You know Vince has had to have dabbled in advanced science a bit to look like that.


- johndewar

He's lacking confidence.

Depends on who they play. I like their chances more against the Pens than I do against the Rangers.
- PhillySportsGuy

I think Boston would steam roll them. Rangers would be a tough matchup. Caps-Flyers could be an out and out war.

I just don't think they have the depth.

Next year, when the cap goes up....I think the Cup winner comes out of the East.
- johndewar

yeah the depth is a killer. however, should somehow the stars align and the pens dont have to go through boston, my tune will change a good deal.

Crosby gets pissed and usually gets more focused. That 2012 series was really the first time I saw him get distracted from being mad. Malkin is a lot more easy to get off his game with shenanigans.
- Jsaquella

Probably not. But I also don't think there will be a trade available at the deadline that will substantially increase those odds.
- MJL

Sad
but true

Paul Martin is a good dman. He's a better all around player than Yandle.
- PhillySportsGuy

yeah i wouldnt trade martin for yandle

I think Boston would steam roll them. Rangers would be a tough matchup. Caps-Flyers could be an out and out war.
- Jsaquella

That matchup is highly unlikely. Caps and Flyers would need to finish 2-3

Paul Martin is a good dman. He's a better all around player than Yandle.
- PhillySportsGuy

Broken hand out a month.
Rags leading scorer Zucca-Midget out 3-4 weeks.

Paul Martin is a good dman. He's a better all around player than Yandle.
- PhillySportsGuy

I have a bigger issue with Orpik than anyone. I also question the addition of so many younger, inexperienced guys, like Faulk and Fowler. Both are going to be very good defensemen, but neither has a lot of experience. Even Carlson isn't exactly brimming with a lot of experience.

- PhillySportsGuy

Hey Farva, what's your favorite restaurant...the one with all that poop hanging on the walls?

yeah i wouldnt trade martin for yandle
- stayinthefnnet

I wouldn't if I were the Pens either. I would if the Pens stunk based on age difference.

That matchup is highly unlikely. Caps and Flyers would need to finish 2-3
- PhillySportsGuy

Shame though, wouldn't mind the Caps
Lundqvist has not been kind to the Flyers
not at all

i think yandle should have went over orpik, especially because of how team USA was set up. they could have really used yandle on the PP.

however, the pens D isnt whats going to be their undoing. its not bad by any stretch of the imagination, at least when the team wants to be committed to it. Orpik is having a fairly rough year, but when he is healthy, martin is absolutely stellar.
- stayinthefnnet

Ah, we could go all day about Team USA.

They built the weirdest frankenstein team and I'm not sure Orpik was the most egregious add, given the rest of the makeup of the blueline.

I have a bigger issue with Orpik than anyone. I also question the addition of so many younger, inexperienced guys, like Faulk and Fowler. Both are going to be very good defensemen, but neither has a lot of experience. Even Carlson isn't exactly brimming with a lot of experience.
- Jsaquella

I would have taken Yandle as a 7th dman. Use him in certain situations.

Broken hand out a month.
Rags leading scorer Zucca-Midget out 3-4 weeks.
- PLindbergh31

yup. it sucks. but if he can recover properly within that time frame, the martin orpik pairing should be good to go for the playoffs. hopefully the letang situation enables despres to get some solid minutes with scuderi.

martin/orpik
niskanen/maatta
despres/scuderi

at the very least, that is passable. it wont be the reason they dont advance.

yeah the depth is a killer. however, should somehow the stars align and the pens dont have to go through boston, my tune will change a good deal.
- stayinthefnnet

Key for the Pens is health and the mental stability of Fleury. If he looks as shaky as he did in 2012 and 13, I don;t have a ton of faith in Zatkof or Vokoun carrying the mail

Broken hand out a month.
Rags leading scorer Zucca-Midget out 3-4 weeks.
- PLindbergh31

Zuccarello
Tavares
Martin

Flyers were spared but the rest of the division wasn't.

I have a bigger issue with Orpik than anyone. I also question the addition of so many younger, inexperienced guys, like Faulk and Fowler. Both are going to be very good defensemen, but neither has a lot of experience. Even Carlson isn't exactly brimming with a lot of experience.
- Jsaquella

See, Orpik, to me, gets in on experience. He may not play, but he gets in.

Fowler and Faulk? Really?

That was a weird political thing. Had to be. They didn't belong just yet.

I wouldn't if I were the Pens either. I would if the Pens stunk based on age difference.
- PhillySportsGuy

i was also considering just style of play and team makeup as well. if you lack firepower up front, or need some more skill back there, yandle could be the better choice. but the pens need that steady and just reliable enough in all facets of the game that martin brings.

I would have taken Yandle as a 7th dman. Use him in certain situations.
- PhillySportsGuy

Yandle should have made the team through the front door. Not in some specialty role.

I have a bigger issue with Orpik than anyone. I also question the addition of so many younger, inexperienced guys, like Faulk and Fowler. Both are going to be very good defensemen, but neither has a lot of experience. Even Carlson isn't exactly brimming with a lot of experience.
- Jsaquella

Other than Yandle, what were the other USA options on the blueline? As crazy as it sounds, Matt Carle may have been a more viable option than Faulk.

I would have taken Yandle as a 7th dman. Use him in certain situations.
- PhillySportsGuy

Yep. Plug him in on the PP, spot him in when you need some wheels. He's not worse defensively than Fowler, Faulk or even Carlson. I think that was the thing that pissed me off about Burke the most.

If Yandle couldn't play defensively at all, the way Burke made it sound, there's no way he sticks with the Tippett Borg defense.

i was also considering just style of play and team makeup as well. if you lack firepower up front, or need some more skill back there, yandle could be the better choice. but the pens need that steady and just reliable enough in all facets of the game that martin brings.
- stayinthefnnet

Yeah. Martin gives a current team a better chance to win right now. Yandle is just younger and better offensively.

Key for the Pens is health and the mental stability of Fleury. If he looks as shaky as he did in 2012 and 13, I don;t have a ton of faith in Zatkof or Vokoun carrying the mail
- Jsaquella

true. i dont know why, but i have a decent feeling about him this year. however, the third and fourth line will be the undoing. not only will the team not be able to generate a single quality shot without either malkin or crosby on the ice, but even a decent fleury is going to be beaten down with boston hemming guys like adams and glass into their own zone for half the game.

the dupuis, and although its not getting as much attention, the bennett injuries are absolute killers.

yup. it sucks. but if he can recover properly within that time frame, the martin orpik pairing should be good to go for the playoffs. hopefully the letang situation enables despres to get some solid minutes with scuderi.

martin/orpik
niskanen/maatta
despres/scuderi

at the very least, that is passable. it wont be the reason they dont advance.
- stayinthefnnet

Get lost with Maatta.

Losing Martin for a month in the grand scheme of things for the Pens means next to nothing.