Official GDT: Pens @ Sens 11/17/18

[largegarlic]

Looks like they're following the Cup winning blueprint...play like butt through November and December, force some trades, ultimately force a coaching change, and then profit.

[stonewizard51]

This is some serious suckage now. Heads need to start rolling.

[Southern Fan]

Back in August this is a game you would have circled where the guys would pad heir stats.

[penny lane]

Rock bottom and start again on Monday. Offense as dry as the Sahara.

[murphydump55]

Man, Rutherford gonna be on the phone tomorrow. This team is broke.

He caused this mess. Can’t wait to see his panic moves.

3 more years with him. 4 more with Johnson. Awesome.

[Antonio]

Need to accept they are missing the playoffs, can Sullivan, move about 5 players including Cullen, Rust and JJ (waive him, cut him, deport him, trade him to an Eastern European human trafficking syndicate, something) and bring up several young players and just let them play and actually see if we have anything.

[Antonio]

Looks like they're following the Cup winning blueprint...play like butt through November and December, force some trades, ultimately force a coaching change, and then profit.

No way. Last year they were literally almost mathematically out of the playoffs in December and somehow pulled off a **** miracle by going under 500 for the first half then suddenly going like 800 for the last half. No chance that happens again.

[Pitts]

Need to accept they are missing the playoffs, can Sullivan, move about 5 players including Cullen, Rust and JJ (waive him, cut him, deport him, trade him to an Eastern European human trafficking syndicate, something) and bring up several young players and just let them play and actually see if we have anything.

Not ready to fire Sully. But, if Malkin and Kessel have tuned him out, might not have a choice.

[brwi]

JJ (waive him, cut him, deport him, trade him to an Eastern European human trafficking syndicate, something)

[thehockeyguru]

Man, Rutherford gonna be on the phone tomorrow. This team is broke.

He caused this mess. Can’t wait to see his panic moves.

3 more years with him. 4 more with Johnson. Awesome.

This. GMJR dug us into a hole this off-season.

Moving Brassard should be considered. He isn't resigning and this team isn't looking like a playoff team.

[AricM]

Trying to think about it more objectively, I'd say wait until Crosby gets back, and they hopefully get a stretch of games with Crosby and Brassard healthy. Maybe scratch Cullen for Blueger. If that doesn't work in a couple weeks, make another trade and start feeling out Quenneville. If things still don't improve in another couple weeks, bring in Quenneville to replace Sullivan.

Schultz should be back by the end of December, no? Still plenty of time to figure this out.

End of January at the earliest, likely mid February.

Oh crap!

[alancac98]

Need to accept they are missing the playoffs, can Sullivan, move about 5 players including Cullen, Rust and JJ (waive him, cut him, deport him, trade him to an Eastern European human trafficking syndicate, something) and bring up several young players and just let them play and actually see if we have anything.

I want Maata left in Ottawa - he's a POS!. But I agree. Get rid of numerous guys and shuffle the deck with guys from the farm system.

[KG]

Tough situation here. If Murray is going to continue to be below average then no trade made will help. Pens aren’t a shut down team, they need quality goaltending game in game out to win.

Amazing how bad they look right now. Where is the team from the western Canadian trip?

[Antonio]

Sullivan is not the same coach he was when he won the first cup. Clear to see that by the way he manages personnel, lines, etc. It was obvious this team had major holes last year and they just made it worse in the off season. If they are going to suck, I'd rather them REALLY suck and get a great draft pick rather than do some middling crap where they sell more limited assets and get nothing and still aren't good.

[Jim]

I broke my "don't go into game day thread" rule... the number of completely asinine comments is staggering. Outies...

[Antonio]

I broke my "don't go into game day thread" rule... the number of completely asinine comments is staggering. Outies...

Thankfully Scotty Bowman graced us with his presence.

[Daniel]

Man, Rutherford gonna be on the phone tomorrow. This team is broke.

He caused this mess. Can’t wait to see his panic moves.

3 more years with him. 4 more with Johnson. Awesome.

Someone mentioned Botterill on another thread. I'm wondering if he was the actual reason for the cup wins and not Rutherford. When he was Rutherford's 2nd, we saw an influx of WBS and the team was younger and faster. Once he left, Rutherford has done nothing but make the team older and slower and we're starting to see the Carolina version of his leadership.

Too bad Botterill couldn't have replaced Rutherford rather than leave for the Sabres.

[FLPensFan]

1. Waive Cullen for the purpose of terminating his contract. I would send him to the minors, but, I doubt at 42 Cullen wants to report. Give him that option, otherwise, waive for termination.
2. We aren't getting rid of Jack Johnson. That's not to say I want to keep him, but,, 2nd offseason in a row Rutherford made a bad defensive signing. He needs to go down to 3rd pairing. Try Riikola with Letang for now. Dumoulin with Oleksiak. Ruhwedel and someone else on the 3rd pairing.
3. Trade Maatta. As much as we hate him and think he sucks, someone out there is going to see a 24 year old defenseman with two Cups and still think he has value. Not kidding. If Maatta for Manson/Montour was a serious possibility, pull that trigger mid-game. Otherwise, maybe Maatta for Zadorov, as there have been rumblings Colorado is frustrated with him and ready to deal him. We aren't going to get a stud back in return.
4. Call up Blueger and Johnson.

That's a start.

[America]

Murray is bad.

That’s all.

[Antonio]

Man, Rutherford gonna be on the phone tomorrow. This team is broke.

He caused this mess. Can’t wait to see his panic moves.

3 more years with him. 4 more with Johnson. Awesome.

Someone mentioned Botterill on another thread. I'm wondering if he was the actual reason for the cup wins and not Rutherford. When he was Rutherford's 2nd, we saw an influx of WBS and the team was younger and faster. Once he left, Rutherford has done nothing but make the team older and slower and we're starting to see the Carolina version of his leadership.

Too bad Botterill couldn't have replaced Rutherford rather than leave for the Sabres.

Definitely appears to be some truth to this. I remember thinking early on, boy I really had the wrong impression of how good a GM Rutherford is. Now I am seeing exactly the kind of stuff that lead me to what I used to think of his decisions.

[Antonio]

Murray is bad.

That’s all.

Totally true but definitely not all.

[Pruezy11881]

Time to sit Rust, Maatta, Cullen. Let's see Bleuger, Prow, Johnson, and Miletic up and play.

Can we please break up the first PP unit?

Murray should not be the #1 indefinitely until he earns it back.

If Malkin has tuned out another coach, I think that enough is enough as this would be the third time. It can't always be the coach. Man up and quit playing stupid, selfish hockey or don't let the door hit ya.

[FLPensFan]

Even Tom Sestito trolling the Penguins tonight with this tweet:

Thinking a Pittsburgh number is going to be calling me any second.

[penny lane]

Dominik Simon sits. Grant cross checked and he just skates by wideman.

[Daniel]

Man, Rutherford gonna be on the phone tomorrow. This team is broke.

He caused this mess. Can’t wait to see his panic moves.

3 more years with him. 4 more with Johnson. Awesome.

Someone mentioned Botterill on another thread. I'm wondering if he was the actual reason for the cup wins and not Rutherford. When he was Rutherford's 2nd, we saw an influx of WBS and the team was younger and faster. Once he left, Rutherford has done nothing but make the team older and slower and we're starting to see the Carolina version of his leadership.

Too bad Botterill couldn't have replaced Rutherford rather than leave for the Sabres.

Definitely appears to be some truth to this. I remember thinking early on, boy I really had the wrong impression of how good a GM Rutherford is. Now I am seeing exactly the kind of stuff that lead me to what I used to think of his decisions.

Look at what he's done in Buffalo. I can almost guarantee within 2 years, the Sabres will be in the conference finals and the Pens will miss the playoffs.