Crosby Responds to Trib Article
Since coaching was the major theme on Monday's message board here, I thought this would be an appropriate story. I swore I wouldn't write about the goalies today, but it's inescapable at this point, even though there are other issues bugging this team.
A major topic of discussion at Tuesday's practice was
this article, written by the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review's Rob Rossi.
In the article, Rossi suggests that head coach Dan Bylsma and team captain Sidney Crosby are at odds over how to handle the goaltending situation, with Rossi saying Crosby would rather have Marc-Andre Fleury in there to gain back his confidence, while Bylsma would rather go with Johnson at this point.
I use the word "controversy" in quotes because this is more the thought of the media. The players, Fleury and Johnson included, have handled themselves very professionally when speaking with the media in the locker room concerning the goalies. This is not a team that will throw each other, or the coaches, under the bus.
Regardless of whether it should be Fleury or Johnson between the pipes, I believe some thoughts got mixed up in Rossi's article regarding Crosby and Bylsma. Crosby responded to the situation after Tuesday's practice:
I heard Crosby give his original quotes after Monday's practice and his assessment of the situation seems to be correct. After Monday's session he simply stated that players need to play, and play well, to gain confidence, whether it's a goalie in a slump or a goal-scorer being held off the board for an extended period of time. At least that's the way I heard it.
The big question is, how and when will Fleury regain his confidence? What kind of opportunity will be given to him? Bylsma said that Wednesday's goaltending choice would be a game-time decision, and he addressed the issue of confidence once again after Tuesday's practice:
If this "goaltending controversy" isn't becoming a distraction to this team yet, it is certainly a pain in the ass for the guys in the room. It's hard to find a media scrum where questions about the goalies are not asked. Like I said earlier, the players have handled it well, but they appear to be growing weary of it.
I still believe this situation will work itself out. Fleury will get back on track. We all know he has it in him; there's no reason why he shouldn't. The sooner the Penguins are able to leave this behind them the better.
Practice Roundup
Forward Mike Comrie sat out Tuesday's practice. Bylsma said he was feeling ill. Goaltender Brent Johnson returned to practice after missing Monday due to sickness. Evgeni Malkin skated throughout Tuesday's entire session after leaving Monday's practice early.
These were the forward lines in Comrie's absence:
Kunitz-Crosby-Dupuis
Cooke-Malkin-Asham
Rupp-Letestu-Kennedy
Adams-Talbot-Godard
Some interesting looking lines, especially that second one.
The defense also saw some new pairs:
Letang-Orpik
Michalek-Martin
Goligoski-Engelland-Lovejoy
Comrie should be a game-day decision Wednesday. We'll have to wait to see if there are any changes to the lines if he is inserted into Wednesday's morning skate.
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