Pre-Game Talk: All Purpose Off Day Thread | Ruhwedel to W-B/S for Conditioning

[KIRK]

Small but vocal group acting like the season is over. Majority knowing we are a few adjustments away.

I think until Sid/Geno retire it is a win the cup or bust every year. So if you watch this team and think of the goal, it doesn't look good. I don't know a playoff team we would beat in a best of 7 without something changing.

As of right now, im unsure if we make the playoffs and im quite certain we won't win the Cup. So there is where I'm at.

 

[Pancakes]

Small but vocal group acting like the season is over. Majority knowing we are a few adjustments away.

I think until Sid/Geno retire it is a win the cup or bust every year. So if you watch this team and think of the goal, it doesn't look good. I don't know a playoff team we would beat in a best of 7 without something changing.

As of right now, im unsure if we make the playoffs and im quite certain we won't win the Cup. So there is where I'm at.

We could still beat anyone in a series. I wouldn't bet on us beating anyone in a series though.

 

[KIRK]

We could still beat anyone in a series. I wouldn't bet on us beating anyone in a series though.

If you're liberally defining COULD, then yes. But, I see 'we could still beat anyone in a series' in a similar semi-blindly hopeful vein as 'you never know what could happen'.

 

[Pancakes]

If you're liberally defining COULD, then yes. But, I see 'we could still beat anyone in a series' in a similar semi-blindly hopeful vein as 'you never know what could happen'.

I'd put us at like 50/50 against the likes of Montreal, Isles, etc and 30/70 against actual good teams like Toronto, Washington, and so on. So....more than a theoretical chance, but less than a good chance.

 

[Turin]

Team is a good piece or two and a reborn Murray from being the best in the East. All of that is easier said than done though.

 

[KIRK]

I'd put us at like 50/50 against the likes of Montreal, Isles, etc and 30/70 against actual good teams like Toronto, Washington, and so on. So....more than a theoretical chance, but less than a good chance.

I'm not sure that you aren't being generous against Toronto and Washington.

Obviously, IF JR adds a partner for Schultz, finds a winger who meshes with Geno like Jake does with Sid (i.e., he helps Sid play to his strengths and does things that help make Sid better) and gets the 3C situation sorted, then it's a different ballgame.

Team is a good piece or two and a reborn Murray from being the best in the East. All of that is easier said than done though.

I think they need more than 'a good piece or two'. Two impact pieces or three good pieces (as I allude above). L2 is every bit as big of an issue as L3, and we desperately need to find a Malone circa 2008/Kunitz circa 2012 type for him (and, as noted elsewhere, LOL at anyone who thinks that's Pearson).

 

[Jaded-Fan]

Pens looking a bit better in some metrics.

 

[Pancakes]

I'm not sure that you aren't being generous against Toronto and Washington.

Obviously, IF JR adds a partner for Schultz, finds a winger who meshes with Geno like Jake does with Sid (i.e., he helps Sid play to his strengths and does things that help make Sid better) and gets the 3C situation sorted, then it's a different ballgame.

I mean my percentages are basically this:

10% chance Sid just hulks out and wins us a series. 10% Malkin does. And another 10% combined chance that Letang/Kessel do, or that Desmith or MM is lights out for a series and we win.

The other 70% chance is those things don't happen and we lose.

 

[TooManyHumans]

I mean my percentages are basically this:

10% chance Sid just hulks out and wins us a series. 10% Malkin does. And another 10% combined chance that Letang/Kessel do, or that Desmith or MM is lights out for a series and we win.

The other 70% chance is those things don't happen and we lose.

 

[cheesedanish87]

I don’t think they are old and slow. I think our conference has gotten much, much better. It’s why our record against the West is so good.

My opinion is that the Pens struggle against fast teams and their are more fast teams in the east which is why they play better against the West.

Even though Chicago is awful they still do play a fast game, i think that's why the pens have still struggled against them even though they have been bad the past couple years.

Look at NJ, last in the east, but they beat the pens twice this year pretty easily.

 

[Andy99]

My opinion is that the Pens struggle against fast teams and their are more fast teams in the east which is why they play better against the West.

Even though Chicago is awful they still do play a fast game, i think that's why the pens have still struggled against them even though they have been bad the past couple years.

Look at NJ, last in the east, but they beat the pens twice this year pretty easily.

Also teams with good structure in the NZ they struggle against...that wasn’t Chicago but there are a lot of teams in the East that combine quick pressure and structure in the NZ....some of our problems there stem from lack of quick puck movement by the bottom two D pairs...

 

[Pancakes]

My opinion is that the Pens struggle against fast teams and their are more fast teams in the east which is why they play better against the West.

Even though Chicago is awful they still do play a fast game, i think that's why the pens have still struggled against them even though they have been bad the past couple years.

Look at NJ, last in the east, but they beat the pens twice this year pretty easily.

I agree. Fast teams seem to give us trouble these days.

 

[ZeroPucksGiven]

I don't mind it. A lot of teams are having success loading up their top lines. Just because we won as a three line team in the past doesn't mean it's always the answer. We need to get value out of Brassard. If we have to play him with Sid to do that and it actually works, so be it.

What's interesting is that Brass is always moved up with Sid and never Geno.

And in the past couple of games I've noticed:

- The chemistry between Geno/Pearson has waned (although Malkin is dragging down everyone he's with)
- The chemistry with Sid/Brass just has never been there for me
- Kessel got what, 2.5 game stint with Sid? Then promptly moved off

Why has Sully stapled Geno and Pearson? Maybe Pearson works with Sid better?

 

[Gurglesons]

My opinion is that the Pens struggle against fast teams and their are more fast teams in the east which is why they play better against the West.

Even though Chicago is awful they still do play a fast game, i think that's why the pens have still struggled against them even though they have been bad the past couple years.

Look at NJ, last in the east, but they beat the pens twice this year pretty easily.

I don’t agree. I think a lot of it is a consistent thing that has happened throughout Sid and Geno’s history. We can’t close out games and we play down to our opponent. It happens all the time in the playoffs.

You hear a lot about how Edmonton got upset during their dynasty years when teams scored against them. I don’t see that from the Pens. I’ve never seen that.

 

[BoinLV]

Sorry; newbe to this forum. I've been a Pens fan since inception. I'm 65 years old; my parents had season tickets to the Hornets "back in the day." I played youth hockey out of North Park rink, and club at Penn State, WAY before the Pegula beneficence.
The troubling thing to me is the lack of basic skill attention. Count the number of mindless passes, 70% of which are intercepted for opponent offense. Forecheck seemed better in the 3rd, due to HITTING. Does this team even remember the value of board hits, at the sacrifice of "speed?"
I won't jump on the blame train, but coaching seems lacking from forwards, power play to goalies, basic defense.
I now live in Las Vegas; seems like a resilient bunch. Agree, last year was fluky with so many over-achievers; doomed to mean regression. But, they manage to excite, even during losses.
End of rant,
Go Pens, Go
Bo

 

[The Old Master]

If you're liberally defining COULD, then yes. But, I see 'we could still beat anyone in a series' in a similar semi-blindly hopeful vein as 'you never know what could happen'.

i'll take it ……. it's all we got.

 

[The Old Master]

Sorry; newbe to this forum. I've been a Pens fan since inception. I'm 65 years old; my parents had season tickets to the Hornets "back in the day." I played youth hockey out of North Park rink, and club at Penn State, WAY before the Pegula beneficence.
The troubling thing to me is the lack of basic skill attention. Count the number of mindless passes, 70% of which are intercepted for opponent offense. Forecheck seemed better in the 3rd, due to HITTING. Does this team even remember the value of board hits, at the sacrifice of "speed?"
I won't jump on the blame train, but coaching seems lacking from forwards, power play to goalies, basic defense.
I now live in Las Vegas; seems like a resilient bunch. Agree, last year was fluky with so many over-achievers; doomed to mean regression. But, they manage to excite, even during losses.
End of rant,
Go Pens, Go
Bo

b. w. p. army?

 

[DegenX]

 

[Ogrezilla]

we really need some decent news on that or we're probably toast.

 

[Andy99]

we really need some decent news on that or we're probably toast.

Seth was saying after the game that he wasn’t on crutches or walking boot and Rossi said this am he’s expecting “relatively” good news on him...I’m guessing a sprain and out 2-3 weeks...but that could still be our season

 

[chethejet]

If letang is out for any extended period say 4 to 6 weeks, that's all she wrote for this year. Now can GJMR trade the number 1 for a RH D and include Olli going back for cap space yes. But if he makes a deal, it will be a deal that is not good for the Pens since he is in a bind here. Plus there are only a couple RH to be had who are worth anything. But maybe it takes a real decline for GMJR to finally grasp time to reboot things and open up cap space for a run at Duchene and Stone.

 

[Randy Butternubs]

Maatta+ for Martinez (this isn't a rumor, just one of my suggestions) just went up in my books even more. Martinez can play either side.

 

[Gurglesons]

Watching this team without Letang is going to be downright miserable.

I guess we could see Riikola and Pettersson step up hard.

Too bad they’ll probably play Ruh over him.

 

[WayneSid9987]

Watching this team without Letang is going to be downright miserable.

I guess we could see Riikola and Pettersson step up hard.

Too bad they’ll probably play Ruh over him.

After thinking on it post game last night, gotta think they go with Riiko cuz of the PPQB angle.

 

[Randy Butternubs]

Can't wait for tomorrow night!