AHL: W-B/S Penguins Thread (Cap Details + Links in First Post)

[Shrimper]

WBS up 1-0 in a must win game.

 

[WayneSid9987]

WBS up 1-0 in a must win game.

Looks like they won that in a shootout.
See Wideman got the 3rd star in that one.

Lost in OT tonight 4-3.
Blandisi had a goal and an assist.

DiPauli is STILL not back. Been out since like late Nov. or so...
Read somewhere this week that he's skating tho.

 

[EightyOne]

DiPauli has a list of injuries in only a few years that would make Bennett blush--sadly.

 

[Shrimper]

Got to say, it looks unlikely with them making the play-offs.

They're going to need some help from other teams. Currently, Providence have the last play-off spot with 65 points and 58 games played, they're playing again tonight.

Lehigh Valley are below them on 62 points and 57 games, the same as WBS.

WBS play Lehigh on Wednesday.

 

[Shrimper]

AHL Trade deadline today, wonder if they'll add anyone.

 

[Multigrain]

Tonights game hopefully they will come away with a win. Need to make that playoff push.

 

[WayneSid9987]

Tonights game hopefully they will come away with a win. Need to make that playoff push.

They lost that one.

Lost Friday in a shootout.
Came back twice to tie it in the 3rd and won it in OT last night(Militec. Blandisi scored again as well):



Wore these Iron Man shirts on SuperHero Night:

Wideman and Scarfo missed the weekend games due to injury. Sexton may be out longer term.
I think they're still in the PO hunt with the win last night.

 

[Shrimper]

Nah, they're done.

 

[Jacob]

Probably gonna look for a new HC, I’d think.

 

[Peat]

Probably gonna look for a new HC, I’d think.

Its possible, but it seems a bit harsh to make the Head Coach carry the can for an anemic and injury hit roster. Only two upwardly mobile top 100 picks on the whole roster if I could right; call ups and trades have restricted his 5 best pacing forwards to only a 107 games between them; and that defence isn't much to shout about and has had a few major injuries. Maybe there's impatience when his last two post-season tilts ended a bit unfortunately, but that roster is part-Guerin mess and part-org weakness, and that's the main problem. Plus I see no reason to complain about the way prospects are getting taught and brought on down there.

Be interesting to see what the org does.

 

[Multigrain]

It doesn't look that bad if they get some of those players back they can make a push or not?

 

[Multigrain]

Its possible, but it seems a bit harsh to make the Head Coach carry the can for an anemic and injury hit roster. Only two upwardly mobile top 100 picks on the whole roster if I could right; call ups and trades have restricted his 5 best pacing forwards to only a 107 games between them; and that defence isn't much to shout about and has had a few major injuries. Maybe there's impatience when his last two post-season tilts ended a bit unfortunately, but that roster is part-Guerin mess and part-org weakness, and that's the main problem. Plus I see no reason to complain about the way prospects are getting taught and brought on down there.

Be interesting to see what the org does.

If the Pens make the playoffs which they should will they call any of these guys up or not?

 

[Jacob]

I think both Guerin & Donatelli were lazy hires and should be canned.

 

[WayneSid9987]

I'm the opposite(don't see a reason to can Donatelli) and think he's a pretty good developer and thats really all you want at that level.
Sprong's the best talent he's had and he did great with him and his iq limitations.
Did a fine job with Blueger.
ZAR and Dea have also shown stuff at the NHL level going thru him.
He's getting a ton out of Prow who he's had for several years now and seen a significant step in development.
Johnson is coming along well.
Angello and Militec are having good rookie campaigns.

With the kids coming in next year, i have no qualms trusting Donatelli to get the best out of them.

 

[Peat]

I think both Guerin & Donatelli were lazy hires and should be canned.

You sack people because they're not doing their jobs, not because of how they came to have jobs. And I don't think its particularly consistent to think both men failed. Either the roster wasn't good enough and Donatelli is doing exactly as would be expected, or it was good enough and Donatelli's bad, but what fault of that is Guerin's?

In any case - I think OGBobbyFarnham is right that Donatelli's job is first and foremost about the quality of player he sends up to the big club and I make him right about the quality he's sending. Pretty much every guy he's had for multiple seasons has done at least what we expected of them, with the exception of Jarry.

 

[Jacob]

I don’t necessarily think Donatelli is doing a bad job as much as I think there are just better candidates available. I’ve given him credit, it’s hard to judge when we’re not in the room but I remember back when Kuhnhackl said it was Donatelli who convinced him to remodel his game to be a PK specialist- basically salvaging Kuhnhackl’s career- that was a pretty good call on his part.

But developing players isn’t the only job of the AHL coach, it’s also pretty important to win and make the playoffs. You need kids to be around a winning atmosphere, and a long Calder Cup playoff run is probably the closest thing there can be to a Stanley Cup run. Not to mention it’s free playing time for prospects and a chance to get kids joining the team late in the season- like Bellerive and Almeida might- some pro experience before their first full pro seasons start in the fall.

This is very secondary but I’d also like the AHL guy to be someone you’d feel comfortable promoting to the NHL in an emergency if it’s like January and the wheels are coming off in Pittsburgh. Not sure Donatelli is that kinda guy.

The WB/S head coaching job should be a pretty highly coveted spot considering like every coach down there has gone on to be a head coach in the NHL. Just think it was another lazy hire and there are going to be better candidates available.

 

[Peat]

Fairy nuff. I'd agree there's almost certainly a better guy out there... but there's also probably quite a few worse. Seems an unnecessary risk if he's doing the job - and I'd also point out that having a guy whose style jives closely with Sully's is a strong bonus in terms of getting guys protected.

I guess I wouldn't be surprised whatever they do. Just that I can see some pluses and I really don't blame the guy not getting play offs with that roster.

I would agree that I wouldn't be comfortable with him coming up to the NHL in an emergency, but I'm guessing Martin would get the shout there anyway. That said, if they do replace Donatelli and they do get a guy with NHL experience, I feel like that'd be a pretty telling statement about how the front office feels about Sully.

 

[FreeBobbyFarnham]

 

[FreeBobbyFarnham]

 

[steelcityassault]

4 pts out. Huge game Sat vs P-Bruins

 

[Multigrain]

4 pts out. Huge game Sat vs P-Bruins

Are we getting any of the players that have been out back for that game?

 

[The Old Master]

It doesn't look that bad if they get some of those players back they can make a push or not?

they could of really used riiky for a few games, instead of him sitting up here.

 

[steelcityassault]

they could of really used riiky for a few games, instead of him sitting up here.

I'm sure he'd love the 925k to 70k bump down in salary. Lol

 

[Randy Butternubs]

I'm sure he'd love the 925k to 70k bump down in salary. Lol

Based on a tweet I saw a week (or so) ago, I thought they sent him down. But I guess that was wrong. And I'm assuming they haven't cut his pay by sending him to WBS because they'd like to treat him well and re-sign him. Hopefully they can.

 

[Jacob]

Seems like he just doesn't fit the mold of defender they've been trying to accumulate lately.

And Sullivan likes the L-R combination, even though Riikola is easily better on his off-side than Trotman is on his strong side.