Post-Game Talk: Pens vs Preds: Secondary Sid Leads the way

[OtherThingsILike]

 

[ncm7772]

87 over a point per. Yezzir.

 

[Gold Diamond]

Glad to see the Pens playing better as of late. Still dead last in the league in GA. This infuriates me because defense is fixable, a philosophy.

But whatever, they won.

 

[MrBrightside]

Hey, I hate to bitch, but Accari and Nieto played twice the minutes of DOC and Beauvillier only played 5 minutes.

Beauvillier taking that cross-checking penalty like 8 seconds after the Pens tied is probably the end for him. Never mind that if Acciari or Nieto had done it, it would be praised as gritty leadership, but either way, he barely touched the ice after that. Maybe it'll get Pool party back in for Saturday.

 

[Icarium]

Two bad teams trying really hard to outbad each other, it was fitting that the game ended in a comedy of errors fashion. I lost count of dumb turnovers and weak clears, especially by the Pens. But of course, we were carried by our top line while the Predators found a way to lose. We sure tried to lose too by practically begging for a shortie in the final minutes of regulation, among other things. And that Geno drop pass seconds before the winner... talk about a mood swing from a literal facepalm to "Yay, we scored!" moments later.

Seems like we are finally allowing EK65 to do his thing in attack.... a pre-Christmas miracle! Another miracle is Sullivan tolerating the rookie mistakes that Pickering is inevitably making rather than move him down the pairings.

Only six Penguins registered shots, pretty crazy stat in a game where we scored 5 on one of the best goalies in the league. And the Preds have only 1.95 expected goals at 5 on 5 which seems way too low considering our shambolic defending.

 

[Ugene Magic]

See what happens when you threaten them about being "Mid", they are only Mid every other game.

 

[Andy99]

 

[HandshakeLine]

See what happens when you threaten them about being "Mid", they are only Mid every other game.

When you beat really bad teams it means you're secretly really good.

Everybody knows that.

 

[Luigi Lemieux]

If they beat NJ I'll be on board as a believer

 

[BusinessGoose]

If they beat NJ I'll be on board as a believer

Sorry, there aren't any more seats on the bandwagon ever since @Ryder71 came around on the team

 

[SEALBound]

I have no idea what to really think anymore. While they won, they just played a very close back-and-forth game with the last-place team.

The team can't live off line 1, though. Sullivan needs to shake up the bottom 9.

 

[Luigi Lemieux]

Sorry, there aren't any more seats on the bandwagon ever since @Ryder71 came around on the team

Rooting for losses isn't fun anymore. Rather see the guys happy, even if there's zero chance of winning another cup with this group.

 

[BlindWillyMcHurt]

Is the

I have no idea what to really think anymore. While they won, they just played a very close back-and-forth game with the last-place team.

The team can't live off line 1, though. Sullivan needs to shake up the bottom 9.

Yeah.

I mean I get it to an extent but if they actually want to keep pushing they need to figure out things beyond that one line. I especially don't really understand the point of this weeks-long latest bout of Geno-torture. Dude is just kinda not very good anymore sure... but this rotation of Bunting/Toms/Glass on his wings is awful and possibly as bad as a line as he's ever been stuck with. And no longer in his 20s.

I know people seem weirdly opposed to it but give him ONE of Crosby's two wings FFS. At least for a bit to help get him back on track and perhaps convince him that he is indeed not in a waking nightmare.

EDIT: I realize of course that the argument to break up L1 after a game like that is far from compelling.

 

[Andy99]

 

[SEALBound]

I imagine the last 10 games or so are through the roof considering how pedestrian and disinterested he looked early in the season.

 

[eXile3]

I have no idea what to really think anymore. While they won, they just played a very close back-and-forth game with the last-place team.

The team can't live off line 1, though. Sullivan needs to shake up the bottom 9.

As much as I love to blame Sullivan it’s hard here. We only have two top 6 wingers and they’re both playing with Sid.

 

[Ryder71]

If they beat NJ I'll be on board as a believer

Sad to say, but I think they could win tomorrow, like seriously. They just keep finding ways to win despite giving up the 1st goal early on. That's not suppose to happen.

 

[pistolpete11]

Is the


Yeah.

I mean I get it to an extent but if they actually want to keep pushing they need to figure out things beyond that one line. I especially don't really understand the point of this weeks-long latest bout of Geno-torture. Dude is just kinda not very good anymore sure... but this rotation of Bunting/Toms/Glass on his wings is awful and possibly as bad as a line as he's ever been stuck with. And no longer in his 20s.

I know people seem weirdly opposed to it but give him ONE of Crosby's two wings FFS. At least for a bit to help get him back on track and perhaps convince him that he is indeed not in a waking nightmare.

I just don't get why Sullivan won't even TRY Bunting with Crosby. It's the same as when he wouldn't TRY Zucker with Crosby. Is Crosby better with Rakell/Guentzel? Yeah, probably, but this one line nonsense leads to nothing but mediocrity. Gotta get L2 going more to sustain this recent surge.

 

[Ryder71]

Who's 1st?

 

[BlindWillyMcHurt]

I just don't get why Sullivan won't even TRY Bunting with Crosby. It's the same as when he wouldn't TRY Zucker with Crosby. Is Crosby better with Rakell/Guentzel? Yeah, probably, but this one line nonsense leads to nothing but mediocrity. Gotta get L2 going more to sustain this recent surge.

I think you and I are on an island here lol

But yeah I agree.

 

[Ryder71]

I just don't get why Sullivan won't even TRY Bunting with Crosby.

Because Bunting is more east to west and the guys like Rust are more north and south. Sid prefers the latter. Case in point: Pascal Dupuis.

On the PP that dynamic changes as they're not necessarily trying to score off the rush.

 

[FunkySeeFunkyDo]

Hmmm..we’re good because we’re playing as well as last season’s President’s trophy winner.

 

[SEALBound]

As much as I love to blame Sullivan it’s hard here. We only have two top 6 wingers and they’re both playing with Sid.

That's fair. That said though, DOC-Malkin-Tomasino were a very good line when initially put together. We have the personnel to try a few things.

DOC-Geno-Tomasino
Bunting-Lizotte-Beauvillier
Nieto-Acciari-Glass

Lizotte-Geno-Tomasino
Bunting-Glass-DOC
Nieto-Acciari-Beauvillier

I mean, there's a lot of combos they could be trying to see what works. More over, they could facilitate a Guentzel-like trade where they get a roster player back. Obvious suggestion is Hoglander+ in a Pettersson trade.

 

[Ryder71]

Pittsburghs goal differential in the last 11 games has gone from a a league worst -36 to a -22. That's still a bad number, but they've been a +14 since the Utah loss.

 

[eXile3]

That's fair. That said though, DOC-Malkin-Tomasino were a very good line when initially put together. We have the personnel to try a few things.

DOC-Geno-Tomasino
Bunting-Lizotte-Beauvillier
Nieto-Acciari-Glass

Lizotte-Geno-Tomasino
Bunting-Glass-DOC
Nieto-Acciari-Beauvillier

I mean, there's a lot of combos they could be trying to see what works. More over, they could facilitate a Guentzel-like trade where they get a roster player back. Obvious suggestion is Hoglander+ in a Pettersson trade.

Yeah DOCs main attribute is forechecking and it really seemed to open things for Malkin and Tomasino.