Kipper : The #Pens Decision To Help Depth At The Deadline, Is A Smart One
By Kipper
@pghsportsforum
leestempniak3.6.14.jpgAnother Trade Deadline has come and gone. This might be one of the more eventful ones, due to the abundance of fake accounts suckering in Rob Rossi and the Official Pittsburgh Penguins twitter account. Hell, even I was duped!
There were sexy choices out there for the Top 6. Ryan Kesler, Thomas Vanek etc.. Pens fans wanted those big names. When you land the big names you feel like you have a better chance at winning the Cup.
Or do you?
Last year heading into the Trade Deadline, the Pens were a pretty well oiled machine and then player after player was added to the roster. Jarome Iginla, Brenden Morrow, Jussi Jokinen, Douglas Murray... It was player overload for a team that probably only needed one of Morrow/Jokinen and Douglas Murray. As we know how it unfolded, the Pens choked against the Boston Bruins and the rest is history.
This season, Ray Shero was likely going after Ryan Kesler of the Canucks, but wasn't willing to overpay this time for a rental, so he focused on the teams weakest area ;
The Bottom 6.
marcelgoc3.6.14.jpgThis has been the Pens weakest area for years now. One reason why the Pens aren't succeeding. One of the strengths of Ray Shero early on as a GM was rebuilding this team by infusing a strong dosage of depth. Where the Pens depth was a bunch of has-beens and fringe NHL players, Ray Shero came in and gave the Pens 3rd and 4th line, role players to play with a couple of mainstays. If it wasn't for this depth, the Pittsburgh Penguins probably don't win their 3rd Stanley Cup. While the Top 6 for the Pens and Red Wings were neutralizing each other, our Bottom 6 outplayed Detroit's. This hasn't happened since.
The Pens added some scoring depth and that's a great thing for this team. This team as long as Sidney Crosby or Evgeni Malkin are on the ice, will always make the Playoffs. The Regular Season is almost just a monthly set of entertainment events that lead up to the Post Season. That's when everything changes. That's when the game tightens up, your stars play a more complete 2-way game, and your depth becomes far more important than it did in the Regular Season.
Kudos to Ray Shero this year for resisting the sexy Top 6 picks and adding much needed depth to a team that not only needs it now, but will rely on it, come the Playoffs. Welcome to the team Marcel Goc and Lee Stempniak
Let's not forget that Stenpniak once scored 27 goals. He's averaged around 14 since then and that's not something to overlooked for a 3 or 4th line player
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Originally Posted by Jimmie
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Let's not forget that Stenpniak once scored 27 goals. He's averaged around 14 since then and that's not something to overlooked for a 3 or 4th line player
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also dont forget that he will be moving up to Crosby's line probably, and they'll move Gibbons down (who i like on the 3rd line)
That should give that line a little more hands but a guy like Gibbons on the 3rd.. hes a nice spark plug down there.
When Bennett comes back, if Bennet comes back, Stempniak moves to the 3rd line.. Thats really nice depth.
I really do like the move. It's not an Alexei Ponikarovsky type move.. this feels more like what the Pens did the year they won the Cup.. just added depth at a low price