nossagog

I was never on the trade Briere train, but at this point, I'm ready to see what he might be worth at the trade deadline. Bottom line is this team should be a seller at the deadline and I agree with your list except for Hartnell. I don't want to see Briere go because of a lack of effort or heart. I just think the guy has lost a step and while he is a clutch playoff performer, what good is that if you don't make the playoffs? I have to think his past playoff performances will yield some value to a team looking to make a run. And Kimmo should yield similar value to a team looking for a good vet d man to make a run.

. . .

WIth the whole cap reduction coming, I don't think that your going to be able to find any willing to pick him up, period. $6.5M/year for Briere for another two seasons? That was questionable when the deal was first made, now its unthinkable. I think buyout is what is going to happen with Briere.

Thanks. You do remember last playoffs, right? Or the first period of the same game you're telling us how to play in? LOL

I think it's funny Pen fans are telling us Bryz is good. Of course you want us to keep him. What opponent wouldn't?

Oh I remember, hence my comment about our own defense. When you see your own teams shortcomings so often, its easy to see the same things in other teams.

But I don't think you'll ever catch me saying Bryz is good, or worth that money. I'm just happy that he has a contract with the Flyers for the next 6 years.

Looks like the Beau experiment is a success. He looks very sutible for the NHL with a goal and three helpers in his first nine games. More importantly, he looks comfortable and confident on the ice. I know its hard to think about breaking up the Kunitz-Crosby-Dupuis line with their success this year, but I would love to see him with Sid and Koon. Malkin doesn't have the vision of Sid, and Beau has the willingness to go to those dirty areas, he should get rewarded.

Its not JUST the defense though, playing defensively is a 6 player effort, to simply blame the defense(although the misplay by Timo in the Pens game doesn't help my case) or the goalie does not make sense.

You have forwards floating in the neutral zone when they should be helping out in the defensive end.

Dupuis is wide open if front of net for goal because the Pens outnumbered the Flyers defense around the goal, where was the help.

Kennedy sitting there with his stick cocked at the top of the circle ungaurded with a clear shooting lane because three Flyers are chasing Matt Cooke, MATT COOKE!

Look, us Pens fans know about weak defense(and bad goaltending), we lived it for years(and I don't think that you could say that our current defense is that great defensively). But the forwards have to be willing to sacrifice their stats and bodies to help out. If we could only get Malkin to buy into that, I'd be pumped.

Don't normally like Madden, but that's good stuff.

@nossagog

It's a rare occasion that Bryz looks great. He usually looks like it's his first time on skates. Trade? Done. You want THAT contract?

Well the good news is we don't have that Bryz contract until 2020. But the bad news is that someone in the pens org loves Fleury and he will probably get extended and a raise that will put him above Bryz's. I'd much rather take the Red Wings root and pay someone $2M a year and put the savings into someone else.

Wanna switch goalies....I highly doubt that. Bryzgalov IS the main problem with this team. Even if we had the Rangers defense Bryz would still not be stopping the shots he should....Your team does deserve credit for continuing to fight back for the win, I was wrong on that count, just irritated that the Flyers rolled over and said have your way with me for the last 2 periods.......

After last years playoff series would you REALLY want Fleury as your goalie. Fleury can look great at times, but on a day by day basis he's like a roller coaster.

Is there anything sweeter than beating your bitter rival, in their own barn. Been on the other end, and it doesn't feel too good. Beating the Flyers provides the added satisfaction to get me through the rest of the week. Coming back to overcome a 3 goal deficit, icing on the cake. I'll love it while I can, before the worm turns.

@B21

I wonder when Malkin may want to be the undisputed #1 on a team. You'd think players of that calibre would want to be The Man, wouldn't you?

With that comes the spotlight that he doesn't want that having Crosby around shields him from. Malkin is not the guy to do all the interviews, before games, during games after games. I think from that standpoint, he's happy where he is, almost all that type of focus is in Crosby and not him. He can concentrate on being the man on the ice, and he gets all the ice time he needs, and seems to play with the better wingers anyway.

First thing that I noticed in the article, it was written by Rob "I can make up things so I'm important" Rossi.

Crosby is playing like the old Crosby again at long last. So much for the haters earlier in the season when he had a slow start saying his career is over. Not only the points, but he's back on in the faceoff circle. I was a little disappointed that Neal was change off of his line last night, the only line that looked good the previous two games was Neal-Crosby-Kunitz, but Dupers played pretty good too.

Really good to see Sutter step up to the second line and produce with Malkin out of the linep. He set up some good chanced also. At 24, he's also going to just improve with age, and he's shown that he can be a number two center. He was like 60+ percent in the faceoff circle also last night.

Letang has been a conundrum, he just doesn't seem to be quite there on the power play, but is producing 5v5. I'd love to see someone like Paul Coffey come in and work with the PP unit, and Letang in particular.That's where he need to improve.

Good to see Eaton in the lineup last night. In a game where the Pens defense played pretty badly, Eaton actually looked pretty darn solid last night, and had almost 20 minutes of ice time. The time on the ice surprised me.

Felt bad for both Vokoun and Price last night, both acted like a deer in the headlights last night. Since its a stats thread, Vokoun is up to a 3.6 GAA and down to .883 SV Pct now, not very good for your backup, those kinds of stats are why Johnson is not here this year. Partly it is the close in rebounds he's giving up, but a big thing also is where in the world is the defense to clear these. The three game road trip, most of the goals scored against were within 8 feet of the net. Gotta start protecting close in better, and planting some people on their butts that are camping in front of the goal.

Its just laziness by the defense tonight, lazy getting to the puck, lazy fighting for it, lazy clears. Worst game I've seen Bortozzo play so far, part of the last goal was him not protecting or clearing the puck from behind the net. Absolutely no grit being shown by the defense tonight.

@nossagog

Glad to see you're as thick-skinned as our other Pens posters (you have to on a generally biased Flyer board)

Welcome to the club!

No Problem, Flyers Suck I've learned Flyers Suck over the years Flyers Suck how cope with Flyers Suck other peoples Flyers Suck teams that are Flyers Suck different than mine Flyers Suck . I would never Flyers Suck think of provoking Flyers Suck any other fan base Flyers Suck with senseless and childish Flyers Suck nonsense.

Security Audit: No Subliminal messages were found in the above message.

@Digityman Sounds like it was alot closer for him than people thought. But I agree, he would have been stimied playing as the third line center for the next 10 years and would have made for an unhappy player.

@flyercanuck Not a chance on Staal getting that, Our Uncle Gary(he likes us Pens fans to call him that) implemented a little talked about clause(talked about only by anti Pens fans) that allows him to personally call done to the on-ice officials during the game to call penalties so as not to allow anyone to embarass "Gary's Kid's". If Staal gets two goals I'm sure that he'll do the right thing and give him a game misconduct for "Abuse of Penguins".

First game with Jordan Staal in the opposing lineup. Pretty interesting article about how close it was with Jordan resiging with the Pens last summer.

http://triblive.com/...s#axzz2M7iNoS9u

Hope the Pens can stay out of the box tonight, I hate parades.

Good news on the Malkin front, skated for half an hour of conditioning yesterday without any symptoms. We'll see if he skates again today, if so he could be back when the Pens come home.

Wow, another game of a constant parade of players to the box. Poor Vokoun, he must be wondering if there is anyone in the organization that has an NHL rulebook that the boys can share to see what NOT to do.

From the start, TK finishes a check on an icing call, really? You mean with all that noise from the crowd(sarcasm intended) he could not hear the linesman yelling ICE ICE ICE! Was even clear on the TV broadcast.

All they had to do is play the game 5 v 5. Bylsma needs to start instuting fines if you have a restraining foul, The number of times we're putting ourselves open for hooking/holding fouls is amazing, which just puts the odd trip and high stick in play also. Keep the stick on the ice and don't play the lazy game.

Sigh. On a side note, I like the way that the Kunitz-Crosby-Neal line is playing. If Sid had Neal as a wing for the complete season, Neal's even strength goals would go way up.

Since there's only 3 of you talking to each other I'll chime in. It was a good game in all. The pens played a much more physical game. Two things i noticed. When conicker dumped the puck in and tried to go around letang he was majorly impeded. It was obvious a penalty. Also, when it was 3-2 and the bolts were buzzing guess what happened? A nice little 5 on 3 for your pens. They score and its the game winner. Do they lead the league in 5 on 3's or what? Thats 3 of them in 2 games that I've seen. I smell bs...

Point 1: Always remember, when watching a hockey game, whatever team you are rooting for, the ref's are against them.

Point 2: Yep, Letang had several occasions where he finished a check on a player late after the got rid of the puck to go around him. Oh well. I would love to see it called more, look at how Tampa lined up its PK along the blue line to prevent anyone entering, bumping most everyone. Players play the game to the ref, ON BOTH TEAMS, if they are not going to call it, then they will push the limits.

Point 3: That gifted 5-3, good first call on Despres for hooking, weak call on Adams for boarding. Oh, wait, you weren't talking about the Tampa 5-3 gifted PP to get them back in the game, you were talking about the Pens 5-3 PP. Oh. So Sorry . . . See point 1

Interesting that you thought that the Pens played a physical game though, maybe in the first, but I thought that Tampa brought the hard forecheck in the 2nd and 3rd and was just as physical.

@Polaris922

I think that a few games against teams like the Bruins, Habs Flyers and such who are going to be the tale of the tape. If they can handle the constant pressure from the forecheck an make the right decisions, sure they're ready. But I still think that if one of them is going to constantly sit in the press box, they'd be better off playing in the AHL.

I don't mind him as that, just don't want our young guys sitting or moving down over him.

But there's the rub, if everyone is healthy, either Despres or Bortozzo will be sitting in the press box. Better to get one of them regular minutes in the AHL rather than sitting in the NHL. Both do not have to clear waivers, so there is no risk of losing them. Use Eaton as the 7th defenseman that can sit in the box unless at all costs is needed. Make sure that the young guys are playing games, at either level, to gain the necessary experience.

To be honest, although I love the way that Despres plays, I think that another year in the AHL would be better for him. He tries to be too cute in his own zone, and I don't think he realizes how quick the forecheckers are in the NHL.

Bortozzo I think is more NHL ready as a solid defensive player and more physical.

It does no good having these guys sit in the press box watching the games, they need experience. If they add Eaton for depth(hey Mark, sit over there in case anyone gets hurt) so be it, but the young guys needs games at any level right not so they can improve their games.

Bring in Eaton as the 7/8 defense, let Despres get all the time he needs with the Baby Pens. That's my guess, but I've been know to be wrong.

Kind of game that worries me come playoff time. Pens started out strong, and played a great first period. Then they started to go into protect the lead mode from that point on, and made it a game. Never take the foot off the gass.

Also, Bolts were playing real hard on the forecheck and out defense kept contiually trying to skate it out through it. Just get the puck out. But their forecheck was much more effective than ours, too many wingers trying to skate through the wall at the opposing blueline instead of dumping it deep and banging away.

A win yes, but a troubling one.

Martin is finally becoming the player that we expected, at long last.

Loads of chances so far, the game plan seems to be to get the puck deep in the corners, and from there get it to the high slot for shots. Working well so far.

Like Neal on Sid's wing, Sid can feed the quick passes for Neal's one timers.

I think DB will play musical lines tonight. He'll start out keeping the Dupuis-Crosby-Kunitz line in tact, but I think he'll play around double shifting Crosby with Neal on the wing. I'd love to see Neal'r on Sid's wing alot tonight.

Fleury will probably get the start, played great last game and had a day off yesterday. I think Vokoun won't see time until the next back to back games.

Pens just need to stay disicplined tonight. They've been generating alot of chances, but not finishing them off lately. The Lig htningare playing the second of back to backs, come out with the hard forecheck, and stay out of the box. Keep Stamkos off the PP and there should be no problem.

Sid tends to have big games against the other stars of the league, without Geno in the lineup, give him some time with Neal on the wing, lets see if he can spur on The Real Deal at even strength