Certainly doesn't help. But this isn't the first time they've had a defense like this.
Penguins fire Mike Johnston, Mike Sullivan named new head coach
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Certainly doesn't help. But this isn't the first time they've had a defense like this.
BHD
Here comes Skinner
They're only five points out of a WC, and they're not even half-way through the season.
Yet they're two points up on the hard-working, Find A Way Flames.
They still have some kinks to work out, but things aren't nearly as bad as they were under Johnston.
Shooting percentages and shot selection. Sullivan has prompted the players to not only shoot more (ground-breaking stuff), but shoot at high % areas. The shooting percentages should go up if they persist with the latter.
How about... No. I would take Bylsma back before putting that buffoon behind the bench.
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Vikke
ViktorAllvin twitter
I dunno. They've lost Paul Martin, Matt Niskanen, Christian Ehrhoff over the past two off-seasons and replaced them with god knows what.
Luigi Lemieux
Registered User
They're missing a stablizing dman that eats minutes and carries/moves the puck with some poise. This is the first season in the Crosby/Malkin era that the pens haven't had either Sergei Gonchar or Paul Martin on the team and it's affecting them heavily imo. Letang is a dynamic player but he doesn't have that stabilizing presence to his game.
Luigi Lemieux
Registered User
and Simon Despres. Pens defense has taken massive losses over the past 18 months or so.
Vikke
ViktorAllvin twitter
Maybe, I'd still peg him as a much better puck-mover, both by passing and skating it, than Cole, Clendening, Lovejoy.
The Flyers have a very similar problem. Giroux's 5on5 scoring took a massive dip when Carle was gone, Timonen getting older, Gustafsson leaving for the KHL, Pronger going out with injury. Going from that to Grossmann, Schenn, Hal Gill etc is painful.
BHD
Here comes Skinner
Scuderi was the only defenseman of the bunch that should have jettisoned. Instead, he was a black hole and was on the ice far too often.
BHD
Here comes Skinner
I have been watching more Pens games since the switch and while I agree that Sullivan has opened up the offense, all that does has been to expose the defense and goalie more and allow more scoring chances against. And similarly, the forwards aren't converting much better so there has been little increase in offense. I guess it looks like the Pens are holding the puck in the offensive zone a bit more, but that really isn't translating into goals.
The team does look more entertaining but they also look like they are going to lose more games because they give up more goals due poor team construction, and they are going to be a real mess if either Crosby or Malkin is out for any considerable amount of time.
The saddest thing is if they don't make wholesale management changes, I am not sure that writing off this season will lead to making the team better next season.
BHD
Here comes Skinner
When it's the TDL and the team is clearly out of the playoff picture. I expect JR to stay the course as long as they are in shooting distance of a spot. Right now, there is still half of a season to go.
Semantics
PUBLIC ENEMY #1
For what? Not many teams have the cap space, and even if they did, who's going to want that contract?
Boom Boom Apathy
I am the Professor. Deal with it!
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I'm not sure this makes a lot of sense to me (but I'm not a Pens fan so am not as close to the situation). Isn't defense the major weakness in Pittsburgh? If so, why shop Letang?
If your point is that he makes too much for what he brings, ie..he's signed for $7.25M / year until he's 35 and he's struggled to stay healthy, etc..., then why would other teams want to trade much for him given that?
McOvechking
Registered User
If they can trade Letang for a package including another defender, I think they consider it.
As an Oilers fan, I'd consider something like Fayne + Eberle
Stickpucker
Playmaka
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Empoleon8771
Registered User
Of course you would, because that's awful for the Pens
Adding a bottom pair defenseman and another righty winger is not at all a good deal.
- Jun 13, 2010
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Why would the Penguins do that?
The biggest fallacy perpetrated here at HFBoards is that the Penguins issue is defense. It's like the looney guy on the street corner yelling 2+2=5. Ummm...no...no it's not.
King'sPawn
Enjoy the chaos
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Malkin is one of the best players in the world, and I would love to have him, but this is one of the times I'm going to accept being called a homer when I say no to trading Doughty for him. The Kings defense would then be:
Muzzin - Martinez
McNabb - McBain
Forbort - Ehrhoff
Pens 4-6-2 since the firing of Johnston. They look better under Sullivan but the team seems to still be missing something.
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