Pittsburgh Penguins 2013

[Steve_v3 275]

So clearly that's deserving of crosby having a broken jaw...

My point was when you take cheat shots & injure players, sometimes it comes back to you in other ways.

I do feel bad for Crosby. He is having a great year. No one deserves to get injured like that.

Ask Marc Savard or Erik Karlsson if they deserved to get injured like they did.

Did Josh Baily deserved to get boarded?

[zachary 2]

My point was when you take cheat shots & injure players, sometimes it comes back to you in other ways.

I do feel bad for Crosby. He is having a great year. No one deserves to get injured like that.

Ask Marc Savard or Erik Karlsson if they deserved to get injured like they did.

Did Josh Baily deserved to get boarded?

That merely contributed nothing to the discussion much as your first post too.

I really want to see a Kunitz-Malkin-Neal line again but I don't think Disco will do that considering we have Iggy now. Who knows though, that line was very dominant much like Sid's line has been this year. It sucks and I want Sid to come back ASAP but they are almost better off keeping him out as long as they keep playing the way they have been prior. Geno really needs to step up and be the man again as we know he can.

[Chadd 916]

That merely contributed nothing to the discussion much as your first post too.

Let the mods and admins decide who is contributing to a discussion. He did explain his position and that has some value, even if you don't agree with him.

[psh 25]

My point was when you take cheat shots & injure players, sometimes it comes back to you in other ways.

I do feel bad for Crosby. He is having a great year. No one deserves to get injured like that.

Ask Marc Savard or Erik Karlsson if they deserved to get injured like they did.

Did Josh Baily deserved to get boarded?

Applying your logic, of course Savard deserved his massive concussion. It was karma for some past indiscretion by Marchand or Lucic. And Karlsson absolutely deserved his severed Achilles. It was just karma for something Neil or Kassian did. At least it is in the perverse moral system that inspired your "karma" statement about Crosby's injury.

[Penguinsfanatic 0]

I'm just saying if you think its Karma, you have it in reverse. Kunitz would of had to have laid out that questionable hit before Crosby was hurt, not the other way around. As for Kunitz and Cooke playing dirty both play with an edge to their game. The former has since reformed his game since his lengthy suspension and didn't have a major all of last year and the major he got this year, he shouldn't even have gotten it seen as Neil from Ottawa bum rushed him at the end of the 3rd period after the hit on Karlsson. As for Kunitz I do agree he plays dirty at times, but I can also name a few other players who play just as dirty on other teams. I'm not trying to say the Pens are holier than thou but saying in no way should anyone say a player deserves to get injured because of something his fellow teammates did

[bandits_5 18]

cant wait to see Dana Hinze on twitter , taping Jokinens gloves.....

[zachary 2]

So by that logic I could pick a player on each team and argue that they deserved an injury based on previous encounters the Pens have had with them.

[Dr. Funk 6]

Am I the only one who's leery of these moves? I understand that everyone needs to give them time, and that the final grade will be handed out at the end of the season, but it's rarely a great idea to get older and slower. Particularly on a speed-based team.

I get that the entire roster will likely be different in two years (other than the "core" of Crosby, Malkin, Neal, and Fleury), but I'm just not sure that these pieces will fit. Team looked like a juggernaut prior to the deals, and they've looked awful since. I know that's due to a lot of factors, and that Joe Morrow wasn't exactly a sure-fire #1 defender/powerplay QB, but Brenden Morrow simply can't skate with their top 6.

We'll see how Iginla fits with Malkin and Neal, but I certainly think that he helps the powerplay. Stunts Bennett's growth, though, not to mention makes Jeffrey a healthy scratch for the rest of the season.

Murray is a reasonable addition, if an immobile one, particularly since Jagr has struggled against a somewhat similar player (Hal Gill) in the past.

I suppose it keeps Iginla and Morrow away from rivals, though, and the players/picks that they gave up aren't exactly sure things. Going to be interesting for sure.

[zachary 2]

Am I the only one who's leery of these moves? I understand that everyone needs to give them time, and that the final grade will be handed out at the end of the season, but it's rarely a great idea to get older and slower. Particularly on a speed-based team.

I get that the entire roster will likely be different in two years (other than the "core" of Crosby, Malkin, Neal, and Fleury), but I'm just not sure that these pieces will fit. Team looked like a juggernaut prior to the deals, and they've looked awful since. I know that's due to a lot of factors, and that Joe Morrow wasn't exactly a sure-fire #1 defender/powerplay QB, but Brenden Morrow simply can't skate with their top 6.

We'll see how Iginla fits with Malkin and Neal, but I certainly think that he helps the powerplay. Stunts Bennett's growth, though, not to mention makes Jeffrey a healthy scratch for the rest of the season.

Murray is a reasonable addition, if an immobile one, particularly since Jagr has struggled against a somewhat similar player (Hal Gill) in the past.

I suppose it keeps Iginla and Morrow away from rivals, though, and the players/picks that they gave up aren't exactly sure things. Going to be interesting for sure.

I do for sure but I think the only one who is really out of place at this point is Morrow. What angers me is Bylsma needs to know when to scratch certain players. Kennedy needs to be scratched and now specially with Jokinen coming in. The bottom two lines need to be shook up. 10-16-24, 27-46-15. Scratch TK and DJ. I don't feel either of them fit in at all right now and when Sid get's back neither of them should play. Vitale is one of the Pens most solid guy on the dot and he plays with heart. I wish more Pens played like him.

[Machinehead2k5 32]

The Iginla and Murray trade was good. I could do without "The Juice" Jokinen and Morrow. We have enough capable guys on the 3rd/4th lines to do well.

When everyone is healthy without the Jokinen/Morrow trades.

Duper-Sid-Iginla

Kunitz-Geno-Neal

Bennett-Sutter-Cooke

Glass/Adams-Vitale-TK/Jeffrey

Letang-Murray

Martin-Orpik

Niskanen-Engelland

Eaton-Bortuzzo

[MarsB 33]

The Iginla and Murray trade was good. I could do without "The Juice" Jokinen and Morrow. We have enough capable guys on the 3rd/4th lines to do well.

When everyone is healthy without the Jokinen/Morrow trades.

Duper-Sid-Iginla

Kunitz-Geno-Neal

Bennett-Sutter-Cooke

Glass/Adams-Vitale-TK/Jeffrey

Letang-Murray

Martin-Orpik

Niskanen-Engelland

Eaton-Bortuzzo

When Sid is back healthy there is zero chance they break up the chemistry of Kunitz/Crosby/Dupuis. Bylsma would be run out of town.

[troy 12]

You boys getting ready to lose to the Flyers in the first round?

[jds 20]

You boys getting ready to lose to the Flyers in the first round?

Oh yeah!

[zachary 2]

Cue Neal injury "karma" for Kunitz's hit on Bailey.

On the plus side Fleury played great and it was nice to see Juicy J(Jokinen) score in his first game as a Pen. Penguins played real physical to start the game but I wish they kept it up this whole game.

[bnr032 11]

You boys getting ready to lose to the Flyers in the first round?

they would have to make the top 8 to begin with...

[Dr. Funk 6]

Again, it's awfully early to make any judgement about the recent deals, but I think that the acquisitions of Jokinen and Murray are looking better than either Iginla or Morrow. Jokinen's been an ace in the faceoff circle and hasn't been a liability as Crosby's stand-in (not that he's anything close to Crosby, though - Kunitz and Dupuis have both basically disappeared for long stretches in Crosby's absence). Murray's been serviceable on the blueline and clears the crease pretty well.

While Iginla and Morrow haven't had much in the way of consistent linemates, they've both been really underwhelming in my opinion. Would love to hear others' thoughts.

[Trooper 8]

Iginla will take time, playing with Malkin I think is hard, the guy is completely unorthodox when it comes to what he is going to do on the ice. Morrow is playing fine, don't see a whole lot from Murray to be honest. Jokinen is a good pickup, agree about his faceoffs. Duper is picking it up, one of my favorite players. That guys hustles his butt off and makes the most of what he has.

[zachary 2]

I think Murray has been the best prior to Jokinen. I was actually the most happy about JJ coming than any of the other acquisitions.

[Dr. Funk 6]

So, it looks like I spoke too soon with my last post, despite the Pens beating up on a relatively bad Carolina team last night. The team looks like they've come together nicely.

I guess the question is, "who sits and who dresses?" Curious as to what everyone thinks, but I'd probably bet:

Iginla - Crosby - Dupuis

Kunitz - Malkin - Neal

Morrow - Sutter - Cooke

Glass - Jokinen - Adams

with Bennett, Vitale, Kennedy, Jeffrey, and several "black aces" pinch-hitting. Provided that Crosby is ready to go on Wednesday, of course.

The defensive pairings are less clear, I'd think, given with the uncertainty surrounding Orpik's injury situation. However, if he's ready, I'd guess that Despres, Bortuzzo, and Engelland all take a seat for the majority of the games, in favor of:

Letang

Orpik

Martin

Niskanen

Eaton

Murray

in some combination.

Would love to hear others' thoughts. Considering that anything less than the Cup will be considered complete failure, it'll be interesting.

[Machinehead2k5 32]

If Crosby can't go, Vitale should be in for him and center the 4th and The Juice takes over top line duty. Engelland or Despres has to play against the Isles. None of our D-man are fleet footed enough esp Eaton this is where Despres comes in and Carkner, Martin, Boulton, and Boyes running around, Engelland/Vitale/Adams can keep them in check. I don't want Iginla to do that.

[Trooper 8]

I think Depres will be in with Orpik out, I am not too worried about their speed. Glass to me is marginally useful, other than killing penalties I have no use for him, I put Vitale in instead. Other than that, looks pretty good.

[Fire0nIce228 1]

Crosby returns tonight from the broken jaw bestowed upon him by karma. I predict a hattrick against the Isles as retribution.

[psh 25]

This appears to be last year's Penguins thread, but I'll post it here, anyway.

Letang has had a stroke, and a heart defect was also discovered. The article does not indicate whether or not he'll need surgery on his heart, but one has to fear that he's gone from a Norris finalist to potentially being done with the NHL. Scary and sad. I hope he regains his health and isn't forced to leave the game.

http://www.tsn.ca/nhl/story/?id=443206