Euell and OM know this guy......and maybe you do as well, t......but if not, Rob Rossi (a well-known WVU grad in Pittsburgh) is a former long-time Pens beat writer for the Pitt Tribune Review who became a feature columnist a year or so ago. He was interviewed on Kouleas and Barnaby's show on NHLN Radio this morning and spared nothing in taking the Pens for an absolute verbal whipping.
Said that MAF should be in the discussion for MVP given the team's record in light of the fact they've played so few good games thus far this season (I think we all agree with that). He absolutely hammered their blue line, saying they have nobody (including Letang) who can really carry the puck into the zone.....especially on the PP.....which forces their forwards to try and make plays they shouldn't be forced to make.
One thing is for certain, it's clear he does not feel MJ's system works for this roster in the manner its constructed. He did not call for MJ to be fired; but made a big deal about MJ's philosophy of insisting on his entire team.....including SId and Geno......get back in the defensive zone. Rossi is absolutely convinced this style will lead to both of them being burned out and dead late in the season.
But he feels an even bigger issue is Crosby himself; Rossi says he's working just as hard as always, but that something is just WRONG. He's not sure, but he's at least beginning to wonder if Crosby may need a change of scenery; and strictly speaking, I'm not sure he's altogether wrong. Whatever, he definitely doesn't think the Pens will make the playoffs this season.....and it also sounds as though he believes the time to burn down the roster and rebuild should be sooner rather than later.
OTOH, the team is up for sale; and he has no current clue as to how this would impact any such decision to start over. This is me talking now, but I find it hard to believe that Mario will have any interest selling a team without Sidney Crosby as its face..
PS: 11/24 1000PM EST -- One more interesting opinion Rossi offered which I forgot to post initially: he said the only HC in the League who could coach the roster as currently structured is now in Toronto (and he couldn't understand why the team didn't pursue MB with greater seriousness).
Said that MAF should be in the discussion for MVP given the team's record in light of the fact they've played so few good games thus far this season (I think we all agree with that). He absolutely hammered their blue line, saying they have nobody (including Letang) who can really carry the puck into the zone.....especially on the PP.....which forces their forwards to try and make plays they shouldn't be forced to make.
One thing is for certain, it's clear he does not feel MJ's system works for this roster in the manner its constructed. He did not call for MJ to be fired; but made a big deal about MJ's philosophy of insisting on his entire team.....including SId and Geno......get back in the defensive zone. Rossi is absolutely convinced this style will lead to both of them being burned out and dead late in the season.
But he feels an even bigger issue is Crosby himself; Rossi says he's working just as hard as always, but that something is just WRONG. He's not sure, but he's at least beginning to wonder if Crosby may need a change of scenery; and strictly speaking, I'm not sure he's altogether wrong. Whatever, he definitely doesn't think the Pens will make the playoffs this season.....and it also sounds as though he believes the time to burn down the roster and rebuild should be sooner rather than later.
OTOH, the team is up for sale; and he has no current clue as to how this would impact any such decision to start over. This is me talking now, but I find it hard to believe that Mario will have any interest selling a team without Sidney Crosby as its face..
PS: 11/24 1000PM EST -- One more interesting opinion Rossi offered which I forgot to post initially: he said the only HC in the League who could coach the roster as currently structured is now in Toronto (and he couldn't understand why the team didn't pursue MB with greater seriousness).
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....hers is a 'Penguins dress' a company out of Ottawa here makes from actual jerseys lol...I'll see if I can pull up an image of them online. They are expensive but pretty cool imo...
