Speculation: Penguins off day talk thread: Yes, Sully is still the coach

[AjaxTelamon]

I guess this xgf% is all where you shoot from on the ice. What I can't imagine they figure in is traffic in front. And this team typically is allergic to going to the dirty areas, and haven't had a consistent and effective net front since Hornqvist. Carter, for all his warts, was one of the only guys who would do it on the PP. Put Zohorna there now, or just give the assignment to Rakell rather than that floating spot up high.

Rust has actually been playing closer to the dirty areas this year, and it's helped that line. Until he gets his clock cleaned once and then that will be it for that for the year.

 

[Honour Over Glory]

I wonder if tossers still think the Canucks are some fluke. We've seen Pens take off and do well away from this team. It extends to other personnel too. I hate the Canucks but I'm legit having fun watching them since Tocchet took over.

Weird, that entire game and style is very familiar from a fun time in our Pens watching lives. But I swear it was All Sullivan I was told.

 

[Andy99]

Carter and Ruh still scratched…from practice in Anaheim…

 

[Buddy Bizarre]

After the PP and goaltending, my other concern for this team is the LD's

Graves makes Letang's decision-making look like Lidstrom
Petts and POJ seem to be performing back to the prior season where they barely looked like passable NHLers

 

[SEALBound]

Carter and Ruh still scratched…from practice in Anaheim…

1-0 since Carter was benched. Win 2 of 71 to finish the season coming up.

 

[Empoleon8771]

I honestly don't think Carter is getting back into the lineup without an injury. Hinostroza fits what that 4th line needs too much for me to think Carter will get back in the lineup over him and they're obviously not going to scratch Acciari for Carter.

If Carter was a LW, I'd be more concerned about him taking Nieto's spot on the 4th line. But I think Acciari and Hinostroza will be locked into the 4th line unless they start playing really poorly.

 

[Buddy Bizarre]

I honestly don't think Carter is getting back into the lineup without an injury. Hinostroza fits what that 4th line needs too much for me to think Carter will get back in the lineup over him and they're obviously not going to scratch Acciari for Carter.

If Carter was a LW, I'd be more concerned about him taking Nieto's spot on the 4th line. But I think Acciari and Hinostroza will be locked into the 4th line unless they start playing really poorly.

I don't think any 4 of those 4th liners should be locked into their spots. Carter has position flexibility so that gives them a ton of options.

I think this team would benefit from rotating 4th line players after losses/poor individual efforts

 

[Andy99]

 

[Pancakes]

I honestly don't think Carter is getting back into the lineup without an injury. Hinostroza fits what that 4th line needs too much for me to think Carter will get back in the lineup over him and they're obviously not going to scratch Acciari for Carter.

If Carter was a LW, I'd be more concerned about him taking Nieto's spot on the 4th line. But I think Acciari and Hinostroza will be locked into the 4th line unless they start playing really poorly.

Carter might get back into the lineup Thursday. That's against LA, and I kinda doubt that the Pens will scratch him in what will likely be the last game of his career in LA.

I also wouldn't be surprised if the moment the Pens lose a game or Hinostroza has a bad game that Carter gets plugged back in. Sully doesn't need many reasons.

 

[SEALBound]

Read: If either screw up one hair, it's Chad Rudwedel for the next 70 games.

 

[orby]

If the Pens want to sniff the playoffs this year, Carter needs to be in the press box. He is a black hole out there - beyond done. I liked the initial trade for him, but the extension/NTC was insanely dumb.

 

[Big Friggin Dummy]

A lot needs to change if this team's gonna claw back to a playoff spot. Carter and Ruhwedel never playing another minute of Penguins hockey is a good start though. Luckily, the teams who were anticipated to make some strides and be the Pens' biggest competition for WCs spots (Buffalo, Ottawa) have also had real mediocre starts to their season, so the opening's there.

 

[Andy99]

A lot needs to change if this team's gonna claw back to a playoff spot. Carter and Ruhwedel never playing another minute of Penguins hockey is a good start though. Luckily, the team's who were anticipated to make some strides and be the Pens' biggest competition for WCs spots (Buffalo, Ottawa) have also had real mediocre starts to their season, so the opening's there.

Honestly, a lot more needs to happen for the Pens to claw back to a playoff spot lol, first, Jarry needs to stop critical shots by actually competent shooters, none of whom are on the Sharks lol. Second, some players (who are not going to be our ancient centers) have to consistently get to net against competent teams’ defensemen….the Sharks provided no resistance…we’re going to have to fight to get to crease against teams who are tight checking and much more physical…third, we’re going to need other ways to play in our back pocket and the coaches need to make adjustments continually in games and between opponents…given all of this, I give them no shot lol….

 

[Big Friggin Dummy]

Honestly, a lot more needs to happen for the Pens to claw back to a playoff spot lol, first, Jarry needs to stop critical shots by actually competent shooters, none of whom are on the Sharks lol. Second, some players (who are not going to be our ancient centers) have to consistently get to net against competent teams’ defensemen….the Sharks provided no resistance…we’re going to have to fight to get to crease against teams who are tight checking and much more physical…third, we’re going to need other ways to play in our back pocket and the coaches need to make adjustments continually in games and between opponents…given all of this, I give them no shot lol….

No shit.

 

[Pancakes]

A lot needs to change if this team's gonna claw back to a playoff spot. Carter and Ruhwedel never playing another minute of Penguins hockey is a good start though. Luckily, the teams who were anticipated to make some strides and be the Pens' biggest competition for WCs spots (Buffalo, Ottawa) have also had real mediocre starts to their season, so the opening's there.

I don't think Ruh is as dire as Carter by any means but I don't see a particularly compelling reason to play him over POJ, Shea, or Ludvig.

Carter obviously should be full time press box unless there's injuries and even then the Pens would likely be better served calling up help from WBS.

But yeah in general this is not a team that can afford to shoot itself in the foot with bad lineup decisions. Their optimal lineup might not be enough to make the playoffs. A suboptimal one is playing with fire.

 

[Empoleon8771]

I don't think any 4 of those 4th liners should be locked into their spots. Carter has position flexibility so that gives them a ton of options.

I think this team would benefit from rotating 4th line players after losses/poor individual efforts

Acciari should definitely be locked onto that 4th line and it would take worse performances from Nieto and Hinostroza for me to want them out of the lineup.

Harkins is literally the only guy healthy in WBS right now that I'd consider calling up to play on the 4th line. They really don't have many alternatives for what that 4th line is supposed to provide.

 

[Andy99]

Good on him for answering questions…

 

[Big Friggin Dummy]

TIL that's the first healthy scratch in Carter's career. Huh.

 

[Pancakes]

TIL that's the first healthy scratch in Carter's career. Huh.

I'd feel bad for him except he's making 3 million a year still.

I'd gladly sit on my ass for a quarter of that

 

[Victor Z]

Read: If either screw up one hair, it's Chad Rudwedel for the next 70 games.

Forget Ruhwedel, hopefully forever; but once Ludvig is healthy he goes back in with Shea on the 3rd pair and with some luck makes it through an entire game this time.

Unless Sully isn't interested in icing the best possible defense.

 

[Big Friggin Dummy]

I'd feel bad for him except he's making 3 million a year still.

I'd gladly sit on my ass for a quarter of that

I was just more surprised by it tbh. He was pretty awful in LA before Hextall snagged him, and he was wretched last season. I figured he was scratched at least once in the past handful of years. But here we are, I guess.

 

[Gurglesons]

Read: If either screw up one hair, it's Chad Rudwedel for the next 70 games.

The benefit of being Ruhwedel is he can’t screw up one hair.

Good on him for answering questions…

Hopefully he comes back in and plays with some urgency.

 

[Big Friggin Dummy]

I don't think it's an urgency or laziness issue with Carter. Dude's just f***ing cooked. He makes it about 3 strides out there before he's ready to coast to the bench and gulp down air.

 

[Zirakzigil]

Carter and Ruh still scratched…from practice in Anaheim…

 

[MetalheadPenguinsFan]

“PENS ARE WAY PAST DULL, AGAIN!!!
GET LOST!!! BEAT IT!!! SULL-Y-VAN!!!” chants need to start catching on at PPG Paints….” - my brain earlier