Why Can't the Pennsylvania teams score?

[konjo78]

All this talk about phil kessel and the pens new line up becoming a powerhouse has pretty much been shut down with the pens being around 2.3 Goals per game. Kessel and Crosby have failed to live up to expectations and it has ended up with the firing of their head coach.

Flyers are even worse right now with 2.1 goals per game right now. Both teams have some pretty offensively talented players but lack a large amount of depth needed right now in the NHL.

Either way both are sitting about 4-5 points out  of a wildcard spot and are not trending well. 


Also to our best from last year, "[font='Lucida Grande', 'Trebuchet MS', Verdana, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif]Lets make this fun... if Kessel plays 75+ games this year and scores 40 or more goals you make a donation to a charity of my choosing and I'll do the same if he doesn't."[/font]
Kessel is on pace to score about 25 goals this year and have around 50 points total. Maybe he'll go up a bit but i doubt he will be making his way to 40 goals like a lot of penguin fans believe he would of.

[peytonsaturday]

My idea on the Pens:
Too many chefs and not enough cooks. The team IS loaded with talent. It's also loaded with egos. Don't kid yourself, when you're as good as Crosby, Malkin, Kessel, Hornquist, Letang, Flurey you have an ego. Just naturally. Think about our own work places (I work in sales). When a new hot shot salesperson comes to our region, that ticks off the current top dog a little bit (I AM NOT the top dog by the way, I do just enough to keep my job).

[Birda]

They shouldn't have even bothered hiring a new coach, just cut out the middleman and let Crosby coach. It's obvious if Crosby isn't happy, your coaching time is over.  Over the last several years, this has to be one of the most underachieving teams across all sports.

[theoneandonly]

[font='Lucida Grande', 'Trebuchet MS', Verdana, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif]Also to our best from last year, "[/font][font='Lucida Grande', 'Trebuchet MS', Verdana, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif][font='Lucida Grande', 'Trebuchet MS', Verdana, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif][font='Lucida Grande', 'Trebuchet MS', Verdana, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif]Lets make this fun... if Kessel plays 75+ games this year and scores 40 or more goals you make a donation to a charity of my choosing and I'll do the same if he doesn't."[/font][/font][/font]
[font='Lucida Grande', 'Trebuchet MS', Verdana, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif]Kessel is on pace to score about 25 goals this year and have around 50 points total. Maybe he'll go up a bit but i doubt he will be making his way to 40 goals like a lot of penguin fans believe he would of.[/font]

[font=Lucida Grande, Trebuchet MS, Verdana, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif]A lot of season left but I'll make good on my end of the deal if/when he falls short. Also, it wasn't just "Pens fans" believing/thinking that but okay. [/font]

[font=Lucida Grande, Trebuchet MS, Verdana, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif]I don't think the coaching change had anything to do with Crosby... it had to do with MJ being completely over his head in just about every sense. His "system" worked for about 10 games last year and that was it. Good coaches adapt and play to their strengths and opponents weaknesses. The NHL is too talent laden to assume you can just do the same thing every single game and have success.  Plus he handled the roster horribly. Why even have Daniel Sprong dress if he is going to play 5 mins and take 0 shifts in the third period? This happened multiple times. He stressed puck moving defenseman yet played Scuderi over younger/more talented players on a nightly basis. [/font]

[font=Lucida Grande, Trebuchet MS, Verdana, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif]As far as Peytons comment I get what you're saying but I disagree 100%... the Pens have more talented "cooks" this year than any year in the past 5. Their bottom 6 is exponentially better than it has been in several years. Sure those guys have egos but whenever you're winning no one makes a comment about egos... when a team is losing everything gets looked at under a microscope. I work in sales too and last month our top salesman finished dead last in our office for the month.... this month he is blowing everyone out of the water. I'd like to think it's the same for the Pens... years ago when they were good Crosby/Malkin would take turns carrying the team and pushing each other not bitching and moaning b/c the other was doing better.[/font]

[font=Lucida Grande, Trebuchet MS, Verdana, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif]There is a lot of season left... I like what Sullivan has said and what I think he brings to the table. The truth of the matter is the Pens just aren't very good and they are getting zero breaks, thats a bad combination. In the 2-1 loss to the Kings last weekend Crosby and Kessel both missed empty net tap ins. This just doesn't happen for an avg NHL player let alone those two but it has been happening. Malkin has put 3987439 pucks on Perron or Kessel stick in great scoring areas and they aren't finishing. I'd like to think the law of avgs will catch up and things will even out. The Pens have had two good players this year... 29 and 71. Everyone else has been average to below average. There are still 52 games left for that to change. Maybe I'm an eternal optimist when it comes to the Pens but there is enough talent in place to right the ship. Maybe the Pens win 7 outta next 10 and are right back in the mix and go from there. Maybe they lose 7 outta next 10 and I throw myself in front of a bus... the possibilities are endless.[/font]

[Manfred]

Is there a format problem here? Crimson replied yesterday in print so fine a magnifying glass is needed. Now this. I need glasses for distance, why should I need bifocals to read this forum's posts? Or are the "Band-width Police" cracking down?

[theoneandonly]

I have no idea..... I tried to change it but I'm kinda computer illiterate.

[Manfred]

That's not a problem, as so am I. Hope someone who does know, can fix it though.

[konjo78]

I think the main problem both teams have is lack of talented defenseman.

You can have all the talent you want in the front three but if your blue line is weak it just holds an offense back. Meaning not a lot of good break out passes, or a lot of mid ice turn overs, and a lack of talent holding a puck in on offense and moving it around in the cycle.

I also see neither of these teams getting too many deflection goals honestly. Players are looking too much for wrist shots and not enough shoot and crash the net

[theoneandonly]

The Pens rank in the top 10 in the league in GAA. Puck moving defensemen is something they lack but overall the back half and goalie, especially goalie, have been somewhat solid. 

[Crimson's Ghost]

The last time the website was upgraded the copy and paste somehow changes the font. I don't know how to fix it myself.