Speculation: Do we make the playoffs?

[Big Friggin Dummy]

I do think they'll be in the hunt because a lot of teams in the East are kinda in this jumble of mediocrity, and I expect teams like the Devils to move back up in the standings as they get healthy. But I dunno, this team's big dookie and the only way they'll make significant changes is to faceplant hard--missing by a wide margin. Rooting for that.

 

[SEALBound]

No, I don't. My worry is that we will be in the hunt come trade deadline time. That is when we will see how good Dubas really is.

And I don't think it's so much that we are bad, it's just that others are better.

 

[Still Apps]

Before the season started, I thought we were most likely a playoff team. I liked the changes Dubas made to remove some dead weight (Granlund, Petry, Dumoulin, DeSmith), to trade for Karlsson and Smith, and modestly improve the bottom six. I believed the team only had to improve slightly over last season to be a good bet to make the playoffs. But Sullivan has managed to mold this team into something that's somehow much worse than the sum of its individual parts, and much more likely to be a lottery pick team than one that'll make the playoffs.

 

[Turin]

They cannot make the playoffs without a powerplay at least at 20%.

 

[Turin]

Pens aren’t winning shit with this guy anymore

 

[Sidney the Kidney]

Pens aren’t winning shit with this guy anymoreView attachment 773250

Ladies and gentlemen, this is the moron that this organization has gone all-in on to guide the team out of its 5+ year long funk.

 

[The Old Master]

I wish the rebuild started in summer 2022,

you can't tank when another team has your 1st pic. we need to make the best we can this year. then see if we can get under the titanic. because you know that there is noway well be better next year.

 

[66-30-33]

Before we fired HexTurke I said Sully should be fired, Pens wont make the playoffs again with him any more...but then Dubas came in and got Karlsson and Smith and I thought I was going to be wrong.

Naw, I wont be wrong. Sully is done here and if he is going to keep staying over the years nobody can convince me I am wrong that management does not care about making the playoffs, they just want their Sully here. Even if we were 30 points out of a playoff spot we would STILL trade for players to get us into the playoffs.

 

[BillyOcean]

The team is flawed, but most are. They have some pretty great underlying numbers, and they seem to do well 5 v 5 most of the time. If they play as well defensively as they generally have all season, get solid goaltending, and have a power play that scores more than once a month, I think they will. So far, one of those things is happening, another is 50/50, but the third is just not even close.

 

[Zbynek]

Lol. Rumor. Yea it's definitely a rumor.

 

[Goalie_Bob]

They will have to go 39-23 the rest of the way to make it. To put that into perspective, they have to be 13-7 for each of the three remaining 20 game spans from here on out.

 

[Zbynek]

They will have to go 39-23 the rest of the way to make it. To put that into perspective, they have to be 13-7 for each of the three remaining 20 game spans from here on out.

Yeah but that's assuming the rest of our conference/division stays the course as well which I'm not buying. You don't think the Flyers will crash and burn in the next few months? I'm not buying the Capitals are a playoff team either. Canes look shaky as all hell, even worse than the Pens. Devils are starting to get some players back but still struggling.

The Metro is a total shitshow this year. It's a free-for-all, but Pens need to win a lot more divisional matchups in the last 60 games if they want a chance.

 

[Honour Over Glory]

f*** I hope not.

 

[Honour Over Glory]

Pens aren’t winning shit with this guy anymoreView attachment 773250

What a f***ing idiot.

Before the season started, I thought we were most likely a playoff team. I liked the changes Dubas made to remove some dead weight (Granlund, Petry, Dumoulin, DeSmith), to trade for Karlsson and Smith, and modestly improve the bottom six. I believed the team only had to improve slightly over last season to be a good bet to make the playoffs. But Sullivan has managed to mold this team into something that's somehow much worse than the sum of its individual parts, and much more likely to be a lottery pick team than one that'll make the playoffs.

Pens removed barnacles attached to the dead weight. Not the actual dead weight.

He's still head coach.

 

[BusinessGoose]

What a f***ing idiot.

Like, we all know pressers are canned garbage

But this dude can't even fake an answer that doesn't put him on the defensive

Lol.. Like come on

 

[Ugene Magic]

We had this poll before the season in a separate thread and I was one of the few who said no…I had a hard time seeing us play differently than we did to end the season last year without a new coach and it turns out this is one time I am right lol

Series Talk: - Will the Pittsburgh Penguins qualify for the 2024 playoffs?

Think we're far enough into the off-season where we can make a reasonable guess. Not too much is gonna change from here, personnel-wise. These threads are more interesting when posted before the regular season gets rolling. Let us know where you think they end up in the Metro and in the East...

forums.hfboards.com

So my answer still holds true...

 

[HandshakeLine]

Pens aren’t winning shit with this guy anymoreView attachment 773250

Lol what a bitch made mark ass busta

 

[Malkinstheman]

Pens aren’t winning shit with this guy anymoreView attachment 773250

Lol what the hell is he even trying to say here? Dudes ego is on the verge of exploding

 

[Peat]

Probably 70-30 towards no.

The optimist's view is that the roster isn't performing all that bad, it's just losing a bunch of tight games and a small boost from somewhere - more quality on the bottom end of the roster, better PP, Karlsson unlocking his full potential here, not taking every other game off defensively - and it could make huge strides quickly. But it is a bit of a hole. They need a big streak to erase it.

The team is flawed, but most are. They have some pretty great underlying numbers, and they seem to do well 5 v 5 most of the time. If they play as well defensively as they generally have all season, get solid goaltending, and have a power play that scores more than once a month, I think they will. So far, one of those things is happening, another is 50/50, but the third is just not even close.

Which of those things is happening and which is 50/50?

 

[Ragamuffin Gunner]

No. They're f***ing losers.

 

[FunkySeeFunkyDo]

They will have to go 39-23 the rest of the way to make it. To put that into perspective, they have to be 13-7 for each of the three remaining 20 game spans from here on out.

Ugh, good post, but I don’t think it’s quite this dire since the only crap team in the conference is CLB. Point being, with more teams in the mix, the points are more distributed, so the playoff cutoff is lower. Also, they’ve played 11 of 32 WC games and only 9 of 50 EC games, so the games upcoming will be more important. 36-23-3 means they only have to be 10 games over 0.500 the rest of the way. (Ugh.)

 

[Peat]

Ugh, good post, but I don’t think it’s quite this dire since the only crap team in the conference is CLB. Point being, with more teams in the mix, the points are more distributed, so the playoff cutoff is lower. Also, they’ve played 11 of 32 WC games and only 9 of 50 EC games, so the games upcoming will be more important. 36-23-3 means they only have to be 10 games over 0.500 the rest of the way. (Ugh.)

The good news is that gives them plenty of opportunity to catch up with the others through 4 point games.

The bad news is the early returns on those are a bit worrying.

 

[BillyOcean]

Probably 70-30 towards no.

The optimist's view is that the roster isn't performing all that bad, it's just losing a bunch of tight games and a small boost from somewhere - more quality on the bottom end of the roster, better PP, Karlsson unlocking his full potential here, not taking every other game off defensively - and it could make huge strides quickly. But it is a bit of a hole. They need a big streak to erase it.



Which of those things is happening and which is 50/50?

Team has the sixth best goals against/game. The starting goalie gets a shutout one game then gives up 3 bad goals the next.

 

[Peat]

Team has the sixth best goals against/game. The starting goalie gets a shutout one game then gives up 3 bad goals the next.

I'd agree the goaltending is inconsistent, but the team has a top 5 save percentage with all three guys saving more than expected, and routinely gives up odd man rushes like they're going out of fashion. Statistically, this team is bottom nine for xGA/60.

In other words, I think they get far more consistent goaltending than defence.

 

[HandshakeLine]

My major concern is that we look like hot garbage in conference.