Post-Game Talk: Pens/Devils - Arrogance personified

[vodeni]

I think good lod Grover made the point here...That was the thing that bothered me all night long...just skating through the NZ totally untouched, they did this to us all year last year too, our wingers are at wall and our dman are skating back and not meeting them at the blue line...if they attempt they just dump deep and retrieve since they are faster...the key here is our terrible defensive coverage by our forwards,,,

 

[Tacitus Kilgore]

Devils have won 5 in a row in Pittsburgh. Out scoring them 24-9 lol

- My mind trying to comprehend that

 

[Empoleon8771]

This is true. I just wish they try something and also play with some pride. They role over and give up. Coaching all the way down

That's not really the issue here. This team throughout basically its entire history has played an offensive focused, run and gun style of game. If their execution is off in any given night, things go to shit just because of the nature of the team. Things just weren't clicking today, hence why everything went to crap.

The fundamental nature of this team throughout its entire history has been that.

It's part of this team's DNA, and it's also just what happens in the NHL.

Vegas has lost 3 of 4, including a 3-0 loss to the old, decrepit Washington Capitals. Tampa has been outscored 14-3 in its last three games. Colorado gave up 8 to St. Louis, then scored 8 against Anaheim four days later.

Even the great teams or the model teams have off nights.

It definitely happens to every team in the NHL, but I think the fundamental nature of the organization causes these to happen more often. At least compared to an ultra structured team like the Bruins or something like that.

When the Penguins are off in a night, it gets ugly because the way they're designed yields ugly performances if things aren't clicking.

 

[Ryder71]

Devils have won 5 in a row in Pittsburgh. Out scoring them 24-9 lol

Not surprising at all, are we any better there?

 

[Pancakes]

I'm not defending their performance whatsoever, it was a terrible game. But if you lose your shit over this team not playing a complete game every single game, I think you're probably cheering for the wrong team

This isn't saying "you're a bad fan" or anything like that, but if you want super clean and consistent hockey every game, watching the Pittsburgh Penguins probably isn't what you want. That's not just a this year thing, that has been the Penguins during at least the entire Crosby-Malkin era.

The key will be how many of these they have.

They need to have a decent floor of play where they can still pick up some points even when they aren't on top of their game. Tonight was a yikesaroo but it's just one night so whatever.

Gonna be a 4 game losing streak if they carry this play into Carolina/Vegas/NYR tho

 

[Big Friggin Dummy]

Acciari scored 20 goals in 66 games three years ago. Doesn't seem possible.

Based on how he's been since arriving, I don't think he's gonna score 20 more goals in his career.

 

[Ryder71]

- My mind trying to comprehend that

They own our ass, that simple, that easy.

 

[BusinessGoose]

No excuse

Big oof

They are who we thought they were

 

[Tacitus Kilgore]

Based on how he's been since arriving, I don't think he's gonna score 20 more goals in his career.

The Derrick Brassard effect

 

[Ryder71]

Maybe the Devils are just better than us?

 

[LOGiK]

Now we can get back to the reality of things on this board

Penguins got blasted in their sleep tonight.
Jarry sleeping on 4th goal... Not many goals scored where the goalie doesn't even see the puck going into the net. haha...

 

[AlphaMikeFoxtrots]

He looks lost out there, and visibly unhappy. I was hyped on him coming into this season because he was the grittiest guy who can also play,that we've had since Horny (albeit Horny had way better offense)

He followed Dubas here, am I remembering that right? I wonder if something changed, or if he got sold a bill of goods different to what he's received.

 

[Empoleon8771]

The key will be how many of these they have.

They need to have a decent floor of play where they can still pick up some points even when they aren't on top of their game. Tonight was a yikesaroo but it's just one night so whatever.

Gonna be a 4 game losing streak if they carry this play into Carolina/Vegas/NYR tho

But that's just the thing, that's just not the way the organization as whole works.

Shit games like tonight are just going to happen with this team, and will become more and more frequent as the team gets older. Unless you can convince the core to go along with a more structured system that yields fewer errors (which basically goes against the entire history of the organization), there's really not much you can do to change things.

It's one thing if this team has some clear systematic issue that is clearly causing them to lose games, like what was happening earlier in the year. But tonight? These games are just going to happen every now and then with the team. As frustrating as it is, I don't really think you can do much about it.

Idk, maybe I just have more grounded expectations with this team, so I can see games like this and just conclude "yeah, it's not our night". You sure as hell know I've been doing this for years with the Pirates, that's for sure

 

[ChaosAgent]

He followed Dubas here, am I remembering that right? I wonder if something changed, or if he got sold a bill of goods different to what he's received.

Was Acciari ever not going to be a plugger here? The hope was just that he was a good one.

 

[Le Magnifique 66]

Just got home from my son's game, I guess I didn't miss much. So frustrating

 

[BusinessGoose]

He looks lost out there, and visibly unhappy. I was hyped on him coming into this season because he was the grittiest guy who can also play,that we've had since Horny (albeit Horny had way better offense)

I was pumped too

Waiting for everyone to see how sneaky good he was

But wow he's regressed SO FAR

 

[Ugene Magic]

I'm not defending their performance whatsoever, it was a terrible game. But if you lose your shit over this team not playing a complete game every single game, I think you're probably cheering for the wrong team

This isn't saying "you're a bad fan" or anything like that, but if you want super clean and consistent hockey every game, watching the Pittsburgh Penguins probably isn't what you want. That's not just a this year thing, that has been the Penguins during at least the entire Crosby-Malkin era.

It's like people are not allowed to vent.... in a 5-2 drubbing, or needing to remind a well versed Pens board of these facts.

It comes with the territory.

 

[Tender Rip]

 

[Ugene Magic]

This was Acciari's best game. He actually hit people tonight.

They didn't need hits.

 

[Empoleon8771]

Regarding Acciari, I don't think he's been good this year but I also don't think he's well suited to be a center in Sullivan's system. It's not that he can't play center, but the way Sullivan's system utilizes centers makes him a poor fit as the 4C. I'm pretty confident he'd be substantially more effective if he was moved to 4RW instead of 4C, he may not get a huge production jump but I definitely think he'd be more impactful.

It's part of the reason why I want to see O'Connor moved to L4, I think O'Connor would be more impactful as a center and I think Acciari would be more impactful as a RW. If the bottom-6 goes through an extended rough patch, I think going with this is an obvious option:

Zohorna-Eller-Hinostroza
Nieto-O'Connor-Acciari

The other idea I like is promoting Poulin and scratching Nieto, which would give you O'Connor-Poulin-Acciari as the 4th line. I don't know if/when that will happen this year, but I definitely think we'll see that 4th line next year.

 

[Ryder71]

They didn't need hits.

Well, at least he did something because we sure as hell shouldn't count on him to score.

 

[NewAgeOutlaw]

I love when the team has a stinker and posters resort to blaming Sid for the lines sucking.

I'm picturing Sid circa 2014 storming into Disco Dan's office, pounding the desk with his fists and yelling "I demand to play with Pascal Dupuis and Chris 'Iron deficiency' Kunitz!".

 

[Big Friggin Dummy]

Yeah, I mean, it sucks that Acciari is a dud production-wise, but f***ing hit somebody. That was supposed to be his deal. He's hitting like half as often as he has in previous years, and I feel like the scorekeepers in Pittsburgh are generous with hit totals.

 

[Empoleon8771]

Yeah, I mean, it sucks that Acciari is a dud production-wise, but f***ing hit somebody. That was supposed to be his deal. He's hitting like half as often as he has in previous years, and I feel like the scorekeepers in Pittsburgh are generous with hit totals.

I think that's mostly due to him playing C in Sullivan's system. As far as I can tell, they mostly have their wingers as the primary forecheckers and have their centers up high as the F3 on the forecheck. Acciari isn't going to be able to get hits like that, the issue is that his speed and forechecking are his best traits.

Acciari clearly can play center but I don't think his skillset is utilized appropriately with how Sullivan's system uses centers.

 

[Ryder71]

I don't necessarily believe we stunk, we just lost to a team that is too quick, that is superior in taking away our time and space, is better at capitalizing on turnovers and transition just wipes us off the map. Its not that we're that bad, it's that against us they're THAT good!