GTOG's Crystal Ball, where we tell you the score of every Pens game. Part 3: December 2013

By Finesse (follow me on Twitter)

Part 1: October 2013
Part 2: November 2013

To catch you up: The Pens enter December on a 7-1-1 hot streak.  Crosby is only two back of Steven Stamkos for the league lead in points.  Evgeni Malkin has had an up and down season, with long stretches where he's the best player in the world but not producing as many goals as he should based on how dominant he looks.  Orpik is recovering from a broken hand and is expected to be out a few more weeks.  Vokoun has been eating into some of Fleury's playing time, but Bylsma steadfastly refuses to back off his stance that Fleury is the Pens' #1 goalie.  His stubborness pays off, to some degree, as Fleury is having another typically solid but not spectacular regular season.  Paul Martin is out with a concussion that isn't believed to be serious and Beau Bennett took a slash on the wrist and has missed 2 games.

TUE DEC 3, 2013 PENGUINS @ ISLANDERS

The Islanders are leading the Metro division, but are mired in a mini-slump that continues early as they take two questionable penalties early and Kunitz and Neal put the Pens up 2-0 early on the PP.  Fleury is caught flopping on the ice for a Tavares goal early in the second period and spends the rest of the night fighting off relentless punishment from the Nassau crowd.  Dupuis buries two even strength goals in the third, and all of a sudden the Pens are only 1 point out of the division lead.  Pens win, 4-1.

Record: 16-10-3, 35 PTS

THU DEC 5, 2013 SHARKS @ PENGUINS

Paul Martin is back from his concussion (Bennett is still out, and there are rumors he's seeking a second opinion on whether he has a fracture ... and yes, we're all confused about why it's so hard to tell), but the real story is the return of Tyler Kennedy.  The Pens appropriately play a tribute video, and TK actually makes a nice pass, confirmed by ELIAS to be the first of his career.  Jokinen ties it at 1 for the Pens late in the first period, but trouble comes in the second.  Crosby flies down the wing but has his legs taken out by a completely outmatched Brad Stuart.  He goes into the boards awkwardly and his head snaps back violently.  Grown men climb to their roofs to prepare themselves for worst-case scenario.  But when Sid gets up, it's not his head that you worry about.  It's the fact that he's not putting any pressure on his right leg.  Almost as if on cue, Malkin scores two third period goals, and an all-too-familiar story-line reemerges.  Pens win, 3-1.

Record: 17-10-3, 37 PTS

How long is Crosby out?  Keep reading to find out ...

SAT DEC 7, 2013 PENGUINS @ BRUINS

Sid doesn't make the trip and hasn't been heard from in two days.  Now it's not just Pittsburgh coming to a slow boiling panic, but all of Canada as the Olympics are only two months away.  The Pens play a smart, disciplined game in Boston, but can only must a goal from Despres.  The opportunistic Bruins score two early in the third and add an empty netter, but it's still four very good games in a row for Fleury.  Pens lose, 3-1.

Record: 17-11-3, 37 PTS

MON DEC 9, 2013 BLUE JACKETS @ PENGUINS

Still no word on Crosby, other than he hasn't skated.  The radical fringe is starting to design their worst-case scenarios.  But first there's a game to be played, and for whatever reason, the Pens have Columbus' number, and handle the Jackets relatively easily for the third time this season.  Malkin picks up two assists, and Neal and Jeffrey each pick up two goals.  Artistry considers how he might approach his wife to advocate changing their son's name to Dustin.  To seem reasonable, he will actually allow her to choose from either Dustin or Jeffrey. Pens win, 4-1.

Record: 18-11-3, 39 PTS

This is the year.

FRI DEC 13, 2013 DEVILS @ PENGUINS

Despite 4 straight days of denials from Ray Shero and Dan Bylsma that Crosby's injury is serious, Artistry's co-workers are hearing that Sid's collision with the boards knocked loose a cancerous gland in his hip, which will require full amputation of the lower body.  They're also not ready to rule out the possibility that in addition to collecting the remainder of his $104 million salary, Crosby will be suing the Pittsburgh Sports and Exhibition Authority for an additional $100 million.  Meanwhile, Artistry's cousins have it on good authority that Evgeni Malkin is unhappy in Pittsburgh and will be exercising the "defection" clause in the contract he secretly signed with the KHL over the summer and will not return to the Penguins after the Olympics.  Somehow, in the face of all these distractions, the Pens win again.  Pens are 11-2-1 in their last 14 games. Pens win, 3-2.

Record: 19-11-3, 41 PTS

SAT DEC 14, 2013 PENGUINS @ RED WINGS

The Pens give Vokoun a start and he gives up a softy early, but keeps the Pens from getting blown out in the first period, despite being outshot 17-4.  For the first time since Sid got hurt, the Pens look legitimately outmatched.  Kunitz and Dupuis look horrible, and Artistry texts me, "Hands and Dupuis look old. I'm very uncomfortable with this."  I write back, "I'm following on my phone. Hands will come around. I'm not that worried."  Pens lose, 3-1.

Record: 19-12-3, 41 PTS

MON DEC 16, 2013 MAPLE LEAFS @ PENGUINS

On Monday morning, we finally get positive news that Sid is skating again.  He takes the ice with Orpik and Bennett before the morning skate.  Dave Molinari tweets, "It looks like this #87 kid still knows what he's doing," after Crosby goes 5-hole on a Shooter Tutor.  In the four full games with Sid out of the lineup, Malkin only has a total of 3 assists and zero goals.  Ron Cook writes, "Where the Malkin we used to see?  I mean, really?"  Malkin picks up a goal and an assist, but it's Kris Letang who steals the show with 2 goals, plus the shootout winner. Pens win, 4-3 in a shootout.

Record: 20-12-3, 43 PTS

WED DEC 18, 2013 PENGUINS @ RANGERS

The first place Rangers!  Brad Richards has enjoyed a renaissance season under Alain Vigneault and Chris Kreider has 12 goals, which is great validation for the people who insisted he was good despite the fact that he entered the 2013-14 season with a total of two regular season goals in the NHL.  A classic no-show game for the Pens in MSG, which causes Artistry, for the second straight season, to simply do an angry sarcastic recap of the loss after the second period, then call it a night.  At least it wasn't Fleury getting lit up. Pens lose, 5-1.

Record: 20-13-3, 43 PTS

THU DEC 19, 2013 WILD @ PENGUINS

Brooks Orpik returns, and as if on cue, Rob Scuderi takes a shot off the foot and hobbles to the locker room.  Paul Martin follows up on the next shift with a terrible turnover.  Now not only are the Pens down 1-0, but Artistry is getting bombarded with more emails about how the Pens should have traded Paul Martin instead of Zbynek Michalek and how it doesn't matter what anyone says, Paul Martin is soft.  With Letang off for a coincidental roughing minor midway through the third, Paul Martin jumps into a 3-on-2 rush and floats a wrister top shelf.  Pens win, 3-2.

Record: 21-13-3, 45 PTS

SAT DEC 21, 2013 FLAMES @ PENGUINS

Beau Bennett scores on his first shift back in the lineup with an assist from Brian Dumoulin in his first ever NHL game.  The rest of the game is a huge no-show from the Pens big guns, and the fans wonder how it is possible that the Pens are still tied at 1 against a team as bad as Calgary.  Boyfriends all across Allegheny County who splurged on tickets are assuring their girlfriends that games are usually more exciting than this.  Matt Stajan with the winner in a shootout.  Pens lose, 2-1 in a shootout.

Record: 21-13-4, 46 PTS

MON DEC 23, 2013 PENGUINS @ SENATORS

Crosby does not accompany the team to Ottawa, but he did practice with the team for 10 minutes in a non-contact jersey.  Crosby panic is subsiding, which means the heat turns to Malkin's relatively pedestrian level of play with Crosby out.  He elevates in Ottawa, and it's an old-school game for the Kunitz-Neal-Malkin line.  They each end up with a goal and two assists, and Brian Dumoulin scores his first career goal.  We might have a player on our hands.  Pens win, 4-2.

Record: 22-13-4, 48 PTS

FRI DEC 27, 2013 PENGUINS @ HURRICANES

With four days to search for story lines, it's discovered that Fleury hasn't given up more than 3 goals in a game since November 20th (and has only given up three goals three times).  He hasn't answered the long-term goaltending controversy, but he's at least quieted the game-by-game debate.  Malkin scores again and adds an assist on a Tanner Glass goal (it was a long shift), but the Pens are still struggling to find consistent scoring depth without Crosby.  Bylsma scores big with the fan base by leaving Dumoulin in the lineup even with the return of Rob Scuderi.  Jordan Staal's first big goal as a Hurricane comes in overtime.  Pens lose, 3-2 in overtime.

Record: 22-13-5, 49 PTS 

SUN DEC 29, 2013 PENGUINS @ BLUE JACKETS

The domination of the Blue Jackets continues, and so does the stat padding.  Hatty on the road for Malkin, and Letang comes within a post of getting his own hat trick.  A five point night for both of them.  At the halfway point of the season, the Pens are on a 102 point pace.  Pens win, 7-2.

Record: 23-13-5, 51 PTS

TUE DEC 31, 2013 PENGUINS @ DEVILS

Jagr's out with a groin, Brodeur is out with an ab, and Ryan Clowe has 5 goals in 40 games.  In other words, it's not a good season for the Devils.  Malkin scores two more goals, giving him 12 points on the 4-game road trip.  All of a sudden, he's 4th in the league in scoring.  And by the way, Crosby joined the team in Newark and participated fully in the morning skate.  Pens win, 4-2.

Record: 24-13-5, 53 PTS

Even with an injury to Crosby and inconsistent play for Malkin, the Pens clawed their way to a 9-3-2 December, which means they're on a 16-4-3 run.  They're within 4 points behind the Bruins and Rangers for first place in the East.  Brian Dumoulin is playing like a younger Brooks Orpik, Beau Bennett may not be scoring but he's playing well, and Marc-Andre Fleury is posting the highest save percentage of his career.  Crosby is 13 points off the scoring lead, but his return is imminent.  Can he catch Stamkos?  Will Malkin pass them both?  These are the questions that a team with nothing to gain from the regular season is annually asking itself at the season's halfway point.

Part 1: October 2013
Part 2: November 2013

GTOG's Crystal Ball, where we tell you the score of every Pens game. Part 2: November 2013

By Finesse (follow me on Twitter)

Part 1: October 2013

The Pens enter November coming off a loss to Boston and sit under .500 with none of their big offseason extensions -- Dupuis, Kunitz, Malkin, and Letang -- playing at their level from last season.  Fans are anxious, wondering not only if Dan Bylsma's head is with Team USA, but also whether Shero made a huge mistake re-signing him this offseason.  Fleury remains solidly unspectacular, Simon Despres remains under-utilized (or maybe underwhelming?), and everything is under the microscope.  Let's see how November plays out.

Game 14: FRI NOV 1, 2013 BLUE JACKETS @ PENGUINS

Vokoun gets the nod for the first of a home-and-home against Columbus, which naturally results in a shutout and the inevitable dilemma about who should start on Saturday.  Chris Kunitz gets a hat trick and James Neal pumps in the other two goals as the Pens chase Curtis McElhinney, who was filling in for Sergei Bobrovsky.  Pens win, 5-0.

Record: 6-6-2, 14 PTS

Game 15: SAT NOV 2, 2013 PENGUINS @ BLUE JACKETS

Bylsma sticks with the hot goalie, but really it's the Pens defense and the lack of scoring from Columbus that results in only 22 shots by the Blue Jackets.  Estimates of the number of Pens fans in attendance range from 6,000-10,000.  Paul Martin picks up three assists to pass Letang in scoring among Pens defensemen; all of the Tribune-Review hockey reporters tweet "Where would this team be without Paul Martin?" at the exact same time in the 3rd period.  Pens win, 3-1.

Record: 7-6-2, 16 PTS

Keep reading to find out where this team would be without Paul Martin...


Game 16: WED NOV 6, 2013 PENGUINS @ RANGERS

Vokoun gets his third straight start, but after three full days of rest, he cools off.  Beau Bennett snipes Lundqvist while on the ice with the Pens second-PP unit, but a vintage Brad Richards game (1 goal and 1 assist on the PP with another helper at even strength) is enough for the Rangers.  Dupuis scores late to make it close, but Dominic Moore seals it with an empty netter.  The big news after the game is that Brooks Orpik, who left in the 3rd period after blocking a shot, may have a broken hand.  Pens lose, 4-2.  

Record: 7-7-2, 16 PTS

Karma has a long memory.

Game 17: SAT NOV 9, 2013 PENGUINS @ BLUES

Even though there are dozens of replay angles showing that the Del Zotto slapshot from the last game hit Brooks Orpik square on the hand, Dan Bylsma refuses to admit that it's a broken hand; instead, emboldened by being the Olympic coach, he declares Orpik out indefinitely with "an extremity."  Bob Bortuzzo gets called up to replace Orpik, a terrible sign for Brian Dumoulin, who remains in Wilkes-Barre.  Joe Vitale dresses because he's from St. Louis.  The Blues are all over the Pens for much of the game, exploiting the fact that Engelland, Despres, and Bortuzzo are all dressed.  Letang plays 29 minutes and we complain that those types of minutes are neither sustainable nor desirable for a guy you need to be healthy for the next 9 years.  But Letang skates like the wind the whole time, and ices the game with the shootout winner.  It's Fleury's best game of the season.  Pens win, 2-1 in a shootout.

Record: 8-7-2, 18 PTS

Game 18: WED NOV 13, 2013 FLYERS @ PENGUINS

This game excites you and disappoints you all at once.  Malkin generates 19 shots at even strength in his most dominant performance of the season, but like he does too often, he ends up not scoring a single goal.  Kunitz deflects two pucks in the net, but one of them is controversially waved off as a high-stick.  Even more controversially, Bylsma is assessed a 2-minute unsportsmanlike conduct penalty for arguing the call; the Flyers tie the game at 1 on the ensuing power-play late in the second period.  Max Talbot scores early in the 3rd after inexplicably beating Letang to an icing touch-up then banking the puck in off Fleury's leg from behind the net.  James Neal hits the post twice in a row off offensive zone faceoff wins from Malkin.  Crosby toasts Mark Streit for a half-breakaway with 90 seconds left.  Steve Mason says no dice.  Pens lose, 3-2.

Record: 8-8-2, 18 PTS

Team USA will be well coached.

Game 19: FRI NOV 15, 2013 PREDATORS @ PENGUINS

David Legwand scores 11 seconds after we make fun of the Predators for the fact that David f'ing Legwand is their best player.  On the podcast after the game, Finesse can't stop calling him Damon Legwand.  Malkin and Crosby each take deflected pucks to the face and require stitches.  Bob Bortuzzo fights Matt Hendricks for like 10 minutes.  The Pens are pretty much a no-show for most of the game.  Letang misses the net on two point blank slap shots on a 2-minute 5-on-3 power play with 8 minutes left in the third period.  A gassed and frustrated group then allows the Preds to score as soon as the penalties expire to take a 2-0 lead.  Shea Weber adds one on the PP after a makeup call.  Boo birds out in full force.  Brandon Sutter scores with 21 seconds left to break the shutout, but really he's just messing with your head.  Pens lose, 3-1.

Record: 8-9-2, 18 PTS

Game 20: SAT NOV 16, 2013 PENGUINS @ DEVILS

Is Dan Bylsma coaching for his job?  How uncomfortable would it be for Ray Shero to fire him in November, then work with him again in February?  Is there a columnist in Pittsburgh who isn't comparing the aging Pens' defense with the aging Steelers' defense? Adding to the team's woes, James Neal is a late scratch with an "upper body injury."  No word on whether it's also an extremity.  Saving grace for the Pens: Devils are the worst team in the East.  Two goals for Dupuis, plus a Dustin Jeffrey sighting. Pens win, 3-2.

Record: 9-9-2, 20 PTS

Game 21: MON NOV 18, 2013 DUCKS @ PENGUINS

A classic "our best players are better than your best players" game.  The Ducks have a lot of talent, but the Pens have more of it.  Malkin and Crosby each have a goal and an assist with James Neal sitting out his second straight game.  Simon Despres plays the best game of his career.  Pens win, 4-2.

Record: 10-9-2, 22 PTS

Game 22: WED NOV 20, 2013 PENGUINS @ CAPITALS

With Finesse in attendance, stakes are always high.  Brandon Sutter scores two goals and Chris Kunitz adds another pair, but Mike Green ties it late for the Caps on the PP.  Ovechkin and Crosby each score in the shootout, but Green comes through again as the Caps' third shooter to seal the win.  GAME OVER GREEN!!!  Pens lose, 5-4 in a shootout.

Record: 10-9-3, 23 PTS

Game 23: FRI NOV 22, 2013 ISLANDERS @ PENGUINS

The Isles are still red-hot and are leading the Metropolitan Division.  John Tavares is leading a lot of MVP ballots at the quarter point of the season.  Vokoun gets the start and plays out of his mind in the first period, stopping 17 of 18 shots.  The Pens are lucky to be down only 1-0.  But like the playoffs, the better team usually wins, and the Pens' grunts do the heavy lifting.  Dustin Jeffrey picks up a goal and an assist, and even Tanner Glass scores a real NHL goal.  Brandon Sutter scores another empty netter.  Pens win, 4-1.

Record: 11-9-3, 25 PTS

Game 24: SAT NOV 23, 2013 PENGUINS @ CANADIENS

It's Hockey Night in Canada and P.K. Subban is in full trolling mode.  He scores an early PP goal for the Habs, then sends Evgeni Malkin to the locker room on a controversial knee-on-knee hit that goes un-penalized.  Kris Letang gets a 10-minute misconduct in the ensuing scuffle.  Brandon Sutter scores for the third straight game to tie it up early in the third, but Fleury lets in a softy only 40 seconds later.  The Pens can't solve Carey Price.  Malkin's injury is not believed to be serious, and he returns for the third period.  Pens lose, 2-1.

Record: 11-10-3, 25 PTS

The worst.

Game 25: MON NOV 25, 2013 PENGUINS @ BRUINS

Motivated by an emotional Sunday morning GTOG post titled, "Are the Pens really this mediocre?", the team responds with its best effort of the season on the road.  Crosby, Dupuis, and Letang score as the club welcomes back James Neal just in time for him to try to chop down Zdeno Chara.  Loui Eriksson scores on a penalty shot for Boston in an otherwise uninspiring performance from the B's.  Pens are suddenly 4-1-1 in their past 6.  Pens win, 3-1.

Record: 12-10-3, 27 PTS

Game 26: WED NOV 27, 2013 MAPLE LEAFS @ PENGUINS

Uh oh.  An ugly collision with Dave Bolland sends Paul Martin to the quiet room in the first period, ruining Artistry's Thanksgiving.  PMPM doesn't return.  Beau Bennett takes a slash on the wrist and he heads to the showers early as well.  Kris Letang steps up in the Prime Minister's absence and takes advantage of a struggling Jonathan Bernier to score twice and set up Crosby for a tap-in on the PP.  Pascal Dupuis adds a shorthanded softy.  Vokoun with his second straight win.  Pens win, 4-1.

Record: 13-10-3, 29 PTS

Game 27: FRI NOV 29, 2013 PENGUINS @ LIGHTNING

Paul Martin and Beau Bennett are both held out, though the speculation is that neither injury is serious.  Malkin, who was slowed by a bruised thigh following the collision with Subban, looks to be back at full strength.  The teams trade goals to get to 3-3, but Geno breaks it open in the third with a brilliant coast-to-coast individual effort.  Sutter and Despres add two insurance goals.  Stamkos scores again.  He leads the league with 22 goals in only 26 games.  Pens win, 6-3.

Record: 14-10-3, 31 PTS

Game 28: SAT NOV 30, 2013 PENGUINS @ PANTHERS

The fans are clamoring for Vokoun -- why mess with a good thing? -- but Bylsma gives the veteran netminder a rest in favor of Fleury.  His faith in Flower pays off.  Crosby picks up 4 assists, including two that make the SportsCenter Top 10 plays.  Pens spend much of the third period trying to get James Neal a hat trick.  Pens win, 5-2.

Record: 15-10-3, 33 PTS

OUTLOOK

Things got hairy for a while, but the Pens end the month on a 7-1-1 streak.  Crosby passed Tavares for second in the league in scoring with the 4 point night in Miami, and is now only two back of Stamkos for the league lead in points.  The Pens are tied for second in the Metro Division with the Rangers, who have won 7 in a row thanks to a rejuvenated Brad Richards and an MVP-like season from Henrik Lundqvist, who reminds you that he's more than a product of John Tortorella's system.  The Islanders still lead the division but don't have a regulation win in their past 5 games.  The calls for Dan Bylsma's head have abated for the time being, though the advanced stat community is pointing out that the Pens' puck possession numbers are middle of the pack.  Orpik is still about a month away from returning from hand surgery, but Paul Martin is back at practice.  God bless the USA.

Part 1: October 2013

GTOG's Crystal Ball, where we tell you the score of every Pens game. Part 1: October 2013

By Finesse (follow me on Twitter)

Jump to November 2013

Some people ask, "why waste time in July predicting all 82 games of the upcoming Penguins season?"  To which we respond, "why wouldn't we?"  Without further ado, we bring you the first of several installments breaking down every game on the Pens' schedule.

Game 1: THU OCT 3, 2013 DEVILS @ PENGUINS 

This will be remembered as "The Dan Potash Game" because for the first time in over 20 years, the Pens/Pirates in-between-periods-guy has a legitimate dilemma on his hands, as Pens opening night coincides with Game 2 of the Pirates-Dodgers NLDS.  Another return-to-Pittsburgh game for Jaromir Jagr registers about 50% of the buzz of a usual home-opener for the Pens with all eyes on the Buccos in L.A.  Brandon Sutter tallies a goal and an assist -- the first game in which he's registered both a goal and an assist as a Penguin -- in a 4-2 win (the goal is an empty netter).  This buys Sutter 10 more games before anyone in the Pittsburgh media realizes, "hey, it's been 10 games since Brandon Sutter scored."  Pens win, 4-2. 

Record: 1-0; 2 PTS

The rest of October after the jump...

Game 2: SAT OCT 5, 2013 SABRES @ PENGUINS

The Pirates staved off elimination in Game 3 against the Dodgers with a 10th inning walk-off homer from Garrett Jones in the late afternoon.  Eighteen thousand lubed-up fans make the trip to Consol, where Fleury makes 33 saves but is outplayed by Ryan Miller, who makes 42 saves in his audition for Team USA and probably another NHL team at the trade deadline.  Pens lose, 2-1.

Record: 1-1; 2 PTS

The good ol' days.

Game 3: TUE OCT 8, 2013 HURRICANES @ PENGUINS

Coming off a strong start, Fleury plays his third game in a row. Crosby scores his first goal of the season, adds an assist on a James Neal power-play goal, then goes 5-hole on Cam Ward for the shootout winner.  Evgeni Malkin hasn't scored yet and Ron Cook is starting to wonder whether Geno's contract extension was a mistake: "This is going to sound crazy.  Is it just me, or would the Pens be better off if Malkin and his $9.5 million cap hit retired and went back to Russia?  I warned you. Crazy, right?"  Pens win, 3-2 in a shootout.

Record: 2-1; 4 PTS

(Also, the Pirates were eliminated).

Game 4: FRI OCT 11, 2013 PENGUINS @ PANTHERS

Vokoun gets his first start of the year because he played for the Panthers three years ago so obviously he knows all their tendencies.  He looks relatively awful, the Pens give up three power-play goals, and Kris Letang is on the ice for a total of four goals against.  Is the Letang contract extension also a mistake?  Pens lose, 5-2.  

Record: 2-2; 4 PTS

Game 5: SAT OCT 12, 2013 PENGUINS @ LIGHTNING

Was the Dan Bylsma extension also a mistake?  Is the Team USA job taking some of his focus away from the Pens?  Will Steven Stamkos score 50 goals in 50 games?  (He notches a hat trick, giving him 7 goals in Tampa's first 5 games).  None of the goals against are Fleury's fault; we point out on a semi-panicked post-game podcast that he still gave up 5 goals.  Pens lose, 5-1.

Record: 2-3; 4 PTS

Game 6: TUE OCT 15, 2013 OILERS @ PENGUINS

Artistry turns in an all-time great parenting effort on October 13th and 14th because he hasn't been this excited for a regular season Pens game in years and it requires his full attention.  The question is not whether he scores a ticket to the game (of course he does), but which Oiler he falls most in love with.  His mind tells him Taylor Hall is their best player, but his heart is torn between Jordan Eberle and an emerging Nail Yakupov.  Vegas refuses to take bets on whether he says after the game, "I'll tell you what, I think that David Perron trade was really smart."

Unfortunately for Edmonton, Evgeni Malkin takes advantage of their weak defense and goaltending to score his first two goals of the season.  He turns down an easy empty net hat trick to feed it to Craig Adams for the icing on the cake.  Pens win, 5-3.

Record: 3-3; 6 PTS

Game 7: THU OCT 17, 2013 PENGUINS @ FLYERS

Sidney Crosby scores on the first shift of the game; the Flyers respond with three goals in the last five minutes of the first period, leading to a fanbase-wide Twitter meltdown between periods.  Bylsma's decision to stick with Flower pays off, as he makes several huge stops to keep the Pens in the hunt long enough for Kris Letang and Jussi Jokinen to tie it up in the third.  Matt Read scores on a slapshot from the top of the circle with 18 seconds left in overtime.  Pens lose, 4-3 in OT.

Record: 3-3-1; 7 PTS

Game 8: SAT OCT 19, 2013 CANUCKS @ PENGUINS

It's early enough in the Canucks' season that their best players don't yet have broken feet from playing under John Tortorella's "Left-Wing-bLOCKshot" system.  The Sedins make their first visit to Pittsburgh since 2008.  Unfortunately they aren't better than Crosby and Malkin, who each pick up 3 points as the Pens go 3-for-4 on the power-play, led by two tallies from Kris Letang. There's a reason these guys make so much money.  A relatively easy 24 save effort for Tomas Vokoun.  Pens win, 4-2.

Record: 4-3-1; 9 PTS

Game 9: MON OCT 21, 2013 AVALANCHE @ PENGUINS

Beau Bennett's break out game.  He hadn't scored in the first 8 games, but picks up two early ones as the Pens jump out to a 3-0 lead early.  Things get hairy as the Pens try to force-feed BB for a hat trick on the power-play, leading directly to an Avs shorthanded goal to cut the lead to 3-2 early in the third period.  Pascal Dupuis answers with a shorty of his own, and Tanner Glass ruins our 0-for-82 dream with an empty netter.  Pens win, 5-2.

Record: 5-3-1; 11 PTS

Game 10: FRI OCT 25, 2013 ISLANDERS @ PENGUINS

The Pens enter this game with a decent record, but something still doesn't feel right.  Your hesitancy in letting your walls down for this team is rewarded in this game, where even Rob Scuderi is left standing helpless as the Isles score 3 power-play goals and chase Tomas Vokoun.  Chris Kunitz gets ejected and suspended 2 games for boarding.  The Islanders are in first place in the Eastern Conference after 10 games.  Pens lose, 5-1.

Record: 5-4-1; 11 PTS

Game 11: SAT OCT 26, 2013 PENGUINS @ MAPLE LEAFS

Fleury gets the nod for the second game of a back-to-back.  The Leafs buzz all game, but a strong effort from Flower and a late PP goal from Malkin get the Pens to overtime.  James Van Riemsdyk puts some sick move on Simon Despres in front of the Pens net to win it for the Leafs in OT.  Pens lose, 3-2 in OT.

Record: 5-4-2; 12 PTS

Game 12: MON OCT 28, 2013 PENGUINS @ HURRICANES

If the playoffs started today, the Pens would be the #8 seed and you find yourself saying, "I really hope we can avoid the Islanders in the first round.  This would be a huge two points."  Crosby scores a goal, but with Kunitz serving the second game of his suspension and Beau Bennett not scoring consistently, the lines are a mess.  Matt D'Agostini actually plays 17:30 in this game alongside Crosby.  This is when you realize why the Pens were able to get him for the league minimum.  The good news is that Brandon Sutter scores his second of the year.  The bad news:  Pens lose, 3-2.

Record: 5-5-2; 12 PTS

Game 13: WED OCT 30, 2013 BRUINS @ PENGUINS

The worst part about this game is not that it's a playoff rematch against a team we hate, but that there will be a few dozen Pens' fans who boo Jarome Iginla, which in turns leads to lazy local columnists attributing those boos to the entire fan-base.  Iginla and Chara each score for Boston, and all the Pens can muster is a 5-on-3 goal from Evgeni Malkin.  Pens lose, 2-1.

Record: 5-6-2; 12 PTS

OUTLOOK

The story line heading into November is the organization's lack of forward depth, something that was apparent going into the season but was greatly exacerbated by the Kunitz suspension, Bennett not burying it consistently, and Pascal Dupuis struggling to put up the numbers to match his contract.  There's early talk about trying to flip the 3rd round draft pick the Pens got from trading Matt Niskanen into a forward.  Rob Rossi is hearing from other people's Twitter accounts that the Pens have scouts in Minnesota and are potentially interested in Dany Heatley, a pending unrestricted free agent.  Crosby is a three-game hot streak away from leading the league in scoring, but still has another gear (or two) to hit.  Geno isn't producing well at even strength, so neither is James Neal.  Derek Engelland is playing almost every game, while a 22-year-old, 6'4", 220lb Brian Dumoulin grinds it out in Wilkes-Barre. When will the Pens flip the switch?

Jump to November 2013

The Penguins are in the Metropolitan Division. Huh?

By Finesse (follow me on Twitter)

The NHL announced a few months ago that it would go with geographic descriptors for division names, then proceeded to include cities like Columbus and Raleigh in something called the Metropolitan Division, which doesn't really describe anything.  The goal of using geographic terms for division names was either: a) to be risk-averse instead of going with Gretzky, Orr, Howe, and Lemieux or even the old Patrick, Adams, Norris and Smythe names; or b) to avoid confusing the "casual" fan.

As for concern that a team like Montreal wouldn't like raising an "Orr Division Championship" banner, did the '85 Bears refuse to hold the Lombardi Trophy?  Did Kobe Bryant of the Lakers refuse to accept the Bill Russell award as NBA Finals MVP?

And no offense, but any person who would find the traditional names so confusing as to preclude investment in the sport probably doesn't have a ton of purchasing power.  Is there someone not watching the NFL because they don't understand why the St. Louis Rams are in the NFC West or the Dallas Cowboys are in the NFC East?

The Metropolitan Division name is a classic "Offend no one; Satisfy no one" situation.  Obviously we will get over this moments after this post is published and it will not impact our enjoyment of the game at all.  But still, it's kinda lame, no?

Better names.

Podcast: Mike Colligan joins us to discuss the Pens' offseason

Mike Colligan of The Hockey Writers joins the podcast for an in-depth discussion of the Pens' offseason.  We touch on everything -- the Boston series, Rob Scuderi, Matt D'Agostini, Dan Bylsma, Letang/Kunitz/Dupuis/Adams signings, Fleury, and what moves are still left to make.  Plus so much else.  We even debate whether Rob Scuderi got burned by Ovechkin four years ago.  It's a can't miss GTOG Podcast.

You can listen below or on our Spreaker page.  If you want to take the podcast mobile, either click here to subscribe on iTunes, or download the Spreaker app for iPhone or Android.

No Contract for Old Men: Scuderi, Dupuis, Kunitz and Adams

By Artistry

Ray Shero has had a brilliant July, so why does it smell like old people in here? Uh, that's easy. It's because the Penguins just handed a combined $40 million to the guys in the headline -- in deals that will keep them in Pittsburgh until they're 38, 37, 38, and 38, respectively. For now, those four join Brooks Orpik (33 in September), Paul Martin (32), Tomas Vokoun (37), Jussi Jokinen (30), and Tanner Glass (30 in November) as regulars in the 2013-14 lineup. No reason to panic about these numbers, but let's face it, sometimes people go from "old man strong" to "I've fallen, and I can't get up" in the blink of a swollen Deryk Engelland eye. Wait. What's that? Holy shit. I'm being told Deryk Engelland is already 31.

Craig Adams, Jr.

Here's the paradox of this off-season: you can't argue about any of Shero's moves if you look at them in isolation. But if you look at the roster as a whole and don't feel at least mildly uncomfortable, you haven't been paying attention. Why Shero isn't done, after the jump...

As a predicate, Shero is the best in the business at understanding the market and underpaying when virtually every other team is giving the Tyler Bozaks of the world $21,000,000. Or locking up an injury-prone Nathan Horton, who last scored as many as 30 goals 7 years ago by the way, for 7 more years at $37 million. Or buying out their last big mistake. Really, we could do a dissertation on why pretty much every deal this done summer was a bad one, but who has the time? Rob Scuderi is probably the only big-name UFA who didn't get massively overpaid. And yes, he is exactly what the Pens need on the back-end.

EXACTLY.

Pascal Dupuis and Chris Kunitz? Both just signed for $1 million a year less than they could have gotten on the market. No question. Kunitz was first team all-NHL for God's sake, and he took a million a year less than Ryan Clowe got from New Jersey. Ryan Clowe scored three goals last season. THREE! OK, I know I said I wasn't going to get into this, but look:

- In Ryan Clowe's best season, he had 24 goals. Dupuis and Kunitz just scored 20 and 22, respectively, in 48 GAMES.

- Patrick Elias just signed an over-35-year-old-so-say-goodbye-to-this-money-forever 3 year, $5.5M a year contract after scoring 14 goals.

- Toronto decided to pay Dave Clarkson $5.25M a year every year until he's 36. His career high in points is 46. Over 80 games. Kunitz just scored 52 points in 48 games.

- Detroit just handed Daniel Alfredsson $5.5M, perhaps with the hope he can, what, double his 10-goal output from last season?

Do we see a pattern yet? The Dupuis and Kunitz deals were GREAT signings. Stellar signings. Inarguably.

"We're rich, hahahaha, rich! What? You mean Matt Cullen got $3.5M a year?"

You have a problem with re-signing Craig Adams for 2 years at $700K per? Fine. But you won't find better value. Adams is arguably the Pens' top penalty killer and was one of maybe two guys (Vokoun being the other) who actually played over his head in the Boston series. And he costs virtually nothing.

See? It's as easy as can be to make the case for all of these moves, but it doesn't change the fact that the Pens already tried and failed to win the Cup with an aging all-star team. It also does nothing to address the glaring holes in the bottom 6, where Matt Cooke, Brenden Morrow, Jarome Iginla, and Tyler Kennedy used to reside. Now we're looking at Jokinen, Glass, Vitale, Dustin Jeffrey, and Adams, with no legitimate depth beyond them. Anybody think Brandon Sutter is going to carry this group? Anyone? This is the first time I can recall that there is no realistic chance for any minor league forward prospect to make the team out of camp. Who's going to do it? You Dom Uher? You Tom Kuehnhackl?

Pretty dramatic, Tom Kuehnhackl.

There needs to be a youth infusion, and the bet here is it's still pending. Matt Niskanen is now a must-move, and Engelland, Jokinen, and Glass may have some (limited) trade value as well. With the Pens right up against the cap and with the aforementioned holes, it's worth exploring. And don't discount the possibility that there is some team out there drooling over Marc-Andre Fleury, who with a change of scenery could easily regain his 2008-2009 playoff form. He can fetch assets, even though the Penguins would be selling low, low, low. What the Pens need in return for some or all of these players are cheap, fast forwards, with room to grow. If Fleury goes, they'll need another goalie, too.

Over the next three months, when the free agent frenzy has long subsided, that's when Shero will really need to earn his GM-of-the-year title. This isn't over.

Letang, Dupuis, Ovechkin, and all the other happenings in the NHL

By Finesse (follow me on Twitter)

A lot has happened since our last post on Monday, so let's get to it.

The Letang Extension

The more we think about it, the more we like it.  At the beginning of Kris Letang Trade Week, we said that the Pens' best course of action was to sign Letang for 8 years at $7M per season.  They got him signed for 8 years at $7.25M, so we can't really complain.  It must have been incredibly tempting for Shero to see what he could get for Letang in a trade, but regardless of the return, here's the landscape Shero was staring at that made it clear Letang was a must-sign: an 82 game schedule where the Pens would be dependent on Paul Martin to be the team's best offensive and defensive defenseman for 26 minutes a night.  We're as big of PM fans as anyone, but that's probably because we've always maintained realistic expectations about his role.  And number one defenseman is not Paul Martin's role.

All things considered, not bad.

If the Pens had traded Letang in exchange for anything less than a bonafide top-2 defenseman, the Pens immediately become a team in desperate need of another minutes-eating defenseman.  And desperation leads to overpaying someone from this incredibly underwhelming list of free agent defensemen.  Basically, this is the classic "a maddeningly frustrating but uber-talented French-Canadian defenseman in hand is better than an overpaid Jeff Schultz and Andrew Ference in the bush" situation.

While a $7.25M cap hit is high, remember the following: the extension doesn't kick in until after next season when the cap is expected to rise.  And if you have been paying attention to some of the huge contracts being thrown at much lesser players than Letang (Lecavailer, Streit, etc), there are two takeaways: either other owners are wildly overpaying mid-level players again, thereby making the Letang signing look even better, OR economic models are very bullish on the NHL's revenue growth, which would make the Letang signing more affordable long-term.

It's a big financial risk, no question about that.  Letang has a ton of issues, and it's clear from the fact that almost all of his mistakes are mental that he isn't being coached properly by a coaching staff that is returning for at least another two years.  But it also wouldn't be surprising if Letang pocketed a few Norris Trophies during the next 9 years.  Of the Pens' three mega-deals, Letang is the only one who still has upside.  Good signing.

More on Dupuis, Bylsma, Ovechkin, and Shero after the jump...


The Pascal Dupuis signing: 4 years, $3.75M/year cap hit

This is a closer call than the Letang extension because Dupuis is 34 and is not the potentially transcendent talent that Letang is.  But before we dive into the weeds on his deal, a global point: it's not a bad thing that Pascal Dupuis is on the Pens for the next 4 years.  The guy is one of the most efficient scorers in the league, he kills penalties, and he can play on any line on either wing.  He's also durable ("doorable" as Pittsburghers would say), having missed a total of 13 games in the past 5 seasons.  Worst case scenario is he's a 40-50 point guy for the next 2 years (all at even strength), then drops to a 3rd-line caliber player for the final two years.  There are worse things than Pascal Dupuis on your 3rd line.

But it is a long commitment to a 34 year-old.  Hockey players can decline rapidly, and it's not like Dupuis has a singular skill he can fall back on to remain useful if his body starts to go.

Like the Letang extension, the landscape and trajectory of the Pens necessitated this deal.  The pressure on the Pens to win another Cup is enormous, and the Pens' best chance to do that this year or next is with Pascal Dupuis.  Whatever the consequences of this deal are in 3 or 4 years can be dealt with in 3 or 4 years.  Dupuis-Kunitz-Crosby was the best line in hockey last season, and there's no reason it can't be the best line in hockey again next season.  You don't let that walk.

Dan Bylsma will coach Team USA

The other choices were Peter Laviolette, who might not be that good of a coach, and John Tortorella, who just got fired by the Rangers and is an enormous asshole in public, thereby disqualifying himself from the honor of representing his country on the international stage.  Bylsma was a no-brainer.

This is now the second time that Laviolette and Tortorella were passed over for a job in favor of Dan Bylsma -- you'll recall that both guys were out of work when the Pens tapped DB to replace Michel Therrien and there were reports that both were interested in the Pens job (as we discussed here).  The world awaits whether Laviolette and Tortorella will be passed over for the assistant coach positions, or whether Team USA will do the gutless thing and pick them.

Alex Ovechkin makes the All-Star team twice

If you missed it, here is the quick summary of what happened:  The Professional Hockey Writers' Association, consisting of approximately 180 of the most important people on the continent, selected Alex Ovechkin as first-team All-Star right wing and as a second-team All-Star left wing.  Apparently the NHL kept Ovechkin listed as a left winger even after he switched to the right side early in the season.  (In a related story, Alex Rodriguez's lawyer is considereing the "switched to the right side" defense for his client in the Biogenisis case).  The PHWA had to send out a memo to its members that Ovechkin should be considered a right winger for awards purposes.  Nevertheless, 45 writers voted Ovechkin a left wing, enough for him to earn a spot at both sides.  Read about it here for more clarity.

What makes this so embarrassing is not that people voted for Ovechkin as a left wing (the PHWA's procedure seems terrible), but that the PHWA or the NHL didn't just step in and say, "Oops, our bad.  We sent out a late memo and his position was listed as LW on the NHL site so we apologize for the lack of clarity.  But because he won first-team RW anyway, we'll just throw out his LW votes and everyone wins."  There is not a single person in the world, other than maybe Ovechkin, who would have objected to this idea.  By allowing Ovechkin to be nominated twice, the NHL and PHWA created a problem out of nothing.

Our official position: IT'S THE ALL-STAR TEAM WHO CARES.

Ray Shero's luster

Ray has lost a little bit of his "In Shero We Trust" luster over the past few years, but here's why he's one of the best GM's in the league: he doesn't do anything crazy, and he rarely overpays.

The Iginla-Morrow-Crankshaft moves were risky, but they were calculated and well-timed risks.  That they didn't result in a Cup doesn't necessarily make Shero less of a GM -- it means those risks didn't work out.  Sometimes when you split aces you lose both hands.  Eventually you go broke, but not yet.

The Malkin, Letang, and Dupuis extensions are also calculated risks that might not work out as well as we want them to in 4 years, but it doesn't mean they aren't risks worth taking.  Letang and Dupuis have reasonable cap hits.  Malkin's $9.5M cap hit is higher than it should be (he probably should be at $8.7M with Sid), but at least it's overpaying for Evgeni Malkin, not David Clarkson, or Mark Streit, or Zach Parise.  Worst case scenario is you're getting $7M in production from Malkin -- but it's still $7M in production.

Where Shero is most susceptible to criticism is with the draft and developing young players.  Other than Beau Bennett, who is promising but far from a sure thing, is there any other forward prospect in the Pens' system with a reasonable chance of cracking the lineup and making an impact this season?  And all we hear about is the Pens' plethora of young defensemen ... but can we actually see that start to bear some fruit?  Shero has rightfully been aggressive in trading away draft picks and prospects for win-now players because the Pens are a win-now franchise.  But he's also drafted and acquired a lot of players.  It's time for them to play.

We should know who this is.

Pens to pay three players big money: DON'T FREAK OUT

By Artistry

There are legitimate reasons not to like the proposed Kris Letang extension. He may never mature into a consistent defensive force. He's not Sergei Gonchar on the power play. He can't seem to take constructive criticism.

He did this like 5 minutes before the lockout ended.

This is his hair.

But there's a notion out there that since the Pens are on the verge of eating up about $25 million with the Crosby, Malkin, and Letang deals, they are bound to fill out the roster with 18 Dustin Jeffreys. First of all, what's wrong with that? Second, it's an assertion that doesn't stand up to even the mildest scrutiny.

Even with a new Letang deal, the Penguins have about $8 million to spend under the cap for next season. If they move Matt Niskanen, which is entirely possible if not likely, they'll have more than $10 million. With that money, the only imperative is signing one top 6 winger and one bottom 6 winger (either Pascal Dupuis and Matt Cooke, or two younger, cheaper guys to replace them.) Craig Adams is going to re-sign for his typical $700-800k-ish deal. They've still got a top 6 that includes Sid, Geno, Neal, Kunitz, and the eminently ready Beau Bennett.

What about when the Letang and Malkin extensions kick in, you ask? As of today and assuming Letang's deal gets done, the Pens would be nearly $20 million under the existing cap of $64,300,000 in 2014-15. There is a lot of informed speculation that the cap will be back to at least $70,000,000 by that time. So what, exactly, are people worried about?

If you don't like the pieces you get for your $45 million in 2014-15 (Crosby, Malkin, James Neal, Chris Kunitz, Beau Bennett, Letang, Paul Martin, and Fleury), that's a different story, and an entirely different debate. But with an infusion of young, cheap, blue chip defenseman like Despres, Maatta, Dumoulin, Pouliot, and Harrington ready or nearly ready to play, there will be cash left over to fill out a roster. And if there isn't?  That's why you negotiate limitations to a no-trade clause.

Reports of New Letang Deal: Keep Your Eye on the NTC

By Artistry

Twitter is exploding at this hour with reports that the Penguins and Kris Letang are finalizing an extension.

Kris Letang contract with Penguins. 8 years / 58 M (#58!) 7.25 AVV Limited no trade to 15 teams. #RDS
— Renaud Lavoie (@RenLavoieRDS) June 30, 2013

That $7.25M cap hit is higher than we're comfortable with, but not significantly so. The primary sticking point is the no-trade clause. No one -- not us, not you, not Ray Shero, not any of the pundits who will tell you what they think of the numbers -- has any idea what this deal will look like two years from now. Letang may be a steal at $7.25M or an absolute albatross. The key is whether the Penguins can move him. And if there really is a 15 team NTC in the agreement, they'll have that option.

Totally understand if you have mixed feelings.

As sexy as the thought was of getting a treasure trove of assets in return for a guy with less composure than a rabid squirrel, this is probably the right move. You don't win a Stanley Cup without an elite defenseman. And nobody questions that Letang is one of the Top 10 defenseman in the league. That's a hole the Pens couldn't possibly fill, probably for years to come.

In other news, Pascal Dupuis is about to walk. As predicted.

What the Kunitz Signing Means for Pascal Dupuis

By Artistry

Keeping our Twitter avatar relevant for years to come, the Penguins today gave Chris "Hands" Kunitz a three-year contract extension. Hey, we love Hands. But make no mistake about what his new contract means: Pascal Dupuis is almost certainly gone.

I can't tell you what's been happening in the Dupuis negotiations, and I'm not going to act like I know, because I'm not Rob Rossi. But I would speculate that Dupuis is asking for the moon, the moon being 4 years, $18 million. And that's too rich. Look, if you have two guys you love of comparable value -- and who are both important complementary but not core players -- looking for deals in the $4 million a year range that will take them through the age of 38, you need to pick one and let the other go. As we've said repeatedly, aging all-star teams don't win in today's NHL. The Pens need an infusion of youthful swagger. So don't you prioritize the guy with the body of a 28-year-old and the legs of cheetah? I would.

Kunitz, for all his attributes, has considerable mileage on him and is much less durable than Dupuis. It's not like the Pens are guaranteed additional years of 2013 Chris Kunitz. They just signed up for 2017 Chris Kunitz. And they had two other very good options that they just took a pass on: make another run at the Cup with both guys and evaluate Kunitz next summer, or trade Kunitz now for a good return. Why extend him today?  Because some other things are probably beyond their grasp.

Three more years of Chris Kunitz means three more years of tweets about his Hands. Plus other news...

By Finesse (follow me on Twitter)

Before we get into what is shaping up to be an extremely busy few weeks of wheeling and dealing in the NHL, a quick comment on the Stanley Cup Finals.  The Blackhawks are as deserving of a champion as there could be.  They were the best team wire-to-wire, kept it together in the face of a meltdown against Detroit, and did what the Pens couldn't do against Boston -- weather the storm of their own frustrations long enough to allow the law of averages to take over and Rask to let in a few goals.  As much satisfaction as it brings us to have seen Boston collapse in such a heartbreaking manner -- and it brings us A LOT of satisfaction -- there are no "what ifs" for the Pens.  The Hawks were the best team.  Certainly better than the Penguins.

In other news...

- The Pens have agreed to a 3-year extension with Chris "Hands" Kunitz (we call him Hands because he has terrible hands at times, but at other times they are soft as baby thighs).  He will have a $3.85M cap hit, which is basically just his current contract ($3.725M) plus tuition to send his kids to Shadyside Academy.

We were preparing to write a post making the case that the Pens should seriously consider trading Chris Kunitz, especially if the team gets a legit top-6 forward what seems like an increasingly likely Letang trade.  But there's also a very strong case to be made that this is a smart extension.  He has been a very productive player with the Pens -- he finished seventh in the league in scoring, and was a PLUS 30 in only 48 games.  It's a reasonable price for Hands.  He also has proven chemistry with Sid and Geno, which isn't as easy to find as it should be.

Hands.

Hands is a good player and he's easy to root for.  Can't have too many of those guys.

- The Lightning are going to buy out Vinny Lecavailer's contract, meaning Vinny is going to be a free agent.  The Mike Ribeiro replacement in Washington?

- Lots of talk out there about the Leafs having interest in Kris Letang or maybe Kris Letang having interest in the Leafs.  It's not really a story if the Leafs are interested in Letang, as every team in the league has to be at least somewhat interested in Letang, including the Pens who it seems are wisely still trying to find a way to sign the guy.  We've all talked ourselves into him being traded as if it were a foregone conclusion, but if he's willing to stay for a reasonable cap hit ($7M or less), then the best move is to lock him up.

But if that doesn't happen, and our hunch is that he will be traded, then the ultimate feather in GTOG's cap will be when he's traded to Toronto for the exact package we proposed in Day 1 of Kris Letang trade week.  It is going to happen.

- Pens are making a qualifying offer to Tyler Kennedy, just because that's what you do if you don't want an asset to walk for nothing.  TK is always going to be one of those guys who sucks when he's playing, but who you desperately need in the lineup when he's not playing.  It feels like it might be time for him to move on, but there are worse options to get 13 minutes a night on the 3rd line.

Remember the guy who pleaded guilty to electronic voyeurism and got beat up by Joe Vitale after Peter Laviolette called Joe Vitale 'gutless'? That guy's on the Pens now.

The Pens traded Alex Grant to Anaheim for Harry Zolnierczyk, a name that will ring a bell for either of two reasons: 1) the electronic voyeurism situation; or 2) the time he withstood a beating from Joe Vitale in the game after Peter Laviolette called Joe Vitale gutless for hitting Danny Briere.



We have no idea where he will fit in the lineup, but we do know the lineup will be the Wilkes-Barre lineup.

Kris Letang Trade Week, Day 5: Let's Get Nuts

By Artistry (follow me on Twitter)

Day 1: All the background info, then a trip to Toronto
Day 2: Across the river to Detroit
Day 3: Big names in Tampa
Day 4: Where Brooklyn at?

You can't always get what you want, but if you spend an hour working out an elaborate multi-team trade instead of working on a brief that needs to be filed the next day, you just might find you get what you need. Here's how you pull off a blockbuster.

Let's say you're Ray Shero and you really want Cam Fowler from Anaheim to anchor your defense for the next 10 years because a guy named Cam Fowler from Windsor, Ontario can't not become a great defenseman.  You pull up the Ducks' roster and call Bob Murray and when he picks up you say, "Bob, thanks for calling about trading me Cam Fowler for Kris Letang. I really respect your initiative, but I'm looking at your roster and I just don't see a second piece that gets this trade done.  Hang on a sec and let me get Craig MacTavish on the phone in Edmonton."

See what this crazy conference call becomes, after the jump...


"Craig, are you there? Bob, are you still on?  Ok, great.  Craig, you got a ton of guys you need to lock up long term and you need a veteran to show them what it takes to win.  What if I told you I'd be willing to part with Chris Kunitz if you gave me the #7 pick in the draft and another piece?  Is that something you might be interested in?"

"Ok, I hear what you're saying, you want some blueline help.  Don't we all.  Listen, I know a team that will pretty much do whatever they feel like doing on any given day, but their GM blocks all calls from the 412 area code.  Can you conference in Paul Holmgren?"

"Hey Paul, it's Ray ... no don't hang up! I got Bob and Craig on the phone, too. ...  I disagree about Giroux, but let's agree to disagree. ... Anyway, you guys are only a couple million over the cap and I think I've figured out a way for you to get Bobby Ryan to replace Danny Briere even though you don't really need him. ... I'm glad I got your attention."

"Craig needs some defense, and a big part of the reason that everyone hates your team is because you have a guy named Brayden and a guy named Braydon.  It's very obnoxious.  But if you want to cure this problem, maybe you can send Braydon to Edmonton and then Bob can send Bobby to you guys?  You can even put Clarke on his jersey just for fun."

"Whoa, stop screaming Bob, I'm not done.  Craig, like I said before, you have tons of high-end talent that you aren't going to be able to sign, and if my team proved anything this year, it's that it's no use having an all-star team.  Can you send Sam Gagner to Bob?"

"Good.  Now ... Paul! Stop trying to re-sign Kimmo Timonen to an 18-year extension, that's not allowed anymore! And listen to me, because I'm not done with you.  All you've given up so far is Braydon Coburn for Bobby Ryan, and we all know it takes more than that.  So here's what you're going to do.  You're going to send that 11th overall pick you've been dangling to St. Louis -- I'm texting this to Doug right now -- because they have three higher priority RFAs than Chris Stewart and I've been trying to trade for him for 4 years."

"Guys, guys, keep it down.  I know I've just addressed all of your needs in a fair, reasonable manner, and that this is very unfamiliar to most of you.  But now that I've got you all worked into a lather, there's just one more thing I need.  Bob, you just got the best player in the trade and a stud young center. I'm going to need your young goalie John Gibson.  Yes,  the one from Pittsburgh.  You know, just in case."

Now that's how you pull off a blockbuster.

Oilers (who need stay-at-home D and some sandpaper and veteran presence up front) get:

Braydon Coburn

Chris Kunitz

Ducks (who need a 2nd line center and an elite D-man to pair with Beauchemin) get:

Sam Gagner

Kris Letang

Flyers (who just want Bobby Ryan so badly they can taste it) get:

Bobby Ryan

Blues (who have two higher priority RFAs than Chris Stewart) get:

#11 overall pick from Flyers

Pens (who need youth, size, and replacements for two guys they will likely not extend) get:

Cam Fowler

John Gibson

Chris Stewart

#7 overall pick from Oilers

If the Pens GM can engineer just one simple five-team transaction involving 8 players and 2 draft picks, he can package two guys who will likely walk next summer for a 21-year-old, 20 minute a night defenseman who is locked up for $4 million a year through 2017-18, a legit goalie prospect, a young stud winger with undeniable net front presence, and a top pick he can always package with Matt Niskanen for yet another win-now player. You're welcome, Ray! It's been our pleasure.

Kris Letang Trade Week, Day 4: Where Brooklyn At?

By Finesse (follow me on Twitter)

Day 1: All the background info, then a trip to Toronto
Day 2: Across the river to Detroit
Day 3: Big names in Tampa

One of the problems we encounter when coming up with fake Kris Letang trades is that we assume all 29 other teams are rational actors.  In real life, we know that's not the case, but unless you're with Ray Shero at the GM meetings this week, it's hard to identify the marks.  It'd be great to trade with the Flyers because they seem willing to do whatever, whenever, but they're at least smart enough to know better than to trade with the Penguins (there are reports the Flyers are shopping Braydon Coburn and the 11th pick for Bobby Ryan, and Kris Letang is a more valuable player than Bobby Ryan).  The Coyotes and Jets have some nice pieces, but the uncertainty about where the Coyotes will be next season, and whether Letang would even sign a long-term deal with either of those teams, makes those deals too speculative.

Other teams we're crossing off, and a proposed deal, after the jump...

Say goodbye to:

Montreal and Ottawa, because Letang is superfluous with Subban and Karlsson.
Vancouver because they'll want to re-sign the Sedins and already have five defensemen making over $4M/year.
Chicago and Boston because they're too good without him and don't need him.
San Jose, because in the words of Artistry, their good players are too expensive, and their prospects aren't sexy enough.
Minnesota (Suter)
L.A. (Doughty)
Nashville (Weber)
Edmonton, Florida, and Columbus for similar reasons to Phoenix and Winnipeg
St. Louis, because if they can re-sign Pietrangelo and Shattenkirk, both RFAs, then Letang is unnecessary

Taking out the three teams we covered on days 1-3 of KLTW -- Toronto, Detroit, and Tampa -- who's left?

Washington (now this is getting interesting)
Carolina (great relationship between GMs)
Anaheim (because every team is always trading for Bobby Ryan)
Colorado (but a lot of uncertainty about the draft)
Dallas (signed Gonchar to a 2yr/$10M deal, so you know they're DTF)
New York Rangers (Sather is always up for whatever)
Buffalo (we could learn to like Ryan Miller for a season)
Calgary (also up for whatevs)
New Jersey (they'd LOVE Letang, but they also have like 3 players under contract)
New York Islanders (they say Brooklyn is the Montreal of the U.S. (no one says that))

In picking among this rather unimpressive group of teams, it's important to keep in mind what the Pens need to get in return for Letang.  At minimum, the Pens need a defensemen who can play 20 minutes a night, and a forward with speed and youth (preferably 25 and under).  Plus picks and all that stuff.  Despite the hardened consensus that the Jordan Staal trade was a good one, we're a little less certain than most.  Consider: in return for an absolute horse, the only immediate help the Pens got was a rather underwhelming third line center.  The prospects and picks the Pens got may turn out to be good, but because the team had to go for a Cup in 2013, Shero was forced to use this surplus of assets to get veterans -- late in a very short season, no less -- who ended up not helping that much.  The return for Letang has to be much less speculative.  To think that Shero can get one OK player and a bunch of assets, then flip those assets at the trade deadline to go for the 2014 Cup, would be to ignore the past 4 years of that strategy not really working.

So let's spin the Wheel of Mediocrity and see where it lands.

Still spinning...

Perfect.

The Islanders proved in the first round that they are a team on the rise with a legitimate MVP candidate in John Tavares and a fan base that's thirsting for success now, not at some undetermined time in the future.

That's where Letang comes in.

A core of Letang and Tavares guarantees the Islanders relevancy, and success, over the next decade.  They haven't been relevant or successful in 20 years.  A top-3 MVP candidate and a top-3 Norris candidate who would fit perfectly with their up-tempo style?  The soon-to-be weirdo Brooklyn hipster bandwagon fans can get on board with that.  And they have plenty of cap space.

No need for parking when everyone is going to bike to the game.

The Pens basically auditioned their return in this trade for 6 games last month, so it isn't hard to pick to favorites:  Travis Hamonic (a RFA, but we assume for this exercise that this will all work itself out) and Kyle Okposo.

Before Islanders fans get all upset that these are their two favorite players, remember: Hamonic briefly got inside the head of a player into whose head it is relatively easy to get, but then said player lit up the scoreboard.  Okposo got the Pierre McGuire Leadership Lather during the first round, but at least two of his goals were scored by Marc-Andre Fleury.  And he had 4 goals during the regular season.  Let's not pretend these guys are all-stars.

But let's also not pretend that these guys are nobodies because their skating, youthful energy, and tenacity would instantly make the Pens a lot harder to play against.  They're both pricks, but they're both also pretty good.

Has a real chance to become an iconic picture.

Throw in the Isles first round pick (15th overall), or some other high-level prospect, and now we're talking.  Enough or not enough?

Kris Letang Trade Week concludes on Friday with a blockbuster including pretty much every team in the league.