OK, everyone apologize to the Penguins’ Rickard Rakell.
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17 Comments
Mantha is the Penguins MVP this season.
DK, i will eat crow. I was one of the guys bashing Rakell earlier in the season, but i guess he and you proved me wrong…sorry. Let's Go Rakell and Let's Go Pens!
He was injured and played light trash for most of the year. Playing better now is great but doesnt change that.
I don’t think most people were trying to scapegoat Rakell, I think most of us were just struggling to articulate what we were seeing with the eye test and from what I’ve seen all year long is the Crosby line is starting to look flat. I don’t think it’s any one person‘s fault. I think it’s a combination of the league having a long time to create strategies to mitigate these three, A slightly off year mostly due to injury and hard scheduling. What I have seen over the last couple of games is a new bounce in the first line, perhaps due to a fresh linemate? Not saying it has to be permanent and not saying anyone in particular should be off the first line just saying it looks much better than it did.
in the off season on many message boards so called "hockey experts" insisted that the pens would trade rackell and rust and I posted that , that was gargonzola as they had no idea how important both of those players are to the pens and that rust is a proven playoff performer !
Hey DK, crow eater here. Not on Rakell, though. I didn’t understand the Mantha signing. Coming off the injury and his age, and with the way Dubas was rebuilding this franchise. I’m so happy I was wrong.
Hey DK, I actually think Rakell has been decent even when he was “off” and up to rn he has 43 points in 52 games played. His stats are only down because of the month and change due to injury(as is the case with a lot of players on the team) but the rate stats have still been really good. Most fans i guess haven’t been paying attention lol.
Eric Karlson reminds me a little bit like Sergei Gonchar. Everyone was disappointed in him at first. Then a lightbulb goes off and he becomes a key player. Tanger, there's room for both of you.
It’s like when medical experts agree that a broken hand requiring surgery takes 3-6 months to regain full strength and functionality, sitting out 8 weeks wasn’t a full recovery. Let’s go Raks!!
Amen, DK. Can we also point out that prior to Rakell heating up, he was still pacing at 20G for a full season and around 55 points which is what he's been for most of his career, so it wasn't even like he was having an off-year. He just happened to take it to another level last year.
Raks deserves a lot of credit. He has been one the reasons why they are in 2nd place now. Also EK65 is playing lights out and Anthony Mantha is playing like he deserves 7 million a year.
Hey DK, the thing I like about sports is when you discuss them, you always have different perspectives. I was one of the fans who had seen enough of Rakell early on, at least on line one and for a combination of reasons. The chances he was getting and not finishing were frustrating to say the least but it wasn't what was turning me off to him. Pre-Olympics I felt his whole game struggled, he'd flub plays or simply lose possession, he seems to be chasing the play, and wasn't good defensively. As good as the prior year was he -30? So to me, his report card was in question, and now when his finish game was non existent and he was playing on the first line which wasn't excelling 5 on 5, you cut the low lying fruit.
With that all said, the Rakell we are seeing right now on this very hot streak is the best version I have seen. He's one timing the puck and scoring, he's dominating plays, he's holding onto possession and making plays happen…….and oh yeah he's hitting people. Now too be fair, this version is playing 300% better then the earlier 2025-26 version, its night and day different. Its something i have said about others, maybe his injury was nagging all that time and now its not, or a switch finally went off, who knows? Despite thinking he could be traded earlier on or at the very least demoted down to the third line which would of been my first option, (and getting a Robertson type player), but when Rakell is healthy and playing as he is now, is a bargain at his price.
Your listener's question……..there has been a few stinkers this season that have us all foaming at the mouth, but when the four lines are rolling, the team is swarming, dominating the boards, for me…….in my 35 years of being a fan, this has been the most fun it has been to watch the games since the Mario days! Its been a hard hat & lunch bucket approach and its fun to watch.
How come we dont get an apology video for players you target when proven wrong. Just you flaunting when you're right about something obvious.
I agree with you about the great players score all the time. If they are helping other teammates score that’s even better. Remember at the beginning of the season…Geno was helping Brazo score.. Mantha was not scoring yet either. But, helping other’s can bring on the team’s progress! Look where they are now!
Thank you DK. Never been down on Rakell . For me he's been great. Thank you DK for pointing this out, much appreciated. Great stuff DK !
Did Fubas see something we didn’t ? Can you check out my question on Double Shots of Penguins?
Meh not having it… an "A" in the last 7 games is great, but doesnt make up for a C/C- through the first half of the season and a flat out D in the Olympics.