Ryan Wilson: Penguins Lucked Into the Hard Part and Have Screwed Up The Easy Part Penguins Lucked Into the Hard Part and Have Screwed Up The Easy Part

If you want to take away the Cup Final years and focus on more recent results (since 2011) Crosby and Malkin are still one of the best duos in the league. Only Zetterberg and Datsyuk are close to having similar success as a tandem from the same team.

I really hope we meet in the playoffs this year.

I really hope we meet in the playoffs this year.
- YzermanIsTheMan

Back of the line bud, we want em first

Back of the line bud, we want em first
- Isles_since_6

We will play you both, but we have to play Chicago too

Back of the line bud, we want em first
- Isles_since_6

enjoy the division title and the pressure that comes with it.

not saying you guys cant handle it, but i like the idea of this group being able to duck a little bit out of the way of the lime light.

Back of the line bud, we want em first
- Isles_since_6

This should be a great Eastern Conference playoffs year if the teams can stay healthy. Looks like every team currently in the playoffs has a solid team that can compete.

We will play you both, but we have to play Chicago too
- usethe1-2-2

I don't think the preseason game for next year counts as this year's playoffs.

I don't think the preseason game for next year counts as this year's playoffs.
- YzermanIsTheMan

Fiesty today, ready for that rivalry game

Corsi - where Craig Adams gets punished for blocking a shot.

Fenwick - where Beau Bennett is a more effective possession player than Malkin or Crosby this year.

Usage - where zone starts and QoC find meaning despite a coach who doesn't line match or seem to care who puts out there after an icing and a commercial break.

Meanwhile, Crosby is on an 82 point pace, Malkin is on an 80 point pace, and Malkin has scored one power play goal in his last 22 games.

But they're both just fine.

Best RW blog to date, IMO.




F Sutter

when i read some folks comments on other sites, i am so tired of hearing "they are injured, we just need everybody healthy" or my favorite "playoff hockey is different. sutter in the playoffs is great". ---not really

6-10 in 2015
6 losses were by 3 or more goals
3 were shut outs
sid and geno figure in on 80% of the points, if they are shut out, its a loss

Fiesty today, ready for that rivalry game
- usethe1-2-2

Can't wait. Always good to see the Eurotwins vs. Malkin/Crosby.

And am ready for Howard to make a return.

Can't wait. Always good to see the Eurotwins vs. Malkin/Crosby.

And am ready for Howard to make a return.
- YzermanIsTheMan

One of my favorite match ups to watch in the league. Is howard gonna play?

One of my favorite match ups to watch in the league. Is howard gonna play?
- usethe1-2-2

He's expected to start. First time back after Mrazek has given us 8 out of 9 wins. That kid will go far in the NHL. Bet you guys use Flower.

Great article. It all starts with Sutter. If your #1 depth forward is getting killed in possession and doesn't produce, it is nearly impossible to have solid depth. When you are paying $3.3million/year for it, the rest of the roster suffers.

when i read some folks comments on other sites, i am so tired of hearing "they are injured, we just need everybody healthy" or my favorite "playoff hockey is different. sutter in the playoffs is great". ---not really

- i'mjustafan

What's not true about any of those statements?

They will be better once they get Comeau and Ehrhoff back. And if Bennett regains his spot with renewed fire.

Playoff hockey is different.

Sutter was great in the playoffs last year. And more than that, he's clutch. And clutch is everything in life.

enjoy the division title and the pressure that comes with it.

not saying you guys cant handle it, but i like the idea of this group being able to duck a little bit out of the way of the lime light.
- SuperHenderson13

Yep. I want this team to go into the playoffs under some scrutiny. Maybe if they are being told that they will be out in the first round there might be some fire to their game.

Ryan, do you have any insight on noted stats guy Eric T.?

Curious about his track record and how he might affect how the Canes value their players.

What's not true about any of those statements?

They will be better once they get Comeau and Ehrhoff back. And if Bennett regains his spot with renewed fire.

Playoff hockey is different.

Sutter was great in the playoffs last year. And more than that, he's clutch. And clutch is everything in life.
- hardnosed

Sutturd plays for himself, he wanted paid; he is a cancer and we will never win with him on the ice.


F Sutter

You know, I was under the impression this year was to be a sort of "transition year" to clean up the shero/bylsma mess, and I think we all forgot the cap/roster situation we are more or less stuck with due to the teams great start this year. Lets remember the following garbage players will hopefully not be back next year: craig adams, max lapierre, mark arcobello, zach sill, robert bortuzzo and thomas greiss. I'd imagine the Penguinz would extend blake comeau, and steve downie at insignificant cap raises. Also remember christian erhoff and paul martin will be more than likely walking after this year.

Look at our cap roster for next year. I think old man ruth set us up for next year to be legit. Yiu have to figure some guys on small contracts come up and stick out of camp next year. Guys like pouliot, megna or sundqvist, maybe kapanen, and that they fill the backup goalie with one of jarry or zatkoff.

So your looking at potentially.
hornqvist - crosby - perron
kunitz - malkin - UFA/TRADE
bennett - sutter - dupuis
downie - megna/sundqvist - comeau

Letang - maata
Depres - scuderi
pouliot - UFA/TRADE

MAF - zatkoff/jarry

that gives pens roughly 8-10 mil to go get some talent in the off season, keeping in mind the caps not goinv up significantly. Maybe they get a marc methot for 4? Or jagr for that second line in the off season. I think whatever noise we make this year in the playoffs would be great and even better if a guy like pouliot gets the experience, then next year we reload with HCMJ players and drop dead weight.

this team seemed like it was going to have the best season in a long time, since then we picked up perron and have fallen off a cliff. (just pure coincidence cause dude is bad arse plus we had already went over the edge of that cliff before he got here)

everyone goes through tough times. i think it all depends on when you get hot....hopefully we will heat up at just the right time.



hopefully

I think if the pens shot more on the rush coming down the lanes then there would be a better chance of the puck going in... right?!? Can't score if you don't shoot!

I see almost every player take the puck along the boards and then try to cut in on goal last minute, instead of driving right to the net.

I agree that our bottom six needs help but that's only bc they are up playing in top 6 where they shouldn't be. If pens acquire 1 or 2 more players they can drop Comeau bennett Spaling amd arc down to bottom 6. I mean we have a guy that 26 other teams skipped on waivers, playing with malkin! No other team does that...

what sucks is pens need top 6 help plus picks for depth...

sid and geno figure in on 80% of the points, if they are shut out, its a loss
- i'mjustafan

I'm not sure where this stat comes from, but even if it's accurate (not sure that it is, it smells funny) it's always posted without context because it sounds all scary and stuff.

Here's the percentage of Penguins' goals Crosby has scored a point on (I only included mostly-healthy seasons otherwise the numbers are skewed):

2014-2015 - 38%
2013-2014 - 42%
2009-2010 - 43%
2008-2009 - 40%

And here's Malkin:

2014-2015 - 35%
2011-2012 - 48%
2008-2009 - 43%

So in reality each of them is carrying less of a portion of the scoring load than they have in any other healthy season dating back to the Cup year.

hopefully we will heat up at just the right time.
- pensfan024

I'm still hopeful of this. I hope this is the ramp up towards the annual March of the Penguins, but this time because they're not running away with the division it'll mean some meaningful hockey down the stretch.

Or Johnston might just be in over his head.

It's one of the two.

Great article. It all starts with Sutter. If your #1 depth forward is getting killed in possession and doesn't produce, it is nearly impossible to have solid depth. When you are paying $3.3million/year for it, the rest of the roster suffers.
- jfkst1

Really? It's Sutter (and probably Spalings too in your mind) shortcomings and over spending that's killing this team? All 1-2M that MIGHT be overspent????

Here are the Islanders (below)...ahead of us in the standings and OWNING US during the regular season so far...why?

Because they have better depth via corsi and fenwick numbers?

There's only a couple of other teams in the NHL that has as similar TWO FORWARD STUD model...the Blackhawks being the one team that most closely resembles the Penguins in terms of money spent and where (two high priced forwards...big money on D and in goal).

We all know they are in a world of hurt with salary come next year when Kane and Toews get paid like Malkin and Crosby. Can't afford all that DEPTH...when you pay that big money to so few players.

So either those big guys earn their big pay...or you divide the riches among more able bodied players you acquire by changing the model...right?

The reason the Penguins suffer the same problems now as they did before is because they keep Malkin and Crosby. Which is fine to me if you get $20M worth of performance out of them. And when Malkin and Crosby don't play like the 1st and second best players in the league...this team can't win a cup as constructed.

It's that simple to me.

This team is ahead of us in the standings...

John Tavares
Kyle Okposo
Ryan Strome
Brock Nelson
Frans Nielsen
Johnny Boychuk
Josh Bailey
Nick Leddy
Anders Lee
Nikolay Kulemin
Mikhail Grabovski
Travis Hamonic
Thomas Hickey
Lubomir Visnovsky
Cal Clutterbuck
Calvin de Haan
Casey Cizikas
Matt Martin
Michael Grabner
Brian Strait
Matt Donovan
Cory Conacher
Colin McDonald
Griffin Reinhart
Eric Boulton
Harry Zolnierczyk