Post-Game Talk: Game 1 Pens vs Rangers: It was ugly

[Ryder71]

He needs to stop drinking during games.

But many of you will likely turn to the bottle after such performances.

 

[molon labe]

Most of us going into the season probably had the Pens somewhere around 6th mayyybe 5th in the Metro at best. So not even expecting them to be a playoff team or good.

They somehow managed to look even worse than the already low expectations for them tonight. Impressive.

There's sucking because your coach, GM, and roster sucks.

Then there's sucking because your players don't seem to care.

At this point I'm going out on a limb and guessing the best Penguins hockey we will see all year is leading into the deadline where support players are trying to make their case to other teams.

 

[Headshot77]

Season is over.

 

[Ryder71]

He chose to stay here for 2 more years.

NO, He chose to sign a contract that lasts two more years. That doesn't mean he can't be traded. He can however choose where he goes. I'm think COL possibly.

Because the REAL pain for this club, is about to begin.

 

[molon labe]

These responses being right next to each other is really funny. Because I don't know if the stellar bit was because he was invisible in a 0-6 game or if it was sarcastic, or if it was real. So many possibilities

Are you a buyer?

If so, let me take you on a 30 second test drive where the tank is nearly empty and show you the possibilities.

 

[AjaxTelamon]

The fun game now is to see just how long the head coach can escape all responsibility since 2017. Can he make it 10 years?

 

[Pancakes]

There's sucking because your coach, GM, and roster sucks.

Then there's sucking because your players don't seem to care.

At this point I'm going out on a limb and guessing the best Penguins hockey we will see all year is leading into the deadline where support players are trying to make their case to other teams.

They cared until it was 2-0.

It says a lot about their faith in Sullivan's system and Jarry's goaltending that as soon as they went down a couple they basically gave up and got run out of the building.

This is not a team that believes in what they're doing and they don't believe in the guy between the pipes.

It's gonna get ugly.

 

[Ryder71]

Season is over.

OH YES! Like I said.

 

[Victor Z]

Congrats to Ricky Rakell for being the only non-minus player on the Pens tonight. MVP!

 

[molon labe]

To me, it was his SIX shots on goal. None went in, true. And yeah, he flubbed several chances. What that means is that playing with Sid, he continuously, throughout the game, put himself in scoring positions. Had he not flubbed several, he may have had upwards of 10. I think we can work with that.

ZAR often had shots on goal too.

If that's what you're looking at - ignore it. That line was about as worse of a Penguins line as I've witnessed in the last ten, maybe 15 years.

Tanner Pearson era Penguins would have made that line look pedestrian.

 

[GilbertSeinfeld]

We all know how Sullivan will adjust; he'll blame this loss on McGroarty and play him even fewer minutes.

 

[AuroraBorealis]

We also lost 6-0 to the Leafs on home ice in the 2002 opener. Then we won 6-0 the next game

But yeah this is tied for the worst opener in my life as a Pens fan. Don't feel like checking 1967-1991, but if you guys know of a worse one lmk.

 

[Lomez]

Not to be too melodramatic, but watching such generational talents who have provided years and years of brilliance hobble into the sunset in a protracted, long and insufferable two or three year decline has all the hallmarks of a really depressing Bergman movie.

 

[Ryder71]

The fun game now is to see just how long the head coach can escape all responsibility since 2017. Can he make it 10 years?

Very true. And the aging core hasn't won a series since 2018.

When will the fans wake up to that fact?

 

[Headshot77]

The saddest thing for me is what outrageous mismanagement over the past 5 years does for the legacy of Sid and Geno.

We just double down on stupid. Again and again.

Never thought my not watching games while Sully is coach would last this long though.

Not really. This core will always be remembered for their three cups. This era'd denouement will be forgotten to the annals of history. It sucks to live through because there is little hope for the future (the prospects aren't here yet) OR the present (today's game).

This year, and the next few to follow, will be about rebuilding the prospect pool and hoping for individual successes under the umbrella of team failure. Goal milestones and things of that nature.

 

[Pancakes]

Lol we have the Canadian trip this month too that we always get obliterated on?

This team is gonna be out of it before Thanksgiving

 

[AuroraBorealis]

Toronto 2002

Yeah I added that in my follow-up post.
Is there anything worse pre-dating 1992? I didn't check further back than that.

 

[Al Smith]

We all know how Sullivan will adjust; he'll blame this loss on McGroarty and play him even fewer minutes.

Rumor is McG was seen heading toward the Greyhound Station and the 1145 PM to WBS while the rest of the team heads for the airport and Detroit.

 

[Gurglesons]

Yeah I added that in my follow-up post.
Is there anything worse pre-dating 1992? I didn't check further back than that.

Nope.

 

[GilbertSeinfeld]

But many of you will likely turn to the bottle after such performances.

I expected this season to suck, so I'm just hanging out, playing Nintendo.

 

[molon labe]

They cared until it was 2-0.

It says a lot about their faith in Sullivan's system and Jarry's goaltending that as soon as they went down a couple they basically gave up and got run out of the building.

This is not a team that believes in what they're doing and they don't believe in the guy between the pipes.

It's gonna get ugly.

Maybe, I guess.

I thought they played okay at the start. Maybe got inflated a bit because the Rangers didn't find their stride. But they never had any dangerous chances. That's what I thought about. Sure we had some zone time - but our forwards still look completely offensively inept. A trademark of a Sullivan GM'd team. All about zones and nothing about actually potting goals.

That's the biggest problem with this team right now (outside of Sullivan, and even Jarry) - that at our BEST, we're still shit because we have ZERO goal scorers. I won't be shocked if by the end of the year we have some stat behind our name for the longest zone time in history without a goal or shots on goal whatever.

Our forward group is straight ass.

 

[Lomez]

I thought Eller's line didn't suck.

 

[Ryder71]

Lol we have the Canadian trip this month too that we always get obliterated on?

This team is gonna be out of it before Thanksgiving

If not sooner.

Remember, before yesterday there over under season total was 90.5 points. That looks like such a gift! It should've been closer to 75.5.

I thought Eller's line looked good.

Agreed, MCGR and PUJU made good accounts of themselves.

 

[AuroraBorealis]

Nope.

So then Sullivan ties for the worst in history. This is a year they're actually still trying to make the playoffs in too.
Hats off to him.

 

[SEALBound]

ZAR often had shots on goal too.

If that's what you're looking at - ignore it. That line was about as worse of a Penguins line as I've witnessed in the last ten, maybe 15 years.

Tanner Pearson era Penguins would have made that line look pedestrian.

I didn't say the line was good. I'm just pointing out that Beauvillier having 6 shots on goal and likely well over 10+ attempts isn't a bad thing necessarily because it shows that he may be able to work well with Sid. While we stunk tonight, we have to give the Rags and especially Shesterkin credit for being good. If Beau and Sid can do that against the Rags, I think Beau-Sid-Rust might do okay.