Post-Game Talk: Cole's Plus/MINUS: Pens need a 40 goal lead to close it out! (Pens/Bs)

[Gurglesons]

And maybe he'd even be right if he put in the work, had the hard conversations and actually DID the accountability song and dance instead of just like... scratching Poulin or POJ or something. Yank Crosby/Malkin off the first unit if they are playing like zombies. Buck Dumo down to the bench for a game or five and run your BEST pairings if he can't hack it anymore etc.

It's a lot of sour faces and canned responses but no actual WORK.

Nah. GCR for 21 + minutes and play our leading goal scorer 13.

 

[BlindWillyMcHurt]

Nah. GCR for 21 + minutes and play our leading goal scorer 13.

"Well Crosby gets what he wants, guys!"

Well what the actual f*** does the coach DO, then? Model suits?

EDIT: I don't know if I buy that, anyway. You're telling me Sid would be furious if you told him "look for the sake of winning and the team we're trying this." This is what the coach wants IMO.

 

[HandshakeLine]

Have you all considered that maybe Rackell didn’t laugh loud enough at one of the coaching staff’s jokes once?

 

[BlindWillyMcHurt]

Have you all considered that maybe Rackell didn’t laugh loud enough at one of the coaching staff’s jokes once?

Sullivan and co are undercaffeinated and grumpy since Coffee Boy 2.0 was traded last year.

 

[Gurglesons]

Have you all considered that maybe Rackell didn’t laugh loud enough at one of the coaching staff’s jokes once?

The most bizarre part is was he was leading the forwards during the road trip

 

[BlindWillyMcHurt]

Alright anyway sorry... done ranting. Frankly it's stupid of me to care so much at this point. BFD was right all along. Maybe for slightly different reasons (I think the core is fine and not the problem here) but effectively the end result will be the same.

 

[Victor Z]

And maybe he'd even be right if he put in the work, had the hard conversations and actually DID the accountability song and dance instead of just like... scratching Poulin or POJ or something. Yank Crosby/Malkin off the first unit if they are playing like zombies. Buck Dumo down to the bench for a game or five and run your BEST pairings if he can't hack it anymore etc.

It's a lot of sour faces and canned responses but no actual WORK.

You're confusing Mike Sullivan with John Tortorella. Sully would never do that; Torts would.

When we eventually meet up with Philly this year, how embarrassing is it going to be to not only be outplayed by a team which was expected to finish about 31st overall based on their lack of talent -- but also outcoached?

It's almost like those two things (coaching, using talent properly and getting the most out of it) are related somehow.

 

[BlindWillyMcHurt]

It's gonna be awesome tonight when the Penguins find a way to actually hold Buffalo and Tage in check only to not be able to score one stinkin' goal because this team can only do like one thing sorta OK at a time and only then for maybe 40 minutes maximum.

 

[ZorkEnchanter]

If you are just going to troll about Petry. Feel free. He’s probably # 8 on our worries.

1. Dumoulin.
2. Letang
3. Jarry
4. Sullivan
5. PK
6. PP
7 bottom six

This. It's like people complaining about Najee or KP on the Steelers. Literally, when everything is broken to some extent it's hard to really pick out *ONE* thing.

Bad overall team in all phases. (right now)

 

[Pancakes]

10 games in and I'm already exhausted posting and thinking about this team

 

[FunkySeeFunkyDo]

Anybody feel better about the team after last night’s game? Bad result but outplayed a good team. Deficiencies are Dumo, Bottom 6, and special teams. Special teams will get better, Teddy will help Bottom 6. Dumo is a worry because do we have the ability to bury him? Will that set-up MP or POJ for failure? Worry—one top 6 injury could be a killer.

edit—sorry, grunching, don’t see Letang, Jarry, or Petry as issues.

 

[BlindWillyMcHurt]

10 games in and I'm already exhausted posting and thinking about this team

Luckily for you guys I just get more motivated the angrier I am. So I'll pick up the slack for you haha

 

[BigEezyE22]

End of the day, this whole offseason was about getting the big 3 regular season points top pad career stats, wasn't it?

 

[bambamcam4ever]

They never regained the PH compete level after dumping him. They didn't replace his net front presence, didn't replace his toughness, and most importantly, they didn't replace his desire to win every shift.

The only guys who want to win seem like Zucker and Rakell, but I imagine that they will start going into self-preservation mode too.

Reminder that the Penguins haven't won a playoff series since Hornqvist's extension kicked in.

The mythicization of Hornqvist on this site is really weird. People conveniently forget how often, especially in the regular season, the Penguins offense wouldn't create anything on dump-ins and eventually give up on forechecking because 72 was too slow to pressure the D retrieving the puck.

 

[Pancakes]

Anybody feel better about the team after last night’s game? Bad result but outplayed a good team. Deficiencies are Dumo, Bottom 6, and special teams. Special teams will get better, Teddy will help Bottom 6. Dumo is a worry because do we have the ability to bury him? Will that set-up MP or POJ for failure? Worry—one top 6 injury could be a killer.

edit—sorry, grunching, don’t see Letang, Jarry, or Petry as issues.

I mean the Bruins are a really good team and I think last night's effort - flawed as it was - would probably have been enough to beat most teams in the league.

Still not in love with the way we're playing though.

Luckily for you guys I just get more motivated the angrier I am. So I'll pick up the slack for you haha

I just put so much thought into it and I know they're gonna just make us all look like assholes and rattle of a 10 game win streak at some point. And then probably lose in the first round again anyways lol.

 

[ThosePuckingPenguins]

End of the day, this whole offseason was about getting the big 3 regular season points top pad career stats, wasn't it?

Yup. That’s how it’s going to be the next two years after this one. Then hopefully we can tell the big three that it’s over and we’re rebuilding. Tell Sid if he wants to go to another team, he can (he won’t, he’ll probably retire), let Malkin play that final year or if he wants to be traded to another team, and trade Letang who will have three years left. I really think that’s how it’s going to be.

 

[bambamcam4ever]

"Well Crosby gets what he wants, guys!"

Well what the actual f*** does the coach DO, then? Model suits?

EDIT: I don't know if I buy that, anyway. You're telling me Sid would be furious if you told him "look for the sake of winning and the team we're trying this." This is what the coach wants IMO.

I can believe that Crosby prefers Rust, with Rust they produce more rush offense, which requires less effort from him than grinding for goals, even if Rakell on the line is more effective.

 

[PensandCaps]

Dumo is cooked, time to out Petts in his spot, as he has been excellent. He, POJ and Rutta are the only Dmen playing well.

Letang, well i have faith he'll turn it around like he has before. Petry is a huge worry, Old, physical style of play, lazy and disengaged at times, PIMs magnet. He looks completely done, hopefully not.

 

[Fiji Water]

Here's an idea. Instead of grinding your 35 yr old #1 center into the ground by playing him 23+ min a night, why don't you play him 20 min a night and give 2 or 3 more minutes a game to L2 which has been very strong

 

[BlindWillyMcHurt]

I just put so much thought into it and I know they're gonna just make us all look like assholes and rattle of a 10 game win streak at some point. And then probably lose in the first round again anyways lol.

True. That always seems to be the case. Like I keep saying I really don't think the roster itself is nearly as bad as it's shown the last five games. They look utterly disorganized, lack cohesion and confidence, seem to be second guessing even like uncontested five foot passes and stuff and guys who have been here forever somehow don't seem to have a grasp on what their responsibilities or assignments are half the time. Like... how?

I've seen it in the past many times. It was an indicator of the same thing in every instance. But there is no option that direction with this team because that's how they chose to set themselves up. Everyone is inevitably gonna piss and moan about the choice to retire the core here. But that's a big ol red herring IMO.

 

[Pancakes]

True. That always seems to be the case. Like I keep saying I really don't think the roster itself is nearly as bad as it's shown the last five games. They look utterly disorganized, lack cohesion and confidence, seem to be second guessing even like uncontested five foot passes and stuff and guys who have been here forever somehow don't seem to have a grasp on what their responsibilities or assignments are half the time. Like... how?

I've seen it in the past many times. It was an indicator of the same thing in every instance. But there is no option that direction with this team because that's how they chose to set themselves up. Everyone is inevitably gonna piss and moan about the choice to retire the core here. But that's a big ol red herring IMO.

Thing is as bad as this stretch has been if it happened mid season most of us would probably just shrug our shoulders and say oh well they'll probably make the playoffs anyways.

When it happens this early though, it's a lot scarier. They have no cushion to prop themselves up. They're fast putting themselves into a position where they need to play perfect hockey for a while to right the ship. And I don't know if they've got that in them right now.

 

[BlindWillyMcHurt]

Thing is as bad as this stretch has been if it happened mid season most of us would probably just shrug our shoulders and say oh well they'll probably make the playoffs anyways.

When it happens this early though, it's a lot scarier. They have no cushion to prop themselves up. They're fast putting themselves into a position where they need to play perfect hockey for a while to right the ship. And I don't know if they've got that in them right now.

Team is a bunch of geriatrics, too. So like... THIS should be their energetic portion of the program.

Which is terrifying.

 

[BobCole]

Glad I missed this one.

I don't quite understand all of the hate on Jarry (granted, I didn't see the last game). I think he's been very good. I would argue he's the least of our problems, with the biggest being (in no particular order): defensive play, special teams, puck support, and - most importantly - the give a shit meter.

I don't recall seeing a team in the Crosby/Malkin era ever looking this bad, save for the odd stretch under Johnston.

I'm not ready to declare doom and gloom. As far as I'm concerned, we're living on borrowed time: this core has done everything we could ever ask of them and more. We also have the longest active playoff streak in sports. We're due for a fall. I don't really blame the ownership/management, either.

I will say that the team needs to up its give a shit factor. I witnessed the Vancouver game in person and the team just looked listless. It seems abundantly clear that a new voice is needed in the room. Back in the day, we'd find a "veteran leader" like Guerin or something, but we're stuck with the group we've got. Extending Sullivan seemed unnecessary and I really think a change in the coach's seat is overdue.

 

[Pancakes]

Team is a bunch of geriatrics, too. So like... THIS should be their energetic portion of the program.

Which is terrifying.

On the plus side we surely can't play much worse so maybe if we do still make the playoffs we will have already gotten our worst hockey of the year out of the way.

 

[ChaosAgent]

Letang, well i have faith he'll turn it around like he has before. Petry is a huge worry, Old, physical style of play, lazy and disengaged at times, PIMs magnet. He looks completely done, hopefully not.

That's the biggest problem. Our PK is dogshit. Any penalty-prone player can't play on this team at this point.