Post-mortem on the season

[Joejosh999]

If Letang didn't blame himself for G5 he'd need help for delusion lol.
Since it seems a given that the Pens won't trade him, how about reducing mins and keeping him away from other teams' best/most opportunistic lines? Basically play him as a 3-4.

Or would that harm his ego/confidence?

 

[BladeRunner66]

If Letang didn't blame himself for G5 he'd need help for delusion lol.
Since it seems a given that the Pens won't trade him, how about reducing mins and keeping him away from other teams' best/most opportunistic lines? Basically play him as a 3-4.

Or would that harm his ego/confidence?

Yeah ok but who would play 1-2?

Or were you simply talking about minutes? I mean, keeping him away from top offensive lines pretty much makes it clear we'd need to get a top 1-2.

 

[Sidney the Kidney]

If Letang didn't blame himself for G5 he'd need help for delusion lol.
Since it seems a given that the Pens won't trade him, how about reducing mins and keeping him away from other teams' best/most opportunistic lines? Basically play him as a 3-4.

Or would that harm his ego/confidence?

How is playing a $7.25 million defender as your 3/4 a smart move? And who are you playing as your 1/2?

If the club needs to make Letang a second pairing defender to shelter him, then they should just trade him and use the money more wisely.

 

[Joejosh999]

How is playing a $7.25 million defender as your 3/4 a smart move? And who are you playing as your 1/2?

If the club needs to make Letang a second pairing defender to shelter him, then they should just trade him and use the money more wisely.

Precisely.
I'm saying if you keep him you can't give him the mins/assignments he's had, esp in playoffs. You'd have to shelter him. And that is ridiculous for 7.25 mil D.

IOW gotta move him.
Unless we're all fine with the game/series changing gaffes.

Wasn't it Dumo/Maatta last POs? I know Dumo completely shut down Ovi.

 

[Peat]

With all due respect to a lot here that think we(by we i mean us who are bitter about how it ended) please reread that bold statement. It's the fact that that is what irks ushere. I honestly wouldn't have minded if Washington beat us fair and square but to squander it away was quite inexcusable. If you dont think Pens squandered it away, that's a whole another argument. Pens scored enough goals every game but at the most importune time, they shot themselves in the foot. Again, I see a lot of guys here thinking the issue was guys hurt. Those guys hurt are not playing defense. The inference actually from that reasoning is that even if Washington scored we didn't have enough ammo left with the injured guys to generate offense. I beg to differ. There were enough goals scored. How many times was the team up by 1 goal in the Washington series and gave it right back because of defensive lapses? It's so easy to forget that the goals washington scored for the most part were mistakes the D was making or the lapse from the forwards to help their D.
I am happy for the 2 cups. But boy-- some dont see how infuriating it is to just see a team squander away their chance.

it's easy to lay the reasoning for the loss on the amount of hockey they played and the wall they hit. But when you dig deeper, it's not that. Pens were scoring enough goals. Personally, I have explained this before, it felt just like one would when their child goes to school and gets a lower grade even though you have spent numerous hours studying and helping them and training them.

I dont think the issue was hitting a wall. I suspect it was complacency from some guys for thinking business as usual and lack of situational awareness and focus (and i get that this is conjecture). I have wondered aloud if the loss of Cullen took away veteran leadership that actually refocused the group on the task at hand. we wont know. You know, this is sports but it's disingenuous for me to tell myself their loss on hitting a wall after seeing the way they squandered lead after lead again and again. I want to say, they were up by 1 goal every game since game 3.

And I dont think it will be as easy as people think to win the cup again next year. there will be teams retooling.

sorry if it comes angry guys lo but i'm not (at least hope not).

If you're relying on a one goal lead to win a game, the attack isn't doing their job - particularly when opportunities are there and not being taken. Not saying the defence is doing their job either - but this isn't an either or. More goals create games where defensive and goaltending lapses can be forgiven.

Also - I don't think anyone thinks it will be easy because its never easy. But it will be easy to have a chance and as good as most teams at that.

 

[Gurglesons]

How is playing a $7.25 million defender as your 3/4 a smart move? And who are you playing as your 1/2?

If the club needs to make Letang a second pairing defender to shelter him, then they should just trade him and use the money more wisely.

If you want to criticize Letang’s game that is fine. He just hit 50+ in a bad season. He’s worth 7.25 for his offensive production alone.

Criticize that aspect, but even then. There are defensemen who put up less without playing the PK and they will continue to multiple.

 

[Joejosh999]

If you want to criticize Letang’s game that is fine. He just hit 50+ in a bad season. He’s worth 7.25 for his offensive production alone.

Then make him a F.

 

[Sidney the Kidney]

If you want to criticize Letang’s game that is fine. He just hit 50+ in a bad season. He’s worth 7.25 for his offensive production alone.

Criticize that aspect, but even then. There are defensemen who put up less without playing the PK and they will continue to multiple.

Not sure why you quoted me? I wasn't criticizing him. I was responding to a poster who suggested sheltering him and using him as the 3/4 defender. So I was pointing out that if that's what you're going to do, he's quite expensive for that type of role and you're leaving yourself with no viable 1/2 option.

 

[ColePens]

Boy spending a whole summer bitching about Letang is going to suck. Yes.. dude is a rollercoaster of a hockey player, but like most rollercoasters it's a long trip up and shorter trips down. He gives us a lot more good than bad and he's not replaceable. Go ahead and try to replace him with a ferris wheel. Replace him with bumper cars. Nobody cares about those rides. They want the Steel Phantom.

That is how you make amusement park references to hockey to pass time until October.

 

[DegenX]

Boy spending a whole summer *****ing about Letang is going to suck. Yes.. dude is a rollercoaster of a hockey player, but like most rollercoasters it's a long trip up and shorter trips down. He gives us a lot more good than bad and he's not replaceable. Go ahead and try to replace him with a ferris wheel. Replace him with bumper cars. Nobody cares about those rides. They want the Steel Phantom.

That is how you make amusement park references to hockey to pass time until October.

I bet you hated Disney World.

 

[Gurglesons]

Boy spending a whole summer *****ing about Letang is going to suck. Yes.. dude is a rollercoaster of a hockey player, but like most rollercoasters it's a long trip up and shorter trips down. He gives us a lot more good than bad and he's not replaceable. Go ahead and try to replace him with a ferris wheel. Replace him with bumper cars. Nobody cares about those rides. They want the Steel Phantom.

That is how you make amusement park references to hockey to pass time until October.

It’s called Phantom’s Revenge now, Cole. Quit showing your age.

 

[ColePens]

I bet you hated Disney World.

Not to derail the thread immensely, but i will say my favorite all-time ride is Soarin' in Epcot. What an epic idea/ride that nothing can really touch. Even if you look around and try to poke holes into it, you can't help but feel the reality behind it. Seriously one amazing experience. Mind blowing, even.

I was just trying to see how many references I can make in one post to an amusement park.

 

[SouthGeorge]

If Letang didn't blame himself for G5 he'd need help for delusion lol.
Since it seems a given that the Pens won't trade him, how about reducing mins and keeping him away from other teams' best/most opportunistic lines? Basically play him as a 3-4.

Or would that harm his ego/confidence?

Pretty sure it's not allowed. Dumo was jumping up a lot and getting to the net and creating great scoring chances but just couldn't bury it. It was apparent keeping them on the same line was becoming a huge liability. Yet, they stuck with it and it ultimately cost us the 3peat.

 

[Allie Kitsune]

Then make him a F.

Ah yes, putting him in the old Engelland spot. Likely with Carter Rowney as his center.

That should be good for making people rage on message boards.