Are the penguins a favorite to win the Stanley cup now?

[thedddd]

So I guess tonight is the preview of another Eastern Conference final.......

I am just kidding, it is way too early to call any team a favorite outside last years champions who haven't regressed at all and probably got better talent wise.

 

[mattola]

So I guess tonight is the preview of another Eastern Conference final.......

I am just kidding, it is way too early to call any team a favorite outside last years champions who haven't regressed at all and probably got better talent wise.

i dont think this is an unreasonable claim

 

[DaBoltsNIsles]

No, he just got a new contract, Pens like him, he does a good job of getting us thru injuries, he will be coaching Team USA in the Olympics, he's gotten the team into the playoffs every year he's coached, and he's won the Cup just as many times as Jack Capuano has gotten the Islanders into the playoffs.

Comparing the Penguins roster with the Isles is like comparing apples to oranges though. The Penguins on paper have the most talent in the entire league. My point is at some point if the team continues to fail in the playoffs somebody has to be held accountable for it. The players, the coach or the GM. The GM inherited a wonderful situation & has done a good job of not just keeping it together, but building upon it. The coach is in a can't win situation unless his team wins the cup. Lets face it the Penguins are going to be expected to win the cup every year Sid & Malkin are on the team. The last couple of seasons Fleury has been the problem. Shero got Vokoun to help & he did a good job last year. Shero can't be blamed. Maybe they need a different #1 goalie, but at the same time Bylsma deserves criticism every year they fail in the postseason.

 

[dash]

Comparing the Penguins roster with the Isles is like comparing apples to oranges though. The Penguins on paper have the most talent in the entire league.

But...but Kevin Lowe said half the teams in the league would change rosters with the Oilers.

 

[DaBoltsNIsles]

But...but Kevin Lowe said half the teams in the league would change rosters with the Oilers.

I wouldn't trade the Islanders roster for what Lowe has put together in Edmonton and I think that says alot.

 

[DoobeeDoobeeDoo]

Comparing the Penguins roster with the Isles is like comparing apples to oranges though. The Penguins on paper have the most talent in the entire league. My point is at some point if the team continues to fail in the playoffs somebody has to be held accountable for it. The players, the coach or the GM. The GM inherited a wonderful situation & has done a good job of not just keeping it together, but building upon it. The coach is in a can't win situation unless his team wins the cup. Lets face it the Penguins are going to be expected to win the cup every year Sid & Malkin are on the team. The last couple of seasons Fleury has been the problem. Shero got Vokoun to help & he did a good job last year. Shero can't be blamed. Maybe they need a different #1 goalie, but at the same time Bylsma deserves criticism every year they fail in the postseason.

I'll admit I shouldn't have used Jack Capuano as an example. Apparently he's on the hot seat and Peter Laviolette might be replacing him. At the same time, let's not act like the Islanders don't compare. They're missing dmen but so are we (especially now that Scuderi & Orpik are out), Letang usually misses lots of games, so does Sid. Who was praising Kunitz & Dupuis before Disco came around. MAF can be good but also inconsistent (Vokoun is injured so no need to bring him up). Lastly, although we're stacked on the top 2 lines, our back 2 lines usually consists heavily on call ups so acting like it's the best roster in the NHL is at best half true. You only have a 3.33% chance to win the Cup in any given year. Acting like a coach is a failure for not winning the Cup would be like saying at least 96.67% of the coaches are failures.

 

[pixburgher66]

...I'm not a fan of Blysma. That said, I'm not sure too many other guys would have led the team better. I just tend to think that group needs an x's and o's guy, and I don't think that's Blysma. I mean, did you SEE the Bruins series? And the Iggy debacle?

 

[IPostedWhat]

...I'm not a fan of Blysma. That said, I'm not sure too many other guys would have led the team better. I just tend to think that group needs an x's and o's guy, and I don't think that's Blysma. I mean, did you SEE the Bruins series? And the Iggy debacle?

IGGY!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[Darkstone42]

We need to stop losing defensemen and start getting some back if we intend to contend.

 

[Cobiemonster]

...I'm not a fan of Blysma. That said, I'm not sure too many other guys would have led the team better. I just tend to think that group needs an x's and o's guy, and I don't think that's Blysma. I mean, did you SEE the Bruins series? And the Iggy debacle?

Maybe they need better assistant coaches? I mean I'm sure they could keep Dan Bylsma as the coach as long as they could get a really good x's and o's guy to be his assistant

 

[pixburgher66]

Maybe they need better assistant coaches? I mean I'm sure they could keep Dan Bylsma as the coach as long as they could get a really good x's and o's guy to be his assistant

Adding Jacques Lemaire was a GREAT move this offseason. Honestly I've seen the difference in their play. They haven't had nearly as many high scoring games against. I'm not sure about Reirdon and Granato. Granato does the PK and Reirdon the PP, and both of those are hitting on all cylinders at the moment...adding Lemaire to ramp up the defensive scheme was a big move. You're right in that it's a team effort from the coaching staff...I just have had issue with some of the lineup moves he's made in the past, and his lack of adjustments. He does well in season because the opponent is ever changing, but in a postseason series, when you face the same team consecutively, his teams have struggled.

 

[KennyBanyeah]

[YOUTUBE]AM-7Ts-3wmY[/YOUTUBE]

 

[DaBoltsNIsles]

I'll admit I shouldn't have used Jack Capuano as an example. Apparently he's on the hot seat and Peter Laviolette might be replacing him. At the same time, let's not act like the Islanders don't compare. They're missing dmen but so are we (especially now that Scuderi & Orpik are out), Letang usually misses lots of games, so does Sid. Who was praising Kunitz & Dupuis before Disco came around. MAF can be good but also inconsistent (Vokoun is injured so no need to bring him up). Lastly, although we're stacked on the top 2 lines, our back 2 lines usually consists heavily on call ups so acting like it's the best roster in the NHL is at best half true. You only have a 3.33% chance to win the Cup in any given year. Acting like a coach is a failure for not winning the Cup would be like saying at least 96.67% of the coaches are failures.

If all Bylsma is able to get out of the teams he's coached in Pittsburgh is 1 Stanley Cup I would consider his tenure in Pittsburgh a failure.

 

[DieHardForever397]

Well Geno last night had a pretty bad collision in Detroit so let's say if Geno is our for a long period of time, it won't really hurt the penguins. I know that may sound like a bold statement but the pens have proved they can win without their star talent when one superstar goes down injured, it doesn't seem to matter...the pens still get it done and win. Remember when Crosby was out all that time one year and malkin played and stepped up his game, and Geno was the leader of the team in SIDS absence since he was hurt. All I'm saying is the pens are the same dominant team when a star player goes down, if Geno is out for awhile how far you think the pens will go this season? Pens have not had a cold streak yet this season..I think it's safe to say that they won't collapse..not even a little bit. They're in a zone now. I see a 17 game winning streak again like last year starting now.

 

[pixburgher66]

I'm not sure they've ever been more banged up than they are right now. Zero depth. They're getting great goaltending and the PP is hot, otherwise, I don't think it'd be pretty. We'll see, but I don't see any 17 game streaks, and I'm far from confident about the postseason this far out.

 

[dare2be]

Obvious troll is obvious.

 

[Darkstone42]

We're running rather low on defensemen these days...

 

[KennyBanyeah]

Obvious troll is obvious.

What are you talking about???

I heard that the Hawks lost Toews and Seabrook to injury which will obviously lead to a 24 game unbeaten streak.

 

[DieHardForever397]

Obvious troll is obvious.

Yeah what are u talking about? I just said simply that with malkin put can the pens still be a legit cup contender, and like I said they have been proving that to the rest of the league so far...without their stars including Paul Martin, Rob scuderi, brooks orpik, letang. U don't think it's a little awkward that their still cruising as a team? How did we beat Detroit 4-1 without geno rest of the game? Wings barely used to lose at home.

 

[Gooch1034]

Yeah what are u talking about? I just said simply that with malkin put can the pens still be a legit cup contender, and like I said they have been proving that to the rest of the league so far...without their stars including Paul Martin, Rob scuderi, brooks orpik, letang. U don't think it's a little awkward that their still cruising as a team? How did we beat Detroit 4-1 without geno rest of the game? Wings barely used to lose at home.

If Malkin is out for a long period of time, lets see how they do without him and all of the defensive players that are injured at the same time. The offense will surely need to pick it up to but its going to take its toll in one way or another. That's a ton of injuries for any team to battle through.