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Wed Jan 07, 2009 11:18 am EST

Reminder: Puck Daddy hockey rumors live chat ahoy!

By Greg Wyshynski

At 1 p.m. EST today, we're going to have our weekly rumors, scuttlebutt and innuendo chat this a bit of additional focus on the Pittsburgh Penguins.

A 3-1 win over the Atlanta Thrashers isn't a cure-all, even if it did provide the world with one of the most awkward fan goal-celebration smooches in recent memory (via Pensblog). The Penguins remain a fascinating mess, and everyone thinks they know the right ways to fix them. Joe Starkey of the Tribune-Review, for example, thinks firing coach Michel Therrien would be a rather misguided decision:

Questions about Therrien's job security have arisen for good reason and won't go away just because the Penguins beat the sad-sack Atlanta Thrashers on Tuesday.

Just know this: The team's problems are more about player performance and player personnel than coaching.

Therrien's not blameless, mind you. But he shouldn't be made the scapegoat.

We'll discuss Therrien's job, Jordan Staal, Ryan Whitney, Sidney Crosby's wing and plenty of other Pens-related topics in the Puck Daddy hockey rumors live chat today ... along with discussions about the Minnesota Wild, the Ottawa Senators and the usual suspects.

Join myself, Lyle "Spector" Richardson of Fox Sports and David "Dave" Pagnotta of The Fourth Period at 1 p.m. on the main Puck Daddy page for all the fun.

In the meantime: How would you improve the Penguins?

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62 Comments

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  1. Journeyman
    1. Posted by Journeyman Thu Sep 03, 2009 4:49 pm EDT

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    Pens should sign Shanahan. They need toughness and a presence in front of the net on the PP.
  2. Curt S
    2. Posted by Curt S Thu Sep 03, 2009 3:32 pm EDT

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    Nik Antropov on Crosby's wing? The Leaf's are looking to move him and he is a big-bodied finisher. Seems like a good fit to me.
  3. carl_vs_mastershake
    3. Posted by carl_vs_mastershake Thu Sep 03, 2009 3:18 pm EDT

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    How would you improve the Penguins?
    Send them to Kansas City like Super Mario tried before Bettman forced him not to.
  4. M
    4. Posted by M Thu Sep 03, 2009 4:44 pm EDT

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    they need a real winger for crosby. They have the chip to pull in a A+ winger too in Jordan Staal. Seems like a no brainer.
  5. MTL_WINGS
    5. Posted by MTL_WINGS Thu Sep 03, 2009 7:26 pm EDT

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    The problem with the Penguins is Ty Conklin. If he stinks it up last year then the pens tank and have no shot at the cup and don't pull the trigger on Hossa. Worst rub is that he signed with team that beat them in the finals. Not to mention Hossa as well. How's that for insult to injury. Seriously though, Gonchar's injury is a big problem for the pens. I think that hurts just about as much as anything else. Didn't he hurt his shoulder in the finals against the wings? lol
  6. fletch81
    6. Posted by fletch81 Thu Sep 03, 2009 3:42 pm EDT

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    Dear Pens fans - Just in case you didn't notice, as of today, you are OUT of the playoffs. This should be quite disturbing, as you all began to engrave the Pens' names on the Cup in early October (before the season even started!). Maybe Cindy can start "jumping" some more players to "spark" your team. Best of luck making the playoffs this year. You'll be lucky to get out of the 2nd round. Meanwhile, in other news, the Red Wings are STILL a dominant force in the NHL...in case you haven't been watching....oh yeah, and the DEFENDING CUP CHAMPS!
  7. Clayton
    7. Posted by Clayton Thu Sep 03, 2009 3:26 pm EDT

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    Carl your an idiot, Mario kept the team in Pittsburgh, and made comments about even after all that threatening it was unlikely he would have done it.
  8. Saro G
    8. Posted by Saro G Thu Sep 03, 2009 2:46 pm EDT

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    Let's give 'em another first overall pick in the draft.
  9. banginpanger.com
    9. Posted by banginpanger.com Thu Sep 03, 2009 4:04 pm EDT

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    Mario should lace em up. Show that there's only one Lemieux worth making a comeback.
  10. Jonathan
    10. Posted by Jonathan Thu Sep 03, 2009 4:40 pm EDT

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    Trade Malkin to the Kings
    -Garrioch'd
  11. A Yahoo! User
    11. Posted by A Yahoo! User Thu Sep 03, 2009 4:02 pm EDT

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    Stick Goli back on the point on the PP....for that matter, stick him back on the bench instead of the press box! Gill is a stiff....
  12. Hamilton Tigers
    12. Posted by Hamilton Tigers Thu Sep 03, 2009 3:10 pm EDT

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    I'm starting to think that this blog is a PENGUINS blog - at least 30% of the stuff on Puck Daddy has something to do with the Penguins, a team OUT OF THE PLAYOFF HUNT at the moment - what about the other 29 teams?
  13. Curt S
    13. Posted by Curt S Thu Sep 03, 2009 3:32 pm EDT

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    @ Clayton--
    If you're going to call someone an idiot you should probably check your grammar first; otherwise, you end up looking like the idiot.
  14. Deker
    14. Posted by Deker Thu Sep 03, 2009 8:31 pm EDT

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    @ fletch81:
    The Penguins are bad right now and the Red Wings are good? Wow, thanks for the brilliant insight!
  15. Peter H
    15. Posted by Peter H Thu Sep 03, 2009 4:17 pm EDT

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    Most teams go through rough stretches during the season it just so happens they have been particularly bad the last 12 games or so. Obviously losing all of the players in the off-season hurt and replacing them with guys like Fedetenko, Satan etc did not help much. If they were to make a trade at some point you would like to think they would go ahead and deal Staal who probably will never be allowed the offensive freedom he needs or would like behind Sid and Geno and then perhaps letting go of either Letang or Goligoski. Whitney recently came back from injury and Gonchar is still on the shelf so teams are not going to want those two right now. I think they have enough talent to finish in top 6 before the playoffs begin and anything can happen from there. I am sure they will add a player or two before all is said and done.
  16. Koba
    16. Posted by Koba Thu Sep 03, 2009 7:24 pm EDT

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    I was a Pens fan during the dark years of the first half of this decade, so even this slump looks good to me by comparison. Change nothing, wait for Gonchar to return. Let Crosby be the most peculiarly overmarketed and simultaneously reviled player in the league to conceal the fact that it'll be Malkin and Sykora driving the team forward. The season isn't even halfway through, move along people.
  17. Hans Gruber
    17. Posted by Hans Gruber Thu Sep 03, 2009 2:58 pm EDT

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    I would consider making a blog posting NOT involving the Penguins seeing that if the draft lottery wasn't rigged, they would no longer exist.
  18. Paqman
    18. Posted by Paqman Thu Sep 03, 2009 8:46 pm EDT

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    I would trade for Nathan Horton. The Pens need a power forward(right-hand shooting) to play with Crosby.
    He would score 30-40 a year on his wing, one of the best wrist shots in the game. I would trade Stall for
    Horton. If he is not available, I would ask the Oilers for Marc Pouliot(wouldn't give up much for him). He
    did play with Crosby in Juniors I believe.
  19. fletch81
    19. Posted by fletch81 Thu Sep 03, 2009 3:42 pm EDT

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    @ Deker - It wasn't intened as "brilliant insight", rather, intended to put Pens fans in their place for running their mouths before the season even started, annointing the Pens the 2009 Stanley Cup Champs. It is best to let at least half the season play out before stating your team will win the Cup. It was comical to read what many (not all) Pens fans said before the season started (even though the team lost MANY KEY players to FA). And now what is even more comical, the way the Pens are playing. Enjoy the golf season Cindy.
  20. Maraldo
    20. Posted by Maraldo Thu Sep 03, 2009 10:34 pm EDT

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    @ Ryan H....30% would be an understatement, I'm a penguins fan and I think there is way to much coverage here, there is some mention of them in every other post. But, to Wysh's credit, either pro or con, it gets a ton of comments and hits from fans and haters. The man is smarter than we give him credit for.
  21. The KBBL Party Penguin
    21. Posted by The KBBL Party Penguin Thu Sep 03, 2009 7:04 pm EDT

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    @Deker:
    Don't be so hard on him. He thinks it's April and he's probably surly that he hadn't started his taxes yet. I mean I started panicking about 'em too until I checked the calander and saw it was January.
  22. Hamilton Tigers
    22. Posted by Hamilton Tigers Thu Sep 03, 2009 3:10 pm EDT

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    @Andrew V - I agree - I'm still waiting for the NHL to return the Hamilton Tigers - the Penguins got the rigged lottery, Nashville has some scam going with Bettman - I guess the next best bet for the return of the Hamilton Tigers is Phoenix...
    5 years from now, the Penguins will be right where they were 5 years ago - in the toilet, with no stars left, and looking to move to Saskatoon, Saskatchewan. I know Crosby wouldn't mind that - him and his boyfriend like the genuine Saskatchewan seal skin whips and restraints....
  23. Maraldo
    23. Posted by Maraldo Thu Sep 03, 2009 10:34 pm EDT

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    @ Fletch81..."Pens fans in their place for running their mouths before the season even started, annointing the Pens the 2009 Stanley Cup Champs. It is best to let at least half the season play out before stating your team will win the Cup" Isn't that what the Wings fans have been doing every day on here?
  24. N8
    24. Posted by N8 Thu Sep 03, 2009 3:42 pm EDT

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    PD is a Devils fan so why would he give up a chance to rail on the Pens? They need a grizzled old veteran to corral all the young players, Shany would be nice but what about cap space. My opinion is they are gonna end up trading someone that is coming up for UFA and I say good. They should have tried to get Owen Nolan or *gasp* Chris Chelios in the summer can't get any older or grizzlier than those two (even though Owen is my favorite player in the league). Oh and everyone that thinks they need to get a winger for Crosby, maybe it's time he works with what he's got. I think he's got a Hossa hangover. Stick him on the second line with fed and peter gun, move malkin up. If that won't get MT fired nothing will.
  25. carl_vs_mastershake
    25. Posted by carl_vs_mastershake Thu Sep 03, 2009 3:18 pm EDT

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    @ Ryan H this isn't a Pens blog. Just the Pens have a lot of interesting players, all with something that is blogworthy(that probably isn't as word). Infact the Pens fans only really come out when they are winning or someone from DET reminds who they beat last year. However don't expect Wyshynski to pile it on the Pens like he would do with other teams as I'm pretty certain he very affraid of The Pensblog people waging a war he can not win.

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