Filed under: Penguins
Down 5-4 to Boston in the final minutes at home on Wednesday, the Penguins gave up the kind of disheartening insurance goal that signals a team in turmoil. Newly signed free agent Zbynek Michalek skated behind the Pittsburgh net to retrieve the puck, but the $4 million defenseman was out-hustled and muscled on the play by Mark Recchi. The 42-year-old Recchi centered the puck to Blake Wheeler, who sealed the victory for the Bruins. In its 7-4 win, Boston scored the game's final five goals.The Penguins are now 7-8-1 and 2-5-0 at home (these new arenas rarely seem to create an immediate spark, if you haven't noticed). Their goaltending is in disarray, with Marc-Andre Fleury fighting the puck while the bloom has come off backup Brent Johnson. Even with Sidney Crosby (pictured) at the top of the lineup, Pittsburgh looks rudderless. They could eventually turn back to retired-for-now Bill Guerin -- who was in town recently for a concert by Bruce Springsteen and local fave Joe Grushecky, who acknowledged Guerin's 40th birthday from the stage -- but there isn't much more management can do.
And that's exactly how it should be. The biggest mistake general manager Ray Shero could make right now would be to construct a shakeup trade. These are not the Penguins of 2008-09, with everyone waiting for the inevitable removal of head coach Michel Therrien. Shero is going to give Dan Bylsma and his players time to figure it out on their own.
For a team just one year removed from a Stanley Cup, the Penguins underwent a major transition this season. Gone are defensemen Sergei Gonchar and Mark Eaton, replaced by the more defensively-formidable Michalek and Paul Martin. A culture change like that on the blueline takes time. It would also help if Bylsma would just play Fleury every night until he gets his game back. And he will get his game back.
Bruce Ciskie: College Hockey Weekly
Source: http://nhl.fanhouse.com/2010/11/11/nhl-notebook-top-7-centers-no-shakeup-looms-for-penguins/
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