Pittsburgh Sports Media Gibberish - Part IX

[Jacob]

What's the Rathje thing about? I don't wanna miss out on any zingers at TTEOT's expense.

 

[Lionel Hutz]

He told us all the pens should have signed rathje. Several times.

 

[Jacob]

Heheh. He's something else.

 

[Zen Arcade]

He told us all the pens should have signed rathje. Several times.

If by several you mean like 50.

And let's not forget Dan McGillis.

 

[billybudd]

He told us all the pens should have signed rathje. Several times.

In what year? Rathje was a pretty useful player back when there was one D on every pairing who was just expected to either pin a forward to the wall or crosscheck somebody in front of the net. Well, until his back gave out, anyway.

I mean, he'd have been dead weight in 2006, but in the summer of 2003, that wouldn't have been a terrible idea. He'd have been more useful (on the ice) than Bergevin, that's for sure.

 

[Zen Arcade]

It wasn't so much that he suggested it, it's that it became an obsession. Think the recent Kulemin talk and multiply it by 1,000.

 

[Pens1566]

In what year? Rathje was a pretty useful player back when there was one D on every pairing who was just expected to either pin a forward to the wall or crosscheck somebody in front of the net. Well, until his back gave out, anyway.

I mean, he'd have been dead weight in 2006, but in the summer of 2003, that wouldn't have been a terrible idea. He'd have been more useful (on the ice) than Bergevin, that's for sure.

It was well after my join date of '05.

 

[ProgOg]

Since it has been a topic of discussion:

A look at the Penguins' past divisional records vs their playoff performance

As we can see, the Penguins have done really well within their division in recent years, especially if you put less weight on the 2010-12 seasons when Malkin and especially Crosby missed a lot of time in those years. Perhaps now the contrast that they are struggling makes their difficulties all the more interesting.

But as is also evidenced- season series don't always predict playoff results. The Penguins didn't fare well against the Flyers in 2008 or Capitals in 2009, but still were able to win those series. Likewise, the Pens "had the numbers" of the Canadiens in 2010 and the Bruins in 2013 in the regular season, but also were eliminated by those same teams.

 

[billybudd]

It was well after my join date of '05.

So, like coming out of the lockout, then.

I could see how someone might want to sign him, but with the rule changes, it would have been a big (but not easily forseeable) mistake.

 

[Iffyiffiffer]

Rutherford: Any major trade that I'm doing, I'd run it by my bosses anyways.

Right, so no one should act like the clock has reset just because they fired Shero and Bylsma. It's still the same upper management pulling the strings who were just fine building the mess they're still in. The same guys who are okay with drafting no forwards, who decided we should become softer after the islanders debacle, who okayed Bylsma after the Flyers series, who okayed trading for 35 year olds, and who okayed signing 35 year olds to long contracts.

 

[penguins2946*]

Right, so no one should act like the clock has reset just because they fired Shero and Bylsma. It's still the same upper management pulling the strings who were just fine building the mess they're still in. The same guys who are okay with drafting no forwards, who decided we should become softer after the islanders debacle, who okayed Bylsma after the Flyers series, who okayed trading for 35 year olds, and who okayed signing 35 year olds to long contracts.

Yes, because that is exactly what that quote said

There's a difference between running it by Lemieux and co about trading Neal (their 40 goal scorer and one of the core members of the team) and everything else you mentioned. Your post is so full of crap.

 

[ProgOg]

Not an article, but here is Johnston on Malkin at center:

 

[MtlPenFan]

Yes, because that is exactly what that quote said

There's a difference between running it by Lemieux and co about trading Neal (their 40 goal scorer and one of the core members of the team) and everything else you mentioned. Your post is so full of crap.

No it's not.

Ultimately, it was they that allowed things to get where they were. I loved the honestly from Lemieux and Burkle in reading DK's interview, but it was also frustrating because the dissatisfaction they felt had been festering for a while, and didn't just materialize because of blowing a 3-1 lead to the Rangers. If they were that pissed for that long, they should have cleaned house earlier.

 

[penguins2946*]

No it's not.

Ultimately, it was they that allowed things to get where they were. I loved the honestly from Lemieux and Burkle in reading DK's interview, but it was also frustrating because the dissatisfaction they felt had been festering for a while, and didn't just materialize because of blowing a 3-1 lead to the Rangers. If they were that pissed for that long, they should have cleaned house earlier.

Lemieux and Burkle weren't the ones telling Shero to only draft D, to hand out those long term contracts to Scuderi or to keep Bylsma (they actually wanted to fire him after 2013, but Shero vouched for him). They wouldn't have said what they said in the interview with DK if they were the ones orchestrating that crap.

 

[Rocket of Russia]

Lemieux and Burkle weren't the ones telling Shero to only draft D, to hand out those long term contracts to Scuderi or to keep Bylsma (they actually wanted to fire him after 2013, but Shero vouched for him).

If Shero was still going to bat for Bylsma after the Boston series then Burkle and Lemieux could and should have acted on both Shero and Bylsma right then and there.

 

[Speaking Moistly]

If Shero was still going to bat for Bylsma after the Boston series then Burkle and Lemieux could and should have acted on both Shero and Bylsma right then and there.

Yeah, the irony in any complaining about ownership meddling is that there are areas that they really needed to meddle with way earlier. I think Shero was ultimately left to his own devices for too long in a lot of ways.

 

[MtlPenFan]

Lemieux and Burkle weren't the ones telling Shero to only draft D, to hand out those long term contracts to Scuderi or to keep Bylsma (they actually wanted to fire him after 2013, but Shero vouched for him). They wouldn't have said what they said in the interview with DK if they were the ones orchestrating that crap.

Do you not understand a word that was just said?

They clearly weren't happy from way earlier than last year. Yet they stood pat and worried more about creating a brand and keeping the family together rather than winning hockey games.

 

[Kiith Nabaal]

Since it has been a topic of discussion:

A look at the Penguins' past divisional records vs their playoff performance

nooooo I put all that time into my post for nothing lol

 

[ProgOg]

Johnston on Fleury's workload:

Johnston said. “I watch him in practice and I watch him in games. Our games have been fairly spread out. There was a string there at Christmas where we had a lot and [Greiss] was out with the mumps. We probably played [Fleury] just a touch more, maybe one game more than we would have at at time."

“Heading into the second half [of the season] we already had Greiss' games already mapped out. We always split the [back-to-back games]. Going forward, the schedule does pick up. [Fleury], we will monitor his workload there. But our number of games, especially after Christmas have been spread out so it's an easier workload for him.”

 

[penguins2946*]

If Shero was still going to bat for Bylsma after the Boston series then Burkle and Lemieux could and should have acted on both Shero and Bylsma right then and there.

This is entirely true. This alone should be evidence enough that the ownership wasn't meddling with the team. As a matter of fact, they probably should have been meddling more.

Do you not understand a word that was just said?

They clearly weren't happy from way earlier than last year. Yet they stood pat and worried more about creating a brand and keeping the family together rather than winning hockey games.

Or, let's be more realistic here, they trusted Shero and they wanted to give him 1 more chance. If anything, this just supports the idea that they weren't involved enough, not that they were involved too much.

 

[td_ice]

[/B]

No it's not.

Ultimately, it was they that allowed things to get where they were. I loved the honestly from Lemieux and Burkle in reading DK's interview, but it was also frustrating because the dissatisfaction they felt had been festering for a while, and didn't just materialize because of blowing a 3-1 lead to the Rangers. If they were that pissed for that long, they should have cleaned house earlier.

And I think I know where some of their mentality comes from. Talking about ownership. As I remember hearing an interview with Mario (boy, one of he has ever done post playing days, he doesn't do many).

He talked about how the Steeler's and the Rooney family are the owners that they want to model themselves after. Since we are talking different sports, I would guess one of the staples that anyone wanting to use the Rooney's as a model, would be the stability in coaching/management. So I can see him, and Burkle wanting to give Shero and DB as much latitude as possible. I am sure that they now see the error of that decision. Owners make mistakes. Too much interference (see Jones, Jerry) or not enough involvement..you need to find that balance. But yeah, the ownership always bears ultimate responsibility.

 

[cygnus47]

I still think Shero was a good GM, he just had that one big weakness in trusting Bylsma and Bylsma's decision making. Shero was worth giving some latitude in any area other than Bylsma still being coach.

 

[ProgOg]

Johnston quotes from today:

I didn’t like our last two games,” Johnston said by phone before the Penguins flew to Philadelphia. “I liked the first period of the Islanders game, for sure. Not the finish and (Sunday) afternoon, I didn’t think we had it at all, in any area of our game.”

“For me, everything is about how we’re playing,” Johnston said. “Sometimes you may not come out on the right side of the score or sometimes you will. It’s still how you’re playing. That’s what you have to keep in focus as a coach: You may win some games. You may have a five-game winning streak. But how you’re playing may not be exactly the right way to be successful.

“Or you could be in a situation where you’ve lost a couple games in a row, and you’re actually doing some good things so you know you’re going to come out of it.”

 

[Rocket of Russia]

They clearly weren't happy from way earlier than last year. Yet they stood pat and worried more about creating a brand and keeping the family together rather than winning hockey games.

To be fair to Lemieux/Burkle, they had just seen Shero create a fairly impressive roster, one that was constantly envied and talked about around the league.

They saw a GM who made this potential lineup:

Kunitz-Crosby-Iginla
Bennett-Malkin-Neal
Jokinen-Sutter-Dupuis
Cooke-Vitale-Adams/Kennedy

That lineup to them may have signified that Shero put them in a place to win a cup, regardless of what future was mortgaged to get it, and that the fault fell on Bylsma for how it was constructed. When the "mastermind" behind that roster convinced them to keep Bylsma on board, maybe they falsely believed Shero could get Bylsma under control or force his hand....

After it was obvious he couldn't, wouldn't, or was incapable of doing so, mixed with the sting of losing a lot of future on bad deals and misused youth (Despres and Bennett mainly), they cleaned house.

 

[FunkySeeFunkyDo]

...

gonna assume that second 19 was supposed to be 17 (Comeau) in that last tweet, unless Beau is injured again (which is never out of the realm of possibility).

Hoping that if we don't get another LW, that Geno gets 17 and 19, Sid gets 72 and 39 (on the LW) and Goc gets 13 and Arco/Farnham/Rust leaving
Kunitz and Downie for Sutter with no place for Adams or Sill.