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

[Icarium]

Carter crashing accidentally on purpose into Thompson was the turning point of the game, after that the Knights goalie looked beatable. Hornqvist would have been proud.

 

[ChaosAgent]

Carter crashing accidentally on purpose into Thompson was the turning point of the game, after that the Knights goalie looked beatable. Hornqvist would have been proud.

Yes although we were absolutely gifted that call as an even-up. 100% goalie interference only.

 

[Gurglesons]

Yes although we were absolutely gifted that call as an even-up. 100% goalie interference only.

Given the other examples of “roughing” and “cross checking” that was “hooking”.

 

[Rakell67]

Im not from Pittsburgh, but watching the games on tv, the building seems half empty on most nights. Can ticket holders chime in?

Times are tough. Not trying to get political. I'm not going this year (3.5 hr drive) due to my financials. Tickets, hotel, parking, food, gas.

 

[SEALBound]

Times are tough. Not trying to get political. I'm not going this year (3.5 hr drive) due to my financials. Tickets, hotel, parking, food, gas.

People don't think inflation, gas prices, and disposable income be like it is, but it do.

I was actually noticing the same thing last night. At the start of the 2nd or 3rd, the arena looked half empty.

 

[Empoleon8771]

Im not from Pittsburgh, but watching the games on tv, the building seems half empty on most nights. Can ticket holders chime in?

 

[SEALBound]

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!

To be fair, he was quite good for us in 2020. He put up 30pt in 40GP. That's a 60pt pace and it gave credence to the idea that he could be more than a 3RW. Last season, yeah he stunk it up.

 

[Andy99]

How NHL teams have optimized power-plays to generate more goal scoring

According to the numbers, teams around the NHL are having more success on the power-play in recent years, but what can that be attributed to? Here are a few factors that may be playing a part in that PP trend.

www.sportsnet.ca

lol…someone should send this article to the Penguins…

 

[vodeni]

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.

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

No one is talking abouth benching JC. I think he can still bring net positive if put in the right role. Centering third line ain't that. In that role he is killing production of McGinn and Kappy and whoever is on that third line (last game nothwithstanding). Being defensive shutdown this line is leaking chances but getting by with a good dose of luck, but also killing momentum whatever other lines do before or after. That is sort of unmeasurable stat, but its so obvious. Similarly last year, GCR was leaking chances like crazy but riding crazy PDO so no one cared, this year it caught up with them, hence Rust finally get kicked off of that line....

How NHL teams have optimized power-plays to generate more goal scoring

According to the numbers, teams around the NHL are having more success on the power-play in recent years, but what can that be attributed to? Here are a few factors that may be playing a part in that PP trend.

www.sportsnet.ca

lol…someone should send his article to the Penguins…

I thought they are already using data, just read this morning about how goalie screening drop down significantly from last year. They are Not sure why. Maybe because Jake does not want to get beat up anymore? Put Zucker there and all good. Rakell on the left wall and we are rolling

 

[Gurglesons]

No one is talking abouth benching JC. I think he can still bring net positive if put in the right role. Centering third line ain't that. In that role he is killing production of McGinn and Kappy and whoever is on that third line (last game nothwithstanding). Being defensive shutdown this line is leaking chances but getting by with a good dose of luck, but also killing momentum whatever other lines do before or after. That is sort of unmeasurable stat, but its so obvious. Similarly last year, GCR was leaking chances like crazy but riding crazy PDO so no one cared, this year it caught up with them, hence Rust finally get kicked off of that line....

I thought they are already using data, just read this morning about how goalie screening drop down significantly from last year. They are Not sure why. Maybe because Jake does not want to get beat up anymore? Put Zucker there and all good. Rakell on the left wall and we are rolling

I dunno he's been relatively good.

 

[Buddy Bizarre]

I think it's hilarious that I stated that Sid should be removed from the right circle on the PP. Low and behold, Jake moves over there and we get a goal. Granted it was 4 on 3 but there's something to be taken from there.

Sid is not a threat in that circle anymore. Move him to the point (Malkin's spot)

 

[Sidney the Kidney]

I think it's hilarious that I stated that Sid should be removed from the right circle on the PP. Low and behold, Jake moves over there and we get a goal. Granted it was 4 on 3 but there's something to be taken from there.

Sid is not a threat in that circle anymore. Move him to the point (Malkin's spot)

The only spot Sid scores from nowadays is around the net. So his role on the PP should either be the bumper spot or on the left dot as the playmaker who sets up our lefties on the right side for one timers.

 

[SomeDude]

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 .

This is why Uncle Gary will make the lottery only for teams who get bounced in the first round this year so we get Bedard.

 

[SomeDude]

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.

It never left, but it was very limited when they were actually selling out.

Back in the x-gen days they didn’t care what proof you had as long as you had $20. I still have my college ID from 17 years ago. Hmm..

 

[ChaosAgent]

I dunno he's been relatively good.

Carter has been better this year. Not good, but he's pretty far down the list of issues (he isn't on PP1)

 

[Pancakes]

e: nm

 

[wgknestrick]

I don't see the alternatives at this point. I guess we could try POJ on PP1, but while Petry isn't historically a great powerplay guy he isn't the issue. You've got Rust who sucks this year and then GCMalk who are out of answers especially on entries.

The PP issues are (and always have been) putting the puck on/around the boards too much. When you throw the puck around the boards, the PK gives you a big, "thank you".

Most clearances against start with a bad possession, a rim around, then a 50/50 board battle with a tough retrieval.

 

[AuroraBorealis]

I think Carter is slightly exceeding expectations this year. He's getting 71.1% D-zone draws at ES. That's 21% more than his career average. Massive.

L3 is a net positive in goals despite that and some porous play from a few of our D. Not like the goalies have been great either. Plus how many of L3's goals against would you blame him for? Probably a meager amount.

12 points in 21 games. That's something like Bonino used to do in a comparable role.
He's been a minus only twice in the last 13 games.

I don't see the big problem. Maybe $3.25M is a little too much for what he's giving but he's playing something like $2.5M for me at worst.

It's a thankless support role, allowing the top 6 to get their cookies.

 

[ChaosAgent]

The PP issues are (and always have been) putting the puck on/around the boards too much. When you throw the puck around the boards, the PK gives you a big, "thank you".

Most clearances against start with a bad possession, a rim around, then a 50/50 board battle with a tough retrieval.

I agree on in-zone time. Don't use the boards unless you absolutely have to.

But entries really boils down to this. There's 3 ways to enter the zone - aside from trying to score off the rush which we are better at than other tactics:
1) Pass, deke, skill your way in
2) Speed, back off defense, get your teammates into the zone
3) Dump/Chase

Guess what? Our PP1 absolutely suck at #2 and #3, our opponents know it and so we're left with predictable "guy enters zone at middling pace and makes a 10 foot lateral pass to the boards." But our opponents know this and jam us up.
We really need to expand our PP1's entries but that requires different personnel. Rust could execute #2 or #3 but he's pure #2 now (ba dum bish). Letang is a spaz and had a stroke. The other 3 guys are slow and aren't willing forecheckers.

Something has to be done about the personnel on these units. The parts don't fit together and they overly defer to each other. There's a reason why PP2 has a fraction of the accolades and uh...70% of the salary (thanks Petry and Zuck) but is competent on entries and PP1 isn't. They move straight ahead and are willing forecheckers.

 

[AuroraBorealis]

Most clearances against start with a bad possession, a rim around, then a 50/50 board battle with a tough retrieval.

Yeah or faceoffs. I'd like to know our PP1 in-zone draw %. Feel like it's pretty poor.

 

[Tender Rip]

What would you guys say is a good PP rank for this season, given our roster? I'd say 10th place...? Let's go with that...
We've scored 13 PPGs. The Leafs have scored 19 (10th).
So how many of those 6 missing goals would have actually led to a better record? Think it's fair to say half would be lost to needless insurance goals or goals that wouldn't prevent a regulation loss anyway.

3 goals left. 2 wins and an OT loss let's say, with how garb we are in OT?

5 points in the standings lost because of a poor PP.

Agreed? Fair number, roughly?

Also worth noting we've somehow only given up 2 shorties, which is like mid-pack in the league. 11 teams have given up between 3 and 5. So we're not actually paying the price too bad for poor puck management, from an opposition goal perspective. So much luck involved there.

5 points at this stage is enormous. More so when you extrapolate over the season. Make it 3 instead and it becomes +10 points difference at the ond of the season.
That’s the difference for making it in or not for all but a few teams, usually.

Moreover, we are one of the teams that should have the PP as a relative strength given personnel. Not like we differentiate ourselves with Vezina goal tending, toughness etc. Another wrinkle is that if we cannot convert when it matters, it gives opponents more freedom to play tougher on us.

 

[ChaosAgent]

Yeah or faceoffs. I'd like to know our PP1 in-zone draw %. Feel like it's pretty poor.

What happened to Geno taking the faceoffs at the start of the year?

It was a neat new thing then it stopped and Sid isn't winning enough - because we are so bad at entries that if we don't win the initial faceoff it's 50/50 whether PP1 will ever set up and not hemorrhage chances against.
Not saying Geno would be better at Sid per-se, but it was a cool/shocking wrinkle in October and now it's gone poof.
Put frigging Carter out there for the initial faceoff if you must. Change him on the fly or after the first zone exit.

 

[AuroraBorealis]

5 points at this stage is enormous. More so when you extrapolate over the season. Make it 3 instead and it becomes +10 points difference at the ond of the season.
That’s the difference for making it in or not for all but a few teams, usually.

Moreover, we are one of the teams that should have the PP as a relative strength given personnel. Not like we differentiate ourselves with Vezina goal tending, toughness etc. Another wrinkle is that if we cannot convert when it matters, it gives opponents more freedom to play tougher on us.

I 100% agree it's huge. Was just trying to quantify it.
Our 5v5 play has really had to step up to to cover for it to the extent it has.

That's true with the opposition pressure thing. We were pretty fortunate to get that one PPG yesterday. Felt like that was played super poorly by the Vegas player nearest Jake. It was a slow developing play and he wasn't ready at all.

 

[AuroraBorealis]

What happened to Geno taking the faceoffs at the start of the year?

It was a neat new thing then it stopped and Sid isn't winning enough - because we are so bad at entries that if we don't win the initial faceoff it's 50/50 whether PP1 will ever set up and not hemorrhage chances against.
Not saying Geno would be better at Sid per-se, but it was a cool/shocking wrinkle in October and now it's gone poof.
Put frigging Carter out there for the initial faceoff if you must. Change him on the fly or after the first zone exit.

Geno's faceoffs have fallen off hard in general. That's probably the reason.

I'm honestly not opposed to using Carter as net front and faceoffs at this point. Would obviously prefer Rakell on the unit but I wouldn't hate it. According to Yohe - who did a deep dive - we're among the very worst teams at screening goalies on the PP, and it's killing us.

 

[ChaosAgent]

I 100% agree it's huge. Was just trying to quantify it.
Our 5v5 play has really had to step up to to cover for it to the extent it has.

That's true with the opposition pressure thing. We were pretty fortunate to get that one PPG yesterday. Felt like that was played super poorly by the Vegas player nearest Jake. It was a slow developing play and he wasn't ready at all.

It only happened because it was 4-on-3. No chance they scored 5-on-4.