Penguins/NHL
Coaches now eye Rust spark to top line?
Bryan Rust in two games since returning to the lineup and playing on a line with Derick Brassard and Phil Kessel:
2 Goals and 1 Assist, all at even strength.
The third line of Rust-Brassard-Kessel had some dominating moments on the ice in an OT loss to the Rangers Wednesday night and 5-3 win against the Canadiens the following night but getting the Sidney Crosby line going remains a priority for the coaching staff.
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With the Penguins entering a four games in six day stretch this week, the Rust-Brassard-Kessel line might be getting broken up.
Today in practice saw Rust move back up to the top line with Jake Guentzel and Sidney Crosby.
Conor Sheary skated on the third line with Brassard and Kessel.
If this sticks for tomorrow night against the Islanders, it will be an interesting decision to break up a good thing the third line has going since Rust has joined the line.
Rust has brought out more in Derick Brassard’s game too these last two games where the Penguins are driving possession at 65% with Rust and Brassard on the ice together.
But, Sheary’s up and down play was always going to make it a dicey situation that Rust-Brassard-Kessel would stay together for a significant stretch of games.
PRACTICE LINES
Guentzel-Crosby-Rust
Hagelin-Malkin-Hornqvist
Sheary-Brassard-Kessel
Kuhnhackl-Sheahan-Jooris
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Tentative Plan is to start Murray 3 out of 4 games this week
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Matt Murray is on track to return to the lineup this week and the tentative plan is for him to see the bulk of the games during the Penguins 4 games in six day stretch (3/20 @ NYI, 3/21 vs MTL, 3/23 vs NJD, 3/25 vs PHI).
The tentative plan is for Murray to start vs the Devils Friday night and Flyers on Sunday, and what the coaches have been weighing is whether to start tomorrow night vs the Islanders instead of Wednesday to spread the starts out a bit in his return.[/hide]
The primary target date was initially Wednesday vs Montreal but there’s been discussions of going Tuesday – Friday – Sunday for Murray,[hide] a reason Sullivan confirmed Sunday Murray hasn’t been ruled out against the Islanders.
Sprong’s Learning Curve Continues
Another injury to a Penguins forward, this time Carter Rowney again who will miss at least a couple weeks, and for the Penguins again recalling Daniel Sprong wasn’t a consideration.
Sprong was a healthy scratch Saturday night vs Hershey, despite scoring Friday night for the second time in 16 games, but the decision to scratch Sprong was said to be pre-planned in the days leading up to the game.
There’s no doubt Sprong could help the Penguins at the NHL level, but there are so many areas the Penguins feel he needs to improve away from shooting the puck that has the Penguins doing things like scratching him so he can watch a game up top with the Penguins personnel.
Sprong is a player who has a high hockey IQ off the ice, sources say, and the Penguins are adamant this approach will provide dividends in the long-run.
The next 1-2 years will tell the story.
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Fleury leaves last nights game with a “mystery injury”. Someone informed him of his stats in the last couple days. Probably faking it to maintain the SV%… amirite -5ammich
Now that pens didn’t play good last night malkin is due to a quick vacation he needs to meet his annual quota
Funny how they take Sheary off Sids line and he scores.
How many games into the Pens-Columbus series before the local media decry the Reaves trade.
Rip Erik karlson son.
Last month was Jordan staal child
This news probably ruined Sid’s vacation
The way you ruined other people’s vacation when you walked on that new bridge in Florida and afterwards it collapsed and killed people
I miss the Ryan Reaves Pens
Again pens lose to a backup goalie
Welcome back fraud Murray
Guy stopped 36 of 39 lol… where was Crosby? Thought Rust was gonna spark him. Sheary suddenly on the score sheet when the anchor was taken off his ankles
If they shit the bed tomorrow I would start getting worried.
Best thing I saw tonight was Brassard on Sid’s wing.
Best thing I saw tonight was PH playing goalie lol.
Geno’s Scoring title and MVP going down the drain.
If the Avs make the playoffs MacKinnon is the MVP. Mark it down.
Who knew Same was right.
Just like Oleksiaks strong games be outliers lol
Let’s hope Oleksiak’s game tonight was an outlier…dude was doghshiit. But it’s good to be on a team with Letang, eveyone else looks pretty decent compared.
In fairness everyone not named Murray or Sheary was dogshit tonight
Sid playing tonight?
Is anyone playing tonight? The Islanders look like the second place team and the Penguins look like the last place team.
Teams so quiet, 5 days off will do that but holy fuckkk
Well when your Captain is invisible once again, I guess the 4th liners have to prop him up. I mean I love Sid but what’s his deal lately?
Careful, critics of Sid are frowned upon, it’s only fashionable if you shit on the rest of the team…
I get accused of being a Sid ball washer which is a joke. I have called him out on many occasions when he’s played poorly.
Apparently now it’s a crime to talk about his cold spots because he won last year, with everyone else, and the year before, with everyone else…
I still think the Brassard trade fucked up the chemistry both offensively and defensively. They have not looked as good since the trade. Ironically Columbus looks great. I would like to chalk this one up to 5 days off and Murray getting back in the groove but that is bullshit! They are just as mess.
Yes the one line that was going tonight and produced was at fault for this one lol
All BS aside he has 7 points his last 6 games. It’s not just him by any means. The team as a whole has truly been off since the deadline. Hopefully they can figure it out and fast
.939 for Murray… only change was moving Rust but… Sheary scored! Man they gotta fix things to. Make narratives matter
Anders Lee…..
Oleksiaks outliers pretty much out weight the “regular games” 2-1 at best by this point
Murray playing out of his mind. Kessel with another 5v5 point. Sheary getting the Pens back in it. Can’t get anything better for being down 2-1.
Seems like they have the energy of a Sunday afternoon game. Big goal by Sheary. Missed most of the 1st but Murray played great in the 2nd, especially on the PK.
Hahahahaha Sheary scores while line one is silent. Poor Rust being removed from the line that was going
Cancer scores
Could you imagine if he scored 20? Only 20 goals for that contract? What a travesty
Yeah, 3 million a year for 25 points. I would rather have spent that money of defense. There are players who do a lot more for less. He is not scoring 20 goals.
I know right… who in their right mind would have resigned a guy that finished top 5 in 5v5 offence while being a factor in two cups when we should have anticipated Letang would turn into dog shit right in front of our eyes lol
Moving Rust to the top line has paid off… clearly Sheary was the issue…
They look sooooo good
Wow Maata must have paid off the refs lol.
Islanders suck, can’t throw these 2 points out the window.
Wow… Letang with two incredibly terrible plays to create turnovers and watches both goals! Awesome
He’s a nightmare.
Sad news about Erik Karlsson losing his unborn son today. Staal now Karlsson. Hug your kids tonight if you got them.
Leave it to -5am to basically claim the PP time is a negative. Do you think Josi gets PP time in Nashville retard?
He also thinks Kessel is a healthy scratch, so it’s not surprising.
Since Kessel arrived… Crosby second in the NHL in scoring, Malkin 9th and Kessel 17th. 3 guys in the top 20… 2 Cups and hoping for three and the -5ammich hates two of these guys.
Fwiw McKinnon is 25th… must be a fourth liner; Toews is 45th
Top 10… 4 Canadians, 3 Lazy Americans, 3 lazy Russians ready to go home
Why would Rust be needed to spark the top line? Geno is doing just fine without him.
Florida 7
Montreal 0
Looks like Florida went up to Montreal and showed them what real hockey is. The 54 people in attendance found out how real hockey is played.
“the next 1-2 years will tell the story.” LOL Sprong is a bust. You dont need to wait until he’s 30. Yes, the Penguins brough up Jooris because he’s playing really well. Cant keep a guy lke that down for long.
How many years does Sprong have left of his contract? Didn’t they ready burn one during the HCMJ “error” ? Yes that was on purpose. This team better start drafting more D.
He scores and scores a lot. They want him to play defense and he has no desire to. I hope he continues to play his game even if it leads to his departure. The only way he’ll get paid is by doing what he does best and being elite at it. Leave the defensive zone hockey to the Rust’s, Hagelin’s, Hornqvist’s etc. Let the Kessell’s, Guentzel’s and Sprong’s focus on putting the puck in the back of the net.
He scores a lot? He has 2 goals in his last 16 games in the AHL and has been benched. With this teams shit defense you can not have lazy fowards.
maybe the dumbest post of the year. Thanks Rusty.
That sheary is like a cancer in the lineup everytime they switch him lines. Plays good for a game or two makes zerotool cums. then becomes useless as usual and make rest of the hockey people frustrated to watch on ice.
Not true, I only cum when your mother is in the room… which is a lot
Guy talks about cancer in the lineup but still thinks the Subban trade was a win for Montreal.#hockeypeople
Jarry wins but Niemi gets the praise #hockeypeople
Kessel is top 10 in scoring but -5am thinks its “only because he is on the 3rd line” that he is even doing it despite him being the 11th most productive player for a decade #hockeypeople
Malkin is leading this team and having one of his best years since 2012, when he won a few awards and was a major part of the cup wins the past 2 years but -5am thinks we would be better with the guy that watched those playoffs from his couch because he is finally living up to his potential #hockeypeople
Murray outperformed MAF at every opportunity while they were on the same roster but due to the Pens slow start and the same injury MAF started the year with -5am thinks we should not have kept the 10 year young, half the price 2x cup winner as the starter… he is unsure of how the cap works #hockeypeople
Guy still doesn’t get the fact that based on the make up of this roster and how Sheary has played for the bulk of the time he had over the past 2 years that he was a decent skilled option that fits the teams make up and was retained at an affordable amount under the cap plus he seemed to have chemistry with Crosby which is why he was deemed a decent keeper.. there is a cap to worry about, you cant shut it off and add a Marchand because you just want to and you dont start breaking up… Read more »
I like how he says he is a cancer in our lineup, yet he’s been in the lineup for two years and we have two cups.
His contract will be a cancer when they meed to resign Rust and Guenztel. They will demand more the 3 million a season after seeing what Sheary got for being below average at best.
Just like subban he plays as 4-5 D and your have 3 guys playing top units getting paid less then subban.
Bahahahaha…. only Josi plays more a night for that team than Subban… 25 seconds more. You’re such a fucken idiot dude. This information is readily available man yet you blow it everytime you post. Just like how Kessel is third in icetime for Pens forwards… you are stupid lol
Yeah thanks to power play minutes.
Lmmfao… you say it like it’s a bad thing. He’s a go to guy for special teams. Shitty players don’t get called on for that role you fucken moron!
I hate him as a player, but he’s not a cancer. He’s extremely inconsistent and because of that, he’s a bad signing at $3 per year.
His game this year is extremely concerning at 3 per however… 14 goals despite a bad year? Hopefully it’s just a shit season
Good news on the Murray front. I also think Jooris will help the 4th line. Hopefully we can get some stability on our lines before the playoffs. Playing teams like Philly, Wash and NJ will at least give you a good idea how the combinations will stack up against playoff teams.