January Game Thread and Discussion

[burgh_fan66]

Pittsburgh Penguins January Game Thread

 Date	        Visitor----	Home	        Time (ET)    Result
 Jan 6	------Rangers----	Penguins	7:00 PM----- L 1-3
 Jan 7	------Devils----	Penguins	7:00 PM----- L 1-3
 Jan 10	------Senators----	Penguins	7:00 PM----- L 1-5
 Jan 11	------Penguins----	Capitals	7:30 PM----- L 0-1
 Jan 13	------Penguins----	Panthers	7:30 PM----- W 4-1
 Jan 15	------Penguins----	Lightning	1:00 PM----- W 6-3
 Jan 17	------Hurricanes	Penguins	7:00 PM----- W 2-1
 Jan 19	------Penguins----	Rangers----	7:00 PM----- W 4-1
 Jan 20	------Canadiens----	Penguins	7:00 PM----- W 5-4
 Jan 22	------Capitals----	Penguins	3:00 PM----- W 4-3
 Jan 24	------Penguins----	Blues----	8:00 PM----- W 3-2
 Jan 31	------Maple Leafs	Penguins	7:00 PM----- W 5-4

Top Performers Through December
------------------------

-----Malkin--------Neal-------Kunitz------Dupuis-------Staal-------Letang-----Niskanen-----Martin------Fleury
---43 points ---36 points ---26 points ---25 points ---21 points ---19 points ---15 points ---10 points ---2.26 GAA

Top Stories

Pens Continue To Battle Injuries

Pens Find Fighting On the Decline

Malkin is December’s #1 Star

January Record: 8-4-0
Overall Record: 29-17-4

Divisional Standings
Conference Standings

[Tomahawk27]

May be a bit optimistic but I'm thinking around 9 wins this month, a lot of home games

[jrm2054]

Ya i can see 7-9 wins if we keep playing well. Any update on Sid? All I've heard is he is doing light workouts and still has symptoms.

[burgh_fan66]

I'm thinking 9 wins is definitely possible but I am going to predict a 7-3-2 record. The team is still a little banged up so I'm setting it a little low.

As for Crosby all I have heard is that his return could take some time. I hate to pose this question but if Crosby does not return this season how does everyone feel the Penguins should handle a possible extension for him this off-season?

[Tomahawk27]

I would ask him to take a bit of a pay cut, simply because of his concussion history. That being said, he has shown that he can come back and put up points immediately. Ideally, nothing more than 4 years and no more than 7mil. Does that sound reasonable?

[burgh_fan66]

It seems reasonable but as the best hockey player in the world would Sid accept taking a pay cut? I know he has been very team friendly but I am sure at some point there is a limit and is that it.

Another option would be to wait it out but then you risk Sid hitting free agency and while I would think he would return to the Pens, I don't care to see what he would do if another team stepped up and offered him a max contract (which at 20% of the cap could be something like 14 million a year).

This would definitely be a tough situation hopefully this all proves to be mute and he manages to get back on the ice this season and make it so the Pens fill comfortable signing him (even so given his recent history how "comfortable" can they actually be).

[Tomahawk27]

I highly doubt that Shero and the Pens would let him hit free agency. I have a feeling that if that were to ever happen, it would be because Sid wants to. It's hard to say how he will handle an extension. His play certainly warrants being the highest paid player in the NHL but I hope he stays at his current salary or even a little less (how awesome would that be)

[burgh_fan66]

I know it is a highly unlikely scenario that he would ever hit free agency but I don't see it as an impossible scenario. Crosby fails to come back this season so the Pens not wanting to commit many years to him wait it out, it takes Crosby a little while to come back at full strength but when he does he is at the top of his game. At this point he opts just to see what is out there with the idea of resigning with Pittsburgh but is blown away by another offer.

Highly unlikely scenario, yes but hey anything is possible I suppose. My expectation is that Crosby will come back this season and he and the team will work out a contract giving him a slight raise to around the 10 million mark this off-season but we shall see. If Crosby doesn't return I see the Penguins and Crosby working out an agreement where they delay the talks for a season (possibly just tacking on another year at 8.7 million).

[jrm2054]

I would try to get him to take a paycut. I really hope he is able to make it back this year and finish healthy with no issues to give himself and the world confidence that this isn't a career threatening thing

[Tomahawk27]

I don't think there is any way we can bump him up to 10 and still keep Malkin and Staal. I think the Pens try to pay Malkin the same as Crosby just because how good both of them are and if one were to be bumped, the other would most likely follow. That would be an extra 2.6mil to a very strained cap ceiling as it is. If a raise is in order, I really don't see us having all 3 centers

[burgh_fan66]

If he shows himself healthy which I am sure we are all hoping I don't see how a raise can be avoided. I think they can fit everyone in, recall Crosby's first season of his new deal the cap was only 56.7 million. It is now 64.3 million, that means in 3 seasons the cap has risen 6.7 million or roughly 2.2 million a season. Lets round it down and say the cap increases 4 million by the start of the 2013-2014 season and that puts us at 68.3 million or 11.6 million higher than when his contract started to take effect. Surely within that 11.6 million the Penguins can fit an extra 3 million total for Crosby, Malkin and Staal.

By the way I know Malkin's contract did not take effect until the season after Crosby's but the cap only went up 0.1 million that season.

[t2a2e9j12]

Hope for the best with sid on health and contract. This weekened has some huge games with the rangers and devils hope for two regulation wins.

[Tomahawk27]

Agreed, the Rangers have been playing really well lately, we need to come out strong. If we can manage 3 points, I would consider it a success

[Tomahawk27]

If he shows himself healthy which I am sure we are all hoping I don't see how a raise can be avoided. I think they can fit everyone in, recall Crosby's first season of his new deal the cap was only 56.7 million. It is now 64.3 million, that means in 3 seasons the cap has risen 6.7 million or roughly 2.2 million a season. Lets round it down and say the cap increases 4 million by the start of the 2013-2014 season and that puts us at 68.3 million or 11.6 million higher than when his contract started to take effect. Surely within that 11.6 million the Penguins can fit an extra 3 million total for Crosby, Malkin and Staal.

By the way I know Malkin's contract did not take effect until the season after Crosby's but the cap only went up 0.1 million that season.

I've read this like 5 times and I still can't understand it lol. Can you try explaining it again?

[jrm2054]

i'm so excited for tonight seems like forever since we played