You are viewing the chat in desktop mode. Click here to switch to mobile view.
X
Jason Mackey's Penguins chat: 05.02.19
powered byJotCast
Prev Page View Full Chat Next Page
Jason Mackey
2:17
It's the second option.
Guest
2:17
I agree with you on Letang. When he's right, man, he's so absurdly good. And it was a bad playoff, yes. So what? Wanna fight about it?
Jason Mackey
2:17
I would not, no.
Rico Fata
2:17
Is it too early in the season to turn on my AC? I'm normally a pretty level headed guy but this heat is making me crazy
Jason Mackey
2:17
It's also too early in our house, Rico.
Guiseepe
2:17
1st time caller, long time listener. How long have you been in the radio  business?
Jason Mackey
2:18
About 35 years.
bill
2:18
Please explain to me the often heard, poorly defined, vague, intangible assessment that a team "lacks an identity. It's funny how teams that win have an identity and teams that lose don't. The penguins had an identity in March but lost it apparently. What was the Capitals identity last year? Play hard, score timely goals, get big saves, play good defense, be opportunistic? Something tells me this years cup winner will have all those things too. Nonsense. Penguins identity hasn't changed in decades. Some years they play well enough to win it all, some years they don't. Leave me alone with this lacking an identity nonsense.
Jason Mackey
2:19
I see what your saying. The vagueness in hockey terms kills me sometimes, too. Play the right way. Get pucks deep. Be hard to play against. What does that mean? ... In this case, though, I think we're saying they needed to have more team speed, needed to attack more and put additional pressure on their opponents, needed to be more resilient and capable of coming back, that sort of thing.
Fan
2:19
I can't believe i finally made it on the air. I've always wanted to say this.......Stan.Guy. Love the show
Jason Mackey
2:19
Congrats. Big day for you.
Stranded Island
2:19
Biggest surprise of the 2nd round?  Isles going down 3-0?    But Barclays Center is not nearly the same home ice advantage as Nassau is.
Jason Mackey
2:19
Very, very true. Hate Barclays. Nassau rocks.
bill
2:21
Jason, do the coaches try to play certain defense pairs with certain lines as much as possible or are the rotations totally separate? I would think playing with certain defensemen would help forwards like Geno especially, and perhaps Letang would benefit with more responsible forwards.
Jason Mackey
2:22
They do -- when possible. For example, Sullivan has usually preferred to play Letang with Crosby's line. Sometimes that hurts Malkin, as there's obviously an upgrade with Letang. I'm sometimes surprised he doesn't deviate from that more.
Subtlety
2:22
The last real penguin they had died of pneumonia.
Jason Mackey
2:22
That's too bad.
Southern Penguin
2:22
Don’t you think Letang’s somewhat snarky comments after the playoff loss were mostly made out of frustration over how it all went down?  I hope he knows that any reasonable fan knows that he and everyone else will make mistakes...they’re human after all.  But I would hope after some reflection he’s smart and talented enough to know he has to do everything he can to eliminate the kind of critical mistakes he made against NYI.
Jason Mackey
2:23
I'm not sure. I wouldn't call Letang's comments snarky, though. I think he thought I was asking if he needed to change his entire game. That's not what I asked. I had explained more about taking fewer risks. But naturally he's gonna be mad; it's a couple days after their season ended. I don't fault Letang at all. And he's right. It's a game of mistakes. I would never suggest he make none. That's stupid.
Guest
2:24
Any word on why Sid isn’t holding his hockey school again this year ?
Jason Mackey
2:24
No. I caught that earlier. I was a little surprised. Maybe he's going to re-career and take up baseball.
GPT
2:24
What's your take on Bjugstad?  Is he a piece moving forward?  He is still young and has size, but doesn't seem to use very much and isn't terribly cheap.
Jason Mackey
2:25
I think there's more to tap into with him. For that I wouldn't aggressively look to deal him. But if someone called and asked, I wouldn't hang up the phone. Doesn't use his size terribly well. Should produce more goals and points for that price.
Staal Factor
2:25
Is this the first time that Jordan has done anything of real significance since he left the Pens?   Been a long time coming since the 6th grade picnic, as Mike Lange would say
Jason Mackey
2:26
I thought it was the eighth-grade picnic. It's the first time he's been in the playoffs, to be fair.
Casey
2:26
Re: Hagelin - I'll put it another way: there is no one on the current roster or in the system that either pushes the pace or plays such a responsible brand of hockey (both of which was visibly lacking in the Islanders series). If we are talking how much certain skills are valued at, I'd really be blown away if Rutherford could balk at $4-4.5 million for Hagelin while handing Johnson his contract (and I'm not in the crowd that thinks Johnson is in any way, shape, form, or fashion to blame for this season).
Jason Mackey
2:27
Hagelin had five goals this past season. No way I'm paying $4.5 million per season to someone who had five goals this past season. Rutherford was wrong to trade Hagelin, and Tanner Pearson stunk out loud. But knowingly signing such a lack of finish, for that price, man, no way.
Subtlety
2:27
How much of a step forward should we expect next year from McCann and Bjugstad?  A nice bump in production would ease some of the pain from a roster transition away from a potential Kessel (or other big) trade.
Jason Mackey
2:28
For sure. I think that's a really smart thing to focus on. Quite a bit from McCann, honestly. He should score 20. Should produce more assists, be a regular on the PK, etc. I'd expect Bjugstad to figure out what he is. Third-line center with some physicality? Top-six winger who can score? Setup guy? Finisher? Good defensively? What can you bring. Both have room to take bigger steps, though.
guest
2:28
Jus a quick one - any Wilkes Barre Lease renewal updates?
Jason Mackey
2:28
Nothing.
Young Rebel
2:28
Yeeeeeee-hhawwwwwwwwww it's almost that time of year......Football time in Kentucky!!!!
Jason Mackey
2:29
Congrats. Is it ever not football time in Kentucky?
Mick Shrimpton
2:29
During Rutherford’s season ending press conference and, seemingly every day, he contacts local media to spout off on Malkin/Kessel. Why has no one in local media asked Jimmy/Sullivan to grade their performance the last 2 seasons? Last I checked, Geno did not ask to trade away top prospects/draft picks for essentially malcontent Brassard? Did Letang negotiate against himself to secure playoff scratch J Johnson to “Scuderiesque” 5 year deal...it was Rutherford...
Jason Mackey
2:31
This kills me. Everyone wants Rutherford to "grade his performance." If he does, and he says he stinks, what does this change? Does that undo some of the trades and signings? Rutherford put together a roster that couldn't win a playoff game. That's his grade -- it stunk. He was no better than, what, 17 other teams? That's not good enough. It doesn't mean he should be tarred and feathered, but his grade wasn't good. Asking him to do it himself? What the heck is that gonna solve?
Southern Penguin
2:31
What is your plan for frequency of these chats during the off-season?  I’ve become accustomed to my weekly dose of Pens news/discussion.  Once again, thanks for your efforts to provide thoughtful answered
Jason Mackey
2:32
We'll do 'em from time to time. I don't have a set plan. Whenever Penguins are in the news cycle, we'll chat about it. Also around the drat and free agency.
Casey
2:32
At this point of the deconstruction of the Cup-winning roster, when does blaming recent shortcomings on the loss of friendships become a viable excuse? For some of the longer tenured Penguins, I assume it must be hard to essentially watch all of your best, longest friends disappear from your life. What kind of impact might this have on the leaders day-to-day efforts?
Jason Mackey
2:33
None. They're pros. They knew what they signed up for. If a player can't function because his friend got traded, that guy has way worse problems. Trust me, that wasn't an issue.
BigAl
2:33
Down here in South Florida and gotta say Panthers fans are clamoring about getting Malkin. Personally, I think they got fleeced in the deal
Connecting…