Post-Game Talk: Game XIV - Sid the Magnificent

[CascadiaPenguin]

The Caps are better than the Pens…who would’ve thought that when the season started…3-0 win against the Knights and second place in the division

This is the way.
Caps get another President's Trophy, even without Backy.
In the playoffs, Sid rips OV's heart out and shows it to him, while romping through the rest of the East.
Karlsson gets his first SC and hoists it after the Sid handoff in the first ever SCF deciding game in PGH.
My life is complete, I die happy, and achieve total consciousness.

 

[spcastlemagic]

Sid’s the greatest beauty in the history of the game. Karlsson is just getting more comfortable and beautiful and is going to score 100 points again, something I was assured couldn’t happen. Evgeni means beauty in Russian. Something is cooking in Pittsburgh - the beauties ride again.

 

[Richard]

everyone panics and loses their minds. I said - wait 20 games. The Penguins will most likely need a third-line center and they will be a competitor if Jarry holds up.

Well, Jarry may be a bit shaky here and there but if the Penguins can add a legit top flight third line center this team could get hot and win the cup

 

[BusinessGoose]

everyone panics and loses their minds. I said - wait 20 games. The Penguins will most likely need a third-line center and they will be a competitor if Jarry holds up.

Well, Jarry may be a bit shaky here and there but if the Penguins can add a legit top flight third line center this team could get hot and win the cup

It also required a five game winning streak to claw back into playoffs

Which, currently, have some stupid shit where like ten teams are within two points

Cause we were 13th in the conference to start last night, I'm pretty sure, and now JUST in 8th

 

[wgknestrick]

It's funny how Hinostroza is basically a replacement level 4th liner and still a vast, vast improvement on Carter

Hasn't Atari and Neeto only played with Carter under C? This is pretty telling (in a very small sample) that Hinostroza's impact isn't just a replacement level plug so far.

This is just a brutal chart

 

[Super Duper]

One huge difference over the last stretch compared to the start of the season and even stretching to last season is how much more composed the team looks in general in the third period.

We're so used to seeing leads thrown away so late into the game, but right now they feel more comfortable holding them

 

[Icarium]

This game had another third period collapse written all over it with Geno with some of the laziest defensive effort you will ever see for the third Jackets goal and then yet another dumb penalty taken by the Pens right after that. Sid and EK65 would have none of it, though. Very nice to see the Pens showing some mental strength in two of the last three games. Would have been nicer if they had stuck to the more cautious approach of the last few games but I guess they just don't think much of Columbus. Except for Sid and Jake who seem to really love tormenting the Jackets.

I still think the Pens are too bad at screening goalies and clearing their own crease to be real contender but it's nice to seem them go on a winning streak and, gasp, adjust their tactics. Better late than never.

P. S. Funny story - until halfway through the game I thought it was a Pens home game.

 

[AuroraBorealis]

It also required a five game winning streak to claw back into playoffs

Which, currently, have some stupid shit where like ten teams are within two points

Cause we were 13th in the conference to start last night, I'm pretty sure, and now JUST in 8th

Since the Wild Card format was introduced, this is how many points WC2 finished with (excluding shortened seasons):
East: 93, 98, 96, 95, 97, 98, 100, 92
West: 91, 99, 87, 94, 95, 90, 97, 95

Two teams have missed with 96 before. No one's ever missed with 97+. That's the number they should aim for (.597).

The Pens are .571. That's a 93 point pace. That was enough to make the playoffs last year. It may not be again this year, since that was a rather low bar. One more win gets them to .600.

Looking at this way helps me make sense of the situation, instead of monitoring the evolving chaos of the East. When it's all said and done, there's a certain P% range they need to be in.

 

[Le Magnifique 66]

One huge difference over the last stretch compared to the start of the season and even stretching to last season is how much more composed the team looks in general in the third period.

We're so used to seeing leads thrown away so late into the game, but right now they feel more comfortable holding them

That's what I was saying last night, not only leads being thrown away in the 3rd, but that mentality of going out there and taking it to the other team and winning the game has been missing since the b2b.

It's been sit on your ass, try to defend and take the game into overtime the last few seasons hoping to get at least 1 point mentality. If we fail, blame the goalie...

 

[OtherThingsILike]

Yah, that NZ better be zipped up tighter Thursday when Hughes returns to action with Devils lol

Hughes and Hischier are both injured right now.
This doesn't necessarily mean anything - the Devils were perfectly able to give us fits before they drafted either of them. This time around, though, I don't think they have the goaltending that they did in prior seasons.
They still could, of course. But as of right now, this is not the same scary Devils team of last season.

 

[Le Magnifique 66]

Hughes and Hischier are both injured right now.

Ruff said Hughes might be available for Thursday's game and made the trip with the team. Hischier for sure isn't playing, hopefully Jack skips this one as well

 

[KrisLetAngry]

It also required a five game winning streak to claw back into playoffs

Which, currently, have some stupid shit where like ten teams are within two points

Cause we were 13th in the conference to start last night, I'm pretty sure, and now JUST in 8th

The East just has a lot of teams in the mix. The key is to not fall behind to a point where we are looking very far away.

Let's see if we can get win 6.

 

[The Old Master]

On that EK goal, of course it was Geno and Karlsson magic, but Reilly Smith also starred on that shift. Great position to get the quick shot (hits crossbar), then with puck pursuit steals it right back and gets it to G. Then the cycle ends in an EK bomb.

when our stars shine, it usually means that there are a lot of supporting players doing their jobs that just don't get noticed.

 

[Buddy Bizarre]

2022 against... Columbus

Pittsburgh Penguins at Columbus Blue Jackets Box Score — January 21, 2022 | Hockey-Reference.com

January 21, 2022, Pittsburgh Penguins vs. Columbus Blue Jackets (5-2)

www.hockey-reference.com

Yea I was thinking to myself in the first period that "Sid really likes playing against them"

Forget the goals...tonight Sid was on a mission. You could tell he was busting out his old tricks, I even saw his backhand a few times

This is the kind of game that Sid always used to have and I hope people here don't forget that in like 5 years. Just a consistent player in all zones. I admit I had/have taken Sid for granted...I'm really trying to appreciate seeing him skate.

 

[Buddy Bizarre]

If EK and Sid start connecting on that side of the net play Sid might score 40 goals this year lol.

It's interesting that about 4 years ago I went to see the Pens in Nationwide Arena. Sid and Letang connected on that very shot. And that play was one of their tricks on the PP for a period of time in like 2018. I'm not sure if Sid said he didn't want pucks coming at him like that so that's why they stopped it?

 

[Buddy Bizarre]

One last comment, I really think people here need to be giving Sullivan props for the systematic changes he made early in the year that have made such a major difference during this winning streak. Their winning streak started when Sullivan made some tweaks to their neutral zone forecheck, which has seemingly unlocked this team to be able to accomplish what it should be able to do.

It's not a major change, but they went from running an aggressive 1-2-2 forecheck to more of a trap 1-2-2 forecheck. They didn't have the legs to run that aggressive system, so that would allow the other team to generate a ton of speed through the neutral zone. But with the trap, the other team is slowed down dramatically and the Penguins can capitalize on the neutral zone turnovers.

People fairly criticize Sullivan for not making changes as aggressively as he should, I think this is a terrific change and really shows what he can do if he decides to make tactical changes.

This will always be my go to clip with someone making that argument for Sully. That exact solution has only been bandied about by me and others for over a year and a half. So cool that he only wasted a few seasons of Sid/Geno/Letang instead of 10?

 

[Buddy Bizarre]

well if he was benched while Graves was clocking 20 minutes, I don't know, I was watching Graves closely, every move was wrong, he was letting skaters get in front of Jarry, he was slow to get back, losing puck when pressured, and no I am no hater, I just don't get it

all while Ruh is really #7-8 guy

I was informed that Graves has a tremendous plus/minus so his idiocy in his own zone can not be criticized

 

[Ulf5]

My daughter was watching the game with me and I told her to try to remember the hattrick because it might be his last . (she was asking why people were throwing hats onto the ice)

Ok, Zhenia your turn!

 

[Ragamuffin Gunner]

The idea of not praising Sullivan for making changes because "he could have done it sooner" just seems to be refusing to give Sullivan props for anything.

Considering it took 4 years of 1st round exits, a broken PO streak, and a start that would have gotten many others fired, I'm not gonna give Sully a gold star. He is well past the time he should have been making changed to the system and line-up.

 

[AuroraBorealis]

I was informed that Graves has a tremendous plus/minus so his idiocy in his own zone can not be criticized

I gave my opinion. You're very welcome to your own.
I do recall Graves saving a goal off the goal line yesterday though, and we ended up winning by 1 goal (minus ENG).

 

[OtherThingsILike]

This will always be my go to clip with someone making that argument for Sully. That exact solution has only been bandied about by me and others for over a year and a half.

It wouldn't have worked before this season, as we didn't have the mobile defense necessary to make it work.

 

[AuroraBorealis]

Ok if Graves is doing everything wrong and is a trash defenseman, like the board says, then why doesn't he concede more goals against?
Why is the PK top 10 right now? Why is the top pairing coming out with much better results than last year, to this stage?
Why was he a +34 last year for New Jersey (against top competition), their stingiest PK'er, and has been a +40 before in Colorado?

Aren't these things a little difficult to achieve for terrible defensemen? Is the consensus that he's the luckiest D-man in the league? Or are we saying he's consistently getting carried his whole career by his partners and goalies?

 

[Gold Diamond]

This little 5 game win streak is good and all, but we are still 8-6-0, which is pedestrian. All the streak did was unf*** us from the hideous first 9 games.

The time to actually move in the standings is NOW - the Pens cannot rest on their laurels or they'll be back at 0.500.

 

[Sideline]

Ok if Graves is doing everything wrong and is a trash defenseman, like the board says, then why doesn't he concede more goals against?
Why is the PK top 10 right now? Why is the top pairing coming out with much better results than last year, to this stage?
Why was he a +34 last year for New Jersey (against top competition), their stingiest PK'er, and has been a +40 before in Colorado?

Aren't these things a little difficult to achieve for terrible defensemen? Is the consensus that he's the luckiest D-man in the league? Or are we saying he's consistently getting carried his whole career by his partners and goalies?

I can't believe I am saying this, but because Kris Letang has been making good decisions and generally very responsible defensively.

 

[Rave7215]

I have to give credit where it is do. I have been calling for Sully's job for years with his stubbornness and player favortism. I don't know if it's Dubas or if he finally wants to do something different but he has this team playing with serious fire right now. The system changes and finally benching Carter/playing Big Z have paid dividends.

Geno and Sid are hungry. Having Karlsson here is such a treat. Hopefully we keep the streak going Thursday.