I would have liked to have seen them pick up someone like Sutton. Especially because he would have fit the mold of a “shut down” guy a bit better. I have been happy with Leopold’s contributions thus far, but I think he is similar to what the team already had in a lot of ways.

There is no question that the Penguins have got to do a better job of getting a net front presence. The fact that they haven’t been getting enough bodies to the front of the net has been a huge reason why they cannot beat New Jersey. Not enough second chance opps or dirty goals. They have the bodies to do it… they just need to get it going! Poni, Guerin, Kunitz and even Cooke to a lesser extent should be in the opposing goalies’ face on every shift!

Thanks for reading! I appreciate it!

B

One thing I noticed about Zetterberg’s 1st goal: From the side view of the replay, Fleury didn’t see the shot at all until it was past him due to the screen in front by Bertuzzi. Second, Crosby was the one left to try to clear out the much bigger Bertuzzi from in front of the net.

In general, has the absence of a massive defenceman like Hal Gill, skilled at clearing out opponents from around the net, been subtly missed?

At the opposite end, do you find the Pens aren’t getting enough traffic in front of the opposition net?