Pens Pregame Thoughts & Death of the Podcast

Just a few thoughts heading into the Panthers game tonight:

Lines at the Gameday Skate:

Kunitz-Crosby-Dupuis 
Cooke-Malkin-Neal 
Bennett-Sutter-Kennedy 
Glass-Jeffrey-Adams 
(Boychuk, Vitale)

Orpik-Martin 
Niskanen-Letang 
Engelland-Despres 
Eaton-Bortuzzo

Ummm, what?  What did Vitale do to get bumped off the 4th line?  What did Bortuzzo do to get bumped off the 3rd pair? Is there a coaching handbook that says "Following a loss - change one 4th line forward and one 3rd pair defenseman?" I guess for this team, it would say the 4th line center.

Sorry Joe, maybe if you put in less effort.

Vitale should be a staple in the lineup by now. He brings more energy to this team than any other player and has been dominant in the faceoff circle.  Moreover, he's a great fit on the 4th line.  Inserting Jeffrey on the 4th line does no favors to the team or DJ.  I love Jeffrey's defensive prowess and puck skills, but most of that won't be on display on the 4th line.  It does give Bylsma the option of juggling lines though and we all know how awesome that is....

As for the defensive side, I firmly believe Bortuzzo and Despres should both be in over Engelland.  Both have higher upside, and both have brought more to the table this season as well.  This is turning into a game of Survivor between Despres and Bortuzzo.  There is no quicker way to slow their development and ruin any confidence each of them has.  Remember the comments Strait made about essentially being terrified of making a mistake because he would get benched?  Despres and Bortuzzo are living that world right now.  That's a great way to risk ruining one, if not both prospects.  

Admittedly, there is a small part of me starting to wonder if Bylsma and Shero's true developmental styles, techniques, and skills aren't being masked by the greatness that is Crosby and Malkin (which spills over to their linemates) right now.  Take note that I did not include Letang there because for all the natural skill he has, I'm not sure what to say about him developing into a better player than he was.  One day in the future, I'm going to sit down and take a long look at who exactly has developed well under this regime.

Please don't ruin him.

As for Beau Bennett, as I mentioned in my Flyers recap - I'm okay with him on the 3rd line.  I don't think he's being used enough or properly, but I would rather see him gain confidence on the 3rd line than watch him get thrown from 2nd line to healthy scratch because of a bad game.  All I ask with Bennett is that he is used steadily to help him grow his game.  I want to see him on the 2nd line wing, but that position has been anything but steady and this just might be safer for his development right now.

Last thought on the lineup...HOW HAS KENNEDY NOT EVEN BEEN BENCHED FOR ONE GAME YET?!?

Last Night: Panthers 5  Flyers 2

While the result appeared lopsided and the Panthers got off to a very quick start against the Flyers, don't let the score fool you.  The Panthers were by no means dominant against Philly; they pretty much capitalized on 3 huge mistakes by the Flyers in the 1st period.  This should be a win if the Penguins just play smart, focused hockey.  I don't believe that'll be an issue after that Flyers loss.

Weird Stat for the Panthers, here are their goal outputs for the last 6 games (record of 1-2-3): 0, 5, 0, 5, 0, 5.  Fleury shutout on the horizon?

Death of the Podcast

As you may have noticed, we have not done a podcast in two weeks now.  I'll throw Adam under the bus for having a life and a busy schedule.  In the wake of such factors, I am joining the crew at The PensNation and will eventually start doing posts on their site.  I have already been joining them on some of their radio shows, so make sure you check out their site.  Here is an iTunes podcast link for their shows.  Thanks for listening to the CrosbyFTW podcast while it lasted and I hope you join me and my new colleagues over at The PensNation!  I'll still post to this site for a while though, fyi.

Podcast: Reviewing Pens Training Camp, Previewing the Pacific and Atlantic

The CrosbyFTW team promises they are real, though Meesh isn’t sure if Adam’s gf actually exists. Moving on to hockey though, Meesh covers the latest in NHL news including the buyouts of Scott Gomez and Wade Redden. They finally get the chance to talk about a Penguins “game” and the fallout from it as the Pens made numerous moves to cut their roster down to 23 players. They finally end their division previews with a look at the Pacific and Atlantic divisions before the season begins.

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Pens beat the Flyers?:




Phoenix Acquires Lombardi:

Podcast: Previewing the Northwest and Central Divisions

With actual NHL news to talk about, Meesh starts off with more KHL talk because he can’t let go of the league.  After enough scolding from Adam, the podcast transitions to NHL news from the past few days including: Brian Burke’s firing, Gary Bettman’s apology, the “Hockey’s Back” slogan, and recent transactions.  Notes about the Penguins schedule and training camp are discussed before moving on to two division previews.  In this podcast, Meesh and Adam preview the Northwest and Central divisions.

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Datsyuk shootout goal:



Kovalchuk and Morozov go figure skating:

The next podcast will be recorded on Tuesday 1/15 and will cover NHL/Pens news and notes along with previews for the Northeast and Southeast divisions.

Offseason Podcast #8: The CBA Debate Continues

Welcome back for Offseason Podcast #8!  As the NHLPA has now presented their "counteroffer" to the owners, the bulk of the podcast is devoted to that topic.  Adam and Meesh attempt a 15 minute simulated debate as Donald Fehr vs. Gary Bettman, respectively.  The debate begins at the 21:30 mark FYI.

Also on this week's podcast: A reference to the Big Bang Theory, signings and injuries around the NHL, a statement to Meesh's music tastes, some discussion about Eric Tangradi, and a "Where Are They Now?" segment that leads us to wonder...wait, where are they now, we're a little worried about them.

While we were recording, Wayne Simmonds signed a 6 year deal with the Flyers. The deal is worth roughly $4 million per year.  Ummm, too much money.

Listen below or get it on iTunes!

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Can't find a Staal shirt at the Pens store?  Try Haiti.

Offseason Podcast #6 - Nash Moves, Weber Stays

We finally have some hockey transactions to talk about!  Adam (@PolishHMR) and I (@HockeyMeesh) discuss the Shea Weber offer sheet and resolution, the Rick Nash trade, and a plethora of other signings that occurred over the past week.  Adam also treats you to a French lesson/joke while I update you on a former Penguin who is now 31 years old and playing in Europe (hint: he came to the Pens in a "blockbuster" trade in the early 00's).

Feel free to subscribe on iTunes (http://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/crosbyftw/id542573263) or listen below. Thanks for listening and we highly encourage feedback (suggestions, questions, comments, topics, etc.)!!!

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