On location: Predators 4, Penguins 0

What's up you wacky muppet ?

Feeling beautiful Myelough! Making pancakes. Hangin' out! Figured I would make a cameo appearance! What's up?

I keep getting told he is top 4 D-Man, but I have to think that there is a reason two separate coaching staffs have played him 16 mins/game, his ice time only jumping when injuries force mins upon him.

He goes from being an absolute beast the other night to looking like a junior A player today. Guess that is part of being young.

He is Top 4, eventually. He has bad shifts amongst many good ones. He is also punished for the bad more than other guys.
If he made a blind, behind the back drop pass at the point resulting in a SH breakaway as 58 did, he'd be benched. He's been scratched for less.
(Of course per Steigy and Bibbs that was a great defensive play by Letang to come back and get a stick on the shooter....)

When? He is making the same mistakes as 2 years ago, this isn't the Simon Despres Development Academy. I like Despres, it will be nice to have a solid NHL D-Man on an inexpensive contract, but I think he is a fill-in 4th D-Man at most, he just never handles the expanded role well.

I'm fine with him being a fill-in at 4th D in his first full year in then league, especially after being d-cked around by the prior coaching staff, and arguably by this one as well.
As for mistakes, 58 has been making the same types of mistakes for longer than 2 years, for which we pay 7.25 mil.

I have more confidence Despres will improve out of this inconsistency than I do Letang.

Letang plays 24 minutes a night, and when you have the puck on your stick a lot turnovers will happen, look at who leads the league in turnovers, it is an all-star roster.

Despres mistakes aren't trying to be creative, it is inconsistency in the defensive zone, ill-timed pinches and not choosing correct times to make hits. These are the things he was sent down to work on. Again I'm fine with Despres, it just every time he has a good game the top 4 talk comes out, and I just don't see it.

Letang was horrible.

On second Pred goal, Letang gets to puck in corner and instead of making the quick and simple pass to Depres along boards behind net, he settles it (as he always does), gets pressured and only THEN passes. If Depres gets that puck EARLY he skates it out of the zone. Instead when he receives pass he's pressured and makes a bad pass to Spaling.

Not exonerating Depres but that goal began with Letang trying to play Mr. Norris Trophy.

Don't forget, their Captain has already said they don't like afternoon games so they got that excuse going for them.

You saw it right. Noticed the same thing. Zach Sill jumped over the boards.

Crosby isn't right and hasn't been for a long time IMO.

That was a weird one. Bennett was hurt.

Totally agree, you can tell he is special by just watching his game. I will take his mistakes and learning curve especially over Bortuzzo. If Borts isn't going to hit and play physical anymore, then he should sit as he has turned into a turnover machine.

Oh dear but we might have to hurt someone's feelings! Can't be done!!

Everything he's attempted in this game has been blocked. Everything. This isn't the AHL, he's finding out.

True. But that isn't just him. Same for Despres and even Letang. At least he is moving and generating some different lanes and angles.

I agree at least you notice pouliot, I can't say that about many other pens

Not what I saw.

And maybe if Bortuzzo makes a few more cross ice passes instead of thinking he's the second coming of Paul Coffey, Pouliot would have a little more time and room.

On one sequence, Bortuzzo ignored a wide open Pouliot to pass to Sill along left boards. Let that sink in.

Hand the kid reins on #1 PP.

Still missing Malkin and Como. would like to wait and see if they make difference. Horny has to be with Crosby. Line was so great with him on it, don't know why 14 is still on top line.

You didn't see where our Captain said they really didn't like afternoon games which is excuse number 34A in the Big Book of Pens Excuses. So there is that one and excuse number 12B which says they don't play very well before a long upcoming western road trip because of the packing and stuff.

Also, at some point 29 has to be great. When he plays good, penguins don't win. He needs to steal some goals.

but to be fair to 29, defense has looked lost for past 2 months.

There was a second team out there?

I think most are frustrated, no reason to make it political.

sad we are getting blanked by the back-up goalie.

John Hynes anyone?

It isn't Johnston in my opinion. It is on the players. They need to outwork opponents. No reason why these players should struggle to score goals.

That's an interesting point.
Therrian had the Pens very disciplined defensively, absolutely with great habits. DB came along and opened things up and they were like starving greyhounds going after a 3-legged rabbit!

Soon enough those defensive habits wore off, though.

We'll see what happens with Nash.

He knows the company line.

Ya know he never disappoints. Will say how they play now makes no difference. After Geno is back, it will be, Imagine Duper and Maattta healthy. My expectations are dropping quicker than Gordie Laxton in an NHL game.

Steigy is a FOM. It is what it is.

yep.

Notice how Letang just passed up the shot on the scramble? Nashville has a four goal lead and shoot from everywhere. Where is that with the Pens?

Don't think so Moose. I still haven't seen him run head long into the boards at a high rate of speed for apparently no reason. But there's still time to prove me wrong I suppose.

Again another senseless move. They could get as much pulling a fan from the stands

It was a waiver pick-up, the fact that Arcebello is playing 12 minutes is an illustration of the lack of depth.

Even Strength goals this season:
Arcobello 8
Crosby 8

Difference between Arcobello and Crosby? 8 million in salary.

They traded some of the little depth they had with Goc.
And please don't talk about his low offensive numbers.
Look who he was playing with.
Maybe they traded him because he couldn't elevate Sill and Adams.
But hey, now Adams might get more TOI!
Last time I checked, mid-game he had more than Hornqvist,

Things are a mess on many levels.

I would take a trade for a Roberts or Guerin type. Get someone to go into that locker room and shake them up a bit.

To be more precise, they got shut out by the backup goalie!
OK, I kid.
Bortuzzo has been a different player since Tootoo lit him up. Dunno what's going on there.
Scuderi - well, when has he ever been able to get the puck out of the zone? He is awful at moving the puck. Awful at taking a pass. Incapable of hitting the net. He is out with Crosby a large portion of the time, allowing the opposition to ignore him safely and key on Crosby. Who's been not himself. At all. For a long time.

bad drafting. limited picks and Shero giving away the cash to players heading south or never should have been signed is reflected in this team. But the hope is the plugs will be cut or traded and not signed this year and will give some flexibility to add. Tell JR outside of Perron, no one can be signed or extended this year.

If they're even thinking of extending Martin they are sadly mistaken.

Sarah: On Scuds/Martin pairing with Sid on ice, commented same at game. Plus we saw a little Scuds 4 on 4.

Beautiful.

Two clean breakaway stops? Really?