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

[Pittsburgh1776]

lol... spending significant money on goaltenders is dumb

We don't need Jarry to be awesome. We just need basic saves.

 

[Randy Butternubs]

Doom & Gloom

 

[Andy99]

I'm one of Sully's biggest critics, but to be honest in Game 1 the only big issue was #1. No clue going forward, but for today Jarry's performance was the single biggest reason we got a loss.

But today’s game followed the same general recipe as the last eleven even if Jarry was by far the biggest reason....less than stellar goaltending, not being able to convert a high enough percentage of scoring chances, and throw in some defensive mistakes and you get a 1-10 record. Par for the course...things have to change or the results won’t...what was that definition of insanity again?

 

[Sidney the Kidney]

Even with Jarry sabotaging things, if any one (or more *gasp*) of Jake, Rust or McCann show up in any positive fashion, we probably still eek out a win.

Those three are quickly becoming serious playoff problems.

I wonder if part of the problem is too many of our wingers are kind of "off the rush" type offensive wingers. They're effective in open ice or when they're able to move the puck around the perimeter. How many of them are effective at dominating the cycle and planting themselves in front of the net for tip ins/rebounds?

Jake was good at that before his shoulder injury, but he's not nearly as effective since coming back. Rust doesn't really do it. McCann's a guy looking for a shot from the slot but isn't really a guy who does much in front of the net. Kapanen's similar. Zucker can, but he's tiny and can be pushed out of the way.

 

[Empoleon8771]

Sure I can dig that.

But spending much more than they already are on goaltenders IS dumb. And doesn't work. And hasn't worked. But I'm game for saying perhaps Jarry is the WRONG goaltender.

Hey anyone noticed how many STRETCH PASSES there are this year?

No, I think there is a healthy amount to be spending in net. Paying someone like Bishop $5 million a year is a great use of cap. You get a reliable starter that at minimum won't kill you in the playoffs.

You don't need Price, but you need better than the new flavor of the month that had a few hot months in the regular season. You should be targeting a guy who can give you what 2016 Murray did with consistency, and I think you can get that for the $5-$6 million range.

 

[BeatenLikeRentedMule]

You are a clown, welcome to the ignore list. You're the fourth one today.

One for each goal Jarry let in huh? Stay classy my friend.

 

[ZorkEnchanter]

You're both right, imo. This team can't ever pay someone in net huge dollars, but they gotta do a hell of a lot better than what Murray and now Jarry have been in recent years.

We're gonna be the next Flyers aren't we? Constantly chasing that goalie to round out the team in order to make a run.

Jesus man... do you like the Penguins? Give Jarry a series to burn him at the stakes.

I remember the replace Jarry... replace Matheson (who btw was off for extended time) ... replace Malkin... replace Forward XXX... our Depth is awful.... Kap is a bottom six'r, etc.

I think we'll win if we play like we have the previous 30 games or so. If not, I think we'll get some big changes that everyone wants.

 

[Gurglesons]

No, I think there is a healthy amount to be spending in net. Paying someone like Bishop $5 million a year is a great use of cap. You get a reliable starter that at minimum won't kill you in the playoffs.

You don't need Price, but you need better than the new flavor of the month that had a few hot months in the regular season. You should be targeting a guy who can give you what 2016 Murray did with consistency, and I think you can get that for the $5-$6 million range.

Bishop is definitely an odd ass choice given his injuries.

 

[radapex]

I don't think the goals Jarry gave up were bad per se. However, all four goals looked the same: high glove. I'm worried because he's probably been "found out" and you see what happens when young goalies get found out (Murray, Binnington, etc)

When you're giving up goals on unscreened shots from above the circle in the NHL, those are bad goals.

 

[Empoleon8771]

Bishop is definitely an odd ass choice given his injuries.

I meant someone like Bishop, not specifically Bishop. I mean what Bishop conceptually is.

Bishop has been hurt all this year anyway. I don't know what kind of Ben Bishop goalies you can get right now, but that's the kind of goalie I'd want in net for me with a contending team.

 

[Tasty Biscuits]

If the right hand doesn't get ya, then the left one will miss 4 times.

 

[Pittsburgh1776]

I don't know why there are press conferences after games anymore. At least with coaches. At least with this coach. These answers are so vanilla. Sullivan says stuff like "there were moments where we were real good, and there were moments where they were." Gee thanks Mike, I had no idea. He's not going to say anything controversial or anything to make a wave. Everything is equivocation.

 

[Pancakes]

What's funny about the Caps is that I actually don't think Holtby falls in that category. Outside of his 2017 Penguins series, he was consistently elite in the playoffs. It's just the rest of the team around him completely imploded.

I don't know that the 2018-2020 Penguins would have accomplished much more in the playoffs with someone like 2016 Holtby, but I do know that the Penguins are 3-14 in their last 3 series in the playoffs with the goaltending they have had.

I'm not against acquiring a goalie but I still think that regardless of how you build your team if you build a team that can win in the regular season then that team should be able to win in the playoffs. Any type of team can win if it's a good team. We won a cup with Fleury earlier in his career when he was average or even below average. Osgood won one. Cam Ward won.

I believe our goalies are good enough to win if they play up to their capabilities. They don't even have to be good. Just not be complete shit.

 

[Big Friggin Dummy]

yeah but not everyone is going to show or play well on a team...Barzal was MIA for example whereas Palmieri showed...we had some players show and others not, just like the Isles...the aggressiveness of our system means mistakes are going to be made...we’re more reliant on good goaltending than the Isles

I think there's a difference between saying not everyone's gonna show up and having three of your top-6 wingers continue to be no-shows in the playoffs.

Barzal got banged up midway through the game too. He had some real dangerous shifts before something happened, but they showed him laboring off the ice and hobbling to the lockerroom for a bit before coming back.

 

[canadianguy77]

What I don’t get about the Islanders is how they’re so freaking good at breaking up cycles and possession in their end. They have to be overcommitting at something and Sullivan and company need to find a way to exploit what they’re doing.

 

[radapex]

No, I think there is a healthy amount to be spending in net. Paying someone like Bishop $5 million a year is a great use of cap. You get a reliable starter that at minimum won't kill you in the playoffs.

You don't need Price, but you need better than the new flavor of the month that had a few hot months in the regular season. You should be targeting a guy who can give you what 2016 Murray did with consistency, and I think you can get that for the $5-$6 million range.

I mean, ask Vegas how paying for goaltending is working out for them. Lehner missed most of the season after surgery and a concussion, and MAF put up a Vezina-calibre season in his absence. I know they wanted to shed cap, because $12M on goaltending is admittedly ridiculous, but at least they've gotten a lot of value out of that money. Even with a fantastic 2021 season under his belt, I fully expect MAF to be back on the block for Vegas in the off-season because $12M is still a ridiculous number (also looking at you, Montreal).

 

[Night Shift]

I think you spend money on goaltending if you believe Jarry is not the answer going forward. Will be interesting what Hextall decides.

 

[BlindWillyMcHurt]

No, I think there is a healthy amount to be spending in net. Paying someone like Bishop $5 million a year is a great use of cap. You get a reliable starter that at minimum won't kill you in the playoffs.

You don't need Price, but you need better than the new flavor of the month that had a few hot months in the regular season. You should be targeting a guy who can give you what 2016 Murray did with consistency, and I think you can get that for the $5-$6 million range.

Eh. It's not a significant enough amount of money apart from what I'm talking about so I won't quibble. I just don't see this team's issues as goaltending-related. Rather down the list TBH. Though of course games like this aren't encouraging in that regard.

 

[Empoleon8771]

I mean, ask Vegas how paying for goaltending is working out for them. Lehner missed most of the season after surgery and a concussion, and MAF put up a Vezina-calibre season in his absence. I know they wanted to shed cap, because $12M on goaltending is admittedly ridiculous, but at least they've gotten a lot of value out of that money.

I think Vegas would have been fine without one of Lehner or Fleury this year, so I'm not sure I buy this.

Fleury obviously had a terrific year, but Lehner himself still had a .913 save% on the year and was only injured for about a month.

 

[Andy99]

I also want to say that losing to Trotz seven times in a row is not just coincidence...I think he’s very clever...he lets the Pens come out like gangbusters and wear themselves out and then had his team come out in the third in another gear when the Pens lacked the legs and intensity...

 

[CascadiaPenguin]

Isles own Pens. History has proven that.

Sadly, these wasted electrons and photons can never be replaced.

 

[Joejosh999]

Maybe read what I was replying to before accusing me of moving goalposts huh?

Dude, I did. Your answer implied that price wasn’t an issue because “goalies are a crapshoot”. You asked a question and I replied w a list. Then you suddenly started caring about price.

 

[Andy99]

I think there's a difference between saying not everyone's gonna show up and having three of your top-6 wingers continue to be no-shows in the playoffs.

Barzal got banged up midway through the game too. He had some real dangerous shifts before something happened, but they showed him laboring off the ice and hobbling to the lockerroom for a bit before coming back.

im sure Rust and Jake are banged up too...Jake gets clobbered every game

 

[Headshot77]

Honestly if we struggle this badly with a not very good Islanders team that has played poorly down the stretch, then we have no shot against the better teams anyway. Might as well rip the bandaid off quickly and go out in the first round. I am not interested watching watching more crap like we watched today.

I feel like our team can get past teams that aren't overly defensive like NYI, or overly punishing like BOS. I think we take a series against your Torontos, your Washingtons, your Minnesotas easily. but the Isles are a tough out

 

[Empoleon8771]

Eh. It's not a significant enough amount of money apart from what I'm talking about so I won't quibble. I just don't see this team's issues as goaltending-related. Rather down the list TBH. Though of course games like this aren't encouraging in that regard.

I think their goaltending issue has been as serious as their coaching issue in the playoffs since the cup win.

You can say the same thing about Sullivan as you can say about Murray/Jarry in the playoffs over the last few years. I don't think you can win with this level of goaltending, even if you fix the most serious issues.