net with those two wide open shots from the low circle in the 3rd or did a stick get in there somewhere?

He missed.