Sheary’s skilled game has been missed more than the Penguins ever imagined
Conor Sheary with 6 goals on the season and the surging Buffalo Sabres come to town tonight against the floundering Penguins who have lost 8 of 9 and minus the club actually showing up in the third period vs the Senators Saturday night, this team is trending towards hitting rock bottom.
Sheary’s solid start to the season stings even more for the Penguins when it comes to how bad they botched the Sheary/Hunwick trade from turning the $5.25 million in cap space created into Jack Johnson/Riley Sheahan.
There’s no getting around that and another thought in the organization with the Sheary trade at the time was that the Penguins needed to move some forwards out to open spots for others.
That has also backfired big time on the Penguins.
As one NHL scout told me last week, the loss of Sheary has been more striking than the Penguins ever imagined it would be in that it forced Pittsburgh’s hand so early into the season to have to trade a player the coaches didn’t wanted trade in Carl Hagelin whose absence will make the Penguins easier to play against to get more skill in their lineup they lost with the Sheary trade.
If this eventually becomes a lost season and Pearson does not work out, Pittsburgh also took the risk of tying themselves to Pearson’s $3.75 million cap commitment for two more seasons when Hagelin’s $4 million cap hit would have been coming off the books.
Tonight the Penguins will dress a bottom-6 of:
Dominik Simon – Derek Grant – Daniel Sprong
Zach Aston-Reese — Riley Sheahan – Bryan Rust.
There’s one player in that group in Dominik Simon who has showed he can create 1-on-1 offense on a consistent basis.
You look at this roster and it’s badly lacking that youthfulness, energy type of presence that helped elevate them to Stanley Cup status when this roster was dragging so bad from 2014 to early part of 2016.
The Penguins have themselves to blame.
They failed to endorse opening a roster spot for Teddy Blueger by recycling Matt Cullen and then signing Derek Grant, and you even have to look at giving away someone like Josh Archibald last season who isn’t going to swing games for you by anymeans but is that type of energy/fore-checking speed presence this team desperately lacks and will even more so with Hagelin out of the picture.
With Matt Cullen out at least 3-4 weeks, Pittsburgh has to consider going the Teddy Blueger, Thomas DiPauli route in trying to get more speed, youthfulness in the lineup and quit throwing Riley Sheahan/Derek Grant out there.
There’s a reason Derek Grant was available in late July and cleared waivers.
MORE BUZZ
— Where is the Matt Murray – Mike Sullivan relationship headed?
Murray who was pulled again Saturday night, will be by-passed tonight for a home start against the Sabres.
The coaching staff is beyond frustrated with Murray right now and a high level of frustration towards Murray has been how non-cholent he has been about his play. One feeling around the team right now is that Murray feels his performance this season is more predicated on the poor defensive play of the team in front of him than himself.
That notion is said to be driving the coaches To read this insider news, subscribe to get “Inside Access”!
— Some good news for the Penguins.
Sidney Crosby took part in the morning skate and is headed in the right direction, Crosby said.
He won’t play tonight. [/hide]
— Mike Sullivan on losing Matt Cullen.
“I think Matt’s quietly played a solid game for us,” said Sullivan. “He’s a good penalty killer. He’s a good faceoff guy. I use his line in a lot of instances situationally. He tends to take a lot of defensive-zone starts, so he’s put in difficult situations.”
To read this insider news, subscribe to get “Inside Access”!
Big and slow does not win in this league when it’s all said and done
No wonder npl never wins anything
My biggest fear going foward is GMJR trading the first or second round pick for what he thinks will be a quick fix.
With all this movement going on I wouldn’t be surprised pens next lost will be the end for scum sully
Tbj’s favourite player orpig out 4-6 weeks
Now that 2 coaches got fired in less then 24 hours . Sully can be next
Oilers hire Ken Hitchcock. How long until he gets fired?
he’s suck a jerkoff. stupid turkey-neck retread hire.
I don’t understand how he keeps getting a job.
I tough he retired .
He wont last in that shitholee city. Since oilers last appearance at the finals. I lost count how many coaches they changed. Maybe zeroTool can tell us
Oilers 7
Canadians 9.
There’s not enough food in Edmonton to last Hitchcock a full season.
“Non-cholent”. All the posts and I can’t believe this esteemed group missed “non-Cholent”.
We must have been non cholent.
It’s actually spelled “nonchalant”… it took me a minute to get what he meant.
Blues fire Mike yeo .
Let’s see if coach Q goes back with the blues
Vegas lost badly tonight. You know why because subban was in net. Nearly every game subban played this year team lost .This shows fleury still steal games for the team,
while Murray doesn’t.
Murray doesn’t steal games for Vegas. Got it.
Fire the coach. Fire the gm. Get two new goalies. Trade half the team. Funny how irrational fans are and we’re not even 20 games in. We’re 8 points out of first place with 2 games in hand. Our best defenceman and best forward haven’t been in the lineup. Blow it up!
I thought malkin was the best forward.
You’re right. I would agree with that. Thanks Sam.
This shows what kind of typical American bandwagon pens fan you are. You constantly change your ideas opinions typical. Where ever the wind blows your mind goes there .
Stick to donut baking buddy
You said you think Malkin is the best Penguin. I agreed with you. Crosby is on his typical vacation and I’m happy you are admitting to Malkin being better.
Sullivan was putting Crosby on the 3rd line with rust and Simon and shaehan on the 1st skating with guentzwl and kessel. He’s a moron.
I’ll see when Sid gets back and we can roll the top 3 with Brassard back now. I’m not overly concerned more irritated.
http://www.FireScumSully.com
Jarry time.
How’s his numbers look in the A this year? I thought he was struggling as well.
He is I have AHLTV watched him thought he was having issues in A also.
Damn! I was hoping he could be an option. How much is that AHLTV package?
$80 full season package 60 for a single team full package.
Btw, there is no goalie controversy. They lose no matter who is in the net.
Agree both are garbage as I said pens need a pair of goalies. But with desmith in net team is still in the game. If Murray was in net it would’ve been 3-0 first period for the sabres
Wow !!! What Is gmjr gonna do . Need a major major change
His next move is to fire Sully. He tried to trade the locker room guy (haggy) to shake up their mental make up….but that’s not gonna be the trick. The next move to get their mind to change is a new coach. Sully’s words are stale.
Maybe tortorella told him to lol since he never liked hags in the rangers days
This is all part of his divine plan to land the #1 pick and then trade it.
So Crosby, malkin generational players are not enough need more 1st overall pick ?
It is called a joke… fuck your slow. But yes, if they are not going to make the playoffs then by all means tank and go for high pick. That is how teams build for the future, in the draft. Generational players don’t stay that way forever.
Good job malkin. What a comeback by sabres as I mentioned earlier penguins must be careful sabres been a comeback Team this year. At least pens got a point if fraud Murray would’ve been in net game would’ve been finished long time ago with bunch of TV’s turned off midway game
sullivan fired yet????
Habs 3 goal in 1min35. Caps are stunned again by habs just like their previous game vs habs this season
Wrong board bandwagon sam.
Exactly.
So not allowed to watch more hockey when pens were on intermission. Get a life clown
There we go! The Pearson Kessel Malkin line looks good. A lot of potential there IMO.
Ah shut up drooler you and zero were first to bitchh about the trade when I said if they use him right he can be good fit
UAnd only reason pens winning is because the don’t have fraud Murray suckking the teams momentum and energy away
Don’t get me wrong game still early and I’m still not sold on desmith yet also sabres are good in comebacks this year
That is looking line wondered how much Tanner can pick up off of the Kessel and Malkin work.
Hey zero how is Pearson doing
10 shots 1 goal better than Murray’s 3 goals on first 10 shots back to back games
Good riddance to Conner Sharry and his softer than baby poop game. I agree with awful mistake of turning the savings into JJ, Cullen and Grant, but the Penguins will never miss a guy that scored 2 goals in his last 34 playoff games. Dude couldn’t get within 15 feet of the net last year in the playoffs. As soon as the game tightens up, Lil’ Sharry evaporates.
Now convince that to zerotool
Murray injured yet?
wow that bottom 6 sucks. pens are in trouble.
Welcome to now. Everything you see now is happening now!
murray is smoking his cigars, living in his mansion, counting his 6 million in the bank, and making love non stop to his beatiful girlfriend. the dude is good
The only Cigar his been smoking is Sully’s
Would you rathe it be a three way between You, Murray and Sam? You guys can give Murray the Thumbs Down Reach Around.
It was not so much the loss of Sheary, it was what they did with the money after he was gone. In a fucked up way I am kind of hoping this team tanks so they can get some high draft picks and remember what it is like to be terrible again. It sounds like some players need to be reminded the playoffs and winning is not guaranteed. It is also time for GMJR to step down. This is what happened in Carolina. He built a winner and then they were shit for many years afterwards.
I said it many times when league was changing pens needed to trade malkin or kessel to get few good young players but you droolers insist the idea and now pens are stuck. Yes they can still trade but won’t have same value and return
Yeah, then they won two cups, dip$hit. And those two guys are leading our team in scoring. Saying they don’t have the value is a joke. Kessel has more value now than when we traded for him and Malkin is viewed as a top 5 center in the NHL. You embarrass yourself every time you try to type.
Maybe we can trade them to Florida for the Manuel Brothers, Juan and Jose. They unblock and can be bearing. Don Cherry said they are not Russian so therefor they will be great.
D since zerotool is not giving us updates about fleury and Murray stats.
Can you give us their stats in a article how they are doing this year and how they’re doing since they no longer together and went separate ways
Fraud Murray exposed.
Once again just like Sam said it matter of time and he will be exposed. Suckk on that Npl and zeroTool