A Fools Ramblings

If you chose to read this post despite its title, well then perhaps there is more than one fool out here, welcome aboard my friend!  I am just going to free form some thoughts I have had while sitting here tonight trying to get the thoughts of a long work day out of my head.

The Penguins have so many leaders in all of the offensive categories it is amazing to me.  In points Crosby is first with 45pts, Kunitz is 3rd with 36pts, Neal is 11th with 28pts, and Letang is 17th with 26 points, along with being the top scoring NHL defenseman.  This gives the Pens four players out of the top 20 and the top blueliner to boot in scoring in the league.  And we need MORE scoring?  In the goal category, Stamkos is first with 19 goals, but the Penguins have Kunitz and Neal both at second with 17 goals, Crosby 13th with 12 goals and Dupuis tied for 18th with 11 goals, meaning the whole top line for Pittsburgh is in the top 20 in the league in goals!   Please note that last year's scoring champ Evgeni Malkin does not even factor in here, and one would think he will get hot before all is said and done, which would give Pittsburgh some unreal firepower!  Kunitz leasds the league in plus/minus at +21, while Crosby is 8th at +16.  In power play goals, Neal and Kunitz are tied for the league lead with 8 PPG apiece, while four Penguins are in the top TEN in assists with Crosby first at 33A, Letang third at 23A, Kunitz and Malkin are 6th with 19A apiece.  While Fleury is tied for second in wins with 12 victories, he is 24th in GAA at 2.71 and 29th in save percentage at .902.  Finally, some team statistics that tell a tale include the fact that Pittsburgh is first in the league in Goals for at 3.65 goals per game, but 21st in goals against allowing 2.92 goals per game.  The power play is a white hot 27.9%, good for third in the league, while the penalty kill remains pathetic at 78.8% kill rate good for 22nd in the league.  What does all of this mean?  I don't know for sure, but it feels a lot like last year, and as fun as that regular season ride was, the playoff ride was not fun at all.  Some individual thoughts from analyzing the above, and watching every game at least once?

Sidney Crosby is back to being the best player in the game...period.  Before his concussion he was tearing up the league at a record pace, and now with a "full" season of health he is scoring 1.73 points per game, which is the highest points per game average since Mario Lemieux had 1.76 points per game in 2000-2001! He is making the little plays in all three zones as well, and seems to be one step ahead most nights.  I just wish sometimes he would SHOOT the F'ing puck instead of making a tough pass, but tough to grouse about his game eh?

Chris Kunitz, just a monster.  We all know about his ability to forecheck, win battles in the corners, create space for either Crosby or Malkin, get in front of the net, and clean up garbage goals,  but NOW he is an absolute sniper to boot.  Just an unreal display by one of my favorite Penguins!  For those who groused about signing for 3.5M plus, well you could not have been more wrong about the KOON!

Pascal Dupuis is another guy who is just amazing to me.  Every day on the local hockey boards, people grouse about that winger for Sid.  Every god damn day.  Well guess what?  He has two wingers who fit him just fine.  Sometimes the whole is just better than the sum of the parts, and a unit just meshes.  Folks, this is one of them times yinz.  Let it go!  On a cap strapped team that has big money tied up in Malkin, Crosby, Fleury, Neal, and soon to be Letang, you cannot have tons of highly paid wingers, so getting what you get from Duper for 1.5M per season IS ONE OF THE BEST VALUES IN THE NHL.  Also, save for some time off for 87's concussion, this line has been the best line in the NHL up to Crosby's concussion, and all year this year.  We don't need a winger for Sid folks, at least not one we can afford.

Nealer?  I have not been a fan of his sudden inability at times to control his emotions, but hey, he truly is the power forward us yinzers love to watch play.  He gets to open ice, and his release, simply put is just awesome to watch.  Pure sniper baby.

Malkin to me has been a disappointment thus far this season.  He has been hit by the injury bug lately, and he seemed to be closer to the 2011-12 Geno the past two games prior to another injury hitting him.  That said, if he comes back anywhere near the Geno of last season, the Penguins top two lines are looking very solid!  Geno needs to get back on the top flight Geno pace if the Pens are thinking it may take 10M per season to sign him.

Beau Bennett?  You can really see some of the things that make you KNOW he is a legitimate top six winger, who will put up some big numbers at some point in the NHL.  He is grittier than I expected, and you can see how well he sees the ice, and works well with other top flight talent.  That said, I am not sure that THIS year I would put that much pressure and hope on him.  I would consider the right trade for a top six winger if the price were right, but I expect to see 19 on that second line all of next season and for the rest of this season or at least until we see what the deadline brings.

Brandon Sutter started a little more slowly than some would like but remember two things before you call him a disappointment as some have.  First, he played in a completely different style and system in Carolina than he plays in here.  Second, he did not have any training camp or exhibition games to learn the new system.  Third, for those who are rumbling about his offensive output he has more goals than 71, and yes he played a few more games, but his job is not to score goals at the rate of a Malkin.  He is still in my mind, an integral player and long term piece on this team.  His linemates to me are one of the places Pittsburgh HAS to improve to be a factor in the playoffs.  Kennedy is too small to wear teams down with physical play, and he mostly contrbutes very little if anything on a nightly basis.  Matt Cooke has been okay, but again, not the pest he used to be.  Pittsburgh has to get more physical play and some offense from the third line to be a force in the post season.  Look for Pittsburgh to try to address this need at the deadline.  The same goes for the fourth line in my opinion.  I don't see an untouchable on that line, and would love to see Pittsburgh get bigger and tougher by swapping a player or two on the bottom six.  Other than Sutter, I don't see an untouchable in the bottom six, and I see Kennedy as someone who has to GO.

On defense, for different reasons, I see Letang and Despres as untouchables, with Martin in the next level while all others could be moved for the right returns in a series of deals.  Orpik WAS the bruiser who anchored a once solid blue line, but now he seems slow and at times disinterested in getting dirty or even tying up sticks in the crease.  Given the miles on him, and depending on what they can bring in, he is movable to me in the right scenario.  Niskanen has been very serviceable for the price, but the Pens have a lot of smaller puck moving defensemen, and Nisky could be moved for the right return in my opinion as part of an effort to get bigger and tougher on the blue line.  Bortuzzo, who is young and makes some mistakes could still  make Engelland a movable part based on his ability to play physical, but with a bigger upside, projected as a possible top four player.  Despres, makes some mistakes, but you can see his ability to be physical, make smart plays to get the puck out of the zone, and join the rush at the appropriate times.  Eaton seems to be a Disco man, and in that vein provides some nice veteran depth for Pittsburgh.  Martin has had a good rebound season, and has been solid on a strong power play unit, and more physical than in the past.  I would love to see Pittsburgh get an NHL now player who is big and can clear the net for a playoff run, even if it costs one of the many not quite ready for prime time blue line prospects in the system. 

Vokoun was brought in and paid 2M to allow Pittsburgh to be ready in case Fleury struggled down the stretch or in the post season.  I would give him several more starts in the next two weeks or so to determine if that 2M is getting you that luxury, or if he might be movable in favor of a less costly back up.  Injuries to other goalies would set  either a decent market or no market at all for an aging goaltender with marginal stats though. 

There are so many variable to potential trades that could happen, especially actual hockey trades like the Kunitz/Tangradi for Whitney deal, and the Goligoski for Neal/Niskanen deal that I will not even speculate on possibilities there.  Some top rentals that make sense in way or another for Pittsburgh given my general desire for Pittsburgh to add size and grit include David Clarkson who, to me is exactly what Pittsburgh needs in their lineup, Jarome Inginla, Ryan Clowe, Nate Thompson, and Clark MacArthur up front.  Mark Streit, Ian White, Lubomir Visnosky, and Sergei Gonchar lead the list of potential defense rentals.