Why are the Penguins struggling?
- Thread starter Johnnydrama21
- Start date
The Pens roster overall is slumping right now, not just Crosby. Sutter has 6 points in his last 30 games. Bennett has 2 goals and no assists in his last 10 games. The 4th line is a liability anytime it is out there. The defense outside of Letang is an utter mess. Fleury has had a .890 save% in the last month+. It's just a huge mess right now, there are way too many issues to blame just Crosby.
Also this:
Why isn't this being said about Malkin? He has a total of 4 more goals than Crosby. Why is Giroux never faulted for that, when he only has 2 more goals than Crosby?
Also this:
Why isn't this being said about Malkin? He has a total of 4 more goals than Crosby. Why is Giroux never faulted for that, when he only has 2 more goals than Crosby?
SUBdrewgANS
Let's Go Pens!
Not to blame everything on the 4th line who gets very little minutes, but I think having the 4th line the pens do is part of the problem.
Sill-Ebbett-Adams is not going to cut it.. instead of going out keeping momentum or creating energy, they deflate it.. it's always a buzzkill to the team when Sill and Adams are out there.
Sill-Ebbett-Adams is not going to cut it.. instead of going out keeping momentum or creating energy, they deflate it.. it's always a buzzkill to the team when Sill and Adams are out there.
MayonnaiseOreo
Undiagnosed Everything
Giroux has never scored 50 goals in a season, let alone 30 (though he's scored 28 twice).
That was my point. Crosby isn't a goal scorer as much as he is a playmaker. Saying that Crosby's goals/cap hit is too low is just as insane as saying Giroux's goals/cap hit is too low. Both of them are playmakers primarily, which is why they have the cap hit they have. That wasn't meant as a knock on Giroux, I just really didn't like that sentence. That's like me saying Ovechkin's assist/cap hit rate is too low.
Basically, my point is Crosby's not paid $8.7 million per season to score a bunch of goals. He gets paid that much to rack up assists and total points.
Russian Factor
Registered User
Skinnyjimmy08
WorldTraveler
- Mar 30, 2012
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Steve Downie... always the cancer wherever he goes and takes horrible penalties at bad times haha
Striiker
Former Flyers Fan
Well also Giroux doesn't have anyone (other than Lavi) constantly calling him the best player in the NHL.
When you have that title people are going to have huge expectations every year and you're expected to keep up your same production until you get to the age where slowing down is normal.
I'm not saying that's fair, but it's reality,
So how do you explain the first 33 games then, where the Pens went 22-6-5? Downie has taken a penalty at a bad time a grand total of once this year.
But the thing is, he's not even a goal scorer. It's faulting him for something he's not that strong at. That's like faulting Ovechkin for having too low of an assists/cap hit ratio.
gdsmack267
Registered User
Downie is the furthest thing from being an issue. Hes been great. The insane amount of injuries has just killed this teams depth and killed any chemistry development
Oileritis.
If you have 2 former Oilers that were a part of the rebuild then it is highly contagious.
Perron and Arcobello are to blame.
Just like Horcoff and Hemsky in Dallas or Dubnyk and Gagner in Arizona.
Arizona traded Dubnyk but it was too late. It had already spread though the locker room.
Look at Philly this year. Schultz and Vandevelde are bringing them down.
Oileritis is serious guys.
If you have 2 former Oilers that were a part of the rebuild then it is highly contagious.
Perron and Arcobello are to blame.
Just like Horcoff and Hemsky in Dallas or Dubnyk and Gagner in Arizona.
Arizona traded Dubnyk but it was too late. It had already spread though the locker room.
Look at Philly this year. Schultz and Vandevelde are bringing them down.
Oileritis is serious guys.
SUBdrewgANS
Let's Go Pens!
You obviously haven't watched him this season.. Only took 1 badly timed penalty all year and that was against the islanders
VanIsle
Registered User
Pittsburgh has 214 man games lost to injury, 5th most in the NHL.
Montreal on the other hand has only lost 39 for comparison for least in the league.
http://mangameslost.com/nhl-man-games-lost-chip-and-tmitt-january-29-2015/
Montreal on the other hand has only lost 39 for comparison for least in the league.
http://mangameslost.com/nhl-man-games-lost-chip-and-tmitt-january-29-2015/
BB88
Registered User
- Jan 19, 2015
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I'd like to see pens having an injury free season next year, they deserve it. Minor injuries happen all the time but the amount of bigger/season ending injuries is ridiculous.
+ Maatta's has had a rough year, he's a joy to watch and hopefully he gets to play full season with the pens next year.
So my guess is injuries.
+ Maatta's has had a rough year, he's a joy to watch and hopefully he gets to play full season with the pens next year.
So my guess is injuries.
Snippit
Registered User
- Dec 5, 2012
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Injuries and lately getting outworked (i.e Capitals game).
They don't have the right combination of guys on defence, too.
Letang-Martin
Ehrhoff-Despres
It's decent on paper (with Maatta in it's very good on paper) but these are all puck moving guys, maybe more suited to the offensive game.
I see a need for a defensive defensemen.
Oh, and the Lapierre for Goc deal was awful. Knee-jerk reaction to getting bullied by the Flyers, so you deal a competent 4C for a plug. Perron/Hornqvist look great though.
If they can avoid injuries and play solid, structured hockey they will be fine and have every chance of coming out of the East. It doesn't matter how you get in - you'll be facing 3 strong teams no matter what.
They don't have the right combination of guys on defence, too.
Letang-Martin
Ehrhoff-Despres
It's decent on paper (with Maatta in it's very good on paper) but these are all puck moving guys, maybe more suited to the offensive game.
I see a need for a defensive defensemen.
Oh, and the Lapierre for Goc deal was awful. Knee-jerk reaction to getting bullied by the Flyers, so you deal a competent 4C for a plug. Perron/Hornqvist look great though.
If they can avoid injuries and play solid, structured hockey they will be fine and have every chance of coming out of the East. It doesn't matter how you get in - you'll be facing 3 strong teams no matter what.
Striiker
Former Flyers Fan
I'd argue that he is.
How many other players score as many goals as he does and aren't called goalscorers?
39 goals in 81 games (0.48 goals per game)
36 goals in 79 games (0.46 goals per game)
24 goals in 53 games (0.45 goals per game)
33 goals in 77 games (0.43 goals per game)
51 goals in 81 games (0.63 goals per game)
32 goals in 42 games (0.76 goals per game)
8 goals in 22 games (0.36 goals per game)
15 goals in 36 games (0.41 goals per game)
36 goals in 80 games (0.45 goals per game)
and then this year at 15 in 44 games (0.34 goals per game)
So he's well below his career average, only other time he's been close was when he was injured and missed a lot of time.
It's not like you can't be a goalscorer and playmaker at the same time, you can and he is and that's why he's considered the best.
Striiker
Former Flyers Fan
Not true at all, Schultz has been playing far above expectations and Vandevelde, by some type of magic, has 7 goals in 40 games this year, including 4 in his last 5. Which obviously isn't amazing, but for a 4th liner who's being dragged down by Lecavalier, that's quite the accomplishment.
You can do the same thing with Ovechkin in assists/game. My point is that I really don't see how faulting Crosby for not having a high enough goals/caphit ratio when his goal pace isn't even that bad. He's on pace for like 28, if he's putting up 67 assists over a full season, is that really a problem? He's still on pace for 95 points.
Skinnyjimmy08
WorldTraveler
- Mar 30, 2012
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Im kidding about Downie!!!!haha... That's just usually everyones go-to excuse with whatever team he is on
NJ's injuries have flown under the radar. I feel bad for Columbus but they are getting back to normal now.
Striiker
Former Flyers Fan
Well I'm not one of those people so I can't speak for their mindset, I'm just pointing out why some people might find his goal totals below expectations. When you've shown you can do something, and especially when it's happened multiple times, it becomes expected and anything short is reacted to with alarm.
Also remember we're on one of the most reactionary websites in the world and any media people who have the same reactions are probably sensationalists looking to cause a ruckus.
Also, thank you for making me feel horrible about myself by causing me to say positive things about Crosby. I hope you're happy.
