Pens Are In Trouble

Donnie Brasco · **Joined:** Wed Jul 09, 2014 1:55 pm **Posts:** 4161

My brief thoughts:

For whatever reason the identity is changing where we send out/down guys like Archi, Sprong, Simon and play Kuhn, Reaves Rowney on their OWN LINE

I get not being stale and having different skill sets on your team but it seems like we're going the wrong way.

Rust/Hags/Sheary/etc didn't save the team 2 years ago by THEMSELVES. It was the collective footspeed they brought to the table that made the whole greater than the sum of it's parts. Archi/Sprong/Simon won't save the team by themselves either, but it would be nice to have those guys sprinkled in the lineup together

And the Defense...same situation
The human pylon Scuderi is replaced by Daley

And then we import Schultz...again all speed guys who can handle the puck.

Are any of those people I mentioned in this thread natural shooters? Nope, but you don't need to necessarily have that tool when you can skate around the defenders...you'll get good looks just by opening up lanes with speed

Kuhn/Reaves/Rowney...they can't shoot, skate or handle a pass. They are not meant for this team and at MAXIMUM only 2 of them should be dressing on any given night. Hell I'd rather have McKegg on that line vs any of those guys...this team is too slow

stillenigma · **Joined:** Wed Jul 23, 2014 1:41 pm **Posts:** 468

I don't know. Crosby and Malkin are average to below average skaters at this point as the league has gotten so much faster in the last 2-3 years. Would building an Anaheim style heavy team be better? I agree we've lost our identity. I'm not as convinced going back to the same formula is going to work.

Orangesteel · **Joined:** Tue Jul 15, 2014 1:22 am **Posts:** 8134

Good stuff Donnie.

The team I’m intrigued with right now is Winnipeg. Large, good skating goal scorers that can hit. Not bad at all.

Hacksaw Jim Duggan · **Joined:** Wed Jul 09, 2014 10:43 pm **Posts:** 835

Quote:

I'm sure most of ya'll were scrambling to Google "Ryan Reaves" or "I miss Fleury's smile" after this trade was announced, or in the case of Jeemie "original thought", and you're clearly experts now, but this guy is Tanner Glass 2.0. He's a step back from what made this team special. I witnessed the fall of a potential dynasty after the back-to-back cup appearances against Detroit. Yes, this is a small deal in theory, but it could prove quite large in nature. I'm going to reserve ultimate judgement and see what Rutherford does. I hope to god he has a plan. It's a change in philosophy from everything that made Pittsburgh successful these two seasons. It blows dick like retard steel.

Quote:

For years, Shero would put in retreads, never-was players, usually on premium contracts into the bottom 6, thinking they'd make a difference. It wasn't until the youth movement in 15-16 that Pittsburgh finally realized it could win with rookie deal players who worked well together and were strong in 1-2 specific areas. Reaves was the start of a move back to Shero level of thinking. Sheahan was another addition to that. It's a vicious cycle. You need AHL guys who want to win to come up. You don't trust those AHL guys. Draft picks get traded for these crappy vets. They block the AHL guys and prevent more from being drafted. If disaster strikes, you have to lean on your late round/undrafted scrubs like Carter Rowney instead of hot prospect Y, who was the result of the high-round draft position you traded for a player like Ryan Reaves. Nothing good happens. The end.

From the Ryan Reaves thread. I'll continue to use these gems to showcase my superior knowledge.

Never has one person been so right....when others thought they knew what they were talking about. It took everyone about five months to finally realize team structure was in issue. Maybe you'll listen to the real super genius next time? :lol:

Simon and Sprong are a start in the right direction.

Pens Are In Trouble

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