Penguins/NHL
Penguins – Flames Fallout
The Pittsburgh Penguins 3-2 shootout loss Tuesday night saw them come out of the game with a point in an effort where they deserved two points.
“I thought we deserved better tonight to be honest,” Sidney Crosby said afterwards. “I thought by far we had the better scoring chances throughout the night.”
Crosby picked up his 30th assist of the season on Chris Kunitz third period goal, 5:51 into the period, and heads into Thursday night’s game against Colorado with 998 career points. It could have been a three or four point night for Crosby but Chad Johnson was outstanding.
Crosby had a poor turnover at the Flames blueline leading to a breakaway goal for Micheal Ferland but the Flames for the most part struggled to contain him in the offensive zone. In the faceoff circle, Crosby had a big night, winning 18 of 24 draws, including 76% (12-16) on offensive zone draws.
— Chris Kunitz with his seventh goal of the season, continues to see his game trending up and is performing among the Penguins best players at even strength this season. Three points in his last two games, Kunitz and Crosby have played extremely well together on the top line since reunited.
Kunitz is 4th on the team with 20 even strength points and 5th in points/60 at 2.10. The Penguins will see how things go the rest of the way, but with the shape Kunitz keeps himself in and how well he skates and the fact you can still play him anywhere, the door is going to be open from both sides to strike a one year deal in the summer.
— The Penguins in their last four games without Evgeni Malkin have picked up a possible seven of eight points and they’ve played the last three without top-line winger Conor Sheary. Trailing 2-0 in the third and without Malkin, Sheary and Carl Hagelin, shortening the bench vs the Flames was a big turning point for the Penguins third period comeback.
Eric Fehr played just one shift in the third, Tom Kuhnhackl and Scott Wilson just three shifts each in the final period of regulation.
— Jake Guentzel scored his first goal in eight games and after a bit of a rough stretch, his play is trending up once again. Guentzel saw increased ice time in the third, seeing nine shifts. The coaching staff continues to marvel at how smart of a player Guentzel is.
“He’s just a heads up player,” Sullivan said. “I think the only thing Jake needs to do is play more games and through that experience he’s only going to improve and get better.
Trade Deadline Buzz: Another veteran netminder being made available in flooded market
The Penguins going right back to Matt Murray after Marc Andre Fleury played well against St. Louis surely ruffled some feathers from the Fleury crowd who feel he isn’t getting a fair shot.
A solid start from Fleury isn’t going to change the pecking order. As mentioned before, the coaching staff reached the point a few weeks ago where a decision internally was made that the goaltender rotation was going to be handled with Murray moving forward as the true No. 1 and Marc Andre Fleury getting starts based on how a No. 2 normally gets starts.
Over this 10 game stretch where Murray has started nine of 10, Fleury probably should have had a couple more starts sprinkled in there, but in the short-term it’s going to take four or five really bad starts from Murray for Fleury to start taking starts away from Murray again and get the rotation to even a 60/40 type split.
The goaltending play from both Matt Murray and Chad Johnson was strong Tuesday night.
When the Penguins fell behind 2-0, Murray was at his best in not letting the score become 3-0.
Meanwhile, on the trade market [hide] another established starting goaltender is said to be available as the goaltender market continues to get flooded with the deadline three weeks away.
The Vancouver Canucks have signaled to teams they will consider trading Ryan Miller by the deadline.
The available goaltenders now include:
Ben Bishop | 13-12-3, .907 sv% | $5.9 million cap hit, UFA
Ryan Miller | 14-14-3, .915 sv% | $6 million cap hit, UFA
Steve Mason | 16-16-6, .900 sv% | $4.1 million cap hit, UFA
Ondrej Pavelec | 4-4-0, .888 sv% | $3.9 million cap hit, UFA
Jaroslav Halak | 6-8-5, .904 sv% | $4.5 million cap hit, Signed through 2017-2018
Marc Andre Fleury | 14-7-4, .906 sv% | $5.75 million cap hit, Signed through 2018-2019[/hide]
Sam – reposting zero’s post from yesterday that you apparently missed:
“Sam… back to the turnover conversation. Just statistically… Malkins ratio of GvA to TkA was 0.91 in 2016 (41 TkA to 45 GvA) vs Crosby’s 0.57 (24 TkA to 42 GvA). So please explain how Sid’s gaff last night was his “first” and how Malkin not being there is somehow responsible?
Marchand http://www.sportsnet.ca/hockey/nhl/gotta-see-it-pittsburgh-penguins-sidney-crosbys-giveaway-allow-boston-bruins-brad-marchand-to-score/
Another one… they are available… they happen more often than you will admit to yourself. It was a poor play, period”
Please respond.
Thanks.
Same is still drooling over 3 goal Joe Thornton.
Still waiting Sam – i see you posting – quit avoiding the data and respond as if your mother didn’t have your balls locked up in a mason jar.
Trade bait list has MAF just one ahead of Curtis Lazar? The former 1st that is quickly cementing himself as a bust that Ottawa wants a substantial amount back for? Dubious. Pavelic listed higher? I get that he is 1.85 million cheaper and a UFA but he is also bad lol.
Sam disagrees lol
Beau Bennett back yet? That is a true definition of a fraud
Who was better in bed. Him or “orpig?”
All I do is thumbs down people. He types it literally two minutes after giving me a thumbs down. Completely irrelevant but sooooo weird. The French are so creepy.
Sam – still waiting on a response to this.
You should know that queerr Boy
No sam – you should – as evidenced by your scorned lover syndrome – now quit stalling – answer the question, chubby.
What is it with your obsession over player that are no longer on the team? No one cares man.
It’s not about obsession. It’s about names that clowns drooled over when I said they should’ve have been gone few years before they actual departured
Bennett, TK,Engo, Orpig, Shero, DB Scuderi
Who? who “drooled”? Do you know what that means? While a few had the superfans for the most part people are pretty reasonable on what they have said about those guys and everyone of them received heavy criticism. Only in the bizarre world that you live in do you think people simply “drooled” over those guys!
Remember Gaydogg saw TK as potential top 6 also said DB is good and will have success any team he would coach because he is loved and disagreed that one trick pony had no coaching skills and heavily depended on talent showing up. Remember some here saw Bennet the next sid of the team Remember Stain. Drooled. Over scuderi teaching letang to be a real defense and the guy to shut down ovi? Remember some drooled and thought Shero was amazing based on that dumb asss trade splash he did with iggy,morrow Murray when none were a fit of the… Read more »
Remember some saw orpig a good defense when Same said he suckedd and half the time he is out of position because bone head is busy after big hits
Remember when Same said pens should not renew gonchar contract because he is done and people were against me I guess he had amazing success once he left pens. Only thing he was good at was stealing paychecks once he was gone from Pittsburgh
So someone making a statement of consideration say TK getting a top 6 look because the team was very weak on the wings = drooling? You are not immune to making asinine statements about players that prop them up into a light that makes no sense. You “drooled” over Martin St Louis vs Kessel when St Louis was about to retire. You have “drooled” about Shane Doan. You have “drooled” about Joe Thornton coming to play for the Pens despite the fact that the dinosaur couldnt skate in his prime so he would struggle to fit on a skating team.… Read more »
Hey ShitStain was it you the other night on ps4 playing nhl17?
Account name was dunkindonuts2224
Sam. I’m a grown up with a job and everything. I don’t play video games. You BO laden tube.
But you play your time here on this website. Responding always with negative to everyone’s comment. But your favorite game is thumbs downing people ,you’ve been good at it lately out performing your ex pj buddy npl
Play my time on here. English Sammy. I ran 4 miles tonight. What did you do besides play video games and smell French?
Watched hockey. Watched your fraud Parise with controversial goal tying with 4th liner Stewart
Maybe you need to put the remote down and jump on a treadmill – maybe that’s why you’re such a porker, sam.
Was it as controversial as say… Sid coughing up the puck at the blue-line after an extended shift and then gassing trying to keep up with Ferland that put the Pens behind 1 – 0 vs the Shames the other night?
Pens and Dallas talking per LeBrun. Preliminary.
Per buckeye donuts
Wonder for who?
Assuming centered around MAF. But who knows. I’m sure fat sam will have more info once he meanders over to thefourthperiod.com
Or give some random Canadiens rumor that nobody on a Pens website gives a shit about.
Oleksiak probably makes sense as it is someone the Stars could be willing to part with I believe. Big dman that has decent mobility… moreso than Maatta at least.
Who has Brent Burns as their Hart front runner this year?
it will go to crosby if he stays healthy. 1.3 ppg and the next guy is 1.1.
He has to be in the discussion but Burns seems to be closing the gap with the top guys, currently sits 3rd in the league and the Sharks dont have the same punch from the top lines. If he continues to press he will challenge for league lead.
Marleau line has been on fire since January Marleau / couture /boedker
Nice of you to bring up Marleau. 48 points last year and a -22, yet he’s making 6.5. Another Canadian fraud. Thanks for bringing him up.
Look at his age vs brown, Ryan,Parise. I doubt those 3 clowns will be half as good as Marleau when they are at his age
Stewart has more goals then Parise and plays on 4th line while Parise is on 1st
Does he have more than 3 like your lover Jumbo Joe? Man, what a fraud. It never ends with you Canadians.
Another old man once again I doubt your 3 amigos will be as good as Joe when they are his age
Do you still want to add him to this roster?
Toews you mean. FRAUD
14 games in January….11 points… 4 of those in one game. 8 game point streak… this is why Burns has 57 points?
Thumbs down? You’re terrified that the stats never fit your narrative hey?
He’s definitely up there. That guy is phenomenal.
Sam… back to the turnover conversation. Just statistically… Malkins ratio of GvA to TkA was 0.91 in 2016 (41 TkA to 45 GvA) vs Crosby’s 0.57 (24 TkA to 42 GvA). So please explain how Sid’s gaff last night was his “first” and how Malkin not being there is somehow responsible?
Marchand http://www.sportsnet.ca/hockey/nhl/gotta-see-it-pittsburgh-penguins-sidney-crosbys-giveaway-allow-boston-bruins-brad-marchand-to-score/
Another one… they are available… they happen more often than you will admit to yourself. It was a poor play, period
Same is incapable of explaining anything that makes sense. The common sense that finds 99% of people consistently eludes him. It’s both his genetic idiocy, as well as the putrid education system in 3rd world Quebec that contribute to his illiteracy and bigotry.
I love how porkchop ignores this. What a balless frog.
Fatty – no way you need two hours to combat this – we’re all waiting.
I don’t think he has ever once responded to a statistical challenge, I don’t expect that to change here. All his opinions on these matters are utterly subjective lol.
Once again top 2 frauds on this list are American goalies. Howard should be there too
it sucks. every goaltender on that list is better than st.bleury when you take play and contract into consideration. #buyoutsummer17, #canipleasekillyodaoffalready?
Yoda literally just claimed Halak, Mason and Pavelec are better than Fleury. Let. That. Sink. In. Man, he must have wreaked havoc on your buttocks.
they suck just like st.bleury and they are making 1.5 million less. it would be easier to trade those guys that to trade for the most overpaid man on that list.
Wreaked havoc. On your buttocks. Jaded triggered little catcher that you are.
The SV% narrative is only a thing when he can use it to simply discredit MAF, of course it’s not as big a deal when talking about guys with lesser numbers lol. So transparent
It looks like we’re in trouble, Fallout Boy. – Radioactive Man
jiminy jillickers