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Jason Mackey's Penguins chat: 10.26.17
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Jason Mackey
1:28
Tough to say. As I've answered, I think you need to see what McKegg and Rowney are going to give you at the 4C spot. If they don't produce, then yeah, I think that's a position they could address at the trade deadline.
Jerry
1:29
If Sullivan had total control over personnel, do you think he'd opt to have Malkin and Kessel off the team?  I'm a fan of both players but sense their inconsistency at times is because they are being driven to play in a manner less suited for highly skilled forwards.
Jason Mackey
1:29
No, no and no. They present their challenges, sure, especially Phil. But there is way more good than bad here.
Cj
1:29
What ever happened to the Zaripov rumors?
Jason Mackey
1:30
They weren't rumors. They checked. They needed to see where the Sheahan deal went before they did anything, which I reported. At this point I think they view Zaripov as an unnecessary add. Would probably be better to keep the cash in hand just in case you need to go backup goaltender shopping.
Guest
1:30
Any reasonable explanation beyond body-swapping that Malkin's PIM is so low and Crosby's is so high?
Jason Mackey
1:31
Ha. The 10-minute misconduct had something to do with that, but yeah, the captain has been hit with a few. One, honestly, I think is the rules crackdown. Even refs watch Crosby more than other players. I think they're paying more attention to what he's doing out there, and it's costing him with stuff like this.
Chuck B.
1:31
As I sit at work in D.C. with my last 2 year Stanley Cup lanyards on... I am amazed that everyone is panicking so early in the year.  Please tell everyone to relax.  We are back to back CHAMPS for goodness sake.
Jason Mackey
1:32
Ha. Appreciate the comment, Chuck. But I'm not sure it would be a Pittsburgh sports fan base without at least some semblance of panic at all times. I love that about our town, believe me. Not knocking it. But there does always seem to be some sense of worry.
Dev
1:32
Also, it’s hard to knock a guy who’s leading the team in points, but is it me or is Malkin maybe not as good as he was the last 2 years? He seems to be turning the puck over a lot more than usual, and at points it looks like he doesn’t care to put in the effort to back check - he will just watch a guy blow right by him. It’s early and maybe it’s the typical struggles that teams and players face early on, but it’s just a thought
Jason Mackey
1:33
I don't disagree with you, Dev. I find it kind of odd that Malkin leads the team in points because by no means do I think he's been their best player. He's been a little up and down for the reasons that you mentioned. I think there's a lot more there. We see this with Malkin, though, especially early in the season. Nothing that raises alarm bells for me. It's October hockey.
Dev
1:33
This may have been answered already and I apologize if it has. But what’re your thoughts on the growth of Sprong thus far? I’m highly impressed with his ability to score from the left circle. Kind of like Ovechkin, it seems like it’s one of those things that can’t be stopped even though teams know it’s coming.
Jason Mackey
1:34
Yeah, it's definitely similar. I think a lot of Sprong. He's been working in the AHL again, refining his shot. It's truly nasty. I think he's very, very close in terms of getting promoted, but I give him credit for sort of going back to the drawing board and paying attention to stuff other than his shot to become more well-rounded.
Max
1:35
Following the Sheahan acquisition, a popular talking point both in the media and from the organization is that they have a strong record recently of rehabbing/fixing players. Justin Schultz certainly qualifies. However, Carl Hagelin often gets included on this list. While his first few months in Pittsburgh were a vast improvement, his larger sample with the Pens is...pretty much the player he's been his whole career. Did the Pens fix him then break him again? Other players often included in this narrative include Daley and Kessel, who both were pretty much played to their career norms in black and gold. Is it possible this talking point is largely overblown? The facts don't really seem to support it.
Jason Mackey
1:36
Hey Max. Couple things. One, Daley was in a bad spot in Chicago. He'd be the first one to tell you that. As for Hagelin, I actually talked to him about this the other day. He disagreed with the idea that he needed fixed when he got here, which is fair. He said he had been trending in the right direction for two weeks before the deal. As for this season, I've been impressed by Hagelin. Last year was bad, I'll give you that. But if he scores a few -- his shots and chances are up -- I'm not sure we're labeling this year as a failure.
Dev
1:36
Once again thanks for answering my questions, I look forward to these every week and I really appreciate your insight. Cheers.
TGA
1:37
If Hunwick and Schultz were to be out long-term, would the Pens move for a dman or just call players up?
Jason Mackey
1:37
My pleasure. Thanks for participating.
Hunwick is going to be out long-term, No. 1. Two, I think it's a little too premature to consider a move. They have some guys -- Trotman, Summers, Corrado, Pedan -- that they'd like to see first.
Tristan
1:37
Do the Penguins have any interest in VGK's center Shipaychov (perhaps if Vegas retains some salary)?
Jason Mackey
1:38
I haven't heard anything to substantiate that. Not to say it doesn't exist, but I haven't heard aything.
*anything
Jerry
1:38
I agree there is way more good than bad with Malkin and Kessel.  My question is whether Sullivan truly believes it.  The affection for the Rust - types far exceeds their talents.
Jason Mackey
1:39
I hear ya, Jerry. Know where you were going. But I think you need to have the Malkin and Kessel types to help the Rust types; the latter probably doesn't exist without the former, and Sullivan is smart enough to know that. He also knows that you're going to have to put more effort into some players than others. Part of his job.
dave
1:43
If Niemmi had cleared waivers, what do you think they would have done with him?  I think sending him to WBS would have just slowed the growth of Jarry.
Jason Mackey
1:44
It wouldn't have impacted Jarry in any way, Dave. ... Unless Niemi was contagious with something. Niemi wouldn't have been taking Jarry's starts. He would have slotted into Casey DeSmith's role, and everything would have remained the same. So, yes, I think they would have sent Niemi to WBS had he not been claimed.
Brandon
1:48
Do you think Hagelin/Sheehan/Cole etc. can be as effective on the PK as Daley/Bonino/Cullen? They've seemed to accept the roll but we've seen a mixture of guys which is a little different than last year's identity of having a solid PK
Jason Mackey
1:49
Cole has been a fixture on the PK pretty much since he's been here but definitely last season. Hagelin, too. The question here is whether Sheahan will give them enough on the PK to stack up against Bonino and Cullen. I think he will. He's been very good on faceoffs, and I think his size provide an extra element, something you didn't have with the other guys. Until Rowney gets back, however, I worry more about McKegg in that other center spot.
Hollywood
1:50
Thanks for all the great Pens coverage Jason, one of the big reasons I am happy to subscribe to P-G. What is it that allows Letang to skate the crazy minutes game after game, season after season? Maniacal workout regimen? Wise use of energy during game? Gift from God? All of the above?
Jason Mackey
1:51
Thank you for your kind words. We're happy and lucky to have you. You pretty much hit the nail on the head with Letang. He's crazy about his conditioning and nutrition. He's also just a freak when it comes to his God-given abilities. Mike Sullivan also likes to talk about Letang being economical with his energy. ... Another storyline that came out this summer, with them wanting Letang to cut bait when something isn't there ...  I think he's done very well with that.
Brandon
1:56
Thanks for the reply! Not sure if you remember but Rob introduced me to you and Bombulie in the office, and I said "oh yeah I've probably read your guys' stuff." I got home, followed you guys on Twitter and the rest is history.
Jason Mackey
1:56
I do remember. Vaguely. That was a couple jobs ago for me. But thank you very much for reading. It's never not appreciated, trust me.
Brandon
1:56
Thanks for the reply! I'm not sure if you remember, but Rob introduced me to you and Bombulie a couple years ago, and I said, "oh yeah I'm sure I've read some of your stuff." Went home, followed you guys and Twitter and been reading every word ever since. Anyways, I was also wondering if you think Hagelin is fine with primarily being a penalty killer. He has shown flashes of offensive prowess before, but last season was a train wreck for him offensively. You think he's okay with the PK role?
Jason Mackey
1:58
I do. He's never really been a big power play guy, and on this team, he doesn't have much of a case to be one, honestly. Especially if he has a similar conversion rate to last year. Sullivan has shown a preference toward a 3F, 2D look on that second unit. Rust, Sheary and Guentzel are all worthy and have produced. Sheahan will get a look. Just not a huge need for him to play on the PP here.
Hollywood
1:58
Do you think Pouliot will be just another "can't miss" guy that the Pens let go and don't really miss (e.g. Simon Despres et al)
Jason Mackey
1:58
From what I've seen of Derrick Pouliot in Vancouver, the Penguins are in zero dangerous of regretting the trade any time soon.
Guest
1:59
Are any refs being harder on faceoff infractions than other refs are being? Some games guys are getting kicked for barely any foot movement and in others the guy can fully turn so his foot is in the circle as the ref drops the puck and nothing is called. Have some refs started letting these infractions slide again while others haven't or am I just missing something? Saw it a few times during tuesday's penguins game even. Thanks for any clarification on this.
Jason Mackey
2:00
You're right. Was actually talking to Letang about this a week or so ago. Not necessarily about faceoffs but about the slashing crackdown. There's a tremendous amount of inconsistency from ref-to-ref. Letang actually said he's started looking at the refs ahead of time to know what kind of game it's going to be. That's not great. You should have some consistency in the approach, but that seems to be lacking at this point.
Alright folks. That does it. Thanks so much for participating. Looking forward to doing this again next week!
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