Official Season Long Postgame Thread

I thought that we could create a thread to discuss every Penguins game. And share our thoughts of how the team played. It all starts tonight! Pens vs. Canes!

Go Penguins!

Well, the first game was a complete disaster.  I said in another post that I expected the Pens to get off to a slow start this year, but this is ridiculous.  It wouldn't surprise me if they lose 7 or 8 of their first 10.  I blame Therrien and the coaching staff for this ... they messed around all training camp and pre-season, and now they are basically still going through the pre-season while the rest of the NHL is ready to play real games.  I figure it will take them about 7 or 8 games to find their line combos and start playing good hockey.  Pathetic job by Therrien and the coaching staff.  If Shero is looking for an excuse  to bring in "his coach", I think he's found it.

That being said ... here our some specifics on the Pens-Canes game:

1)  If Cam Ward is playing for the Pens tonight and Fleury is playing for the Canes, the Pens might have actually won.  Ward was that good, and Fleury was that bad. 

2)  EC was the Pens best player tonight ... BY FAR.  The rest of the team, including Sid, simply did not show up ready to play until the third period.  On a positive note, they can't blame back-to-back games if they lay an egg against the Ducks tomorrow night.  They didn't burn enough energy for that to be a factor.

3)  Ryan Malone is as bad as advertised.  Malkin is going to have a down year as long as Malone is on his line, which I don't anticipate will be too much longer.  You cannot tell me that Malone is better than Filewich.  If he is, then the Pens have ZERO depth in their organization, and I don't believe that.

4)  The Scuderi-Sydor pairing is a disaster.  Sydor might as well be Melichar b/c he skates like he has a piano strapped to his back.  And Scuderi is ... well, Scuderi.  Letang better hurry up and get his "A" game going b/c I'm going to throw something through my TV if I have to watch these two much longer.

5)  Recchi is finished as a top line forward.  I love the guy's heart and desire, and he will be in the HOF shortly after he retires, but he simply can't skate anymore.  Having him and Malone flanking Malkin is like pairing two junkyard dogs with a greyhound.  Shame on Therrien for this as well.

Did I miss anything?  Needless to say, I'm pissed off right now.  This was easily their worst game since the Easy Eddie Olcyk days.  On the bright side, this was only the first game and it's a long season, so plenty of time to turn things around.  But there are a lot of negatives surrounding this team right now.  And I will say it one last time ... I blame the coaching staff.

Peace out

There has been all the Pens hype over the last week or so.  They almost came out tonight as if they already had the Stanley Cup won.  They looked totally caught off guard.  Granted Ward played well, but the Pens still didn't come out to play.  Fluery was weak.  I know he's young, but I'm not sold that he is the Pens goalie of the future.  It's only one game, but it's not the way to start the season.

   Yeah CDog. I went to the Canes message board to give em' a "thumbs up" on a job well done. (And surprisingly, there is NO message action going on there). But I said the exact same thing. I think this is TOTALLY Therriens' fault.

   With a lineup like this. This team should should be oiled up like a porn star in heat. Yet they don't have the slightest clue were to put Sykora OR Sydor. What's up with that?!!! Are you kidding me? These lines should have been set up LONG before even the preseason took place. I think this crew will have no choice but to jell eventually. But the time is now! As each game goes by. We play a "catch up" game. YES, this is only game one. But it's a "game one" loss none the less. I guarantee the Rangers didn't waste ANY time forming their lines with their newly acquired talent.

   Actually. I wanted to call out coach Therrien a long time ago. With this display of young talent. "Do you think he's the guy you want at the helm?" But, as you might suspect, I didn't want to open up that can of worms. Or draw the wrath of my fellow Penguins fans. Who might have thought everything is just fine. But I gotta believe that our time is now. And I (truthfully) don't think that Therrien is the man for the job. Just my opinion.

   But I totally agree with ya' Crow. And although I think that this team (especially with the leadership of Sidney Crosby) will definately fight for the division title. The thought (or fear) of the Penguins losing their first "7 or 8 of their first 10" doesn't seem beyond the realm of possibility. Especially the way they've come into this 2007 season.

   But all we can do, is wait for the next game. Which takes place in Pittsburgh tonight against the defending Stanley Cup Champions BAY BEE!!! And hope that the Pens can bounce back HUGE against the Ducks,

GO PENGUINS!!!

P.S.   At least we have an opportuninty to re-establish ourselves in two weeks against these same damn Hurricanes. And this time we'll get em' at the Igloo.

Wow, calling out the coaching staff after one game? 

I will agree that was a poor performance by the Pens overrall.  The biggest concerns I see is who is going to be a consistent scoring forward, Is Marc-Andre Fleury going to be able to take his game higher, and will the defense improve from last season. 

I could not agree more about Ryan Malone.  I just dont think he is a good player and cant be depended on to be a top-two line forward.  To me, he is going to have to get it going quickly or I would do what I have been clamoring for all along...trade him.  At this point I would be willing to do it for a serviceable defenseman. 

Marc-Andre Fleury has to be a concern to an extent.  He is talented and his numbers were very solid but I wonder sometimes if he has IT.  Cam Ward has IT.  There just does not seem to be a lot of times where you go, "Fleury really took over that game when we really needed it"  He compiles stats but often folds when you need a big save.  I dont want to be too hard on him but based on the decision to not bring in a solid backup, its on Fleury all the way right now.  He either delivers game in, game out or the Pens will not be as good as we expect them to be.

The defense has been a question mark and if Darryl Sydor's tank really is empty, then the corps really has not improved a whole lot in terms of talent.  I think the Pens are really hopeful that Kris Letang is going to prove he should be with the big club, and that is on him.  Gotta play d at this level, this is not street hockey er...Quebec juniors.   Maybe a guy like Alex Goligoski continues to impress. 

I guess we need to stay on top of the bridge, not jump.  It was one game and you can only hope to improve...a lot.  The big thing is you cant get off to a bad start or otherwise you are climbing up hill the rest of the season.  I dont think it was bad to lose to Carolina, it was how we lost that is unacceptable.  Hopefully things improve tonight...

   To be honest jg. I'm not really calling out Therrien after one game. I've been wanting to call him out for a long time. Just not vocally. Not that he's done a bad job. Actually I think he's done an exceptional job. I just don't think he's the one taking us to the promised land. Or getting us over the hump if you will.

   And yeah, I was saying something similar in my previous post. In that every loss out of the gate becomes a game of catch up that we can ill afford to play.

   I'm also with you on the backup net minder situation. Or lack thereof. I think Fleury's got a couple of years to go before he's the "solid" guy in net we need him to be. Alot of Pens fans disagreed with me. But I was definately in favor of bringing in some kind of veteran backup.

   But I agree. It's definately not time to panic or anything like that. We have to put together a 10 or 15 game span and see how were doing then. As for now. We just have to put it in high gear and get it going for tonights' game against the Champs.