On lines...

Fans shouldn't question coaches. After all, they are the ones who have a professional job in hockey and, for most cases, have spent all their adult lives around hockey and know what's going on. On the other hand, for the most parts, fans are just drunk assholes that have loud voices to let their spur of the moment thoughts out.

But, seeing Ryan Malone and Mark Recchi as the second line wingers in the first game for Evgeni Malkin is truly a heastratcher. Malone and Recchi were pretty much permanent wingers last year on the top line with Sidney Crosby. And, for the most part, they were not able (at full strength) to generate much as Crosby's wings..

So you move them away from Sid (smart move). But you send them BOTH to Malkin? After you already know what they can bring to the table?? Give them ice-time over Erik Christensen, over Gary Roberts?

I'm no NHL coach, but this combination stinks. Recchi is a skill player, keep him with top 6 minutes, but why not drop Malone down in favor of someone else who has skill.