Does Pittsburgh have enough two way forwards to win the Cup?

[Mr Jiggyfly]

I don't think, to me their forwards are mainly offensive. That's great but you want forwards that will keep the opponents from scoring.

The Pens had the third ranked PK unit in the NHL. MAF had ten shutouts, the most of his career, and his best season to date. They finished tenth overall in GA. In the playoffs, they let up a grand total of 11 goals agt the Rangers, and this was with them missing three of their top four blueliners.

Preventing goals wasn't their problem. Scoring them was, despite people trumpeting the exact opposite for some odd reason.

 

[wej20]

Are they planning on having those two lines play 60 minutes a night? Their bottom 6 is not very good and there defensemen look terrible. I'm not sold on them.

much harder to shut down a Crosby/Malkin + Kessel combo than a Crosby + Kunitz and Malkin + Comeau combo.

 

[rintinw]

Rutherford has tried to move Perron this summer because they no longer want any part of him and there is no interest. When you show blind faith as fans in a player other NHL GM's who are paid to make decisions want no part of, that is truly laughable and ignorant.

This is news for me. Some links maybe?

 

[CashMash]

The Pens had the third ranked PK unit in the NHL. MAF had ten shutouts, the most of his career, and his best season to date. They finished tenth overall in GA. In the playoffs, they let up a grand total of 11 goals agt the Rangers, and this was with them missing three of their top four blueliners.

Preventing goals wasn't their problem. Scoring them was, despite people trumpeting the exact opposite for some odd reason.

This.

 

[Ugene Magic]

Not sure you can blame him either for getting assaulted twice with cheap shots/boarding, once by a Flyers' goon & once by a Doan.

You forgot Max Pac and his cheap shot.

 

[Ragamuffin Gunner]

If only Crosby or Malkin were as good as Toews!!!

 

[Ogrezilla]

This is news for me. Some links maybe?

he makes **** up all the time, I'd just ignore him.

 

[WarriorofTime]

If only Crosby or Malkin were as good as Toews!!!

Why do you guys sarcastically keep mentioning Toews? If you think recent cup winners being lead by two way forwards is a coincidence feel free to argue that way.

 

[daver]

Why do you guys sarcastically keep mentioning Toews? If you think recent cup winners being lead by two way forwards is a coincidence feel free to argue that way.

Again, only one Conn Smythe winner was a two-way forward. Goaltending, offensive d-men and balanced scoring were just as important as two-way forwards.

Do you think if Malkin or Crosby was replaced with one of the elite 2-way forwards you mentioned in the OP they have a better chance to win?

 

[WarriorofTime]

Again, only one Conn Smythe winner was a two-way forward. Goaltending, offensive d-men and balanced scoring were just as important as two-way forwards.

Do you think if Malkin or Crosby was replaced with one of the elite 2-way forwards you mentioned in the OP they have a better chance to win?

I personally think Pittsburgh would be a better team if they had Anze Kopitar instead of Evgeni Malkin, yeah (prepares for pitchforks).

 

[Penguinator]

I personally think Pittsburgh would be a better team if they had Anze Kopitar instead of Evgeni Malkin, yeah (prepares for pitchforks).

Kopitar (a very good player & PO money worthy) is better at D, but would you care to elaborate sir?

 

[WarriorofTime]

Kopitar (a very good player & PO money worthy) is better at D, but would you care to elaborate sir?

I'm not looking to derail the thread. Which was probably daver's goal.

 

[daver]

I'm not looking to derail the thread. Which was probably daver's goal.

Derail from what? You specifically point out in the OP that Crosby Makin, and Kessel are not 2-way players which hurts their chances at a Cup.

 

[WarriorofTime]

Derail from what? You specifically point out in the OP that Crosby Makin, and Kessel are not 2-way players which hurts their chances at a Cup.

Wrong. I asked a question for the purposes of discussion. I consider Pit the total package for the reasons Pens fans mentioned in the thread but noted how LA, Chi, and Boston all have world class two way forwards and wondered how relevant that it is towards winning the Cup. The fact that you take this as an affront on Crosby and need to use it as a platform to bash Toews is sad.

 

[WarriorofTime]

Let's go through the cup winners since the Lockout. They've all had Selke caliber players (winners or finalists)

06: Brind'Amour
07: Pahlsson
08: Datsyuk
09: Staal
10: Toews
11: Bergeron
12: Kopitar
13: Toews
14: Kopitar
15: Toews

So you can't deny the correlation is certainly there. Never said it was sufficient. Might not even be necessary. But it's just something to note in my eyes. Pittsburgh doesn't have that guy on their roster but they got a ton of offensive firepower, some good defensemen, and goaltending. So maybe they don't need it. Hence thread.

 

[CashMash]

I personally think Pittsburgh would be a better team if they had Anze Kopitar instead of Evgeni Malkin, yeah (prepares for pitchforks).

You are a monster.

 

[Ogrezilla]

Let's go through the cup winners since the Lockout. They've all had Selke caliber players (winners or finalists)

06: Brind'Amour
07: Pahlsson
08: Datsyuk
09: Staal
10: Toews
11: Bergeron
12: Kopitar
13: Toews
14: Kopitar
15: Toews

So you can't deny the correlation is certainly there. Never said it was sufficient. Might not even be necessary. But it's just something to note in my eyes. Pittsburgh doesn't have that guy on their roster but they got a ton of offensive firepower, some good defensemen, and goaltending. So maybe they don't need it. Hence thread.

I'd say we have the worst of the bunch on that list even when we did win in 2009. I'd say us and the Canes are the only two to win it without a true #1 D-man at the time too. I mean, that is a list of great players, but I don't know that I believe its enough to say that the type of player they were is the key. I think you just need to have really good players to win the Cup.

 

[jford]

I personally think Pittsburgh would be a better team if they had Anze Kopitar instead of Evgeni Malkin, yeah (prepares for pitchforks).

I personally think Pittsburgh wouldn't have won in 2009 without Malkin and his offense. Malkin does have what Kopitar doesn't, a Conn Smythe.

And once again, Pittsburgh's problem recently hasn't been defense, it's been scoring from players other than Crosby and Malkin.

 

[goonybird]

I think Pittsburgh has enough 2-way guys to get to the deadline at the top of the league. if they need more help they'll acquire it.

 

[Ogrezilla]

I personally think Pittsburgh wouldn't have won in 2009 without Malkin and his offense. Malkin does have what Kopitar doesn't, a Conn Smythe.

And once again, Pittsburgh's problem recently hasn't been defense, it's been scoring from players other than Crosby and Malkin.

Its actually even been scoring from Crosby and Malkin in the series we have lost. Though injury has been a part of that, they have needed legitimate help in the top 6 for a long time.

 

[CashMash]

Its actually even been scoring from Crosby and Malkin in the series we have lost. Though injury has been a part of that, they have needed legitimate help in the top 6 for a long time.

Yes. Even as a Bruins fan, I hope Kessel elevates Pittsburgh so that Malkin and Crosby can play to their potential. I like when the league is in the best shape, obviously.

 

[Ogrezilla]

Yes. Even as a Bruins fan, I hope Kessel elevates Pittsburgh so that Malkin and Crosby can play to their potential. I like when the league is in the best shape, obviously.

that Bruins sweep was brutal, and really should have opened up some eyes in the organization. The Bruins just stopped Sid and Geno and basically dared guys like Kunitz and Dupuis to win us games, and they simply couldn't do it. This is the first time in a long time that I have faith that we have someone that can score even when Sid and Geno are taken out of the play. Which in turn should mean that teams can't sell out so hard on just stopping those two.

 

[Machinehead]

It's not two-way forwards, they simply don't have the depth. They're too top-heavy and became more top-heavy this offseason.

 

[mpp9]

It's not two-way forwards, they simply don't have the depth. They're too top-heavy and became more top-heavy this offseason.

Dupuis-Sid-Kessel
Perron-Malkin-Hornqvist
Kunitz-Sutter-Plotnikov
Sundqvist-FA signing-Bennett

That's the best combination of quality and depth this team has had since 08.

 

[StroShow]

Who is the Pens projected third line?

Kunitz-Sutter-Bennett/Dupuis/Plotnikov