2024-2025 Season Random Penguins Fodder

[Daniel]

From DK article this morning, Jarry has given up a goal in the first 5 shots of the game 15 times this season:

• First shot he faces: 6 times
• Second shot he faces: 4 times
• Third shot he faces: 2 times
• Fourth shot he faces: 3 times

Seems like he's the Pittsburgh Steelers of goalies. Start playing about 15 minutes into the game and usually behind in the score.

[Daniel]

Biggest problem.

Lack of talent.

Crosby is still producing and playing really well, but he ain't playing like he did at 28. Malkin is showing more signs of wear but still worth his contract. Karlsson is not worth $10mil anymore. Letang is playing well given his contract but again, he is not 28 anymore. Rust and Rakell are fine top 6 wingers, but nothing special. Goalies are below average and certainly the weakest link. They went for the cup for a loooong time (rightfully so) resulting in no youth. Just in the last couple years, they have been able to draft (or trade for) young prospects, but the prospects still need more time for growth. None of their current prospects will be real game changers that put fear in opponents.

Top end, top 5 talent is needed.

I'm on the fire Sully train but the impacts of a coaching change would be minimal until the team acquires high-end talent.

If we're talking "What is the biggest problem keeping this team from winning a cup?", I would agree that lack of talent is the biggest problem. This roster is far from competing for a cup and needs a large infusion of (younger) talent.

If we're talking "What is the biggest problem that needs fixed in order to have a chance at competing for a cup once again?", I'd go with coaching/system. Talent would be second, specifically with goaltending as the main problem. The good news is that we have some options at that position.

If we swap out the coaching staff/system to play a more structured system that better aligned with the strengths of the roster and added competent/solid goaltending, I think this team could make the playoffs and maybe even win a round as currently constructed. Think about all of the blown leads, OT/shootout losses, bonehead lineup decisions, etc. This team should easily have 5-6 more wins this season if things weren't such a mess. They're still nowhere near competing for a cup, but IMO they'd be way further ahead of where they are now.

Acquiring enough on-ice talent to win a cup is every GM's goal, and there's only so much talent to go around. You gotta start somewhere, so my vote is for the coaching staff (Sullivan specifically) that is the biggest problem at the moment. Fix that first and then focus on acquiring the necessary talent.

Acquiring enough talent to win a cup in the next 3-5 years with Sullivan coaching this team/core - Impossible.
Acquiring enough talent to win a cup in the next 3-5 years with someone else coaching this team/core - Slightly less impossible.

Good coaching can make mediocre talent into a contender. Bad coaching can take good talent and make them into a pretender. Problem is, the Penguins have had bad coaching for years. This roster won't win a cup but good coaching and a proper system could make them into a contender.

[Daniel]

Biggest problem.

Lack of talent.

Crosby is still producing and playing really well, but he ain't playing like he did at 28. Malkin is showing more signs of wear but still worth his contract. Karlsson is not worth $10mil anymore. Letang is playing well given his contract but again, he is not 28 anymore. Rust and Rakell are fine top 6 wingers, but nothing special. Goalies are below average and certainly the weakest link. They went for the cup for a loooong time (rightfully so) resulting in no youth. Just in the last couple years, they have been able to draft (or trade for) young prospects, but the prospects still need more time for growth. None of their current prospects will be real game changers that put fear in opponents.

Top end, top 5 talent is needed.

I'm on the fire Sully train but the impacts of a coaching change would be minimal until the team acquires high-end talent.

If we're talking "What is the biggest problem keeping this team from winning a cup?", I would agree that lack of talent is the biggest problem. This roster is far from competing for a cup and needs a large infusion of (younger) talent.

If we're talking "What is the biggest problem that needs fixed in order to have a chance at competing for a cup once again?", I'd go with coaching/system. Talent would be second, specifically with goaltending as the main problem. The good news is that we have some options at that position.

If we swap out the coaching staff/system to play a more structured system that better aligned with the strengths of the roster and added competent/solid goaltending, I think this team could make the playoffs and maybe even win a round as currently constructed. Think about all of the blown leads, OT/shootout losses, bonehead lineup decisions, etc. This team should easily have 5-6 more wins this season if things weren't such a mess. They're still nowhere near competing for a cup, but IMO they'd be way further ahead of where they are now.

Acquiring enough on-ice talent to win a cup is every GM's goal, and there's only so much talent to go around. You gotta start somewhere, so my vote is for the coaching staff (Sullivan specifically) that is the biggest problem at the moment. Fix that first and then focus on acquiring the necessary talent.

Acquiring enough talent to win a cup in the next 3-5 years with Sullivan coaching this team/core - Impossible.
Acquiring enough talent to win a cup in the next 3-5 years with someone else coaching this team/core - Slightly less impossible.

This team has tons of flaws but 100% honestly, I believe this team is definitely capable of being a playoff team with the proper coaching/system. I believe you could theoretically use this exact roster and make the playoffs if you had the right coach. Not saying it's a good team or it would go anywhere, but I wholeheartedly think it would definitely be good enough to make the playoffs if it had a different coach and system. Not now mind you, but just in general terms like if it had gone into the season with the right system and leadership behind the bench.

I agree. Going into the season I predicted they finish with 98 (or so, forget exact number).

I think coaching system is a problem. No doubt. However, there just is not enough talent to be competitive on a consistent level. I was hoping Doc would continue to progress. Graves would settle and be legit top 4 D. Pulajarvi play well. Maybe a rookie F surprise. Etc etc. none of that happened. Probably coaching/system is contributing factor.

But right now, where the team is at, they lack talent. Specifically, high end talent.

Hard to honestly give an evaluation of the weaknesses on the team because they play an outdated system that was great 10 years ago. What's the identity of this team? If they slowed down the system and played with be a more defensive posture, could they win 3-2 games?

[Daniel]

Biggest problem.

Lack of talent.

Crosby is still producing and playing really well, but he ain't playing like he did at 28. Malkin is showing more signs of wear but still worth his contract. Karlsson is not worth $10mil anymore. Letang is playing well given his contract but again, he is not 28 anymore. Rust and Rakell are fine top 6 wingers, but nothing special. Goalies are below average and certainly the weakest link. They went for the cup for a loooong time (rightfully so) resulting in no youth. Just in the last couple years, they have been able to draft (or trade for) young prospects, but the prospects still need more time for growth. None of their current prospects will be real game changers that put fear in opponents.

Top end, top 5 talent is needed.

I'm on the fire Sully train but the impacts of a coaching change would be minimal until the team acquires high-end talent.

If we're talking "What is the biggest problem keeping this team from winning a cup?", I would agree that lack of talent is the biggest problem. This roster is far from competing for a cup and needs a large infusion of (younger) talent.

If we're talking "What is the biggest problem that needs fixed in order to have a chance at competing for a cup once again?", I'd go with coaching/system. Talent would be second, specifically with goaltending as the main problem. The good news is that we have some options at that position.

If we swap out the coaching staff/system to play a more structured system that better aligned with the strengths of the roster and added competent/solid goaltending, I think this team could make the playoffs and maybe even win a round as currently constructed. Think about all of the blown leads, OT/shootout losses, bonehead lineup decisions, etc. This team should easily have 5-6 more wins this season if things weren't such a mess. They're still nowhere near competing for a cup, but IMO they'd be way further ahead of where they are now.

Acquiring enough on-ice talent to win a cup is every GM's goal, and there's only so much talent to go around. You gotta start somewhere, so my vote is for the coaching staff (Sullivan specifically) that is the biggest problem at the moment. Fix that first and then focus on acquiring the necessary talent.

Acquiring enough talent to win a cup in the next 3-5 years with Sullivan coaching this team/core - Impossible.
Acquiring enough talent to win a cup in the next 3-5 years with someone else coaching this team/core - Slightly less impossible.

The key players on this team will not play a defensive structured system, regardless of who the coach is. Letang and Karlsson have never subscribed to that, and they are on the ice for 40+ minutes a night. Is that what's needed?? Yes, that would probably help in the short-term (eventually their talent level would still be exposed), but it's just not gonna happen.

Then one of the forwards has to play back and be responsible. This system is all go go go and no one thinks defense. If they played defense first and opportunistic offense, I think forwards would cover for Karlsson and Letang when necessary.

[ahawk9]

I agree with all that. Just looking at the goal differential and (flawed though it may be) plus/minus numbers for this team - Rust a minus-22! - it's obvious that there's a systematic problem. Their first line has been great but they are all still minus players by a large margin. That doesn't mean they stink but it probably means that they aren't handling the system like they once did. That and a combination of teams having figured things out the last 10 years. Lizotte is a plus-5 to lead the team, btw...

[largegarlic]

I wouldn't buy out Jarry or pay for someone to take him (same thing goes for Graves). The Pens don't really need cap space. Teams need cap space when they're trying to sign good youngish players coming off a cheaper contract or trying to load up on pricey vets to make a run at a Cup. Neither applies to the Pens.

Plus, looking at their cap situation for next year, Puckpedia has them with ~$21 million in cap space right now, not factoring in a cap increase. That's with 14 players signed.

Glass, Tomasino, and Joseph are RFAs. I don't know that it's a given they keep them all, but if they do, they'd be pretty cheap...say $5 million between the 3 of them. That leaves them with ~$16 million in cap space and a lineup something like:

Rakell-Crosby-Rust
Bunting-Malkin-Tomasino
XXX-Lizotte-Glass
XXX-Hayes-Acciari

Pickering-Letang
Joseph-Karlsson
Graves-XXX

Blomqvist (Puckpedia still has Jarry on the roster, but if he's buried in the minors, I think the money they save is about equal to Blomqvist's salary).
Nedjelkovic

They'd need 2 LWs, a RD, and a couple extras, but presumably those spots will be filled by young guys or cheap UFAs. If we go a little high and assume that to get a 23-man roster, those 6 other guys average $1.5 million in salary, we're still only talking $9 million added to their total salary. That leaves them with about $7 million in cap space without factoring in the cap going up. And obviously, they could clear out more space by trading some of the vets left on that roster.

[Puck-Lurker]

I wouldn't buy out Jarry or pay for someone to take him (same thing goes for Graves). The Pens don't really need cap space. Teams need cap space when they're trying to sign good youngish players coming off a cheaper contract or trying to load up on pricey vets to make a run at a Cup. Neither applies to the Pens.

Plus, looking at their cap situation for next year, Puckpedia has them with ~$21 million in cap space right now, not factoring in a cap increase. That's with 14 players signed.

Glass, Tomasino, and Joseph are RFAs. I don't know that it's a given they keep them all, but if they do, they'd be pretty cheap...say $5 million between the 3 of them. That leaves them with ~$16 million in cap space and a lineup something like:

Rakell-Crosby-Rust
Bunting-Malkin-Tomasino
XXX-Lizotte-Glass
XXX-Hayes-Acciari

Pickering-Letang
Joseph-Karlsson
Graves-XXX

Blomqvist (Puckpedia still has Jarry on the roster, but if he's buried in the minors, I think the money they save is about equal to Blomqvist's salary).
Nedjelkovic

They'd need 2 LWs, a RD, and a couple extras, but presumably those spots will be filled by young guys or cheap UFAs. If we go a little high and assume that to get a 23-man roster, those 6 other guys average $1.5 million in salary, we're still only talking $9 million added to their total salary. That leaves them with about $7 million in cap space without factoring in the cap going up. And obviously, they could clear out more space by trading some of the vets left on that roster.

Max cap savings is 1.15M this season.

Blomqvist 887k according to capwages.

263k in savings.

[ahawk9]

Yeah, cap shouldn't be an issue, so they might as well hold on to Jarry & Graves for a while, unless they somehow find a way to trade them.

[lemieuxReturns]

Rakell left practice early apparently.

[KG]

Rakell left practice early apparently.

Woof. We lose Rakell we mine as well throw in the towel. Our only consistent goal scorer. Very weak scoring wing depth.

[FLPensFan]

Rakell left practice early apparently.

Woof. We lose Rakell we mine as well throw in the towel. Our only consistent goal scorer. Very weak scoring wing depth.

I don't understand the pessimistic view. We put Nieto on the 1st line. Nobody will ever score another goal against that line. It's Matt Nieto, the king of defensive hockey.

[Antonio]

With regards to the team's struggles:

"If I had the answer, I'd fix it,” coach Mike Sullivan said.

At least he said something accurate and real for once. I don't have a clue. You're right about that ****.

[Antonio]

Rakell left practice early apparently.

Woof. We lose Rakell we mine as well throw in the towel. Our only consistent goal scorer. Very weak scoring wing depth.

So much for moving him at peak value.

[Cow_Master66]

Biggest problem.

Lack of talent.

Crosby is still producing and playing really well, but he ain't playing like he did at 28. Malkin is showing more signs of wear but still worth his contract. Karlsson is not worth $10mil anymore. Letang is playing well given his contract but again, he is not 28 anymore. Rust and Rakell are fine top 6 wingers, but nothing special. Goalies are below average and certainly the weakest link. They went for the cup for a loooong time (rightfully so) resulting in no youth. Just in the last couple years, they have been able to draft (or trade for) young prospects, but the prospects still need more time for growth. None of their current prospects will be real game changers that put fear in opponents.

Top end, top 5 talent is needed.

I'm on the fire Sully train but the impacts of a coaching change would be minimal until the team acquires high-end talent.

If we're talking "What is the biggest problem keeping this team from winning a cup?", I would agree that lack of talent is the biggest problem. This roster is far from competing for a cup and needs a large infusion of (younger) talent.

If we're talking "What is the biggest problem that needs fixed in order to have a chance at competing for a cup once again?", I'd go with coaching/system. Talent would be second, specifically with goaltending as the main problem. The good news is that we have some options at that position.

If we swap out the coaching staff/system to play a more structured system that better aligned with the strengths of the roster and added competent/solid goaltending, I think this team could make the playoffs and maybe even win a round as currently constructed. Think about all of the blown leads, OT/shootout losses, bonehead lineup decisions, etc. This team should easily have 5-6 more wins this season if things weren't such a mess. They're still nowhere near competing for a cup, but IMO they'd be way further ahead of where they are now.

Acquiring enough on-ice talent to win a cup is every GM's goal, and there's only so much talent to go around. You gotta start somewhere, so my vote is for the coaching staff (Sullivan specifically) that is the biggest problem at the moment. Fix that first and then focus on acquiring the necessary talent.

Acquiring enough talent to win a cup in the next 3-5 years with Sullivan coaching this team/core - Impossible.
Acquiring enough talent to win a cup in the next 3-5 years with someone else coaching this team/core - Slightly less impossible.

The key players on this team will not play a defensive structured system, regardless of who the coach is. Letang and Karlsson have never subscribed to that, and they are on the ice for 40+ minutes a night. Is that what's needed?? Yes, that would probably help in the short-term (eventually their talent level would still be exposed), but it's just not gonna happen.

Then one of the forwards has to play back and be responsible. This system is all go go go and no one thinks defense. If they played defense first and opportunistic offense, I think forwards would cover for Karlsson and Letang when necessary.

That's the system they play now. When a D pinches, a F covers the point.

I think what you're looking for is a more passive defensive structure that's softer on the forecheck and instead tries to clog the neutral zone, create turnovers, and score in transition. This group of players will not do that. Letang and Karlsson will not stop pinching at inopportune times. Crosby and Malkin aren't going to hang at the red line and play a passive defensive system. It's just not going to work. These guys have played the same way since they came into the league, and they no longer have the talent and offensive firepower to make up for it.

[Toke]

Rakell left practice early apparently.

My goodness that lineup is bad......I really cannot watch this any longer. Saddens me.

[Maestro]

Rakell left practice early apparently.

My goodness that lineup is bad......I really cannot watch this any longer. Saddens me.

Hmmm. Now THAT looks like a top 5 pick team. Excellent work!

[Antonio]

If there was a single soul that still thought Sullivan isn't a total moron, the idea of playing of nieto on the top line should confirm.

[largegarlic]

If there was a single soul that still thought Sullivan isn't a total moron, the idea of playing of nieto on the top line should confirm.

To defend Sullivan a little bit, Rakell left during practice, and I assume Nieto was due to be a scratch. He probably didn't want to mess with the other lines that he planned on keeping together, so he threw Nieto out there just for practice, since he wasn't part of any other line. Then, he can see what the deal is with Rakell for tomorrow and put someone else there if Rakell is out.

That's my hope anyhow.

[pronovost19]

Maybe Ricky is getting traded.

[Sams_Dog]

The other thing Jarry never, ever seems to have is any accountability. I can't remember a time where Jarry says something like "Yeah, this is on me. Didn't have my best tonight."

Maybe I'm wrong. Maybe I just missed it, but I know for a fact that I've heard Ned be very critical of himself in the locker room after games.

Never...Jarry never takes any blame. Ned is always one to take responsibility. Ned is far from perfect but give me him and his approach over Jarry any day.

I was thinking this same thing yesterday. I can't remember Jarry ever pointing the finger at himself. The other day someone asked him what has been lacking on the team recently and he blamed the penalty killing. He may include himself in the PK but he didn't mention that. If I were his coach, GM, or teammates I would be pretty irritated about that.

[Daniel]

Biggest problem.

Lack of talent.

Crosby is still producing and playing really well, but he ain't playing like he did at 28. Malkin is showing more signs of wear but still worth his contract. Karlsson is not worth $10mil anymore. Letang is playing well given his contract but again, he is not 28 anymore. Rust and Rakell are fine top 6 wingers, but nothing special. Goalies are below average and certainly the weakest link. They went for the cup for a loooong time (rightfully so) resulting in no youth. Just in the last couple years, they have been able to draft (or trade for) young prospects, but the prospects still need more time for growth. None of their current prospects will be real game changers that put fear in opponents.

Top end, top 5 talent is needed.

I'm on the fire Sully train but the impacts of a coaching change would be minimal until the team acquires high-end talent.

If we're talking "What is the biggest problem keeping this team from winning a cup?", I would agree that lack of talent is the biggest problem. This roster is far from competing for a cup and needs a large infusion of (younger) talent.

If we're talking "What is the biggest problem that needs fixed in order to have a chance at competing for a cup once again?", I'd go with coaching/system. Talent would be second, specifically with goaltending as the main problem. The good news is that we have some options at that position.

If we swap out the coaching staff/system to play a more structured system that better aligned with the strengths of the roster and added competent/solid goaltending, I think this team could make the playoffs and maybe even win a round as currently constructed. Think about all of the blown leads, OT/shootout losses, bonehead lineup decisions, etc. This team should easily have 5-6 more wins this season if things weren't such a mess. They're still nowhere near competing for a cup, but IMO they'd be way further ahead of where they are now.

Acquiring enough on-ice talent to win a cup is every GM's goal, and there's only so much talent to go around. You gotta start somewhere, so my vote is for the coaching staff (Sullivan specifically) that is the biggest problem at the moment. Fix that first and then focus on acquiring the necessary talent.

Acquiring enough talent to win a cup in the next 3-5 years with Sullivan coaching this team/core - Impossible.
Acquiring enough talent to win a cup in the next 3-5 years with someone else coaching this team/core - Slightly less impossible.

The key players on this team will not play a defensive structured system, regardless of who the coach is. Letang and Karlsson have never subscribed to that, and they are on the ice for 40+ minutes a night. Is that what's needed?? Yes, that would probably help in the short-term (eventually their talent level would still be exposed), but it's just not gonna happen.

Then one of the forwards has to play back and be responsible. This system is all go go go and no one thinks defense. If they played defense first and opportunistic offense, I think forwards would cover for Karlsson and Letang when necessary.

That's the system they play now. When a D pinches, a F covers the point.

I think what you're looking for is a more passive defensive structure that's softer on the forecheck and instead tries to clog the neutral zone, create turnovers, and score in transition. This group of players will not do that. Letang and Karlsson will not stop pinching at inopportune times. Crosby and Malkin aren't going to hang at the red line and play a passive defensive system. It's just not going to work. These guys have played the same way since they came into the league, and they no longer have the talent and offensive firepower to make up for it.

Yes, but those systems can still allow a defensemen to pinch when they're in the offensive zone. A more passive forecheck would mean someone is playing high (kinda left wing lock I guess).

Crosby and Malkin would have to be on board with it, but I think they'd toe the line if a new and better coach came in and sold the system. That new coach would have to have some very harsh discussions with them to get them to realize it's not 2015 anymore. Not sure how possible that will be, but we both know Steve Yzerman went through the same discussion and reinvented himself to win cups later in his career. If the players aren't willing to do what it takes to win, then perhaps their legacy isn't as good as we think it is. Right now, we view both as doing anything to win, but if that's not the case, that would really be a shame.

[penscup]

From DK article this morning, Jarry has given up a goal in the first 5 shots of the game 15 times this season:

• First shot he faces: 6 times
• Second shot he faces: 4 times
• Third shot he faces: 2 times
• Fourth shot he faces: 3 times

Seems like he's the Pittsburgh Steelers of goalies. Start playing about 15 minutes into the game and usually behind in the score.

But he hasn’t always been like this. Just last season he led the league in shutouts. Something went horribly wrong in his head after signing that big contract. You don’t see many #1 goalies get demoted to the minors after going 144-93-29 in their career and just entering their prime years in the league, although anyone hear from Matt Murray recently? Going 8-8-4 this year wasn’t even close to being a total disaster, but losing his last five games seemed to seal his fate even though he played well in three of them. His attitude off the ice must really be a problem as many have reported.

I am excited to see Blomqvist get his chance and see how a new goalie performs, but agree with those that are concerned about him playing behind such a crappy defensive team. Could really screw with his confidence and things could get ugly, so my expectations are not very high. Most fans here seem to be rooting for them to lose this year anyway so I guess it won’t really matter.

I think Jarry will get another shot somewhere (not here) and only thing he can do is refocus and try and be ready for his next chance to prove that his 2 All-star appearances weren’t just a fluke. I’m sure this has been a humbling experience for him.

[Puck-Lurker]

The other thing Jarry never, ever seems to have is any accountability. I can't remember a time where Jarry says something like "Yeah, this is on me. Didn't have my best tonight."

Maybe I'm wrong. Maybe I just missed it, but I know for a fact that I've heard Ned be very critical of himself in the locker room after games.

Never...Jarry never takes any blame. Ned is always one to take responsibility. Ned is far from perfect but give me him and his approach over Jarry any day.

I was thinking this same thing yesterday. I can't remember Jarry ever pointing the finger at himself. The other day someone asked him what has been lacking on the team recently and he blamed the penalty killing. He may include himself in the PK but he didn't mention that. If I were his coach, GM, or teammates I would be pretty irritated about that.

Ned is a very self-conscious reflective kinda guy. To a fault, he'll shoulder the blame. You'll hear him say things like, "if the team breaks down in front of me, it's my job to come up with saves, if I don't I've not done my job".

Jarry? He'll shrug, smile awkardly and say something meaningless and do it again next game. These things just "happen" to him. It's no one's fault or responsibility. I'm willing to bet he's the type that will blame his teammates in all the wrong ways, while giving up weak, weak goals himself. I haven't heard anything of whether he's accepted in the locker room, but oh boy, does he strike like mr Bad Vibes.

Oh but he had a great record for a certain span of games -- where he was still doing the same crap. Dubas/Sullivan gave him a lot of games to sort his game out and he clearly didn't.


I kinda hope some reporter in Wilkes-Barre asks Jarry "how it feels to be back in the AHL". I know it's a bad question, just want him to have to answer that. No I don't hate Jarry, I do hate zero accountability.

[Daniel]

From DK article this morning, Jarry has given up a goal in the first 5 shots of the game 15 times this season:

• First shot he faces: 6 times
• Second shot he faces: 4 times
• Third shot he faces: 2 times
• Fourth shot he faces: 3 times

Seems like he's the Pittsburgh Steelers of goalies. Start playing about 15 minutes into the game and usually behind in the score.

But he hasn’t always been like this. Just last season he led the league in shutouts. Something went horribly wrong in his head after signing that big contract. You don’t see many #1 goalies get demoted to the minors after going 144-93-29 in their career and just entering their prime years in the league, although anyone hear from Matt Murray recently? Going 8-8-4 this year wasn’t even close to being a total disaster, but losing his last five games seemed to seal his fate even though he played well in three of them. His attitude off the ice must really be a problem as many have reported.

I am excited to see Blomqvist get his chance and see how a new goalie performs, but agree with those that are concerned about him playing behind such a crappy defensive team. Could really screw with his confidence and things could get ugly, so my expectations are not very high. Most fans here seem to be rooting for them to lose this year anyway so I guess it won’t really matter.

I think Jarry will get another shot somewhere (not here) and only thing he can do is refocus and try and be ready for his next chance to prove that his 2 All-star appearances weren’t just a fluke. I’m sure this has been a humbling experience for him.

He's always been an inconsistent and unreliable goalie and even his best years he was too wore out or injured to be useful in the playoffs. As for last year, even with 6 shutouts he was 30th in GAA and Save%, that's not a good season. I'd rather top 15 and no SOs and imagine how bad he'd have been if he had the normal about of shutouts?

I've liked goalie since he was drafted but he's just not getting better. I thought he would be better, and he's a 2 time All Star, but by now the Penguins should be able to rely on him and they can't. He's only as good as the team and rarely if ever makes that top notch save that gives the team a boost.

I will say that the last two goalies that the Penguins have had have regressed so badly that they went from very good to AHL caliber over the course of a few years. Injuries sure, but one has to wonder what's going on with this franchise, though Murray did get traded before he imploded. Just one more failure for this Sullivan led team.

[Daniel]

The other thing Jarry never, ever seems to have is any accountability. I can't remember a time where Jarry says something like "Yeah, this is on me. Didn't have my best tonight."

Maybe I'm wrong. Maybe I just missed it, but I know for a fact that I've heard Ned be very critical of himself in the locker room after games.

Never...Jarry never takes any blame. Ned is always one to take responsibility. Ned is far from perfect but give me him and his approach over Jarry any day.

I was thinking this same thing yesterday. I can't remember Jarry ever pointing the finger at himself. The other day someone asked him what has been lacking on the team recently and he blamed the penalty killing. He may include himself in the PK but he didn't mention that. If I were his coach, GM, or teammates I would be pretty irritated about that.

Ned is a very self-conscious reflective kinda guy. To a fault, he'll shoulder the blame. You'll hear him say things like, "if the team breaks down in front of me, it's my job to come up with saves, if I don't I've not done my job".

Jarry? He'll shrug, smile awkardly and say something meaningless and do it again next game. These things just "happen" to him. It's no one's fault or responsibility. I'm willing to bet he's the type that will blame his teammates in all the wrong ways, while giving up weak, weak goals himself. I haven't heard anything of whether he's accepted in the locker room, but oh boy, does he strike like mr Bad Vibes.

Oh but he had a great record for a certain span of games -- where he was still doing the same crap. Dubas/Sullivan gave him a lot of games to sort his game out and he clearly didn't.


I kinda hope some reporter in Wilkes-Barre asks Jarry "how it feels to be back in the AHL". I know it's a bad question, just want him to have to answer that. No I don't hate Jarry, I do hate zero accountability.

In all fairness, admitting that to a reporter in front of everyone isn't the same as in the locker room, because people react different to the spotlight. However, by all accounts he's the same in the locker room.