Penguins quietly having their village burnt down with a fork in them AINEC

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Crosby is on fire this year. I don’t see him winning any scoring titles or Hart’s at his age, but he definitely has some big years left in him. Still elite and a top 5 forward in my opinion. Not enough people take into account his 200 ft game and assume someone like Kucherov is better because he has more points in a given year. Stop it.

Lifelong Pens fan here. Crosby's 200-foot game has not been good this year.
 
Crosby is on fire this year. I don’t see him winning any scoring titles or Hart’s at his age, but he definitely has some big years left in him. Still elite and a top 5 forward in my opinion. Not enough people take into account his 200 ft game and assume someone like Kucherov is better because he has more points in a given year. Stop it.
If the Oilers miss the po n crosby can score 100+ points say 110. I can see him getting the hart. Still long ways to go but 27 points in 19 games is amazing for his age
 
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Lifelong Pens fan here. Crosby's 200-foot game has not been good this year.
Over the course of the last few years, it has been good. This year he had 2 really bad games of -4. He is on pace for a career high in Blocked Shots, Takeaways, and Hits. He also got off to a rough start in face-offs and has turned that around.
 
Over the course of the last few years, it has been good. This year he had 2 really bad games of -4. He is on pace for a career high in Blocked Shots, Takeaways, and Hits. He also got off to a rough start in face-offs and has turned that around.
Have you been watching? Again, I'm a lifelong Pens fan and huge Crosby fan. But his line has been a defensive mess this season. Of all seasons to be preaching about his 200-foot game, this season isn't one of them.
 
Have you been watching? Again, I'm a lifelong Pens fan and huge Crosby fan. But his line has been a defensive mess this season. Of all seasons to be preaching about his 200-foot game, this season isn't one of them.
Yes, no need to insult me. Rust is not a very good player this year and does not complement Crosby very well. I’m not saying Crosby is the #1 Selke candidate this year, but aside from a couple bad games he’s been very good. He’s had several key defensive takeaways and seems to be throwing the body around more.
 
Yes, no need to insult me. Rust is not a very good player this year and does not complement Crosby very well. I’m not saying Crosby is the #1 Selke candidate this year, but aside from a couple bad games he’s been very good. He’s had several key defensive takeaways and seems to be throwing the body around more.
I didn't insult you. My question was earnest.

Sid put up a ton of points on this road trip and his offensive stat line this year is impressive, particularly considering the Pens' PP hasn't produced much. But I don't think you'll find too many other Pens fans agreeing that his 200-foot game has been good this year. I guess we just disagree.
 
Crosby will benefit from Rakell who brings nice size and some needed better play for Sid. Jake is a winger who has been shaky on D but Sid is back to playing good and as long as Sully doesn't do something stupid and move Rust back. .
 
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5-1-1 since losing 7 games in a row

1 point behind the Islanders for 3rd in the Metro

82 game pace
Crosby = 117 points
Guentzal = 95
Malkin = 86
Zucker = 72


Have the Pens put out the fire in their village, or is it destined to burn to the ground?

-Pens are 6-0-1 when Sullivan actually does the smart thing that fans have been clamoring for and puts Rakell on Sid's line.

-Pens are 3-7-2 when Sullivan stubbornly puts his teacher's pet Rust on that line instead.

If Sullivan wouldn't insist on his weird obsession with Bryan Rust being this elite superstar player, maybe the Pens would be sitting comfortably in a playoff spot instead of currently being on the outside looking in.
 
Never count out Crosby and the pens. Crosby on crutches would still be better than many on the ice now. The story will play out where you may doubt their ability to qualify for the playoffs….. during that time they will play meh hockey at times…. Then they will win 10 of 12… eeking out a spot … and finally turn it on in the post season.

Looking forward to the day when I am finally wrong.
 
The Pens are inconsistent this year. Over the summer, I predicted they'd end up being a middling playoff team, and I stand by that. A big losing streak is never fun to watch, and I think the age of the team is certainly a concern, but pronouncing any team dead less than two full months into the season is rarely a wise prognostication.
 
If the Oilers miss the po n crosby can score 100+ points say 110. I can see him getting the hart. Still long ways to go but 27 points in 19 games is amazing for his age

I mean a lot of players can get the hart depending on how things go. Yes if Crosby keeps up his pace of 117 points in 82 games, he'll be an extremely strong contender.

But it's still way too early.

Also - narrative-wise, Crosby's argument was more compelling last season. He missed season start to injury - comes back his team is struggling - goes on an insane run, they rise up standings/he scores a ton, and they make playoffs. His numbers and games played weren't as high to contend for hart last year, but narrative was strong.

This season - narrative-wise, Penguins are healthy. Which is super weird for them. If they remain healthy, I think this probably hurt's Crosby's hart narrative.

In the end - simply way too early.

The only thing I remain certain of is Penguins will make playoffs. Either Crosby, or Malkin - or both - always go on an insane run to help Penguins rise-up the standings whenever they seem like they're faltering. This year will be no different (just as the past few games is showing already).
 
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I mean a lot of players can get the hart depending on how things go. Yes if Crosby keeps up his pace of 117 points in 82 games, he'll be an extremely strong contender.

But it's still way too early.

Also - narrative-wise, Crosby's argument was more compelling last season. He missed season start to injury - comes back his team is struggling - goes on an insane run, they rise up standings/he scores a ton, and they make playoffs. His numbers and games played weren't as high to contend for hart last year, but narrative was strong.

This season - narrative-wise, Penguins are healthy. Which is super weird for them. If they remain healthy, I think this probably hurt's Crosby's hart narrative.

In the end - simply way too early.

The only thing I remain certain of is Penguins will make playoffs. Either Crosby, or Malkin - or both - always go on an insane run to help Penguins rise-up the standings whenever they seem like they're faltering. This year will be no different (just as the past few games is showing already).
Yeah it's way too early and age Is a thing. But crosby already has two 4 pt nights. Those have been few and far between in the last couple years. If he can have some more of those here n there makes a huge difference. A top 10 point finish n I'll be a happy fan
 
He is on pace for a career high in Blocked Shots, Takeaways, and Hits.
Hits? When was the last time Crosby threw a hit that anyone remembered? Completely meaningless stat. Dumoulin is Penguins leader in blocked shots and he also happens to be their worst defenceman. Another rather meaningless stat. Crosby is currently playing pretty much the way certain critics have often accused Malkin of playing (occasionally with good reason) - the effort defensively is very erratic but offensively he explodes with those 3 or 4 point games despite often not looking as good as the point total would suggest. It's impressive that he is doing so well offensively with with this ice cold power play, don't get me wrong and he was saddled with the currently terrible Rust until this week but talking about Hart and his supposedly great 200 foot game when he is second in goals against at even strength in the entire league is a bit silly.

The Penguins' schedule has been pretty brutal, especially for an aging team - after this week they will have had no less than 6 back to backs, all with travel in between. The goaltending has been shaky, the PK was awful for a while, the first power play unit has been an absolute disaster for a month now, Letang looks like a shell of himself, Rust looks like an AHL-er and gets line 1 and PP1 duties nevertheless, the team has the mental resilience of the game 7 Toronto Maple Leafs... and it's still close to a playoff spot. Hockey can be funny that way.
 
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So many posters are looking stupid now. It’s the same thing every year guys. Just si back and enjoy.
 
So many posters are looking stupid now. It’s the same thing every year guys. Just si back and enjoy.
A recent turn of better play doesn't really change what we all know of this coach and how this usually ends up. Even an idiot like Dan Bylsma had a ravaged Penguins team riddled with injuries, playing like a top 5 team in the league and still didn't have them exiting the playoffs in Round 1 as many times as Sullivan has.

Regular season success is all fine and dandy, but he same warts are there, performances are getting better and helping the team win, but the posters you're trying to claim are looking stupid now, we've seen this song and dance before and being a fan for 40 some odd years, I couldn't give a f*** about some recentism by some poster to make us feel like things are suddenly different...
 
I do wonder when inevabitly at some point the annual Penguins doom talk will happen to be true how many people that predicted it more than 4 time will say the year it happen will say some form of; told you so.
 

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