Ok boys, my birthday is tomorrow. I am trashed on Manhattans and we are playing the Coyotes. Let’s get a W here.
Penguins: December 2017
- Thread starter DocEER
- Start date
Happy Birthday Doc! Pens will pick up the 2 pts. tonight as your birthday gift. It is a shame they gave up the goal with 8 seconds left in the 2nd to make the 3rd potentially interesting though.
A little too close for comfort there, but we will take the 2 and move on.
No doubt.; but when things are going so (relatively) poorly, any win......even a nail biter against the worst team in the League.....counts. I missed pretty much everything this past week while I was on the road; so presumably like others, I was looking for 2-points in almost any manner last night. But man, this inability to hold most any kind of lead is among the most troubling aspects of this team right now.
Meanwhile, did you catch the sheer number of Pens fans in the arena last night ?? I suspect that's a typical sight in Scottsdale when teams like Chicago, Detroit, and Toronto (and probably several others) play in Scottsdale.....but still, it was a pretty cool to see
I saw that and, yes, it was awesome. There was also a lot Black and Gold in the stands at Vegas, including a couple from the town I live in.
Toronto saw your boys play tonight. They had a good 1st period but not much after that. I'm glad Malkin got one I got a good look at it from where I was sitting. He is the 1st star from and opposing team that I have seen score live this year. I thought after that goal the pens would pour it on but it didn't happen. The pens look soft on the blue line. They need to get that sorted out if they have big plans in the spring.
Colorado: I only saw the 3rd period, but it looked like quite a few Pens fans in the stands similar to Vegas and Phoenix. I am glad you enjoyed the game.
The penguins fans were definately well represented. The lets go pens chants were loud at times. I'd say it was 30-35% pens fans. I have been to games against the blackhawks that were probably 60-40 in their favor. The avs have to rebuild their fan base. management has put quite a few people off. There were about 3 sections along the half wall in the lower bowl were the avs defend twice that were predominately Pens fans.
The blue line is an issue no doubt but when you take a western swing against the league's worst team, a mediocre team, and a decent team, you hope to get 4 points. The Pens "escaped" with 2. At some point somebody needs to call out Sid. He is really pathetic right now. No shots against Vegas. No shots against the Avs. 2 shots against the Coyotes and one of those was into an empty net from 120 feet. His effort level the last 4 weeks has been zero. If the Avs had converted the 3 on 0 break, Sid would have been -3 with no shots and 1 hit. He had 18 points in 14 games from Nov 14 thru December 9 and 1 since (empty net goal). When he wants to play, he is the best in the league. When he doesn't, he is a tremendous liability because his wingers aren't good enough to produce without him
Well, you might as well get started with it yourself because nobody associated with the team is ever going to do it. It's clear the guy isn't producing.....then again, neither is anyone else on the team right now (including Kessel, whose strong offensive run appears to have disappeared the past week or so). I myself have been wondering for awhile if Sid has finally hit the physical wall this season, and is already running on empty here before Christmas
Meanwhile, while there's plenty of time to get back into playoff position :flushed: I'm definitely concerned the team is going to have trouble running off one of those 8 wins in 10 games streaks for which they're famous (especially if they think they're eventually going to challenge for home ice). We all know this team is currently a shadow of those we've watched the past few seasons, and worse, they're not even scaring teams outside the Metro. I don't see how they're going on any kind of run, especially with goaltending that seems incapable of stealing anything right now.
Blojax coming into town tomorrow night on the heels of their own blah 4-5 stretch in December....interesting because that's the Pens exact record thus far in December. Of course, you factor out the back-to-back wins over Buffalo a couple weeks ago, and the Pens are a miserable 2-5 the past 2 weeks (with neither win very impressive). Maybe HCMS will finally give Ryan Reaves a chance to earn the salary he's being paid tomorrow night.
Of course, with Dubinsky out for awhile, perhaps the Jax won't play them as dirty as usual (though our good pal Boone J is still in the lineup).
No question that was one of their better efforts of the season against probably one of the five best teams in the League. But unlike in the past.....when giving away the OT point didn't matter because they were toward the top of the standings.....losing that point last night in a divisional game hurts in their attempts to make up ground in the standings.
Meawhile, Columbus will claim the only reason they lost last night was because it was the 2nd night of a back-to-backer (justifable, IMO) and Werenski didn't play (and neither did Schultz). We'll claim the only reason the Blojax were even in the game was because of Bobrovsky (true), while they'll say that kind of performance is pretty much SOP for him (ditto).
Rematch back in Pittsburgh next week.....oh, and in the event I'd forgot (which isn't the case), last night reconfirmed why there's essentially nobody in the game for which I have more pure hatred than Tortorella. It's no secret he's been moaning about Crosby since Sid first put on a jersey, while I think a legitimale case can be made that he's the single whiniest/poutiest coach in NHL history.
Is there ANYTHING we've heard more consistently this year than "Letang turnover, Pens down 1-0" ???
here is your problem boys. this pos played 24 minutes last night despite making these plays.
it sure would be easier to win if this stuff didn't happen on a nightly basis from this bum. and there is no response from the coaching staff. just keep playing him.
it sure would be easier to win if this stuff didn't happen on a nightly basis from this bum. and there is no response from the coaching staff. just keep playing him.
Anyone wondering how the roster is feeling about HCMS ?? Don't misunderstand that question; I'm not at all suggesting that the team make a change. Quite the contrary, I think kicking the team's collective ass remains a fair approach.....and I don't think there are too many guys better capable of doing it with legitimate credibility.
But let's suppose somebody like.....say, Sid.....eventually decides to make it clear in the room (he'll never go public) he's had enough of Sully's act as he (reportedly) did with Mike Johnston's, what does GMJR do ?? For the record, my personal feeling is that Rutherford privately considers the team's underperformance HIS responsibility, since the roster simply (and clearly) isn't as good today as it was a year ago.
And, like most, I think he'll try and make a splash in the New Year......though to me, THE biggest question in a possible trade remains if he'll be willing to move Sprong. But regardless, he's terribly hamstrung with the lack of production from tradable guys like Sheary and Rusty. Of course, if they were producing, the team would probably be somewhere from 4-6 points higher in the standings....and their need for big changes would be far less acute.
Meanwhile, regarding one idea I've pulled out of the blue.....and no, I'm not advocating for this......what would you think generally of a blockbuster deal between the Pens and Canadiens with Geno and Max Pacioretty as basic core principals (meaning as part of a multi-player, shake-everything-up-on-both-sides deal) for two franchises currently searching for answers ??
But let's suppose somebody like.....say, Sid.....eventually decides to make it clear in the room (he'll never go public) he's had enough of Sully's act as he (reportedly) did with Mike Johnston's, what does GMJR do ?? For the record, my personal feeling is that Rutherford privately considers the team's underperformance HIS responsibility, since the roster simply (and clearly) isn't as good today as it was a year ago.
And, like most, I think he'll try and make a splash in the New Year......though to me, THE biggest question in a possible trade remains if he'll be willing to move Sprong. But regardless, he's terribly hamstrung with the lack of production from tradable guys like Sheary and Rusty. Of course, if they were producing, the team would probably be somewhere from 4-6 points higher in the standings....and their need for big changes would be far less acute.
Meanwhile, regarding one idea I've pulled out of the blue.....and no, I'm not advocating for this......what would you think generally of a blockbuster deal between the Pens and Canadiens with Geno and Max Pacioretty as basic core principals (meaning as part of a multi-player, shake-everything-up-on-both-sides deal) for two franchises currently searching for answers ??
DK reporting that Letang is out and day-to-day with an LBI......sounds like he's out for the Columbus rematch. e's also reporting that Nick Kypreos is claiming the Pens are shopping Letang as part of that blockbuster deal we're wondering about.
I'm the one talking about a deal with Montreal; what about Letang heading back home (which his wife, presumably, would kill for) ?? Well, if so, Geno's not going to be part it.....
I'm the one talking about a deal with Montreal; what about Letang heading back home (which his wife, presumably, would kill for) ?? Well, if so, Geno's not going to be part it.....
Great start to this shit fest. 2-0 bad guys, 4 left in the first period. Murray is playing like shit
the country club is upset one of their members may be on the way out.
Ok lads....its been a helluva last 2 weeks here, likely the busiest month of my life lol. But I'm back! What the hell happened on the 4th goal?
And happy VERY belated Doc! ....and #71!!!! Booya!!!
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