The game changed the second Patrick injured Friedman. Having no response for your teammate in that situation completely took all wind out of the sails for the Pens. I wonder if Tyler Bertuzzi could be pried from a Detroit.
- Grinder47

Bertuzzi has been injured for a month and you don’t have the assets to acquire him.

If you could add any two wings to Pitt that isn’t a superstar who would you like to see?
- 10inchTerror

Tatar - Crosby - Ryan wow

Haha - good question. He and Letang are our only two competent defensemen at the moment (pending Dumo looking competent upon his return and not like he did to start the season). Oh, and Ceci,too, but both Letang and Ceci are on the right side.
- Hockey66

This was a game where Dumoulin would've helped. Matheson and Pettersson just aren't strong enough to play every other shift.

Marino is struggling with the added responsibilities. He is expected to play two way hockey. He is getting more minutes at even strength and penalty kill. Last year he earned his way to the second pair but he and Shultz still split duties. It's time to ask Ceci to take some of the pressure off Marino.

Our best pairings are:
Dumo-Letang
Petts-Marino
MM-CC

PO Joseph can replace Pettersson or Matheson.

Tatar - Crosby - Ryan wow
- Feds91Stammer

hahaha I like the looks of that. The forward depth would be f'n awesome. We'd get the Guentz-Geno-Rust line and Zucker, Kap and McCann pushed down. Bluey's line could be the 4th again.


Sign me up.

Haha - good question. He and Letang are our only two competent defensemen at the moment (pending Dumo looking competent upon his return and not like he did to start the season). Oh, and Ceci,too, but both Letang and Ceci are on the right side.
- Hockey66

To my eyes any time Dumo has come back he's been fairly lackluster for a period of time and since the really bad foot (ankle?) injury two seasons ago he hasn't gotten back to the level of play he was before it.

The game changed the second Patrick injured Friedman. Having no response for your teammate in that situation completely took all wind out of the sails for the Pens. I wonder if Tyler Bertuzzi could be pried from a Detroit.
- Grinder47

I know Pens fans like to whine every time one of their players gets hit/hurt, but in this case I'm not sure what the Pens players would be responding to? Friedman basically rammed his head into Patrick's shoulder. Patrick was basically just standing there and braced himself for the hit. Really nothing to respond to there?

I know Pens fans like to whine every time one of their players gets hit/hurt, but in this case I'm not sure what the Pens players would be responding to? Friedman basically rammed his head into Patrick's shoulder. Patrick was basically just standing there and braced himself for the hit. Really nothing to respond to there?
- Phillywhiteout

Oh wow look, another ignorant sweeping generalization of a fan base from a fan of another team...two days in a row now...

Yeah it was Friedman's fault. Sucks losing our best defender last night haha.

I know Pens fans like to whine every time one of their players gets hit/hurt, but in this case I'm not sure what the Pens players would be responding to? Friedman basically rammed his head into Patrick's shoulder. Patrick was basically just standing there and braced himself for the hit. Really nothing to respond to there?
- Phillywhiteout

"It doesn't matter how he got hurt, the team should just respond and send a message, who gives a (frank) if it wasn't dirty. Go fight someone"
-Probably Grinder

To my eyes any time Dumo has come back he's been fairly lackluster for a period of time and since the really bad foot (ankle?) injury two seasons ago he hasn't gotten back to the level of play he was before it.
- MattStrat

Small sample size alert. Dumo has been the best D for PIT this year with a 57% xGF

Almost a 58% xGF when paired with Letang

Dumo is arguably your most impactful D

Oh wow look, another ignorant sweeping generalization of a fan base from a fan of another team...two days in a row now...

Yeah it was Friedman's fault. Sucks losing our best defender last night haha.
- MattStrat

(frank)ing entitled crybaby idiots.

Small sample size alert. Dumo has been the best D for PIT this year with a 57% xGF

Almost a 58% xGF when paired with Letang

Dumo is arguably your most impactful D
- Feds91Stammer

Well thats all encouraging for sure but it is pre injury. Hopefully he can get back to that swiftly when he returns.

I didnt agree with RW about trading him, I dont think he should be the one to go and I think his absence is a factor in the putrid PK.

(frank)ing entitled crybaby idiots.
- Feds91Stammer

hahaha

(frank)ing entitled crybaby idiots.
- Feds91Stammer

LMAO!! I honestly have nothing against Pens fans and don't really know if they whine. I just know the players whine!! The funny part about the hit was you could see the Pens players looking at the hit on the scoreboard and after they looked at it they kind of went silent knowing that the little turd Friedman was his own worst enemy. I mean, the Pens players even knew it wasn't a dirty hit.

LMAO!! I honestly have nothing against Pens fans and don't really know if they whine. I just know the players whine!! The funny part about the hit was you could see the Pens players looking at the hit on the scoreboard and after they looked at it they kind of went silent knowing that the little turd Friedman was his own worst enemy. I mean, the Pens players even knew it wasn't a dirty hit.
- Phillywhiteout

Every fan base has whiners so by you generalizing pens fans you are in turn just making philly fans look like asshats.

I have earned the right to trash the pens and their fans on this blog. You have not.

Every fan base has whiners so by you generalizing pens fans you are in turn just making philly fans look like asshats.

I have earned the right to trash the pens and their fans on this blog. You have not.
- Feds91Stammer

Was it like a merit badge?

Was it like a merit badge?


- chimpira

It’s more like when a celebrity gets an honorary degree from a university.

We need players who know how to play defense in front of their own nets. Oh, and fire the coach. That's all.

The game changed the second Patrick injured Friedman. Having no response for your teammate in that situation completely took all wind out of the sails for the Pens. I wonder if Tyler Bertuzzi could be pried from a Detroit.
- Grinder47

I'm all for responding and sticking up for teammates, but I get more annoyed by righteous indignation over clean hits (in this case, a reverse hit, something I wish the Pens would learn to do). Now, if they had responded to Raffl's hit on Kap, I could get behind that. Not that it was dirty, but he has a reputation and he took a run at him. I know I just contradicted myself because both hits were clean, but damnit, Pens need to get tougher and meaner. First step, fire 'Just Play' Sully.

Pens need to get Matheson off the second pairing. Matheson has 4 points in 14 games, Marino has 3 points in 22 games. Right now neither of them should be top 4.

Now I don't want Ceci on the 2nd pairing, Dumo needs to come back to push Pettersson back down the lineup.

Dumo-Letang
Petts-Marino
Matheson-Ceci

They are going to have to figure out how to make that work because that's the most optimal lineup.

Pens need to get Matheson off the second pairing. Matheson has 4 points in 14 games, Marino has 3 points in 22 games. Right now neither of them should be top 4.

Now I don't want Ceci on the 2nd pairing, Dumo needs to come back to push Pettersson back down the lineup.

Dumo-Letang
Petts-Marino
Matheson-Ceci

They are going to have to figure out how to make that work because that's the most optimal lineup.
- j.boyd919

I agree - Matheson is terrible at defense at he isn't likely to improve. Unfortunately, Ceci is playing better defense than Petts and Marino right now. Would he in an elevated role (2RD)? Maybe not. I'm not even sure Petts and Marino are second-pairing-worthy. Just so much bad right now. How much of this is on Sully and his assistants? It looks as though no one knows where to be and who to defend.

I agree - Matheson is terrible at defense at he isn't likely to improve. Unfortunately, Ceci is playing better defense than Petts and Marino right now. Would he in an elevated role (2RD)? Maybe not. I'm not even sure Petts and Marino are second-pairing-worthy. Just so much bad right now. How much of this is on Sully and his assistants? It looks as though no one knows where to be and who to defend.
- Hockey66

Ceci is your most sheltered D. If you change that it will be bad.

I agree - Matheson is terrible at defense at he isn't likely to improve. Unfortunately, Ceci is playing better defense than Petts and Marino right now. Would he in an elevated role (2RD)? Maybe not. I'm not even sure Petts and Marino are second-pairing-worthy. Just so much bad right now. How much of this is on Sully and his assistants? It looks as though no one knows where to be and who to defend.
- Hockey66

Yeah I was just discussing that with Feds. I think Ceci will continue to excel sheltered on the 3rd pairing but I worry that he becomes exposed on the 2nd pairing. I definitely don't think Marino deserves to be on the 2nd pairing but I think their best bet is to hope he and Petts bounce back because they don't really have any other options right now unless they try Ceci on the 2nd pairing, which worries me.

Yeah I was just discussing that with Feds. I think Ceci will continue to excel sheltered on the 3rd pairing but I worry that he becomes exposed on the 2nd pairing. I definitely don't think Marino deserves to be on the 2nd pairing but I think their best bet is to hope he and Petts bounce back because they don't really have any other options right now unless they try Ceci on the 2nd pairing, which worries me.
- j.boyd919

It's a bit like rearranging chairs on the Titanic, innit?

It’s more like when a celebrity gets an honorary degree from a university.
- Feds91Stammer

Like the one rebecca from full house got?

It's a bit like rearranging chairs on the Titanic, innit?
- chimpira

Basically.