Post-Game Talk: Not even zebra charity can help that bunch, Pens-6, Islanders -more than they earned

[JTG]

We have some really good young hockey players on this roster.

 

[Al Smith]

Blocked shots is an interesting stat when it comes to measuring defensive play, on one hand it may be you're good enough to consistently get in shooting lanes, or bad enough that the other team has the puck more than you do, so which is it in Orpik's case,?

Or out there against the opponents' best players (who tend to shoot more) or out there on the power play, etc.

But taken at face value, For what it's worth, Orpik blocks shots as regularly (or more so) than his teammates. I don't think he's playing as horribly as many here make him out to be. But his play has certainly slipped in the past few years - although he did consistently play well in the playoffs last year.

In another era, or on another team, I could conceivably see him moved before the playoffs this year. But this is the Pens, he won't be traded, and in all likelihood, he'll be re-signed to a fat contract next year.

 

[Michael8771*]

I'd rather have Pyatt than Glass, at this point.

I would as well, but I don't trust DB in that regard

 

[BlindWillyMcHurt]

Agreed. He's gone into a precipitous downward spiral since we won the Cup. It was bad, now it's awful. He's not even a servicable guy anymore, he's a pure liability on the ice.

But, we all know Shero's gonna re-sign him. Bylsma and Shero thought so highly of him that he's on the Olympic roster over guys like Yandle, or even Erik Johnson, and Jack Johnson. He's an extremely valuable player in their minds, so I think it's all but concluded he's going to re-sign his retirement deal this summer.

Eh... maybe.

Perhaps I'm just being bizarrely optimistic about the whole situation... but I look at the Orpik/Olympics thing as the team's way of throwing the guy one last bone.