Post-Game Talk: Pens/Isles Game 1: Home Ice + Good Matchup all for nothing

[eXile3]

Jarry was terrible but this team simply does not have the extra gear they had in their Cup runs. Sullivan is not getting the most from them in the biggest situations. If we bow out again in the first round then Sullivan needs to go and the team should get blown up. Time to start the rebuild since this team has not shown anything to deserve keeping it together in a futile hope for another Cup run.

- During those Cup runs we definitely had times when we were outplayed, every teams does. The difference is the goaltending stepped up

-Rebuilding makes no sense. Nothing is guaranteed with a rebuild. We could be rebuilding for decades

-Sullivan has won the SC 33% of the time. He kept this team competitive when the roster 2/3rds AHLers

 

[Pancakes]

I see a lot of people saying if we'd gotten goaltending we would have won the game. That's true, but I also thought we got outplayed for large stretches of that game. For every bad goal that Jarry gave up the Isles also got stoned and/or missed really good chances to score.

The elephant in the room for me is that that was an evenly played game overall and that bodes poorly for the Penguins since our goaltending is worse than the Isles'. If we turn this series into a bunch of 50/50 games our chances of emerging victorious are going to be grim. We should be capable of outplaying this team more than we have. I think we have the deeper skaters up front. But it's not translating on the ice.

 

[Pengu]

They would’ve won today if they got even mediocre goaltending.

But it always something and has been for the past few seasons. The team just doesn't have the energy and confidence it had in 2016-2017. They won 9 series in a row and since then it has been 3 straight huiliating losses in a row. The IT factor just isn't there.

 

[madinsomniac]

Meh im not worried unless Jarry is actually low key injured... I think if you play that game ten times we win 8....

Layoff + backup goalie = loss

 

[Pens x]

- During those Cup runs we definitely had times when we were outplayed, every teams does. The difference is the goaltending stepped up

-Rebuilding makes no sense. Nothing is guaranteed with a rebuild. We could be rebuilding for decades

-Sullivan has won the SC 33% of the time. He kept this team competitive when the roster 2/3rds AHLers

Sullivan has been irrelevant for 3 years.

 

[Mr Jeff Jimerson]

All Geno's fault...........

Mario Lemieux would never, EVER sit out a playoff game if he was able to partake in the pregame skate.

That boy Geno needs to man up or he WILL be gone this offseason.

 

[GregR]

Some of you are acting like we should’ve won that game. Sure Jarry sucked, but the Islanders were getting grade A chances from about halfway through the 2nd on. It actually could’ve been much worse. How many times did the Islanders miss the net a bunch of times from 10 feet out?

Beauvillier had like six by himself

 

[Headshot77]

Hopefully we get Malkin and CDS back for game 2

 

[Richard]

Some of you are acting like we should’ve won that game. Sure Jarry sucked, but the Islanders were getting grade A chances from about halfway through the 2nd on. It actually could’ve been much worse. How many times did the Islanders miss the net a bunch of times from 10 feet out?

Some of you are acting like Jarry sucking ass isn't a factor with how the team plays.

After the 2nd ass suck goal the entire team played back on their heals. For the first two period we killed the Islanders. That first goal was atrocious and the 2nd as bad. Then you give up that Junior B 3rd goal.

The entire team came back and played defense, stopped pinching to press the puck and tried to limit long distance shots. Naturally when you're trying to prevent shots you have to me more aggressive and sometimes you get bit. Can't sit back and watch them go in on your swiss cheese tender

 

[Gurglesons]

It was one thing for the McCann-Carter duo to eat up mainly bottom feeders regardless of RW. Quite another here, unfortunately (and you know I loved and love the Carter add).

Gonna be very interesting to see what Sully does from a bench management perspective. Perhaps there's some change he can make to get McCann back into a groove. We both know there's not one coming with Rust.

they were largely being used against the Barzal line for the majority of the game and did a good job.

 

[DatGuy]

Tortz is the best coach in the game today, been that way for years.

 

[Empoleon8771]

It's going to be sad to look back on the Crosby/Malkin/Letang era if they ended up botching the remaining years of their contending window because they decided to go cheap in net.

It's not like the decisions were even bad at the time, either. Going with Murray and moving on from Fleury was objectively the right decision. Giving the reigns to Jarry and trading Murray was objectively the right decision. But man, it doesn't matter what the "objectively right" decision is in 5 years if we're looking back on bad playoff losses from 2018-2024 due to subpar goaltending.

 

[metalan2]

I mean its an OT loss against another good team.

Yes, but Jarry let in 3 goals most goalies at any level would stop.

 

[Sidney the Kidney]

Some of you are acting like we should’ve won that game. Sure Jarry sucked, but the Islanders were getting grade A chances from about halfway through the 2nd on. It actually could’ve been much worse. How many times did the Islanders miss the net a bunch of times from 10 feet out?

The problem is the Pens' dip in play coincided with Jarry letting in that softie to Pageau. Pens were the better team when it was 2-1 up until that point.

When you don't have faith your goalie will make even routine saves, you have a tendency to play on your heels and grip the sticks tighter. We saw it countless times when both Fleury and Murray had their rough patches.

This game was 100% on Jarry. The Pens might not have played a masterpiece, but they played well enough to have won the game if Jarry didn't let in 4 really questionable goals.

 

[Pittsburgh1776]

We both know there are a hundred things Sullivan COULD do with Malkin in terms of bench management to maybe set things up for him to make a positive impact.

And we both know what Sullivan will do is put him right out there centering Zucker and Kappy.

Let Carter center him and Kappy and make your other bottom 6 line out of Zucker, McCann, GOAT, EROD.

Or, if you want to limit him, slide Zucker up to L2 RW and let GOAT center Malkin and Kappy.

****, it's like I know how this novel is going to unfold already . . .



Yeah, because playing Malkin the last 4 games certainly affected the outcome of a playoff game without Malkin . . . or something.

EDIT: Gotta add this for @Gurglesons and @Scandale du Jour and @Kristopher Letang . . . I've now lived long enough to see a world in which . . . (checks notes) . . . Letang was the smart one on the defense. He legit was 2016 level today, and the props he should get are, if anything, understated.

Now's not the time to experiment with Malkin on wing. If he can dress he can center his own line I'd think. I have no idea what he's going to look like and don't see any point in making recommendations until we see him.

 

[eXile3]

Let me tell you, I am shocked that Zucker was once again the biggest non-factor on the ice. Shocked.

1st round pick and good prospect for him to be the equivalent of an AHLer.

 

[Turin]

LOL at people saying Trotz owned Sullivan. What the f*** are you watching? Like really. I'm being serious. What-the-f***-are-you-watching?

It's ok to be disappointed. Can we take a breath here?

People have pre-written narratives ready to go regardless of what actually happened. Jarry sucked is too obvious.

 

[Andy99]

Gaudreau has been one of the only guys to show up and is rewarded with the lowest ice time.

Not saying he is the savior but it’s OT and the isles role four lines. The pens beat themselves along with jarry

Sullivan special...he really has lost the trees for the forest...

 

[Tacitus Kilgore]

JR's watching and cackling because of how he left due to Burkle and Mario and Morehouse, not letting him trade for Fleury. And now Jarry is shitting the bed

 

[wgknestrick]

At what point do people begin to rightfully crucify Jake, Rust and McCann for being garbage in the playoffs? All three have done f*** all for years in the post season. Spending ~$13 million on wingers to do absolutely nothing when it matters most sucks shit.

Zucker was nowhere to be found all game either, but that might be a good thing for a guy who is routinely awful.

L1 had 5min more TOI than they should've with all 25+ min. At some point, they don't have the legs to generate chances. It's not a surprise that in the 3rd period, the results declined either. Sully has 4 lines of good horses, but still buries his 4th line in the 3rd period. Carter's line needs fixed as Kappy did not look good there at all. They should be good, but were not at all.

This team is finding ways to lose PO games. Either poor goal tending, Letang, Crosby, or Malkin taking turns to lose a game for us. Sully keeps leaning on them hard like it is still 2016. Let the young guys play.

 

[Peat]

Well that sucks.

Thought we were the better team for most of it but we didn't put them away when we had the chance and they took advantage when they did. Jarry deserves credit for some robberies but he had to save some of those three. Should have. I'd point at some defensive lapses giving NYI way too good opportunities too, but those shots weren't that amazing. Jarry puts up a good performance and we win.

Oh well. Time to go think of something else.

 

[AuroraBorealis]

The Isles were just as sloppy as we were and were fortunate to only allow 3.
At least we're getting the high danger chances, unlike 2 years ago.

If they must lose, I just want them to go out with their best effort, regardless of what round it's in. Don't want another Montreal'er.

 

[Ragamuffin Gunner]

also why the f*** are they going with the gold jerseys? they suck in them

 

[Shaftception]

I will say this is as disappointed as I've felt since Game 5 of the ECF in 2016. Luckily that one went differently.

The powerplay could have changed this game. I laugh at allllllllllll the f***ing "pundits" writing about this series in the last week. All of them f***ing pen to paper a bunch of bullshit. It's always been special teams. We score on the powerplay, we play a different game. If we play into that 1 goal game, the Isles feed off of it and as mentioned - they get better. They thrive in the 1 goal games.

Masssssssssssssssssively disappointed.

I agree in the scope of the series the special teams were always going to be a significant determining factor, and they obviously could've used a pp goal today, but they didn't "need" a pp goal in this game to win, their goalie needed to not puke all over the crease in crucial moments.

They definitely could've used one obviously, but Cup teams win low scoring games.

I'm far more hopeful in Jarry rebounding being the difference in the series, then the pp scoring more often being so. How much confidence one has in either scenario actually occurring is another story.

 

[vodeni]

we are not winning shit with Jake, Rust JC, McCann and Zucker doing nothing...don't care about Jarry, even with his shitty play we still did not get anything from our Top 6 forwards except Sid and Kappy