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Jason Mackey's Penguins chat: 10.25.18
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STL
1:49
On a negative note: what happened to Oli Maata, especially to his skating? I'm no expert but he appears slow and often caught out of position and scrambling in the defensive zone. And his partner is slow too. Amazing the difference when you contrast them with the Letang-Doumolin pair.
Jason Mackey
1:49
I think Maatta is thinking too much. Sort of like Murray, in that he's no longer relying enough on his instincts. Murray battled out of it. I'm waiting for Maatta to do the same.
K
1:49
Who would slot in to the top D pairing if (heaven forbid) dumoulin or tanger were to get hurt?
Jason Mackey
1:50
That's a ... scary though. Maybe Jamie Oleksiak at this point? Or Riikola. Those would be my two top choices.
Question
1:50
If Cullen at 650/year is worth every penny thus far (and i agree), what does that say about Rust and his hefty 3.5/year thus far?
Jason Mackey
1:50
Yeah, he definitely needs to produce more than he has been. But it's been seven games. I don't think it's time to sound any alarms quite yet.
Bill
1:50
I loved the fact that we got Winnipeg/Toronto last night on NBCSN. However, I did not really love the Winnipeg 3rd sweaters. What is your favorite (and least favorite) third sweater this year?
Jason Mackey
1:51
Least favorite might be Winnipeg, honestly. Most favorite is easy: The Mighty Ducks.
Lee
1:51
Do you anticipate Derick brassard trade soon? Or Daniel sprong?
Jason Mackey
1:51
No, I think Rutherford is still evaluating. They think Brassard can be a fit, right or wrong. And there's no incentive to trade Sprong because it's unlikely they would get much for him at this point.
JC
1:51
What type of value do you believe Maatta has around the league. And would him and Sprong packaged together bring an upgrade to anywhere on the team?
Jason Mackey
1:52
At this point, I can't imagine the return being very good for a defenseman who's struggling and a fourth-liner who's on the verge of being a healthy scratch. I think it's better to wait.
Dan
1:52
Saw WBS last week in Cleveland..Anthony Agnello looked pretty good..so did ZAR and Lafferty..I know it’s way early but looks like these guys could contribute..although I believe Agnello may be hurt
Jason Mackey
1:53
ZAR is definitely a cut above the other two, but I can tell you that the Penguins very much like what they have in Angello and Lafferty. They'll stay in WBS this year, but down the road ... who knows. They absolutely could receive a promotion. They're looking like solid players.
Concerned Pens Fan
1:53
If Johnson-Maatta continues to be a problem, who would be the first to go? My guess would be Maatta since he’s younger and more valuable.
Jason Mackey
1:53
Yes, that is correct, as I think there would be more interest league-wide due to his age and length of contract. That said, I don't think the Penguins are eager to trade either one.
Charles Grimbauer
1:53
I've been to a few games and am always mystified at the music hockey players warm-up to.  I understand it's probably traditional/cultural to have some sort of hard rock blaring but honestly last time I went it was like Guantanamo torture music.  What's the deal?  Doesn't anyone in hockey like a good Paul Simon or Al Green song? I think change could be a good thing.  I also think the Penguins should do a whole month of LGBTQ games rather than one game. I have a lot of ideas actually- know of any job openings?
Jason Mackey
1:54
Don't know of any job openings, sorry. But I, too, am a bit mystified by the choice. I'm not sure it's all the players, either. I can imagine that's what they've picked.
JC
1:54
Do you think right handed Chad Ruhwedel could be an option with Schultz out and make a more complimentary pair to work with, so that maybe Maatta or Johnson isn't playing every game.
Jason Mackey
1:54
Possibly. And I think it's one they'll explore soon, simply to get Ruhwedel a game. But ideally, I do think the Penguins need to have Johnson and Maatta playing every game. They just need to play better than they have been.
JC
1:55
What is the point of dressing Simon and Sprong for only 4 minutes of ice time? I thought the point was to have more skill in the lineup and that is why Reaves was gone, but I rather have Reaves for 4 minutes of ice time than Sprong and Simon, and why has Grant not gotten a look yet?
Jason Mackey
1:56
Grant will get a look soon. Don't worry about that. Probably tonight or Saturday. And I agree with you: They need to play those guys more if they're going to dress them. But like Sullivan said, it's a two-way street. They need to show that they deserve more minutes, too. To this point, they haven't.
Clark from Virginia
1:56
Does Shultz count towards the salary cap while he’s on IR?  Is it different if he were out for the year?  Love your chats and articles.  You make hockey watching fun.
Jason Mackey
1:56
Thanks, Clark! No, he does not. He's on LTIR, meaning they get cap relief equal to the sum of his contract while he's out.
GhostOfIvanToncic
1:56
I know team defense has a huge impact on the kind of shots a goalie faces, and the danger-level of those shots, etc. But at a very basic level, over time, we judge a goalie by how many shots out of 1,000 he lets in. Last year, MM blocked less than 91 percent of shots. This year it's less than 90 (yeah, it's early, but still). Has the league figured out some stuff about him? Should we be worried?
Jason Mackey
1:57
I think the sample size is too small for any assertion like that. It's only been a handful of games that Murray has played, and one of them -- Toronto -- was really good. Best to stay patient.
Adam Smith
1:57
Say the Pens determine that Brassard just isn't working here and needs to be moved...what do you move him for? Do you look to grab another center or do you move Sheahan up to the third line and address other needs? I know the Schultz situation makes this more difficult too.
Jason Mackey
1:58
If they determine he isn't a fit, I think the Penguins would try to get a defenseman. They have the center depth. But I don't think we're there yet, to be honest.
Not a Question
1:58
Our penalty kill has been outstanding.  Thank the cosmos for Carl Hagelin.
Jason Mackey
1:58
Ha. Yes, Hagelin has been very good in that department.
FR
1:58
Why does Sprong get such a bad rap?  If he has a certain skill set, shouldn't the coach put him in situations where he can excel?  I believe Sullivan is hurting Sprong's game by not playing him on the other lines, cutting his ice time, and relegating Sprong to the 4th line.  Sullivan has grudges against players that he will not let go (ex: Ian Cole).
Jason Mackey
1:59
I do agree that Sprong needs to play with skilled players. He's not going to give you much in a fourth-line role. But you can't really fault Sullivan for running the team how he sees fit. It's been very successful thus far.
Genoracle
1:59
Hey, Jason! How has Schultz been doing so far with his IR time? Is he still in Pittsburgh? Does he still come in to the rink? And was that a cardboard cut out of him on the Banff trip?
Jason Mackey
2:00
I didn't see that, but it was funny if it was. Haha. I honestly haven't been around the team much because of the birth of my son. I don't know if he went to Western Canada or not. Probably not. But I think everything has been as expected thus far.
Steven
2:00
Why do people think Sullivan is petty and childish and trying to spite himself? The references to Cole, Sprong as people he hates and people like Simon as people he loves. I understand he's human, but he's also a very good head coach in the NHL. Favorites happen, but he isn't about to cut his nose off.
Jason Mackey
2:00
I agree with you, Steven. It's a two-way street like I said before. Sprong and Simon also need to show him more than they have.
Lord of Carson
2:00
Jason,  Why doesnt Hagelin score more often?  He seems to have the skills, and has a better playoff pedigree than a lot of players.  Why is the regular season such a struggle?
Jason Mackey
2:01
He just isn't an offensive player. What he brings to his line often results in offensive chances for his linemates, but he's never going to score more than 10-15 goals on his current line. Still is very valuable, though.
OK, folks. that does it. Thanks for participating. Let's do this again next week!
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