Penguins

Deja Vu all over again - another 2-1 W Thursday night with DeSmith in the net. Shaping up to be a pretty good week for the Pens. 1 point out of 2nd place in division. Keep it rolling boys.

 

DeSmith played well last night. Four points in two days is a good way to close the gap but I think they still need to improve a little more to take a serious run at winning their third Stanley Cup in 4 years. They are headed in the right direction.

 

Big game for the Pens tonight. Murray should be in goal.

 

Another SO for Murray. Pens getting heir sea legs back. Great week for them. 3rd place, 1 pt out of 2nd, still 5 out of 1st. May slip a few pts being idle for next 4 days.

 

Back to work for the Pens on Thursday night against Detroit.
The pieces are in place for a strong run through January.
They are still flying under the radar for a lot of people and that is fine.

 

Nice win last night 5-2. Murray is playing well and the offense is beginning to score multiple points from multiple players. If the playoffs started today the Pens would be in. I would hope and expect them to continue their level of play and strengthen their playoff positioning.
The season is less than half over so they have plenty of time to move up in the standings.

 

Total systematic and complete 6-1 dismantling of a surging upward Blues team tonight. I had Murray as my third star, Riikola as my second (primarily because of his first NHL goal and an assist), and Sid with a ho hum goal and three assist evening at number 1. Four road power play goals by four different players makes for a long evening for any team. These are the performances we were waiting for. Sometimes a veteran hockey team that's been there done that can be a little sluggish out of the gate, and that seems to have been the case with the Pens this year. Only downside was losing Bryan Rust with a lower body injury. Only played a little over five in the first and didn't come out for the second. Hopefully, it's short term because Rusty has been an animal over the last couple of weeks. Oleksiak has been cleared to play, but Riikola got the nod. I really like Riikola. He has a hammer for a shot from the point and a bit of a mean streak. Solid if not flashy on the blue line and loves to hit. Jack Johnson is playing well after a sluggish start and I'm liking the Sprong for Petterson trade the more I see the big Swede play. He's one of those guys that is playing well when you don't notice him. Solid, reliable blue liner.

 

Another good game for their 5th straight win. Murray is playing great and the Pens look like they are getting ready to make a run at winning their 3rd Cup in 4 years. Long way to go but they are looking good. You could see that the Pens were coming together for a couple of weeks now. They just need to focus on each game and they will be fine.

 

Nice seeing the Pens kicking butt!!!! I don't get into them until late March but this is sweet.

 

Well, after today, the Pens get my undivided attention. I think GMJR will likely make another move or two. I don't expect Derrick Brassard to finish the season with the Pens, he has been too erratic. I don't think he's a bad hockey player, I just think he is not a great fit with the Pens. I think he might get packaged with a draft pick for either more defensive depth or a big, nasty forward to deal with the Tom Wilson's of the NHL. I still don't like the fact that they traded Ryan Reaves and a fourth rounder for Tobias Lindbergh, who they've already traded from SCR/WB to the Senators minor league affiliate. Reaves is a good skater, and not a bad fourth line player. The big upside with him, of course is that you have to answer to him if you take liberties with his team mates. Wilson ran Jonathan Marchesault last year in the Finals, and Reaves destroyed him this season.

 

pens give hope, unlike another team lol

 

I don't think the Pens really need to make any changes but if they do I agree it should be for a tough defense guy. I'm feeling like 3 out of 4 Cups is going to happen.

 

Nice road win against a desperate Wild team tonight, 3-2. DeSmith got the start and was solid in net with 31 saves. Sid, Phil and Riley Sheahan the goal scorers. Pens finish December 11-3-1 and are currently on a six game win streak.

 

Looks like the Pens have Murray as number one goalie and will work DeSmithin enough to keep him ready unless its back to back games then they will use both goalie back to back.
Nice situation to be in for the Pens.They need to repeat December in January. Then all will be well.

 

When Olesiak gets healthy I would consider scratching Matta and keeping Ricola on the ice, he is doing far better now than Matta has after 4 yrs.

 

This one point game winners damn near send me into cardiogenic shock. Keep it up boys!!!

 

Big game tonight against New York.
Good time to make it 7 in a row.

 

7 in a row it is. Chased King Henry after 6 goals on 18 shots. Rangers were really good in the first period, but ZAR put them up 1-0, and the rout was on. Other goals by Guentzel, Letang, Pearson, Malkin, Simon and Crosby. Pens have outscored the opposition 28-9 during the streak. Should be a good one at home against the Jets Friday night.

 

It was comical how the announcers were making excuses for Lundquist's poor play by almost blaming the Pens for not taking bad shots to get him warmed up in the net cause "when they did shoot, they were all precise and difficult stops to make". Over the past 3 years, seems when the Pens are playing up to their capabilities they are very efficient at shots on goal and do so with surgical precision.

 

Pens need to have their A game tonight. Might as well make it 8 in a row.

 

A+ game, for sure. 4-0 shut out of an excellent, big and physical Jets club. MM with 33 saves, Maata, Cullen, Simon and Letang(EN) goal scorers. Murrays' 7th win in a row, tying a career high. Brilliant, team wide defensive effort for their 8th win in a row. What really is encouraging is the scoring depth. The big boys aren't having to do all of the heavy lifting during this streak. Next game is Chicago at home Sunday. Oleksiak got the start over Riikola, and looked good after being out two and a half weeks.

 

Can't win them all and last night just proved that. The team looked flat and DeSmith simply proved again why he is the backup goalie and not number 1. Not sure why Sullivan started him but that was the biggest reason for the loss. If we throw out the empty net goal he still gave up 4 goals and a couple of them were on him. Murray should be back in goal tomorrow night.

 

Seemed to me like they got complacent after they took a quick two goal lead. Had their chances and played pretty well, but yeah, DeSmith wasn't as sharp as he could've have been. After Geno hit the cross bar in the third, it seemed like they pretty much quit skating. I kind of don't understand starting DeSmith either but, I expect they'll bounce back against Florida tomorrow.

 

I think the belief that they were just worn out last season heading into the playoffs has spooked sully and he wants Murry as rested as possible

 

I don't mind him resting Murray but don't give up games and points just to rest him. Rest him if he looks tired, he didn't look tired to me.