James Neal "Emotional Albatross".. OR "Crafton has been eating too many livers."

[Jaded-Fan]

Here is a list of how many 40 goal plus scorers there have been the past few years:

Three are on pace for 40 goals in 2013-14

None 2012-13 of course

Four in 2011-12

Five in 2010-11

Seven in 2009-10

Eight in 2008-09

Ten in 2007-08

I could care less if he (edited as the imagery might be a bit over the top) on national television.

I hope that he stops some of the stupider stuff, but 40 goal scorers are almost nonexistent in todays sucky NHL. And those few that there are will be making double what Neal does when their contracts are up.

 

[MetalheadPenguinsFan]

@ "emotional albatross" in the title.

 

[Honour Over Glory]

If he does something incredibly stupid in the playoffs that costs the team a series, then maybe it's time to re-think Neal as a Penguin, but until that happens, when he does something that truly costs the team, I think the team will keep him around because for one, it does make Neal a happy camper because they're buddies, but then again, Army was moved, so friendships don't mean a thing. If you screw around and start giving the team a bad image and name, it should be enough to think about the idea of moving him.

Yeah, the good far outweighs the bad, but this team can't say the stuff Mario did, then pretend it was too long ago for anyone to remember without it being brought up the next time Neal does something stupid. Or anyone.

With that said, I think the crap in the Wings game, give me a break, I've seen players do dumber stuff than that, the butt-end to Geno's borscht was worse. I mean yeah a cross-check to the head is a head shot, but man...balls, like...even thinking about it mine have retracted back up into my body like a turtle disappearing into its shell.

Neal does stupid stuff about as much as Malkin does with his cheap stuff as well. Who cares really, I love how Bruins, Wings, Flyers and Leafs fans suddenly felt they held a higher moral ground because players on their team hadn't done something stupid as of late.

LOL...

Neal should stay, I hope he continues to score 40 goals and really rubs it in as a guy that is an elite goal scorer that can play like a d-bag as well. **** the passive-aggressive crap the team has, let's make teams second guess the Pens.

 

[DegenX]

It's things like the tweet in the OP that keep me away from sites that the 'average' fan visits, and unfortunately leave comments at. I'm more often embarrassed and ashamed of the Pens fan base than I am of the players.

Chippy, stupid **** happens every game from both sides. I find it somewhat repugnant that members of this fan base are so quick to point fingers at the Pens players while ignoring the steaming load of crap the other team is serving up. Especially when it's retaliatory. Yeah, it would be nice if Sid, Geno and Neal could keep it together and not respond, draw a penalty instead of earn one. But, we all watch the same games ... how often does that happen? I'm not one to moan about ref bias, but it often seems like they don't notice the multiple cross checks on Geno, but they sure see his response. And that's just one example.

So, my response to those who want a team of likable choir boys is: go jump on somebody else's bandwagon.

 

[Zen Arcade]

@ "emotional albatross" in the title.

"each day we die a little more"

 

[No Quarter*]

This shouldn't even be discussed.

 

[Jules Winnfield]

Let's just trade Neal and Malkin for the Sedin twins. All our team needs are a few more soft ******* skating around so no one fears playing us over a 7 game series in the playoffs.

I can't even believe this **** is a thread.

 

[canadianguy77]

It gets annoying after a while that he takes such assinine penalties, but he's not alone in doing that. Sid and Geno both take those stupid emotional penalties. Kunitz has a bad habit of taking penalities on the PP.

Is it worth throwing away 40 goals and 80-90 points a season so we can part ways with James Neal? No way.

 

[NikolaiCakebreaker]

Get rid of Neal?

Uh, yeah if you want to get even softer and have even less scoring depth. (2 things pens lack)

 

[Waffle Fries]

Skimming through the thread, I am a little stunned at the number of people who actually believe that Crafton is advocating getting rid of Neal (especially with likeability comment he added, which is poking a little fun at these boards)

The lack of discipline on the team is an issue. It has been an issue for years. That is one of the conversations that should be had here. The other is how quickly many on this board are to blame our star. Crosby is leading the scoring race by a crazy margin (despite playing the majority of the season with rotating scrubs) and fans on here ***** about him every single night. Geno and Neal take dumb penalties, but they round out our three best players. No player is perfect, and you can't solve issues by firing the team.

 

[Frederick Stanley]

This is a bad, bad idea. Get rid of our only 40 goal scorer?

 

[#66]

So not only do I have to worry about the Pens building a wusscake team but now I have to worry about the fan base too...

After all the BS we've seen Sid, Malkin and Letang take why is anyone worried about Neal???

Over the past few years we've seen Kunitz lighten up along the offensive end boards... think about how many times we've seen Letang rocked in the defensive zone. It really sickens and saddens me to see what a pack of Mary's the Pens have turned into.

Nicey nice teams don't win the cup.

 

[canadianguy77]

So not only do I have to worry about the Pens building a wusscake team but now I have to worry about the fan base too...

After all the BS we've seen Sid, Malkin and Letang take why is anyone worried about Neal???

Over the past few years we've seen Kunitz lighten up along the offensive end boards... think about how many times we've seen Letang rocked in the defensive zone. It really sickens and saddens me to see what a pack of Mary's the Pens have turned into.

Nicey nice teams don't win the cup.

I'm not a huge fan of Engelland, but I don't mind him in a 4th line wing situation, as long as his minutes are limited, and that he does his job. Score 5-10 goals a year, but also make sure you beat the **** out of anyone who messes with the big boys. Sadly, that doesn't seem to a part of his repertoire anymore. For what reason? I don't know. He's at bare minimum more effective than Glass,Adams, and probably even Pyatt.

What I really don't understand is DB's insistance on the 4th line taking up so much icetime.

 

[Farnham4top6]

Let's just trade Neal and Malkin for the Sedin twins. All our team needs are a few more soft ******* skating around so no one fears playing us over a 7 game series in the playoffs.

I can't even believe this **** is a thread.

Since when are the Sedin's soft?
They are disciplined but they are some of the last players to shy away fro, physocal contact.

 

[eXile59]

Here is a list of how many 40 goal plus scorers there have been the past few years:

Three are on pace for 40 goals in 2013-14

None 2012-13 of course

Four in 2011-12

Five in 2010-11

Seven in 2009-10

Eight in 2008-09

Ten in 2007-08

I could care less if he (edited as the imagery might be a bit over the top) on national television.

I hope that he stops some of the stupider stuff, but 40 goal scorers are almost nonexistent in todays sucky NHL. And those few that there are will be making double what Neal does when their contracts are up.

Yes scoring goals in this league is a very hard thing to do and if you get a guy that can do it you keep him. Unless he stabs a baby with a skate I don't really care.

This seems to be a bigger issue anyways. Crosby & Malkin have done boneheaded things too. If we had an ounce of discipline on the team it would go a long way.

 

[wolffy66]

2015, A new kinder gentler Penguins team. Now with less scoring!
I'm sold.

 

[Jaded-Fan]

This is a bad, bad idea. Get rid of our only 40 goal scorer?

I bet that we could get Gogo back for Neal and Niskanen.

Though with Neal such a meanie we might have to add to get them to do it.

Then our playoff avatars can be a roll of Charmin toilet paper.

 

[RH710]

Obviously we can't/shouldn't get rid of him with what he brings and his friendly contract but I must say I have not been pleased with his actions. He scares the crap out of me come playoffs for losing his mind and taking dumb penalties like Malkin. This could be fixed if we had a coach that seemed to actually get upset at players for being idiots.

 

[Frederick Stanley]

Since when are the Sedin's soft?
They are disciplined but they are some of the last players to shy away fro, physocal contact.

 

[Farnham4top6]

Nothing soft about that, the ugly diving caveman is the soft player in my opinion. Randomly starting to punch people isn't tough, it's against the rules and soft. Taking those punches to draw a pp for ones team takes guts to do. It's a shame that the refs is as incompetent as craig adams is at skating.

 

[Lomez]

Agree fully. I am embarrassed at having to defend the shenanigans of Neal...and Malkin too! My friends who are Flyers and Caps fans have a field day at my expense, and I'm getting tired of it. These are not the Pens I grew up with. And Sid should stop whining so much.

 

[Tender Rip]

Should Neal know better? Yes. Does this issue even register among our chief concerns? No.

 

[RH710]

Nothing soft about that, the ugly diving caveman is the soft player in my opinion. Randomly starting to punch people isn't tough, it's against the rules and soft. Taking those punches to draw a pp for ones team takes guts to do. It's a shame that the refs is as incompetent as craig adams is at skating.

Agreed. Sometimes being smart means being soft today.

 

[Jaded-Fan]

Agree fully. I am embarrassed at having to defend the shenanigans of Neal...and Malkin too! My friends who are Flyers and Caps fans have a field day at my expense, and I'm getting tired of it. These are not the Pens I grew up with. And Sid should stop whining so much.

The irony of any Flyer fan complaining about cheap shots is pretty good stuff. Isn't that their organizational philosophy since their founding?

 

[BlindWillyMcHurt]

Agree fully. I am embarrassed at having to defend the shenanigans of Neal...and Malkin too! My friends who are Flyers and Caps fans have a field day at my expense, and I'm getting tired of it. These are not the Pens I grew up with. And Sid should stop whining so much.

Neal I understand.

Malkin, while sometimes guilty of dumb stick-related infractions, does absolutely nothing that the likes of Flyers and Caps fans should have the right to complain about. You know damn well that he'd be an absolute hero in Orange and Black for his "intensity" and "willingness to get his hands dirty." And the Red Rockers (lol) would praise him nightly for his "passion."

Malkin also doesn't have an ever-growing suspension record. Or anything close to it.

EDIT: Like Jaded said