I'd say Shero's line of thinking is a trade needs to happen first. Then if that does nothing, Bylsma is next.
I can't imagine that Shero is too interested in getting rid of Bylsma. If they bring in another coach that doesn't win then all eyes will be on the crap team that Shero has assembled.
Almost always of a mind with you Cole, but I really think we need to exercise some patience here.
Last year's stretch run after Sid came back was frustrating.
The playoffs were frustrating.
The games so far this season have been frustrating.
But the season started under extenuating circumstances, and we are hardly the only quality team struggling out of the gate. Giving it a month to see if this is primarily a timing/rust issue is the prudent course.
The last few years have been frustrating. No division titles to get a higher seed, and no conference final appearances. I'm tired of waiting. He either does it this year or he's gone at the VERY LATEST. If they start sliding in the next couple weeks they will pull the trigger believe me.
I loved the defensive defensemen the Pens developed, did you see him out there against the opponents top lines, performing well, making plays against superstars?
Brian Strait!
(I'm actually not that upset about it, but whatever, WE HAVE BEN LOVEJOY)
I am. People ***** and complain about not having good defensive defensemen, yet when we actually have those players and are ready to play, they say they shouldn't get a shot because they have no experience.
Well they have no experience, because our management staff (GM & coach) are too afraid to give them a real chance.
Lovejoy sucks and has sucked WHEN IT MATTERED for 2+ seasons now. Why are we keeping this guy?
Games like this are a precursor to the playoffs (should we be so fortunate). You can see the team's deepest flaws.
Not sure why the powerplay continues to suck year after year. Looks at what the Islanders put on the ice tonight. Just guys playing the right roles, moving the puck because they know where their teammates are going to be. That Penguins powerplay has been brutal for years now. Never lived up to expectations. And thats on the coaching.
Goaltending once again... its our combobreaker. I think if Vokoun had started.. well we probably still lose.. but its a respectable 1-0.. instead of a laughter. Not sure what else needs to be said about Fleury. Hes been given chance after chance. He has a legion of fans who defend him with blind devotion. Does he deserve it any more? 2 of those goals tonight were just awful to watch. The Grabner goal was also a poor shot.. but mishandled by Fleury's notorious slow glove hand.
Powerplay sucks year after year because the personnel sucks year after year. Almost every other team in the league has at least a few skilled lefthanded and righthanded wingers in addition to a few playmakers and at least one or two defenseman that can reasonably quarterback a powerplay. The Penguins have Crosby and Malkin, who both play pretty much the same role in the powerplay and it just confuses things when they're both out there and Neal and that's pretty much it. Letang is terrible on the powerplay because his offensive instincts suck despite his great offensive skills, and there are no other wingers or defensemen that lack the skill or poise with the puck to make good players. Bennett, Despres and Niskanen may develop into good powerplay players, but they're not going to be solving our problems any time soon.
Didn't even read any comments; I'm calling it right now (bold prediction time):
+ Bylsma will not be coaching this team (nor his disciples) a month from now.
- Orpik and Kunitz will be traded soon after to send a message to the team. Shero is not going to fire two coaches whose players quit on them, and not "fire" some players too. Important players. This team needs a chemistry change. There is no leadership behind the bench or on it and I include Sid in that statement. The only player out there (and maybe it's actually a good thing) who seems pissed is Geno. At this point Orpik should be stripped of his A even if he's not traded.
+ Maybe if we're lucky a great winger will be the return or a great D.
This team absolutely sand-bagged that game. That was not "trying hard but no results". That was dog ****.
Geno and Neal had a few hard skating shifts each and that's it, Sid had none.
Despres was good all things considered; I noticed him right away making some good plays.
Everyone else on this team deserves to hang their heads for a week. That was the worst I've seen since Therrien's last days. ****ing atrocious.
I can't imagine that Shero is too interested in getting rid of Bylsma. If they bring in another coach that doesn't win then all eyes will be on the crap team that Shero has assembled.
I guess I'm a sheep, because I don't think the roster is that bad... which is why I'm pissed
Almost always of a mind with you Cole, but I really think we need to exercise some patience here.
Last year's stretch run after Sid came back was frustrating.
The playoffs were frustrating.
The games so far this season have been frustrating.
But the season started under extenuating circumstances, and we are hardly the only quality team struggling out of the gate. Giving it a month to see if this is primarily a timing/rust issue is the prudent course.
I trust your opinion, but I can't see how we can exercise patience? That team came out w/ no desire. I'm 90% sure a hard-fighting AHL team would have beat them tonight because there was zero passion/grit in their game. It has NOTHING to do with a roster. Look at how Isles played with half a roster.
That was January 2009 bad. That was pathetic. I'm embarrassed that it even happened. It's all on the players for a terrifyingly bad game, but a coach is to manage that. Bylsma does nothing to do it, man. It's bad.
Pretty hard to get into any kind of flow and build chemistry with your line mates when you have no clue as to who you're lining up with from one minute to the next.
This.
The first half of the 2nd looked like a beer league game where there are no lines and the next guy in line goes out there.
This teams problem is 80-85% systems and coaching and 15-20% personel.
This team has been playing the north/south, shotgunning the forwards defense to offense for so long, i don't know if they can even learn a new system fast enough to not only win hockey games but reach the playoffs with it and succeed there. And i don't know if DB can even get the effort he needs from this squad right now.
Horrible effort in front of a home crowd.
What a mess.
+ Despres - he looked much better than in the first few games
+ Jeffrey - although I swear he still doesn't look as fast as he did before he blew out his knee.
+ TK - nice effort, but it is TK.
- Most of team, but Engo looked particularly bad.
- Lineup of too many +30 year olds with little skills to fall back on. Cooke, Kunitz, Dupuis, Orpik, Martin will take longer to consistently get their legs under them. It was glaringly evident when the Isles had the PP (I won't dignify the effort as a PK).
- Fans sounding like this team is really bad. They must not have seen the teams from the late 1970s, 1983, and the pre-Sid eras.
- I don't have the LIke Asian Women ad on the bottom of my screen.
I am. People ***** and complain about not having good defensive defensemen, yet when we actually have those players and are ready to play, they say they shouldn't get a shot because they have no experience.
Well they have no experience, because our management staff (GM & coach) are too afraid to give them a real chance.
Lovejoy sucks and has sucked WHEN IT MATTERED for 2+ seasons now. Why are we keeping this guy?
let me ... elaborate. I'm upset about it, but I don't think Brian Strait is a huge difference maker. He should have been the #5/#6 with Engo tonight, and not Lovejoy, but I don't think the Pens record is any different with Strait than it is without him.
Bad asset management, bad decision making, bad everything, but he's not going to be anything more than what he is right now (i hope).
Almost always of a mind with you Cole, but I really think we need to exercise some patience here.
Last year's stretch run after Sid came back was frustrating.
The playoffs were frustrating.
The games so far this season have been frustrating.
But the season started under extenuating circumstances, and we are hardly the only quality team struggling out of the gate. Giving it a month to see if this is primarily a timing/rust issue is the prudent course.
Therrien needed fewer games than that to go from coach who'd just taken his team to the finals to out of a job.
The Pens don't have a month. Either you have patience for the year, or you make a move, because it's going to take a good dozen games to clean up this mess given the condensed schedule.
And for player discussion - Dustin Jeffrey is not an NHL player. He has an NHL mind, but zero NHL attributes. He's not strong enough to be slow. He's slow and doesn't have NHL speed. He's got a very average shot release. His hockey mind is that of a top hockey player.... but that's it.
Letestu serves more of a purpose than DJ does on any hockey team due to the mere fact Letestu has an identifiable role. I'm not saying DJ can't get there... but just not on this team. He will never be given the time or the place to do it.
- Same System, Same Role Players for 3 straight years. Stale
- Fleury's 1st and 4th goals. Typical Fleury and why he should be benched for multiple games.
- Ray Shero. Has Sid for 8 years and one time has attempted to draft a winger for him in round 1. Continues to Draft Dmen and says they are tradeable assets? Wingers and Centers aren't?
- PP has sucked for 3 years with Crosby and Malkin on the same unit. Crosby, Malkin, and Letang play with the puck along the right wall......rest of the ice is wide open.
I actually thought Jeffrey made a lot of really nice plays.
For me, Despres, Jeffrey and Vitale were our only plus players.
Things have to change. I don't disagree that Bylsma deserves a lot of blame but I think thr glaring holes on 87's wings and our defensive personnel being just average will hold us back from bring a favorite in the East.
While I don't disagree, I think it's beyond personnel at this point.
