So just got back...
- Ned still sucks ass at HD Shots, he was strong in the first, fantastic even and even half way through the 2nd as well, but then he started to lose track of the puck in traffic and then just bit hard on moves and when the Canucks scored one, I told my wife "ok here it comes, they'll score maybe 2-3 more"....yuck. I really wanted Ned to have a strong game, not choke on the HD shots and just have a consistent game, but that was tough, felt for the bloke, he battled hard in the first period then in the 2nd, the Canucks scored on their 3rd shot and the momentum swing to sink the Pens began after Rust's goal. Ned looked rattled after that and the Pens defense then did him no favours the rest of the game, 16-5 shots in the 2nd after already getting shit on by the Canucks in the 1st for shots and some push back, but then they just gave up in the 2nd and like usual, tried when it was too late in the 3rd.
- Glad Geno is ok.
- Rust, typical - This is why I would have moved him asap in the summer, he's going to do his usual 50-60 game shtick and they should have got something for him while they could. He just can't stay healthy consistently.
- Sullivan f***ed around with the lines so much it was moronic, I was happy to see Raks with Sid, was curious about Beau with Geno and Rust and that worked out until Sully decided Beau was playing too well with Geno and Rust and then took him off Geno's line to put back with Sid, just why? To ruin L2 to make Sid's line work, why the f*** wouldn't you try literally the other wingers? Hayes, Bunting, etc. At one point, I was shocked to see on a line change, Sid come out with Doc and Puusty on the ice, it didn't last long as it was just a late change, but yeah, those 2 with Eller are great, he seemingly got Sid + Raks right and even Rust + Geno, then went full moron as usual.
- Puustinen literally did nothing wrong in his shifts and he got shafted, not even shocked, just pissed at myself because I was stupid enough to expect Sullivan not to be a dumb twat about this, he was fine in his shifts, 6:36 ES/TOI, how the f*** do you expect a player to grow from the previous year with some of the dumbest usage of a player in this league?
- Acciari was kept out for some long shifts, it felt like he was getting double shifted this game and it felt like Geno was barely played in the first period.
- Puljujarvi, Hayes, and Puustinen didn't look bad today, but they were shit on by Sullivan for their usage for some reason, Hayes hasn't been bad at all this season, but he gets played so little its hard to see him get momentum because of it.
- Acciari + Rust on the PK is awful, this needs to stop being a f***ing thing, Eller + Doc are incredible, Hayes is even better on the PK than Acciari + Rust as a duo.
- Sid & Doc looked like they were playing a game of "Let's see who can do the most dumb blind passes all game" - Both were losers for being winners at it. The stat recording for this game is way off, they had a couple of turnovers each, yet it was recorded as 0 for Sid.
- While Bunting is not good right now, Sid is right there with him, it's hard to even type this knowing this is a thing with a player like Sid after the year he had last season right now, but Crosby is one of the worst players on this team right now, just dumb play one after another, MJ got fired for having a slow start with Sid, how Sullivan isn't fired for this is just one of the most insane arc's to this team's story right now.
- Defense collapses, typical, they played parts of this game very well but they were few and far inbetween, just far too much of the same issues under Sullivan's system.
- Tocchet basically trolled Sullivan in the 2nd with an aggressive 1-2-2 as if to say "Remember this you dumb f***?"
- I was somewhat shocked there was no challenge on that goal by JT Miller, I kept waiting for it and nothing, I thought it was interference but I guess the Pens video team didn't.
- Bunting was just absolutely awful, but then Sullivan didn't really do much to try to get him out of it, it was either with Eller + Acciari or Eller + Puusty and Bunting tanked it for both variations, not Eller, Puusty, or Acciari's fault.
- Bunting - He was doing the past part fine, but his usage was just, I mean you want a player to rebound? Watch how Bunting is used for a textbook how not to. He seems to get it for Beauvillier - Who mind you, had a fantastic game today, but then he can't figure it out for Bunting, it's like he just doesn't want to do the right things with this roster.
- Bunting to me, you either try him with Sid next or just healthy scratch him until you're fired as a coach, because to keep doing the same shit over and over and expect to get a player playing awful right now to figure it out, isn't going to work. Bunting tanked lines he was on with Eller. & Puustinen and Acciari and Eller, Sullivan just refuses to try him with Sid for some bizarre reason and Sid is someone also searching for his game as desperately as Bunting is.
- Back to Doc-Sid-Raks, Raks was fine on that line, the issue was they'd get a shots on net, generate chances, then Doc would do a dumb blind pass or Sid would and the Canucks dunked on their dumb asses for 2 goals. Doc also kept trying to skate the puck in when he needed to dump it behind the D when they had another winger coming in, his indecision would make Raks pull up and then it would end the momentum. There were times Doc would actually pull up as well when the Pens were dumping it in which allowed the Canucks with 2 D and the F3 to come in and just negate the play entirely because Doc would come in hot and basically let up at the blueline.
- There is just so much stuff that you see that is coaching and it's frustrating to see it and know the ownership doesn't care and Dubas is either not fighting hard enough or he is but we just don't know what the f*** is going on behind the scenes. To come away on this 3 game Western Canada swing with 1pt out of 6 is beyond pathetic - Anyone remember what we predicted for this? I think I said 1 or maybe 3 pts?
- I knew Sprong would get a point today, I swear Tocchet knew Sprong gets motivated against Sullivan and was like yeah this is a no brainer, he always looks dangerous against the Pens and hasn't scored yet, but he's set up a couple.
- I see the admin ignore feature means even if a wanker creates a thread, I still can't see it, even if I am fine not seeing his shit, but would like to engage in the convo with the rest, ah well.
- Let me just say - to have Geno put up 3pts and play well with Beauvillier only for Sullivan to take him off his line, that's just f***ing stupid. So f***ing stupid, so the only chance you have to maybe get this into OT to get a point and maybe another and you remove that option to throw Beauvillier with Sid and Rakell? Beauvillier-Malkin-Rust had the look of a decent trio, I think if Rust is out long term, I put Puustinen there as he would it the best with how they play.
- Puljujarvi - He's not playing poorly, but he's not playing enough and his fit on this roster is somewhere, just not sure where. He isn't great with Hayes & Acciari, but he is good, sort of, with Doc and Eller, their Corsi is almost at 50% (21-22) but they produce a lot of shots and give up less, it's a line that could get better with more time together. It's funny because the McG-Eller-JP line was good and Sullivan gave up on it for literally no reason, he had a line that looked good and said nah, I don't like positive things in this line-up.
- Bench management - Sullivan will never get this right and this is just f***ing enough already, some of the dumbest usage of the bench I have ever seen from a Penguins coach in a very f***ing long time.
- The give-aways stat is so incorrect, Sid had a couple this game, Doc did as well. Somehow that isn't recorded correctly.
- Sherwood's goal, I wish could have thrown something at Rust for how lazy his backcheck was, Geno was busting his ass to get back and Rust just stops skating at one point and coasts and Letang, the one time he could have laid down to take the pass away to give Ned one shooter to focus on, he kind of just is useless in that situation with barely any good attempt from him.
- Doc had a very rough game, he was great on the PK with Eller, but other than that, was on the ice for 3 of the 4 Vancouver scored, Sid was on for 2.
- Grzelcyk isn't the partner for Karlsson, at least not based on this game.
- Penguins heatmap the last 8 seasons under Sullivan should be the same, just let teams walk right into the slot and score, give up as many odd man rushes and score in that same area, bang in rebounds, etc, etc...but yeah "HE'S GOT THE WRONG PLAYERS BRO, LIKE BRO, HOW CAN HE PLAY A SYSTEM BRO THAT NEEDS FASTER PLAYERS BRO?!" - Sure...
Regarding Doc + Eller, there's so much chemistry there, this need to force him on Sid's LW or Geno's LW isn't the right move here, to have a player produce like him on the 3rd line is an amazing thing, to have a pair on the 3rd that can do what Eller and Doc can do with chemistry is a very good thing. Sullivan started that game desperate, he had the two-head monster with Sid & Geno with Raks in the first period, they've actually produced 3 goals this season so it works in limited usage, but mostly because of Geno & Raks really, I had to laugh while at the game when I saw that super early in the first period, like really mate that early? Geno went beast mode on his goal while they were out there with Sid just falling on his ass while Raks played give and go with Geno essentially (more like give the puck and let Geno go be one man wrecking crew). Geno just did Geno things. Geno and Blomqvist are the only 2 reasons to watch this team right now.
That goal by Geno was just fun to watch, this is why I went really (or why my wife said I would be happy about going to see), Geno starts that rush, SId fumbles it lol and Geno is like ok wanker fine I'll do it myself and just an amazing goal. He looks so good out there with his skating and it's sad Sullivan did what he always does, Beau looked good with him and was yanked off his line to be with Sid, so now you ruin L2 and have L1 do jack shit again.
What sucks is last year, they wasted Crosby willing the team to wins for a lot of games, this year Malkin is doing it and Sullivan is going to waste this too. If anyone wants to talk about doing these two justice, what happened last year from Sullivan's shit coaching and what we're seeing right now is more than enough for 31 teams to say ok bye, don't let the door hit you on your ass on the way out.
While Rust is out long term I would go:
Bunting, Crosby, Rakell
Beauvillier, Malkin, Puustinen
O'Connor, Eller, Puljujarvi
Hayes, Acciari, Glass
Bottom 2 lines - Get them more f***ing ice time.
Btw - Geno wasn't hurt on his goal, he just needed a break for being the only franchise legend that gave a shit tonight.
It's wild. About to be seven years without a playoff series win, about to miss three times in a row, five straight losses into a slide--we'll see how long that goes.
I didn't actually want to do this, but it seemed almost everyone here had already forgotten him so I was too weak to resist 
However, I also think Blomqvist is a huge talent so for me his currently probably a bigger reason to follow your team. It's early for him too, but I think you've got a diamond for the coming years there. Of course your team is interesting in other aspects too, but right now the trend is not good.
