Post-Game Talk: Pens lose to the worst team in the league

[TheGoldenJet]

Was one single adjustment made tonight?

Sullsma adjusted by telling the players to ramp up their collective sticktoitiveness.

That unfortunately did not have the desired effect.

 

[Ragamuffin Gunner]

Matheson was already really good here. Incredible stats in Montreal are no surprise. But there was no reason to trade him, NONE. Kapanen is also better than Granlund, easily. And we lose him for nothing, throw 2nd rounder out of the window and use capspace for piece of shit that is Granlund. We gift Marino to Jersey, for basically nothing. We lose Tanev and McCann and protect Carter, no team in the league lost more in the expansion draft than us. We extend Carter. I mean, in a lot of cases, Sullivan and Hextall are collaborating. Especially Kapanen and McCann cases. But there was no reason to trade Marino and Matheson, they were already good here under Sullivan, that´s not on Sullivan. Granlund is also not on Sullivan. Some might say use him in the TOP6 instead of Rust. I´m not defending Rust, but I wouldn´t use that piece of shit in the TOP6 anyway, he doesn´t deserve it and I would have zero trust in him there. It´s just terrible player with terrible cap hit and also a terrible FIT.

Conclusion: Sullivan and Hextall are both murders of this franchise. But I would say that Hextall is doing more than 50% of a damage here. Both are brutal tho.

I'll never understand the "but Sully misused them so it's ok that Hex threw them away" argument. They do know that Hex has the ability to fire Sully and hire a coach who will appropriately use his players, right?

 

[Big Friggin Dummy]

Call me crazy, but I'm convinced these guys don't want to play Boston and preferred packing it in. It was 7th or miss, they don't have the balls to go fight the bruins for 4 games and risk getting hurt

Yeah, you're crazy. This team's been on a steady decline for years, and this just happened to be the season where they reached the "not even good enough to be a 1st round exit" point. /shrug

 

[Super Luigi]

Hextall needs to be gone. He is an absolute disaster at making trades. We are a lot worse team than year before.

 

[Big Friggin Dummy]

I'll never understand the "but Sully misused them so it's ok that Hex threw them away" argument. They do know that Hex has the ability to fire Sully and hire a coach who will appropriately use his players, right?

Technically? Yeah.

In reality? Hextall would call FSG to inform them he was replacing Sully, then they'd laugh, tell *him* to pack his shit, and hang up the phone.

(For the record; f*** Hextall. Dude sucks every bit as much as JR did in his final years here. Just a different kind of terrible, but terrible nonetheless)

 

[Honour Over Glory]

Ye I meant that Mario can't be blamed for keeping Sid. If Sid didn't want to be here, he wouldnt



Only to match my pit vipers

 

[Pens1566]

Sully should have been gone after losing the play in round to the Habs.

 

[Buddy Bizarre]

I'll never understand the "but Sully misused them so it's ok that Hex threw them away" argument. They do know that Hex has the ability to fire Sully and hire a coach who will appropriately use his players, right?

This has been discussed before. It's not out of the realm to believe that Hex has no authority regarding Sully's status with the team.

 

[PensandCaps]

Well, I mean if your season on the line isn't enough to get you to try to play a decent game, not even a clutch game or anything, I don't know what is.

Mostly while I don't think Rust is a bad deal per se, I'm just annoyed that people keep harping about how clutch he was 7 years ago and he hasn't done shit in terms of clutch play since.

That would require Rust to be the hard nosed player he was 7 years ago.

Suddenly he thinks he's Kucherov.

 

[Josey Wales]

Yea nothing like hitching your wagon to a guy who hasnt played a game in like what, 3 weeks?

I get playing him if he's Letang or Hedman, but we're talking about a 6/7 defender who isn't going to move the needle by his presence. And he proceeds to be out for the 2nd GA, letting the attacker cut right in front of the net.

I've got nothing against Kuk, but he was not put in the best position to succeed. And this coach seems to have a weird fetish for him. Remember he was put in for POJ upon his arrival. Bonkers



Seems to have it under control now, huh?

NO as an alcoholic you are always recovering ! I have lost 13-15 friends from alcoholism! everyday is a new day & fight. when you live a little in the world you will get this

 

[vikingGoalie]

Does it even f***ing matter? This team is done winning playoff rounds for a decade+.
This goalie or that. Who gives a crap?

true. this is why i'm so pissed. the last 2 seasons we were poised to make a run, don't think we'd have won a cup but we were dangerous and had a punchers chance.
this year our big 3 were playing pretty damn good and healthy all at the same time what's the odds they can repeat that again being another year older?

 

[Coastal Kev]

Well, I mean if your season on the line isn't enough to get you to try to play a decent game, not even a clutch game or anything, I don't know what is.

Mostly while I don't think Rust is a bad deal per se, I'm just annoyed that people keep harping about how clutch he was 7 years ago and he hasn't done shit in terms of clutch play since.

He's a decent enough player, but a terrible player for the current makeup of this roster and HC.

 

[Buddy Bizarre]

NO as an alcoholic you are always recovering ! I have lost 13-15 friends from alcoholism! everyday is a new day & fight. when you live a little in the world you will get this

Ok cool

So tell me why you would discriminate against a guy recovering from a disease?

 

[vikingGoalie]

i dunno, what we do now. do we just blow the whole thing up send Sid over to play with his buddy in colorado for a kings ransom, send geno off to florida where he wants to be and send Jarry into the wood chipper...

i just don't see us competing for jack s**t next season, our best player will be 36. He'll still be darn good, but we need a next heir apparent to really move the needle, and a new goalie, and half the bottom 6 at least needs replaced.

That said. we caved the blackhawks in their own end for most of this game. Sid was flying, but Mrazek stoned a ton of grade A chances. Geno was putting in effort but I dunno if he just doesn't have the ability to take over like he used to or?

But here's a test for everyone that thinks roster construction and sullivan were why we lost. (both ARE problems, but not THE problem).
If we switch goalies last game and shoot on Jarry who do you think wins?

Hextall is literally the worst GM in the league he should be the GM of a fantasy hockey team, but he'd probably lose in that pool as well to some 8 year old.

 

[LOGiK]

true. this is why i'm so pissed. the last 2 seasons we were poised to make a run, don't think we'd have won a cup but we were dangerous and had a punchers chance.
this year our big 3 were playing pretty damn good and healthy all at the same time what's the odds they can repeat that again being another year older?

They're older so they will get less runs from opposition (unless situation dictates (see nyr series)

They used to get man handled most all season long, now, hardly as bad.

But just basic physical health and condition yeah, their bodies have held up surprisingly well after near two decades in the NHL.

 

[Buddy Bizarre]

But here's a test for everyone that thinks roster construction and sullivan were why we lost. (both ARE problems, but not THE problem).
If we switch goalies last game and shoot on Jarry who do you think wins?

That's the thing though, our SH% has been in the tank, so if we were shooting on Jarry I'm guessing he puts up a similar stat line to Mrazek and we lose.

 

[LOGiK]

NO as an alcoholic you are always recovering ! I have lost 13-15 friends from alcoholism! everyday is a new day & fight. when you live a little in the world you will get this

Have an alcoholic in the family and I tell you it's absolutely awful to see.
It's a terribly ugly sad and destructive thing... and I hate alcohol for it.
(yes thanks for helping me get laid in the early years, but hasn't done jack for me since)

 

[Icarium]

That feeling when you are 5-0-0 against the two Stanley Cup finalists but 3-4-3 against the Sharks, Habs, Wings and Hawks.

 

[TheGoldenJet]

No. I don’t care if Crosby’s linemates become Armstrong and Talbot lacing them back up and coming out of retirement. I want him to only ever wear 1 NHL jersey.

I feel the same way about Sid and Geno.

Both should be Penguins for life.

Letang I could live without.

 

[The Great Mighty Poo]

Just remember, No matter how bad life gets there is always alcohol and the 1995 jungle adventure classic Congo.

 

[LOGiK]

Who wants the Islanders to at least go to overtime tonight (and finish the penguins off for good)

 

[Josey Wales]

Ok cool

So tell me why you would discriminate against a guy recovering from a disease?

Like I said Junior Live a little, they were supposed to be hiring someone else & Montgomery was out of left field. & I just said 13-15 Friends or acquittances died from Alcoholism, you think they didn't try to stop? 1 guy had Heart surgery & his surgeon told him him you have to quit drinking& doing drugs & he literally couldn't

Have an alcoholic in the family and I tell you it's absolutely awful to see.
It's a terribly ugly sad and destructive thing... and I hate alcohol for it.
(yes thanks for helping me get laid in the early years, but hasn't done jack for me since)

Yes it is

 

[Icarium]

Yohe's ten observations after the game mention Sullisma exactly once.

 

[LOGiK]

For the sullivan speech admirers

"Anybody can beat anybody in this league. That's the reality," Pittsburgh coach Mike Sullivan said. "There's such a fine line between winning and losing. You have to be at your best every night. When you're not, you're going to run the risk of getting beat."


Which is a good quote about the league, but nothing to do directly with the club he commands.
There was no fine line yesterday. They looked awful.

 

[Malkinstheman]

Sullys resume after the b2bs is frankly quite impressive:

-Eliminated from play-in round
-Swept in first round
-Lose 3-1 series lead in first round
-Don't make the playoffs