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Mike DeFabo's Penguins chat: 04.29.22
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Mike DeFabo
1:45
You make a good point, Mike. At some point, you can't put it all on Malkin's wingers. He needs to be the one elevating others. I don't think he has his wheels since coming back from knee surgery. You still see his skill and instincts on the power play when he can be stagnant. But he's not nearly as dangerous off the rush.
1:47
Malkin looked GREAT during that 5-1 win in Tampa a while back. He was the best player that night and the Penguins looked like a legit playoff contender. But Geno hasn't shown that consistently. Over the last 15 years, the Crosby-Malkin one-two punch has been a huge reason for their success. If they're going to do anything this postseason, they need those two to be the driving forces behind it
Nicolas
1:47
hi
Mike DeFabo
1:47
Sup
Donnie
1:47
Old gripe- ESPNs coverage is bad
Mike DeFabo
1:48
I just want a shot tracker. That's my big gripe with their coverage
John
1:48
I think The Steelers should ... oops, right church, wrong pew. Ha, just kidding. A little sports levity for this town.
Mike DeFabo
1:48
The Steelers should load up on offensive and defensive linemen. Their problems last year went well beyond the QB.
Guest
1:48
Hey Mike. If you had to guess, do the penguins play game 1 with Jarry or Zucker and if not, do they both play in round 1?
Mike DeFabo
1:50
I don't think Jarry plays Game 1. I'd expect him to miss most or all of the first round. I really can't tell with Zucker. He's a warrior who played through the core muscle injury for weeks before surgery. I don't know if this is the same thing or a new injury. But he's tough
Kris
1:50
Don't you think it's time to move on from Geno?  He was great and I thank him for all he's done for the team/city, but it's time to move on, no?
Mike DeFabo
1:51
To me, it depends a lot on the price tag. He's the highest paid player on the team right now at $9.5 mil. No way he's getting anything close to that. I'd take him back for $6-7 over three years. Idk if he'd take that offer tho
Sunner in Orlando
1:51
Hi Mike thanks for the chats! If the Pens play he Rangers or the Panthers in the first round, does Sullivan change strategies from speed and trying to outskate their opponents to a more conservative lockdown style that worked well when our stars were out early in the season, or do they live and die with their current style?
Mike DeFabo
1:53
I don't see a dramatic change in style coming. The Penguins are still at their best when they're playing a puck pursuit game all over the ice. That's been missing lately. They really need to focus on managing the puck appropriately. One small mistake can lead to an odd-man rush the other way. Jarry bailed them out early in the year when this would happen. But with DeSmith's size, that's not a strength of his game
jwheaney
1:53
Pens offensive men need to circle back to help defense and goal tender...they are successful when they do this...Your thoughts?
Mike DeFabo
1:54
Keeping the puck out of the back of the net is more than just a one-man job, for sure. The Penguins have been focusing on getting back in transition and stopping in the scoring area. That's key. It feels like even when they have numbers back, they're getting hurt in transition because they're not correctly identifying the biggest threats and snuffing them out
Guest
1:55
Find it odd how Zucker said he was healthy for the first time in a while, and now he keeps hurting  himself with that Core Muscle injury
Mike DeFabo
1:55
Well, I know when he returned, that injury in Minnesota was a re-aggravation of the same thing. I don't know if this is the same thing or something new.
Guest
1:55
assuming Zucker plays game 1, who’s the odd man out? Also, Rust with Sid or 2nd line? Thanks
Mike DeFabo
1:56
Idk if Zucker plays. But if he does, the options to be scratched are: Boyle, Kapanen, Rodrigues or Heinen, probably in that order.
1:57
Where do you play Rust? I don't know. The best Crosby line features Rust. But the best top six might have Rust with Geno. I would have loved to see Malkin and Rakell build a little chemistry. But because Malkin took himself out of that conversation for four games due to suspension, I would go with what you know. That's Rust.
Tom
2:01
How is Kapanen not a scratch? He is an offensive talent who literally got no shots last game. What purpose does he even serve?
Mike DeFabo
2:01
He was a scratch two games ago for a reason. He's definitely on the roster's fringe right now
2:02
As much as Kapanen has disappointed this year, he's still one of the guys who has the offensive upside to be a difference maker. I don't have much faith it's going to happen. But he remains a huge x-factor who will need to, somehow, find his game if this team is going anywhere
Tom
2:02
Say we are a one line team. Rust is cold and Rakell is setting Crosby up like crazy! Why put Rust back up, we only have 3 games to lose?
Mike DeFabo
2:03
I've been very impressed by Rakell's playmaking and physicality. I tend to agree that he should play with Crosby right now
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