Post-Game Talk: Another OT Loss to the Flyers

[Tacitus Kilgore]

YES The 1st 10 Games he was great & & THEN the Sullivan effect kicked in, Do you people have any shame at all

No. But we have Mike Sullivan, and that is much worse

 

[Gurglesons]

Point being, Smith's been a 50pt guy throughout nearly 800 games in the NHL. This is who he is. He's gonna go through bad stretches like all 50pt guys do. The coaching staff ain't helping, but I don't think he's as good as he looked through the first dozen games, and I don't think he's as bad as he's been through the last dozen. They gotta switch up the lines, but as always, we must kneel in reverence before the GCRust altar.

He’s pacing below 50 pts though. And he’s not even generating opportunities anymore.

 

[Josey Wales]

No. But we have Mike Sullivan, and that is much worse

YES If There is NO SUN it is Sullivan's Fault, If it Rains, It is Sullivan's Fault, Snows?? Sullivan's fault

 

[Gurglesons]

It's kind of weird how much Sullivan seems to hate physical players considering how he wants the team to play seems conducive to physicality (ie. aggressive on the puck carrier).

Also, how's this "turn the other cheek" mentality working out for them? The Pens draw the least penalties of any team in the league. It's not like they're drawing a bunch of penalties by being passive when the other team is gooning it up.

It’s funny because Tampa brought in physical players because their PP is so good they wanted to take more penalties because their analytics said if they take more they’ll draw more.

Mike Sullivan wants us to take less penalties so we get less power plays.. which given how Mike Sullivan coaches our PP, is a genius coaching move.

 

[Ugene Magic]

 

[Tacitus Kilgore]

YES If There is NO SUN it is Sullivan's Fault, If it Rains, It is Sullivan's Fault, Snows?? Sullivan's fault

Glad you're finally coming around

 

[Big Friggin Dummy]

He’s pacing below 50 pts though. And he’s not even generating opportunities anymore.

Yeah, that second line is trash. The coach should probably break up GCRust, but good luck with that. Best you can hope for is like four periods of Rust away from Sid and Jake, and unless both lines tear it up in that time, Sully will just default back to GCRust.

-edit- Smith was always gonna be what Zucker was last season; a 50pt guy who hustles and that's that. I get that you think Sullivan ruined another gem or whatever, but 50pt guys go through hot and cold stretches. I think the water mark will still even out around 50pts for the season. It's up to said idiotic coach to, again, break up GCRust and see if Smith works better with Sid and Jake.

 

[Tacitus Kilgore]

It’s funny because Tampa brought in physical players because their PP is so good they wanted to take more penalties because their analytics said if they take more they’ll draw more.

Mike Sullivan wants us to take less penalties so we get less power plays.. which given how Mike Sullivan coaches our PP, is a genius coaching move.

Sully has been playing 3-dimensional chess this whole time

 

[Big Friggin Dummy]

Anyway, this shit sucks. I hope the team bottoms out and misses the playoffs by a mile cuz that's the only way I realistically see them even thinking about firing Sullivan. Barely making or barely missing is just gonna be more of the same, lame bullshit.

Until Sullivan's fired, nothing changes. And even then, the days of competing are probably well in the rear view, so it's all about entertainment value anymore. I just can't stand Sullivan's colossal ego and stupid, slopshit style of dumbing everyone down to as close to zero event hockey as possible.

 

[Gurglesons]

Yeah, that second line is trash. The coach should probably break up GCRust, but good luck with that. Best you can hope for is like four periods of Rust away from Sid and Jake, and unless both lines tear it up in that time, Sully will just default back to GCRust.

-edit- Smith was always gonna be what Zucker was last season; a 50pt guy who hustles and that's that. I get that you think Sullivan ruined another gem or whatever, but 50pt guys go through hot and cold stretches. I think the water mark will still even out around 50pts for the season. It's up to said idiotic coach to, again, break up GCRust and see if Smith works better with Sid and Jake.

I'd rather have Zucker over Smith as I said all summer.

Brings a lot more to the table IMO of what we need.

Also there is something endlessly funny to me about Zucker only playing 17 games in Arizona and already having more powerplay goals than he ever had here in a season.

Kinda like Kapanen immediately being a penalty kill weapon in St Louis the moment they used him accurately there.

 

[Big Friggin Dummy]

I'd rather have Zucker over Smith as I said all summer.

Brings a lot more to the table IMO of what we need.

It's six in one, half a dozen the other imo. Zucker's on pace for 33pts in Arizona. What Zucker brings in physicality, he's giving up by walking the knife's edge of being injured for weeks at a time. I don't think it really changes anything with the team's chances if you have one versus the other. They're both third wheel guys who don't do enough when the opposing winger is Rakell or worse.

-edit- Yes, let's continue to lament the loss of Kapanen who is *checks notes* on pace for 27pts in St. Louis and has 3 goals in 24 games.

Man, even as someone who has been very much off the Sullivan train for years at this point, your "Sully bad man" thing has given you some wild brainpoison..

 

[Gurglesons]

It's six in one, half a dozen the other imo. Zucker's on pace for 33pts in Arizona. What Zucker brings in physicality, he's giving up by walking the knife's edge of being injured for weeks at a time. I don't think it really changes anything with the team's chances if you have one versus the other. They're both third wheel guys who don't do enough when the opposing winger is Rakell or worse.

Zucker is the type of player that brings others into the fight. We saw it a ton last year.

I don't think you can just look at the production there.

 

[Big Friggin Dummy]

Zucker is the type of player that brings others into the fight. We saw it a ton last year.

I don't think you can just look at the production there.

Yeah, I mean, we agree that this team's top-9 lacks a ton of bite and ability to play away from the puck. I just don't think the difference between Zucker and Smith changes anything to a noticeable degree.

I'd love to have a prime Malone lining up opposite Rust on Geno's line, I think that would actually be a significant difference maker with his ability to play along the boards and around the net. I just don't know how you find that guy with the cap situation Pittsburgh's got and the assets available to trade. But I don't have the pulse of all the teams in the league or know who is available and all that shit.

If the team felt confident Zucker would stay healthy, I think they absolutely would've kept him around. On top of what we're talking about, he was pretty beloved by his teammates and the coach. But he plays a style that his body doesn't seem to be able to handle for a full season. He's already missed two weeks at the end of October/early November due to injury with the Coyotes.

 

[DesertedPenguin]

I'd rather have Zucker over Smith as I said all summer.

Brings a lot more to the table IMO of what we need.

Also there is something endlessly funny to me about Zucker only playing 17 games in Arizona and already having more powerplay goals than he ever had here in a season.

Kinda like Kapanen immediately being a penalty kill weapon in St Louis the moment they used him accurately there.

If Zucker came in at $3-3.5 million, he'd be great. But at $5 million, I'm glad the Pens passed, though they could use what you've described elsewhere.

As for Kapanen, he has one goal in his last 14 games. Nothing has changed with him.

 

[HandshakeLine]

It's kind of weird how much Sullivan seems to hate physical players considering how he wants the team to play seems conducive to physicality (ie. aggressive on the puck carrier).

Also, how's this "turn the other cheek" mentality working out for them? The Pens draw the least penalties of any team in the league. It's not like they're drawing a bunch of penalties by being passive when the other team is gooning it up.

"Turn the cheek" and "whistle to whistle" seem to work best when you have game breaking talent which we no longer do.

 

[Gurglesons]

If Zucker came in at $3-3.5 million, he'd be great. But at $5 million, I'm glad the Pens passed, though they could use what you've described elsewhere.

As for Kapanen, he has one goal in his last 14 games. Nothing has changed with him.

He’s playing on a team actually in a playoff hunt. Must be nice.

 

[Darren McCord]

If Zucker came in at $3-3.5 million, he'd be great. But at $5 million, I'm glad the Pens passed, though they could use what you've described elsewhere.

As for Kapanen, he has one goal in his last 14 games. Nothing has changed with him.

And Smith makes 5 this year and next. Id rather have bunting at 4 mil than both or heck even JVR at like 1 mil. JVR over Nieto or even accari would have given us a net front presence for cheap.

 

[HandshakeLine]

I'd rather have Zucker over Smith as I said all summer.

Brings a lot more to the table IMO of what we need.

Also there is something endlessly funny to me about Zucker only playing 17 games in Arizona and already having more powerplay goals than he ever had here in a season.

Kinda like Kapanen immediately being a penalty kill weapon in St Louis the moment they used him accurately there.

look man, you can't take a square peg [mike sullivan] and force it into a round hole [also coincidentally mike sullivan]

 

[SomeDude]

I'd love to have a prime Malone lining up opposite Rust on Geno's line

Maybe you should introduce Sam Poulin to cocaine and hookers then.

 

[HandshakeLine]

Nepotism is the secret sauce that this team has been missing, for sure.

 

[DesertedPenguin]

And Smith makes 5 this year and next. Id rather have bunting at 4 mil than both or heck even JVR at like 1 mil. JVR over Nieto or even accari would have given us a net front presence for cheap.

Despite his dry spell, Smith has six goals and seven assists, with five of those goals at even strength.

That's more goals than Bunting and Zucker.

Bunting and Zucker both have five goals. They both only have two goals at even strength.

 

[Darren McCord]

Despite his dry spell, Smith has six goals and seven assists, with five of those goals at even strength.

That's more goals than Bunting and Zucker.

Bunting and Zucker both have five goals. They both only have two goals at even strength.

Bunting is cheaper and would give the penguins a pest to put infront of the net on the PP. Look where he scores his goals. Also I dont want Zucker but saying 5 mill is a lot for him but fine for smith seems Hypocritically.

I dont care about even strength when the pp is dead last in the league. Smith, Rust and Jake are all the same type of player that goes invisible when they arent scoring. Guys like zucker in bunting at least bring something else.

 

[Buddy Bizarre]

Also, how's this "turn the other cheek" mentality working out for them? The Pens draw the least penalties of any team in the league. It's not like they're drawing a bunch of penalties by being passive when the other team is gooning it up.

Just like everything else Sully originally brought, he's reneging on what made him successful

Now Sully whines just like the rest of the team whenever there's a penalty against them. Reminds me of the early 2010 teams with an entitled coach that permeates down to the core

 

[KareemTrustfund]

Zucker is the type of player that brings others into the fight. We saw it a ton last year.

I don't think you can just look at the production there.

He also out up the same production without first PP time.

 

[PensandCaps]

How many wins does this team have in regulation in their last 82? no higher than 30 wins right?