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

[SomeDude]

On a positive note: Letang looked his best in weeks tonight.

 

[Pancakes]

Why would you even consider extending a head coach that had underperformed in four straight seasons to an extension when they are under contract for two more years?

This isn’t hindsight, it’s called common sense - something this team desperately needs.

When I said it was an idiotic decision to extend Sully after four years of playoff failures, I was told FSG has deep pockets, wouldn’t be afraid to fire Sullivan.

We are waiting….

The underperformance happened in the playoffs, not the regular season. This is the ugliest it has gotten yet.

They also would have likely won a round the past two years with better goaltending but we've all had this argument a million times and I'm not too interested in revisiting it again.

Bottom line is right now they have maybe 3-4 more games to right the ship, and if they can't do that, it's time for a new voice. Whether FSG will actually do that...who knows.

 

[Hockeygod66]

Honestly, I think this team needs more youth. They are committed to the old core, so surround them with kids who are fighting for their NHL lives.

They do badly. Getting older was f***ing stupid. They have buffalo tomorrow. I bet they get their old asses beat again.

 

[Empoleon8771]

Hab fan here

Sick of Petry yet? If not , you will be.

I guess you need to do something to distract you from your shit team.

 

[FreeBobbyFarnham]

After seeing a few of our Defensemen Gunder, Marino, Olesick, etc.... leave and just be good to decent, I'm starting to think Sullivan (his offensive system and ass coaches) and our Defensive systems has a lot to do with it.

I just don't think we have the right players for the way Sully wants us to play. We were closer with Marino and Matheson on the team honestly.

 

[DesertedPenguin]

New youth maybe. The youth we have sure isn't doing much. DOC sucking tonight

He's miscast as a center. He needs to be first man in forechecker and net front guy.

 

[AlphaMikeFoxtrots]

Additional speculation, and again, I didn't watch, so that's all it is: how much of Jarry's struggles might be tied to him seeing what we are from the skaters, just from all 60 minutes in the crease?

 

[Pancakes]

Burke and Hexy heard the cat calls fir Sullivan to go after he lost his 5th straight play off series. They extended him so that if it went south this season ( like it is) they could fire him and sleep well.
Burke move.

We'll see. I don't think Sully will be long without a job even if he does get canned.

 

[metalan2]

Lol saw interviews by Petterssen and Sid. They actually. Think they played well. They think nothing is wrong lol. I may start actively rooting for them to lose like I did with Mike Johnston.

 

[Pancakes]

The most concerning thing to me is that there are really only a handful of players who are both playing well and also having a noticeably positive impact on the ice. I think Malkin, Zucker, Rakell, Guentzel and maybe Rutta are really the only guys who look noticeably good and are also contributing to wins. Everyone else either looks like shit or looks solid but aren't really contributing anything towards wins.

Pettersson is a great example of "looks solid but isn't really contributing anything". He's kinda just on the ice and getting good on-ice results, but I don't see him really doing anything to warrant those great results (at least not recently). I think Poehling, POJ and maybe Rutta (if he's not in the above group) also fall in this category. Everyone else just looks like varying levels of crap or are just irrelevant pieces.

We keep talking about not having 60 minute efforts but the way the roster is constructed I don't even know if we can. There's just a lot of crap there.

 

[DesertedPenguin]

It also speaks to the fact that advanced stats mean nothing when it comes to the penguins. Did you see what they did advanced stat wise to the rangers? It was historical dominance. Still lost. This penguins iteration are just losers. They mentally prepare to lose.

They lost to the Rangers because they had a third string goalie.

And Jarry wasn't much better tonight. He's allowed to bail out the guys in front of him occasionally. He's been a space cadet to start the season.

 

[Dallas Winston]

Pens are an old team. N crosby for the first time is showing his age

 

[Empoleon8771]

Also, I think the "you need to play youth" comment is wildly missing the point with this team right now. Not only do they not really have any youth worth playing (outside of Smith), but they're struggling right now because their big guns are struggling more than anything.

The problems aren't at the bottom of the roster, they're with Crosby, Letang, Dumoulin, Petry, Jarry and such looking like crap. Sure, I do have concerns with how McGinn and Kapanen (especially Kapanen) are performing, but this team isn't losing because of those two.

This team isn't in any different of a spot if you shot Archibald to the moon to play O'Connor or moved on from Carter to play Poulin. The issue is at the top with the big guns, the guys who are supposed to be carrying this team.

 

[Pens x]

The underperformance happened in the playoffs, not the regular season. This is the ugliest it has gotten yet.

They also would have likely won a round the past two years with better goaltending but we've all had this argument a million times and I'm not too interested in revisiting it again.

Bottom line is right now they have maybe 3-4 more games to right the ship, and if they can't do that, it's time for a new voice. Whether FSG will actually do that...who knows.

But why did you want him to be extended when he still had two years under his current contract???? Why would you want to essentially sign a guy to a five year extension after the team has underperformed in the playoffs for four straight years???

He’s a god damn coach, not a player. It’s not like his cap hit would increase if they waited.

 

[Pancakes]

Lol saw interviews by Petterssen and Sid. They actually. Think they played well. They think nothing is wrong lol. I may start actively rooting for them to lose like I did with Mike Johnston.

I mean I don't think they're entirely wrong in that they did play a lot better than on the road trip.

But what they did tonight I still wouldn't call good lol

 

[turd]

Hextall is the same guy that left Philly in a friggin mess.
Hows that extension to Sullivan looking ?
Guy should have been fired 2 years ago.

No argument from me. But the word on the street is that was more FSG than Hextall. And also, Madden reported on his show yesterday that there’s tension brewing between Mario and FSG. He didn’t expand. Maybe it was over that extension?

 

[Jobeycool]

Hex and Burke don't like the small team we had and are going to draft big guys fellas.. why they traded for big guys.. hopefully they are good players lol..

 

[Pancakes]

But why did you want him to be extended when he still had two years under his current contract????

I actually misspoke there I think. I'd have to go back through my post history but I don't think I was asking for him to get extended before the Pens did it.

That said, I for sure was not wanting him fired. So it's whatever. I didn't want him gone yet coming into this season.

If this type of play continues for much longer, there's really no excuse not to though.

 

[Gurglesons]

Rakell played under 14 minutes. Maybe they need to just like play the best players on the team?

 

[Shrimper]

I'm not worried. They'll figure it out

 

[Scharnhorst]

We suck lol

 

[Malkinstheman]

I really think theres a contending team somewhere between the players on the Pens and in WBS but its clear Sullivan is past his expiration. At best you get another first round flameout with him.

 

[SomeDude]

Has a goalie ever let in 5 goals, got pulled, then came back in and won? History will be made.

 

[Gurglesons]

I really think theres a contending team somewhere between the players on the Pens and in WBS but its clear Sullivan is past his expiration. At best you get another first round flameout with him.

It's complete misuse of the entire roster to get his precious GCR out there every shift.

He's obsessed with it.

 

[ChaosAgent]

No argument from me. But the word on the street is that was more FSG than Hextall. And also, Madden reported on his show yesterday that there’s tension brewing between Mario and FSG. He didn’t expand. Maybe it was over that extension?

Mario has no power anymore in the org. Besides, this idea that he's the avatar for the sentiment of the fans is overblown. I'm sure Mario has made wrong calls in terms of ownership.

I'm sure Madden's making whatever up, but long story short Mario doesn't matter any more.