PENGUINS STARTING TO SHOW TRUE COLORS
The New Jersey Devils might get mocked for playing low event hockey, but at least the Devils have an identity, something the Penguins have been searching for since Dan Bylsma was booted out of town.
Following a 4-0 loss to the Devils Saturday night where the Devils were the superior team in all facets, the Penguins held a close door meeting afterwards and are a team searching for answers.
“Everything is wrong,” Evgeni Malkin told reporters. “We’re not playing right, we’re not working hard,” he said. “I know it’s tough right now. I know we’re mad at each other. We’re not working.” It’s not only (lack of) goals, it’s bad penalties, turnovers, it’s everything,” Malkin said. “Not play right in the system. Yeah, always if you score, it’s a little bit better we can score, but play right. Not (make) bad mistakes. “Now (we’re) a little bit mad at each other, we’re not believe anymore, we’re not happy, but it’s the beginning of the season.”
Evgeni Malkin talks about stop taking bad penalties, yet, he’s the king of offensive zone penalties.
For a team with Crosby and Malkin that are one of the most boring teams in hockey, have been dating back to last year, averaging under 2.2 goals per game in their last 80 hockey games, frustrations are mounting throughout the organization as a mediocre run of games from Marc Andre Fleury during the upcoming four game homestand could sink Mike Johnston. The Penguins are an extremely lucky 10-7 right now because of how well Fleury has played.
What was so alarming with the New Jersey loss is a team with significantly less talent, the Devils were the faster team, the more structured team, the more creative team offensively. You take the last names off the jerseys, you’d think the Devils were the team with Crosby, Malkin, Kessel and Letang on their roster.
That is a team over there. The Penguins are not and it’s a team that manages the puck poorly despite their high end talent that has some major holes as their star players are no longer the type of players they were in their early 20’s to make other personnel issues no big deal.
While lots of focus is on the backend, the top-6 is a mess and bottom-6 needs an infusion of speed and players who are hard to play against. Not only are the stars not producing 5 v 5, the secondary parts are major problems. David Perron has one goal on the season, a deflection, and 4 goals in his last 49 games (including post-season). Pascal Dupuis has looked everything of 36 years old and had a 22 CF% 5 v 5 against the Devils. Crosby and Dupuis are at under 40% together this season.
Beau Bennett was on the ice for 0 shot attempts/12 against at even strength last night. This for a guy playing with Sidney Crosby. We know Chris Kunitz just can’t finish anymore to be a legitimate top-6 option anymore.
The Penguins best defenseman plays with no structure.
Watch Kris Letang on the Mike Cammalleri goal. The Penguins are on the penalty kill and he’s trying to defend the point man after Lovejoy fails to clear the zone. Letang’s eyes are up the ice the entire time. Unbelievable to watch.
Lot of Letang’s issues are mental right now, he doesn’t have the hockey sense that is ever going to make him that dominant No. 1 shutdown defenseman the Penguins need him to be.
At the end of the day, what this group needs is a kick in the butt, someone who isn’t scared to quit catering to the stars and the star players need to start looking in the mirror. It’s nice that Crosby, Malkin are more committed to playing their own end but other stars are producing around the NHL. You can only blame Mike Johnston’s system and the NHL’s product so much.
Tyler Seguin, Patrick Kane each have 26 points. Kane, Jamie Benn have scored 12 goals in under 18 games. Or just start accepting that others have caught up to Crosby and certainly passed Malkin. That’s the reality, management needs to start accepting it when looking big picture, and it’s a big problem for an organization with a depleted system.
FYI – Sid needs 11 points in 2 games, or Kingpuck owes me $200.
no trash talking geno for at least 1 week. to call the team out and put up a 4 point game is pretty badass.
Farnham / Crosby goal watch:
Farnham – 3
Crosby – 2
May have lost Matta for season :/. Just said on NBC sports he was taken out in a gurney
Matta= Pouncey the second ??
OMG it is painful to watch Lovejoy on the ice and listen to steigy and errey
Every shift every game Is a nightmare to watch that quagmire
Trade Malkin!
Shame Sonny Bono wasn’t still alive we could put him in top 6 over Sid
Shame Bonino was hurt and we had to put Sid back into the top 6.
Anyone wanna check Sid for a pulse? Or is he busy balling as Geno embarrasses the living shit out of him?
Geno speaks with his play also !!!
The Pens met their goal quota for the game, You can all go to bed now as the score will stay 2-1 or they’re going to lose.
I am confused for tonight i can only use 1 goalie in my pool who would you guys put Fleury vs wilds or Andersen vs preds . Yoda you dont need to answer because i know what would be your choice
So, the tid bit in the “I am too fucking lazy to upload an article open to comments” section about the KHL D man? “Penguins a contender for Russian d-man Nikita Zaitsev? Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman reported last week that the Toronto Maple Leafs are the favorite to sign free agent Nikita Zaitsev (6-2, 200) but says not to discount the Pittsburgh Penguins in his latest 30 Thoughts Segment. “One very good source warned not to discount Pittsburgh, if Gary Roberts remains in the organization. Zaitsev started training with him three years ago,” Friedman reports. Zaitsev has 4 goals and 13… Read more »
What do you guys think? Plotnikov hasnt really done a lot in any role although that could be as much a product of the shitty way the guys are playing… would we want to entertain this if its available?
Here is a good article on that Zero. http://www.hngn.com/articles/151338/20151117/pittsburgh-penguins-nikita-zaitsev-addition-possible-gary-roberts-connection-could-land-russian-d-man-per-report.htm
HA ! told you clowns he will be a 2.0 version of Pesonen while some were Dtooling over him playing with Geno.As same said by Christmas he was suppose to be on 4th line i guess it happened before
Right now Crosby is Pesonen 2.0 you fucking tool. If this team was actually playing well and he was not performing then you’d have an argument but right now… well more of the same dumbfuckery from you.
Exactly. And honestly, he shouldn’t be anywhere near the press box after the way these idiots played the last two games.
Nice pregame article, will that be posted tomorrow?
Wow, quite the article on the DK site about the coaching scenario. Apparently the actions of the team vs the feeling and talk are not on the same page. Many are ready to move on from Johnston (management) but yet he is still here… dysfunctional.
http://www.sportsbusinessdaily.com/Journal/Issues/2015/11/16/Leagues-and-Governing-Bodies/NHL-salaries.aspx?hl=bettman&sc=0
Ottawa Senators have spoken to the Colorado Avalanche about the availability of Matt Duchene.
This is literally week old news, you dick bag.
hey, even though the pens suck, i just got an email reminding me it’s st.blurry bobblehead night! allrigggggght!
They were going to have a Sid bobble head night, but then he became a third line center. At least we still have a goaltender that can play the position – that’s what I’m thankful for. Outplayed by Nick Bonino! Boy, is that embarrassing.
at least i admit they both suck.
They don’t both suck. One is the only reason they’re an above .500 team right now. The other…sucks. And you’ve defended him for years.
so now the news is rutherford made malkin back track on the comments. like i said before, what’s wrong with being mad at your coworkers when they are under achieving? that’s a good thing. the pens organization is getting sillier and sillier by the day.
That’s not the news I read.
it’s on depaoli’s instant buzz.
Yeah. I saw it. Like I said, that’s not what I heard. And since when has DePaoli had any sources?
1 if you count “people in the know”.
2 if you count nhl sources say
Not what I heard either, Madden just confirmed it was pressure from inside the locker room not from management.
Did you guys witness last night habs with 4 unanswered goals with a comeback win. something that the pens used to do under MT .From good old days to Shitt old days now
I’m sure you watched it – with a bucket of chick on your gut.
He probably used the grease to jerkoff to Therriens face everytime the camera was on him
Whilst thinking about his sordid affair with Orpig.
I have pointed this out many times but you still to dumb to realize, the Pens were 1 of the top teams in the league with come from behind wins under DB not MT.
Yoda, we’re you just in a Sheetz at IUP? I’m in a stall enjoying a morning Sam and 2 guys walk in and 1 was giving them same ridiculous opinions of the team you constantly spout off.
Sam does not live in Pittsburgh but i wonder what those guys were talking .did you give them 1 hour speech and made them leave
i was not at sheetz.
Ew, Jay. I hope it wasn’t the campus Sheetz. That place is disgusting, haha.
Jaydogg, u go to IUP? I graduated from there in 2000.
Staal / Crosby Watch
Jordan Staal 18 games, 3 goals, 3 assists
Sid Crozbee 17 games, 2 goals, 7 assists (0 even strength goals)
Npl/Stan Calorie watch
Npl 18 days 1800 hodogs
Stan 17 days 1750 Donuts
You’re really bad at this.
Sams mom vs the D watch Assuming fatsams mom is 55, she started taking the D at 10 so 45 years or 16425 consecutive days of getting rode hard and put away wet x 4 dick an encounter at an hour per encounter… 16 hours of dick taking a day = 1,051,200 dicks your slut mother has taken in her life at min based on what I bet are very conservative estimates. I would assume that of the million plus about half were black, jew or muslim and only one of that group was your father who probably accidentally ejaculated… Read more »
I was watching the Calgary Chicago game the other night, that was some entertaining hockey. Pens games make me cringe from boredom now
I also despise crosbys politicaly correctness. No one’s mad at each other we all get participation ribbons
Crosby is vaginal
This team is sofffff
i actually gave jay’s comment a thumbs up. what’s wrong with being mad at each other anyway? they should be mad at each other because 50% of the team is playing like a bunch of women. as a paying fan i’m mad at the team. what’s wrong with saying that?
Yoda, that comment about “playing like a bunch of women” is offensive. You should have said “they are playing like a bunch of gays.” I would also have accepted “they are playing like a bunch of Sams.”
Well said Jaydogg!!! Malkin is a big boy, he can speak for himself. I wish our captain would make a statement like this and call himself out. I think we know who the real leader on this team is….and it ain’t Sid!
So the proof of lack of leadership finally presents itself, Geno steps up and calls himself and the team out and the captain undercuts him and tells the media he didn’t mean what he said and to boot the PR wagons are circling to make sure Geno takes it back as well. Sid has no business speaking for Geno or clarifying what Geno said, maybe if he took a lesson from Geno instead of…honestly I’m so sick of this shit I can’t even type anymore.
Crosby hasn’t been a leader since he stopped working on finer parts of his game a few seasons ago. He got lazy. It starts and ends with him. He can talk all he wants about playing better nothing will change until he changes. See power play as an example. Until he decides to actually play down low or rove, the power play will Co tone to struggle
Well put Walluk. Sid needs to google his idol growing up, Steve Yzerman. The guy was a better hockey player after he accepted the role his coach Scotty Bowman wanted him to play when her arrived to coach the Wings. If Stevie Y can change why can’t Sid.
This article might be more confusing and depressing than the Penguins.
For those keeping score at home, Sid needs 11 points in 3 games or Kingpuck owes me $200.
The personnel are there. The 3rd line is there. The goaltending is there. We all know the players do not take the fall when this is the case. I would throw away a couple games to try and fix this before saying goodbye to Johnston who really isn’t that impressive anyway. Scratch Geno and Sid for a couple games. See what comes if it. I would predict a win and a loss if not 2 wins. Bring in some dirt that can instigate more contact. Have we really forgotten what destroyed the once-fast Pens roster? Abuse. Physical punishment. Play hockey.… Read more »
I can’t say if benching Sid or Geno will make any difference to the play on the ice but I can guarantee one thing it will do, it will cost MJ his job and maybe JR for allowing it to happen. Nobody is benching either of those 2 and is keeping their job a second longer than the decision.
Has anyone considered that, maybe what management needs to do, is find a winger for Sid??
Hindsight is always 20/20, but looking back, management has handcuffed the GM and Coach for as long as I can remember. Even though Lemieux and Burkle have given the GM all the cap space to work with, its under their terms. I wish they would hire a full time GM/Coach, and just stay. the. F. away. Just like some people are saying we need to start holding the superstars accountable, its also time to start holding ownership/upper management/scouting responsible for a lack of hockey smarts. What a dang mess they have gotten us into. Sid and Geno may be pissed… Read more »
Agreed.
Well I’ve been saying for a long time this organization is a circus but when I say that I get bashed and told I hate the pens and why I’m am even here. Anyways glad some of the average fans waking up. As I always said takes an average fan 2-3 years to realize things ,of course there is always the exception of retards like Stan and npl that need more time
I’ve been telling you for two years that your canadien boy toy was the problem, and youv’e been defending him. Now you stand here and claim you’re the impartial voice of reason – you have some set of balls on that disgusting fat body of your’s.
So, what’s your plan DP??
Zerocool, what are you doing on Dejan’s site taking up for Letang? Aren’t you a western Canadian?
Yea he is a disgraceful western liberal canadian that loves the rag heads
Here is some history for you, you fucking retard. The refugees we are taking in are people fleeing the wars that was partially funded by your vote you stupid mother-fucker. While the complexity of the situation is far to great for you to ever comprehend the coles notes is things got real bad when the extremists became the focal point of the rebellion army. The extremist that are funded by the Saudis… the same people you thought were right for the country sold them weapons… which were inturn sold to the extremist which lead to people fleeing their home. Congrats..… Read more »
I’m fine making the middle east a parking lot.
F’in A Stanchion they want to live in a stone age lets help them.
funny how ISIS doesnt ATTACK the Jews
Funny enough this is the 1st time ISIS has attacked soil that is not in the middle east, even the Russian plane and their other attach were in Lebanon and Egyptian airspace. They have issued several threats however… it is only a matter of time as long as they exist. That said you clearly have no idea what that group is hoping to accomplish outside of simple terror/fear which is why its no surprise you dont get why Israel is yet untouched. You are the last person on this page that should have a dog in the fight because as… Read more »
Wasn’t Charley Hebdo an ISIS attack?
I guess we could make the connection due to the fact that Daesh was closely affiliated but the groups separated in 2014. I am pretty sure Al-qaeda in turkey claimed that one. Daesh’s interest until more recently was simply the creation of the caliphate in Syria/Iraq. International terrorism didnt seem to high on the radar until the last couple weeks… seems alot high on the radar after their message today.
The fact that it wasn’t high on the radar is the exact reason we have this problem. We got too busy arguing over whether or not waterboarding was inhumane, and in the meantime, all of THIS was going.
That you have my full support on.
Isil isis wtv fuckk their name is. It is a creation of the u.s jewish propaganda. It’s all a way to screw the Russians with the gas price also there has been founded new petrol area and they need to used Syria as a passage towards Europe and government didn’t want so they created this isis. Just like the way they eliminate Sadam because he wanted to sell the barells in euro and not dollars. And khadafi. They got rid of because he wanted to reunited the Arab world together just like euro. And t west didn’t want that also… Read more »
“Screw the Russians with gas prices”? Its called imperialism you fucking retard. The Russians have interest in the area because of gas. They, like the US, could give a fuck less about the long term impact of their actions which is why they fight with and sell weapons to people that may one day attack them. Your anti-semetic rhetoric fails to grasp the tribal ideologies that exist in the area… there is not one Islam you dumb fuck which means the entire statement of destablization to prevent “one Arab culture” immediately falls flat on its face. Beyond that you seem… Read more »
Sorry, *like the US and all other western nations including our recently
just stick to your Bacon buddy . Its sheeps like you lets the world become a shithole and enjoy the rag heads soon .
Stick to shoving crayons up your nose and Orpigs dick in your ass… its people like you that breed hate and cause other hate groups to form. By the way… I dont get what is wrong with bacon? I know we talk shit out here… like how you are able to swallow entire packs of ballpark franks because you are a fat fucking cunt but I am willing to bet you like it lol. I know your mother does… she even loves being called a fucking pig while she is being filled out on both sides while holding on to… Read more »
I have no love for the radicalism in the area but we have been bombing the crap out of the area for 60 years and things are only getting worse. The solution is as complex as the problem and I don’t have one, the only thing I can agree with I would love to see every last remnant of Daesh whipped out but the concern is that we only breed another group with more radical ideas if possible. Our reactions here and support of indiscriminate violence only seems to serve the goals of the radicals in the 1st place. It… Read more »
Eh, you just make a nice treaty with Russia to reduce your stock of nuclear arms…by dumping them over there. Repeatedly. Tired of it.
OMG you have bought the kool aid ZC are you for real? If you believe what you just said take a Syrian in offer him Canadian Bacon. The one and only purpose of the Muslim culture is too take over the world of a forced adherence to barbaric and ancient ways of life. The Middle East once the cradle human advancement has froze into a past fixated culture of dominance and slavery. Wake up before we see you walked out in a orange jump suit for a clean shave. I am done last political comment I hope for a while… Read more »
It’s called educating ones self on the subject matter without running to politically biased sources. In this case your right-wing Christian conservative view points. Like I’ve said numerous times you see it as black and white when it’s far from it. No amount of denial to the concept that all Muslims are not the same and that we have examples of this in our world that people just want ignore is going to make it black and white either.
Just take a look what Muslims ar doing in England, belgium Sweden, France YouTube Islam in Europe and Islam taking world. And you’ll see but sheeps like zerofool are the key for those Camel jockeys take the world over
With them taking over instead going towards future the world will go backwards stone age.
Take a look at what the English, US, Canada, Russia and all of your other white buddies have been doing in that oil rich part of the world for decades!
Again this too is simple rhetoric pushed by your own propaganda machines that have every bit as much a religious (and geo-political) agenda as you think all Muslims have. Once upon a time that cradle of civilization was the centre of virtually everything, tolerant of religion, equality and this was under early muslim rule. The approach to non-muslims in that world is very similarly mirrored by many Judeo-Christian nations today and thats a motherfucking fact. The radical culture really seen the push to what we see today in the 19th century, well after western colonialism started destablizing areas. In fact… Read more »
Also please save me the Nazi comparisons…. when the number one target of these radical Muslims is… wait for it… other Muslims the comparison falls apart in a hurry, unless of course you are drinking the western kool-aidaganda 😉 From Economic power of the groups to how the outside world influences these two situations; unification of a people (agreeing or not completely and numbering in the millions) under Germanic pride vs one groups extremist version of a faith that represents a small group (258000 vs 1.6 BILLION) of a sub-sect which represents a small percentage of total sects of the… Read more »
ZC you live in Canada use your free health care for mental help.
My mental health is fine but clearly your education system has failed you horribly. Critical thinking is not difficult and can be a learned skill, it may not be too late for you.
Also if this is the best retort you have it is clear that you know too little about the situation to have a proper discussion on the matter. Quit now
You hopefully ZC you understand that they don’t want to fight for their own land. Want us to change our society to “fit” them. Finally they are hiding the alleged extremist in their huddle masses of “refugees”.
Couldnt be further from the reality of the situation and the claim is a gross overstatement of western propaganda on the subject. We seem to have a lot of black and white view points on something we dont care to know a lot about but unfortunately there are about 50 shades of grey. The only thing that one can say for certain is that the medieval approach to fanatical Islam is a significant danger.. so much so that other extremist factions are turning on groups like Daesh.
Major bull shit call on you ZC
Sure am but we have this thing called the world wide web that allows me access to sites like Dejans 😉
Does Zetterberg think its time to blow it the f up?
Miss that dude
Tomorrow morning when you wake it will be one day closer to the blowup.
The title of this article is funny. As you all know, I’ve been hitting the panic button on the pens since the st blurry meltdown in the Canadian series of 2010. It was obvious since then they were in big trouble. Guys like jay say I have no intelligence, but I’ve been right about this organization going in the wrong direction since the cup win.
Well yoda, I’m sure you’ll be getting a plum job in sports media any day now.
Most plumbers make 200k per year. What are you even talking about?
so you are a plumber Yoda, were you the guy that drives a 2001 inifiniti or was that Gaydogg ? its okay better than nothing . I Know Npl Owns a BMW Bus Metro Walk
i’m not a plumber, nor do i drive an infiniti.
You’ve been wrong about pretty much everything you’ve said on this site since day 1 including this, the Pens were in the conference finals in 2013 so by you saying it in 2010 you again showed your complete lack of intelligence towards the game. Now I see why you are so pro union, that’s the only way someone with you track record of ignorance stays employed.
how do you figure? i said in 2010 fleury would meltdown against the canadiens and he did. 2011 was a wash because of injuries. 2013 i said st.blurry would melt down in the playoffs and he posted a .834 vs the flyers. i said that vokoun was going to take st.blurry’s job in 2013 and i was the only one in the world who called that right. after that, i said they suck blow it up. even mario and burkle admitted they should have canned disco and shero after that series. since then, i said they suck and blow it… Read more »
as far as the union thing, you aren’t a very nice person. you like it when CEO’s of highmark raised their salary from 500K to 2.5 million in 3 years while nurses are understaffed and making 14.50 per hour. yeah, income inequality is a real good formula. i bet you own a landscaping business and have 10 mexican’s living in your garage and you pay them in shelter, food and water.
Sure would suck to be a Penguins fan first and a hickey fan second. Or worse, the fan of an individual Pens’ player.
Hearing anything Kingpuck?
Grow up.
Great play Mike Mitchell
for the record, jaydogg thinks it’s unintelligent to think the pens are screwed and aren’t going to get better anytime soon.
Keep showing your intelligence by creating things I never said because you don’t have the intelligence to debate what I actually said.
So they “might” have caught up ti Sid, and CERTAINLY to Malkin? Even tho Sid is the one of the two that has regressed tha fastest. One could argue that if this was what we would get for the rest of their careers i would have chosed Geno. Ofc, i hope Sid gets it together, bur right now, not good enough.
You win in the nhl with young forwards. Crosby and Malkin need a change of scenery. They’ve all been here too long. Should have been blown up after the Boston playoff series. With the ridiculous contracts, the blow up May not be possible right now.
Edmonton keeps proving that year in and year up just raking up the Cups with all their young forwards. Stupid is as stupid posts.
Should have kept Bylsma
I’m sure they should’ve it’s more like bring back MT, fatty
I find it hard to believe that Letang, Kessel, Malkin, Hornqvist and Crosby all seemingly fell off a cliff production wise because of age or the NHL being a garbage league. The entire team looks like they have no idea what to do. I don’t usually get too high or low on a team, but this is ridiculous. Everyone should be playing 10 times better. Whether the guys just aren’t playing the system, or the system is failing. Something has to give.
Also even this team is bad indefense and has to play the system. And have no choice. At least they should do better on the power play. Right there no excuse
Agreed. They’re playing pickup hockey. It’s no wonder why everyone is so frustrated.
And D your best offense starts from your defense if you don’t have good transition first pass defense, your offense will choke. Look at all the good teams they have good defense that is helping their offense. Pens only have one and that’s letang
Few examples Habs, preds nowhere near pens offensive talent, yet you have teams like flyers, Pens that have star players yet struggling why because they have shitt defense
Hey D put the video of stempniak when lovejoy looks lost
Post 8 minutes of Letang sitting in the penalty box for being a French Canadian brat.
Yeah a player that shows he his frustrated of this team unlike your American players playing like bunch of tourists
Get rid of mj immediately
Why isn’t clendenning get more of an opportunity?
I rather see clendenning than that gayjoy I can’t believe they brought him bim
Wait so Lovejoy falls, gets up and looks like he is engaging Cammy so Letang moves to the open ice that the late winger is coming, Lovejoy loses Cammy and its Letangs fault? Dupuis hadmarked the man Lovejoy let Cammy go for… also… about 3 seconds before the play is made, who was that who exited the zone leaving a significant numbers problem? Our captain… Letangs not been good but I see alot wrong on that play thats not on him and we see this same shit nightly
Blow it up.
And prepare a Stanley Cup parade
Today is one day closer than yesterday.