Hurricanes put on dominating performance against listless Pens
The Penguins 4-0 loss to the Carolina Hurricanes tonight will surely be another wake-up call for Penguins GM Jim Rutherford that banking on this particular group needs a shakeup.
Tonight’s loss wasn’t a situation where the Penguins can sit back and say they ran into a hot goaltender.
For the second time in less than a week, Carolina exposed the Penguins in similar areas as they did this past Friday night.
Pittsburgh was atrocious again in defending the Hurricanes in transition and it’s more than just a lack of focus from the Penguins end. Skilled teams with the type of quickness the Hurricanes have continue to be major headaches for the Penguins with side-to-side puck movement.
From mental breakdowns to losing a number of 1-on-1 plays defensively, the Penguins put a ton on tape of what’s wrong with this team defensively as they did Friday night vs Carolina and Sunday night vs Detroit.
And maybe most strikingly tonight was how Carolina stifled the Penguins on the breakout. Pittsburgh had a great deal of trouble in breaking the puck out cleanly. Kris Letang and Justin Schultz were both in the lineup so Pittsburgh can’t use the injury excuse there.
More concerning for the Penguins, the high-danger chances again were strongly in the Canes favor, 17-7 in all situations and 16-6 during 5 vs 5 play. The Hurricanes are +15 in high-danger chances over the past two meetings.
You take away the names on the back of the jerseys and Pittsburgh being back-to-back Stanley Cup Champs, the takeaway from these two meetings in six days is that the Hurricanes are a superior hockey team right now than the Penguins.
Some can argue that things are trending in the direction where the Penguins should be getting close to reaching the conclusion that this will be a lost season from the standpoint of not missing the playoffs but being a legitimate threat for a third Stanley Cup and maybe the thinking process should be staying away from the impact rental market and not putting any of their high-picks in play.
But, the mindset of the Penguins brass is more in-tune to do everything they can to put this club in the best position to three peat.
Everything is about the short-term for this group and among the reasons why Jim Rutherford has been willing to discuss significant players on this roster in trade talks.
What Penguin management doesn’t want to happen is it become too late to help this team in the short-term.
Everyone knows the Penguins are in the impact forward market, whether it’s a player with term or a rental.
The Big Three on the forward market widely available for significantly high prices are To read this insider news, subscribe to get “Inside Access”!
In recent weeks the Penguins have significant trade talks with the [hide] Sabres on Kane with an eye on playing Kane with Crosby, per sources. Pittsburgh’s interest in Max Pacioretty is also well documented.
In shuffling the deck at forward, there’s also other scenarios in play than Pittsburgh just being keyed on Kane and Pacioretty.
The organization has been high on To read this insider news, subscribe to get “Inside Access”!
Can’t wait for Ruhwedel to get back. Pair him with Oleksiak. Trade Maatta for 3C. Hope Hunwick gets hit by car.
Question for the discerning hockey fan, did Jarry steal that game or did the Pens win because they scored 4? #goaltendingmatters
Jarry had a hell of a game. The islanders actually remind me of the Pens a bit – top end scoring, terrible defense and inconsistent goaltending. IMO you play Jarry for the time being as he currently gives the team the best chance to win. More importantly, sprong looked really good on Crosby’s wing. If it continues, we can use any trade assets to improve depth/defense instead of a rental scoring winger, which would allow us a far better chance at a run.
Ok, you missed my point. If Murray would have made a few more saves early on last night would the Pens have pulled out a win against the Canes?
My guess would be no, because the Canes are faster and looked like the better team the whole game. The Islanders are on a five game losing streak and didn’t look nearly as impressive. Who knows, though.
Spring Sprong!!!
Fraud Murray traded yet?
Nope, but that “fraud” does have 2 more rings than the entire city of Montreal in the last 2+ decades by the age of 23. WOOOOOOOOOO
Point TBJ
You bandwagon’s!!
Question for Sam. When Murray was hot and Fleury was struggling, Sullivan rolled with Murray. Now that Murray is struggling and Jarry is hot, who will he roll with? I say he goes to Murray, because that’s his guy and the lip service he gave us about playing the hot goalie was BS.
You clown fleury was also hot last year in playoffs
The difference is that when you say hot, you’re referring to his looks.
I was more referring to 2 years ago.
Jesus is Letang a fucking disease.
The longer you wait, the lower his stock drops.
Yup that’s exactly the case for Murray. That fraud should’ve been traded to the flames when they had the chance along with sheary but you droolers would’ve killed yourself if that happened last year q
Two cups on his resume with a tough year… if Jarry was to take the job Murray still carries value regardless you mook
Same would rather see him play for Calgary so a Canadian team has a chance to win a cup.
I’m ready for playoff football. Pens have been dissapointing.
Sam sucks
I know he does glad you noticed that about yourself
Poll from a Toronto blog “Would you trade James van Riemsdyk, Tyler Bozak, and a first for Kris Letang?” 39% say yes… I love Kris Letang but for this? Granted I would be concerned about keeping both but if that was a possibility?
That would be incredible. It’d be nice if they took Hagelin off the books as well. Our defense sucks with or without him, so we might as well score, plus we need all the picks we can get.
If this was actually available and Hags could be swapped to plug a hole on the blueline (packaged with something of course) capable of filling out a top 4 role? I mean there is a greater issue at hand yes but infusing the new blood would be curious. Oleksiak has played well, Sheahan took a bit but is playing strong hockey deep in the line up as well
I’d do it without the 1st. Throwing in that pick makes it a no-brainer for me.
Pens don’t need a defence that plays 27min a game. Yea yea pens won the cup without. Play full season and playoffs it won’t be same outcome clowns
Pens don’t need defense goaltending Marty St. Louis and Weiss Db. Sucks orpigg clowns
Well for one I specifically stated I’d want to add a solid blue line just below you illiterate fuckk… but yeah… winning without Letang kind of makes it seem like they could make it work. You’re dumb
You clowns think San Jose bandwagon’s are as bad as pens fans letang having bad season so is burns you guys think their fans want burns to be traded too?
Letang hasn’t been good since the stroke
Letang has been pretty bad this year but his single best season was 2 years ago after he came back from the TIA
Letang for Galchenyuk and a first. Helps us now and adds prospect depth. Get it done!
Can’t trade for Kane the assest it will take for a rental senerio. Too costly. Have to have some deal in mind that both sides can be agreeable on.
Yeah at this point, It’s hard to justify giving any picks our prospects for a rental.
pensfan4life is spot on below. Correct player as well. It is cap space that is in the road.
Not only stain turned off his TV he unsubscribed from here as well since pens are doing bad this season.
If only pens can miss the playoffs we won’t see bandwagon’s like mstartari and tbj
or because theres barely any content and reading your posts infuriates most with how dumb you are
I will consider the season a success if GMJR can dump Hunwick at the deadline.
Hunwick is the Pens version of Sam.
So after the Pens game last night I couldn’t sleep…just sitting there thinking what does this team need to get life injected into it? For as bad as the Pens have played (esp. as of late) they are only 1 point out of playoffs. Now yes I get it games in hand goes against us but those teams have to win those games to. (I think after week break we’ll see where we stand clearer). I do think GMJR is going to pull the trigger either this week or early next week during week off in the trade department. The… Read more »
Get Bozak and I don’t think Kessel would give the option lol. The only concern is if Cole goes it means Hunwick sees a regular shift and he has been erratic most nights. I know you gotta give to get but we gotta hope the team doesnt create a hole filling a hole
Why would leafs. Be a seller team. Now if leafs trade. Bozak it’s because they want the team better and pens have. Nothing interesting to offer them other than overpaid contracts
Well for one Bozaks name is spit-ballin in the above scenarios, Pens fan suggested Brassard but also noted Kessel should have his own line. I mentioned “get Bozak and Kessel not playing with Malkin would not be an option lol” meaning that if Bozak came to Pittsburgh Kessel would play on a wing independent of the other stars nothing more. Now, despite the fact that I had to break a conversation down yet again I will state that Bozak has been in trade rumours the entire fucken season and is still looked at as a chip that the Leafs would… Read more »
I like where your head is at with how the roster should be constructed but there’s 1 glaring problem with how you got there. The only high prospect the Pens have is Sprong, so if it’s going to take Cole + high prospect to acquire the 3C it’s more than likely going to cost them Sprong.
Most lopsided defeat I’ve seen in years. Did the Pens even ya e the puck? Murray is a fraud
Forward &Defense roster is a moot point unless Murray gets his head out of his ass asap.
Not sure how it’s the goalies fault when we get out-chanced 17-7 and don’t score a goal.
Key statement, we didn’t score a goal! Some of these people on here have no clue sometimes.
Sure Murray has left in some softies but they are gettitn grade A chances left, right and center. We can’t win if we can’t score. What a shit game!
When you are getting average seasons from 87, 71 and 58, this team will have problems. Also, the secondary scoring we aren’t getting from 59, 17 and 43 is hurting this team. No fourth line is an issue as well. Yes Murray hasn’t been great, but this isn’t a goalie problem. I think both goalies on paper are good enough for them to be in every game. Rutherford didn’t have a good offseason as well.
Pens don’t have true secondary scoring players 17,59 and 43 were just temporary faze for the team now they are playing with their true potential and ability
You’re as bad as yoda, keep repeating yourself until something goes your way. 17, 59, and 43 were only good while the team was winning cups. Now that the entire roster has been trash we should be blaming just these three…
Well those 3 players were the secondary scorers and making clowns like you drool when I said sheary is overrated you think your tk 2.0 is worth what he is getting
You think anyone is worth what they are getting? It’s funny, CBauer came at me yesterday for “defending Crosby”… wonder if he will do the same for you. Sheary is a complimentary piece on that line. If Sid is playing poor hockey, which he absolutely is, Sheary will struggle too. That said kid is still on pace for another 20 goal season despite the fact the team is playing like trash. You have a problem with 20 goal men moron?
Exactly, the issues run deeper and are unlikely to be solely personnel related as a whole. Guys are likely tired, maybe there is some truth to the pouting for losing some good teammates but this season seems to be headed to lost. The guys are getting older so it is scary to say that we may have to pick it back up next year but then again they are only in their early 30s, most of them, so it’s a little early to proclaim the window is closed.
Not great? Murray is near the bottom of the league in nearly ever stat or metric. His play has been way below average so while I would agree that goaltending isn’t their biggest issue it’s definitely a major issue currently. It makes matters worse when you consider the number of early 1st goals he’s given up over the last 1-1.5 months to put the team in an early hole. Puts a lot of pressure on the remainder of the team when you’re playing from behind 5 minutes into the game because 1 of the first 4-6 shots went in. The… Read more »
I wasn’t defending Murray Yoda.
I agree with you that they are giving up way too many High Danger scoring chances but Murray also has 1 of the worst GAAs in the league against high-danger chances so there is more than enough fault to go around, including Murray’s way below average play. Murray has the 4th worst HDsv% among goalies who have played at least 20 games. So Yes they give up too many chance but Murray needs to be much, much better against those chances regardless.
To give that a little more context, Murray has faced 136 high-danger shots so far this year and has given up 31 goals on those shots for a HDsv% of 77.21%, Bobrovsky has faced 178 high-danger shots and only given up 26 goals for an HDsv% of 85.39%, Holtby has faced the exact same 136 high-danger shots as Murray but has given up 4 fewer goals. Lundqvist has faced 40 more high-danger shots and has given up 3 fewer goals. So yes he faces a lot of high-danger chances but he’s faced fewer than many other top goalies who have… Read more »
Yeah yet flyer’s series was fleury fault when pens were playing peewee hockey under dB in that series
You have to admit though scoring more regularly wouldn’t put so much pressure on our goalies.
When were the Penguins ever a good defensive team in the regular season? If Murray is going to require a defensive effort and shot blocking like he gets in the playoffs to win in the regular season….they better look to trade him now, or dump the stars and build a team with a different mindset. I hope Jarry gets a chance to play a few games in a row when healthy. I really like his game.
It’s not easy to gauge… during an earlier stint with Murray hurt even Jarry started to show cracks… early December he put up .862; .885; .813 in consecutive games. I think I like his game better as he is definitely more athletic and there is a case to be made that Murrays calm demeanor and positional play are well suited for a team fully engaged to bail him out Jarry’s game may allow the Pens to play a looser style without getting beat to the punch. Again that’s a big maybe, with only 13 games, most spread out and evidence… Read more »
Christopher Reaves sux, Moose Knuckle sux, LiveSprong sux, GQ Letang sux, Lump of Cole sux, Haggling really sux,
Creativity sux