Penguins/NHL
POST-GAME REACTIONS ON TREVOR DALEY
Penguins GM Jim Rutherford said today the trade of Rob Scuderi for Trevor Daley really got serious in the past couple days.
“When I really got serious about this deal, it was probably in last 2-3 days,” said Rutherford after the Penguins 4-1 loss to the Capitals tonight.
“We like Trevor because he can skate and move the puck,” said Rutherford. “Trevor’s been a good NHL player. Can help our team [in puck moving department].”
Rutherford indicated what he likes about Daley is that while he’s a left shot, he likes to play the right side.
Rutherford said he wasn’t actively looking to move Scuderi but did talk to some teams around training camp in what would have been a salary cap move.
An observation from players afterwards [hide] who have played against Daley is he can really skate.
“Really good skater,” Sidney Crosby said. “Can lug the puck, carry the puck up easily. Playing against him, his skating ability is his biggest strength.”
“He’s a mobile defenseman,” head coach Mike Sullivan said.
BENNETT OUT FOR A WHILE
Beau Bennett is scheduled to undergo an MRI tomorrow on his injured right shoulder off a hit from T.J. Oshie. Sullivan said he will be out for a bit.
“It’s my understanding we’re going to lose him for a little while,” Sullivan said.
TIDBITS
– “I thought we had opportunities to shoot more than we did,” Mike Sullivan said of the Penguins power play — Welcome to Pittsburgh Mike —
“My feeling is part of the woes of the power play are a function of the frame of mind were in 5-on-5 as well. We gotta find a way to free ourselves up to be extinctive.”
— While the team was plagued with many mis-assignments, Sullivan was happy with the Penguins aggressiveness throughout. “Thought we played with energy. Liked our aggressiveness. We were on the puck, feet was moving.”
— Sullivan felt the Penguins need to get better defending down low and against the rush. Against the rush has been an issue for years. “In defensive zone down low think we can get better on getting puck back,” Sullivan said. “Defending rush”……
—- Sullivan talked about the need for the Penguins to get better at “impeding sight lines” of the goaltender.
—– Sullivan is not a fan of the Penguins trading chance for chance like they did tonight. “No I don’t,” Sullivan said. “We don’t want to be a team that trades chance for chance.” Similar talk to Johnston.
—— Sullivan on Daniel Sprong; “Really active kid. Lot of tools to become a real solid player. Think I’ve got to watch a little more to have a fair assessment.”
“I think our team is really good” — Penguins GM Jim Rutherford[/hide]
