Reply ........
- I think the Pens were something like 4-11 in the last 15 games.
- They have had problems all year with injuries to key players .... right now 3 of their 4 best defensemen are out and two are done for the rest of the season ..... forward/center wise Dupuis is out for the year and his career may be over, Crosby/Malkin/Bennett/Comeau/Downie/Hornqvist/Kunitz/ have all been out for various stretches this year.
- Salary cap problems have hurt ..... they have had only 4 or 5 healthy defensemen the last 8 or 9 games and they have only been able to play with 5 defensemen those games because they didn't have any salary cap space to call up defensemen from the minor league affiliates ..... NHL teams usually dress 12 forwards/centers and 6 defensemen, sometimes they dress 11 forwards/centers and 7 defensemen but they NEVER dress only 5 defensemen because they have to play too many minutes and with rotating partners.... they get worn out by the 3rd period and it is hard to rotate partners..... the Pens have had to play with 5 defensemen the last 7 or 8 games.
- The new players acquired near the trade deadline have not all panned out and with all the injuries, lines (both offense and defense) have been rotated and switched making it hard for players to play with the same partners.... that is hard.
- They also have had to learn a new system under their 1st year coach which takes time especially when new players and lines are rotating.
- They have not been getting enough scoring from their secondary players .... players not on the 1st two lines or not named Crosby or Malkin.
- The trades and injuries have made them less physical especially on defense.
- Letang, a star player and defenseman who can play well both on offense and defense is out for the year with a concussion.... a huge loss for the end of the season and playoffs.
- One player who has been very good all year is their goalie, MA Fleury.
- They are the lowest seed in the Eastern Conference and have to play the #1 seed, the New York Rangers, in the 1st round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs ...... the Pens chance of winning the series against the Rangers is very low, we are a BIG underdog ...... BUT in the Stanley Cup Playoffs you never know .... Game 1 in Madison Square Garden, Thursday night, 4/16/15 starting at 7PM.
