Honestly, I think the biggest let-down of the season so far is Letang and Dumo. Both have been shaky defensively. Letang has made at least 20 awful decisions so far. Gonna need to stock up on more glass if Dumo keeps shooting the puck. Still a fan of both players but the Pens have no chance if that pairing struggles.
- madmike71

This

Honestly, I think the biggest let-down of the season so far is Letang and Dumo. Both have been shaky defensively. Letang has made at least 20 awful decisions so far. Gonna need to stock up on more glass if Dumo keeps shooting the puck. Still a fan of both players but the Pens have no chance if that pairing struggles.
- madmike71

I'm over Letang. Have been over him for a while. His minuses outweigh the pluses for me.

Let me emphasize because I know what's coming...

I'm not saying I don't think JR has poorly mismanaged this team, but I'm saying that given the level of injury bug right now there's only so much any team could do to navigate these kind of losses to your roster.

I'm not sure what really can be done at this point. Yeah, some new faced need to time to gel, but injury bugs can absolutely sink a team's chances and the Pens basically have the West Nile Virus of injury bugs right now.

Moving Guds and JJ will open cap space depending on the moves, but if the intention is to open up the space to make more moves then regardless they are going to have to give up a lot to make those moves.

This team needs two basic things to happen right now:

1) Sid needs to go into beast mode
2) Murray needs to stand on his head

The Pens need to "find ways to win" even if they're ugly games where they lose the fancy stats every night.
- Rinosaur

Letang and Dumo could step it up a bit too... 58 stays out on the ice WAY too long so far, with no discernable return.

I don't disagree. I'm just trying to emphasize there's no GREAT decision here other than JJ getting moved. Also, if they somehow find a way to move both JJ and Guds, you're looking at a Riikola/Marino tandem.
- Rinosaur

I’d rather run that pairing than what we have.

I'm over Letang. Have been over him for a while. His minuses outweigh the pluses for me.
- chimpira

I think we can all agree Letang has lost a step. Just like Sid, maybe a half step slower than 5 years ago. Completely natural. Unfortunately, Letang hasn't changed his game like Sid has. When he was younger, Letang could give the puck away and catch up with the guy he gave it to. Now... He just can't do it. That amazing extra burst is gone. Happens to every player in their 30's. He need's to play a slightly safer game and I think he'll be fine.

As a whole, Sullivan needs to change some things systematically to better fit the team. If players fail to adapt, they need to sit. If they had a full compliment of forwards last night, ZAR shouldn't have seen the ice after his comical give-away.

Also... Play your best fuking players. JJ isn't one of them. ZAR isn't one of them. Probably Kahun isn't one of them. Lafferty should be looking for an apartment. He's what ZAR should be.

Letang and Dumo could step it up a bit too... 58 stays out on the ice WAY too long so far, with no discernable return.
- Cousinskrid

In 50 minutes of ice time they have a 26-15 scoring chance advantage and a 10-4 high danger advantage. They have a -1 goal differential. This ain’t the hill to die in.

Petterson-Schultz have been getting caved in. 12-22 in SC and 6-12 in HD. -2 goal differential with 0 GF.

It’s only 3 games but Letang-Dumo have been and will be fine.

Haven’t you written nearly the exact blog 323 times???

I’d rather run that pairing than what we have.
- j.boyd919

I would, too. My overall point is that even having the freed up space and running Rik/Marino isn't going to save this team right now.

Losing your 2nd C, 3rd C and two top-nine forwards is significant regardless of their dman situation. Trying to find a stop-gap(s) is going to be pretty damn hard even with the freed up space.

Odd narrative from a blogger that preaches advanced stats over the eye test. The penguins were the better team in terms of possession, chances, and expected goals. Some games you don't get the bounces. Let's move along.

In terms of playing Johnson and Gudbranson, it's much harder to trade players from the press box. It shouldn't be a huge surprise they are playing right now.

With our injuries right now, anybody interested in taking a shot on Ho Sang?

I know he just got moved, but I'd look to find a way to make a deal revolving around JJ and Namestnikov. Yeah, he's been a dud since leaving Tampa, but maybe getting him next to Sid and Jake will help and that allows them to funnel the skill down the lineup.

Plus, with his cap-hit and being a pending UFA he'll be fairly easy to move at the deadline if he doesn't work.

In 50 minutes of ice time they have a 26-15 scoring chance advantage and a 10-4 high danger advantage. They have a -1 goal differential. This ain’t the hill to die in.

Petterson-Schultz have been getting caved in. 12-22 in SC and 6-12 in HD. -2 goal differential with 0 GF.

It’s only 3 games but Letang-Dumo have been and will be fine.
- j.boyd919

Exactly. People take what our first pair does for granted so every mistake is overblown out of proportion. OFC Letang is regressing due to age, but whats the alternative? Will you trade him for a better D? Impossible. We dont have the pieces.

Last night this thread was awful. Murray had 2 great games, last night he was bad, like every goalie is once in a while and everyone was ready to kill him. He has 2 cups, the numbers back him up as a great Goalie. There's no mystery.

I know he just got moved, but I'd look to find a way to make a deal revolving around JJ and Namestnikov. Yeah, he's been a dud since leaving Tampa, but maybe getting him next to Sid and Jake will help and that allows them to funnel the skill down the lineup.

Plus, with his cap-hit and being a pending UFA he'll be fairly easy to move at the deadline if he doesn't work.
- Rinosaur

He had 31 points playing on an average 2 less minutes a night without the talent that surrounded him in Tampa... how does that say dud?

I’m always hesitant to critique Murray because, like last night, it sets off a chain of irrational Murray comments, but here goes; Murray was bad last night and while that whole lineup was a mess, he needed to be better and he wasn’t. I’m not necessarily saying he’s the reason they lost, but he could have given them more of a chance. Simply one bad game.
- Rinosaur

Not a Murray hater, but he could have had 3 out of 4. Two got threw him and one over a glove that never moved. I am 100% sure I couldn’t do better but it is an observation. Even 2 of 3 would have kept them hungry, but once they lost 2 forward for the full second and 1 for the third it was a HUGE mountain.

He had 31 points playing on an average 2 less minutes a night without the talent that surrounded him in Tampa... how does that say dud?
- j.boyd919

Fine, well a dip from two 40+ point seasons. Regardless, I'd look to make a move there.

Murray fits into the slightly better than average category but still needs to prove he can be a full time starting goalie.

These 6-8 year at $6-8M contracts I hear everyone talking about are nuts. Murray needs to be in a tandem to be effective over the long term and that means they cant afford to give him nearly that term or salary.

Honestly, I think the biggest let-down of the season so far is Letang and Dumo. Both have been shaky defensively. Letang has made at least 20 awful decisions so far. Gonna need to stock up on more glass if Dumo keeps shooting the puck. Still a fan of both players but the Pens have no chance if that pairing struggles.
- madmike71

Does Letang ever look like he's in position? He's constantly in the wrong place. The entire defensemen group looks lost.

It's going to be a long season.

Does Letang ever look like he's in position? He's constantly in the wrong place. The entire defensemen group looks lost.

It's going to be a long season.
- simethos

Trade the bum.

In the context of missing Geno, Bjugs, Rust and then Horny 3 mins in last night, it only being game #3 of the year and HCMS for some reason only dressing 11 forwards, I saw a lot of positives. I really did. I'm not quite ready to write this current group off yet.

In the context of missing Geno, Bjugs, Rust and then Horny 3 mins in last night, it only being game #3 of the year and HCMS for some reason only dressing 11 forwards, I saw a lot of positives. I really did. I'm not quite ready to write this current group off yet.
- MattStrat

Bro. You only see positives lol.

Does Letang ever look like he's in position? He's constantly in the wrong place. The entire defensemen group looks lost.

It's going to be a long season.
- simethos

Lol. The Letang hate is comical.

In the context of missing Geno, Bjugs, Rust and then Horny 3 mins in last night, it only being game #3 of the year and HCMS for some reason only dressing 11 forwards, I saw a lot of positives. I really did. I'm not quite ready to write this current group off yet.
- MattStrat

It is early to start screaming that the sky is falling. But if there is a continuous trend of losing games because of bad defense and piss poor roster management, how long before a trade or firing has to be done? What's everyone's magic number of games played before you'd demand a change? Wasn't Johnston fired after like 25 games?

I hear Andrew MacDonald and Dion Phaneuf are available

They got in a track meet and lost. Often in those games it's one of the goalies that decides the outcome. Last night was no different. Murr got outplayed. Hellebuyck had some lucky bounces as well.

It was a frustrating but entertaining game.

I liked Lafferty who had at least 4 SOG.

I thought Marino looked better as the game went on.

Sid's line was creating every shift they just couldn't bury another one.

Simon will never score again.

Dumo is a muffin chucker.

Fire the ice guy.

Lol. The Letang hate is comical.
- j.boyd919

I don't hate the guy. I don't love him either. I personally don't understand some of you that think he walks on water. He's a good offensive-defenseman, but he's frequently out of position and often leaving Dumolin out to dry. If you don't see that, I cannot help you.

The only hate that I have is for Jack Johnson. Christ, I'd rather have Ian Moran or Rico Fata back on this team, over him.