Post-Game Talk: | Pens vs Knights | win | Special teams are special

[Big Friggin Dummy]

Arizona's basically f***ed up as bad as you can f*** up a franchise for years and hasn't moved. The team's not gonna move because they have like 30-50% attendance in the post Sid/Geno era.

FSG specifically bought the team because of the real estate stuff around the arena in downtown Pittsburgh. They're not gonna move the Pens, but they may try to turn downtown into Little Boston. Ooooooo, spooky.

 

[Flying Dego]

Hate to say this, but I don't know how sustainable hockey in Pittsburgh in downtimes. It's easy to sell tickets ith a winning ream. You guys are a fickle bunch .

The old owners and Mario cashed out, so they are done. Unless Crosby decides to buy the team after retiring, etc etc etc.

Who knows...
Going to enjoy today and worry about tomorrow later .

I was as loyal a supporter as they come when I lived in town. I actually have a greater love for those terrible teams but honestly most cities don't support losers...though cities with less to do tend to be better at it then say Miami.

You know who I've found to be the biggest supporters through awful franchise management? Browns fans. Living in Ohio It's impressive the loyalty those people have for a legit clown show.

 

[Pancakes]

Arizona's basically f***ed up as bad as you can f*** up a franchise for years and hasn't moved. The team's not gonna move because they have like 30-50% attendance in the post Sid/Geno era.

FSG specifically bought the team because of the real estate stuff around the arena in downtown Pittsburgh. They're not gonna move the Pens, but they may try to turn downtown into Little Boston. Ooooooo, spooky.

Bettman would never let anyone move the Pens anyways.

And the attendance will just go right back up when the team wins a bunch anyways.

 

[orby]

It would be a major benefit to the team if Kapanen were to start scoring regularly. Having another option besides Rust for 2RW would make a world of difference since it seems Rust is way off his game right now. If at least one of those two players can keep it together, the team will look a lot better.

 

[Le Magnifique 66]

Trade Kapanen now!!! lol

 

[Gold Diamond]

What a gutsy win. Chased the score the whole game - tied it, pulled ahead, and held on against a very good Vegas team.

Need more of these, pl0x.

 

[LOGiK]

What a team yall have ️ even without letang they spit. Even without an arm they spit. How long does yall think he is out though? Any estimation? Br respect

Nice Columbo art.

 

[Sidgeni Malkby]

I was as loyal a supporter as they come when I lived in town. I actually have a greater love for those terrible teams but honestly most cities don't support losers...though cities with less to do tend to be better at it then say Miami.

You know who I've found to be the biggest supporters through awful franchise management? Browns fans. Living in Ohio It's impressive the loyalty those people have for a legit clown show.

Just so I'm not misinterpreted, I wasn't intending to dump on Pittsburgh in anyway. I have visited multiple times and enjoyed myself in every stay. You are right that most cities don't support losers.

In a perfect NHL world (Bettman's dream), every team barely misses the playoffs, and every team walks into the playoffs with a chance to win the cup.

Also I find attendance isn't necessarily and accurate measurement as you can fill the rink at $20/head or are $100/head. Ultimately it's more a business than a sport. I see how hard Errey/Mearsy try to keep the fan watching the game. Bringing up obscure statistics to sell hope.

I don't know much about the Cleveland mindset. The people. Maybe they just love their football above all else. I grew up in Montreal and people just drank/bled Canadiens. Every detail mulled over in a cult like fashion. The soap opera atmosphere creates the buzz and fills the seats.

 

[Le Magnifique 66]

What a gutsy win. Chased the score the whole game - tied it, pulled ahead, and held on against a very good Vegas team.

Need more of these, pl0x.

Those wins are the type you get a good winning streak going, hopefully it's the case here and we can win at least 5-6 in a row!!!!!!!

 

[vodeni]

The biggest single problem on this team - as regards winning or losing games - is our PP.
There is blame to go around, but with Letang out, the most culpable and least capable player on that unit is Rust and it isn't close. Rust who was there when GCR went straight to hell, and rebounded fiercely when Rakell was put back on the line. Now Rust is with Geno and Zucker, and L2 promptly started to struggle to convert ES at all since he returned, after having bee our best line by a canter just prior when it was ZGR.
I suppose at least it is still even and carrying play in most games, but it is surely not the factor it was.

You look at those things, you look at how well Rakell is playing, and if the guy with primary responsibility for who jumps over the boards does not do ANYTHING to change ANYTHING on PP1 - flipping Rust and Rakell in primis - then how is he not the bigger problem?
And just to show how outsized an opinion Sully has of Rust, he is put with Sid and Guentzel to end games with the empty net. Despite Rakell literally being the most defensively conscious top6 forward we have thus far this season.

Perhaps faith giving us a helping hand tonight with the PP finally scoring when Rust was off . Funny also to see Geno do a few fakes and then put that pass right in Guentzel's wheelhouse. How often do we even see that happen on the PP nowadays? That anyone is open for a one-timer and the pass is actually perfectly calibrated for the shot to be taken?

In any event, as much as I want Rakell on that unit now, we really still need the Horny clone, or anyone who can make opponents uncomfortable in front, plays with some intensity and can win a battle.

so Zucker and Rakell in Jake and Rust out ...simple as that

 

[LOGiK]

Arizona's basically f***ed up as bad as you can f*** up a franchise for years and hasn't moved. The team's not gonna move because they have like 30-50% attendance in the post Sid/Geno era.

FSG specifically bought the team because of the real estate stuff around the arena in downtown Pittsburgh. They're not gonna move the Pens, but they may try to turn downtown into Little Boston. Ooooooo, spooky.

As long as the Souper Bowl or watever is still there and they keep their Super Chexx.... all is right in the world.
(if that is even still there haha... I don't drink, but I go there for the super chexx)

 

[SEALBound]

These are the "micro-moments" throughout a season that I just love. Everyone knows KK has been struggling, and we've wanted to dump him for weeks. But he gets his chance, comes back in, and pots the game-winning goal. Then you get to see that release of emotion during the celebration and see the human side of the game. I would love to see this be a turning point for Kappy to return to the 40pt player that we know he can be.

That said, what is really starting to concern me is Carter. He looks like how he did late last year. Like he's at 85% or so and the energy levels just deplete over a game. I wouldn't hate seeing something like: McGinn-Bleuger-Kapanen getting some 3rd line minutes. Or Poehling-Blueger-Kapanen. Or hell, Heinen-Bleuger-Kapanen.

Now to be fair, there were a few times where I yelled "move your feet Kappy!", especially in the trenches of the o-zone. He needs to keep his feet moving and attack the play. That's his game. He did have some passive perimeter plays last night so there is still work to do.

If the town reverts back to its attendance levels during the X-Gen years where it was mostly us high schoolers buying $20 student rush tickets for lower bowl seats and attendance being around 5,000? We may move this time and head to be the Boston Penguins

I can see it now - The Houston Heat Penguins! Just turn the golden triangle into a flame and you're set. Add a strip of red to the jerseys ala WBS...boom. Done. Hot.

 

[vodeni]

i like Cassidy…he calls it like he sees it, unlike the bland repetitive Sullivan…he called the Pens season “uneven”, which was generous…it’s clear he doesn’t think the Pens are having a good season…lol

he also has a habit throwing players under the bus sometimes, but it was interesting to me that he recognized that his forward did not come out high on that Geno's pass to Jake. Thats what I would hear from Sully to understand that its not coaches rather than players. His forward did not come out high cause Geno faked it and looked like he may shoot, and we push them back a little bit...thats one of the things missing on our power play. Obviously the book on Pens is just to press them high and they are stuck to perimeter

 

[Ragamuffin Gunner]

+Pens winning in spite of Sully.

-Sully.

 

[ncm7772]

Kapanen has been useless for 2 seasons. Gets (deservedly) benched. Plays a game and scores a goal. Now its Sullivan’s fault that he’s been so bad because he’s not been given chances to play. So yes! Let’s forget that this player has been useless for 2 seasons because he scored his first goal in 14 games.

Never change HF, never change!

 

[Zap Rowsdower]

It's gotta be obvious to everyone including Sully that Rakell needs to be on the PP instead of Rust. He's gotta be worried about hurting Rust's feelings or something

 

[pistolpete11]

That said, what is really starting to concern me is Carter. He looks like how he did late last year. Like he's at 85% or so and the energy levels just deplete over a game. I wouldn't hate seeing something like: McGinn-Bleuger-Kapanen getting some 3rd line minutes. Or Poehling-Blueger-Kapanen. Or hell, Heinen-Bleuger-Kapanen.

Carter is on pace for like 45 points and is a +2 despite getting hammered with like 75% D-zone starts. I worry about him breaking down as the season goes on, but he's been pretty good this year despite being miscast as a defensive shutdown C.

 

[Gurglesons]

Carter is on pace for like 45 points and is a +2 despite getting hammered with like 75% D-zone starts. I worry about him breaking down as the season goes on, but he's been pretty good this year despite being miscast as a defensive shutdown C.

Yep. Carter stinks in the role he’s playing, but he’s holding his head above water.

 

[Liberty Biberty]

Which hotels do the visiting teams stay at when they roll into play the Pens?

no idea, but I would think Fairmont

The Flames were at the Fairmont last week. I stopped at the Starbucks attached to it, and saw Huberdeau walking through the lobby.

 

[Empoleon8771]

Yeah Carter is doing as well as you can reasonable hope for him in the role he's being used. They've done a really good job at limiting his ice time, he's down from 17:40 TOI/game last year to 15:00 TOI/game this year, and his overall results are solid. If he keeps winning 60% of his faceoffs while producing decently and eating heavy defensive minutes, which allows Crosby and Malkin to get more prime offensive opportunities, I won't have any complaints with him.

 

[Icarium]

Kapanen has been useless for 2 seasons. Gets (deservedly) benched. Plays a game and scores a goal. Now its Sullivan’s fault that he’s been so bad because he’s not been given chances to play. So yes! Let’s forget that this player has been useless for 2 seasons because he scored his first goal in 14 games.

No one is saying it's only Sullivan's fault that Kapanen is bad. People are saying that Heinen and Rust have been just as bad for about a month now and replacing one of them with Kapanen might give the team a spark. That's exactly what happened.

 

[Buddy Bizarre]

Sullivan needs to play POJ more and Petry a touch less. Petry is going to eat some heavy minutes with Letang out. And there is no reason to play PO just 14 minutes a night when he's playing like this well.

An easy fix would be to put PO on the first power play unit. Swap Rust and Petry out for Rakell and PO.

I'd say the person who needs to play less is Dumo.
You know he's never coming out bc he's got an "A"

 

[ronduguayshair]

 

[vodeni]

I suspect they will bring back the student rush program at this rate.

Its already back, thats how I as a season non-ticket holder am cheating my way into the arena, going with my kids that are at Pitt.

 

[AjaxTelamon]

Carter is on pace for like 45 points and is a +2 despite getting hammered with like 75% D-zone starts. I worry about him breaking down as the season goes on, but he's been pretty good this year despite being miscast as a defensive shutdown C.

The dude gets away with so much interference and other fairly obvious penalties like tripping Hutton on the McGinn goal, and gets so much respect from players around the net, that he's still a really useful player even when he's not scoring goals. I was shocked there was any call at all on his goalie interference penalty until I saw there was an even up call.

I am mildly surprised all the stuff he got away with in LA kept right up in Pittsburgh. With his shot a few more goals will come.