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

[Andy99]

Analytically, this team is one of the best teams in the NHL except for the PP.

It was….not anymore….5v5 numbers are cratering…propped up by goaltending…how bad must the Pens shooters be if we’re third in the league in save % and have really good defensive numbers but we’re losing games this badly?

Penguins have concerning trend developing

It is not just the power play struggles, either.

www.pensburgh.com

 

[Andy99]

 

[Le Magnifique 66]

Who’s he compare to?

Lots of insiders compare his game to the one of Jonathan Toews at the same age

 

[Josey Wales]

I find it odd that someone will go to the mat for a coach that's done f***-all for half a decade. But rips on the team's best player for his post game quotes.

Again Genius I have said a Billion times Sullivan can be fired anytime I don't give a Flying f***, You posters sit there & say they have changed Ownership, Changed GM's 3 times, Changed half the roster what is the only thing that hasn't changed? CS ! OH & I think the "Core" hasn't been changed BUT if you mention that you are a "Sullivan Swallower"

 

[pistolpete11]

It was….not anymore….5v5 numbers are cratering…propped up by goaltending…

Penguins have concerning trend developing

It is not just the power play struggles, either.

www.pensburgh.com

Probably because Chad Ruhwedel was hurt.

But seriously, injuries do play a factor. People can say it's an excuse, but that doesn't make it any less valid.

 

[AuroraBorealis]

Probably because Chad Ruhwedel was hurt.

But seriously, injuries do play a factor. People can say it's an excuse, but that doesn't make it any less valid.

We have a lot of injuries, but apart from Rust they don't hurt much.
Rakell was goalless through 17 games. Not sure POJ is preferred anymore. Ludvig is a clear upgrade on Chad. Acciari and Nieto are basically whatever players for us. The PK was fine without them.

I suppose the top-six being fully healthy would reunite DOC-Eller-Z, but then again Sully is dumb, so maybe not. He'd probably just keep going with Carter and Harkins.

 

[Ragamuffin Gunner]

SDP went on a 20 min convo about the Pens. Basically came down to everything is good except the PP and that's a coaching issue, so fire the coach.

 

[McGroarty2]

Who’s he compare to?

Tyler Kennedy

 

[pistolpete11]

We have a lot of injuries, but apart from Rust they don't hurt much.
Rakell was goalless through 17 games. Not sure POJ is preferred anymore. Ludvig is a clear upgrade on Chad. Acciari and Nieto are basically whatever players for us. The PK was fine without them.

I suppose the top-six being fully healthy would reunite DOC-Eller-Z, but then again Sully is dumb, so maybe not. He'd probably just keep going with Carter and Harkins.

I don't know what the stats say, but I imagine all the injuries effect the analytics to a certain degree, particularly Rakell. That's what the discussion was about, the analytics.

 

[DesertedPenguin]

We have a lot of injuries, but apart from Rust they don't hurt much.
Rakell was goalless through 17 games. Not sure POJ is preferred anymore. Ludvig is a clear upgrade on Chad. Acciari and Nieto are basically whatever players for us. The PK was fine without them.

I suppose the top-six being fully healthy would reunite DOC-Eller-Z, but then again Sully is dumb, so maybe not. He'd probably just keep going with Carter and Harkins.

Despite his struggles, Rakell is a solid two-way player. Acciari and Nieto are two of the Pens three best penalty killers along with Eller, and that unit has dipped with them out. They were also beginning to contribute offensively while remaining strong defensively.

You have four top 12 forwards out. That's going to make a difference. I know there is this tendency to suggest Acciari and Nieto aren't NHL players, but historically, they're quite useful and valuable bottom six players. When those types of players are out, they are missed.

 

[Jesse]

Fair point but is Sullivan actually going back to previous systems or is the team just executing poorly?

@Jesse, your thoughts?

I don't understand what's happening. The soft forecheck and deep trap wasn't a figment of our imagination. It just seems so extremely circumstantial and only used against specific opponents. I don't think it's what they're being asked to do at this time.

It seems to me like he's throwing a bunch of stuff at the wall in rapid fire to hope something sticks. I never like that approach because if something works, what was it? How do you discern which of the four changes you made was the right one?

I just get the sense there's a lot of scrambling.

 

[TheGoldenJet]

I know everyone is pretty down bad on this team and Sully right now and rightfully so. However, lets keep in perspective that this team is doing well in the areas that we were most concerned about going into the season.

The Penguins are 3rd in the league in goals against.

Once we start finding the net on the PP, we will start winning. The PP will be solved.

The main problem is that Rust and Rakell are out right now. That makes this really tough to turn around right now.

The biggest plus side is, the Devils aren't dominate like they were projected. The Hurricans looked lost. The Flyers and Capitals are pretenders.

This will turn around!

I found Sullsma’s alt guys.

 

[BusinessGoose]

Injuries are not helpful

But it's why when everyone is healthy you can't be lazy and play 8 mins a night

 

[Maninthebox87]

I feel like when Sully first got here his system was all around speed and puck handling defenseman… it doesn’t feel it’s that way any longer it’s so rare now where the penguins can cycle and keep a team pinnned back in their end. I’d love to have a Dupuis or Hagelin like player who showed some hustle and motor never stops like player.

 

[AuroraBorealis]

Injuries are not helpful

But it's why when everyone is healthy you can't be lazy and play 8 mins a night

We were sub .500 when healthy too. This team's just shit.

 

[ThosePuckingPenguins]

I feel like when Sully first got here his system was all around speed and puck handling defenseman… it doesn’t feel it’s that way any longer it’s so rare now where the penguins can cycle and keep a team pinnned back in their end. I’d love to have a Dupuis or Hagelin like player who showed some hustle and motor never stops like player.

The problem is that the system IS still like that but we don’t have the roster for it like we did in 16/17. Harder to do that now when Sid and Malkin are in their mid-late 30s.

 

[AuroraBorealis]

I don't know what the stats say, but I imagine all the injuries effect the analytics to a certain degree, particularly Rakell. That's what the discussion was about, the analytics.

Oh, mb. I stopped tracking analytics when they weren't leading to the results they indicated that should be happening, consistently.
They seem worthless when assessing this team.

 

[Pens x]

Despite his struggles, Rakell is a solid two-way player. Acciari and Nieto are two of the Pens three best penalty killers along with Eller, and that unit has dipped with them out. They were also beginning to contribute offensively while remaining strong defensively.

You have four top 12 forwards out. That's going to make a difference. I know there is this tendency to suggest Acciari and Nieto aren't NHL players, but historically, they're quite useful and valuable bottom six players. When those types of players are out, they are missed.

Two of those guys are warm bodies and Rakell failed to score in 19 gamea. Dumb dumb Dubas created a lineup that cannot handle a single injury in the top six. This isnt hindsight.

 

[Maninthebox87]

The problem is that the system IS still like that but we don’t have the roster for it like we did in 16/17. Harder to do that now when Sid and Malkin are in their mid-late I

Im really starting to wonder if management and coaching are on the same page or if it’s just pride on Sullivan to think that he can have anyone play into his system.

 

[pistolpete11]

Oh, mb. I stopped tracking analytics when they weren't leading to the results they indicated that should be happening, consistently.
They seem worthless when assessing this team.

Frankly, I don't disagree.

But my initial post was to someone complaining about Dubas not doing anything because they thought he was an analytic focused GM. But being too analytic focused might be part of the problem.

 

[Sidney the Kidney]

I can count the number of Pens games I've missed in the past 30 years or so on my two hands. Timezone differences and all.

My Do not give a f*** meter is currently lower than it was during the X gen. It's WAY lower in fact. It's also way lower than any point of the Bylsma era.

More than anything it's just sad man. Dubas the FSG puppet can kiss my ass.

For me, I don't mind watching and rooting for a team that's bad if I know they're bad because they're just a shitty roster, but every game they're trying their best to no avail.

That's different than a roster that should be *better* than it is, but gets in its own way because it refuses to get rid of the biggest issue with the roster, and the result is the team is so inconsistent from night to night that it's more annoying than fun to watch.

 

[HandshakeLine]

Analytically, this team is one of the best teams in the NHL except for the PP.

Analytics don’t seem to be very good at analyzing or predicting?

Frankly, I don't disagree.

But my initial post was to someone complaining about Dubas not doing anything because they thought he was an analytic focused GM. But being too analytic focused might be part of the problem.

I mean I largely agree but I am also just pointing out that a team’s record is also just data and we seem to not care about that one which is pretty hilarious.

 

[pistolpete11]

Analytics don’t seem to be very good at analyzing or predicting?


I mean I largely agree but I am also just pointing out that a team’s record is also just data and we seem to not care about that one which is pretty hilarious.

I'm not advocating for the analytics. It was in response to the post I quoted.

You can't say you thought Dubas was an analytic minded GM and then wonder why he's not doing anything when the analytics are good.

 

[Sidney the Kidney]

I'm not advocating for the analytics. It was in response to the post I quoted.

You can't say you thought Dubas was an analytic minded GM and then wonder why he's not doing anything when the analytics are good.

They're trending bad, though. If Dubas made all his decisions entirely based on analytics, then he SHOULD be concerned.

The Pens are 12th in the NHL in xGF% this season overall, but they're 24th in the NHL in that same category over the past 10 games. So they're not even winning the xGF Cup either.

So not only are they not getting the actual results (ie. wins and points), but they're also not even performing well from an analytics standpoint recently.

So where's Sullivan's saving grace now if his team's shit analytically as well as results-wise?

 

[vodeni]

It was….not anymore….5v5 numbers are cratering…propped up by goaltending…how bad must the Pens shooters be if we’re third in the league in save % and have really good defensive numbers but we’re losing games this badly?

Penguins have concerning trend developing

It is not just the power play struggles, either.

www.pensburgh.com

don't you love the narrative around Pens...we could end up dead last in 5 on 5 they still would be talking about great 5 on 5....especially those Corsis for all the 5-foot wide shots from the blue line