TBL at PIT Sun Jan 12 @5pm

[HandshakeLine]

Anyhow any more word on Bunting’s very strange crash situation?

 

[yzerman]

Test Filip Larsson for heaven sake could be Hedberg 2.0 all over again would be a nice timemachine

 

[NewAgeOutlaw]

I'm still kinda pissed the officials called a totally imaginary major penalty and then reviewed it and then assessed a second totally imaginary penalty for interference.

From the book of "something so stupid it could only happen in the NHL".

The 2 possible explanations are the officials aren't allowed to totally rescind a penalty while reviewing a major (which would be stupid) or the officials didn't want Tampa to have to kill a penalty just because Hedman took a roughing penalty (which would be just as stupid).

 

[HandshakeLine]

Yeah officiating is real stupid these days, but globally speaking, it’s not just an NHL problem.

 

[eXile3]

Honestly, I think 32 fanbases could say that about their coaches. Every team has a "coaches' favorite".

My issue with it is, I don't think Nieto or Acciari is the difference between us winning and loser on a level that makes us bottom 5 or a playoff team.

We lack so much quality at too many positions. The existence of Nieto or Acciari doesn't make Sid and Geno 37/38. It doesn't make Letang and Karlsson late 30s. It doesn't make Jarry and Neds suck ass. It doesn't make Sullivan way past his due date.

The team is on the downswing because their core got old. Happened to the Wings, happened to the Sharks, and it's happening to us. We are at the "just be happy when they win, don't bother feeling bad if they don't" phase.

It was tonight.

 

[HandshakeLine]

It was tonight.

And you string a few of those nights together and it makes a difference.

Again, if you want to give Crosby the send off he deserves with a final postseason appearence or two, you need to not play those kinds of players. If you're rebuilding? You need to not sign those kinds of players and play the young kids with an eye on retaining or trading them. Nobody is going to care about Noel Acciari at the TDL except Mike Sullivan and his mother.

 

[IcedCapp]

Mike Sullivan's mom and Noel Acciari do share a special bond

 

[HandshakeLine]

Mike Sullivan's mom and Noel Acciari do share a special bond

I saw that scene in Requiem for a Dream.

 

[Duffy13]

The problem with the make up of this team, is that they are playing the bottom line way too much. If they have 4 proper lines and then a player like Acciari makes the mistake he did, well... it's kind of expected, and it's not as big a deal because the team would be competitive enough to handle a loss, or a big goal against.

To be honest, the fact that line 4 hasn't been roasted as much as they should be is kind of incredible. Sullivan is playing them way too much, yet they are holding on by the skin of their teeth every game... last night it finally happened, and it happened against one of the best players in the league.

Maybe this is why Sullivan is not line matching, because the top 2 lines can only play so much, so they, theoretically having the higher end talent, can match up against the top lines defensively better than the bottom two lines. With age and playing harder minutes, extra shifts vs the bottom opposing lines is too much ice time.

Once line 3 or 4 have to match up vs the opponents line 1 or 2 they will be very badly exposed. Acciari and Nieto being matched vs lines 3 and 4 make it easier to understand why they don't get scored on as much, the league is watered down offensively once you get to those lines.

So basically we need more youth, more speed, and a bit of physicality to help tire out the other teams... which isn't ready down in the AHL yet.

 

[Icarium]

Guentzel tried to do us a favor by injuring Acciari early on. It didn't work but I will never forget that, Jake.

As for the game, deja vu. Watching this Penguins team is either "LOL, they are losing by a lot" or waiting for the other shoe to drop because no lead is safe. Even when they win, it feels like they have barely managed it. Stop being delusional and start selling, this team isn't and cannot be a contender with its current roster, even if the coach weren't an idiot who should have been fired before the pandemic.

 

[HandshakeLine]

The problem with the make up of this team, is that they are playing the bottom line way too much. If they have 4 proper lines and then a player like Acciari makes the mistake he did, well... it's kind of expected, and it's not as big a deal because the team would be competitive enough to handle a loss, or a big goal against.

To be honest, the fact that line 4 hasn't been roasted as much as they should be is kind of incredible. Sullivan is playing them way too much, yet they are holding on by the skin of their teeth every game... last night it finally happened, and it happened against one of the best players in the league.

Maybe this is why Sullivan is not line matching, because the top 2 lines can only play so much, so they, theoretically having the higher end talent, can match up against the top lines defensively better than the bottom two lines. With age and playing harder minutes, extra shifts vs the bottom opposing lines is too much ice time.

Once line 3 or 4 have to match up vs the opponents line 1 or 2 they will be very badly exposed. Acciari and Nieto being matched vs lines 3 and 4 make it easier to understand why they don't get scored on as much, the league is watered down offensively once you get to those lines.

So basically we need more youth, more speed, and a bit of physicality to help tire out the other teams... which isn't ready down in the AHL yet.

if you no longer have the roster or system to win on pure talent alone, line matching and strategy is necessary. It’s pure lazy incompetence that we don’t.

 

[Duffy13]

if you no longer have the roster or system to win on pure talent alone, line matching and strategy is necessary. It’s pure lazy incompetence that we don’t.

But that's the problem, if you take Crosby away from lines 1 or 2, then it falls upon lines 3 or 4 to match vs them, then the blowouts happen.... which would then potentially speed up a rebuild, or roster movements. Looking at this team we cannot do line matchups vs teams like Edm, Tampa, Colorado, Toronto.... they would feast on our bottom 6. If the bottom 6 can avoid losing their matchups vs opponents bottom 6, then it's on our best players to beat their best players.

Roster make up is a big problem... so ultimately that is Dubas, but we all hear so much about how much Sullivan has his hand in the roster make up as well. there's no reason for this to be happening, unless they are sacrificing a couple years to restock and try again, but that doesn't do anything for our Core.

We're kind of limping I guess lol

 

[Duffy13]

This team is f***ed when injuries take out major players, not having both Malkin and Bunting last night showed how shallow this team really is. Taking chances on guys like Glass, Tomasino, Puljujarvi etc is a great idea, but they have shown what they are.... they will not all of a sudden become top 6 players. So to not target actual top 6 players while also dumpster diving says that Dubas is doing a quiet rebuild, or is not a good GM. Obviously hoping for the Quiet Rebuild plan

 

[HandshakeLine]

But that's the problem, if you take Crosby away from lines 1 or 2, then it falls upon lines 3 or 4 to match vs them, then the blowouts happen.... which would then potentially speed up a rebuild, or roster movements. Looking at this team we cannot do line matchups vs teams like Edm, Tampa, Colorado, Toronto.... they would feast on our bottom 6. If the bottom 6 can avoid losing their matchups vs opponents bottom 6, then it's on our best players to beat their best players.

Roster make up is a big problem... so ultimately that is Dubas, but we all hear so much about how much Sullivan has his hand in the roster make up as well. there's no reason for this to be happening, unless they are sacrificing a couple years to restock and try again, but that doesn't do anything for our Core.

We're kind of limping I guess lol

Yeah, that’s the sort of root of the whole thing- the roster is full of players who can’t play the system we claim we play, we don’t have the physical ability to take over games with the core (which is when not line matching is best) and we have little to no options for any sort of strategy.

It’s just a badly built team, no matter if you’re hoping for playoffs or tanking, and no amount of “trust the plan” is going to make that go away.

 

[SEALBound]

Yeah, that’s the sort of root of the whole thing- the roster is full of players who can’t play the system we claim we play, we don’t have the physical ability to take over games with the core (which is when not line matching is best) and we have little to no options for any sort of strategy.

It’s just a badly built team, no matter if you’re hoping for playoffs or tanking, and no amount of “trust the plan” is going to make that go away.

I will caveat that with "a badly built team for the system that Sullivan wants to play". You can play this system in 2016 when you have prime core players and young, fast supporting players like Hagelin and young Rust. When overall team speed declines and age rises, it is incumbent on the coaching staff to tweak the system to fit their CURRENT abilities. That is something Sullivan (and his staff) have failed on.

Sure, we can point out specific players who make specific errors (like you mentioned with Acciari) and yes, specific player HAVE cost us games (Acciari as we just saw, Rust a couple times last year, Jarry/Neds several times in the last two years) but I was speaking more as a whole rather than specific incidents. I would love to fire Nieto, Acciari, Jarry, and Neds into the sun every time they make a mistake.

 

[The Old Master]

"It's tough. A loss is a loss, at the end of the day," Jarry said. "But I thought the team played well. We did a good job. We were in their zone most of the night. Just the chances that Tampa got were good chances. They were grade-A chances. That's what it was tonight."

As usual the loser blames his teammates for the loss and not his own inability to make big saves.

Ned sucks too but at least he owns it and calls himself out after bad games.

I honestly don't think I've ever disliked a Pens goalie more than Jarry.

this could be why we have those odd man breaks, no one covering the front of the net, allowing their players to stan in front of the goal without trying to move them, lack of team communication, ect.