The Flyers’ Chris VandeVelde checks Patric Hornqvist closely at Steve Mason’s crease Wednesday. — GETTY
BY DEJAN KOVACEVIC
No doubt, there was a whole lot to hate about the Penguins’ flat-lined 4-1 loss to the are-they-really-rivals-if-they-always-win Flyers last night at Consol Energy Center. The forwards were soft and lazy. The defensemen were soft and loose. Marc-Andre Fleury gave up a soft rebound and lost his focus against this particular opponent for seemingly the umpteenth time.
And did I mention they were bad?
That’s OK. The captain, on the occasion of his 300th NHL goal, took care of that through an expression that was anything but celebratory.
“We were bad,” Sidney Crosby was saying at his stall. “We didn’t give ourselves a chance, to be honest with you. I don’t think they did anything different than what we expected. We were bad from start to finish.”
Wonderful. So let us all, in the spirit of Philadelphia, hold all those truths to be self-evident.
Oh, and these truths, as well …
I’ll spare you the math: That’s 13-2-1.
Before long, the Flyers will be seeking a cut of all concerts, circuses and monster truck shows in the newly renamed Bobby Clarke Comcast Commonwealth Domination Center.
But that doesn’t matter much, at least not now, if only because these Flyers don’t matter to anyone anywhere, much less to the local franchise.
What matters is this: The Penguins are currently engaged in something sensationally stupid.
This was their second full game without Kris Letang and Christian Ehrhoff, both out with concussions, and thus, it was their second full game of attempting to compete at an NHL level with only five defensemen. And the reasons cited by management are, one, the salary cap is maxed out and, two, any player on the current roster could be lost on waivers if demoted to Wilkes-Barre. They claim their hands are tied.
Mike Johnston was adamant that playing with five defensemen “was not the problem tonight,” instead faulting the forwards for lackadaisical backchecking and lack of possession. With all due respect, that’s not the game I watched. I mean, the forwards were awful. But so were the defensemen. And I dare say Johnston essentially conceded that fatigue was a factor in the latter by saying, “I thought our defense had good gaps in the first half or so and not as much after that.”
Wonder why.
I asked Johnston if he was worried that over-extending his defensemen now could cause a longer-term strain on this group with playoff less than a couple weeks out …
“That’s the only option we have.”
Really?
Look, I could rip through every chapter and clause of the Collective Bargaining Agreement.
Or I could condense all that lawyer-speak to two layman’s words: Do something.
Exhaust everything imaginable related to Craig Adams, Beau Bennett, anyone on the roster fringe. And yes, I know it’s complicated this time of year, particularly that only Derrick Pouliot can be demoted to Wilkes-Barre at the moment. But I know that anyone can be waived at any time. No harm can come from seeing if some team stakes a claim to an unwanted player. I also know that a trade can be made after the deadline, with the stipulation that the players can’t participate in the postseason. It’s uncommon, but that wouldn’t preclude, say, moving Bennett to an out-of-the-playoffs team building for the future and securing a draft pick in return. Bennett doesn’t appear to have any future here, so move him now when it can serve a secondary purpose. I also know that, because the Penguins played a man short last night with Evgeni Malkin’s surprising scratch for an undisclosed minor injury, they’re eligible for an emergency recall in the next game, though finances almost surely will limit that to being minimum-wage journeyman Taylor Chorney.
I’d actually like to see more than one defenseman recalled right now, preferably Scott Harrington and Brian Dumoulin, the ones you’d use in the playoffs. They’d be far better served in Pittsburgh right now revving up through real NHL action.
It’s ridiculous, really, that the situation reached this point.
Get inventive. Management dug this hole. Management needs to dig out. That means now, before the upcoming bruising back-to-back weekend run through Columbus and Philadelphia.
Not because those games mean anything. They don’t. But rather, it’s because if Jim Rutherford, Johnston and their lieutenants think they can enter the Stanley Cup playoffs with two concussed defensemen and five others with their tongues dragging and last any longer than, oh, three games, they’re in for an awesomely rude awakening.
Only five games remain before playoffs, and already, Johnston’s stated plan to rest key players has been scrapped. We’re now seeing Paul Martin a half-hour a night. Ben Lovejoy logged 27 minutes in this one, Rob Scuderi 26, Ian Cole 24, Pouliot 21. Break down last night’s breakdowns all you want, but chances are excellent a tired defenseman will pop into any given frame.
Even with one emergency guy on the way, none will get a break.
To their credit, not one of them is coming close to complaining …
Machismo won’t trump reality, though. The Penguins’ most likely first-round foes are the Islanders and Capitals. New York is the league’s fastest team up front. John Tavares and Michael Grabner will skate circles around the Penguins’ defense. Washington is one of the league’s largest up front. Alexander Ovechkin is hardly the only threat. Big bodies will pummel Fleury all series long.
Heck, all that might happen anyway.
This won’t affect as much up front. I was told by a team executive last night that the default mode on Kasperi Kapanen will be to not use him in playoffs. It hasn’t been ruled out, but it would take an extraordinary situation. The Penguins are concerned in the immediate term about his slight size, his inexperience and, above all, that a setback now could stunt his development. That tells me that, in addition to being protective of Kapanen, they’re confident they’ve got other answers at forward once the regular season ends and the cap no longer applies.
But the back line needs help right now. And not just attaboys and Band-Aids.
Either get serious about preparing for these playoffs, or prepare to join the Flyers on the links.
I feel your pain. Went to college there. Worked in eastern part of the state several years, too.
Joey Mellons
4-2-2015, 11:46 am
I feel and live you pain as well. I live in So. Jersey. I have lost so many lunch bets betting on the Pens to beat the Flyers, that I may ask Lemieux/Burkle for some reimbursement. Flyers are such trash.
BK
4-2-2015, 12:59 am
I was made to understand that Lovejoy was brought in for his skating ability and how much better he is in transition than Despres.
I don't like being lied to.
On a more serious note:
Adams is useless unless he's killing penalties.
Ditto with Scuderi.
Kunitz is still 35 years old and done.
And Comeau looks every bit the bottom six player that he truly is.
I nor do I think the Pens are willing to give up on Comeau just yet. Hockey (and baseball) players need health and strong wrists. Comeau, as I understand, had a significant wrist injury. He probably won't be truly back to full strength until next season.
Sarah
4-2-2015, 9:21 am
And for the love of God please separate Scuderi and Lovejoy.
The Lovejoy-Despres trade ....just smh...
Bradley Minoski
4-3-2015, 7:22 pm
Who cares about the Despres trade. The guy since being traded has mostly been a healthy scratch. No one to get worked up for.
nightsky73144
4-2-2015, 1:02 am
I agree, DK...IF it's a legitimate option. From what I've read, and it could've been wrong, the only player they could return to WBS is Pouliot, because he was placed on the WBS roster at the beginning of March (whenever the AHL roster deadline is set).
And, again this may be misinformation, but I read that with veterans of a certain age, while they could be waived, IF no one claims them, they would still count against the salary cap.
Obviously the Pens would still owe salary under contract to a veteran who is simply cut, but it was my understanding that that salary would still count against the salary cap, no matter what.
Maybe that is not correct. But, other than emergency relief (if, for instance, Malkin is unavailable this weekend), it sounded as if the Pens don't have any recourse.
Maybe I've been misinformed by articles I've read online about the situation.
If true, I suspect the CBA language is something the owners felt they had to accept in order to get the players to accept things the owners felt they needed to get more.
But, it is still sad that the Pens are stuck in this awful situation.
mk
4-2-2015, 9:36 am
If only the GM had, you know, an assistant that could figure this stuff out. We were tight against the cap before the deadline, but not this bad. So basically, they left the team with no contingency plan in case of injury. That's inexcusable.
kteemac
4-2-2015, 1:03 am
Dejan, I love your site and your work, but you're suggesting a solution that the Pens just CANNOT use right now. Under the CBA (Section 13.12(j)(i)), the Pens are forbidden from sending down any player to the AHL post-trade-deadline, with one exception: they can send down any player that they called up post-deadline (aka Pouliot -- he's the only one who can be sent down). So we can't send down Adams.
Unconditional waivers -- buying out Adams -- isn't an option until after the playoffs.
We can put him on waivers, but if no other team takes him, we're stuck with him.
KTEE, I think that's what the suggestion is (at least from my understanding): not send down, but place on waivers either BB or CA and assume the risk if someone comes in and scoops either up...if not, great, off to WBS and they can then backfill the roster spot with a D-man...if someone does scop one up, then they're out a player who was not producing any offense anyhow, and they can backfill the roster spot with a D-man
kteemac
4-2-2015, 9:30 am
TomPaulBillyBob -- they can't send Adams or Bennett down to the AHL. Even if both clear waivers, the CBA bars teams from sending down any player to the AHL after the trade deadline. There is only one exception -- teams may send down any player they called up after the deadline. We have only one player in that category: Pouliot. There is absolutely no way we can send down either Adams or Bennett to the AHL, period. The only chance we would have would be to put one on waivers and then pray that some other team grabbed them. Why would any team grab Adams?? And do we really want to give up Bennett, someone we picked in the first round, for absolutely nothing? So that we can have Chorney play for a game or two before Ehrhoff returns?
TomPaulBillyBob
4-2-2015, 12:34 pm
Ok, thanks for clarifying, KTEE, guess I didn't realize they couldn't ship them off...
howlinmac
4-2-2015, 12:42 pm
kteemac, DK's suggestion is to put Adams on waivers and HOPE another team picks him up, which would open up another roster spot & enough cap space to bring up a defenceman from WBS.
howlinmac
4-2-2015, 12:46 pm
TomPaulBillyBob, DK's suggestion is to attempt to trade Bennett for a draft pick, which would open up another roster spot & free up cap space to bring up a defenceman from WBS.
howlinmac
4-2-2015, 12:46 pm
TomPaulBillyBob, DK's suggestion is to attempt to trade Bennett for a draft pick, which would open up another roster spot & free up cap space to bring up a defenceman from WBS.
kteemac
4-2-2015, 6:49 pm
Actually, DK's suggestion when he first posted the article was to "cut Craig Adams" (that's a direct quote), which I made clear was impossible given that we can't send him down or unconditionally waive him. But the article has been changed since I posted my original note.
Biz
4-2-2015, 1:09 am
Now I realize how Cleveland fans feel when they play the Steelers
This is a total failure on Jim Rutherford and his band of merry men. Though they may be good at organizational items like development and mentoring, would it be fair to say that we have no real cap
Expert?
On another note, I can't get enough of the coach MJ video clips. He looks more confused or lost with each new one. If this team doesn't make a serious run for Mike Babcock then they will be heading towards becoming the NHL version of Bobby Cox's Atlanta Braves teams.
the atlanta braves had a lot more success the the penguins have had over the past 5 years....but i dont think there is any way Mike babcock comes here...why would he want to? he will either stay in Detroit or go where the most money is,which i doubt would be Pittsburgh. Plus the penguins would be paying two coaches not to work for them....this is going to be an interesting summer that will probably be here way to soon.
Bradley Minoski
4-3-2015, 7:24 pm
Rutherford and his band of "merry men" isn't responsible for the cap problem. Shero is for mangling it by giving out toxic contracts to Scuderi, Kunitz and Dupuis. Why exactly do you want him to do? His hands are tied.
Bradley Minoski
4-3-2015, 7:51 pm
BTW, please explain to me how the Braves have had more success then the Penguins over the last 5 years? They never won or made a World Series within the last 5 years and missed the playoffs last year.
Your talking out of the side of your mouth on that one.
frantn12
4-2-2015, 1:51 am
I appreciate the honesty here, DK-this is why I subscribed..I gotta wonder; why do the Penguins hold on so dearly to players like Bennett and Adams?
DK, Adams should have been cut 2 years ago or at least the minute he fought Malkin. Why he gets a free pass every year is just baffling. Harrington should never have been sent down but I guess he didn't fit the back peddle and poke check style our defensemen now incorporate. Lovejoy sure looks like the Lovejoy I remember especially on the Schenn goal (and yes, Scuderi was there as well). It's going to be great when the Isles come crashing the net.
I liked the tiny forward remark you made It sure looks like that's the kind of team the Pens want to have in the future. Honestly, I'm almost hoping that they don't make the playoffs because I can say with 100% certainty there is 1 thing that will happen. Sid and or Geno will get pounded just like last year. This year it will most likely be Hamonic taking the place of the Staal and Dubinsky cheap shots. I'd rather have a healthy 87 and 71 for next year when maybe, just maybe, Mario figures out that the kinder gentler Pens will not be a Cup winner. Does anybody really think that this type of team will succeed? Playing with intensity is contagious and this team lacks the passion and effort to succeed.
I'm a little confused, DK. I understand that they should do something, if they can do so under the rules, but what precisely would that be? You mentioned Adams and Bennett, but didn't say exactly what could be done with them and how it all fits into the CBA and cap rules. I'm not sure any of us readers know what choices they would have to make, since the rules are so confusing. Maybe it is as simple as, "That’s the only option we have."
I think what I'm trying to ask is, what are the specific steps they can take with each player? What are the risks regarding waivers for each one? How do those steps make it possible to bring up Doumolin and/or Harrington? I have yet to see any article or blog anywhere that clarifies all of this. As fans without an understanding of the intricacies, we're in the dark.
Dejan Kovacevic
4-2-2015, 2:36 am
I'm actually working on adding to that section, Noel. Seeking hard clarifications.
Dejan Kovacevic
4-2-2015, 4:15 am
There. It's 4:12 a.m., and that's as clarification-ish as this will get. I opted not to go into individual examples to deeply because, fact is, there's always something about the CBA that is only known or understood by those inside the business. There actually are two segments of the NHL's CBA that have never been made public. So this, I hope, strikes a bit of a balance there.
Bottom line: SOMETHING could be done, if this takes priority.
Scaldis Noel
4-2-2015, 6:27 am
That's more clear with your rewrite, especially clarifying what you meant about Beau Bennett. Thanks.
WildcatRay
4-2-2015, 7:31 am
Wow, DK. You're really burning the midnight oil.
Sarah
4-2-2015, 9:19 am
I believe it is the Emergency Call-up clause, for playing <18 skaters.
Which they could have had last game had they left Perron out sick.
Maybe why they are HO,ding out Malkin now. Dunno - it is a murky rule.
MikeVee
4-2-2015, 2:55 am
As far as the CBA rules go ( if that's an issue), why couldn't they just put Erhoff on IR effective from 1st game out and sit him for the minimum required time?
I think I remember hearing that IR isn't an option at this point, but I'm not 100% certain of that.
DerekR
4-2-2015, 11:10 am
The rules for Long Term Injured Reserve (LTIR) state that a player must miss 24 days AND 10 NHL Regular Season games. If Ehrhoff was put on LTIR retroactive to after the STL game, he would be eligible for return April 18th (missing a few playoff games) but there were only 9 games left in the season at that point. It's not clearly spelled out, but if he must miss 10 regular season games, then he would effectively be out until next year when he could miss his 10th Regular Season game.
nightsky73144
4-2-2015, 2:59 am
I see that you've revised your original suggestion in your latest edits for this article...
That's the problem for the Pens - the solution isn't that 'simple' after all.
Unfortunate, and frustrating.
Yeah, it was my intention all along to keep looking into this through the night. Nothing in the original was incorrect. Just adding clarifications.
mpackage
4-2-2015, 3:07 am
It's mind boggling. I have to think they don't currently have any options that will work. They can't actually be planning to finish out the regular season with 5 D??? They'll be lucky to make the playoffs and if they do, the Isles (or anybody, really) will destroy them. A game or two on short notice is one thing. But to be standing pat game after game, shorthanded...insanity!
In case you haven't realized, the Isles have been playing as awful as the Pens. There zero confidence they will come in and "destroy" the Pens.
Rbilak1
4-2-2015, 3:14 am
Let's look at GMJR. Post 1
F - Process of selecting coach, looked like a fool.
A - Hornquist for Neal alone was worth it.
F - Griess signing, unneeded.
D - Errhoff - not needed, better spent on a forward
C -Perron looked like an A but lately I would rather have a first round pick.
C - Max L for Goc, need identified, result not great.
B - Comeau, was once an A, injury not same guy.
D - Simon for Lovejoy, another hyped story that Lovejoy is good. Take size, youth and grit
D - Cole for Borts, took away size and physical play again. Not needed.
D - Winnick for Seal, a 2 and 4? That was a lot.
B - Downie, only one who stands for teammates. Yeah I know bad penalties.
Very well reasoned assessment (especially for 3:14am)
LoufromOSU
4-2-2015, 8:34 am
Only one I would disagree with is Cole, who actually shoots the puck AND gets it to the net. I think his return was better than what Bortz was providing this year (Bortz was much more physical last season when fighting for a job...when handed the job, he was pretty awful and didn't bring the physicality).
rcyphert
4-2-2015, 8:43 am
One addendum to yhe Cole trade. He is better, way better than Bortuzzo, who was the 7th d-man by the way. Honestly he has handled top 4(due to injuries) far better than Despres. He has size, speed and an accurate, blistering slap shot, To be a physical dman doesn't mean running everyone through the boards. Its making the right type of physical play at the correct moment. the previous two were very physical, and often took themselves out of the play. Just my 2 cents.
Rbilak1
4-2-2015, 8:45 am
Lou, my friends in St Louis told me to things, one Max was not the same physical player he once was and two, Cole looks good when the game is already decided. Much like the great Adam Laroche, when Pens are far down, his game picks up and he looks better. To me, this poor coaching staff failed Borts. He looked like Ulf the night he took Jagr out, why did they not get that out of him game in and game out? They have zero physical presence on D now. Much rather have Borts in playoffs than Cole, but respect your opinion. Thanks.
Bradley Minoski
4-3-2015, 7:28 pm
I like how you pinned this all on GMJR, and conveniently realized that this still is mainly a team built by Shero and that GMJR through his trades and signings have made this team better for the playoffs, but I wont let that get in your way of your clear ax grinding
Rbilak1
4-2-2015, 3:15 am
Post 2
GMJR went for all the marbles. 4 GM's, none could figure out the cap and we play 5 D. Like last year, we lose Martin for nothing, same as Nisky and Brooks. Minors are barren, it is I time they rethink the strategy. They are not a Cup contender. Realization must set in. Finding ways to rid contracts of Kunitz, Scuderi and Duper need fully explored. Martin and Errhoff open up some cap room. Same with Griess. There is something rotten in the core. Mario needs to look at GMJR and HCMJ. The coach is lost, the players do not listen, the system looks AHL, the man who hired him needs looked at also. This is the hardest Penguin team to what since Sid year one. A new approach is needed, not one that hope is penned on a 19 year old that is not a plan.
(I have logged in, which the 'green square' confirmed, but the comment page does not seem to realize it). Agreed that something at the core of this franchise is wrong. The team captain has not straightened it out, which suggests either that he cannot lead or he is part of the problem. Do all hockey coaches eventually lose the team? It took Therrien and Bylsma longer than Johnson to lose them One small thing I find humiliating for the team is the way that the refs often seem to ignore Johnson's attempts to discuss a call. (A commentator in DC mentioned at least six weeks ago that he thought the Pens were playing like a team that is trying to get the coach fired.) Are we seeing why Rutherford's first choice as coach did not want the problems associated with the Penguins job? Are the Pens becoming the hockey coaches' equivalent of the formerly downtrodden Pirates, when good free agents would not want to come here? In an interview today, Doc Emerick suggested the Disco Dan will have trouble getting a new job, due to the wealth of quality coaching candidates available. Where are they? Anyway, as we all learn as teenagers, the opposite of love is not hate, but rather it is indifference. I watched the Flyers game tonight for about fifteen minutes and then shut it off. My view is that if the team does not care, then why should I? My wife would not watch for more than five minutes. One more random thought: I wonder what the total is, of players that have been (or should have been) let go, over the past three years. My position is that the team had a huge turnover from Jan 2014 to now, and the problems must be continuing through the carryovers. Not having enough players is a poor reflection on management, but the lack of effort is the fault of the players. Recall that Noll never believed much in rousing pep talks. His view was that a professional needs to be self-motivated, and if not then the player should retire. I don't know whether some of the current players could be motivated even with a cattle prod.
Rbilak1
4-2-2015, 8:40 am
I am at apathy too. Sunday I am not watching game. Better things to do. They need to realize they are not a cup contender and make trades for future not the now.
Owtahear
4-2-2015, 8:50 am
Wow Rbilak, I remember you from other sites. Good stuff.
Here's the thing. On January 1st, 2011 the Pens were absolutely the model franchise. They were going into the NYD Outdoor Game, Crosby was scoring at a rate not seen in the NHL since 66/68 terrorized it. Sure, they lost to the Canadiens the year before, but they just came off of two finals appearances, had a dynamic young core that had everything still in front of them. They opened up a brand new jewel of an arena cementing their attachment to Penguins for decades moving forward. They were just unbelievably likeable on the HBO 24/7 series......Everything was good. Then it rained. A lot. On New Year's Even and Day. Pushed the game into night, which actually made it a great spectacle. But the rain came. Then Sid was hit. Things changed.
From that moment, this model franchise seems to have had a jinx attached to it. From injuries and luck to just bad coaching and decision. All these years later (and it seems like a decade) and things are no longer that good. The core no longer that young. And the because of the core, they have to be exact and precise in their contracts of the other 20 some guys on the roster, which they haven't. Sentimentality got in the way of good decisions w/ the resigining of Scuds and extensions of Kunitz and Dupuis. The Steelers (used to) allow players to leave maybe a year too early rather than hang onto them 2-3 years too long. Used to I may add again. The constant "going for it" mode at the trade deadline that basically took away any 1, 2 or 3 round draft choice leaving the team devoid of prospects. The failure to really turn all these good young puck defensemen into forwards. The constant injuries. The awkward firing of GMRS then HCDB that deserved or not, did not cast the best light on Mario and this franchise. The moves...have been mixed.
Bradley Minoski
4-3-2015, 7:30 pm
DB AND RS needed to go. Both of them mangling the team through cap, asset management and coaching is the reason why the team is the way it is. Who cares how they were let go? The Pens rightly fired RS and DB is still getting paid to do nothing by the Pens? That's all what they needed to do in that situation whatever you like it or not.
PlazMan
4-2-2015, 5:19 am
Adams should be waived as early as yesterday. IF a team claims him, and that is a huge IF, it wouldn't be a huge loss. He's gone after the season anyway.
I didn't realize they could trade Bennett now, but I like the idea of moving him for a pick. He's invisible when he's out there. Seems like a change of scenery might be what he needs, although he got a lot more Eric Tangradi in him than anything else...all hype, no results.
The team was booed last night and once that happens, the paying public isn't happy and will show it through the ways of closed wallets. The incompetence of Shero and the cement headed Bylsma have left this team a shell of it's expectations. Mario and Buerkle better grasp the slide here and end the arrogance of this franchise. before things are over..
They tried last year. Maybe no matter why they do, unless the players grow up in terms of mental toughness, the team will always be what it is regardless of who's coaching this team.
And why would he want to come here again? To coach players that have gotten three coaches fired in six years? Including one after one season? Not going to happen. This season will be judges by the performance of the players, not the coaching.
dannyboy1631
4-2-2015, 5:53 am
This is a gassed team that sat Malkin last night, played 5 D (3 of which are 5/6 defenseman at best), in a game that was utterly meaningless. This was the Cup final for the Flyers, who have players like Schenn and Rinaldo who are infamous for taking runs at our stars. So our injury riddled team mailed one in in the interest of self-preservation? I don't blame them. I totally understand your point DK and I'm not sure how purported cap wizard Jason Botterill allowed this disaster, but I'm sure if there was a viable solution we'd have seen it already. In the meantime, I understand the vitriol. We lost to the Flyers. Again. At home. Let's all remember the words of that sage prophet Zachary Rinaldo:
I'm not sure I'd put that on Botterill. My guess is that he was tasked with figuring out how to make the trades work out to stay under the cap, but not with making the final decisions on the trades. That they put themselves so close to the cap, with no wiggle room, is in the hands of Rutherford, who is the one that makes the final decisions.
dannyboy1631
4-2-2015, 7:16 am
Ultimately yes, the final decision lies with Rutherford. My point is that Botterill is supposed to be the cap management guru. Our current roster is at a disadvantage due to poor cap management. Maybe he warned of the possibility and was ignored, but either way it's bad management to have several players, who for all intents and purposes should be healthy scratches or cut, on one way NHL contracts.
Bradley Minoski
4-3-2015, 7:33 pm
It's not Rutherford's or Botterill's fault, it's Shero. He's the one who handed out large, toxic contracts to players they shouldn't of signed (Scuds) or they should of cut ties with (Kunitz and Dupuis) that's eating up a ton of cap space right now and there's nothing Rutherford can do about that.
Botterill is just the cap guy, it's the GM who faces the final decsions and terms on players. All Botterill is tasked with his being able to fit said contract under the cap.
Bradley Minoski
4-3-2015, 7:38 pm
BTW F Rinaldo. Who cares what that goon has to say. He can say all he wants, he still plays for the Flyers. A team missing the playoffs for the second time in three years and who hasn't won a cup in 40 years. That's literally all what matters here.
ziggygreece
4-2-2015, 6:09 am
Amen. I'm mentally ready for a one and done. i hope they prove me wrong. you were on the money dejan
How about we start put that magnifying glass on Spaling as well. What does this guy do?
- Not particularly fast
- Doesn't kill penalties
- Doesn't add offense (lot of time this year on top 2 lines)
- Doesn't hit
- Doesn't stand up for teammates
- Not mean or nasty
If we are looking at a salary cap mess, this guy could be easily replaced by any WBS player at a much cheaper option for next year.
Given this level of stupidity, what's the over/under on points on the upcoming road trip to CB, PHI and OTT, .5 or 1? Unless Ottawa tanks, It's becoming more probable they go into game 81 without a playoff spot clinched so rest is not going to be part of the equation.
If/when this team flames out again will pens management actually
make roster changes? Insanity is defined as repeating the same thing extinguisher different results.
Are you not counting the following changes: Hornie, Perron, Comeau, Downie, Lapierre, Winnik, Pouliot, Lovejoy, Cole, Spaling. Key departures: Neal, Orpik, Nisky, Jussi. Given the long term deals in place, it would be hard to make more roster changes that than.
irwinfletcheer
4-2-2015, 9:59 am
its not enough. this team is flawed from the core out. you can't pay that much money to three soft ass players. period. how many more springs must we go through the same things?
nicolazzo
4-2-2015, 7:02 am
Does Sutter still play for the Penguins? I have not seen him in quite a long time.
Remember when he used to step up when the big guns here injured. he is all but invisible these days. What a disappointment he has been this year
Rbilak1
4-2-2015, 8:34 am
The ridiculous penalty of flipping puck in stands cause he was pressured last night have him high up on my get rid of list.
LoufromOSU
4-2-2015, 8:41 am
I do not remember when Sutter used to step up when the big guns were down...I think you are thinking of a guy who used to wear number 11. The drop off from one guy to the next is like stepping off of the USX Tower.
Sutter had a good playoff series last year. Thats the extent of what he has provided to this team. He plays well about 10 games a season.
Sarah
4-2-2015, 11:01 am
Spot on Lou.
He has the right name on his jersey is all.
chethejet
4-2-2015, 7:08 am
Team is flaming out but I don't think Ottawa can catch them. But no question Boston and Washington will surpass them. It starts at the top and I have zeo confidence in this ownership after the Shero and Bylsma extensions after the Flyer series. Then hire a over the hill GM, I think JR needs to go but he did what he could. MJ is a joke. Dejan singing the praises of him was premature and wrong. He hardly nailled it. OK to be wrong but given the gifts the Hockey Gods gave this franchise, the total squandering of what could have been and keep selling the charade to the parade is folly. First round exit is likely and more of the same.
The Pirates weren't given Babe Ruth and Lou Gehrig and NH has gotten better and the franchise has much promise. Mediocre to bad management is a deal killer every time..
Chet I dunno OTT can't catch us.
They need 4 pts vs TAmpa, Caps, Leafs, and we need to lose to Jax and PHilly, both of which could easily happen, esp if we are without Malkin.
That puts them 3 pts back when we play OTT next week.
It could get uncomfortably close.
ajjordan015
4-2-2015, 7:14 am
Is there a way to get the management to read this? Great article.
Pens fans, let's be honest and fair. This is a physically worn-out team, not just the D-men. Two or more straight years with mega man-games lost have wreaked havoc. I don't see lack of effort -- keep that San Jose overtime performance in mind. I see a team-wide lack of fuel and just worn-out parts. You can't keep making the playoffs year-after-year, playing all the extra games, coupled with all the injuries and not have the counter-effects. Look at the LA Kings this year -- IMHO playing 26 out of a max 28 playoff games last year has impacted them this year (and don't forget their 2012 cup run and 2013 trip to the conference final). If the Pens prevail in the first-round that will be a minor miracle. We shouldn't expect too much, and we should appreciate and savor the games when their performance shines.
Hardest title to win the SC, people in Pgh feel that winning the cup is somehow their right. It's not. As great as Lemieux was with a team of super stars they only managed to win two.
Now in the salary cap era it's very difficult and lets face it this Pens team is old
bpn8pitt
4-2-2015, 8:56 am
I feel that's a great point about playoff games. 90 some games year after year takes its toll.
tzernick
4-2-2015, 7:49 am
Why not send Pouilot down and bring Harrington and Chorney up?
Just not impressive to be stuck as we are on defense at this time. That's on Rutherford. And, unfortunately, one year later we seem to be in no better shape as we head into the playoffs. So, a year's worth of changes have not significantly moved things forward, it seems.
Anybody who says 5 defense wasn't the problem wasn't watching the game. Those guys were gassed. Couldn't keep up, couldn't clear the front. I don't know how many times I saw someone turn up ice to join the rush and then just stop. There was a lot of bad in that game but tired defensemen was the biggest thing I noticed.
And blaming bad cap management? What do we have tied up in injured players right now? About 11 mil cap hit? Or do those things get pro-rated? Point is two of your higher paid players are hurt, and can't be put on LTIR, hardly bad cap management. They gotta find a way to get a forward down or out to get another D-man up.
PK zaps your strength and taking 5 of them in inexcusable. This team plays dumb too many times. If MJ didn't cover that with team before the game he should have. I'll give him pass only because his mother died.
mcgoniglef
4-2-2015, 8:37 am
Anyone who keeps saying it was 5-defense men was reason I laugh! What is a record against the Flyers again? always an excuse!!
It has been a mistake not to take action before the last few games. But after last night's game, it it will be an EPIC FAILURE if they don't get another body playing D on Saturday. At the very least, get someone else back there, EVEN if its Winnik.
What I found most interesting in the article is that DK said Ehrhoff has a concussion. Last I heard, the Penguins were saying that this "upper-body injury" was not concussion-related.
So, let's summarize the way they handled Ehrhoff's concussion:
1) Rushed him back
2) Left first game back with concussion symtpoms
3) Rushed him back
4) He got a concussion, what, a couple of games later
5) Presumably, they're in the process of rushing him back.
Yeah, Letang better be careful. If he responds "Not too bad" when asked how he's feeling because he's going to be playing 30 minutes in the next game.
Concussions are mainly on the player to be honest about symptoms. There's no way for the Pens to know how Ehrhoff or anyone else are dealing with their concussion symptoms other than what they tell them. Sure there are baseline tests they can compare cognitive ability to, but that's not the whole story. Concussions aren't cut and dry where one day you have one and the next your fine. You can feel better and have a recurrence of symptoms after intense activity or another bump to the head. The main thing I take away is that they are working with Ehrhoff to make sure that he's feeling ok when he plays. They've done that every time, and they're not rushing him back now, even with only the 5 D. I seem to recall Ehrhoff saying he was cleared to play, and not sure why he wasn't in the lineup during the first time you claim they rushed him back.
Paul
4-2-2015, 10:50 am
Ken C,
I understand what you're saying, but I don't believe it's completely true.
It is being left to the players completely by this regime, but I saw a lot more care by the previous regime. Crosby and Letang with past concussions, for instance, had to wait for a certain time after they felt better before they were allowed to resume normal activities. I hear of no discussion of that with this group. Maybe all protocols are being followed the same as they were before, but it seems much more liKE "You ready?" "sure, I can go." "Ok, get out there" than in the past. Maybe it's just communication, but there was much more talk of a period of time without symptoms followed by a light workout followed by practice without contact followed by practice with contact before returning to play in the past.
NOw, it's like "your head doesn't hurt? great. Get out there.
Dejan Kovacevic
4-2-2015, 12:20 pm
Was waiting for someone to pick up on that. :)
Paul
4-2-2015, 12:33 pm
In my mind, it's a serious problem. ANd the previous regime whether it was fact or just the way it was portrayed, seemed much more interested in the health of the player than just winning games.
Shero, in particular, 9but also Bylsma) seemed like he was someone who could lead the league toward a healthier path. Johnston and Rutherford seem more like 1985 hockey men to me.
Paul
4-2-2015, 12:33 pm
In my mind, it's a serious problem. ANd the previous regime whether it was fact or just the way it was portrayed, seemed much more interested in the health of the player than just winning games.
Shero, in particular, 9but also Bylsma) seemed like he was someone who could lead the league toward a healthier path. Johnston and Rutherford seem more like 1985 hockey men to me.
Arriba Wilver
4-2-2015, 3:41 pm
The previous regime that dealt with Crosby's concussions?
They may have BECOME more sensitive because of that.
Paul
4-2-2015, 4:35 pm
Right. They may have. And I'm certainly not saying that the doctors handled the Crosby concussion and the concussion/neck fracture well at all.
I'm just saying that Shero and Bylsma, but especially Shero, always seemed to put the players health as the number one priority.
I don't get that sense at all now. I mean, geez, when Letang was concussed, Johnston was saying that Letang had been taken to the hospital, but you never know how much better someone might be in 24 hours, and he talked about how the Sunday game was a night game after the afternoon game on Saturday. He was clearly implying that maybe Letang couldn't be ruled out.
You just wouldn't hear that from Bylsma and Shero.
burghsportsguy
4-2-2015, 9:05 am
I, too, am disappointed with Beau Bennett. But waiving him would be crazy. Adams is worthless and has no promise.
Further, others like Spaling and Sutter are performing every bit as badly. But there's no talking of waiving Sutter. Why? He has promise, even if he hasn't shown it in sbout a year.
Sutter has 17 goals and wins over 50% of his faceoffs, he also runs the PK and is a solid 3rd line center. Spaling also PK's and has 3x more goals and 2x more assists than Bennett in 30 more games (not 2x as many). Bennett hasnt done squat and has no promise.
LGP6687
4-2-2015, 9:11 am
I think the Pens knew early in the season that they would make a push if the team was in the playoff mix. Therefore, keeping Harrington and Dumoulin in the press box in October and November was where the cap mismanagement occurred. I cannot fault them for spending every dollar available; that's often what fans want. They just wasted some space with healthy scratches.
Without question, this stretch of hockey has been extremely difficult to watch. Having said that, there have been some bright spots - West coast trip a couple weeks back, this past weekend's games (granted not against top notch competition). As we all know, the playoffs are a new season. IF Geno, Hornie and Tanger (fingers crossed) get/stay healthy, we may be alright. They are certainly not the favorites as in previous years, so maybe some pressure will be off. I agree with a lot of the comments, but at the end of the day, this is our team and I'll pull for them until the bitter end or they raise the Cup.
They are really not fun to watch lately, eh?
Even back when they stunk and Dick frickin Tarnstrom led them in scoring, they at least skated their butts off night in and night out. It was easy to root for them.
They're making it tough now, aren't they?
Dejan Kovacevic
4-2-2015, 12:21 pm
That team played HARD.
Sarah
4-2-2015, 1:53 pm
Indeed they did.
There's a big hole now where the heart of this team should be.
It's a real shame.
Michelle
4-2-2015, 10:04 am
I don't exactly understand here.. Everyone shoots this team
Down ever chance they get.. Then it's "if they don't win a Stanley cup or make it to the conference final fire everyone again!!" I get this team has some Unparallel talent but ??? The metro isn't made of chumps anymore there are three legit contenders we are gonna have to beat to make it far. I don't think the way this team has played terribly at times is on Johnston. When the team just doesn't put forth an effort.. That's the issue. Yes a coach should get the best out of his players but as a coach you shouldn't have to kick and scream to get a response from your players that are grown men and getting paid a pretty penny to play a sport they love
Great coaches don't coach bad teams. They take what they have and make them great, it's a gift from God truly. The attitude of a team mimics the attitude of it's coach, it's infectious. Currently we have a coach who doesn't think anything is wrong, doesn't seem concerned at the current state and most importantly seems satisfied to throw his hands up and say "this is all we can do". Is that not the exact same thng we are seeing on the ice, night after night?
Michelle
4-2-2015, 10:16 am
Saying that bout the cap situation is a bit different than saying it about the game itself.. And do you really think he's gonna talk candidly about how shitty they have looked? He doesn't strike me as someone that would do that. I think he just wants to answers the questions and deal with it out of the public eye. I get that vibe from him at pressers and maybe he shouldn't do that but I don't really think he cares what the public think
tfftroy
4-2-2015, 12:30 pm
Actually the coach's words have been far more pointed and honest that DB's ever were. I believe he has called a spade a spade more this season than anything like "We just didn't get to our game...". Gag me Pens' fans. How quickly you forget. I don't think MJ has been perfect, but given the way this team has been decimated half of the season, he hasn't been that bad.
And as for Rutherford, he did the best he could to build a Cup contender with the cap space he had and was not a prophet who could predict that Malkin, Letang, and Erhoff would all be out at the same time, never mind the rest of the injuries this team has experienced. Yeah, I know the guys need to rise to the occasion. But the team was built WITH and AROUND these guys.
What would we expect from the Blackhawks if Kane, Toews, Sharp, and Seabrook were all out consistently? Would we expect any chemistry and consistency by the end of the seadon? I know I wouldn't...
But DK, I do agree that management needs to at least TRY to salvage any momentum heading into the post season...
unipress_548284724f350
4-2-2015, 10:05 am
We supposedly have a "cap genius" for an assistant GM and they end up in this situation? Embarrassing. This team has no bright spots headed into the playoffs.
I love the idea of trading Beau Bennett for a draft pick and freeing up a roster spot. The guy has been incredibly disappointing and he really doesn't show any signs of progress. He cant PK. Is not a good option on the PP. I don't think it is too harsh to say he is a 1st round bust. He has been in the Pens system for 4 years, still has yet to add any noticeable muscle strength, or show signs of NHL skill and speed. He reminds me of Eric Tangradi in that everyone in PA thought he had Top 6 potential, would develop into something, never did, and is now out of the league.
Blow out both your knees and see how strong you are in the same season.
Look, I'm not impressed w BB either.
But he's a skill guy, really the ONLY skill option they have at the moment for Top6 outside of Perron/Horny.
Theyre mis-using him as a bottom 6 grinder and he gets criticized for not being able to produce at 7-8 minutes a night with Adams and Lap.
I'm not sayng he'd light the world on fire, but I have little doubt he could do better than Kunitz if placed w Malkin. he got 3-4 games w Geno in Feb, and looked better than Kunitz has anyway.
But it's abundantly clear that they have no plans for the kid and are not about to let him play through mistakes and, you know, develop.
fletchpsu
4-2-2015, 1:45 pm
Good point Sarah about Kuni and BB. Maybe BB's talent comes through playing with a more skilled line. God knows Kuni is struggling and maybe more of a checking role for him would work.
Sarah
4-2-2015, 1:52 pm
I think Kunitz looked better on 3rd line last night than he has for awhile.
tabletop390
4-2-2015, 10:12 am
I have to say this whole debacle is JR and crew's fault, but I wonder if it's not really inexperience but due to getting used to being a GM a certain way. Carolina doesn't have the ownership (or fan base for that matter). There have been plenty of times people down there have questioned if Carolina was even close to the cap. Now in Pittsburgh they're allowed to spend freely to the cap and they overspent, like a college kid getting a big check and nobody to tell them no. Add to the fact the Pens organization has totally dropped the ball with how they handle injuries and other health problems and Mike Johnson's inexperience at the NHL level, JR's need to constantly tinker with the players, here we are. I'm realistic, the coach and management lost the team. We keep seeing flashes here and there and getting excited, but we needed consistency last week not 5 games left in the regular season.
To continue, Not to be a major downer, but it really isn't going to matter who comes back from injury or where we start a series, the Pens will be lucky to get out of the first round. IF we win the first round, it will be because 87 and 71 rose to play at an epic level and lines 3 and 4 go on a scoring spree. To play the Caps in round 2 if it shapes up that way, will destroy the Pens and lose the series.
robfgard
4-2-2015, 10:14 am
If only this team hadn't been one Ben Lovejoy away from cup contention we might have a little cap room left. Lovejoy's salary cap hit is 1.1 mil per and Depres' is 900K. If they don't make that trade, they could have called up players as others were injured.
Please don't get me started.
I was hoping we'd gain a bit of consistency, but I haven't even seen that from Lovejoy.
Really we got worse in the present, and for about 10 years in the future with that trade. A real shame. Glad to see Despres doing good in ANA. A goal last night, 6 pts and +3 in 14 games.
DerekR
4-2-2015, 11:01 am
With Malkin sitting out last night, the Penguins played with 17 players against Philly. After playing that one game short-handed, the Penguins should be able to recall Taylor Chorney on an emergency recall basis. Chorney is the only AHL defenseman they have that fits the recall stipulation (no more than 650K in salary).
This is ridiculous. First of all, NO ONE should care about losing to Philly. They suck and they're going to continue to suck. They're irrelevant in the playoff picture.
Waiving beau would be the dumbest thing they could do. You let another team claim one of our youngest forwards for what? Dumoulin to come up? Harrington? What about next year? We have no prospects of value at forward besides Kapanen and Sundqvist. Letting Bennett go because you want one more defensemen for some useless games before the post season is stupid and no way would a good GM do it.
Interesting point. It is better to unnecessarily let your defense wear down in a worthless game, just prior to the playoffs, then to lose a marginal fourth liner. I am 95% sure that Bennett would clear waivers. Better yet they could have traded him for a draft pick.
Sarah
4-2-2015, 11:24 am
Emergency Call up. I believe they are allowed to do that, and wonder if that is part of why they held Malkin out.
Play w <18 I believe allows a call up.
It's a strange rule tho and not certain I got it right.
No way they should waive BB. Trade him for good return, maybe. They're going to trade him anyway.
For a good return, who knows. See Despres for Lovejoy after all.
Maybe they'll bring back Fedotenko.
Dejan Kovacevic
4-2-2015, 12:23 pm
I wouldn't mix up all the players and possibilities listed above. They don't all apply.
WhatThePuck?
4-2-2015, 5:44 pm
Dylan, I don't know if you noticed, but the past 5 seasons the Flyers have averaged 4.5 goals per game in Consol, over their 13 wins. If they suck as bad as you say, why have they scored 58 goals against us in those 13 wins? Doesn't that mean that the Penguins are worse than suck? Trying to make sense of this, perhaps I'm just not getting it?
Shorty055
4-2-2015, 11:36 am
I don't know if I like the idea of sending Bennett down. Someone will claim him and we will get nothing out of it. He should have been traded at the deadline. Hindsight is 20/20. Don't the over age 35 contracts save you minimal money if they are sent down? If so who would get sent down to save space and risk being claimed? I'm not sure how much they would save but what about sending Scuds down? If he gets claimed then his salary is off the books. I know he's a d men but you could possibly bring up 2 guys to replace him. I know they won't have his experience but it's an option and may solve future cap issues going forward. Just a thought.
The craziest part (short of just flat out lying), is this head in the sand approach by the entire organization. I mean COME ON. When laymen fans & reporters can see this, why can't they? Uggg. Get a clue Penguins, or as DK put it rather obvious -- book the tee times.
I will go against the popular wisdom and say it's because they suck, not because the are exhausted. Pro athletes, prime of their lives, makin' bucks ... hell i'm exhausted watching them suck and I'm 51 with a beer belly.
TJ Kukla
4-2-2015, 12:27 pm
It's mind boggling that they won't change, they are the most stubborn staff and organization, picture of insanity
Best if that shaman is a good top 6 winger that keeps their head, gets up when knocked down, stands up for teammates without taking stupid penalties, parks himself in front of the net, has good hands and raises thier game aginst division opponents.
That's the kind of shaman they need. ;)
Jim Bergreen
4-2-2015, 1:25 pm
This was the first game I've watched in 3 weeks. I am so disappointed and disheartened by this team and really thought last night might add some playoff excitement to my hockey life. Just the opposite. I'm further disheartened by the play and by management.
I can't dump on the pens for losing a meaningless game where their main priority should have been keeping the d-men fresh and don't get involved with any shenanigans. I would expect more of the same over the weekend. D-men looking tired/lazy. Forwards avoiding contact. And please!!! Keep Sidney Crosby away from Dubinski and Rinaldo.
Yes, GMJR and the cap "specialist" Botterril really messed this up. Something needs to be done.
To imply the 5 D were gassed when things fell apart mid way thru the game is just making more excuses for them. These are young (mostly) elite athletes at the peak of physical fitness. All they do is eat, sleep, play hockey and make little hockey players. If they were gassed that quickly after 2 days off, perhaps they all have iron deficiency issues.
Too bad rest and proper iron levels can't fix physical ability, desire to win and heart.
On a side note, I'd imagine there will be plenty of playoff tickets available at face value this year...for those brave enough to attend.
BK
4-2-2015, 1:55 pm
Boy, when I hear grumbling about certain players from the media when it comes to the Penguins, that usually means they're dropping little hints to the fans that a certain player will be gone soon. It's a pattern I've noticed with this team, especially with Despres. Well either that, or if they get negative fan reaction, the team drops vague hints about "character issues."
I'm willing to bet real money that Bennett being scratched for 4 games means that a trade was in the works but it fell through.
He was played with Malkin in Feb to showcase him to trade per what I have read.
Malkin got hurt.
The trade fell through.
BB was benched and relegated to small minutes Bottom 6.
He will be moved this summer, bank on it, if only because of all the hints we've been getting.
It's a shame because I'd like to see him get a real chance at least through the remainder of his time here. Couldn't hurt. Kunitz has been awful with Malkin but is held to a much different standard of accountability.
SOS with this team unfortunately.
Dejan Kovacevic
4-2-2015, 4:20 pm
If you're going to make points like this and NOT exclude me, BK, I'm going to take it personally. And professionally. It's about as low an insult as you can levy.
BK
4-3-2015, 3:13 pm
I was talking about how the team does its best to "control the message" as you pointed out last year.
Not saying that you do it deliberately or have your own agenda. If the team tells you something and you report what facts (according to them) they give you, I don't see how any of it is your fault. It's your job.
Whatever criticism I had with my post had everything to do with how the Penguins run their organization and nothing to do with how you go about your work.
I disagree with some of your opinions, but that's natural. The only thing I didn't like was the Despres statue stuff, even though it gave me a chuckle. I find that all of you guys (and yes, I'm lumping you in there with the rest if them) deliberately ignored our real gripe about the trade.
We weren't JUST upset about the individual player being moved. A 23 year old with all the tools and tons of upside was moved for a 31 year old whose ceiling has always been a bottom pairing defenseman. Judging by his play with the Pens, he's hardly even been that.
Point being, our argument was that the move was a microcosm of this team's biggest flaw in years: the inability and impatience to develop promising young players on cost controlled contracts.
The media response was clever photo shopping and telling us that Despres isn't Bobby Orr.
loconnor348
4-2-2015, 2:10 pm
Thanks for burning off the management fog on this issue, Dejan. Couldn't agree more on fringe players Bennett and Adams ... But where is Fringe Festival star Chris Kunitz in this analysis ?? I'd rather see Bennett in top six forward spot than the suddenly skill-challenged Kuny. Anyone with me on waiving Chris K?
If you're going to make points like this and NOT exclude me, I'm going to take it personally. And professionally. It's about as low an insult as you can levy.
Sarah
4-3-2015, 4:29 pm
Not sure if this is addressed to me, but no insult intended. Introspection, maybe.
With respect, you're naive to think that your Despres story, or recent Tweets emphasizing supposed weakness in BB's game have a) no effect on your follower's opinion or b) do not precisely serve the needs of the Pen's front office - who in the case of BB most obviously are planning to release him, and in the case of Despres, benefitted from post-facto revelation of (unspecified) off-ice problems.
Just as the articles described, media serving PR needs. Regardless of intent.
Anyway at worst your stories/tweets seemed calculated to serve, and at best they're unkind. Either way, as a reader, I'm disappointed.
bencschmitt
4-2-2015, 2:46 pm
I don't even believe this club is going to make the postseason. Lose both games this weekend (Philly is for certain) and they are in serious trouble.
The Pens play good for the first 7 minutes of the game and Crosby scored a goal.. After that, the Flyers took over and the rest if history.. Dejan is right on! The Pens need to put Adams and Bennett on waivers and try to get a draft choice since neither is helping this team.. The Pens lacked the energy to win the game after that 7 minutes getting beaten to every to every time! I was totally impressed my the Flyers ability to dominate the Pens in every facet of the game!
1/ Put Ehrhoff on long term injured reserve.
If it is really true that he has to sit out 10 "regular season" games and there are only 9 left, so that would take him out of playoffs, losing 3 games in 1st Round will take Pens out of playoffs much faster.
2/ Play the players who will go 60 minutes, even if there are only 9 of them!!
3/ Bring back Dan Bysma! His teams worked hard and were threats to deep in Playoffs every year.
4/ This team has oodles of talent. They suffer from "Grinch disease": their heart is too small.
I am a season ticket holder. I spent roughly $775 dollars for 4 club seats, $250 for dinner at the Lexus club and $27 for parking. I want a refund. What a waste of my family's time. This is a work night for most people and a real hassle to go to such a late game. The effort the team put out was embarrassing. The fans deserve better. I wish I had not bought the playoff package. Unless something drastic changes, I will not be a season ticket holder next year.
Hard to see this group as anything other than a first round exit. Still the playoffs are different for all teams maybe they can get through the first round.
I am a season ticket holder. I spent roughly $775 dollars for 4 club seats, $250 for dinner at the Lexus club and $27 for parking. I want a refund. What a waste of my family's time. This is a work night for most people and a real hassle to go to such a late game. The effort the team put out was embarrassing. The fans deserve better. I wish I had not bought the playoff package. Unless something drastic changes, I will not be a season ticket holder next year.
April 2, 2015
Column: Penguins tiring out the D … why exactly?
by Dejan Kovacevic • Columns • Penguins
The Flyers’ Chris VandeVelde checks Patric Hornqvist closely at Steve Mason’s crease Wednesday. — GETTY
BY DEJAN KOVACEVIC
No doubt, there was a whole lot to hate about the Penguins’ flat-lined 4-1 loss to the are-they-really-rivals-if-they-always-win Flyers last night at Consol Energy Center. The forwards were soft and lazy. The defensemen were soft and loose. Marc-Andre Fleury gave up a soft rebound and lost his focus against this particular opponent for seemingly the umpteenth time.
And did I mention they were bad?
That’s OK. The captain, on the occasion of his 300th NHL goal, took care of that through an expression that was anything but celebratory.
“We were bad,” Sidney Crosby was saying at his stall. “We didn’t give ourselves a chance, to be honest with you. I don’t think they did anything different than what we expected. We were bad from start to finish.”
Wonderful. So let us all, in the spirit of Philadelphia, hold all those truths to be self-evident.
Oh, and these truths, as well …
I’ll spare you the math: That’s 13-2-1.
Before long, the Flyers will be seeking a cut of all concerts, circuses and monster truck shows in the newly renamed Bobby Clarke Comcast Commonwealth Domination Center.
But that doesn’t matter much, at least not now, if only because these Flyers don’t matter to anyone anywhere, much less to the local franchise.
What matters is this: The Penguins are currently engaged in something sensationally stupid.
This was their second full game without Kris Letang and Christian Ehrhoff, both out with concussions, and thus, it was their second full game of attempting to compete at an NHL level with only five defensemen. And the reasons cited by management are, one, the salary cap is maxed out and, two, any player on the current roster could be lost on waivers if demoted to Wilkes-Barre. They claim their hands are tied.
Mike Johnston was adamant that playing with five defensemen “was not the problem tonight,” instead faulting the forwards for lackadaisical backchecking and lack of possession. With all due respect, that’s not the game I watched. I mean, the forwards were awful. But so were the defensemen. And I dare say Johnston essentially conceded that fatigue was a factor in the latter by saying, “I thought our defense had good gaps in the first half or so and not as much after that.”
Wonder why.
I asked Johnston if he was worried that over-extending his defensemen now could cause a longer-term strain on this group with playoff less than a couple weeks out …
“That’s the only option we have.”
Really?
Look, I could rip through every chapter and clause of the Collective Bargaining Agreement.
Or I could condense all that lawyer-speak to two layman’s words: Do something.
Exhaust everything imaginable related to Craig Adams, Beau Bennett, anyone on the roster fringe. And yes, I know it’s complicated this time of year, particularly that only Derrick Pouliot can be demoted to Wilkes-Barre at the moment. But I know that anyone can be waived at any time. No harm can come from seeing if some team stakes a claim to an unwanted player. I also know that a trade can be made after the deadline, with the stipulation that the players can’t participate in the postseason. It’s uncommon, but that wouldn’t preclude, say, moving Bennett to an out-of-the-playoffs team building for the future and securing a draft pick in return. Bennett doesn’t appear to have any future here, so move him now when it can serve a secondary purpose. I also know that, because the Penguins played a man short last night with Evgeni Malkin’s surprising scratch for an undisclosed minor injury, they’re eligible for an emergency recall in the next game, though finances almost surely will limit that to being minimum-wage journeyman Taylor Chorney.
I’d actually like to see more than one defenseman recalled right now, preferably Scott Harrington and Brian Dumoulin, the ones you’d use in the playoffs. They’d be far better served in Pittsburgh right now revving up through real NHL action.
It’s ridiculous, really, that the situation reached this point.
Get inventive. Management dug this hole. Management needs to dig out. That means now, before the upcoming bruising back-to-back weekend run through Columbus and Philadelphia.
Not because those games mean anything. They don’t. But rather, it’s because if Jim Rutherford, Johnston and their lieutenants think they can enter the Stanley Cup playoffs with two concussed defensemen and five others with their tongues dragging and last any longer than, oh, three games, they’re in for an awesomely rude awakening.
Only five games remain before playoffs, and already, Johnston’s stated plan to rest key players has been scrapped. We’re now seeing Paul Martin a half-hour a night. Ben Lovejoy logged 27 minutes in this one, Rob Scuderi 26, Ian Cole 24, Pouliot 21. Break down last night’s breakdowns all you want, but chances are excellent a tired defenseman will pop into any given frame.
Even with one emergency guy on the way, none will get a break.
To their credit, not one of them is coming close to complaining …
Machismo won’t trump reality, though. The Penguins’ most likely first-round foes are the Islanders and Capitals. New York is the league’s fastest team up front. John Tavares and Michael Grabner will skate circles around the Penguins’ defense. Washington is one of the league’s largest up front. Alexander Ovechkin is hardly the only threat. Big bodies will pummel Fleury all series long.
Heck, all that might happen anyway.
This won’t affect as much up front. I was told by a team executive last night that the default mode on Kasperi Kapanen will be to not use him in playoffs. It hasn’t been ruled out, but it would take an extraordinary situation. The Penguins are concerned in the immediate term about his slight size, his inexperience and, above all, that a setback now could stunt his development. That tells me that, in addition to being protective of Kapanen, they’re confident they’ve got other answers at forward once the regular season ends and the cap no longer applies.
But the back line needs help right now. And not just attaboys and Band-Aids.
Either get serious about preparing for these playoffs, or prepare to join the Flyers on the links.