"Thornton, Marleau, Pavelski just didn't care..." - Ridiculous Narrative

[DonskoiDonscored]

LA still needs to figure out their defense but as long as Sutter's their coach, they'll most likely go far.

it's hard to do that when you've traded almost everything valuable (1st round picks, prospects, a goalie who lead his team to an SCF appearance) for players that leave/will leave (Lucic, Sekera, Versteeg).

It reminds of the Sharks of 6-8 years ago.

Hopefully other teams have been watching the playoffs. They should know how to contain the Kings.

 

[Quid Pro Clowe]

Kings are on the decline unless they move some contracts and make that defense better. We all saw how thin their depth was when Martinez went down.

 

[Pinkfloyd]

Kings are on the decline unless they move some contracts and make that defense better. We all saw how thin their depth was when Martinez went down.

Luckily for them, Lecavalier is retiring for some reason so that's 2.25 mil they'll get if he follows through on passing up two years and six million dollars. I don't know how they'll get anyone to take Dustin Brown even at 3 mil. They need to call up Columbus and see if they'll do them some more solids and take guys like Matt Greene, Rob Scuderi, or Dustin Brown off their hands. lol

 

[Bleedred]

Thornton is just a choker and will never win jack!

Well it's been a while since I made a sarcastic rant post about Thornton so it was due to happen, although I was able to fool a few people on other forums into thinking I was being serious. I have never been his biggest fan and was a very big believer that this team wasn't winning a cup with this core of players, though not because of Thornton at all personally. After this playoffs, I've definitely changed my mind on this core not winning a cup. Although they did weed out guys like Boyle, who I considered as a core player years ago when he was around. I never considered Havlat as a core player, but surely a significant piece.

I think weeding out a lot of that deadweight and Niemi among others was a step in the right direction. And I defended Niemi more than most, but changing your goalie is a huge part in a culture change. This current group also demonstrated that they can win with each other.

 

[OrrNumber4]

it's hard to do that when you've traded almost everything valuable (1st round picks, prospects, a goalie who lead his team to an SCF appearance) for players that leave/will leave (Lucic, Sekera, Versteeg).

It reminds of the Sharks of 6-8 years ago.

Hopefully other teams have been watching the playoffs. They should know how to contain the Kings.

Eh, the Kings have a lot of the intangibles and x-factors that make them a more dangerous team than they look on paper. They seem to have a system/coach in place that squeezes 100-120% of the theoretical potential from the roster.

 

[Quid Pro Clowe]

Luckily for them, Lecavalier is retiring for some reason so that's 2.25 mil they'll get if he follows through on passing up two years and six million dollars. I don't know how they'll get anyone to take Dustin Brown even at 3 mil. They need to call up Columbus and see if they'll do them some more solids and take guys like Matt Greene, Rob Scuderi, or Dustin Brown off their hands. lol

Don't forget Gaborik. He still has 6 years left on his deal!

 

[Quid Pro Clowe]

Eh, the Kings have a lot of the intangibles and x-factors that make them a more dangerous team than they look on paper. They seem to have a system/coach in place that squeezes 100-120% of the theoretical potential from the roster.

Just like this year, huh?

If they go into next year looking the way they currently do, they're in trouble. Kings won in the past due to the fact they had 3 solid lines up front and on the back end. They now have 2 lines and 3 defenseman. They aren't what they were.

 

[Gene Parmesan]

Luckily for them, Lecavalier is retiring for some reason so that's 2.25 mil they'll get if he follows through on passing up two years and six million dollars. I don't know how they'll get anyone to take Dustin Brown even at 3 mil. They need to call up Columbus and see if they'll do them some more solids and take guys like Matt Greene, Rob Scuderi, or Dustin Brown off their hands. lol

Lombardi has incriminating photos of Vinny. "Retire or else". ******* gonna *******.

 

[KarlssonsGroin]

Pavelski may have been hurt but I attribute the performance of the Joes to Burns being neutralized. How many points in rounds 1-3 for the Joes came from Burns shots/tipping his shots? Once the Penguins shut burns down and they lost Hertl, what could you expect?

Marleau may make 6m but he's also a 3rd liner...

 

[Gene Parmesan]

The fact Pavs was shooting like Matt Nieto is pretty telling.

 

[Led Zappa]

The fact Pavs was shooting like Matt Nieto is pretty telling.

 

[WTFetus]

Pavelski may have been hurt but I attribute the performance of the Joes to Burns being neutralized. How many points in rounds 1-3 for the Joes came from Burns shots/tipping his shots? Once the Penguins shut burns down and they lost Hertl, what could you expect?

Marleau may make 6m but he's also a 3rd liner...

I agree, though I think it was the Pens speed in addition to neutralizing Burns. They really needed to try and split up the Joes.
Pavelski might've gotten injured as the series progressed, but he was getting neutralized since puck-drop of Game 1. The difference from how he looked at the end of Game 6 against the Blues, and the start of Game 1 against the Pens is telling.

 

[Gene Parmesan]

That's because the Pen essentially used a Man Under coverage on he and Thornton. Hertl was left 1 on 1 and beat whoever was in front of him.

 

[Bleedred]

Don't forget Gaborik. He still has 6 years left on his deal!

WHAT? Seriously? Are you sure he has 6 years left? I thought they only signed him for 5 in total, which would be 3 more years left.

If they did sign him for 8 years though, holy **** Dean has really been under the influence these past two years.

Good god.

 

[Gene Parmesan]

Well he did employ Stoll and Richards.

 

[Pinkfloyd]

WHAT? Seriously? Are you sure he has 6 years left? I thought they only signed him for 5 in total, which would be 3 more years left.

If they did sign him for 8 years though, holy **** Dean has really been under the influence these past two years.

Good god.

Gaborik has five left but I'm sure it'll be like Lecavalier where he'll retire before it's over.

 

[Bleedred]

Well he did employ Stoll and Richards.

And didn't use the amnesty buyout on Richards, only to wind up finding a loophole to terminate his contract the next year and they still have the recapture cap hit penalty for whatever many years.

Gaborik has five left but I'm sure it'll be like Lecavalier where he'll retire before it's over.

Jesus God, that's brutal. Signing Gaborik until he's almost 40 was pretty terrible. And he's not by any means a bad player yet, but he's very injury prone and has problems staying on the ice and he's been in the league since he was 18. In hockey years, he's even older than his real age. And he isn't exactly showing the durability of a guy like Jumbo or God forbid the iron man durability of a guy like Marleau.

Of all the guys they let go, I'd rather re-sign Justin Williams for two years than risky Gaborik for 7 years. Didn't he plan ahead? Even if he retires early, I think they have the recapture penalty.

 

[Dicdonya]

Pavelski may have been hurt but I attribute the performance of the Joes to Burns being neutralized. How many points in rounds 1-3 for the Joes came from Burns shots/tipping his shots? Once the Penguins shut burns down and they lost Hertl, what could you expect?

Marleau may make 6m but he's also a 3rd liner...

Burns getting shut down hurt, but losing Hertl was by far worse. In the two games with Hertl that line was pumping out like 59-60% corsi, and Hertl was producing a ****ing amazing 76 cf/60, with Pavs and Thornton right behind him. Without him Thornton was like 53% and Pavs 50% corsi, while getting around 55 cf/60.

Plus losing Hertl screwed all the lines up, and forced us to play all of our bottom six players, instead of having one sitting. Also Hertl is one of our better goal scorers which further compounded our lack of goals.

Burns hurt, but losing Hertl killed us.

 

[Pinkfloyd]

Jesus God, that's brutal. Signing Gaborik until he's almost 40 was pretty terrible. And he's not by any means a bad player yet, but he's very injury prone and has problems staying on the ice and he's been in the league since he was 18. In hockey years, he's even older than his real age. And he isn't exactly showing the durability of a guy like Jumbo or God forbid the iron man durability of a guy like Marleau.

Of all the guys they let go, I'd rather re-sign Justin Williams for two years than risky Gaborik for 7 years. Didn't he plan ahead? Even if he retires early, I think they have the recapture penalty.

Well, they re-signed Gaborik after the 2014 Cup for seven years and this was the only way to keep his cap hit under 5. I don't think the recapture penalty will be all that severe in Gaborik's case just because the drop in salary is not terribly large relatively speaking. I think if he retires after he turns 37, his cap recapture penalty is 3.5 mil split over two years so not awful.

The Williams thing was partly their desire to get Lucic, I guess moreso than Gaborik since Lucic and Williams ended up costing the same on the cap this season.

 

[Quid Pro Clowe]

I don't see Gaborik retiring early. He may LTIR his way out, but he's getting his money.

 

[Sharksrule04]

Idont get why Crosby keeps being brought up, he won the Smythe, didn't deserve it, so why does what he did matter to Thornton? You can't have it both ways.

Either way. I don't think Thornton is going anywhere. Realistically though, it sounds like you are basically proposing we take another soht at it with the same core group and essentially no to little improvement (Since we wont have the cap space). We were not even close to beating the Pens, what in the world makes you think this same group is going to magically get it done next year?

The Sharks need to move dead weight and use the cap dollars on more effective players. Thornton, while not dead weight, still did not perform anywhere near as well as he should have. Realistically though, the sharks are going to have to find a way to keep Thornton and get some speedy players around him. This leads to the Pavelski problem, where do you put Pavelski if not with Thornton? You can't put him with Couture, too slow skaters on one line. This is why the Joe's stay together, but I think it's a problem because they are highly predictable and good teams tend to shut them down easily. Losing Hertl totally killed that line, and I don't want our 1st line so dependent on any 1 player.

LOL! Really? Lose 1 game in OT and two others in the final minutes of the 3rd = "weren't even close".

Who gives if the shot totals were highly one sided. Of course you don't mention the many players on the Penguins playing over their heads.

[mod]

I mean this whole thread is so laughable.
-Easy path to the SCF? How? Because we didn't play the depleted Blackhawks? What are the tougher teams in the NHL that we "lucked" out of not playing?
-Thornton & Pavelski not caring about winning? What? Do you people even pay attention. These two were both in the top 10 players this season and formed possible the best line in the NHL.

Nah they don't like winning, they just wanted to sip Corona's in the summer sun.

HAHAHAH is this serious?

 

[WhiteDeath]

LOL! Really? Lose 1 game in OT and two others in the final minutes of the 3rd = "weren't even close".

Who gives if the shot totals were highly one sided. Of course you don't mention the many players on the Penguins playing over their heads.

[mod]

I mean this whole thread is so laughable.
-Easy path to the SCF? How? Because we didn't play the depleted Blackhawks? What are the tougher teams in the NHL that we "lucked" out of not playing?
-Thornton & Pavelski not caring about winning? What? Do you people even pay attention. These two were both in the top 10 players this season and formed possible the best line in the NHL.

Nah they don't like winning, they just wanted to sip Corona's in the summer sun.

HAHAHAH is this serious?

QFT - the margin of victory in this series was razor thin

 

[Quid Pro Clowe]

QFT - the margin of victory in this series was razor thin

Shhhh. This series wasn't close. Penguins dominated all the sabermetics. The actual scores of the actual games mean nothing.

 

[WhiteDeath]

Shhhh. This series wasn't close. Penguins dominated all the Sabremetics. The actual scores of the actual games mean nothing.

I said elsewhere that this Pens team reminded me of the sharks teams from a few years ago who would "dominate" other teams, regularly putting 40+ shots up...30 of which were of the completely harmless variety right into center mass of the goalie...great for shooting, bad for hockey.

Not that I'm saying the Pens didn't outplay us...I think they did, but it was very very close...a bounce here or there (or a penalty called) changes the outcome, and it certainly wasn't the "complete domination" narrative or "woulda been a sweep without Jones" I keep seeing.

Actually, the latter is far worse than the former. Yes, Jones played amazing, but discounting the amazing saves at the other end of the ice is incredibly disrespectful. Game 3, I was having nightmare flashbacks to 08-09 "save by Hiller! Another amazing save by Hiller! ROBBERY BY HILLER!"

 

[Quid Pro Clowe]

I said elsewhere that this Pens team reminded me of the sharks teams from a few years ago who would "dominate" other teams, regularly putting 40+ shots up...30 of which were of the completely harmless variety right into center mass of the goalie...great for shooting, bad for hockey.

Not that I'm saying the Pens didn't outplay us...I think they did, but it was very very close...a bounce here or there (or a penalty called) changes the outcome, and it certainly wasn't the "complete domination" narrative or "woulda been a sweep without Jones" I keep seeing.

Actually, the latter is far worse than the former. Yes, Jones played amazing, but discounting the amazing saves at the other end of the ice is incredibly disrespectful. Game 3, I was having nightmare flashbacks to 08-09 "save by Hiller! Another amazing save by Hiller! ROBBERY BY HILLER!"

I've said the same things there. Pens goal was to fire from all angles and they did. Sharks tried to be more precise, which paid off at times, but caused a lot of blocks, too. Actual shot attempts weren't that far off.

Nbc and the media fluffed the Pens and Crosby from game 1 on. Can't blame the sheeple for following the herd and not developing their own opinion.