Pens vs Wings 2-18-16

[fractalsteel]

Looks like no Malkin again. The PP has only had 3-4 chances the past 4 games, in part(big time) to #71's absence.

Another way to look at Crosby's greatness is to look at Datsyuk. The Russian star just got his 900th point the other night and Crosby reached that milestone and took a decade less to do such. Incredible what #87 has done in the NHL.

Red Wings are banged up on the blue line so hopefully the Birdies can take advantage of that.

Chris Kunitz - Sidney Crosby - Patric Hornqvist

Carl Hagelin - Matt Cullen - Phil Kessel

Tom Kuhnhackl - Oskar Sundqvist - Bryan Rust

Scott Wilson - Kevin Porter - Conor Sheary

Olli Maatta - Kris Letang

Trevor Daley - Brian Dumoulin

Ben Lovejoy - Derrick Pouliot

Marc-Andre Fleury

Jeff Zatkoff

Injured: Evgeni Malkin (lower body), Beau Bennett (upper body), Nick Bonino (hand), David Warsofsky (concussion), Eric Fehr (lower body)

[Donnie Brasco]

If Malkin is out, please stop w/ the 4 F's nonsense

Horny Sid Kessel

Daley Letang

DONE

There is no other team that I despise outside of Detroit (I'm dead in the middle of Wing Country)

[swissvale72]

Lovejoy!! The Granite Stater!!

[fractalsteel]

When a team is struggling to score goals getting one from an unlikely source is bonus.

Good period. Kessel getting time with Crosby. Pens had several odd man chances.

Man, Sullivan was speaking about Sheary pregame like the guy is the best player on the team.

[Ice]

Lovejoy and Cullen. Little bit of secondary scoring never hurts with the current MASH unit state of the forward group.

[fractalsteel]

Wilson doubles the score with his first NHL goal.

[Ice]

Speaking of secondary scoring. MVP Sheary with the helper, too.

Hot Diggity Dog with the goal to make it 3-2, as well. Has looked good next to Sid. Hags and Horny looking good as a combo, too.

[Donnie Brasco]

I hate to be the downer, but I just don't feel like these lines are going to work how we want. It's like we have some really good forward pieces but I''m not sure they fit together. LW is a black hole for this team. The issue is Kunitz being next to Sid. Sid is going to make him look good when he really just kills plays. I don't want Kunitz off the team, I just want him moved to the bottom 6 but that'll never happen with the way Crosby has morphed into Beast Mode. Hags is good, I like him but I wonder if expecting him to be LW2 is too much of him long term?

Kunitz- Sid- Kessel
Tell me who is going to be responsible defensively? It's gonna be Sid coming ALLL the way beyond the goalline to help out. Look at Z's goal last night...that was Kunitz or Kessel not coming back to pick up the trailer

Here is what I would do when we are at full health:

Horny (he should be able to move to LW easily) - Sid - Kessel
Hags- Geno- Fehr/Rust
Kunitz - Bonino- Rust/Fehr
Cullen- Sundq- ????

[Ice]

I hear you on Kunitz, Donnie. It's just for some reason (and we know what that reason is), it would probably be easier to move him to another team than out of the Pens' top 6. Also, 4 million a year for a 3rd liner is rough, value-wise. I'm actually more afraid of the team not being willing and able to move away from the guy after this contract expires than I am of anything in the present.