A Feast Fit for a King: On the Menu, Penguin

[pixburgher66]

Dupuis-Staal-Kennedy
Rupp-Talbot-Conner
Sterling-Jeffrey-Johnson
Craig-Vitale-Adams

Yeah...that's the Penguins offensive attack there. *Lights self on fire, runs around building, rolls in snow, returns to cry in corner*

But seriously, that's half and half AHL/NHL players. Sure, Conner's been up here long enough (and basically Jeffrey) to qualify as NHLers, but they started the season down in WBS

 

[Maverick426h]

Dickie V rounding out the fourth line? Wow, I guess the Penguins really are desperate for depth. This is what happens when you have $17 and a half million invested in two players. Good luck.

 

[dash]

Looks like a bunch of diaper dandies wearing the black and gold tonight...Go Penguins!

 

[pixburgher66]

Dickie V rounding out the fourth line? Wow, I guess the Penguins really are desperate for depth. This is what happens when you have $17 and a half million invested in two players. Good luck.

I mean, regardless of depth if any team has injuries to their top 2 centers, best winger, depth winger, and a few other character players, their lineup will look depleted. Just the way it is. And thanks...but I think the Pens will need an absolute gem from Fleury and the D tonight. The D needs to focus on their own issues and let the offense take care of itself (lookin' at you Tanger). One thing that may actually help: when you have THIS many AHLers on the team together, there's less pressure on them as a whole and they know how to work with each other.

 

[sabresfaninthesouth]

On the plus side, they had a good first half of the season, so they've built up a nice cushion. As it stands now they have at least an 11 point lead before they fall out of the POs, assuming teams on the outside looking in get the max from their games in hand on the Pens.

Malkin's obviously done, but if they can outlast some of the other injuries, they should be OK.

 

[loki604]

I bet my co-worker two happy hour drinks that we would lose. Not that I want them to lose, but I don't want to be too depressed tonight after this one.

Pens can definitely get the D and the goaltending to stay with this one, but it doesn't look good. The young guys need to come out fired up early, put pressure on, and get the first goal of the game.

 

[sabresfaninthesouth]

Dickie V rounding out the fourth line? Wow, I guess the Penguins really are desperate for depth. This is what happens when you have $17 and a half million invested in two players. Good luck.

I assume they've moved Malkin to IR, which should free up his cap space (right?) so that the Pens can invest at the trade deadline though.

Which teams are likely to be selling a center this year?

 

[pixburgher66]

I bet my co-worker two happy hour drinks that we would lose. Not that I want them to lose, but I don't want to be too depressed tonight after this one.

Pens can definitely get the D and the goaltending to stay with this one, but it doesn't look good. The young guys need to come out fired up early, put pressure on, and get the first goal of the game.

If I ever bet...it's against my team. I see it as a win-lose either way. But one way I will win, so I'm happy

And I agree, the first goal is key. They've been forced to play from behind lately. So far that's resulted in 2 wins and 2 losses from behind. Not shabby, but the team has no game-breaker with this roster, so they need to play boring, lock down hockey. Work hard for the first goal, play stout D, play smart, and hope for other breaks. As a fan, that's not nearly as fun to watch, but I'll take a win in any form at this point.

 

[davnlaguna]

This should be a game the Kings should win. However; they seem to have trouble beating injured teams. Maybe they go in expecting to win and don't try hard enough.

Sterling is an LA kid. Not that that means anything other than it is nice to see LA kids making it to the NHL (even as a scrub)

 

[pixburgher66]

I assume they've moved Malkin to IR, which should free up his cap space (right?) so that the Pens can invest at the trade deadline though.

Which teams are likely to be selling a center this year?

Yeah, with both Sid and Geno on LTIR right now we're making bank. I think that if Shero waits until dealine day the number is around $9million. He hasn't had that much money to work with in years now, but he's never had such a huge hole to fill either. As far as the market goes...it's not toooo bad, but it depends on if Ray goes for a center or winger. There are certainly options out there, and I don't think Shero will shy away from any contracts with a year or two left on them, because this coming off season he's gonna have to wheel and deal a ton anyway.

 

[pixburgher66]

This should be a game the Kings should win. However; they seem to have trouble beating injured teams. Maybe they go in expecting to win and don't try hard enough.

Sterling is an LA kid. Not that that means anything other than it is nice to see LA kids making it to the NHL (even as a scrub)

The Ticket! I'm pumped to watch him and Johnson in the bigs for the first time this season. Even as a grinder he's impactful to a team. Great leader at WBS.

 

[SLY]

I may be going to the WBS/Bridgeport game tomorrow. Looks like Bridgeport is gonna win :p lol

 

[pixburgher66]

I may be going to the WBS/Bridgeport game tomorrow. Looks like Bridgeport is gonna win :p lol

I almost feel guilty for stealing this much of their talent. Sure, to the NHL Pens it's a bunch of guys to fill holes as grinders or second liners, but it's basically the top 2 lines of WBS. Good thing they also built a cushion this season.

 

[sabresfaninthesouth]

Yeah, with both Sid and Geno on LTIR right now we're making bank. I think that if Shero waits until dealine day the number is around $9million. He hasn't had that much money to work with in years now, but he's never had such a huge hole to fill either. As far as the market goes...it's not toooo bad, but it depends on if Ray goes for a center or winger. There are certainly options out there, and I don't think Shero will shy away from any contracts with a year or two left on them, because this coming off season he's gonna have to wheel and deal a ton anyway.

I guess the only issue they face is that everybody knows Shero will be buying, so he's not going to get any deals this year.

Maybe take a page from the Burke playbook and off-load a couple first round draft picks

 

[loki604]

If I ever bet...it's against my team. I see it as a win-lose either way. But one way I will win, so I'm happy

And I agree, the first goal is key. They've been forced to play from behind lately. So far that's resulted in 2 wins and 2 losses from behind. Not shabby, but the team has no game-breaker with this roster, so they need to play boring, lock down hockey. Work hard for the first goal, play stout D, play smart, and hope for other breaks. As a fan, that's not nearly as fun to watch, but I'll take a win in any form at this point.

The dude I bet against is 11-1 this year at Consol, so he's always super confident. And he'll be there tonight...

 

[Ho_Brah]

Dupuis-Staal-Kennedy
Rupp-Talbot-Conner
Sterling-Jeffrey-Johnson
Craig-Vitale-Adams

Yeah...that's the Penguins offensive attack there. *Lights self on fire, runs around building, rolls in snow, returns to cry in corner*

But seriously, that's half and half AHL/NHL players. Sure, Conner's been up here long enough (and basically Jeffrey) to qualify as NHLers, but they started the season down in WBS

One advantage that these AHL call ups have is that they really don't know who they are playing against. Yeah they have seen videos, talked amongst the vets, but to them its a chance to shine in important roles in an big NHL game. I see this as a good thing for the Penguins. Watch these kids come out firing. Heck Detroit did pretty damn good with the depleted team they had not too long ago.
Like Dave said, I hope the Kings don't go in here with an "I got this" mentality. Kings need to treat each and every game like its do or die at this point.

 

[awaz]

Dupuis-Staal-Kennedy
Rupp-Talbot-Conner
Sterling-Jeffrey-Johnson
Craig-Vitale-Adams

Yeah...that's the Penguins offensive attack there. *Lights self on fire, runs around building, rolls in snow, returns to cry in corner*

But seriously, that's half and half AHL/NHL players. Sure, Conner's been up here long enough (and basically Jeffrey) to qualify as NHLers, but they started the season down in WBS

unfortunately for you, the half that's the 'NHL players' are your marginal NHL players.. you know what's really sad though? that team is probably better than the full compliment of islanders

 

[Ho_Brah]

Oh yeah, good luck to you Penguins fans. Enjoy the game.

 

[Ho_Brah]

Jack Johnson - "Yeah, but I think we see enough of the great players in the league. I think it's an opportunity for us to get two points. We're obviously playing a short handed Pittsburgh team, with them missing their two best players - two of the best players in the world. I'm not going to look at it really as a disappointment, but as an opportunity."

Dustin Brown - "I could care less really. We have to focus on our game because (when) you take those two players off their team they still have a pretty good team. So, we have to be ready to go. We have to be extra cautious of not taking them...with those two guys out of the line-up, we have to be even maybe more prepared to go up and play there. It's two huge points."

 

[davnlaguna]

Kings are putting Westgarth in.
Guess the Kings want to play short handed as well.