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Matt Vensel's Penguins chat: 10.10.25
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Matt Vensel
10:55
Good morning, Penguins fans. Happy Friday to you all. We will get started at 11 a.m. today. I plan to go for about a half hour.
11:05
Before we get going, I have a programming note to share. My chat schedule this season will be a bit different this year due to some of the demands with my schedule. I will not be doing a regular Friday chat every week this season. They will be more sporadic and at times will be on a different day of the week. My apologies to our Penguins chat regulars, as I know you guys like to know when the chats are coming. Part of the reason I decided to make this change is because I am going to mix in Penguins mailbags, as there is a demand for those as well. In the absence of a weekly chat, I would encourage you to email any questions you have to mvensel@post-gazette.com. I will either save it for my next mailbag or answer it directly there. OK, let's get started.
Mark
11:05
Hi Matt!  It's way early, but it seems to me that the difference in this team is the coaching. Whereas Sullivan's method seemed to be "why can't you--the individual--do what I want?", Muse is more like "let's see what we can do together as a group."
Matt Vensel
11:08
Thanks for the question, Mark. I have seen this sort of sentiment from others, and I would encourage everyone to pump the brakes a bit here. The team has played two games. It's waaaaay too early to draw any conclusions. Yes, I think the Penguins needed to make a change behind the bench, just because the team grew stagnant and stale over time under Mike Sullivan. And I like some of the things we are seeing from rookie coach Dan Muse. But let's hold off on the comparisons and victory laps for at least a few weeks. It's a long season.
Sam
11:09
Happy hockey season, Matt.  Must have been fairly awkward in his NYR debut for Mike Sullivan to see a Penguins team:  A.) Pitch a shutout.  B.) Stymie an opponent to 5 total shots while holding a 3rd period lead.  C.) Win a Metro Division Game.
Matt Vensel
11:11
Honestly, I don't think the Penguins dynamic really matters much to Sullivan. He says he is only worried about getting the Rangers to where they want to go, and I believe him. I will add that I haven't heard there was much along the lines of hard feelings over his departure. One last thing on Sully: Pens fans better treat him right Saturday night when the Rangers visit PPG Paints Arena. He is the most accomplished coach in Penguins history and he obviously had a hand in two Stanley Cups.
Jim
11:13
Good morning Matt, I am torn as a fan. Do I cheer for the Pens to rack up wins and points in the standings as they look great in the first few games or am I supposed to deep down embrace the tank and look towards 26-27? There is no REAL chance for them to be competitive this year is there? I dont want the long termfuture mortgaged because of some success early in the year. Still need Ruast, Rakell, Karlsson traded for the benefit of the future, don't we?
Matt Vensel
11:18
Jim, I understand the dilemma and I think a lot of fans will be torn if this continues. Because, no, I don't think the Penguins are going to be a playoff team. That said, I think fans should consider rooting for the victories. For one, it's great for the long-term plan if youngsters such as Ben Kindel and Harrison Brunicke are contributing to positive results. That's what you want! And also, who wants to see Sidney Crosby, Evgeni Malkin and Kris Letang's last dance be a 60-loss season? If I was a fan, I don't think I would be rooting for that outcome. I'll throw in one last point. The NHL draft lottery really is a crapshoot. Let's not forget that the Islanders had the 10th-worst lottery odds last year and lucked out to land the top pick. Maybe the hockey gods will reward the Penguins this year if they put up a fight?
Tom
11:18
Do you think Brazeau can keep his pace and get to 124 goals this year?
Matt Vensel
11:19
Definitely, Tom. Run right over to Rivers Casino and make that bet.
(Please don't do that, Tom. He will probably finish with only 80 or 90.)
Bud
11:20
Two games in what do you stay: Do Brunicke and Kindel stay past game 9?
Matt Vensel
11:24
Hey, Bud. Good question. Based on their situations, I would project that Harrison Brunicke stays and Ben Kindel gets sent back to juniors. Obviously, performance will matter quite a bit here. It's very much a fluid situation. In Kindel's case, he is a year younger than Brunicke, which is a big difference at this stage in their developments. And there is also going to be a numbers game at forward with Bryan Rust, Kevin Hayes and Rutger McGroarty all trying to come back from injuries. So unless Kindel plays so well that the Penguins have no choice but to keep him in the NHL, I think he will play a handful of games then head back to the WHL if/when the Pens get healthy up front.
Tom
11:24
Kindel looks pretty good on his skates. What in particular caused him to have a below average grade on his skating pre draft? Also, he played well but seemed to force some plays that won't work in the NHL. Do you think he needs some time in minors or is the 3rd line here a good spot to learn and grow?
Matt Vensel
11:26
Tom, I am no scouting expert and I am not going to lie to you and say I have watched a single one of Kindel's WHL games. But yeah, skating was one of the big knocks on his game. It isn't holding him back right now. He may never become a plus skater, but the Pens are confident their development staff can help him make strides, no pun intended, in that area. I know Kindel feels he has already improved his skating under their watch. For the other part of your question, see above.
Zack
11:27
Do you see the pens trading out top performers/trade targets even if they are trending toward a playoff spot around mid season? Think any current prospects would be traded out if playoffs are a lock?
Matt Vensel
11:30
Hey, Zack. Fair question. There are so many potential factors that this is not a black-and-white situation. But Kyle Dubas has made it clear he will do what's best for the Penguins in the long term. So if he looks at this team at midseason and doesn't believe the Pens have a chance to win the Cup this spring, yeah, I think he will be open to moving out veterans if the price is right. And, despite what I said earlier about sentimentality with the Big Three, that's probably the right approach.
Kevin K
11:31
Please excuse me, but is it my imagination that the Penguins might somehow make the playoffs!!! optimistic fan
Matt Vensel
11:32
We will put Kevin K in charge of planning the Stanley Cup parade.
Sam
11:33
Regarding Silovs:  he's 24 and another franchise was willing to trade him away for not much, so I'm not thinking we've heisted Marty Brodeur here....but what if he's good?  Is it ideal  that they'd have two strong early 20-something goalies in the system, factoring in Murashov or does it complicate the future given the term still remaining on Jarry's deal?
Matt Vensel
11:36
Sam, you are right to note the Canucks moved on from Arturs Silovs and the Pens acquired him for a mid-round pick and a low-level prospect. Pretty affordable. Silovs was expendable because the Canucks have two NHL goalies they liked better and because Silovs has been pretty inconsistent as a pro. The highs, including a Calder Cup title, are tantalizing enough that this was a smart bet for Dubas and the Penguins, especially after Joel Blomqvist regressed last season. Let's see how things play out with Silovs in Pittsburgh before we start make declarations about the long-term depth chart in goal. Correct me if I'm wrong, but there has never been a time in NHL history where it was a bad thing to have more than one good goalie.
11:39
I'm running out of time so I will go rapid fire with our final questions.
Kris Peterinelli
11:39
Hey, Just sent you an email.  So whether tomorrow or at some point when Rusty returns, who is getting waived?  Also didn't like the 4th line at all last night.  If Rust returns and they are ok with Rakell and Hallander killing penalties, what do you think of:  Hallander-Crosby-Rust; Mantha-Malkin-Brazeau; Koivunen-Kindel-Rakell; Novak-Lizotte-Tomasino forward list.  I like Noel's efforts, but he looked like he was auditioned for a PennDot job in that yellow jersey last night.  (Literally standing around)....
Matt Vensel
11:41
Hey, Kris. I do not know who will be the odd man out when Bryan Rust is activated off IR. Had you asked me two days ago, I would have guessed Filip Hallander since he didn't play in the opener. But I thought he had a good season debut Thursday and seems capable of playing up and down the lineup, so now I'm not sure. To your point, I would also much rather see Hallander on the fourth line over Noel Acciari. But I know Acciari is very respected inside the team.
FirstTimeLongTime
11:41
Hey Matt -  where do you see the lines being when Rutger and Rust return?  I'd think they'd send 1 or 2 guys through waivers given through 2 games the kids look pretty good or at least not out of place.
Matt Vensel
11:44
I don't get the sense that Rutger McGroarty's return is imminent. Dan Muse still will not give us an updated timeline on Rutger's return, and Rutger has yet to practice with the team. Anyway, what I will say is that I think the Penguins have a chance to actually have a pretty decent forward lineup, assuming they avoid injuries. The young players plus new guys like Tommy Novak and Justin Brazeau will give Muse some flexibility with his top three lines. And if Rickard Rakell can actually play center and play well, the depth down the middle will be alright.
Kris Peterinelli
11:44
Good morning matt.  Thoughts on Caleb Jones play through two games?
Matt Vensel
11:46
I would like to see another defenseman get an opportunity. Matt Dumba had a solid preseason and Connor Clifton would bring some physicality back there. Subbing in one of them for Jones would mean that a righty would have to play on his off side. Oh well. I do think we could see a change Saturday, as Muse said yesterday that he wants to try to get all of their guys involved early in the season.
J D
11:46
Matt, what do you like most about the great start to the Penquins season?
Matt Vensel
11:47
It has to be the kids, right? They haven't been perfect. Brunicke has had some giveaways and defensive lapses. Ville Koivunen got bumped down the lineup. Ben Kindel has gotten pushed around a little bit. But the positives with those three have exceeded the negatives, especially when you factor in the good vibes they have brought to the team.
Ryan
11:48
Matt what do you think about the two penguins that appeared in their first NHL game i think both looked good Against the rangers and the islanders also does Rust come back out West Let’s Go Pens
Matt Vensel
11:48
Rust could actually return Saturday night. If not, out west for sure.
Charlotte John
11:48
Matt, two games in and you can see a difference in the “X” and “O”’s on the defensive side of rink. I like what I see. Do you think there is enough talent in the cupboard for this team to be competitive all year, or should we just sit back and enjoy some young talent grow?
Matt Vensel
11:50
Charlotte, you are spot-on with the Xs and Os. I will dive into some of those things once we get a little bit more of a body of work with the team. But the emphasis Muse is putting on players staying closer together has paid off in all three zones. I touched on the second half of your question with an earlier answer. I am not ready to declare the Penguins a playoff team after two games. But that doesn't mean this season can't be a fun viewing experience with the right mindset.
11:52
That will do it for today's chat. Lots of good questions. I could feel the excitement from you guys, even if it's just that you are finally getting to watch something a little different this year. I've enjoyed that, too, even as an unbiased observer. We'll talk soon. Have a great weekend!
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