Post-Game Talk: Blackhawks 2, Penguins 1 - At Least It Wasn't 10-1

[deakka]

I know its november. But when is a legitimate time to get nervous about making the playoffs?
If teams below us win a few of their games in hand, we are not even in the playoffs as it stands now. Carolina has played 4 less than us, NYI 3, for example.

I keep hearing we will "turn it up", but watching the games, it doesnt strike me as likely that THIS group of players all of a sudden can turn it up a notch.
We really need some fresh legs. Be it some youth from WBS or via trade.
The team right now are just, there.

 

[Gurglesons]

I know its november. But when is a legitimate time to get nervous about making the playoffs?
If teams below us win a few of their games in hand, we are not even in the playoffs as it stands now. Carolina has played 4 less than us, NYI 3, for example.

I keep hearing we will "turn it up", but watching the games, it doesnt strike me as likely that THIS group of players all of a sudden can turn it up a notch.
We really need some fresh legs. Be it some youth from WBS or via trade.
The team right now are just, there.

The issue is do you want to have the team make a trade just to make a trade?

There is nothing out there right now that I honestly think makes us a better team.

The time to make a trade was going into the season or at the draft / FA. If Rutherford makes a deal right now, it could be really painful.

Sheahan has been playing pretty decently. Let the team get their shit together and make a couple of UFA deals.

 

[Jaded-Fan]

You can't just turn it on when the playoffs get here, and they're in for a rude awakening if they think they can.

Maybe, maybe not. We will see in the spring. I don't expect them to coast until game one of the first round. But until the last month of the regular season? I have no problem with that.

 

[deakka]

Yes. Sheahan has been ok lately. But its obvious we need a spark. And if a trade isnt there right now, we need to rotate a few guys.

Problem is that when Rowney is back, maybe as soon as next game, we will have a full roster (i think) and no way of calling up some fresh legs from WBS without waiving or trading someone.

The 4th line is a mess . And i dont believe Rowney is the answer. And while a move might not be for a 4th liner, it will push someone down the lineup and improve the 4th line

 

[vodeni]

Hard to believe no one is on here *****ing about the PK...

It was the reason they lost tonight and it's been hurting them for weeks on end.

Edit: I see Sullivan realizes it from the tweet above...

We have been complaining about PK for weeks now, Blows my mind that Sully is bringing it up only tonight, I was stunned to hear at the Last game presser that this PK is by design collapsing and relying on blocking shots. This fr....... tema was winning because of their speed and pressure, the PK that worked like a charm in 2016 was pressing up high, with speed, sitting on ablue line not letting the play developed. Now they let them walk in and set the play up, our d-man can't box anyone out, so Muzz is screened all the time, you don't have to be an expert to realize that it was a mess...
what bothers me is that they don't see obvious s.... like this for games on....I mean how hard is it? you have speed demons: hags, rust, sheary, archie, McKeeg..let them put the pressure on top and than one of th slower guys underneath, Sheahan etc...let the PP respect their speed....How hard is that?

 

[Mr Jiggyfly]

In the GDT it was mentioned many times. Kuhn is playing goalie. Period. He does nothing else. Our pressure on the PK is bad and Sully said he wants guys to sit back. It's silly. Maatta should have boxed out, but that was a heck of a goal.

Our PK has been a big issue. Speed/attacking PK is good for the Pens. Whatever the **** Kuhn does is terrible. Stop standing there trying to play goalie. It's stupid. I like Sheahan's game, but he's not quick enough on the PK to keep that pressure up.

I’m still pissed about Kuhn’s mental gaffe last night TBTH. The guy is in the lineup for one reason and he totally f***s that’s up...

You can’t have a mental mistake off the face off, it’s just not acceptable when your unit is struggling this badly. Everyone has a set assignment and there are zero reasons for what happened.

He has to know when that puck is dropped on the pk, as the wide fwd, you need to stay between the circles to watch the slot, then rotate out to that weak side point.

He had time to think this over in his head before the puck was dropped and yet he still decides to tie up a man into the dot....

A negative impact player like him making that kind of mistake on such a huge goal... he needs to sit, he really does.

 

[EliteGoaltending]

When Letang is gonna be a good Letang again? Brutal game from him yesterday, like most of the games this season.

Chicago was fast and aggressive, always first on the puck, quick puck movement. Pens...practically the opposite.

 

[EliteGoaltending]

In 22 games, Pens only have 7 regulation wins on the season. Rest came in gimmicky 3 on 3. That's not good.

Pens need to get their act together pretty quick, here, starting with 87.

And 58. And with the coaching staff, too.

 

[WayneSid9987]

The latest In The Room has me thinkin' Kuhn is Recchi's guy/little project.
May take JR waiving or trading him to get him not dressed i'm thinking.

Think a guy like Sid is pretty aware that this roster doesn't have the nuts & bolts to contend atm. Maybe still getting used to not having Cullen, Kunitz, Bones and MAF not around as well. The 'juice' in his game as Sully likes to say just isn't quite there atm. Sucks to see but if there was any season/roster he can do this/i'd allow this kinda stuff, it's this one. Things can/could change tho quickly via Sid himself + JR makin' moves.

 

[EliteGoaltending]

The latest In The Room has me thinkin' Kuhn is Recchi's guy/little project.
May take JR waiving or trading him to get him not dressed i'm thinking.

Think a guy like Sid is pretty aware that this roster doesn't have the nuts & bolts to contend atm. Maybe still getting used to not having Cullen, Kunitz, Bones and MAF not around as well. The 'juice' in his game as Sully likes to say just isn't quite there atm. Sucks to see but if there was any season/roster he can do this/i'd allow this kinda stuff, it's this one. Things can/could change tho quickly via Sid himself + JR makin' moves.

They still can win games with this roster. They just need their top 6 to start scoring, specifically the 1st line to start scoring some goals. I usually harp on Sully about line combos, but he's been changing 1st line wingers pretty regularly to spark things and he's been using logical combos in top 9 lately.

He needs to start using Shcultz on 1st PP unit regulary tho, and get Archibald in, at least for some games, so 4th line will become more speedy and more effective on the forecheck.
Also, it seems like they need some systematic adjustments on special teams and on ES.

 

[pistolpete11]

Sully is so disingenuous. Yes, the PK gave up a couple goals but it wouldn't matter if we could actually score a couple ourselves. How about addressing the twin problem of our lousy PP? How about addrsssing the offensively challenged fourth line that he stopped putting out there in the third period because it was so bad?

Edit...other teams are adjusting to his system and how they play on special teams and he needs to adjust more himself

PP is a recent problem. They are still 5th in the NHL in PP%.

PK has been bad all season. Currently 26th.

 

[Coastal Kev]

What frustrates me is the Pens made up their minds this offseason that Sprong would spend significant time in the minors. I am going to assume this came from Sully because JR thought Sprong might be ready 2 years ago.

Every coach has an expiration date and after the last 2 years I think we all assumed that Sully's was many years down the road. It still might be, but I'm not a guy who blindly say "he won 2 cups" and lets him have carte blanche.

I look at coaching like sales, you are only as good as your last quarter. We are at the first quarter pole this year and I wouldn't give Sully a passing grade.

 

[Dipsy Doodle]

What frustrates me is the Pens made up their minds this offseason that Sprong would spend significant time in the minors. I am going to assume this came from Sully because JR thought Sprong might be ready 2 years ago.

Every coach has an expiration date and after the last 2 years I think we all assumed that Sully's was many years down the road. It still might be, but I'm not a guy who blindly say "he won 2 cups" and lets him have carte blanche.

I look at coaching like sales, you are only as good as your last quarter. We are at the first quarter pole this year and I wouldn't give Sully a passing grade.

Then you're looking at it wrong.

The Pens are 3rd in their division with 25 points in 22 games despite having played more hockey than any other team over the last 2 years, their first month being their most difficult stretch of the whole season in terms of away games and back-to-backs, and Niemi being an auto-loss for 3 games.

They have work to do, obviously. But if you're only grading a coach who's guided this team to back-to-back Cups on one context-free quarter, then you need to change how you evaluate things.

 

[cheesedanish87]

Every team has teams that they don't matchup good against, for the pens its Chicago, it is what it is, i'm glad they are in the west.

Overall im pretty happy where the pens game is right now.

Fix the PK and get Sid and Letang playing better and this team will put a lot of wins together.

 

[Ugene Magic]

What frustrates me is the Pens made up their minds this offseason that Sprong would spend significant time in the minors. I am going to assume this came from Sully because JR thought Sprong might be ready 2 years ago.

Every coach has an expiration date and after the last 2 years I think we all assumed that Sully's was many years down the road. It still might be, but I'm not a guy who blindly say "he won 2 cups" and lets him have carte blanche.

I look at coaching like sales, you are only as good as your last quarter. We are at the first quarter pole this year and I wouldn't give Sully a passing grade.

But like all coaches (past/present/future) are only as good as their lineup suggests. So many things can derail their path. Not having the right players/components to run your system, Injuries, Schedule and lack of effort/puck luck.

Sully isn't in a prime place to be judged too harshly. It is a process to get back to where they were. The biggest thing right now is that this is not the same team that won B2B cups. Give him the tools and they'll be alright.

The core is there. A little love from JR, some motivation/effort from the coaches/players and se where they go.

Figuring in on the factors to date (schedule/injuries/ amount of games played/roster turnover), I'd say they are right where they should be.

Hard truths are hard to swallow. This isn't just a coach thing, and why guys are given latitude.

 

[turd]

What frustrates me is the Pens made up their minds this offseason that Sprong would spend significant time in the minors. I am going to assume this came from Sully because JR thought Sprong might be ready 2 years ago.

Every coach has an expiration date and after the last 2 years I think we all assumed that Sully's was many years down the road. It still might be, but I'm not a guy who blindly say "he won 2 cups" and lets him have carte blanche.

I look at coaching like sales, you are only as good as your last quarter. We are at the first quarter pole this year and I wouldn't give Sully a passing grade.

Does anything ever please you?

 

[NewAgeOutlaw]

I have not watched much this year. Also, I am not going to disagree that the 4th line is subpar.

However, the team as a whole is not scoring goals. The team's norris caliber defensemen is lobbing grenades like a squad of stormtroopers raiding a trench in 1917. These are the reasons the team is having a bad start.

 

[Pancakes]

Maybe, maybe not. We will see in the spring. I don't expect them to coast until game one of the first round. But until the last month of the regular season? I have no problem with that.

I wouldn't if I thought we were good enough to coast and make the playoffs anyways but this team is casting some doubt on that.

There will come a point in the season (if they keep playing this way) where they're going to face the very real possibility of missing the playoffs entirely. Does any of them want that embarrassment? I hope not.

 

[Ugene Magic]

I wouldn't if I thought we were good enough to coast and make the playoffs anyways but this team is casting some doubt on that.

There will come a point in the season (if they keep playing this way) where they're going to face the very real possibility of missing the playoffs entirely. Does any of them want that embarrassment? I hope not.

It is not ideal, but with what they've done and accomplished would anyone really think that would be embarrassing?

It was just not meant to be.

 

[Coastal Kev]

Does anything ever please you?

Yes... Sprong with Sid or Geno right now would please me very much.

 

[Shaffer]

Problems in order of importance:
1. Sid and Letang not showing up
2. Compete Level
3. PK
4. 4th Line

 

[Nakawick]

I wouldn't if I thought we were good enough to coast and make the playoffs anyways but this team is casting some doubt on that.

There will come a point in the season (if they keep playing this way) where they're going to face the very real possibility of missing the playoffs entirely. Does any of them want that embarrassment? I hope not.

As of now, when the other teams catch up to us in games played, we are likely in 8-10th place in the conference. If Sid or Geno miss time,..the danger is absolutely there that we could struggle to get in,..and if we get in we could draw the the top teams of the hop.

 

[Jaded-Fan]

McCurdy still projects the Pens with the fourth best record in the league despite the putrid play so far and so many road and back to back games.

 

[ColePens]

Yes... Sprong with Sid or Geno right now would please me very much.

The way Sid plays, i could see him not wanting sprong as a linemate. So i'm not sure that's the guaranteed answer. It sounds easy, but it isn't.

 

[Sidney the Kidney]

Maybe, maybe not. We will see in the spring. I don't expect them to coast until game one of the first round. But until the last month of the regular season? I have no problem with that.

They actually have to make the playoffs in order for them to turn it up for the playoffs.

I know it's considered a guarantee they make it around here, but if they continue to have efforts like last night, and like they've had in maybe 70% of their games this season, there's a real possibility they could miss it.