Game Thread: Penguins GNT/GDT week 2 (Oct 12 - Oct 18)

[DoobeeDoobeeDoo]

Defense looks better than I thought it would be, but the offense is still awful.

This week's schedule,

Tuesday, October 13th, vs Montreal Canadiens

Thursday, October 15th vs Ottawa Senators

Saturday, October 17th vs Toronto Maple Leafs

 

[scoutyjones2]

not sure they win any of these

 

[evolver115]

I think we all should have realized with the amount of turnover on the roster that this was going to be a process in the early going.

And hey, look at that. 0-2 to start the season on a west coast trip. Big deal.

Doobs, I think you are overestimating the defense. It looked good against Phoenix only in the box score, because Fleury played an outstanding game. It could be have 4-1. Probably should have been, but Marc-Andre played great. Just like Niemi did on opening night.

Sprong looks good. Coming home for three straight in Pittsburgh. F the doubters

LET'S GO PENS

 

[scoutyjones2]

Bullshit...they rolled the first month last year with a new coach, GM and players...No fucking way should the supposed best player in the league have ZERO SHOTS ON GOAL, while playing with Kessel...no fucking way.

 

[evolver115]

Bullshit...they rolled the first month last year with a new coach, GM and players...No fucking way should the supposed best player in the league have ZERO SHOTS ON GOAL, while playing with Kessel...no fucking way.

it's two games. Calm down Scouty. Long way to go..

 

[scoutyjones2]

You made excuses that don't hold up...how do you explain last years start?

They look lost out there.

PP looks horrendous and can't enter the zone. PK is scary

Maata is bad, we still have Scuds manning a key D pairing.

You have the likes of Sprong, Perron, Cullen, Bonino and Bennett logging some hefty minutes. All this while Malkin and Skid aren't doing crappola.

Fleury has been the only solid bright spot.

Man this team misses Duper.

 

[DoobeeDoobeeDoo]

Get to know this list, fellas,
Futures List indicates great depth for 2016 NHL Draft - Prospects
I got a feeling it will dominate the conversations involving the Penguins by the end of the season

 

[evolver115]

You made excuses that don't hold up...how do you explain last years start?

Actually, all my excuse was pointing out that there was a lot of roster turnover before this season. I can explain last season fairly easily in that there was next to no roster turnover. The only new addition to the top six last year was Hornqvist. As for the bottom six, there was very little change at all. Nick Spaling was the only guy.

Now, compared to this season, you have five players in the bottom six who have never been together before, and with Plotnikov, Bonino and Kessel in the top nine, that's 3 out of 9. That means over 60% of the 4 lines that comprise the Pens roster have new players on them. This isn't rocket science. It's going to take time for them to get in a groove.

 

[scoutyjones2]

CMon, anybody see them winning at least one game this week? I have serious doubts...

 

[Darkstone42]

Actually, all my excuse was pointing out that there was a lot of roster turnover before this season. I can explain last season fairly easily in that there was next to no roster turnover. The only new addition to the top six last year was Hornqvist. As for the bottom six, there was very little change at all. Nick Spaling was the only guy.

Now, compared to this season, you have five players in the bottom six who have never been together before, and with Plotnikov, Bonino and Kessel in the top nine, that's 3 out of 9. That means over 60% of the 4 lines that comprise the Pens roster have new players on them. This isn't rocket science. It's going to take time for them to get in a groove.

Timing's just a bit off. And they were shuffled in preseason quite a bit, too, for the same reason probably.

The guys need to get used to each other, and a lot of them are also new to the system. It'll start to click.

 

[DoobeeDoobeeDoo]

We probably start 0-4, hopefully we could beat the Maple Leafs on Saturday

 

[DoobeeDoobeeDoo]

Positive note, our offensive production is going up every game. We went from 0 to 1 to 2. At this rate, I look for us to score 81 goals our last game of the season

 

[DoobeeDoobeeDoo]

What I don't get is why isn't there as much hate for Mike Johnston as there was for Dan Bylsma. Disco coached us to the Cup and put together a competitive team every year in spite of overwhelming injuries every season. Sure, we choked in the playoffs, but at least we always went into the playoffs with hope. With Mike Johnston, the only thing I'm hopeful for is a good draft pick. Not to mention the teams under Disco were at least fun to watch. This team not only loses every game, but often puts me to sleep.

 

[DoobeeDoobeeDoo]

In my lifetime as a Pens fan (since 1986), I don't recall a Pens coach doing so little with his given talent.

Bob Berry, Pierre Creamer, Gene Ubriaco, Bob Johnson, Scotty Bowman, Eddie Johnston, Craig Patrick, Kevin Constaintine, Ivan Hlinka, Rick Kehoe, Eddie Olczyk, Michel Therrien, & Dan Bylsma were all better at making use of their talent than Mike Johnston.

 

[evolver115]

What I don't get is why isn't there as much hate for Mike Johnston as there was for Dan Bylsma. Disco coached us to the Cup and put together a competitive team every year in spite of overwhelming injuries every season. Sure, we choked in the playoffs, but at least we always went into the playoffs with hope. With Mike Johnston, the only thing I'm hopeful for is a good draft pick. Not to mention the teams under Disco were at least fun to watch. This team not only loses every game, but often puts me to sleep.

I got some stats for you, Doobs:

Crosby
• Ed Olczyk: 31 points, 31 games, 1.00 PPG
• Michel Therrien: 335 points, 238 games: 1.41 PPG
• Dan Bylsma: 403 points, 281 games, 1.43 PPG
• Johnston: 84 points, 80 games, 1.05 PPG

Malkin
• Therrien: 272 points, 217 games: 1.25 PPG
• Bylsma: 359 points, 301 games: 1.19 PPG
• Johnston: 71 points, 70 games: 0.99 PPG

Both of the stars of the team now have about a season's worth of starts under their belts with Johnston at the helm. Pretty glaring numbers about how they've fared under his leadership.

I still stand by my point that there is just an awful lot of inexperience among the four lines. Two of the four lines are from scratch. Sid and Kunitz are together, and Geno with Hornqvist. Familiarity for both of them. Yet, we've all seen Kunitz decline rapidly since the last Olympic season. I don't know how you quantify their decline with Johnston other than to say it's alarming.

I'm not ready to throw in the towel on him, yet. I still think this is going to be a process, and it could take the first month of the season before these guys get going. It is hard as fans to temper your expectations, but the past five seasons showed that change was needed. This is what change looks like. It's not always sunshine and roses.

 

[DoobeeDoobeeDoo]

I got some stats for you, Doobs:

Crosby
• Ed Olczyk: 31 points, 31 games, 1.00 PPG
• Michel Therrien: 335 points, 238 games: 1.41 PPG
• Dan Bylsma: 403 points, 281 games, 1.43 PPG
• Johnston: 84 points, 80 games, 1.05 PPG

Malkin
• Therrien: 272 points, 217 games: 1.25 PPG
• Bylsma: 359 points, 301 games: 1.19 PPG
• Johnston: 71 points, 70 games: 0.99 PPG

Both of the stars of the team now have about a season's worth of starts under their belts with Johnston at the helm. Pretty glaring numbers about how they've fared under his leadership.

I still stand by my point that there is just an awful lot of inexperience among the four lines. Two of the four lines are from scratch. Sid and Kunitz are together, and Geno with Hornqvist. Familiarity for both of them. Yet, we've all seen Kunitz decline rapidly since the last Olympic season. I don't know how you quantify their decline with Johnston other than to say it's alarming.

I'm not ready to throw in the towel on him, yet. I still think this is going to be a process, and it could take the first month of the season before these guys get going. It is hard as fans to temper your expectations, but the past five seasons showed that change was needed. This is what change looks like. It's not always sunshine and roses.

Good info dude

I guess I just don't get the point of firing Disco for Johnston if we didn't expect an improvement. So far, the only improvement has been MAF, which is more a testament to MAF than anything else.

 

[evolver115]

Good info dude

I guess I just don't get the point of firing Disco for Johnston if we didn't expect an improvement. So far, the only improvement has been MAF, which is more a testament to MAF than anything else.

Bylsma had to be cut loose because the playoff failures were his doom. Can't fire the whole roster, so Danny B. was the scapegoat.

I credit Fleury and his coach, Mike Bales. It's only his second personal coach since his career began with the Pens over a decade ago. Bales has added a lot of polish to Fleury's game, IMO.

Last night, though.. MAF gave up two that he'd probably like to have back. Both were unscreened shots that he could see all the way in, he just wiffed on both.

 

[scoutyjones2]

I was a Johnston fan since I saw him and his team here in Portland...but I don't think it is translating well to the NHL.

I wish they would have waited a year to pursue Babcock...If I recall correctly though, didn't a coach or 2 spurn them before they went with Johnston?

 

[scoutyjones2]

Malkins line is pretty horrible...This is the line I thought would be rocking it from the get go, but is just plain bad. Perron looks like Craig Adams out there...now I know why he was gotten rid of

 

[DoobeeDoobeeDoo]

Malkins line is pretty horrible...This is the line I thought would be rocking it from the get go, but is just plain bad. Perron looks like Craig Adams out there...now I know why he was gotten rid of

LOL they all look like Craig Adams out there