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

[Pengu]

This team just isn't good enough to win anymore. It hurts but this core is done
Disappointing that Marino has taken a step back this season.

 

[Big Poppa Pump]

Enough with the afternoon games...........

 

[Bumpus]

Gotta make hay while the sun shines.

Well, there wasn’t a cloud in the sky early on and we let them hang around. When we let teams hang around, they tend to beat us.


I still have confidence we’ll turn it around next game.

We’re better than them.

 

[Pancakes]

The Penguins since 2017 is a great justification for why going cheap in net doesn't always work for you. The Penguins have been getting "not helping the team win" goaltending non-stop since the 2017 cup win. Jarry today was the exact same that Murray was in past years: decent overall numbers but giving up multiple bad goals against.

You can criticize Sullivan, Matheson, Guentzel, Rust or whoever else all you want, but if the best goaltending you're getting is "his numbers are okay but he's giving up a ton of bad goals", you're not winning a thing in the playoffs. You don't need to be Lundqvist in net, but you can't be giving up 4 bad goals in a game. And that's exactly what happened today and that is exactly what has been happening since the 2017 cup win.

Yeah we can't turn any of these games into 50/50 games because if we do we almost always lose since our goaltending is almost always worse than the opposing team's.

That said I think going cheap in net is generally the play. Many of the cup champs are teams that didn't have elite goalies. The cup champs do generally have goalies that happen to play elite in those given post seasons though. It's all about your goalies getting hot at the right time.

 

[Sidney the Kidney]

Do people not watch the game and just look at the final score?

The Penguins showed up ready to play. They win relatively easily with NHL goaltending.

In some ways, that's gotta be extra demoralizing for the team. They've sucked in the playoffs recently, so they come out with a better effort and it STILL results in a loss.

 

[Empoleon8771]

The series is far from over, obviously it gets more difficult with varly coming back. We should get malkin back.

if goaltending becomes an issue, again, go out and get a Talbot, Keumper, Smith, etc a comfort blanked. But again I’m just some guy on the internet what the f*** do I know.

If they lose in the 1st round again, I really hope Hextall moves Jarry and tries to bring in a more reliable starter.

The Penguins only have a few years left with Crosby, Malkin and Letang at this level. Hell, their contending window may be done in the eyes of some. They can't just keep being satisfied with goaltending that they have gotten for the last 4 years. That doesn't mean they need prime Carey Price in net, but they need someone who isn't going to lose them games. Jarry today and Murray in his last 3 years here were exactly that.

 

[ncm7772]

sucks to lose, but some of this talk calling this loss sickening etc is just so classic HF

Well, it’s kind of following a pattern. And this team was thought to be a little different. People are right to be frustrated.

 

[Ogrezilla]

The total amount of shots doesn't matter if the shots you're facing aren't dangerous.

The Islanders really didn't have that many chances today.

I don't feel like either goalie did significantly better than the other.

 

[Ginormousthumbs]

-NBC

 

[Beau Knows]

What sucks is that if they managed to come out with a win maybe it helps Jarry mentally going into game 2, being able to shrug it off and move on. We're gonna need him to bounce back big time, because with CDS out it's all on his shoulders.

Malkin's probably currently trying to find a way to get back into game 2 or 3 with some kind of robot leg or something. We're going to need him, even if just on the PP.

 

[KIRK]

McCann and Rust proving they are regular season warriors tonight too. Hopefully they can actual do something. At least McCann had some greasy defensive plays.

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.

 

[ColePens]

Dude. Not just saying this to agree with you, was JUST thinking this. I was in such a bad mood the next day after that one. Unfortunately, it’s gonna be the same tomorrow.

Yeah... i'm going to lighten my intensity here. I'll be here. I'll be present. I'll believe. I will say I let myself get really invested in this one. That's on me. I'm an adult.

 

[eXile3]

It was so bad Jones was making fun of Jarry. Calling the goal a "floater" and a "change up". It's too competitive to let those in.

The rest of the team played great for 50 minutes of regulation. OT was more evenly played but we should have never been there.

 

[Ogrezilla]

Well, it’s kind of following a pattern. And this team was thought to be a little different. People are right to be frustrated.

eh, if we had another no-show I'd be on board.

 

[TooManyHumans]

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.

 

[Big Friggin Dummy]

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.

 

[ncm7772]

Man I'll be here for Game 2 and a believer until the absolute final whistle. Heartbreaking loss is how we've handled these post seasons and it just keeps coming. You would think a team who won b2b Cups would just KNOW they can win OT games. Instead they don't. They know they are going to lose them. The Isles haven't won a Stanley Cup since 83? They KNOW they are winning the OT game. And they haven't won shit. Most of their players were not even born to see an Isles Cup.

It blows my mind how that happens.

Yep. They were playing with absolutely NO confidence in OT. I just don’t get it.

 

[Jacob]

This team just isn't good enough to win anymore. It hurts but this core is done
Disappointing that Marino has taken a step back this season.

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

 

[Pittsburgh1776]

Our decision-making was absolutely the key to how we started. We did not hesitate, we make quick passes, we were passing the puck strategically to create speed instead of just relying on our legs. We were fast as f***. Then the bad goals and we tightened up. By the third period we were hesitating constantly, slow to make passes, turning the puck over, and chasing the puck the rest of the game. That's a recipe for losing. Play fast and the Isles can't keep up. It will help insulate Jarry too.

But no question, Jarry and Malkin are my two question marks going forward. I didn't like L2 at all.

 

[Darren McCord]

Did L2 suck?

Did the PP suck?

Enough said.

Ironically, this one was damn near exactly like Game 1 in 2019, at least after the 1st. Crappy goaltending. Late Pens goal to tie it at 3-3. Lose in OT.

BTW, Malkin wouldn't have made a difference. Between his skating and the line Sully would've given him, it would've been a miracle for him not to be a MINUS at ES. MAYBE he helps on the PP, but who knows . . .

IF he can go next game, my lines are GCR and BART (because Sullivan would rather die than toy with either of those) and McCann-Carter-Zucker (or EROD) and Malkin-GOAT-Kappy. But, we all know what Sullivan will do (GOAT with McCann-Carter and a gimpy Malkin centering Zucker-Kappy.

****, it's like the whole damn story is laying out exactly as @ObsessedCreative prophesized.

Sullivan is a good coach with less. He has refused to run four lines and build a balanced lineup. Dudes annoying as f***

I’ll give him props on being a good coach but I’m over watching his teams.

 

[Sidney the Kidney]

I don't feel like either goalie did significantly better than the other.

Jarry let in 4 weak goals, man. Which of the 3 Penguins goals that Sorokin let in made you think, "Holy shit, dude. You suck"?

 

[TheGoldenJet]

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

All Sully’s fault for playing Geno in the last game of the regular season against Buffalo. He should know that Malkin is made of glass by now.

 

[BeatenLikeRentedMule]

At least MS will be gone in the Summer.

 

[Shaftception]

Trotz >>>>>> Sullivan

Am I crazy or does it seem like some coaches feel like playing a passive trapping system is a strike against the quality of a coaches ability, or their pride, or something?

Like the dead puck era is so criticized now in hindsight, that some coaches are so bullheaded as to play right into the traps hands as long as they're not lowering themselves to that level.

You should only need one loss through stupid turnovers and odd man rushes to make a change because that's literally the only way a trapping team generates scoring chances.

It's a sign of bad coaching if you continue to allow the trapping team to dictate how they get to play offense.

 

[ncm7772]

eh, if we had another no-show I'd be on board.

Yes, there were some positives today. But that doesn’t make more confident in the team’s chances.