drewfreakin: Mark Eaton looked out of position and downright confused during 2 of the Isles' goals last game. Is he injured, lacking confidence, or just not that good?

Shelly Anderson: There's no reason to think that missing big chunks of the past two seasons because of injuries caused Mark Eaton to forget how to be a good, stay-at-home defenseman. He has said he's not yet the player he was before his knee surgery last season. Whether that's a physical problem, one of confidence, or a combination, it's something that perhaps time will help. Eaton signed a two-year contract over the summer, and with Ryan Whitney and Sergei Gonchar out long-term, the Penguins need Eaton. They have seven healthy defensemen right now, but you would like to think Eaton could be more than a serviceable seventh guy, and do it soon.

Bones: I'm looking to add the new third jersey to my collection but can't decide which player to go with: Staal, Letang, or Goligoski. Which one has the best chance of being a Penguin long-term?

Shelly Anderson: If the guy's name isn't Crosby or Malkin, there's always the risk he will be gone before the blue fades on that jersey. Keep in mind, you still see occasional Christensen or Armstrong or even Kovalev jersey, so it's a blind leap of monetary faith.

drewfreakin: If Jordan Staal starts to heat up, do you think that will mean the Pens will stick with him, or try to deal him while his stock is high?

Shelly Anderson: There has been absolutely no indication the Penguins are or will be looking to trade Jordan Staal. Barring some incredible offer that yields, say, a two-way winger the caliber of Marian Hossa with a contract longer than one season, general manager Ray Shero seems more savvy than to let go a 20-year-old with the upside of Jordan Staal, who might never top 25 goals consistently but will get his share and will be more than solid in both ends of the rink. Anyone who is antsy about trading Staal ought to do a Google search on Aramis Ramirez and Pirates.

drewfreakin: Do you know what the baby on the side of Sabourin's goalie mask is? Represents?

Shelly Anderson: I've never asked Dany Sabourin about the art on his goaltender mask, but I'm assuming it's his baby or someone he knows and not something like an editorial comment aimed at opposing shooters.

drewfreakin: Whoa Whoa Whoa! Let's not say things we can't take back! Please don't ever compare the Penguins ownership with that of the Pirates :)

Shelly Anderson: No, the phrase polar opposite comes to mind when comparing the ownership of the Penguins and Pirates, but the point is that giving up on Jordan Staal at this point would be equal to some of the moves the Pirates management has made, some for financial reasons and some just poor decision-making.

drewfreakin: Is Fedotenko back to full strength? I think Dupuis makes more sense for the 4th line than Ruslan

Shelly Anderson: At the risk of perpetuating a very stale joke, the Penguins line combinations are like the Pittsburgh weather -- if you don't like what you see, wait five minutes. Or at most, five games. We don't know what Ruslan Fedotenko's injury was, other than he came off the ice after 10 minutes of the morning skate Nov. 1 in St. Louis, so it's impossible to know if it's the kind of thing that lingers. Pascal Dupuis offers speed to any line, but he needs to finish a few more plays to warrant a permanent assignment on the top two lines.

drewfreakin: Do you like the shuffling of the lines, or do you think we need to build more consistency/chemistry? It seems like Sid likes Miro and Max, are working pretty well together. You think, barring injury, that will continue?

Shelly Anderson: There were days in past decades when forward lines stayed together and had nicknames. Free agency and trades make that difficult now, and Penguins coach Michel Therrien's approach of switching things up to continually give his team a spark makes it even less likely. He does, however, tend to stick with things when the team is winning and playing well. The guess here is that eventually Max Talbot will go back to center, with Ruslan Fedotenko given every chance to play with Sidney Crosby and Miroslav Satan.

drewfreakin: Any clue why last game wasn't on in HD? Are only home games guaranteed in HD?

Shelly Anderson: That's not something I follow, being at most of the games and not able to make the investment in high definition yet. I do know FSN Pittsburgh has greatly increased the number of games it is showing in HD this season, but a lot goes into such broadcasts and doing all its Penguins games wasn't technically feasible.

Icebirds: Was Max's recent goals due to playing on a line with Crosby or more because of the Fu-Manchu?

Shelly Anderson: While hockey players tend to be superstitious, if Max Talbot believes some facial hair boosts his game more than playing with the superb Sidney Crosby, he's got a few screws loose. Wait...

R._Fata: Is Stall a Penguin next year?

Shelly Anderson: The Penguins want to re-sign Jordan Staal, whose entry contract expires after this season, making him a restricted free agent. He says he wants to stay here, although he's more concerned right now with what's happening on the ice. If it gets to that point, there could be a team that makes an offer the Penguins might have a hard time matching under the salary cap -- if Staal has a great season.

ajt123: We need some more grit, losing Roberts, Rutuu, Malone et al was too much! Opinion?

Shelly Anderson: That's not a bad call. There's a bit of a dropoff after Eric Godard and Paul Bissonnette. Pretty much all the players will stand up for themselves and teammates, and a few -- Tyler Kennedy, Max Talbot, for example -- stand out at times for some grit, but they aren't the veterans you mentioned.

Shelly Anderson: Thanks, everyone. Chat with you next week.