Pre-Game Talk: Literally a year between games, PRACTICE!

[Speaking Moistly]

How long until we hear Malkin is out with a shoulder strain from practicing his one-timer? Bennett looks close to returning, so that means someone else has to go out.

 

[IcedCapp]

How long until we hear Malkin is out with a shoulder strain from practicing his one-timer? Bennett looks close to returning, so that means someone else has to go out.

Penguin players are neither created nor destroyed, they are simply transferred from one IR slot to the next

 

[Speaking Moistly]

Penguin players are neither created nor destroyed, they are simply transferred from one IR slot to the next

Yes, the law of Penguin player conservation. Penguin players are lost in the transfer, making the team inefficient.

 

[gopens66]

Yes, the law of Penguin player conservation. Penguin players are lost in the transfer, making the team inefficient.

Yes, I remember this..........the concept of Pentropy!

 

[KIRK]

We talkin' bout PRACTICE? For a WHOLE YEAR?

EDIT: Dammit, tried to post the vid . . .

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eGDBR2L5kzI if someone else can do it.

 

[Speaking Moistly]

EDIT: Dammit, tried to post the vid . . .

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eGDBR2L5kzI if someone else can do it.

 

[Ogrezilla]

EDIT: Dammit, tried to post the vid . . .

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eGDBR2L5kzI if someone else can do it.

8 years on the board and you can't post a video?

 

[cygnus47]

I don't understand why Bennett wasn't thrown onto Crosby's line for practice. One person won't be ready for the game, one has a maintenance day, seems perfect. Bylsmagic!

 

[Crafton]

8 years on the board and you can't post a video?

KIRK only knows how to posts videos after blowouts.

 

[IcedCapp]

better...

 

[Mordax]

^ that was oddly entertaining

 

[BlindWillyMcHurt]

Malkin working on his one-timer, eh?

Will it be upgraded from "wildly inept" to "Paul Martin on a good day" then?

 

[cygnus47]

Malkin working on his one-timer, eh?

Will it be upgraded from "wildly inept" to "Paul Martin on a good day" then?

It was said as a joke, but I think it was more about Letang learning how to set him up. Malkin has always had a Stamkos-esque accuracy on his one-timer. I don't think he would have just forgotten it.

 

[BlindWillyMcHurt]

Forgotten? No. I'm sure he remembers it fondly.

But yeah... Letang is obviously not helping him much in that department. And I think that's being pretty generous to Letang.

I'm happy they are working a little extra on a known issue, though. Maybe Geno will even score a goal this month!

 

[WayneSid9987]

How long until we hear Malkin is out with a shoulder strain from practicing his one-timer? Bennett looks close to returning, so that means someone else has to go out.

Jeffrey and Engelland are the 2 guys that should sit once Bennett and Neal get back. If Adams or Glass are gettin banged up dress them(Jeff/Engo) for some games.

If JJ starts to fade some give him a night off, insert a player and try a new mix with Geno.

Without Neal:
Bennett-Malkin-Megna

With Neal:
Bennett-Malkin-Neal
Neal-Malkin-Megna

 

[KIRK]

8 years on the board and you can't post a video?

I lack the power of grayskull.

 

[Jaded-Fan]

I lack the power of grayskull.

You worked on the Obamacare website, didn't you?

Just admit it.

 

[DegenX]

No Kunitz again today

Pittsburgh Penguins ‏@penguins 26m
With no Kunitz, #Pens doing line rushes the same as yesterday: 22-87-9, 36-71-59, 15-16-27, 19-17-46-5. D: 44-7, 2-58, 3-41.

Pens Inside Scoop @PensInsideScoop‏ 13m
Jokinen subbing for Kunitz on the #Pens' top PP unit with Crosby, Malkin, Letang and Martin. -MC

Pens Inside Scoop ‏@PensInsideScoop 13m
#Pens' second PP unit has Jeffrey, D'Agostini, Sutter, Niskanen and Maatta. -MC

 

[Speaking Moistly]

So Kunitz is banged up?

 

[BlindWillyMcHurt]

Kinda sounds like it. I can't see a way that he'd have two maintenance days in a row and not be at least a little dinged up.

Out month-to-month with a kickball-related lower body injury, perhaps?

 

[Speaking Moistly]

Kickball on ice is dangerous. He probably tripped in the tunnel, or Maatta did his fellow rookie a solid and did something.

Wasn't there a game (Boston or around then) that he wasn't on the bench for awhile and "we" thought it was equipment related? Maybe then.

Dead - Crosby - Dupuis
Jokinen - Malkin - Megna
Glass - Sutter - Adams
Jeffrey - Vitale - Engelland
D'Agostini

Ah, ****, Glass could actually get onto the first line.

 

[Jaded-Fan]

I really am questioning their conditioning. Anyone can have bad luck with injuries, and some like Crosby getting hit in the face with the puck and breaking his jaw is purely bad luck, but it has become a yearly thing for a team whose core has been pretty young.

Add to it the doctors blowing the diagnosis on Crosby's 'concussion' for so long and we seem to have some real issues with the conditioning coaches and medical staff.

 

[Speaking Moistly]

Yeah, there does seem to be something weird going on. Safer team activities might also help.

This season:
Scuderi, broken ankle, accident/fluke.
Vokoun, blood clots, out of their control.
Kobasew, 1 or 2 hits, not a long term member of the team. Not young.
D'Agostini, preseason, can't really blame extensive time on this team.
Neal, wiffle ball, probably a muscle tear.
Bennett, IDK, but he's young.
Letang, fitness fanatic, tripped on bad ice or something. Possible over training?
I think that's everyone from this season.

2 of those are out of their control. Important players.
2 of them are new to the team and I think it was pretty obvious when Kobasew got injured. D'Agostini could be a question mark, but I honestly can't remember him. They're not important players, though.
Then there's the other 3, young and important players; 2 of those happened at a team bonding activity, IIRC. Sometimes the best way to avoid injury is to not put the professional athlete in a position to get hurt.

It does seem to be bad luck and some stupid team activities. Didn't they clean house with the medical staff after the Crosby cluster****?

 

[BlindWillyMcHurt]

It does seem to be bad luck and some stupid team activities. Didn't they clean house with the medical staff after the Crosby cluster****?

Yes.

I can't help but agree that something just seems... off. I don't know how much bad luck one team can really have. But on the other hand... how out of line are the Penguins injuries compared to other teams?

It just seem like they lose a lot of important players for long stretches, more than anything else. If it were up to me... I'd wrap these guys in foam and bubble wrap, though. And certainly not allow them anywhere near a giant-rock-up-a-hill contest.

 

[MeticulouslyDishevel]

I really am questioning their conditioning. Anyone can have bad luck with injuries, and some like Crosby getting hit in the face with the puck and breaking his jaw is purely bad luck, but it has become a yearly thing for a team whose core has been pretty young.

Add to it the doctors blowing the diagnosis on Crosby's 'concussion' for so long and we seem to have some real issues with the conditioning coaches and medical staff.

That's why I'm really not a fan of teams auctioning off their medical care to the highest bidder. It could make doctors a little reluctant to get an outside second opinion when your hospital paid to be the team's "exclusive medical provider".