Penguins/NHL
Changes coming on Defense?
Does Saturday’s 5-1 loss to the Montreal Canadiens have Penguins’ head coach Mike Sullivan already prepared to make a so called ‘sending a message’ scratch in his lineup for Thursday night’s matchup with the Vegas Golden Knights?
[hide] We’re going to look at everything,” Sullivan said on Saturday. We’ll put everything on the table.”
Sullivan noted after the loss ‘It’s Game 2. I’m not going to sit here and overreact.”
Monday’s practice, though, saw the coaching staff make a statement with their defensive corps by demoting Olli Maatta to the 4th pairing and elevating Juuso Kiikola to the third pairing with Jamie Oleksiak.
The other change was Jack Johnson – Justin Schultz anchoring the second pairing in Monday’s skate, a pairing the coaching staff was initially leaning towards early in camp.
What is not yet clear is whether demoting Maatta is just a wake-up call to the player and a one day thing or is it a precursor to Thursday’s game?
“The reality is this business is competitive,” Sullivan said today. “Our team is competitive. We have some guys that we know we can put in the lineup if we so choose that we think can play and help us win games.” [/hide]
The Maatta-Johnson pairing was horrid vs the Canadiens, but a primary reason for the coaching staff strongly leaning towards going away from that pairing for now, is getting Johnson off the right side.
Despite talk from the GM and coaches prior to the season praising Johnson’s versatility to play the right side, sources say the coaches feel Johnson To read this insider news, subscribe to get “Inside Access”!
So other than TSN I have not read much on Murray what is the prognosis? And any more info did it really happen in practice or from the knee from the Hab?
He alerted the team after practice Monday, while it’s not impossible it happened during the Habs game it would be interesting if he passed protocol or the spotter missed in vs the Habs and he started to become symptomatic later. I don’t think its been clear and there has been some debate but I think the consensus has been practice Monday is the culprit
I bet Brassard hit him. He’s ruined everything since he came here.
Fleury’s sv% is .841. I’d rather have a goalie making around 3mil with an .831 than one making almost 6 with an .841.
Hey tool .
I guess same was wrong by 2 games when he said fraud Murray is due and be injured before season starts in practice.
I guess I was off by 2 games but at least I got the practise part right. You should give me credit on that
I guess, I mean if you say it every single day it eventually comes true, even for a guy with health issues like Murray. Still waiting for Malkin to bounce to the K. You have claimed that was happening since 2011…
How do you mispell your own name?
I got some good news and bad news guys
Good news is fraud Murray is injured
Bad news. Won’t be longterm
the pens would be better served if the fat cat lazy russian would just retire and go to the KHL. i’d take the 10 million in cap space over that bum any day. no wonder he didn’t make the NHL top 100 players of all time list. that puck flip into the middle of the ice that resulted in a goal and the pathetic back check on the 2 on 1 was one of the most embarrassing displays of effort that i’ve ever witnessed. it’s a joke.
Blow it up?
In case you missed game one he had and amazing assist on oshies goal
this is deja vu. last season the pens started out like trash and malkin, kessel, and letang were in retard mode….the solution, scratch ian cole! this year, malkin, kessel and letang are in retard mode again, solution, scratch oli maatta! if they want to send a statement, scratch one of those fat cats or give them each 8 mins of ice per game and take them off the top PP.
Actually if it wasn’t for Kessel they never would have made the playoffs last season. I do agree though, all should be held accountable.
Kessel was money until like February… Malkin had his best year in a half decade… Letang has been the teams best player through two games. Yoda never fails to impress
With him, -5am and Cbauer all posting near the same time, any type of logical discussion is impossible.
Letang been the best pen so far I dont know what you are watching. Maataa been garbage and reason pen’s losing their pp been flat once pp starts team will win and average bandwagon will close their eyes on malkin and company stupidity
Power play is flat because letang is on the first unit. Where is Shultz?
It’s been two games, they are at 22% and have 2 goals that have occurred just as a PP ended ffs
matt murray’s 8th injury in 157 career games. on average he is out every 19.63 games. you got to be kidding.
Don’t tell that to zerotool
And in that time won two cups as a starter…
Did anyone say Filip Gustavsson?
I wish they did not trade him but the Penguins window is only open a few more years, JR did what he had to do to win now.
Problem is I will be sitting there longs after this group of players are gone.
In the 80s and 90s there were players like Lemieux, Francis, Murphy, Jagr, and so on… the won two cups were competitive for a decade then due to financial issues had to sell their assets in the early 00s. Within 4 years they stockpiled the picks that became the current group. It’s a cycle, it’s part of the sport… in the cap era you see far less Detroit style long term success because luring UFAs at the mid late point of their career is not gonna be the option it used to be plus the game has been sped up.… Read more »
Murray injured yet
Murray = Bennett
I tolddddddd you clowns
Pens will be stuck with this bum and more they keep more value drops
Once again same was right about a player few years before the average drooling sheep here.
Guy is 23-24 and his at his 7-8 injury
This clowns stock is so low even if you package Crosby with him in a trade no one will take FRAUD MURRAY
It’s really sad MAF melted down ALL those times and led to the teams hand being forced to go with the guy that had to come in and salvage the 2 cups in 16 and 17. Would have been an easy to make the other choice if they could have trusted him more…. I mean that and the fact he has his own concussion issues… ones that forced him to miss almost half of last season… and the cap hit thing
HF! ROFL are you serious Zc6687 now that is a stretch if I ever heard one.
Did MAF not struggle from 2010 to about 2013? Did Murray not step in to win in 16 and 17? Is MAF not making nearly twice as much? Has MAF not had a few concussions himself in the last 18 months? Do you not think this is why we took the risk of holding on to Murray during the draft? Please… I look forward to you pointing out the inaccuracies here? I was a big MAF fan but it was clear when the Pens were hancuffed what they were going to do for better or worse. Sam can claim all… Read more »
Keep in mind, cb is on record stating “you’re only as good as your last game”. Forget the fact that the saying is “you’re only as good as your NEXT game”, he literally has no idea how to value a player. Asking him to understand hockey is like asking my dog to build a rocket.
Virginal bandwagon, on the other hand, is simply a slow Montreal fan that trolls the board of a successful franchise. Them two paired with maloni form the Bermuda triangle of reason. It goes there to die.
So you say a player is only as good as his next game, ROFL you know that never happens right. You must be drooling over Beau Bennet. So how is that Murray working out for you right now? When will his next game be? Will his GAA be under 5 at that time?
ROFL. You are so hip old man.
A lot more than some of these posters on here.
If your next game sucks, what are you worth to your team? Not much, which is why that’s the saying. You should probably try to stay in your lane and converse solely with Sam.
“Stan” or tbj or whatever you are calling your self, so you say based on his last two games Murray value must be through the roof (I know is GAA is) because the next game (whenever) he is “going” to be great. Actually you, Sam and ZC little relationship will probably doom this board. You really have ever posted anything but insults and no logical points. Since you really don’t know anything that is your method.
I never said anything about Murray and yet again, you prove your idiocy. The point of the statement is that it’s what you do (expected to do) moving forward that will determine your worth in the present. I get that concept may be above your head, but anyone with an IQ over 70 can grasp it. You then post an insult as you cry about me posting insults. You’re too dumb to argue with.
that’s right Stan and by the was using your method to evaluate Murray ……and you can’t see that.
Yes it’s the considerable overreaction and hyperbole from the local idiots that make this page run…
Actually most of your points aren’t bad in original post but Murray was at best 1/2 responsible at most for the cups. And one other point remember my major issue was Gustavsson in the Brass@SID4800$$ trade. I didn’t swallow the Murray kool aid as he is totally unproven over the long haul.
I’m always going to take liberties replying to that fucken moron based how he will ignore or downplay contributions from Malkin and Kessel in the same manner
You swallow gray balls instead. Go charge your tablet.
I know you like to troll here with your 35 accounts and first grade english but seriously, why do you bother? All you do is bash every player on the team, call players and coaches frauds, make fun of other posters and complain about trades only MB would be stupid enough to make do not happen. You must make Canada proud. It is no wonder why a Canadian team has not won the cup in 25 years.
He lives in Quebec… Canadians on average hate him… trust me
He lives in Alberta Canadians on average knows they are wannabe Americans.
That’s why his beloved Trudeau once forgot to mention Alberta even that moron knows
“He lives in Alberta, on average this is the province that Quebec relies on for free daycare. Only fragile idiots actually give a shit about Trudeaus whoops” – fixed that for you. Your provinces laws are based on the French system while the rest of the country is English Common Law. You have large areas of the province that don’t acknowledge that this is an English speaking Country. You have voted, on multiple occasions, to separate but fail because people know you’d never be able to repay your end of the Federal debt youd have to take with you. When… Read more »
I always vote conservative
oh I know….. why learn a platform and decide based on what’s most important now when one can piss away the idea of democracy and vote for a colour void of being informed. You never let me down sam
I like Zero. Dude knows hockey. Sam knows nothing.
Murray injured yet?
The Penguins should have traded Maatta to San Jose for Brent Burns, Murray to Tampa for Vasilevskiy, Sheary to Chigago for Kane and Sheahan and Sprong to the Oilers for McDavid. GMJR messed up this summer.
How bout an article on glass joe… any insights as to why this time?
It supposedly happened in practice, again.
he overdosed on rubber.
Me sam say we should traded for “insert impossible illegible here”
What in the sweet hell is a “lucky assist”?
Murray out with a concussion.
Ugh… fucking so done with this guy.
I really hope Jarry has what it takes to become a good starter… sooner than later. He has showed some flashes.
Not sure how a goalie gets a concussion when the puck never hits him.
In Murray’s case he was counting over and over how many goals he had let in 2 games some how gave him a concussion when he over counted
So how many concussions do you deal with at any given moment? I mean if cognitive disability leads to spontaneous concussion you must be on youre 45th
New thirds.. the Lemieux draft jersey! looks great with the update
Maatta has refused to work on the part of his game that has held him back since jump… While you cant just make a guy faster there is work that can be accomplished to improve the skating overall. Dawn Braid has worked with Tavares… she made him a Maatta type skater to at least someone with enough speed to play this game. Maatta has worked on it by himself.. hasn’t worked. The skillset is decent but it is all hampered by a lack of mobility so regardless as to whether or not it is just a message it should be… Read more »
#Kiikola2020
Maatta and Murray for a legit goaltender
Me what I wanted before was Murray and Mattaa for Hamilton and Tkachuk. And keep fleury
Lol yeah, I’m sure they would have taken that. Dumba$$.
“Me what I wanted” – Found Gritty
That trade will never happen. Hamilton is good and Tkachuk is blossoming…..Matta is declining and Murray is inconsistent.
True but I said this when Murray won his first cup both had some value and tkachuck was new in league now both our frauds are exposed and too late since our fraud often is injured there goes his stock
If MB was the GM then that trade may have happened.
Thing is the Penguins should have moved Matta over the summer! Now the league knows yes he is young but slow and soft…good luck moving him.
Kiikola is nasty
There was a time people were excited to have Maatta over forsberg
Actually we took Pouliot over him even funnier. And Trouba also.
Maatta traded yet?
Told you clowns he should’ve been packaged In a deal with fraud Murray to Calgary. Now pens are stuck with these bums and make happy gaydogg and npl