Will Pittsburgh miss the playoffs??

[iamjs]

Zero depth. Absolutely nothing after the big 3. It's a horrible AHL team

LOL, not even close. The top six is fine. Even the third line would be ok if a 3C not named Sheahan would be filled that role. I think Sheahan would be a decent 4C. He is not a 3C, at least not on this team.

Murray isn't good

This year, no he is not. 24th out of 31st in save percentage for goalies that have played 17 games (tried filtering out backups by going with half of the teams' GP) with a very subpar sv% in the .900's, 23rd in GAA. His glove hand is getting exposed even more so than it was last year. I know it sounds like backup quarterback syndrome, but I wouldn't mind seeing Jarry getting more starts and taking a bit of the load off of Murray.

The d is weak

Minus Daley and Hainsey (playoff rental), this D is not much different than last year. Letang is coming around from his neck injury (but still can't hit the damn net). Maatta, Cole, Dumoulin, and Schultz (when in the lineup)... that's five out of your top 6 D that have returned for 2017-18.

That said they were a powerhouse for a long time. Think that time is now done

"is now done" or "done for now"? I'll be honest, this team could finish anywhere from 3rd to 10th in the conference and I wouldn't be the least bit surprised. Do they have enough time left to pick up 8 points and lead the Metro? Sure. Will they? I doubt it. Looking at more realistic scenarios, this team is only six points out of 3rd place in the East. Problem is that if they go six points in the opposite direction, they're 14th in the conference. Where do I see them finishing? If no major changes are made, they are a wild card at best. If they pull an upset in the first round, they're more than likely smoked in the second. Again, lack of depth on the 4th line, lack of defensive depth in the AHL, and high miles over the last 2 seasons has caught up to this team.

 

[TheAngryHank]

Indubitably.

 

[John Price]

Don't count them out atm but not looking good

 

[Viqsi]

About a week and a half out of a spot now, and with the gap having grown a tad (effectively three points now), I'm kind of starting to wonder. Of course, they can still turn it around quickly. And they probably will. But still... not a good look.

 

[Maurice Del Taco]

No

 

[nothingbeatshockey]

Mike Sullivan will figure it out and straighten it out.

They will be in the playoffs and they will be dangerous ..... and the sun will rise in the East tomorrow.

 

[DearDiary]

It has nothing to do with depth, Pens made the playoffs last season despite significant injuries. The problem is the players already there under-performing.

How can a team win when the captain is throwing his head back whenever the puck is dumped in and giving the puck away with no reaction at all? Crosby is acting just like he did when coach Johnston was reaching his end, giving up because he thinks his effort will change nothing. Just emotionless, no frustration.

Too bad Dubinsky isn't playing tonight, might have saved the Pens season by roughing Crosby up a bit and getting him angry

 

[Luigi Lemieux]

Pens have an identical 17-15-3 record that they did in 15-16, which ended with a dominant cup win. Not saying that will happen, but with the right shake-up the pens can turn it around.

 

[Viqsi]

Too bad Dubinsky isn't playing tonight, might have saved the Pens season by roughing Crosby up a bit and getting him angry

...oy, he really is living rent-free in the heads of much of the fanbase over there, isn't he?

 

[iamjs]

It has nothing to do with depth, Pens made the playoffs last season despite significant injuries. The problem is the players already there under-performing.

They lost Cullen (13 goals, 31 pts), Kunitz (9 goals, 29 pts), and Bonino (18 goals, 37 pts) from their bottom six.

To make up for it, they are now using the following players:
Tom Kuhnhackl (on pace for 10 pts) in a more regular role after being frequently scratched last season
Carter Rowney (also on pace for 10 pts)
Ryan Reaves (on pace for 8 pts, hasn't scored in 32 games)
Riley Sheahan (on pace for 29 pts, which isn't terrible when compared to the others but is still coming up short in goals when compared to Bonino)

I don't think they're underperforming. Underperforming would be indication that these players had a history of scoring and just weren't getting it done this year. Considering Kuhnhackl's, Rowney's, and Reaves' career high point totals are 16, 7 (in very limited action), and 12 respectively, I'd say it's more of a case of not having the offensive ability vs underperforming.

 

[Fatty McLardy]

...oy, he really is living rent-free in the heads of much of the fanbase over there, isn't he?

i think its the other way around, i mean, Columbus was ready to print Crosby faces last year in the playoffs for fans to wear. I don't know if it reeks of desperation any more than that..

 

[severian]

i hope so.

 

[c9777666]

Until I see Sullivan on the other side of a handshake line, I am not betting against them until proven otherwise.

 

[Viqsi]

i think its the other way around, i mean, Columbus was ready to print Crosby faces last year in the playoffs for fans to wear. I don't know if it reeks of desperation any more than that..

Funny, I didn't realize Crosby had been playing defense for our team and got his orbital bone broken from a Kessel-fired puck to the face.

 

[Fatty McLardy]

Funny, I didn't realize Crosby had been playing defense for our team and got his orbital bone broken from a Kessel-fired puck to the face.

i think you're missing my point here.....

 

[Sam Spade]

Eh, too much talent up front so I am sure they will but they need to start scoring at even strength.

Watching tonights game I noticed again that both of their goals were on the PP, so I looked up there EV strength goal numbers and they are pretty bad.

Sabres - 55
Sharks - 58
Canucks - 61
Coyotes - 61
Wings - 62
Pens - 64

Once they get that part of their game going they should start climbing in the standings.

Just for some perspective, last season the Pens were number one, the season before number four.

Team Season Totals - Natural Stat Trick

 

[Viqsi]

i think you're missing my point here.....

The point in which you tried to whatabout away y'all's bizarre obsession with Dubinsky by confusing T-shirts and masks featuring Zach Werenski with Crosby?

Heck, you in particular manage to be an exemplar of that madness. I have yet to see you in a thread not going on about Dubinsky or offering other fake-toughguy-BS w/r/t the Jackets. Your team is the back-to-back Cup champions yet you go out of your way to throw hopeless shade at the team you faced in the first round. It's bizarre.

 

[Empoleon8771]

This team still has issues it needs to fix. Once again, their PP carried them to the win but that isn't sustainable. They need to get more ES scoring. As odd as it sounds, the biggest issue on the Penguins right now is their lack of finishing ability. They're generating chances for the most part (they have had issues generating high danger chances during some stretches, though), they're either just missing the net or shooting into the goalie on those chances.

 

[DearDiary]

i think its the other way around, i mean, Columbus was ready to print Crosby faces last year in the playoffs for fans to wear. I don't know if it reeks of desperation any more than that..

Here was the poster they were going to print out for CBJ fans

 

[Viqsi]

Here was the poster they were going to print out for CBJ fans

I'd honestly forgotten completely about that brief nonsense...

...which probably says something about its viability as a refutation of just how often certain Pens fans keep bringing up Dubinsky Dubinsky Dubinsky Dubinsky in every other post.

 

[Pantokrator]

I feel like the Penguins are just doing rope-a-dope. They'll get it all together and make another run to a Stanley Cup.

 

[Bladerunner]

I feel like the Penguins are just doing rope-a-dope. They'll get it all together and make another run to a Stanley Cup.

Really? They're about to fall out of the ring.
No worries though, I'm sure the ref will give them a long count

 

[Empoleon8771]

Really? They're about to fall out of the ring.
No worries though, I'm sure the ref will give them a long count

Maybe if the Capitals had the help that the Penguins had with the refs, maybe they would have been able to get out of the second round once in 11 ****ing years with Ovechkin.

 

[heysmilinstrange]

Calls go both ways, always. People like to conveniently discard the evidence that doesn't fit their narrative.

 

[Bladerunner]

Maybe if the Capitals had the help that the Penguins had with the refs, maybe they would have been able to get out of the second round once in 11 ****ing years with Ovechkin.

If Ovi had the Golden Brats cover, he'd have as many SC's as Malkin and his sidekick.

I respect Malkin to a degree, but like his cover he's a bit of a cheap shot artist.
Foligno made sure he didn't get away with it this time. The big ogre (aka Geno) was losing badly when the refs halted the fight