Last in the league...It's official

[Mountaineer]

Tied with St. Louis, but the Blues have played two less games. Keep it up Pens!! We want the #1 pick for the third time in four years.

[PensStarsFan]

I think we can do without another #1 pick...they haven't helped turn this team around yet.

What we need are good mid-career players who can counterbalance the rookies and help bring them along.

[FallenHero96]

I think we can do without another #1 pick...they haven't helped turn this team around yet.

Boy im happy your not the GM.

[PensStarsFan]

I think we can do without another #1 pick...they haven't helped turn this team around yet.

Boy im happy your not the GM.

You're right. Having a lousy team every year is the better plan.

[Peter]

this is all in the plan, we're building a team of destiny!

[Judy]

I think we can do without another #1 pick...they haven't helped turn this team around yet.

What we need are good mid-career players who can counterbalance the rookies and help bring them along.

See, that's the attitude I have. I want them to play well, but if they can't then this is the next best thing I guess.

[FallenHero96]

I think we can do without another #1 pick...they haven't helped turn this team around yet.

Boy im happy your not the GM.

You're right. Having a lousy team every year is the better plan.

No, your right. Instead of drafting the next stars in the league, we should be bringing in more journeymen. How silly of me to think having star players would provide you with a solid core of people to build around. Kessel could be the next Kovalchuk or Johnson could be the next Pronger... but no, we dont need another 1st pick.

[relantel]

It's not official until after we've played all 82 and are still lower.

Look at the bright side. The longest playoff streak in all of pro sports is coming to an end this year with St Louis in the basement. Last time they missed the playoffs was in the early 70s.

[PensStarsFan]

I think we can do without another #1 pick...they haven't helped turn this team around yet.

Boy im happy your not the GM.

You're right. Having a lousy team every year is the better plan.

No, your right. Instead of drafting the next stars in the league, we should be bringing in more journeymen. How silly of me to think having star players would provide you with a solid core of people to build around. Kessel could be the next Kovalchuk or Johnson could be the next Pronger... but no, we dont need another 1st pick.

#1 picks are great but you need a supporting cast as well. The Pens are no closer to fielding a decent team that pre-Fleury.

[Pitts]

These things take time people. It doesn't happen overnight. There isn't a GM in the league that wouldn't want the young core we have right now.

[FallenHero96]

I think we can do without another #1 pick...they haven't helped turn this team around yet.

Boy im happy your not the GM.

You're right. Having a lousy team every year is the better plan.

No, your right. Instead of drafting the next stars in the league, we should be bringing in more journeymen. How silly of me to think having star players would provide you with a solid core of people to build around. Kessel could be the next Kovalchuk or Johnson could be the next Pronger... but no, we dont need another 1st pick.

#1 picks are great but you need a supporting cast as well. The Pens are no closer to fielding a decent team that pre-Fleury.

This team is full of supporting cast players. That's one of the problems; we have a bunch of guys that can do little things but nobody that can do the big things. Guys like Surovy and Koltsov and Armstrong dont belong on the top lines.... but having them as support for the stars that can win you games would be much more effective for them. Too many 15 goal players and not enough 30. Too many 5th and 6th defenseman and not enough 1st.

[abigFATAss]

I think we can do without another #1 pick...they haven't helped turn this team around yet.

The operative word in that statement is "YET." That's why they're called prospects. They take a little time to come around.

[Daniel]

I think we can do without another #1 pick...they haven't helped turn this team around yet.

Boy im happy your not the GM.

You're right. Having a lousy team every year is the better plan.

No, your right. Instead of drafting the next stars in the league, we should be bringing in more journeymen. How silly of me to think having star players would provide you with a solid core of people to build around. Kessel could be the next Kovalchuk or Johnson could be the next Pronger... but no, we dont need another 1st pick.

#1 picks are great but you need a supporting cast as well. The Pens are no closer to fielding a decent team that pre-Fleury.

The Pens are a lot close to fielding a decent team, it just takes time. It will probably take 3-4 years of just lettings the kids play to create a very good team. Personally, I would rather wait 3-4 years than try a shortcut to fix this.

[Stoosh]

The Pens currently have 34 points. With 26 games remaining in the year, that leaves 52 points left for the taking. In order to eclipse our season totals for 2003-04, we need to take 25 of the remaining 52 points.

St. Louis has 34 points, but they also have 28 games left to play. Chicago is currently seven points ahead of the Pens and Blues.

My point? Barring a late-season run like we saw in 2003-04, this is a two-horse race for worst place, kids. I don't know if this team is capable of stealing 25 more points this year.

I'm torn on the issue of whether we should be secretly hoping for them to lose. I've heard those who argue against the losing say that it's pointless to keep gunning for last place because the lottery doesn't guarantee the first overall pick even if you finish last. True, but only to a point...

The lottery guarantees one thing to the last-place team, and that is nothing worse than the second overall pick.

Think back to the 2004 Entry Draft. One additional win down the stretch of the 2003-04 season could've very well meant that Cam Barker is putting on a Pens jersey on draft day instead of Evgeni Malkin. How much would that win have meant now if that were the case?

I want the team to play hard and I don't think that'll be too difficult with some of the kids on this current roster. I hope they win. I really do. But I also like the idea of the franchise finishing with one of the top two picks in the draft as opposed to the third, fourth or fifth overall pick.

[Daniel]

I am rooting for them to build a winning attitude. I don't care if they end up last or second to last, since I think they will end up with Johnson no matter what.