Salary Cap: Pens Salary Cap Thread: If we score 6 we win, its science!

[HandshakeLine]

Wonder if somebody like Ekholm could become available if Nash keeps sliding

What if we keep sliding?

 

[Pens x]

At least we won’t have to hear how this team magically (dumbest theory on this site) fixes dmen anymore with Marino flourishing in NJ.

RIP Todd “ Houdini” Reirden theory

 

[Sidney the Kidney]

What if we keep sliding?

Then maybe they'll go after Dumoulin instead.

 

[SomeDude]

Wonder if somebody like Ekholm could become available if Nash keeps sliding

More intriguing for me from Nashville is Tolvanen. He's been scratched 4 out of the last 5. Kapanen for Tolvanen with some tweaking as needed.

 

[Sidgeni Malkby]

Biggest problem Pens have is they only have 1 game. It seems like getting a lead hasn't been a problem, and honestly I prefer this than how we used to play catch-up-in-the-third-period style in past season. It's easier to fix!

That being said...
Sully needs to institute a 2nd game. A 3rd period play with the lead, or play for a tie style. You can't blow everybody out with 6 goals a game, or have D pinching every chance they get no matter the score. I'm sure we can win our share playing 1 way, but as other teams adjust to the score, so should we. They are down in the 3rd period so they take more chances, we switch to a defensive counterstrike type game.

The only solace I can take is the slide has been against the west, and ultimately, we won't meet the west in the playoffs until the finals.

Also...
"It's tough," Malkin said. "When you're lost, you need to support each other, help each other. It's time to build up the team. We lost these games in a row. Why not win the next six games in a row?"

I'm aligned with this thinking.

 

[Buddy Bizarre]

Biggest problem Pens have is they only have 1 game. It seems like getting a lead hasn't been a problem, and honestly I prefer this than how we used to play catch-up-in-the-third-period style in past season. It's easier to fix!

That being said...
Sully needs to institute a 2nd game. A 3rd period play with the lead, or play for a tie style. You can't blow everybody out with 6 goals a game, or have D pinching every chance they get no matter the score. I'm sure we can win our share playing 1 way, but as other teams adjust to the score, so should we. They are down in the 3rd period so they take more chances, we switch to a defensive counterstrike type game.

The only solace I can take is the slide has been against the west, and ultimately, we won't meet the west in the playoffs until the finals.

Also...
"It's tough," Malkin said. "When you're lost, you need to support each other, help each other. It's time to build up the team. We lost these games in a row. Why not win the next six games in a row?"

I'm aligned with this thinking.

Fully agree. Blowing leads was prevalent in the playoff loss. Sully better start instituting some sort of trap now in the reg season so they're prepared in the playoffs.

 

[Shaftception]

Fully agree. Blowing leads was prevalent in the playoff loss. Sully better start instituting some sort of trap now in the reg season so they're prepared in the playoffs.

What's odd is Sullivan's known how to have this team play that style since 2017 yet they seemingly struggle to do so now years after the fact.

2016 they played a full-court press style game which allowed them to cover for their defense with relentless forecheck pressure which generated tons of puck possession.

2017 they lost Letang to injury and the HBK line no longer worked, so the team as a whole was not as fast as the year before, so they played exactly that passive collapsing into counterattack style, especially against the Caps and Nashville and won again.

2018 the Caps took a page from the 2017 Pens and trap/counterattacked the Pens right back and for some reason Sullivan forgot how that style of play works and they lost the series giving up umpteen odd-man break/breakaways due to poorly timed pinches/miscues by defensemen at the blueline.

Ever since the Pens struggle to transition their game to the safer protect the lead style when game scenarios clearly call for it for any extended length of time. Whether Sullivan truly just forgot how to get the team to play that way or the players refuse to listen anymore who know's but it's odd.

 

[Pens x]

Did the team practice blindfolded or without skates today in practice?

Bylsma, oooops I mean, Sully making the team get to their game.

 

[Zap Rowsdower]

Did the team practice blindfolded or without skates today in practice?

Bylsma, oooops I mean, Sully making the team get to their game.

Naked wiffleball today

 

[Phil68]

The Pens issue is the system period and not 90% of the current squad. When you suck at pk and power play plus blow leads easily, it's the system.

 

[pistolpete11]

Biggest problem Pens have is they only have 1 game. It seems like getting a lead hasn't been a problem, and honestly I prefer this than how we used to play catch-up-in-the-third-period style in past season. It's easier to fix!

That being said...
Sully needs to institute a 2nd game. A 3rd period play with the lead, or play for a tie style. You can't blow everybody out with 6 goals a game, or have D pinching every chance they get no matter the score. I'm sure we can win our share playing 1 way, but as other teams adjust to the score, so should we. They are down in the 3rd period so they take more chances, we switch to a defensive counterstrike type game.

The only solace I can take is the slide has been against the west, and ultimately, we won't meet the west in the playoffs until the finals.

Also...
"It's tough," Malkin said. "When you're lost, you need to support each other, help each other. It's time to build up the team. We lost these games in a row. Why not win the next six games in a row?"

I'm aligned with this thinking.

Good point, Geno

 

[Big Friggin Dummy]

I'm still waiting to hear what's dramatically changed over the course of the past calendar year systems-wise that resulted in losing 7 in a row and counting.

Everybody wants to point in every direction except one, trying desperately to ignore the reality that this roster composition just isn't very good anymore. The goalies are pretty mediocre. The core are 35+ and slowing down noticeably. The supporting cast is built with the mindset that Sid, Geno and Letang can still do the things they did at 27. Sullivan's a spitefully stubborn donkey who regularly starts the team two steps back before the puck even drops. Hextall and ownership just have this thing on cruise control from here on out.

It's not *just* Sullivan, or Reirden. This whole thing is a mess, imo. Top to bottom. Some things are unavoidable like age getting the best of guys who have been around for a long time. Some things *are* avoidable, like playing your 35+ year old guys for 23 minutes a night, and trying to strongarm Jake-Sid-Rust into being when Jake-Sid-Rakell and Zucker-Geno-Rust was working better to start the season.

 

[Josey Wales]

The Pens issue is the system period and not 90% of the current squad. When you suck at pk and power play plus blow leads easily, it's the system.

OK Toe Blake

Ok well that makes one of us

2 ! DOC is Konstantin Koltsov skate really well & ...................................................................

 

[PensandCaps]

More intriguing for me from Nashville is Tolvanen. He's been scratched 4 out of the last 5. Kapanen for Tolvanen with some tweaking as needed.

Tolvanen would need real good luck getting into Sullivan's lineup lol.

 

[SomeDude]

Tolvanen would need real good luck getting into Sullivan's lineup lol.

He at least gets quite a few hits so he does something if he isn't scoring, which is more to say than half our roster.

 

[TKalltheTime]

I think it’s going to be very difficult for Hex & Burke to keep their jobs after this ha

 

[pistolpete11]

How many more assistant coaches, GMs, and players are going to take the fall before they consider that it might be the head coach?

 

[molon labe]

How many more assistant coaches, GMs, and players are going to take the fall before they consider that it might be the head coach?

At least 2 of the 3 is my guess.

Dumo trade for shakeup of locker room. Assistant coach for special teams failures (that have of course almost always existed).

 

[DesertedPenguin]

FSG reportedly exploring either full sale or at least a sale of some of Liverpool.



With the salary cap, it's not like the Pens would receive an influx of money should FSG sell Liverpool. Boston Red Sox might. But money could be spent elsewhere, including if there's a need to hire new coaches or expand the front office.

 

[Ragamuffin Gunner]

I'm still waiting to hear what's dramatically changed over the course of the past calendar year systems-wise that resulted in losing 7 in a row and counting.

Everybody wants to point in every direction except one, trying desperately to ignore the reality that this roster composition just isn't very good anymore. The goalies are pretty mediocre. The core are 35+ and slowing down noticeably. The supporting cast is built with the mindset that Sid, Geno and Letang can still do the things they did at 27. Sullivan's a spitefully stubborn donkey who regularly starts the team two steps back before the puck even drops. Hextall and ownership just have this thing on cruise control from here on out.

It's not *just* Sullivan, or Reirden. This whole thing is a mess, imo. Top to bottom. Some things are unavoidable like age getting the best of guys who have been around for a long time. Some things *are* avoidable, like playing your 35+ year old guys for 23 minutes a night, and trying to strongarm Jake-Sid-Rust into being when Jake-Sid-Rakell and Zucker-Geno-Rust was working better to start the season.

If they weren't constantly blowing multi-goal leads you may have a point. A team that can constantly go up by a few goals, only to blow it in the 3rd is poorly coached.

 

[Josey Wales]

How many more assistant coaches, GMs, and players are going to take the fall before they consider that it might be the head coach?

Funny how many Coaches & GM's get the aaxe before Kool-Aid drinkers look at the core

 

[Pens x]

I think it’s going to be very difficult for Hex & Burke to keep their jobs after this ha

It’s sad they’ve lasted as long as they have. Burke’s only job seems to be appearing on Podcasts/radio shows.

 

[Le Magnifique 66]

What if we keep sliding?

Connor Bedard

I think it’s going to be very difficult for Hex & Burke to keep their jobs after this ha

Especially with dealing with the extension to MS. Just doesn't make any sense to have extended him before the season! Stupid decision by Hex

 

[ronduguayshair]

Funny how many Coaches & GM's get the aaxe before Kool-Aid drinkers look at the core

 

[Big Friggin Dummy]

What's more realistic; That Mike Sullivan is singlehandedly holding back an otherwise still elite team that would be cruising to wins and on its way to another Cup Finals appearance, or that the issues are numerous and while Sully is a big part, he's not the only factor in this team's steady and dramatic decline?

The FO and ownership don't care enough or are incompetent when it comes to addressing issues and making changes. Goaltending is awful. The core are over the hill. The supporting cast are not good enough to pick up the slack. The revamped and still exceedingly expensive blueline is still mediocre at best. The team has very little cap wiggle room or valuable assets to use in trades to acquire legitimate help. Sullivan's TOI distribution and line combos are f***awful.

It's lazy and convenient to place the blame entirely on Sullivan. He's part of the issue, without question, and I've been calling for him to be fired since the Habs play-in, but he's far from the only problem. If anything, I expect the FO to be completely nuked if the team's still struggling mightily by Christmas or New Year. I think Sullivan's safe for the rest of this season at least because of his contract(s), and I'd be surprised if he didn't last as long as Sid, maybe longer. At this point, just shrug, who cares? Save yourself a lotta grief.

-edit- Sure, the billionaire group of douchebags who own the team now have enough money to eat Sullivan's contract(s) and not really notice. But billionaires don't just throw away tens of millions of dollars on a whim. Hell, I'm still not entirely convinced that FSG bought the Penguins specifically to own a successful NHL franchise as much as they bought a huge real estate opportunity in downtown Pittsburgh that just so happens to come with an NHL team like the toy in a kid's meal. They didn't chuck a billion down on this team without knowing full well they were three consecutive 1st round exits deep (at the time of purchase, four now for those at home keeping count) with a core in the twilight of their career and an arena struggling to sell out for a while now. That's not the kind of investment you make without a huge factor outside of the hockey side of things.