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

[Andy99]

Agree 95% but one thing bothers me with Sully, when it’s apparent that your L2 is not working and Jake and Rust do shit, got to act fast, it’s play offs can’t work through issues like in regular season, he has not done that in a while, and that’s scary part,

yep, try something else to jolt people or get the Isles out of their comfort zone...and roll four damn lines as you preach and stop overplaying L1

 

[BeatenLikeRentedMule]

This team doesn't rely on Malkin as much as it used to. Finished 2nd in scoring in the NHL with him missing 23 games. He scored 3 5v5 goals this season, and we finished in 1st place in the East. The PP was better with him out than in.

Our record without him this year was 16-5-2. We don't need to worry about his age so much. The depth scoring is there. If we get Blueger and Carter back next season our Center depth is great again.

We win and lose based on our structure and goaltending. We didn't have it today and paid the price. If they have it on Tuesday they have a good chance to win, Malkin or no Malkin.

We shouldn't be pulling out hot takes about Jarry after one playoff game either. Even in series where we historically consider our goalies to have been difference makers, when you check the stats they had one or two worse games. There's every chance he will be a lot better next game.

You're comparing the 16 and 17 Pens, who displayed incredible resilience, with a team that's lost three consecutive post-season series and on the verge of another. This team couldn't even beat Montreal last year, lost every game in a "Play In".

 

[tom_servo]

After drinking it over, I mean thinking it over, I don't like the impression this game made on me. Jarry bailed out a lot of breakdowns and then had a few himself. I still like a high event game in our favor but to my dismay the Isles are still good and do have enough skill.

I was stanning for Rust over many other players, notably Palmieri, and I'm hating the early returns on that stake in the ground.

Eye test is better than the last two years but that can still result in a quick loss.

I think we'll see another gear in game two. Don't care how they grind this out. I want to see the second round.

 

[ColePens]

From Murr4y to J4rry.

I would even defend Murray after tonight's Jarry game. Those are goals I would have been mad at in adult league let alone playoffs of the NHL. He has to know.

 

[2wayPlay]

Early take.


No
Neck owns us

 

[Ryder71]

1. goaltending hasn’t been good enough
2. Sullivan—player usage, strategy, game management hasn’t been good enough
3. According to very knowledge Keyboard Experts on HF Boards, it’s Evgeni Malkin’s fault...we should have traded him years ago

Well, Geno can't help this team if he's ALWAYS injured.

When your record is a ridiculous 1-10 though you have to throw the blame squarely at the coaches feet. That's completely unacceptable. If the team loses tuesday and goes on to lose this series Sully needs to go. Those playoff numbers don't lie. They're historically bad. How much more inept can you be? Someone should ask Sully about that number. Someone should ask Sid about that number.

There's no excuse for being that bad. That means every game that can go either way goes against us. That's poor coaching, poor leadership and probably a lot of bad luck. Nonetheless it can't be tolerated.

 

[Crosbyfan]

If Malkin returns, even if he's mediocre at first it can make a difference. Trotz simply can't assume he will be, and that should help Carter's third line especially.
And if Malkin's on Kapanen's going to get the puck with some space.

 

[Andy99]

Well, Geno can't help this team if he's ALWAYS injured.

When your record is a ridiculous 1-10 though you have to throw the blame squarely at the coaches feet. That's completely unacceptable. If the team loses tuesday and goes on to lose this series Sully needs to go. Those playoff numbers don't lie. They're historically bad. How much more inept can you be? Someone should ask Sully about that number. Someone should ask Sid about that number.

There's no excuse for being that bad. That means every game that can go either way goes against us. That's poor coaching, poor leadership and probably a lot of bad luck. Nonetheless it can't be tolerated.

It’s definitely not “bad luck”... that’s a number that reflects something else besides luck is going on....

 

[Big Friggin Dummy]

They also don't have the legs to skate hard for 25min/game nor Letang for 32min. Why is Sully sending Letang out for 50% of the game? No one can handle those minutes, especially 34yo.

Letang was great, and the alternative is playing Matheson's pairing more, or your bottom pairing of two struggling young guys.

Matheson was awful, and the bottom pairing had a solid 1st but looked shaky at best the rest of the game.

 

[ColePens]

I said 2 things can both be true.

1) Sully deserves to to be a finalist for the Jack Adams

2) Sully deserves to be fired if we 1st round exit.


That's my take. Both can be true.

 

[AuroraBorealis]

You're comparing the 16 and 17 Pens, who displayed incredible resilience, with a team that's lost three consecutive post-season series and on the verge of another. This team couldn't even beat Montreal last year, lost every game in a "Play In".

Yes, like I said it's not about having Malkin. The team as a whole weren't ready to go for Montreal and lost. Hearts weren't in it.
We score enough goals. Even today we scored 3 and were unlucky not to get more. The amount of high danger chances we got was high.

But if you play sloppy and run and gun in the playoffs it becomes a roll of the dice. Sure Jarry allowed some poor goals from range, but he also made some huge saves he shouldn't have to make off awful giveaways.

Malkin's first game back we lost 7-2 to the Flyers, remember? Why is that?
Hockey's a team sport. It's not like Basketball where LeBron gets to control the flow of every play and barely sits.

We can win 4-0 on Tuesday without Malkin if the Pens bring their A-game that we saw in March.

 

[66-30-33]

We lost AND I have been poisoned by a co worker, nice.

 

[Ryder71]

It’s definitely not “bad luck”... that’s a number that reflects something else besides luck is going on....

I'm sure bad luck does play into it. It's not as if we got blown out in those games. There was a moment here or a moment there that decided the outcome. Sometimes we didn't pay attention to detail, sometimes we made a bad read, sometimes a puck might have taken a bad bounce over a stick even if we were sound positionally. Many times we didn't get that big save when we needed it. Whatever the reasons are Sully has been the head coach for these games. And Sid has been our leader and Captain in each of these games.

They both deserve their share of blame. But ultimately if this trend continues Sully will and should be the one to pay for it by losing his job. I can't believe we've mustered ONE win in the last 11 playoff games. That's actually very very hard to do if you think about it!

 

[Empoleon8771]

Who's more mad about their game 1 loss, Pens fans or Vegas fans?

 

[Lustaf]

I said 2 things can both be true.

1) Sully deserves to to be a finalist for the Jack Adams

2) Sully deserves to be fired if we 1st round exit.


That's my take. Both can be true.

Happens in the NBA and other leagues more often then you'd think.

 

[Honour Over Glory]

Not the only issue this game, but certainly was the main one.

Yeah scrubs like Palmieri, who has what a measly 5 straight seasons of 20+ goals in a normal season, can't be scoring 2 goals.

The issue is their goal scorers scored. Literally who you'd want to stop, scored. Who's fault is that? The shitty team defense that's been an issue since March 2020....

Same result, different goalie, same coach and core.

But I digress. Let the negativity on blaming the goalie and what not continue.

 

[Sidney the Kidney]

Who's more mad about their game 1 loss, Pens fans or Vegas fans?

The only conclusion I can draw is the Penguins develop goalies who suck in OT.

 

[66-30-33]

Yeah scrubs like Palmieri, who has what a measly 5 straight seasons of 20+ goals in a normal season, can't be scoring 2 goals.

The issue is their goal scorers scored. Literally who you'd want to stop, scored. Who's fault is that? The shitty team defense that's been an issue since March 2020....

Same result, different goalie, same coach and core.

But I digress. Let the negativity on blaming the goalie and what not continue.

You're back I see, hope you're having a great married life.

 

[Sidney the Kidney]

You're back I see, hope you're having a great married life.

He's as cranky as usual, so it can't be *that* great.

 

[Honour Over Glory]

He also won 9 series in a row.

I agree he's not getting it done in the playoffs anymore, but I could also easily see the Rangers in over us with a different, worse coach. Would that have been preferable?

9 series in a row how many years ago?

Since then how many?

Last 3yrs, 1 series win. Like I said, Joel Quenneville won 3 cups in 6yrs and got a shorter leash and he's a legit bona fide hockey Hall of fame coach. Yet here we are, a tiny window and they're scared of firing a coach that isn't getting it done anymore hanging on to what happened 4yrs ago.

 

[Gurglesons]

Weird how noted big game goalie MAF lost in OT.

if only we had the Vegas knights goaltending we could lose in OT and score 0 goals becuase our top winger is a Chandler Stephenson equivalent.

 

[Harvey Birdman]

Just a single observation of that game, I tried paying attention to how the Isles were playing D, and anytime Kap was being smothered. They are giving him a lot of respect in terms of zone entry. I’d like, if Geno isn’t back for game two, as a change up. Not shifting the lines for a game. But send the line of Guntzel - Crosby - Kap out there. They can’t cover bother Sid and Kap trying to punch into the offensive zone. And it’ll open up one of Sid or Jake if they build a wall again. Just use it as a change up line.

 

[Honour Over Glory]

You're back I see, hope you're having a great married life.

It's been fantastic. Weird to call her my Wife, just the word itself.

Also apparently all of our friends must've coordinated sending bottles of champagne up to our room because the hotel got us one and then we had 20 other bottles. I don't remember much of the wedding "night" suffice to say...

 

[Honour Over Glory]

He's as cranky as usual, so it can't be *that* great.

Are you the wanker that hates Malkin?

@Scandale du Jour he should fit the hf ban quota for May, mate.


I'm not cranky, haha. I do avoid this place and discussions a lot lately though.

 

[Pittsburgh1776]

I would agree that Rust hasn't been impressive on L1 for most of the last couple months. I definitely wouldn't mind swapping him and Zucker if Malkin comes back this series.