Fair enough. It can be argued either way. I just think it was pointless to stay with Johnston. The team wasn't going anywhere with him either so I'm not all that upset they changed even if the results aren't any better.
- jfkst1

I'm not upset they made the change either, I just think the change is proving more than ever that coaching is and wasn't the issue, roster construction has been the issue from Day 1 and it will continue to be until moves are made.

I'm not upset they made the change either, I just think the change is proving more than ever that coaching is and wasn't the issue, roster construction has been the issue from Day 1 and it will continue to be until moves are made.
- jaydogg1974

I don't see how coaching wasn't part of the issue. If the roster is a problem, I can't blame Rutherford for all of that. 87/71/58 aren't productive enough for their cap hits this season. Possibly the reality that ownership will probably never accept is that the core can't compete anymore.

Today @ 12:43 PM ET
Letang was not run into the boards head first, Letang turned and yes he went into the boards, but not on a head first or head shot basis.

oldhockeyfan

yeah your right. since letangs shoulder hit the boards instead of his head it is clean. also letang did not leave on a stretcher or fail the concussion protocol that makes it a clean play. do you by chance work for the nhl commisioners office?

Today @ 12:43 PM ET
Letang was not run into the boards head first, Letang turned and yes he went into the boards, but not on a head first or head shot basis.

oldhockeyfan

yeah your right. since letangs shoulder hit the boards instead of his head it is clean. also letang did not leave on a stretcher or fail the concussion protocol that makes it a clean play. do you by chance work for the nhl commisioners office?
- pensfan024

the only reason letang didn't go in head first is because he was just far enough from the boards to be able to have time to turn slightly to avoid taking it right in the face. That was a dirty hit.

I'm no fan of the pens, but that was one that could have been called a major, hit square in the numbers and into the boards from behind

(didn't mean to quote you as though I disagreed with you, I realize you were responding with sarcasm to the leaf poster)

Nothing is going to change You can list all the stats you want The only stat that counts is that you have one more goal than your opponent And that my friends is NOT happening and is not going to happen with this group They need to make drastic changes going forward Time to restock the empty cupboard

Based on his 100% reliance on Fleury stealing games. MAF is injured and while everyone is commending Murray, he's not as good as MAF.
- jfkst1

If you do not score you could have the best goalie of all time in there (and MAF ain't) and you would still lose. The goaltending is NOT the problem They high paid bums on this team are the problem.

I don't see how coaching wasn't part of the issue. If the roster is a problem, I can't blame Rutherford for all of that. 87/71/58 aren't productive enough for their cap hits this season. Possibly the reality that ownership will probably never accept is that the core can't compete anymore.
- jfkst1

That probably didn't come out right, coaching was an issue but it wasn't "the" issue.

If you do not score you could have the best goalie of all time in there (and MAF ain't) and you would still lose. The goaltending is NOT the problem They high paid bums on this team are the problem.
- holeinone

I agree. The #1 problem is the forwards are way underperforming for their cap hits. Malkin is the only one that is even close to performing adequately this season and even he needs to improve. 3rd highest paid forward lineup in the league and 28th scoring team in the league. I hope they are embarrassed. Pens could have spent a lot less money on the forwards and loaded up on UFA dmen.

Can anyone provide an insight of how to increase our scoring %???

Yes score more goals! I hear that, but how?? What are they doing wrong? What can be done to rectify that statistic?

Also, it was great tactics by the Leafs & poor response by the Pens. Open the game up chippy, hit a few questionable hits & hope you don't get called & wait for the Pens to go bananas. Refuse any invitation to fight which will increase the frustration & score an early goal - genius!! Pens run around trying to fight while the Leafs play hockey.

Geno has to stop taking penalties, he's leading that isn't he? Also his line is getting scored on every game!!! The man can hit, he has to start taking his frustration out by hitting not chasing guys like Phaneuf.

The Pens D or Fehr has to start making questionable hits in any response to the poop like yesterday. tanger is going to get taken out every game it's a given & he's an easy target. Zebus aren't going to protect him so there has to be a couple of our guys willing to make late & borderline contact on the opposing star player. If we get the penalty against us & they don't Sully has to make that known in his comments after the game - it's a must. Other coaches do it & it does absolutely nothing if the coach says nothing but allows questionable hits on players like Letang go without saying something!!! Not smart!

I didn't see the comments made by Sully yesterday but I hope he came out & made a point of talking about Komarovs hit on Letang & how Letang came back after taking a direct cheap shot to the chin against the Wild!! "The guy wants to play hockey but keeps getting hit in the head - looks like opposition players are trying to put him out of the game by concussions" - something along those lines!!

Kypreos made a good point about Letang during the intermission

He retrieves the puck like a freaking moron putting his back to the play and his head down in the "danger zone" (3-5 feet from the boards)

Just begging to take hits like these

I actually had this same thought as I watched the hit last night. Letang does continually put himself in vulnerable positions trying to make higher risk plays. If he takes that puck to the boards instead of trying to get in quick to fling it up the boards Komarov doesn't end up hitting him that way. Its a quick game and a lot of times you are trying to anticipate what the other guy is going to do and you can end up hitting them the wrong way.

But at the same time Komarov has to be aware of where they are and maybe ease up a bit to simply take the body and not try to slam someone hard into the boards. Tough to say that because you always want to punish the other team around the boards when you can. That's just part of hockey.

Realizing when another player is in a vulnerable position becomes part of teaching players to play a game and not destroy each other. Maybe its a respect thing. Its like the hit on a defenseless receiver call in football, which is equally as questionable because depending on which fan you are a team from you will see it the way you want.

Either way I think the league should punish the play itself and not the intent or how injured the receiving player is. To me, this is one deserving of a game or two just to tell players this kind of stuff isn't ok. So they will probably do nothing.

Can anyone provide an insight of how to increase our scoring %???
- Aussiepenguin

Some folks will tell you that the answer is to just keep shooting and eventually they'll go in.

I think that these guys are holding their sticks extremely tight, all of them, because of the persistent lack of scoring. They're snakebit team-wide, and they're all playing like snakebit guys play, not loose enough and overthinking things.

Me? I'd like to see a return of the shootout game/mustache boy. The Penguins at least used to be good in shootouts, and now they're not anymore.

Can anyone provide an insight of how to increase our scoring %???
- Aussiepenguin

No idea. There's so many factors working against them. Under Johnston it made some sense because they didn't look good at all and spent most the game in their own zone. But that has changed now and Pens are spending a lot more time in the O zone.

Some blame the defense but I think that is complete BS. Good PMD certainly help, but it's not like the correlation is that strongly direct. Plenty of teams without good defense scoring a lot more and plenty of teams with strong defenses also struggling to score. And without Scuds, the overall blueline is average at least.

Pathetic PP is a major issue, but still doesn't explain the terrible ES scoring.

Now that is has been a year I am beginning to believe that the forwards really aren't as offensively gifted as they have been in their past. Which is still surprising given they are mostly in their late 20s and shouldn't all be declining this badly. But that's the best explanation I can come up with.

That's common place in the modern NHL, all defenseman turn their back to the pressure when retrieving pucks because they know they can't be hit and if they are they draw a penalty for their team.
- jaydogg1974

Same in the offensive zone. Turning the puck to the boards gives you an obvious advantage either end of the ice. But you see these plays all the time where someone isn't slammed face first into them because people make different choices about how to hit someone or tie them up.

A 2 min roughing for getting blasted from behind and then laying on the ice in the fetal position sounds about right.
- jaydogg1974

Letang actually gave him a jab to the face as he was getting up while another Pen was on top of him (Kunitz maybe?). I would have been ok with Tanger getting 2 if Komarov had got 5, but I didn't like that 2 for 2&2 nonsense. Let the roughings go in that situation and call the first penalty properly. You give a guy 5 for that and he thinks twice the next time.

Ok, so some fancy stats look better and Sydney is scoring more.
When does the winning start?
- Yikes726

There's always next year!

Some folks will tell you that the answer is to just keep shooting and eventually they'll go in.

I think that these guys are holding their sticks extremely tight, all of them, because of the persistent lack of scoring. They're snakebit team-wide, and they're all playing like snakebit guys play, not loose enough and overthinking things.

Me? I'd like to see a return of the shootout game/mustache boy. The Penguins at least used to be good in shootouts, and now they're not anymore.
- hardnosed

I think Dumo shooting the puck into Bernier when he had half the net is evidence of this. If they were loose he could have put 4 pucks in the net before Bernier had time to get across.
Kessel missing breakaways left and right, Kunitz hitting a post every game, Bonino cant catch a break.

All this team really needs is a few wins in a row, but they better get them soon.

Ok, so some fancy stats look better and Sydney is scoring more.
When does the winning start?

Yikes726

Oh look a question from an arrogant, condescending Blackhawks fan! Yay! The all mighty Hawks fan wants to know something but how about he answers a question first? How the hell do you trade Daley for Scuderi, even with salary retained? Daily has been a revelation considering we all thought we couldn't trade Scuderi for a 28th round pick even with 50% salary retained(the most allowed). Daley has been a welcome addition and his skating and puck handling are pretty close to elite. Scuderi is already being scratched and is likely 2 Scuderi games away from being sent to the AHL on a one way ticket. Basically you got Scuderi and a draft pick for Patrick Sharp who is lighting it up in Dallas. Does that hurt at all or does your arrogance from being last years champ anesthetize those 2 huge blunders?

Nothing is going to change You can list all the stats you want The only stat that counts is that you have one more goal than your opponent And that my friends is NOT happening and is not going to happen with this group They need to make drastic changes going forward Time to restock the empty cupboard
- holeinone

Oh my god are you still alive old timer? I just picture you sitting in your living room blowing up balloons with helium trying to make your house fly like that Disney cartoon, or sitting in the tree in your front yard in camo gear waiting for one of those damn kids to step on your lawn so you can chase them home with a loaded shotgun. Go eat some prunes and stop bothering people.

I really hate the trade Perron crowd on this board. the guy works harder than anyone and it has to start paying off for him and in the meantime I hope we give him a 3 *3 mill deal, and then he catches fire. He can play on any line and any role. He's not the problem.

Can anyone provide an insight of how to increase our scoring %???

Yes score more goals! I hear that, but how?? What are they doing wrong? What can be done to rectify that statistic?

Also, it was great tactics by the Leafs & poor response by the Pens. Open the game up chippy, hit a few questionable hits & hope you don't get called & wait for the Pens to go bananas. Refuse any invitation to fight which will increase the frustration & score an early goal - genius!! Pens run around trying to fight while the Leafs play hockey.

Geno has to stop taking penalties, he's leading that isn't he? Also his line is getting scored on every game!!! The man can hit, he has to start taking his frustration out by hitting not chasing guys like Phaneuf.

The Pens D or Fehr has to start making questionable hits in any response to the poop like yesterday. tanger is going to get taken out every game it's a given & he's an easy target. Zebus aren't going to protect him so there has to be a couple of our guys willing to make late & borderline contact on the opposing star player. If we get the penalty against us & they don't Sully has to make that known in his comments after the game - it's a must. Other coaches do it & it does absolutely nothing if the coach says nothing but allows questionable hits on players like Letang go without saying something!!! Not smart!

I didn't see the comments made by Sully yesterday but I hope he came out & made a point of talking about Komarovs hit on Letang & how Letang came back after taking a direct cheap shot to the chin against the Wild!! "The guy wants to play hockey but keeps getting hit in the head - looks like opposition players are trying to put him out of the game by concussions" - something along those lines!!
- Aussiepenguin

It's not a very popular idea but John Scott on Sids line as a net front presence would be a game changer. the guy is a sniper https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pFMr7I_jRGk. And I heard he will fight if someone provokes him enough. You think Dion would have pulled that sh!t last night with Scott on Sid's wing? Fawgetaboutit! It's a very recent desire of mine but I want to see Scott become a 20 goal scorer playing with Sid and Sheary. And he will only cost a 7th round pick.

I really hate the trade Perron crowd on this board. the guy works harder than anyone and it has to start paying off for him and in the meantime I hope we give him a 3 *3 mill deal, and then he catches fire. He can play on any line and any role. He's not the problem.
- Dcoms

How about a vet minimum contract to match his production? The three suckateers (Kunitz, Hornqvist, Perron) should all be moved at the deadline if the Pens are out of it. None of them are played by up to their cap hits.

Letang just got out muscled on the play. He even looked over his shoulder first and saw him. Not even worth 2 minutes. If he moves his feet and skates Komorov doesn't even come close to touching him.

Letang just got out muscled on the play. He even looked over his shoulder first and saw him. Not even worth 2 minutes. If he moves his feet and skates Komorov doesn't even come close to touching him.
- Newgod77

Savard just got out muscled on the play, if he moves his feet instead of admiring his pass Cooke doesn't even come close to touching him.

Savard just got out muscled on the play, if he moves his feet instead of admiring his pass Cooke doesn't even come close to touching him.
- stackthepads

Most Bruins fans are still learning how to walk upright.