Who's To Blame For Penguins Debacle?

[Beauner]

Everyone, from JR to Sully to the players

Before JR came in, all the Penguins contracts were sweetheart deals. The Penguins were potentially set up to compete for many many more years.

Then JR comes in. JR hands out bad contracts, makes horrid trades, and deals draft picks.

It’s not rocket science. There is literally one way to continually make an aging core a top NHL team: add the best young fast players you can find.

JR did the exact opposite.

Okay, are we just going to ignore everything he did for the 16/17 teams? Everything he touched turned to gold.

He went away from that the past couple years for some inexplicable reason but let's not act like he's been garbage for his whole tenure

 

[FinProspects]

Few things:
1. Series is not over yet, so lets hold still for a while
2. Underwhelming season for Pens in general, apart from 1st line.
3. NYI is a really good, well coached team

Maybe its time to let Sullivan go? Not saying he isnt a good coach, but it seems that the star players need the coach change every now and then. And after all, you cannot trade your key players away, and it wouldnt make any sense for that matter.

 

[FinProspects]

No one is to blame. The Pens management has been going all in to win it all for the last 4 years. They won two cups and were successful but the Pens have reach the point that both LA and Chicago has already reached the last few seasons where their depth has been depleted and the championship team they were is no longer there. Like LA and the Hawks the Pens are no longer a contender. This will happen to all future cup winners because the cap guarantees that a great team cannot stay together for more then a few years.

This. You simply cannot expect teams to be contenders year after year. Pens have made it to the playoffs 13 years in a row. They have 3 cups during that timespan, 4 finals in total. They lost last year to the SC champs. That is astonishing resume for any team, let alone for any salary cap-era team. Pens have been the #1 team for the last 10ish years in the league.

 

[Islandgirl]

#1 The Islanders are a very good team. Anyone who thought they would have been pushed aside easily doesn't know much.
#2. Right now the Penguins offensive is not clicking. At any moment that could change with the firepower they have.
#3. Barry Trotz on the bench is a mastermind.
#4. The addition of Robin Lehner was huge and also made Thomas Greiss better.

 

[bobholly39]

Everyone, from JR to Sully to the players
Okay, are we just going to ignore everything he did for the 16/17 teams? Everything he touched turned to gold.

He went away from that the past couple years for some inexplicable reason but let's not act like he's been garbage for his whole tenure

2 cups in 3 years is bad. GM needs to be fired. Etc etc.

I agree with you - it's ridiculous.

This. You simply cannot expect teams to be contenders year after year. Pens have made it to the playoffs 13 years in a row. They have 3 cups during that timespan, 4 finals in total. They lost last year to the SC champs. That is astonishing resume for any team, let alone for any salary cap-era team. Pens have been the #1 team for the last 10ish years in the league.

The Pens have been contenders every season since 2007-2008. That's what having Crosby/Malkin duo does for you. They're different then Chicago and Kings in that sense - both of them are better than anyone on Chicago/King's teams, and they haven't really declined yet either.

Of course - being a contender doesn't mean you win every year. But it's not done yet - they only need 16 more wins.

 

[notDatsyuk]

Crosby and Malkin both no showing.

Wonder what the @daver excuses will be? That Crosby didn’t save himself for the playoffs? Or that he was too focused on winning the selke?

I for one can’t wait to see the acrobatics for this one.

They aren't 'no shows'. You just can't see them under the blanket of Islanders.

 

[notDatsyuk]

Father Time. Islanders just look so much faster.

Who's to blame?

Father time.

Average age of Penguins: 28.5
Average age of Islanders: 28.3

 

[Ivo]

Average age of Penguins: 28.5
Average age of Islanders: 28.3

0,2 years makes all the difference.

 

[notDatsyuk]

0,2 years makes all the difference.

The forwards shutting down Crosby and Guentzel are Cizikas and Clutterbuck. Clutterbuck is three months younger than Sid, and Cizikas is five years older than Guentzel.

The forwards shutting down Malkin and Kessel are Filppula and Komarov. Filppula is two years older than Malkin, and Komarov is nine months older than Phil.

Isles defence average 27.5. Pens defence average 28.0.

 

[ijuka]

To blame? Islanders were the better team during the regular season, and are the better team during the playoffs. But well, if I wanted to pin it on someone, I'd say it's on Sidney Crosby for not showing up. 0 points, -4 and visibly terrible.

 

[Rabid Ranger]

Let's give the Trotz and the Islanders some credit here.

 

[Syrinx]

Islanders buying into Trotz's system and outworking the Penguins on almost every shift. Penguins look disinterested which plays into the Isles ability to out work them on almost every shift but full credit to the Isles for curb stomping a recently great playoff team.

 

[Fugazy]

The defense. And the Islanders playing very cohesive and intelligently.

 

[saintunspecified]

One reason NYI and PITT fans aren't sniping at each other is that Metro division teams realize what's been going on. It's no secret that Pittsburgh needs to retool the D - they've had breakdowns all year long. And it's also no secret that NYI's D corps has been transformed with the maturation of Pulock, Pelech, and Toews. This stuff has been going on all year, and quite a number of people predicted that if NYI had the advantage if they were able to maintain a disciplined game, and Pittsburgh would win if it became a battle of special teams. I think *any* playoff team that took a patient, disciplined approach to the Penguins would have a great shot.

They could really have used a Ron Hainsey type to calm things down this series, and play with some predictability.

 

[redgrant]

Average age of Penguins: 28.5
Average age of Islanders: 28.3

Core, mate, look at the core.

 

[notDatsyuk]

Core, mate, look at the core.

Look up half a dozen posts.

 

[Name Nameless]

Vegas. Losing a good goalie, being left with one, and not getting anything for it.

Losing a good goalie for nothing has killed them. They haven't won a single cup since this happened.

 

[Anita L]

to many to list

 

[SotasicA]

Who's To Blame For Penguins Debacle?

I think we already established it's the ice at the Coliseum.

 

[Sidgeni Malkby]

Average age of Penguins: 28.5
Average age of Islanders: 28.3

It's interesting how everybody points to our stars over 30, when in fact, age isn't the issue.

 

[justafan22]

It's interesting how everybody points to our stars over 30, when in fact, age isn't the issue.

It's a lack of depth that they had 2 and 3 years ago with a declining d corps.

 

[M2Beezy]

The staff who saw an already bad defense and thought signing Jack Johnson to a 5 year contract would be the answer to their woes

And then thought Eric Gudbranson was at top 6 NHL dman

 

[Porkleaker]

I blame Tobias Reider.

 

[Sidgeni Malkby]

And then thought Eric Gudbranson was at top 6 NHL dman

Eric Gudbranson isn’t the problem. Besides he was a stop gap for all our injured D at the time.

We didn’t give up much go get him (tanner Pearson) and we tend to do well with reclamation projects (Niskanen, Schultz, Daley).

Right now we have Maatta sitting out.

 

[tony d]

When a team is good for so long something like this will happen. Pittsburgh's no different now than Chicago in 2016 when they lost to Nashville.