This Pittsburgh Penguins Act is Getting Old

[PaulD]

Yawner of a superbowl so far

 

[Johnny Rifle]

The Pens vets are basically mid-90s Johnny Cash. Talent and ability still there, but he needed a Rick Rubin to bring out the best of what he had left.

 

[Dirty Dog]

Sid to Boston.
Malkin to Florida
Letang to Detroit

It would be like a fantasy draft!

 

[JianYang]

It was getting old a few years ago.

 

[Mobiandi]

If the Pens trade Crosby, they might as well be relocated to Atlanta by 2030

 

[Shark Finn]

Just fold already and hand the Sharks a good, high pick.

 

[Luigi Lemieux]

Roster aside, how long does this team plan on keeping Sullivan as head coach?

He's the face of the franchise apparently. He has ridiculous power in the organization for some reason. He's probably going to lead the next rebuild, he's extended through 2027.

 

[Luigi Lemieux]

It would be like a fantasy draft!

They should just sell everyone. Crosby, Malkin, Letang, Rust, Rakell, Guentzel, Reilly Smith, Karlsson too.

Lots of pieces that could really help other teams, but they're too old to be a good team together.

 

[Buck Naked]

55.09

CF%

53.01

54.07

SF%

53.15

56.41

GF%

51.85

54.66

xGF%

52.92

57.74

HDCF%

54.08

55.81

HDGF%

51.16

Guess who's Karlsson and guess who's Makar. Saying Karlsson is a liability to this team is just plain wrong.

 

[TheNumber4]

I know Malkin is still producing. But I swear everytime I tune into a Pens game he’s hurting them.

 

[rea]

The Pens are Sid Crosby. Period. The captain trying to drag dead weight through another season while Sullivan pretends to be frustrated and shocked is an old act. I like Jeff Carter but when the old man is on both special teams units someone's clueless.
Karlsson replaced Petry and the team is worse after the switch?
Rielly Smith was a beaut on the Cup Champs and looks lost on Sullivan's squad. Jarry leads the league in shut outs and Sid is having a great year (even by his standards) yet the team has not held a play off spot for one day all season?
This team earned the age old option of a "new voice" like no team I've ever seen. Sullivan should take a page from Paul Maurice and get out of the way. As the owners won't make the change and apparently wont let Dubas do it.

I want to give you the perspective of a fan from a team whose never won the cup..

Pointing out deficiencies, about how your team is built, based on the aging core of your team which has won you multiple championships, and trying to give said group a last shot at the holy grail again for their legacy, whether it works or doesn't work, is giving me those idgaf croc tears feels.

This core, your fan base went from 2 players in lemieux and jagr, anchor yall to multiple 'ships, suffering a short period, then having another 2 generational players in Crosby and malkin, give you another multiple ships.

You can opine that this team needs new voice or change or wtvr. Without knowing the inner value or Power of the voices in the room, I'd presume they leaned on the leaders of the team to decide if they go for it or not, if coach has lost room etc, cuz these players earned the opportunity to chase a final glory.

If Sullivan is the problem above all else, I'd assume from all levels, they'd talk to all the important parties about it, and he'd have been canned. It's easier to fire a coach Than trade off a Crosby.

The coach is, more often than not, the scapegoat, to struggling teams. Understand he lead the team to a cup. Personnel changes, and he has input, but again, I'd assume the players were asked if it would work/wanted/needed when new players come on.

Season isn't over, team hasn't gave up, but maybe, time has caught up to the core, the salaries they signed and agreed to take on in trades didn't work, and the game has evolved to a place where they aren't in a realm where it works.. Their division, is arguably, the most competitive in the whole league.

Having said that, it takes but a stretch, to be enough for the playoffs, and this team, especially the core, has shown it can drag the team to success.

It's not like the pens have been a basement team, and they're in a very tough division. IMHO, unless the players gave up on the coach, it's the least of their worries. Either they're going for it or they aren't, rumors of selling off players like Guentzel, for instance, are contradictory to success.

 

[Rodgerwilco]

55.09

CF%

53.01

54.07

SF%

53.15

56.41

GF%

51.85

54.66

xGF%

52.92

57.74

HDCF%

54.08

55.81

HDGF%

51.16

Guess who's Karlsson and guess who's Makar. Saying Karlsson is a liability to this team is just plain wrong.

I’d imagine most people calling Karlsson a liability aren’t actually watching the games. The forward depth is beyond atrocious, but I guess EK should will the 4th line to score more goals too?

 

[cowboy82nd]

Sid to Boston.
Malkin to Florida
Letang to Detroit

And who is Florida giving up to get Malkin?

 

[Buck Naked]

I’d imagine most people calling Karlsson a liability aren’t actually watching the games. The forward depth is beyond atrocious, but I guess EK should will the 4th line to score more goals too?

Some players just can't do anything right according to some. Last year Karlsson scored more than any D did in over 30 years but was ridiculed for being bad defensively. Now when he's not scoring as much but provides very solid play and numbers all over the ice he's bad because he's not scoring like he did last year.

HF in a nutshell.

 

[Johnny Rifle]

I’d imagine most people calling Karlsson a liability aren’t actually watching the games. The forward depth is beyond atrocious, but I guess EK should will the 4th line to score more goals too?

Karlssons offensive ability more than outweighs his defensive liabilities but the team just can’t finish.

Let’s be honest, in the salary cap era every team’s fourth line sucks, unless you’re the Islanders and call your third line the “fourth line” and have an atrocious third line. The Penguins problem isn’t depth, it’s that their power play can’t score and their defense makes lots of bonehead plays. Goaltending has been solid for a bad team.

 

[PaulD]

And who is Florida giving up to get Malkin?

good question
First round pick .

 

[Offtheboard412]

I know Malkin is still producing. But I swear everytime I tune into a Pens game he’s hurting them.

His legs are gone. The reality is the Pens best players aren't good enough anymore. I know people will give a lot of pushback on that statement, but it's true. Sid's playing great for a 36 year old, but the reality is he's what...20th in scoring? Malkin's under a point per game. Hard to argue he's even a top 40-50 player at this point.

 

[Johnny Rifle]

His legs are gone. The reality is the Pens best players aren't good enough anymore. I know people will give a lot of pushback on that statement, but it's true. Sid's playing great for a 36 year old, but the reality is he's what...20th in scoring? Malkin's under a point per game. Hard to argue he's even a top 40-50 player at this point.

The Pens core are also getting paid a bit less than before, so I don’t mind Malkin and Letang at their current salary. Crosby is also cost-effective with his contract.

There are stretches where Geno looks really good and Crosby has made many passes to open wingers who don’t want to shoot the puck.

Talent is not the issue, it just seems like our castoffs have more success elsewhere and players we get struggle. Throw in an anemic power play and you have a recipe for frustration.

 

[WarriorofTime]

No idea why they brought in Dubas. His only move that he knows to improve a team is to trade the first round pick.

 

[Midnight Judges]

55.09

CF%

53.01

54.07

SF%

53.15

56.41

GF%

51.85

54.66

xGF%

52.92

57.74

HDCF%

54.08

55.81

HDGF%

51.16

Guess who's Karlsson and guess who's Makar. Saying Karlsson is a liability to this team is just plain wrong.

Ooh I've got one:

Points
Player A: 60
Player B: 37

Goals
Player A: 13
Player B: 7

Salary
Player A: $9M
Player B: $11.5M

Guess who is Karlsson and who is Makar.

 

[cowboy82nd]

good question
First round pick .

2040?

 

[Buck Naked]

Ooh I've got one:

Points
Player A: 60
Player B: 37

Goals
Player A: 13
Player B: 7

Salary
Player A: $9M
Player B: $11.5M

Guess who is Karlsson and who is Makar.

So you're basically using the same argument that was used against Karlsson last year in favor of Makar this year? Higher points, worse differentials was not as good as lower points with better differentials. Like I said. HF in a nutshell.

 

[nturn06]

To do a retool or a rebuild this team needs first a GM who knows what (s)he should be doing.

 

[Midnight Judges]

So you're basically using the same argument that was used against Karlsson last year in favor of Makar this year? Higher points, worse differentials was not as good as lower points with better differentials. Like I said. HF in a nutshell.

Yeah I guess the main difference is Makar is pretty good in his own end whereas Karlsson is possibly the worst defenseman in the NHL when it comes to preventing goals against - to the point where last season Karlsson was on the ice for more goals against than any player of the past 20 years, by a wide margin.

I suppose the fact that the Pens added the "best" defenseman in the NHL and somehow didn't improve at all is a mystery to you?

 

[Johnny Rifle]

To do a retool or a rebuild this team needs first a GM who knows what (s)he should be doing.

Dubas brought in Karlsson and returned the core with reasonable cap hits, I can’t say he doesn’t know what he’s doing.

I don’t think he has the latitude to do what most Pens fans want him to do.