Penguins/NHL
The Pittsburgh Penguins dropped the final game of their western swing with a 5-2 loss to the Calgary Flames on Saturday night.
Pittsburgh’s winning streak was snapped at six games and have won an impressive nine of 11 games.
Yet much still isn’t right with this hockey club despite the 9-5 record through the first 14 games of the season.
Sidney Crosby has been held pointless in 10 of 14 games and has three even strength points through 17 percent of the season.
Kris Letang has regressed and the Penguins No. 1 pairing of Letang and Ian Cole has been a disaster.
Patric Hornqvist has just two goals and at some point the working hard narrative won’t last.
Most nights Olli Maatta has looked like he belongs in Wilkes Barre than the NHL.
This is just a weird team at this point. They deserve a lot of credit for finding ways to win but there should still be a pause with this group.
TREND TO WATCH
All five losses (Dallas (2), Arizona, Montreal, Calgary) this season for the Penguins have been a continued trend, against teams’ with lots of speed.
Could this be a problem down the road in the post-season when trying to get through the East? Tampa Bay, Montreal, Rangers, Islanders are all teams in the east with excellent speed.
Calgary’s speed and skilled dazzled in the game as they beat the Penguins through the neutral zone and had a field day with zone entries.
What Calgary did like Dallas was able to do twice this year vs Pittsburgh was get the Penguins out of their conservative low risk system.
By pushing the play and getting out to an early 3-1 lead, the Penguins were out of their element, and it led to them trying to trade chances with the Flames.
When you have Sidney Crosby, Evgeni Malkin, Kris Letang and Phil Kessel, trading chances would be considered a good thing, right?
Apparently not the case as head coach Mike Johnston was not happy with the Penguins trying to play that way in the second period.
“I To read this insider news, subscribe to get “Inside Access”!
Ian Cole, Sidney Crosby and Kris Letang were all minus-4’s in the loss. Crosby’s lack of production has been well documented all season, but Letang’s play is starting to become a concern.
“He plays against a lot of top players,” Mike Johnston said of Letang’s bad plus-minus/analytical numbers.
Going into Friday’s game, Letang/Cole were 55 of 56 pairings in CA/60 Against.
By the way – I dare someone to point out to me, after 14 games, where #81 has been deficient in his own end. More Toronto bullshit from a bunch of canadian fans who don’t know their ass from their elbow.
What’s more pathetic; crosby play or this website? Thumbs up for tiops thumbs down for crosby
Cam Ward trade rumors are Heating up come on yoda you need to start Drooling over Ward now just like few years ago some of you wanted Ward over Fleury
How about a few months ago when you wanted Martin St. Louis over Kessel.
you cunt even if st.louis has 80 % left in his tank he is still more of a complete player than kessel plus he brings leadership what does kessel bring to the table other than scoring once in a while Hot dogs ?
Kessel is a Good player but St.louis is more of a complete player but thats something i dont expect you to understand because for you a good player has to only score goals nothing more
Kessel is a great player. And St. Louis WAS a great player. But right now, he’s not even A player. He’s basically his kid’s hockey coach – and getting fatter and more out of shape by the second. You know, just like you. Chubbs.
Kessel has been a complete player. Regardless, you can’t get 80% left in the tank of someone that doesn’t even play. Kessel is twice the player St. Louis is at this point. Your fat ass has a better chance of seeing your penis over your fat gut, than seeing that, however.
I think it could help both players at this point by putting Maatta and Letang back together. I like Cole’s skill set, but every so often he does some… “unexpected freelancing”, which isn’t necessarily what you want from the guy paired next to Letang. If they’re going to insist on playing Scuderi, maybe he’s the steady presence that better complements Cole. Could be a win/win all around.
even though the pens have been winning, how long until cindy and gina mutiny? playing a NJ style game isn’t any fun for good players. if the pens want to play that way they should trade cindy, gina, and kessel. you don’t need to pay guys 9 million per year to trap.
Trapping means Cindy should be well rested for the power play, which he looks inept on.
While I am not about to go to bat for the system employed as it is clearly not the greatest for this roster you have to be a total moron to let Sid off the hook because of the system. Defensive hockey isnt making him look like total shit with and or without the puck
cindy sucks. he has a net front allergy.
How pathetic is it that Sid has been so meh this year that his biggest highlight is the stick flip to Hornqvist? Good fucking grief!
That was a $12 million stick flip.
Not even something that could be compared to a Linus Omark shootout goal highlight, just a stick flip.
I think some of Sid’s lack of production is due to having to play deeper in his own zone. Rather than getting the puck for a 2 on 1 at center ice he is attempting to go through a gauntlet. Hornqvist can’t be relied upon to carry the puck, he mostly just dumps it in and they can’t establish any offensive zone time.
pens dont have a good first passer other than Letang and that is the reason Sid is not producing this year letang been playing mostly with malkin.and sid coming low to help the D is affecting his production he is becoming like Zeterberg type
Here come the Sid excuses. He’s paid $12 million. All we talk about is how he needs a wing, and he needs a guy to pass to him. Go to hell. Earn your f’ing money.
Everyone is playing chip and chase. This team wanted to be possession, brought in a bunch of possession guys, yet they are chipping and chasing in all three zones. I think the chip and chase is great when you need it but when they are playing faster teams it comes apart on them.
Kingpuck – are you just going to mail me my $200 now, or are you holding out hope that Sid can get 13 points in 6 games?
Jordan Staal – Sidney Crosby Stat Watch:
Staal – 14GP, 3G, 3A, 6P, -2
Crosby – 14GP, 2G, 5A, 7P, -6
Maybe he needs better wingers or he has an iron deficiency?
only stat watch you need to track is you and npl how many calories per day you put in your mouth Fatty
I think you’re confusing me and NPL with yourself, you big old tub of goo.
I’m beginning to think that the instant buzz is just another excuse not to write an article
Mike Mitchell is the worst
That narrative is outdated. The theatrics need to tone down, but hes creating havoc, and more importantly, turnovers.
Go sell some hot dogs fatty
Actually Mitchell is the worst. Dude’s an ass-clown, fake tough and a complete moron when it comes to football IQ.
You mean like when he created the fumble on Murray and was too busy celebrating to even realize the ball was loose and sitting right behind him? Unfortunately I have to agree with maloni, guys is an assclown whose positives don’t outweigh his negatives most days.
You basically reinforced what i said. He created a turnover, check. Theatrics need to tone down, check.
He completed 70% of the play and took the other 30% off to pose because he’s a half-assed football player. End of story. He didn’t create a turnover. He created the opportunity for a turnover by causing a fumble – then immediately hurt their chances of it becoming a turnover so he could partake in prototypical urban dick waving.
Wonderful semantics. Still, where is the disagreement?
HCMJ’s statements after the game are very concerning. His philosophy is that we need to be playing better D?! We are the best in the league at D right now (I appreciate that is almost solely because Fleury has played unbelievable). We need to be scoring more. He should be worrying about finding ways to get the top 2 lines going, not about the freakin lowly Flames having too many scoring chances. I thought his MO was up tempo offense. I think he is coaching scared in the NHL. I was 80% sure he had to go. Now I am… Read more »
DePaoli do you publish Benz’s articles to make yourself look better? Garbage.
There is only one garbage is and it’s you. You giant KFC bucket
Youre so sexy Sam. I cant take it.
Sam, why the thumbs down? Are you not sexy?
Desperate times, desperate measures. Play Sprong on Crosby’s RW. If you’re going to burn a year of the kid’s contract might as well see if he can resuscitate Cindy.
Sprong is too young. According to the pens you need guys in their mid 30’s.
Yeah. They have so many guys in their mid 30s.
The worst thing this season was the winning streak as now Johnston’s seat isn’t quite as hot. He has to go.
Worst thing about this season is the Pens will squeak into the playoffs. Management will over assess the team’s chances of winning and go all in again.
They will never trade Sid, so everyone but him. He looks so unhappy and uninspired.
Says a lot about the world’s best player. He needs a different system to flourish not a knock off new jersey devils system.
He’s not the world’s best player.
It was sarcasm. Didn’t put quotations up due to this site suckling at formatting and making the pat look like this world/@SID4800%s
Never should have signed him. He and Sid are the biggest waste of cap space on this team. Don’t worry when this team fails again, the dismantling will begin.
By dismantling do you mean getting rid off everyone except malkin crosby letang fluery and completely redo the bottom six and defense? Sort of what they did the past two years???
Exactly. Seen this movie before.
There will be no dismantling. Who’s going to take crosbys remaining years with that cap hit? He is going to score 15 this year. The pens are stuck with this group forever. That’s why Mario wants out. He knows.
All 5 losses are vs teams that play with heart. And vs good coaches
Free advice Pens (four years running), get Letang of the power play.
Who in management thought it was a good idea to go into the season with that defense? Letang has been brutal and it’s going to get worse when he has his annual injury. Maatta is having a sophomore slump. Then you have a bunch of 5-6 defenseman filling out the top 4.
I agree Despres should dress ever night.
I wish Quenville could coach the playoffs though
I’d rather watch bylsma system than this
Yes and the playoffs collapse with that one trick pony. If you missed that fraud so much then watch sabres games he hasn’t changed his system at all
They may constantly blow It in the playoffs under bylsma but at least it was an entertaining brand of hockey
It was a circus
A circus that won them a cup, Chubbs.
The pens are not even fun to watch anymore
That I agree I’ve watched many other games this year and the most depressing games win or lose are the pens games. They are depressing when you see the team is playing with no heart and pulls fluke victories all 9 victories hasn’t been too convincing so far. But ask gaydogg for him . Win is a win. Only good victory was vs leafs but come on its the leafs
It’s boring now and they are going to send out the core group for 7 more seasons. This is only the beginning of the boredom and misery.
Yoda should be happy, this is what he’s been asking for all season, trading chances and more goals even if it meant losing.
this team is still going to miss the playoffs. last night st.blurry came back to earth. he’s been outstanding all year but history has proven he will be in the middle to bottom of the numbers pack by seasons end. that won’t be good enough. also, with crosby is on pace for 8 goals. that won’t cut it either. he sucks and that is going to catch up too.
What part of history are you talking about? Fleury hasn’t been in the middle to bottom for the numbers pack for 2 full seasons and now the first half of this season. It really is amazing how you use selective memory to try to justify your moronic opinions.
Could care less what Fleury’s numbers are. Dude will let in the first shot he sees in game one of the Playoffs.
It wasn’t Fleury’s fault. The penalties sucked the pens energy out and the defense were lost on several occasions
If it wasn’t for Fleury this game would’ve finished 7-2 or 8-2
Sid sucks so bad that it is becoming alarming. Letang is a train wreck.
Maatta is a train wreck Soon Sprong will be the same
The way Matta skating is crazy he is skating slow and scared and thinking twice before he makes the move. He is not the same at all when he first joined the pens oh well I guess same was dumb when he said keep him in the ahl. Same for sprong
Imagine that Debbie Downer writes an article after a loss.