Post-Game Talk: Flyers 4, Penguins 2 - Letang Giveth Away

[Uemoda]

Letang waits too long to make a decision with the puck. The end result is a puck into the skates of the defender and ultimately a turnover. He does it every game. Multiple times a game.

He needs to clean it up. As does every player on this team.

Our passing was atrocious tonight.

 

[LOGiK]

3pm.

Shouldnt matter. Have so much more talent than this team.

It will be 3pm. There is no other teams left to play on Sunday. And that sucks because Sat-Sun games I want to see are all at 3pm. I hate day games.

 

[MetalheadPenguinsFan]

I'd be absolutely shocked if Phil wasn't hobbled tremendously by some injury. He was our MVP for this regular season for months at a time, and his play just dropped off a cliff at the end of the season and into the playoffs. There's no question in my mind he's playing with a serious injury that, if not for that ironman streak, would have him in a suit in the press box right now.

If that's true than f*** him for putting this silly streak ahead of the success of the team.

It's not commendable. It's not warrior-ish, it's selfish and dumb.

 

[mynameisnick4]

3pm.

Shouldnt matter. Have so much more talent than this team.

It matters for those that actually want to do shit on the weekends. Can't stand day games. Especially mid-day games.

 

[vodeni]

If you think Letang is the Achilles heel for this team, go check out any possession stats through last playoffs versus this year or '16. Tanger drives possession and for all his mistakes makes us a better team. This narrative is tiresome.

oh boy,

 

[Sidney the Kidney]

That goal is on Kessel and Murray.

Murray hadn’t had a real shot in the period and fed Filp it on a platter. No reason there should be a rebound there.

Don’t take this as me saying Letang had a good game, but blaming that one on him is silly.

That was his man. He should either have cleared the rebound or tied up Filppula. Filppula got to bang at the puck twice, despite the fact Letang was literally standing with him.

I don't understand why you don't think Letang shares ANY of the blame on that sequence.

 

[EightyOne]

2 times SC champion and now it may be a 7 game series. Sully can't coach around Hornqvist. Without him, the Pens have zero get your nose in there. I think this is a indication of Pens not just being as consistent as needed. Kessel, Latang were not very good which is just par for the course.

That has been all year and half of last year. Nothing specifically to do with Sully or Horny. Game wouldnt have been any different with Hornqvist in there.

 

[Ugene Magic]

If we win this series i dont mind the extra game played...some of these guys need to gain experience. Brassard, ZAR, Simon...should only help.

If we lose on Sunday it wont be like tonight..lack of urgency and sloppy play. It will be Neuvirth stealing the game. Pens will be all over them.

Brassard has 82 games of playoff experience. 23 goals.

 

[ncm7772]

I'd be absolutely shocked if Phil wasn't hobbled tremendously by some injury.

He is. I think that's obvious. But unfortunately, it is what it is at this point.

"If you can't fix something, deal with it."

That's what they have to do.

 

[canadianguy77]

Crosby getting blame for tonight is laughable. Dude is playing with Jake and a nobody and he was making plays that on most nights, end up in a few goals. Jake couldn't hit the net numerous times, and besides one play, the nobody did anything either.

This game is on Letang, an injured Phil, and the coach who thought it would be a good idea to keep 2 injured superstars (Phil and Geno) on one line.

 

[xxxxxxxxxxxxxx]

I just fundamentally disagree. I don't know. I'd love to go over tape with any of you in detail. I love you and KIRK, I just think you're wrong on this.

I don't know, man. Letang was f***ing abysmal tonight.

I absolutely hate the whole "he made two dozen great, small plays that nobody noticed though!" argument (not saying you used it, but I see it often regarding Letang). It's such bullshit. That's not a f***ing positive. "He made a dozen smart, little plays that go unnoticed, but he was directly responsible for 5+ gigantic gaffes that lead to scoring chances or goals against." He makes a shit ton of money and is the linchpin of the blueline--he needs to be WORLDS better than he's been, especially tonight. If he can't be, or it's unfair to ask of him, trade him before he's our Bobby Ryan or David Clarkson.

 

[vodeni]

2 times SC champion and now it may be a 7 game series. Sully can't coach around Hornqvist. Without him, the Pens have zero get your nose in there. I think this is a indication of Pens not just being as consistent as needed. Kessel, Latang were not very good which is just par for the course.

thats BS, they could score 5 in the second, simon had sid wide open and decide to chestsnipe...not much to coach there, if there was one mistake he should not keep geno and phil together

 

[Tom Hanks]

2 times SC champion and now it may be a 7 game series. Sully can't coach around Hornqvist. Without him, the Pens have zero get your nose in there. I think this is a indication of Pens not just being as consistent as needed. Kessel, Latang were not very good which is just par for the course.

It also maybe a 6 game series. We’ll still be SC champs too.

 

[JimmyTwoTimes]

Brassard has 82 games of playoff experience. 23 goals.

Meant with this group. Him having that injury delayed him getting used to this system..linemates.

 

[Gurglesons]

That was his man. He should either have cleared the rebound or tied up Filppula. Filppula got to bang at the puck twice, despite the fact Letang was literally standing with him.

I don't understand why you don't think Letang shares ANY of the blame on that sequence.

I mean, you can fault him on that. But, the scoring chance literally doesn’t exist without Kessel passing the puck in between two Flyers and Murray not coughing it straight out.

The empty netter and Letang continuously rushing every pass resulting in an icing was more his issue.

 

[NewAgeOutlaw]

Absolving Letang from guilt on the Filppula goal is just wrong. He let him corrall the rebound and score without so much as touching him. Ghost did a similar flyby on Crosby in game 4 and was criticized for it.

 

[MetalheadPenguinsFan]

If you think Letang is the Achilles heel for this team, go check out any possession stats through last playoffs versus this year or '16. Tanger drives possession and for all his mistakes makes us a better team. This narrative is tiresome.

He's not the definitive Achilles heel per se, but he's sure not helping himself by having chronic flatulence of the brain either.

 

[Hockey Freak 7]

I don’t care. People can keep on defending Kris Letang . Kris Letang is a huge liability. He’s reckless. Awful. Very low hockey iq . He’s does to much and read plays terrible. Defensively bad.Plays like a forward. Reckless and Careless Turnovers. He’s isn’t the only one. Others do it not noticeably and careless like him..
He always been consistently like this and it needs to stop .. what he did tonight and has done many games in his career with Penguins is one the reasons why he needs to traded this summer..
That last finally seconds shows why plenty of games Penguins has lost games especially this regular season.. due to Kris Letang after they had little opportunity to win or to at least tied game..

He’s a overrated , overhyped and overpaid offensive defenseman..
He should be playing 19 -21 minutes a night..no more than that
After that K ‘s turnover..bad defense that Letang shouldn’t have been on the top pp..

Yes he’s a good person.. As a player.. he’s god awful..
He isn’t clutch nor game changer..
He will be one of the reasons of Penguins self-inflicting wounds beside the sloppiness..

Pens needs to get it together.. stop the extra passes and turnovers.. perfect play..

Keep attacking.. Pens should have been better and won this game..

3rd line try hard to keep momentum and was great..

 

[LOGiK]

It matters for those that actually want to do **** on the weekends. Can't stand day games. Especially mid-day games.

This. My whole afternoon is shot.

 

[vodeni]

Meant with this group. Him having that injury delayed him getting used to this system..linemates.

wel we are not getting much from him, rust and sheary are carrying the play, I don't see him doing muc...

 

[JimmyTwoTimes]

Welcome to the ups and downs of the playoffs. Never easy.

Kessel is a concern and he was one coming in. Only thing im truly worried about going forward. Would take a huge..collective effort from everyone to win it all without him

 

[froods]

I can’t defend Letang, but those saying they wish he wouldn’t play on Sunday are crazy. Can you imagine if Hunwick was in the lineup and everybody else has to play increased minutes? He does eat minutes and drive transition, regardless of how miserable his mistakes are. I am all for trading him in the offseason, but you need more bodies than we have now. Playing him is still our best chance to win.

 

[Ugene Magic]

Meant with this group. Him having that injury delayed him getting used to this system..linemates.

Gotcha.

I think he's doing fine. But we always could use more.

 

[vodeni]

It also maybe a 6 game series. We’ll still be SC champs too.

you told me there would be no game 6

 

[EightyOne]

I just fundamentally disagree. I don't know. I'd love to go over tape with any of you in detail. I love you and KIRK, I just think you're wrong on this.

I already posted tape of the first goal.

Please give your analysis on how Letang played that better than ANY beer league defender. He f***ed up the initial pressure, turned a loose puck back over, abandoned the front of the net (when two Pens were already pressuring the puck), got stuck behind the net and Giroux scored from where Letang should have been.

I mean the other defenders could suck too. But they aren't paid 7+mil either to make these decisions. And it isnt just this one goal. He has been turned around, behind the play, in the wrong areas down low, alllllll year.