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Mike DeFabo’s Penguins chat: 02.11.22
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Ogie Ogilthorpe
11:01
Mike, did you or anyone else find out how Sid was feeling after the game? Among other things, it looked like he took a slapshot off his right knee, took some crosschecks in the back & "stacked the pads" to block a shot on net when time was winding down. I know I myself would be sore.
Mike DeFabo
11:03
As I type this, Sidney Crosby is standing next to the ice at the practice facility in Cranberry with a huge smile on his face. So even after taking that shot to the back of the left knee and some other battling, he seems to be fine. He's a hockey guy, after all.
11:04
How about those plays, though, Ogie? It's funny. Sid is on the brink of the 500-goal milestone, but last night was a great example of how he's a complete, two-way player. Not many stars are willing to make some of those plays.
Big Jeff
11:04
When are we slamming beers together?
Mike DeFabo
11:04
Name the time and place, Big Jeff. I'll bring the Platinums.
Jesse
11:04
Hey Mike! Thank you for doing this. I had a question on Mike Vellucci actually. I know there’s been a lot of talk with the PK. But I’m more interested in how he organizes the forward group? Is there any difference compared to last year or before he was hired? Either within how they are setup, or philosophy etc.
Mike DeFabo
11:06
Good question, Jesse. The PK under Vellucci is very different. The most-distinct feature is it's more aggressive, both up ice to deny zone entries and then also within the zone. Initially, players had a hard time knowing when to be aggressive without being sooooo aggressive they were pulled out of position. This year, everyone is on the same page and the results speak for themselves.
11:07
Speaking more specifically about the forwards, they typically like to keep tandems: Blueger with McGinn. Boyle with ZAR. But now that Blueger is out, Jeff Carter is seeing more time on the PK.
Sunner in Orlando
11:07
Will Malkin be available for Sunday's game vs Jersey?
Mike DeFabo
11:08
There's optimism he'll play, but it's not officially, official yet.
Sunner in Orlando
11:08
Do the Pens go after Marchand immediately the next time they play Boston or do they ignore his antics and just try to draw penalties against him? I say put Boyle out there to slam him but I might be in the minority on that strategy but you can't let that a hole try to hurt your players.
Mike DeFabo
11:10
Knowing the Penguins, I would think they trend more toward letting something come about organically. But in my eyes, the goalie is the one player you need to protect above all else. Someone has to step up, even if they lose the fight, to prove they're willing to stick up for a teammate and that kind of behavior won't be tolerated.
John
11:10
With Kapanen's penchant for floating, loafing out there, do you think he's eventual trade bait? I do. They can finetune, pick up a needed piece. How much is his salary? I think it's the same as Rust's. Then Rust can get what he deserves & stay here. A win win.
Mike DeFabo
11:12
I've often wondered how the new front office sees Kapanen. Remember, he was acquired under Rutherford when the hope was to get "younger, faster, tougher to play against" and speed was prioritized above all else. I think the philosophy has shifted now toward big, fast, hard-working players. The thing is, it's not as easy as just saying, let's trade him. They'd need to find a partner and I'm sure a lot of teams have seen Kapanen's underwhelming season.
11:13
That said, I'd call Jim Rutherford if I were GMRH. Our buddy GMJR drafted Kapanen and traded for him. He's a player that, obviously, Rutherford likes. Maybe this offseason something could pan out.
ppozone6031@gmail.com
11:13
Hi Mike, at the trade deadline do you think the pens go after a big physical dman?
Mike DeFabo
11:14
In my eyes, the Penguins have three needs:
A backup goalie (though maybe Casey DeSmith saved his job last night), a physical blueliner and, possibly, a physical winger.
11:17
Trading for a right-shot defenseman who has some physicality to his game and can throw a punch would make sense to me. The obstacles are: the salary cap and assets. The Penguins have very little cap room and are also somewhat reluctant to mortgage too much of the future. Maybe they can move one of the left-shot guys (Pettersson or Matheson), promoted P.O Joseph and bring in a righty? Just an idea
Super66fan
11:19
Crosby is 121st in the league in 5-on-5 scoring and in his last 14 playoff games he is -6 with 6 points… what makes us think the top line should be untouchable, and why should we have confidence that this season’s playoffs will be any different? shouldn’t Sully at least try some different combinations to get the most out of this team?
Mike DeFabo
11:20
A lot of questions about the backup goalie market. Let me throw out a couple ideas here...
11:22
Dallas has intrigued me for a while. They have three guys: Anton Khudobin, Jake Oettinger, and newcomer Braden Holtby. Ottinger is considered the future in net. The other two? maybe one is available
11:23
Jaroslav Halák is another name I've considered, especially now that Jim Rutherford is in Vancouver. The trouble there is the Canucks have actually gotten better and GMJR might not unload him
11:24
I also wondered a little about Jonathan Quick, given his connections to Ron Hextall. Quick was on the trading block last deadline. I'm not sure LA is a legit contender enough that he might not still be an option.
11:25
I'll just type the words Marc-Andre Fleury into this chat just to get people fired up, even though I think his $7 million cap hit would be near impossible to fit under the cap
Super66fan
11:25
if the Isles remain out of the playoff picture could Chara be had at the trade deadline? he would be an affordable option that would beef up a very soft defense corps
Mike DeFabo
11:28
Sure, theoretically, he might be available. It's fun to think about a massive human who knows how to drop the gloves on the Penguins. Unfortunately, I don't see it. The Penguins already have a surplus of left-shot D-men with Dumoulin, Matheson and Pettersson on the payroll and P.O Joseph in the pipeline. So a move like this probably would mean moving Matheson or Pettersson first
LA Larry
11:30
What are your thoughts on “Lamborghini Mercy” being part of the Kings warmup mix? I heard you are a fan of the tune.
Mike DeFabo
11:30
It's the only song on my pre-workout playlist
Guest
11:31
Why isn’t Matheson used on PP2?  Not that they get much ice time but that seems to play to his strengths and Marino has been up and down this year
Mike DeFabo
11:32
This is a question I've had as well. Remember when Letang went down with COVID, Marino got the nod on the top unit and committed a really bad turnover. Maybe part of it is that Matheson isn't as responsible defensively. So if things do go awry, it's better to have Marino as the lone man back than Matheson? Just an idea. But I'm with you, I'd like to see Matheson more on the power play
Rutherford’s wingers
11:34
Mike,  how the hell do the get zucker and kapanen outta here?  Cabs
Mike DeFabo
11:38
Zucker and Kapanen will be forever linked in my mind as the final pieces of GMJR's legacy in Pittsburgh and two of the bigger X-factors. The former GM gave up two first round picks and a pretty good prospects, Calen Addison, to bring those two in with the hope of solidifying the top-six. I think even Zucker and Kapanen would agree that they haven't lived up to expectations. I see a possible market for Kapanen, but Zucker's $5.5 million cap hit would make him hard to move
Guest
11:39
Given Marino’s up and down year again , do you think his contract is looking like a big over pay?
Mike DeFabo
11:44
In a word, yes. I think Marino is overpaid based on his performance. I know Rutherford was extremely high on Marino (and the kid did have an incredible rookie year). GMJR believed Marino would eventually step in as the No. 1 righty and the guy quarterbacking the top power play. So, a young guy for $4.4 million a year on the top unit didn't seem like too much. I agree, he's been up and down. Recently, I've liked what I've seen out of Marino. He gets himself in trouble when he tries to do too much. When he plays within himself, he's at his best.
Super66fan
11:44
are you surprised that Jack Johnson has found a home, and plays decent minutes, for Cup contender Colorado? didn’t see that coming
Mike DeFabo
11:46
Still thinking about Jack, huh?
Sunner in Orlando
11:47
Hey Mike, thanks for the chats! With Casey tossing a shutout last night, does that ease the tension to go get a solid vet to back up Jarry or do they still pursue a vet for the stretch run to give Jarry some valuable nights off to keep him fresh?
Mike DeFabo
11:51
Surely it's a step in the right direction. If I were making the call, I'd play Casey a fair amount over the next couple weeks to know what he is. The sample size is still pretty small on his season and it's a bit puzzling. He's been pretty lousy at times, yet still somehow has two shutouts and a one-goal outing in just 11 starts. So yeah, I'd play him more and get more information
Guest
11:51
Do you think the pens can get back to the tight structured play they were playing during their winning streak ?  It seems this has happened the past few years where they have this good structure mid season and can not quite get back to it come playoff time
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