Post-Game Talk: Penguins > Sharks

[BusinessGoose]

Can't out-tank the pros

Geno saves Sully job for another week.

wow, what a f***ing awful win

Spiritually akin to a loss.

G saves sully. 1 pt vs sharks is the best you can hope for nowadays lol.

I'm at the point where I was rooting against us to win tonight. But happy for Geno.

Click to read more...

 

[BusinessGoose]

Was really hoping for a Geno heel turn and he just slapped it into the boards and walked off the ice flicking Sully off.

Lets be honest, that heroic, dig deep, big balls win against a lottery team probably bought him another 2 months

This has been my favorite sporting franchise for 35 years, but this team is brutal to watch. The players seem more miserable than the fans

Kind of appropriate that there is not post game thread.

This 'win' deserves pretty much that lack of caring.

Annoyed they got the loser point again. Can't even lose correctly. [edit length] Anyway...
2022-23: 10-7-3, 72 GF, 65 GA
2023-24: 10-10-0, 61 GF, 52 GA
2024-25: 7-10-3, 55 GF, 80 GA
Final through 20 check-in. Defensively? Offensively? Awesome work all around.

 

[Honour Over Glory]

Imagine blowing the lead against one of the worst teams in the league and then needing to win it in shootouts.

What a f***ing joke this franchise has become. To know how awfully they're coached and to turn a blind eye on purpose because he's this amazing full sentence speaking twat is brutal.

Its crazy how few even post here anymore and I get it. It's hard to be invested in a team that doesn't legitimately give a shit about its fans. FSG made it abundantly clear, they don't care if the attendance drops, they believe in this coach. So much so that it's alienated so much of the fanbase.

The media types for this team are just mindless idiots trying to find other ways to not blame Sullivan.

 

[BusinessGoose]

Imagine blowing the lead against one of the worst teams in the league and then needing to win it in shootouts.

What a f***ing joke this franchise has become. To know how awfully they're coached and to turn a blind eye on purpose because he's this amazing full sentence speaking twat is brutal.

Its crazy how few even post here anymore and I get it. It's hard to be invested in a team that doesn't legitimately give a shit about its fans. FSG made it abundantly clear, they don't care if the attendance drops, they believe in this coach. So much so that it's alienated so much of the fanbase.

The media types for this team are just mindless idiots trying to find other ways to not blame Sullivan.

Yup. If HFPens is the litmus test in regards to being one step ahead of the general fandom, FSG is about to get f***in rocked financially.

 

[Honour Over Glory]

Sportsnet Pittsburgh is showing the 2nd round 1996 playoffs vs the Rangers.

I forgot how truly awful Steigerwald was. The amount of shit talking Kovalev by him, lol what a wanker. "Kovalev never passes" and Lange is trying to say he does but Steigy keeps going off about it. 4 seasons before AK27 becomes a Pen.

Messier with that signature move of his, elbowing players. Neil Wilkinson lol.

 

[AuroraBorealis]

That's the 9th time in 20 games they've allowed a multi-goal lead to slip away this season.

 

[BusinessGoose]

Mark Messier is such a tool

That's the 9th time in 20 games they've allowed a multi-goal lead to slip away this season.

That would be a WILD stat if it said over the last TWO seasons

Let alone just twenty damn games

It's almost more amazing they've had that many multi goal leads to piss away

 

[Honour Over Glory]

Yup. If HFPens is the litmus test in regards to being one step ahead of the general fandom, FSG is about to get f***in rocked financially.

Yeah I think more fans will stop showing up and the numbers will really drop to points they can't pretend they're ok ignoring. They had attendance get as low as under 15k, that's pathetic.

 

[DearDiary]

Pens were one of the best teams in the league at 5 on 5 last season, only missing the playoffs due to the poor powerplay. How the team has fallen so far down in effort and accountability is solely on the coaching staff.

 

[Honour Over Glory]

Pens were one of the best teams in the league at 5 on 5 last season, only missing the playoffs due to the poor powerplay. How the team has fallen so far down in effort and accountability is solely on the coaching staff.

The powerplay angle isn't correct. There was a bloke on reddit that broke it down perfectly and it showed it didn't really change much.

Reddit user - Sulti
At best the Pens would be close to 100 point pace with an average powerplay, they wouldn't be at 100 points right now. 100 points would tie with the Rags as tops in the league. The Pens have lost some points to their abysmal PP, but it's not the only thing holding us back. I looked through every single 1 goal loss the Pens have this year, here's the games I think an average powerplay (and nothing else changing) would have changed the outcome of:

vs Anaheim on 10/30, McTavish SH goal to break the tie with 15 seconds to go, coming out of the box. Obviously the Pens should have 2 points this game. 1 point lost to giving up the shorty and 1 lost to failing to score in 1:50 of 5 on 3.
vs NYR on 11/22, game ended 1-0 with the Pens 0 for 5 on the PP. I won't include games with better than 0/5 PP's because 25% on the PP would be good for top 7, while 20% would be top 20. So 1 point lost to not having an average PP. I'll assume just 1 because we f***ing suck in OT this year.
vs Phi on 12/2, shootout loss with Philly getting a short handed goal and Pit going 0/5 on the PP, including a 3v4 in OT. Should have gained 1 point, since we already got the 2nd.
at Carolina on 1/13, 0/5 on the PP in an OT loss. Would gain 1 point again with an average PP.
vs LA on 2/18 Regulation loss with a SH goal against with 5 minutes to go. Went 1/5 on the PP, but that's an egregiously bad time to be giving up shorthanded chances. Especially so when playing a western conference team where giving them 1 point means nothing.

That's only 6 points gained. Maybe you could argue around 10 points with games that also had empty netters and/or winning one of the LA/NYR OT games. 10 more points would have the Pens at a 95 point pace and 82 points right now. That's 1 point above Washington who is currently in WC2. We jump like 5 teams in the standings, but we're not instantly clinching the playoffs with it.

To get 100 points right now you'd need 28 points lost to your PP. The 15th (average) place PP is around 21%, and Pitt's PP would have around 15 more goals if their PP was 21%. You'd need nearly every goal of difference there to be worth 2 points to hit 100 right now, which is just unreasonable. Even if every goal was added to a 1 goal game that only forces OT, and the Pens are 5 and 10 in OT. That means 15 more PP goals would translate to around 20 points, still 8 short of the necessary 28 in the most generous approximation I'm willing to make. I know we've also shot ourselves in the foot with SH goals against, but that's not another full 8 points lost.

100 point pace is somewhat manageable, we'd need around 86-87 points right now for that. So 14-15 more points out of 15 more PP goals plus 3 or 4 less SH goals against. It's still extremely unlikely that the sub 20 more goals account for 15 more points, but it's not completely unreasonable at least. I'd still say we're likely around 80 points right now with an average PP, with 8 points lost to the PP.

If the Pen's PP was tops in the league good then sure they could be around 100 points, they'd have like 30 more goals with Tampa's 30% PP and half as many SHG goals against. If they were average (which I'd consider better than "just functional") though, then they wouldn't be close to that mark.

Pens were still shit.

Also his other post, I agree with him as well.

Yeah I agree we'd be in the hunt for playoffs at least with an average PP, just the 6 points gained from the games I mentioned would put us in striking range. I also would call 6 points a conservative estimate since there are games I didn't check and it's possible to get a goal on 4 PP's even if you're only 20% on the PP. It just bothers me when people try to pile on 1 thing as the sole reason a team is doing badly, and the Pens PP this year is just 1 of many problems I've had with the team.

What would be your excuse after this season if the powerplay finishes at around 15-18 rank? "Well we were shit at 5v5 but our powerplay was average, if we could have been better at 5v5..."

And then if you had a year the PK was ass. You're just finding more excuses to avoid saying the coach is pure shit. Which you know it is.

 

[Honour Over Glory]

Pens were one of the best teams in the league at 5 on 5 last season, only missing the playoffs due to the poor powerplay. How the team has fallen so far down in effort and accountability is solely on the coaching staff.

Also what area are you saying they were one of the best teams 5v5?

Team Season Totals - Natural Stat Trick

Their corsi?

Then does Seattle and Calgary get that argument as well?

XGF%? Might want to see who else is on that list that didn't make the playoffs. It's just finding excuses for a team coached like shit for two straight seasons and currently on their third.

 

[DesertPenguin]

Imagine blowing the lead against one of the worst teams in the league and then needing to win it in shootouts.

What a f***ing joke this franchise has become. To know how awfully they're coached and to turn a blind eye on purpose because he's this amazing full sentence speaking twat is brutal.

Its crazy how few even post here anymore and I get it. It's hard to be invested in a team that doesn't legitimately give a shit about its fans. FSG made it abundantly clear, they don't care if the attendance drops, they believe in this coach. So much so that it's alienated so much of the fanbase.

The media types for this team are just mindless idiots trying to find other ways to not blame Sullivan.

Nothing to talk about and not worth my time while they circle the drain and do nothing about it

 

[Honour Over Glory]

That Granlund and Toffoli goal still piss me off, just no effort to stop it, no effort by the defense.

 

[Icarium]

I am flabbergasted that we actually won a shootout. And Malkin apparently scored in it (but the highlights failed to show that for some reason)?!? Miracles never end.

 

[eXile3]

I went to bed at 3-1 for the baby and woke up to see it went to a shootout and thought “that sounds about right.”

 

[orby]

I think this team has the worst defense of any Pens team in the Crosby era. X Generation level bad.

 

[LOGiK]

Imagine blowing the lead against one of the worst teams in the league and then needing to win it in shootouts.

What a f***ing joke this franchise has become. To know how awfully they're coached and to turn a blind eye on purpose because he's this amazing full sentence speaking twat is brutal.

Its crazy how few even post here anymore and I get it. It's hard to be invested in a team that doesn't legitimately give a shit about its fans. FSG made it abundantly clear, they don't care if the attendance drops, they believe in this coach. So much so that it's alienated so much of the fanbase.

The media types for this team are just mindless idiots trying to find other ways to not blame Sullivan.

Sportsnet Pittsburgh is showing the 2nd round 1996 playoffs vs the Rangers.

1. I refuse to watch anywhere that gives them viewership numbers. So I watch streams and have it on in the background more than actually watch. Games only get my attention for goals and blowing leads and I just plain refuse to watch until Commander-In-Chief Dictator For Life King-ding-a-Ling HCMS is dead. Simple firing is not enough anymore. More plot armor on the guy than jon snow.
1. I read most PGT's but there is no reason to comment.

2. I miss that hockey. If you can't win fancy like, I want rough old-tyme hockey.
Whatever THIS is.... no.

 

[Andy99]

Bob Grove (@bobgrove91.bsky.social)

Tonight marked the 7th time Pens have lost a 2-goal lead this season, going 3-3-1 in those games. That's 7 points lost, and if they had those 7 points, they'd be two points off the division lead. Ifs and buts. . . it's just brutal.

bsky.app

 

[Malkinstheman]

Blowing a 3 goal lead to the dreadful Sharks is certainly something

 

[NewAgeOutlaw]

Sullivan is so great at being bad that he found a way to win a game that actually advanced the case for firing him.

It is wild for years the team has been atrocious at holding on to leads and having horrible shifts after scoring a goal. All sorts of roster turnover in that time and Sully never gets blamed for issues that have existed for years.

And, those issues seem to be getting even worse.

 

[Ugene Magic]

Sullivan is so great at being bad that he found a way to win a game that actually advanced the case for firing him.

It is wild for years the team has been atrocious at holding on to leads and having horrible shifts after scoring a goal. All sorts of roster turnover in that time and Sully never gets blamed for issues that have existed for years.

And, those issues seem to be getting even worse.

When are people going to realize the team has gotten remarkably worse year after year. To hinge the team's plight as highly ranked on the HC's shoulders is just blowing smoke to blow smoke.

There's not much anyone can do with this lack of talent. Dubas didn’t even replace Jake let alone add any real talent to the team to mitigate the ever loss of top talent this team once had. That's without bringing up the advanced age the core is.

The coach goes as far as the roster allows for.

 

[Gurglesons]

When are people going to realize the team has gotten remarkably worse year after year. To hinge the team's plight as highly ranked on the HC's shoulders is just blowing smoke to blow smoke.

There's not much anyone can do with this lack of talent. Dubas didn’t even replace Jake let alone add any real talent to the team to mitigate the ever loss of top talent this team once had. That's without bringing up the advanced age the core is.

The coach goes as far as the roster allows for.

Because the team wasn't remarkably worse in 2020, 2021, and 2022 and Sullivan still made them look like turds.

 

[Andy99]

When are people going to realize the team has gotten remarkably worse year after year. To hinge the team's plight as highly ranked on the HC's shoulders is just blowing smoke to blow smoke.

There's not much anyone can do with this lack of talent. Dubas didn’t even replace Jake let alone add any real talent to the team to mitigate the ever loss of top talent this team once had. That's without bringing up the advanced age the core is.

The coach goes as far as the roster allows for.

Yes and no. Talent is a must but there are coaches who can make better lemonade from lemons than others…that’s not this coach

 

[Icarium]

There's not much anyone can do with this lack of talent.

The roster is mediocre, not "worst goals against in the entire league" and "can't beat a decent team to save its life" bad. It's also been remarkably healthy since the start of last season. No one expects the team to be a Cup contender and most people realize that even making the playoffs would be a tall order, regardless of who is coaching. But when a team is making the exact same incredibly dumb unforced errors season after season, despite being full of veterans who have won it all and should know better, it's hard to avoid thinking the coach might be doing something seriously wrong, you know.

 

[NewAgeOutlaw]

When are people going to realize the team has gotten remarkably worse year after year. To hinge the team's plight as highly ranked on the HC's shoulders is just blowing smoke to blow smoke.

There's not much anyone can do with this lack of talent. Dubas didn’t even replace Jake let alone add any real talent to the team to mitigate the ever loss of top talent this team once had. That's without bringing up the advanced age the core is.

The coach goes as far as the roster allows for.

Is blowing 9 multi goal leads in 20 games when it has been an issue for years really a talent issue? Is getting caved in immediately after scoring a goal routinely a talent issue?

No, the Penguins don't have a good roster, but a competent coach could absolutely coach them to a low playoff seed. It isn't like the other middling teams competing for the lower-tier playoff seeds are flush with stars.