cjpens: What do you think about the D-pairing switch against the Capitals with Orpick-Letang and Gonchar-Eaton? I always like when Letang is paired with Orpick and it seemed like a vote of confidence from Bylsma to have Letang go against that Capital's first line.

Shelly Anderson: The Penguins' defensive pairings have been more stable than the forward lines, but that's not saying much. I like the Penguins' ability to create pairings with one offensive and one defensive guy, whether Brooks Orpik is with Kris Letang or Sergei Gonchar or some other combination. Sometimes it's situational -- such as in a game with a lot of special-team play that disrupts the pairings. Coach Dan Bylsma no doubt will continue to mix and match. Not too long ago, he had Letang and Alex Goligoski playing together for a stretch. Who knows how things will be set up come the playoffs.

Carl Festa: What do you think is Fluery's problems of late be contributed to? His rebound control? His ability to make the second save? Defense being subpar? Or, maybe a little of all of the above?

Shelly Anderson: I would attribute it to simply a bad stretch by a good goaltender, the same as everyone has. It seems that when Marc-Andre Fleury is struggling, several facets of his game slip and he becomes frustrated. When he gets back in the groove, everything improves -- he's positioned well, he challenges shooters, he controls the rebounds and he makes decent decisions handling the puck. You are right in that you can't overlook the play of the team defense, though, something that was lacking throughout a lot of the weekend.

Carl Festa: Who do you think is the most likely player the Pens will acquire in a trade: Ray Whitney, Alex Ponikarosky, R.J. Umbereger, or his teammate Torress? Also, which do you think would help them the best? Any other names that you are hearing?

Shelly Anderson: I don't put much stock in the rumor mill. If I did, I would have been surprised to learn the Penguins were not a player in the Ilya Kovalchuk sweepstakes. The Penguins don't have a lot of salary cap room to play with, and the players you mentioned would be appealing to other teams, too, so their price could be a sticking point. Ray Whitney is the name that seems to pop up most often, and that's only worth mentioning because he would seem to be a good fit, but that doesn't mean there is any evidence something is in the works. Although this is not set in stone, it's likely general manager Ray Shero will try to wait until after the roster freeze during the Olympics to pull off any trades so the Penguins won't have to pay a player to sit around for two weeks.

John: Does the city of Pittsburgh even own a plow?

Shelly Anderson: I'm not going to make a habit of answering non-hockey questions here, but I would like to point out that I spent the weekend in Washington, D.C. and drove back to Pittsburgh last night. Believe me, the road crews in Western Pennsylvania are light years ahead of those in D.C., where there were no glmpses of any pavement the the major highways were completely covered in packed snow for miles and miles. The roads around the Verizon Center held several inches of snow 24 hours after the last snow fell.

Shelly Anderson: Anymore questions, or is everyone still digging out and recovering from Super Bowl parties?

Guest: Are there official team practices during the Olympic break, or are the players on there own to stay in shape?

Shelly Anderson: There has been a lot of misinformation about this. There is a mandatory shutdown of league operations, but it does not extend through the whole Olympics break. The Penguins will have nine days with no team activities, then will resume practice the middle of the second week with the non-Olympians. You can expect them to have something of a mini-training camp.

cjfans: What was the mood in the locker room following the loss yesterday? The game almost had a playoff feel to it.

Shelly Anderson: Good point about the 5-4 OT loss in Washington having a playoff feel. It really did. The Penguins are always down after a loss, but they might have been a little more so after that game. Not the head-down, woe-is-me look, but the look of players who want and expect better results from themselves.

bubs: I don't think anyone is at work today! ... actually, I'm more interested in your journey -- when did you leave for DC and how long did it take you to get back? and did the PG give you hazard pay?

Shelly Anderson: I got out of town right after Friday's practice in Pittsburgh, arrived in D.C. at dusk when the roads were just starting to get covered and was snowed in all weekend. Went for a very long walk in the middle of the storm Saturday past the Verizon Center, the Washington Monument, the White House, etc. Drove back last night in a trip that took more than six hours because the turnpike was closed. No hazard pay, but I will point out I was the only PIttsburgh media type who made it to that game beyond those broadcasters who travel with the club.

cjfans: It must be hard to approach these guys for comments after a loss like yesterday.

Shelly Anderson: No, not really. No one is laughing, but they have lost big games before, just as they have won big games before and don't turn into clowns afterward. Sometimes, it's a chance to vent, as defenseman Brooks Orpik did about what he thinks is less than valiant behavior by Washington sniper Alexander Semin.

Shelly Anderson: Thanks, everyone. Stay warm and drive safely.

Penguins Plus, a blog by Dave Molinari and Shelly Anderson, is featured exclusively on PG+, a members-only web site from the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. Our introduction to PG+ gives you all the details.