Red Wings 5, Penguins 1

To quote Lennox in "Macbeth" - "oh - by whom???"

This has be a DKOPS first. A Shakespeare reference.

Miles above my head.

Geno - out
Sid - game time decision
Pouliot - sent back to WB-Scranton
Kunitz - ?

Geno - out
Sid - game time decision
Pouliot - sent back to WB-Scranton
Kunitz - ?

I will belive Kunitz healthy scratched or Bottom6 when I see it, but I am sincerely hoping MJ tries something, anything. Maybe even trying Perron w Malkin, for the heck of it, DP has been fairly invisible lately. Perhaps his creativity will help Malkin....Or heck, SID or Geno taking extra shifts together or with the 4th line....anything, ANYTHING to jump start this offense....
But Malkins out today so let's just see what happens....

Jump start the offense? They scored 6 goals the game before Boston. Teams get shut out. It happens. Saying that the offense needs a jump based on the last game alone is silly. They played Anaheim, one of the best teams in the league, only a few games ago and scored 5 goals. This offense is fine. The only place they need some work is on the power play, obviously.

Chill. Was not referring to one game. Watch lately.

This offense is not fine in the Division,nwhich they need to get out of to advance.
And this offense has not been fine last 5 years in the playoffs.

I do not see attempts made in bench mgmt to jump start things when the O is not going. In fact I see decisions made to the contrary, Ii.e. Kunitz 4 on 4 in OT, or Scuderi or Adams when we need a goal late, or Hornquist on the bench in favor of Kunitz on a crucial PP.

Do you?

Offense looks real fine. Haha

Lol okay. Sky is falling in Pittsburgh with a two game slump. Win or bust for Pittsburgh hockey. Typical.

Great he is hitting people. He has been on the ice for 3 goals for and 9 against, and is winning <40% of faceoffs when short handed. He is a quick skater I just don't see doing much of anything productive, I never really understood the Goc trade.

He's OK. But there's too many in bottom 6 you just don't notice....Laps, Sutter, BB....
I've noticed Downie most, honestly.....

I hated the Goc trade if only because of his excellent faceoffs. The couple times he played 3rd line I thought he was grittier than Sutter.

But perhaps he was unable to sufficiently elevate Adams and Sill.

Who knows maybe Lappy will prove himself more sandpapery....I guess we can hope.

Related to Sid questionable?

HCMJ said yesterday Pouliot would play today so surmising it's a forward issue.

I believe this to be a temp issue related to staying under the cap and DP will get time in the playoffs.

I do NOT believe said the will come at the expense of Scuderi, however, which is the larger problem....

Interested in seeing game Scuds sits and result.

Cannot have lone exception on D to speed/puck movement philosophy. Either we're riding with it or we're not.

"Who ride? We ride." From the great philosopher, Joey Porter.

Sorry I'm not watching the game yet....you saying Scuds is siting today??

It's a cap/waivers issue. Pouliot was their only move.

No, in today. Taking HCMJ at word on D-man rotation down stretch.

Like Kunitz, believe Scuds sitting when I see it.
DJ - totally agree he is not a fit for the system....
And with current 6, dunno who is going to hit anybody or get a shots on net on the PP....

Oh dear....

that play just about sums up the entire season for our favorite 4th liner, Chris Kunitz

that play just about sums up the entire season for our favorite 4th liner, Chris Kunitz

Read in the paper today about Kunitz and his iron deficiency. At least that is a new one for addition to the Penguins Big Book of Excuses.

Let's be real - that was not an easy chance.

Yup maybe not such an easy chance but I can think of 2-3 guys I'd like to try up there to see if they could convert....Winnik, BB, Downie....

Will that happen? Even temporarily for an offense jump-start?

Why wasn't this mentioned in Feb when the coaching staff told DK they had been unhappy w Kunitz going back to training camp, and he needed to pick it up or be demoted??

10 minute misconduct, over 200 penalty minutes this season. Someone remind me why he's on this roster?

Well because he brings a toughness they've lacked.

But he gets penalized frequently just for being Dowie.
Member when Buff boarded him after he scored a goal? Yeah, that was offsetting minors.
We need guys like him, who the refs don't hate.

But he's all we got at this point, due to recent trades.

Maybe Sutter will stick up for somebody,
There's always hope.

Masters.

"Oh, that you? My bad, so sorry."

Always have Sarah and I suppose always will.

It's not cheatin if they ain't gonna call it.

Oh please. 9 shutouts and the only reasons hebre doing as well as they are.
Please.

Fleury was the least of their problems on that awful shift.

I'm not one of those every Penguin has to hit everybody guys but Scuderi goes out of his way to not make physical contact EVER. You dont have to make massive body checks but as a dman you have to bump forwards off the puck at least once per month.

And this guy is an assistant captain and we wonder why this team lack leadership???

Hitting won't happen, and he was never going to reach that shooter even 6 feet away.

Was just hoping he'd lay out.

Eh...Scuds has never really been physical....but in a different system (LAK) he was valuable. Very much so....to his credit. He deserves his rings.

Not so much here.....he is too slow foot speed wise and not quick with handling the puck to fit well.....and really who do we have who is physical on D now? Letang I guess?

Scuds had more than fair share of blocks on 09 Cup run. Not seeing it these days.

When you're that valuable a cog cannot afford being out for extended time.

Agreed ... He was faster then....

Yeah, well you don't need to be fast to lay out.

Not quite built for the tough sleddin' in the East.....

Spot on Bill... But geez where's our pride?

Yep lousy 6 periods just when you thought they were reaching another level

A rudderless ship comes to mind. I hope we can turn this around, like now.

Zdlicky. (Autocorrect)

A nightmare.

Looks like they flipped the script. Usually 1st game after a long road trip they stink. They haven't scored in 5 periods on home ice now.....ouch.

That's the second Shakespeare reference on this thread!

My bad Peeps I started it LOL!

Do not apologize, Sarah. You're elevating the cultural experience of the thread.

Elevating it from "Abject Cultural Illiteracy" to "Hey, Some of Us Know That Shakespeare Is Someone Other Than Steelers' First Ever Draft Choice."

LOL!!! Thanks for the smile in the midst of this Penguns mess!!!

Must have said something to the ref

He seemed to make some unflattering remark(s) to the official ...

The reffing has reached comical proportions.... C'mon DK let loose on'em!!!

The reffing has reached comical proportions.... C'mon DK let loose on'em!!!

Not hard to see what's going on in that locker room, by the candid shots of the bench during the malaise. Sid with a huge incredulous smile, cutting up with players .. and HCMJ just looking on, calmly. Sid runs this team, yes? HCMJ should be in their faces, not quiet and reserved. This is a persistent discipline issue with this team. Bad calls will happen, bad situations will happen ... but the ability to move on without a bad attitude, maintaining focus, is the mark of a champion.

To be fair, MJ is a minor league coach brought in to a team with superstars.
Wouldn't want to be him.

Let's give him a series before we bury him.

The easiest way to beat these Penguins is to get under their skin, and that will be the strategy any team we are matched with will employ ... first thing. This is nothing new, third season if my old memory serves. That proves the fault isn't with MCMJ, he just doesn't seem to be particulrly effective at stopping it.

Yep DJ, gotta give him a chance. But more and more I feel he's a puppet.

Unless he REALLY thinks that Kunitz is better on PP1 than Horny, or Adams should be out there 4 on 4... Or that Letang is a QB...And on and on....

Of 3 mentioned, there may be only 1 or none soon.

Adams would have been out 4 straight (or 5?) if Geno/Sid in, Letang PP role slowly eroding. Kuni move might not be far behind. Would like to see Winnik there, a Guerin sized winger.

That would allow me to go to all the games! Haha

Pens 15-5-3 (.717) vs West and 24-15-7 (.597) vs East

So I saw Vegas at 80% of ticket applications - what's your thoughts of a team playing there?

Playoffs? You talkin' about playoffs? PLAYOFFS?

The idea that this team has "as good a chance as any" in the east to win the cup is delusional. I'm sorry but championship caliber teams don't melt down like this on a regular basis.

Also, you need size to win a cup. Yes, speed and mobility are very important, but I can't think of any team in recent memory that has won the cup without some size on the back end. It is not a coincidence that Lucic and Chara scored the only two goals yesterday. Each of those guys could crush any one of the Pens' top 6 defensemen like grapefruit.

Chara was empty net and Lucic unattended 8 feet from Scuds who made ill advised decision to side-saddle it late rather than laying out. Size did not matter on either goal.

What WILL matter in playoffs is if Scuds isn't scratched. Etch it.

Ok, maybe size didn't matter on either goal yesterday. That doesn't change the overarching point the size generally does matter in the playoffs, and that Lucic and Chara embody how the Pens struggle to contain teams with skill AND size.

I have no opinion on the Scuds issue. The fact that he is eating up as much cap space as he is is no doubt one of the reasons Shero was fired.

The point about D is we need smart plays at speed. We get that and we'll be fine. We simply cannot get that from Scuds (incapable) so needs to be odd man out.

East is so tight that playoff Ws will be hard enough to come by as is. Cannot afford even one L where we're lamenting Scuds' play after fact. Will be difference in winning or losing a series.

I always make fun of him for having an obvious hard on for the 5 teams they always cover

I was thinking the exact same thing. He uses that phrase whenever he's about to talk about a penalty call he agrees with.

Sarah, how do you feel about the play where he got drilled in the mask with a shot, was unhurt and still standing up as the puck went into the corner THEN he took his mask off to deliberately stop play?

That I was fine with me quite honestly. It has happened to me and many others, and it's the refs responsibility to blow the play dead immediately if the G loses his/her helmet. Their job is safety first. My strategy if I didn't get a whistle was to pushthe net off its moorings, coz I know the refs cannot see everything. But they usually see the net in the corner lol!

The guy is still a drama queen.

He's on the ice, but hardly playing....

Listening on the radio and I have rarely heard his name called.

Eh,maybe still sick. What's the excuse for the other 18 guys? ( well maybe except Horny)...

We couldn't score on a PP anyway.

Totally anecdotal but Babcock and Julien always seem to outnumber us on PPs.

Downie's 2nd 10 minute misconduct this game. Pitiful.

0-19-1 when trailing in the 3rd this year....
Erm, sorry I guess 0-20-1 now....

Those numbers are astounding. 13 games left to find our heart, soul, and identity. Not very confident right now.

sorry about that. not sure why that posted

MJ just said same thing. If he's not back for the playoffs, that would be a huge loss given he's their only net front physical presence.

Oh Lord. Pray for Horny.

And have always been

And no home games.

All night games on road for us.

. . . and no games without Hornie.

Great point Sara and that applies to all sports (and even life) and this points directly at leadership or lack thereof on this time. Throw in another stat that they have failed to come from behind once in the third period and how they just crumble especially discipline wise when things aren't going their way.

After those really good games in California, I could just feel their mindset something to the effect "well boys, we showed we could play with the big boys..................cruise time". Now they'll be upset and pound NJ and think they have all of their problems solved and relax again.

NO LEADERSHIP on this team to prevent all of the above from happening.

And here I thought MAF was lowering his floor, not raising it.

That said, haven't have 2 solid weeks on what would hope to be our starting playoff line-up all healthy (which would now include Scuds being scratched).

That needs to be ONLY priority but was not sounding good post-game on Hornie. He's out for extended period and we can call it a year. Said months ago he's either 3rd or 4th most indispensable player on team.

Hah DJ, no doubt MAF has not been shining as much lately and I'm as worried as anybody that he might be headed to a playoff crash.
I sure hope not. He's been great this year, if anything he's justbbeen less able to bail the team out whilst being hung out to dry recently.
I guess we'll find out in a couple weeks!

TOTALLY agree with you Horny is irreplaceable. Fingers crossed!!!

MAF has been great. Terminology was getting me.

When I'm thinking floor, I'm thinking his GA and his save % and he's lowered both.

But get your message -- ceiling is lower totals and floor is higher totals. Upside down house.

All in the continuing pattern of mortgaging the future for immediate "experience".
And still with just 2 Top6 Ws.

To be fair, who did they mortgage? Despres? Cole and Despres are a near push. Meanwhile they got Perron without giving up Dumoulin, Harrington, and especially Pouliot. The D may have some squeaky wheels at the moment, but I don't think they have traded the future for anything with this D core.

To be clear they mortgaged Despres. Young, cheap, strong, improving, loads of upside.

Already being used to advantage in Anaheim, playing more mins, more valuable mins (2nd pairing) plus PK mins. Very clear that BB believes in SD much more than we did, and is giving him the opp to excel.

They mortgaged the future with Despres.

And Hornqvist was the best player on the ice for the Pens today. Thirteen games left to find some consistency and a Power Play. If not, the playoffs will be an empty exercise.

Same as yesterday. To lose him would be huge.