GDT: Pens @ Face Painters / 1900EDT

[Honour Over Glory]

Well they’ll probably be playing to an empty barn in 1-2 years once Sid and Geno hang ‘em up.

Quite frankly the org deserves it too…after anchoring themselves to Sullivan and Dumbass and Jarry for 1000000 years.

And smugly and stubbornly refusing to change. It’s been years of this shit…

Mate the part that pisses me off about this is the whole notion of - let's see these two have one last hurrah. We are able to see it for Ovechkin because they were smart enough to move on from a coach that wasn't going fit that new direction and then hired a smart young coach that wasn't a recycled wanker like it usually is. Then they went and blended in the youth with the vets and found a way to win again.

The Penguins "think" they're doing the same but have a coach that only ever gives youth a ton of opportunities in the last half dozen games then calls it a day. He's on his 3rd straight playoff miss and the ownership is seemingly content with that because they don't think it's his fault at all but then...here's the funniest shit - the Golden boy they really really reeeeally wanted, Kyle Dubas, is someone they highly respect and coveted and Sullivan is making his moves look bad too.

So now this coach is making him look bad and something has to give. For one, Dubas has drafted well, pushed the prospect pool to a respectable level and has hoarded a lot of picks to keep doing that while having some prospects knocking at the door and the team is still worse than last year under Sullivan, they can't keep both. But they will, I know a lot of Pens fans have started to lose interest. It's hard to have that passion to watch a team that really doesn't give a shit and would rather care more about a relationship with a coach from the same area as the owners than actually win again.

They really have zero interest to end Sid & Geno's careers on a good note. Meanwhile we see a pos like Ovechkin get that chance in Washington because the Caps don't let ego's get in the way of their future.

 

[Honour Over Glory]

Cheer up Ryder. It's the weekend!!

Must be mad his tiki torch and khaki's were lost by Amazon.

 

[Rudy Russo]

Must be mad his tiki torch and khaki's were lost by Amazon.

 

[Ryder71]

Cheer up Ryder. It's the weekend!!

I don't know what there is to cheer about regarding the Pens. We're actively hindering our draft lottery prospects and positioning. Why should we be happy about that exactly? Oh because Sid had an empty net assist? Sorry, but that doesn't ''do it'' for me.

 

[AuroraBorealis]

The Hughes own-goal was hilarious

 

[Ryder71]

The Hughes own-goal was hilarious

Or heartbreaking, depending on how you look at it.

 

[Shaftception]

Major question though: why aren’t they sick of 7 years of losing under Mike Sullivan? It’s really perplexing lol

That is a question alright.

I prefer to believe some abstract theory of quantum physics is involved somehow. That the team is caught in some perpetual, repeating time loop that they are doomed to repeat the same failure until the end of time, blissfully unaware of their tragic yet ironic fate.

Or maybe it's that the franchise as a whole has worn proverbial clown shoes ever since the last Cup and you should just try to enjoy the ride and not waste time trying to understand the madness of it.

Or just take the apathy pill, and stop caring either way.

 

[Honour Over Glory]

View attachment 1012073

I am definitely missing this reference.

 

[Honour Over Glory]

That is a question alright.

I prefer to believe some abstract theory of quantum physics is involved somehow. That the team is caught in some perpetual, repeating time loop that they are doomed to repeat the same failure until the end of time, blissfully unaware of their tragic yet ironic fate.

Or maybe it's that the franchise as a whole has worn proverbial clown shoes ever since the last Cup and you should just try to enjoy the ride and not waste time trying to understand the madness of it.

Or just take the apathy pill, and stop caring either way.

Well it’s a legitimate question. No other team has kept a coach on that long with that many failures. Sure he won back to back, but since 2018, he has 1 playoff series win and has been ousted in the first round several times and technically the Habs series was also a playoff miss so it’s 4x he didn’t qualify for the playoffs and that doesn’t include the many player usage issues.

The more bizarre thing is how so much of the media also ignores it.

 

[Pancakes]

Well it’s a legitimate question. No other team has kept a coach on that long with that many failures. Sure he won back to back, but since 2018, he has 1 playoff series win and has been ousted in the first round several times and technically the Habs series was also a playoff miss so it’s 4x he didn’t qualify for the playoffs and that doesn’t include the many player usage issues.

The more bizarre thing is how so much of the media also ignores it.

I've worked irl in a company that went through a buyout and then later a merger. So I ended up having three different bosses over my tenure there.

Usually what happens in these scenarios is the new leadership group wants to bring in their own people and so the personnel that have been there a while eventually start getting replaced. That happened to me after some time as well as many others there.

Anyhow, what's funny is Mike Sullivan seems to be immune to this. No matter what new GM takes over they all f-ing love the guy and refuse to fire him or bring in their own coach. I wish I knew what Sully's secret was there. Maybe it would have saved me from a layoff?

 

[Big Friggin Dummy]

Hate this stupid f***in' team, man.

 

[Ryder71]

I've worked irl in a company that went through a buyout and then later a merger. So I ended up having three different bosses over my tenure there.

Usually what happens in these scenarios is the new leadership group wants to bring in their own people and so the personnel that have been there a while eventually start getting replaced. That happened to me after some time as well as many others there.

Anyhow, what's funny is Mike Sullivan seems to be immune to this. No matter what new GM takes over they all f-ing love the guy and refuse to fire him or bring in their own coach. I wish I knew what Sully's secret was there. Maybe it would have saved me from a layoff?

The Core wants him here, no more complicated than that.

 

[Pancakes]

The Core wants him here, no more complicated than that.

Or more specifically, Sid. I kinda doubt Pens GMs give a rat's ass what Geno or Letang want to to be quite honest. Hextall nearly didn't even sign Geno. But he still loved and kept Sullivan at all costs just like JR and Dubas have done.

 

[eXile3]

We were never going to tank with Sid still on the team. Should have kept Jake, fired Sullivan, and kept trying to win until Sid is gone.

Now we’re stuck in purgatory. Not tanking, winning meaningless games in April.

 

[Guins71]

We were never going to tank with Sid still on the team. Should have kept Jake, fired Sullivan, and kept trying to win until Sid is gone.

Now we’re stuck in purgatory. Not tanking, winning meaningless games in April.

The worst part is the team celebrates it like they are achieving something. They have just ruined an opportunity to have an all time great mentor an elite draft pick for the final years of his career and play along side him. For what? Nothing.

The leadership on this team from Dubas down are boneheads. I was excited when we hired Dubas but the minute he started pursuing Erik Karlson and gave up a first round pick to do it I knew he was a bonehead. This teams entire problem for the past 3 years has been that it’s too old and our first move was that, signing Jarry and Ryan Graves.

 

[cygnus47]

I agree they should be trying to lose, but I think you're blaming the wrong people getting mad a poor Rust there.

The players aren't going to try to lose (unless they're sick of a coach named Therrien, Byslma, Johnston...).

You should be blaming the true villain in all this, Dubas.

If Dubas was half the forward thinker good ole Eddie J. was back in the day, he would've called up Geno's 3rd cousin, twice removed fresh out of the mines from back in Magnetawhatever, smuggle him into the country, strap him in goalie pads, and start him every game the rest of the season.

Did the Pens tank the '83-'84 season to get Lemieux?


That's why they're not tanking correctly, it's still amateur hour up in here.

The thing is…the players have given up on this coach. Years ago. We just refused to fire him.

 

[Big Friggin Dummy]

It was over by the time Jake was up for a new deal. The fact that neither side really wanted to get the deal done, ultimately resulting in the trade, should've marked a dramatic shift for the organization. But, like others have said, the Pens are just petrified into inaction. Afraid to piss Sid off, afraid to piss the fanbase off and hemorrhage more money before things get really bad in the post-Sid/Geno years.

There is no competing while Sid's still playing. This team has two options; try in vain to get something out of these next two years, probably making the post-Sid years even more difficult to navigate by locking into bad contracts and missing out on top picks. Or tank, which is without a shred of doubt, the correct option, albeit less palatable to the organization and fanbase.

But we're for sure gonna continue to get this dogshit, non-committal stuff until Sid hangs 'em up. Can't trade Rust or Rakell, man! Gotta do right by Sid! (Which, ironically, apparently means letting the final decade of his career end up being the slow bleed-out that we're currently witnessing.)

 

[Icarium]

I am shocked that the PK can function without that all time great penalty killer Noel Acciari. Shocked!

Good to see Geno playing well even though his line somehow failed to score at even strength despite dominating the play. But such a strong sense of deja vu with the Pens suddenly showing "character" when there is nothing to play for. You just know that if this were a must win game they would have crumbled like a house of cards after the terrible start.

 

[Honour Over Glory]

I've worked irl in a company that went through a buyout and then later a merger. So I ended up having three different bosses over my tenure there.

Usually what happens in these scenarios is the new leadership group wants to bring in their own people and so the personnel that have been there a while eventually start getting replaced. That happened to me after some time as well as many others there.

Anyhow, what's funny is Mike Sullivan seems to be immune to this. No matter what new GM takes over they all f-ing love the guy and refuse to fire him or bring in their own coach. I wish I knew what Sully's secret was there. Maybe it would have saved me from a layoff?

I think the difference here is that for one Mike just won 2 cups and had that shine on him as well as being from Mass like the new ownership group when they were taking over, he got in with them so tight that he went above everyone’s head and got an extension on top of his extension and then he was the one that the ownership trusted to make the calls with the affiliate and other shit.

I don’t think any of us here have worked with that level of a brown nosing wanker. He’s an elite douche ass kisser.

But since then the team has gotten a lot worse and they’ve fired several assistant coaches and have changed 3 GM’s. No other team has turned over that much staff in those areas as much as the Penguins have in the last 8 seasons. It’s just not normal to see.

How many other teams since 2018 are on their 3rd General Manager, fired a bunch of assistant coaches and yet the only bloke that remains unscathed is the head coach - all while only winning 1 playoff series, being out in the first round several times and now 3 straight playoff misses. It’s just mind boggling.

 

[spcastlemagic]

I think it’s good when my hockey team wins games

mah draff puhzishsuhns

 

[Big Friggin Dummy]

I think it’s good when my hockey team wins games

mah draff puhzishsuhns

This must hit so hard if you're dumb as shit. God bless.

 

[eXile3]

I think it’s good when my hockey team wins games

mah draff puhzishsuhns

I just cannot actively root for them to lose games while watching. I can recognize after the game it will hurt us long term.

But I can criticize the players for wanting to win. They should. They should do everything they can to win.

 

[Coastal Kev]

I don't know what there is to cheer about regarding the Pens. We're actively hindering our draft lottery prospects and positioning. Why should we be happy about that exactly? Oh because Sid had an empty net assist? Sorry, but that doesn't ''do it'' for me.

No worries; we have a 50% chance of picking first based on my THBOTW........

Feeling good.....

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2025 NHL Draft order tracker updated after every game. NHL lottery simulator to determine the top overall pick. View traded picks and playoff matchups.

www.tankathon.com

 

[BusinessGoose]

Win league championship... Check

Win a bunch of individual accolades... Check

Continue to cash massive checks.... Check

Pretty sure this is why we all get to suffer

 

[Ugene Magic]

So, you're celebrating someone accumulating the most points when there's no goalie, in a season where we're going nowhere? Maybe wake up the neighbors and shout it from the roof tops!

What an undemanding fanbase this has become.

Ryder71 said:
I don't know what there is to cheer about regarding the Pens. We're actively hindering our draft lottery prospects and positioning. Why should we be happy about that exactly? Oh because Sid had an empty net assist? Sorry, but that doesn't ''do it'' for me.

Cheer up Ryder. It's the weekend!!