News Article: NHL on TSN predicts Penguins will beat Kings for Stanley Cup

[Ozz]

Hope so!

 

[UnderratedBrooks44]

Did we really get worse? Sutter can do the job Staal did, Sullivan is replaceable and Michalek isn't much of a big loss. And this time around if Fleury ***** himself again at least we have a guy we can turn to now with Vokoun

Sutter is a poor man's Staal, which is still a good player, but he's not Staal. Who did we replace Sullivan with? Lastly, we'll see on Michalek. He was just fine before the coaches started telling him to do god knows what last year, including leaving his skates when he never did before. Yeah, we've got some young guys with potential. Let's see them play 48 games with regular ice time, then I'll feel good about saving the money.

 

[gordie]

Sutter is a poor man's Staal, which is still a good player, but he's not Staal. Who did we replace Sullivan with? Lastly, we'll see on Michalek. He was just fine before the coaches started telling him to do god knows what last year, including leaving his skates when he never did before. Yeah, we've got some young guys with potential. Let's see them play 48 games with regular ice time, then I'll feel good about saving the money.

Trying to change a players style from one that stays on his skates to one that leaves them to block shots and passing lanes, when he clearly wasn't comfortable playing that way is one of many reasons why this coaching staff has to be looked at even closer during this short season. You have to ask what else are they going try to change that isn't going to work?

 

[wolffy66]

Does he really "do awesome" in the regular season? With the top end talent this team has I find it virtually impossible to believe there aren't 100 coaches that could lead this team to a 4th place finish. That's the least of my complaints with the guy, but 4th or 5th place should be a lock for this team.

Yeah you're right awesome was little too strong.I guess if you want to compare how another coach would do in the regular season he could be falling short there as well. However realize the Pens were at 106 pts in 2011 while being 1 pt out of 1st and 108 in 2012 and i think they were 1 pt out there as well. Not too shabby really but it could be better somewhat. If he actually had the top end talent all year surely we get that 1 or 2 pts imo.

 

[The Tang]

I guess we have to wait and see how things start off for us but I really hope the defense isn't as bad cause last year was brutal and it's almost impossible to be that bad again. Young players have a year more off their belt and Martin who rumors were that he was injured is now healthy. See how they perform tomorrow in Philly

Honestly, I think it will be and that's because I believe it's the coaching. Both Martin and Michalek were worse here than their previous teams and in general our defense has regressed over the last two seasons. Is it Bylsma? Granato? I don't know, but I have a hard time seeing a blueline with as much talent as ours be so incompetent.

 

[mgd525]

This should be a make or break season imo for this coaching staff imo. I really hope Dan shows some changes to his system and makes IN GAME adjustments. I really like the guy.

We are a contender for sure but I really don't think we should be the favorite. The penguins top 9 is really good.

The defense has ALOT of question marks. Could you imagine if the Penguins didn't have Letang ffs.

I think Orpik will rebound. He's had alot of time to heal up.

Martin, good god. hopefully he rebounds but I wouldn't hold my breathe.

I think Engle is going to have a very good year.

Despres is getting his chance lets hope he shines. He's the wild card for our defense.

Who knows what we will get out of Flower, thank god we have Vokoun as a back up however.

 

[boredmale]

Penguins are sort of the easy team to pick to make the finals and win the cup, sort of like how I have predicted NJ vs Detroit finals for the bulk of the last 15 years(well at least till a few years back)

 

[limite*]

Sutter is a poor man's Staal, which is still a good player, but he's not Staal. Who did we replace Sullivan with? Lastly, we'll see on Michalek. He was just fine before the coaches started telling him to do god knows what last year, including leaving his skates when he never did before. Yeah, we've got some young guys with potential. Let's see them play 48 games with regular ice time, then I'll feel good about saving the money.

Agree 100%. And don't forget all those players who had career years are not going to repeat them. But what I really find amazing is that every one simply dismisses the end of last season as an aberration. They forget that it wasn't just the playoffs. The problems started about 8 games earlier. This was a team that was fighting for the division, yet lost twice to the Islanders! This has never been explained and there have been no obvious steps to fix whatever the problem was.

Neal on the pp point? Despres who has looked terrible in the AHL in the top 6? Niskansen top 4? This all looks fairly shakey.

 

[Sidney the Kidney]

Didn't they predict the Pens to win it all last year, too? In any case, I don't understand how the Pens can be considered favorites with the current defense and questions about Fleury's past 3 playoffs still lingering.

I think this team with Sid and Geno will always be a contender, but a favorite? IMO, not with the holes we have on our blueline/questions in nets.

 

[UnderratedBrooks44]

Agree 100%. And don't forget all those players who had career years are not going to repeat them. But what I really find amazing is that every one simply dismisses the end of last season as an aberration. They forget that it wasn't just the playoffs. The problems started about 8 games earlier. This was a team that was fighting for the division, yet lost twice to the Islanders! This has never been explained and there have been no obvious steps to fix whatever the problem was.

Neal on the pp point? Despres who has looked terrible in the AHL in the top 6? Niskansen top 4? This all looks fairly shakey.

Yeah I'm with you I'm not sold on the defense at all. It's been goofy off and on the last two seasons if I recall correctly. How to explain that?

Then you've got Despres, Bortuzzo, and the other guys who are at least a year or two away. I think Despres will be a regular which isn't some shocking revelation, but I think it's just a matter of how effective an NHL player he'll be. The rest? Well let's just say I remember when everyone had high hopes about Lovejoy and Noah Welch. That's not me saying they're all busts, it's me saying that history clearly shows we could simply have a stable of plug in Dmen as opposed to the mind-blowing corps some seem to assume we have. Morrow, Pouliot, and Demoulin could change that but for this year defense is a question mark.

 

[Ugene Magic]

Sutter is a poor man's Staal, which is still a good player, but he's not Staal. Who did we replace Sullivan with? Lastly, we'll see on Michalek. He was just fine before the coaches started telling him to do god knows what last year, including leaving his skates when he never did before. Yeah, we've got some young guys with potential. Let's see them play 48 games with regular ice time, then I'll feel good about saving the money.

That was Michalek's calling card, he always left his skates to block shots going back to Phoenix before even becoming a Pen.

I also don't think they've recouped what they had up front for Geno's line, but adding Crosby for a full 48 game season has to be better than having, Sullivan. They do have a trade deadline (if they don't trade for a forward or d-man sooner) they can use and plenty of cap space.

Sutter should take some of the bite out of losing Staal, but that remains to be proven yet.

 

[CanadianFlyer88]

Just passing through... don't mind me.

Other excerpts, the first being fun as we have that game with the Flyers coming up:

The Tampa Bay Lightning were tabbed as the team that could surprise hockey fans in the East while the Philadelphia Flyers, on the other side of the spectrum, may not meet expectations this year.

"When I look at the Flyers' blue line, that's where I begin to have questions about them," said Ferraro.


(but he later does include them in a group of four elite teams in the east):

McKenzie said he felt everybody in the Eastern Conference playoff picture could surprise people and not make the post-season. He did, however, exclude what he believes are the elite four teams in the east: the Rangers, Penguins, Bruins and Flyers.

Looks like, on a whole, the TSN panel predicted a slide for the Flyers, evidenced by the comments from Ferraro, but McKenzie still believes they'll be a contender in the East.

 

[Karnage420*]

no chance we make it out of the east with our defensive scheme.

guarantee you we breakdown again in the first or second rounds. we are considerably worse than last year. terrible forecast from the TSN guys.

 

[Le Magnifique 66]

no chance we make it out of the east with our defensive scheme.

guarantee you we breakdown again in the first or second rounds. we are considerably worse than last year. terrible forecast from the TSN guys.

The great defense of the Devils that made it to the SCF was that much better?

 

[Karnage420*]

The great defense of the Devils that made it to the SCF was that much better?

scheme wise?
a billion times better. not everything comes down to personnel.