Official 2010 - 2011 Penguins Thread

[phillysrt4]

Crosby sucks.

[stieny]

So funny you are.

So enlighten us all, how does he suck?

[phillysrt4]

So enlighten us all, how does he suck?

he doesn't play for philly.

[SonofaBish]

So, if anyone in this entire friggin city doubts the importance of Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin to this team, then please see exhibit A: Pens vs. Devils 1/20/2011 ...... Sid is obviously having a world-class season, and even thought Malkin isn't putting up big numbers on the score sheet, this team is still a dominating force when one or the other is on the ice (let alone both of them).... Take both of them off, and the Staal line has to face the top defenseman, and the pens look like a junior hockey club.... Devils are the worst team in the league, and the pens made them look like a quality squad!!

Of course, i'm not giving up on my team - but all the rants about how Malkin should be traded just fire me up... Because without him, and without sidney crosby, this team is a pretender...

Hopefully the two-headed monster can get some rest, get healthy, and we can go into teh post-season with some momentum

[SonofaBish]

Also, i'm interested in everyone's thoughts about what the lines should look like when everyone is healthy.....

Early season talk was that Malkin and Staal would be on teh same line, but i just don't think it works out that great.... they play completely different styles... Malkin is a graceful, skilled player and Staal, though very skilled in his own right, has different skills... he's a grinder, a big body, adn i think that's why he works so well with other grinders like Kennedy and Cooke.... At this point, i see no reason to break up the Stall-cooke-kennedy line...

So that leaves the question - what to do with Geno? Clearly, sid will be the first line center... So, do you put Geno with Sid and Kunitz, or do you have him center his own line??

I think there's positives and negatives to both situations...
Option 1:
Sid and Geno play MAGNIFICENT together... they can read each others mind, and the two of them together on on the ice is like watching a magic show... Furthermore, this will open up TONS of opporutnities for Kunitz, as the defense will have no choice but to key on the two big guys.... HOWEVER, there's 2 different problems with this.... 1.) When Geno plays wing, and stays at home, he is celarly not that comfortable... the guys likes to roam the ice, swooping around, dekeing defenders, doing his thing... And when he and Sid are both doing that, its a real spectacle - but that brings problem # 2... If you let Sid and Geno both roam the ice like centerman, then they're not as defensively sound and susceptible to breakdowns.... I think both players are VERY sound defensively when playing the center position, but if you let Malkin roam, that right wing is left vacant defensively at times....

Option 2:
Sid continues to center the normal line with Dupuis and Kunitz, and Geno centers a 2nd line... but who do you put with him? When you put slow, grinders, it never works out... so you've gotta have skill players, and i don't know who that is... Possibly Letestu and Connor? Or maybe even Asham, as the two of them were starting to mesh earleir in the season... Asham is good at finding soft spots in the zone and blasting shots from there... But, all 3 of these guys are still grinders imho.... So, how about Tangradi? I know they sent him back down, but i liked the looks of him early in the season... he's a young kid, but he's SO big and powerful, i think he'd make a good winger for Geno....

What do you guys think??

personally, i'd put Crosby and Malkin together, let them do their thing, and hope the defense can thwart the occasional defensive breakdown...

[SonofaBish]

One last thing - can we trade Goligoski for a good winger?

Or here's a thought, convert him to a winger... the dude is fast, clearly has a skilled shot, and with defensive background, should be willing to hit a guy or two... but he's a horrible defenseman imho...

I think his stock is still pretty high so......... sell!

I think he'd turn out just like Ryan Whitney... everyone thought he was sooo good, and i couldnt stand him.. his stock was high, we got a good winger for him (Kunitz), and now he's just a low-end defenseman somewhere in Canada

[John4cam]

One last thing - can we trade Goligoski for a good winger?

Or here's a thought, convert him to a winger... the dude is fast, clearly has a skilled shot, and with defensive background, should be willing to hit a guy or two... but he's a horrible defenseman imho...

I think his stock is still pretty high so......... sell!

I think he'd turn out just like Ryan Whitney... everyone thought he was sooo good, and i couldnt stand him.. his stock was high, we got a good winger for him (Kunitz), and now he's just a low-end defenseman somewhere in Canada

Yep, I always thought gogo was a shit d-man, but has skill on the offensive side. He can skate well and he has good hands. Dude should deff. be a forward.

[stieny]

Also, with Sid and Malkin out, can't anyone else see what I've been saying about Staal since his rookie season?

I mean Jesus, the kid is just awful. Terrible puck management skills, lazy on the back check and can't hit the net to save his life. Everyone always says the kid is going to be good and he could be a top line center if he wasn't in the shadow of Sid or Malkin but when they are absent, I see Staal do exactly what he always does: suck.

And on the topic of Gogo, well lets just say if it came down to him or Staal leaving, I pick him. And everyone knows how much I hate Staal so that should tell you something.

End rant.

[John4cam]

I'm gonna paypal staal $12 to go get a haircut..

[stieny]

I'm gonna paypal staal $12 to go get a haircut..

PayPal him some talent while you're at it.

[phillysrt4]

PayPal him some talent while you're at it.

That would require you to exceed the paypal maximum transfer limit.

[cwh19]

Also, with Sid and Malkin out, can't anyone else see what I've been saying about Staal since his rookie season?

I mean Jesus, the kid is just awful. Terrible puck management skills, lazy on the back check and can't hit the net to save his life. Everyone always says the kid is going to be good and he could be a top line center if he wasn't in the shadow of Sid or Malkin but when they are absent, I see Staal do exactly what he always does: suck.

And on the topic of Gogo, well lets just say if it came down to him or Staal leaving, I pick him. And everyone knows how much I hate Staal so that should tell you something.

End rant.

I am right there with you. He might be the most overpayed player in the league. During his rookie year, he was a winger on the second line with Malkin as the center. They should do that the rest of this season once Malkin comes back, and if it doesn't work out well, trade one of them in the offseason. Letestu proved he can sufficiently center a second line and he makes substantially less.

[PaxtonShelby]

How about our boy Brent Johnson tonight!!!

He got a shutout and a KNOCKout!!

DOWN GOES DiPIETRO!!!!!!!!

"Johnny was sick," Fleury said. "He's a righty, first of all, and he goes in as a lefty. That was awesome. He was so calm, so relaxed. It was just boom! His expression never changed. It was just boom, and that was it."

[mr4teth]

[ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UzfY-aXGcBY"]YouTube - YOU GOT KNOCKED THA FUGGG OUT!!![/ame]

[AdamantiumSilvr]

I went to the game with my bro! Nice to see them pull off the Win with a few key players out. We left with 5 left in the 3rd n missed the Brent J knockout, daaaanng it!!! Some one find the video n post it, pleease!!

[torchred v6]

[ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YtxH7euUmb8&feature=player_detailpage"]YouTube - Goalies Fight In Penguins' Win[/ame]

[AdamantiumSilvr]

...thanx for postin it!

YouTube - Goalies Fight In Penguins' Win

[phillysrt4]

sorry, this video is not available in your country (because we're douchebags and Gd f'n forbid you actually see any content without the exclusive written permission of the NHL)

*sigh*

[GEARHEAD94]

I hope they can turn this around.

[John4cam]

Ehh, take away any teams star firepower and they are going to have a tough time being consistant...