I dont think so. Their mindset was off I agree but it wasnt about not being hungry enough. I think after that game 3 collapse(up 3 -1 in the game and on our way to a 2-1 series lead) they got in their own heads again. And couldnt score in game 4.
There has been so much talk about them being done, I think losing someone like PH is what is needed. Kind of like us losing Hossa in 09. Nobody expected us to be as good without him. Not comparing the two but Im referring to the mindset. We also lost Ryan Malone that off season. Many thought we would be worse.
Fast forward to the b2b cups. Was it the mindset that changed or the fact that HBK was so good of a line that teams didnt know how to stop all 3 of our lines. So basically, was it due to the Pens mindset or just talent? And talent that teams were not used to facing. As good as Sid/Geno were...teams did start to figure out how to limit them come playoff time and force our depth to step up.
And here we are again. Is it complacency...lack of hunger? Or the fact that once again teams know how to defend against our style of play? I say more of the latter so Im happy to just keep adding more pure talent to the lineup. Unless the new assistants will help change our look . We can still play with speed, and Sullys system but we can also tweak it to where it catches teams off guard. Add in things they havent seen. Especially for the powerplay. That is most important imo. We won alot of series over the years due to having such a good PP.
Then there is the gap in talent between the top 2 lines and the bottom 6. I keep bringing up names like Hoffman, Saad, etc to add to our 3rd line but we dont necessarily need that if Sully could make the right changes when he sees a team getting the best of us. For example, we went years of Sid and Geno only having one legit winger, now they each have 2. Is that really needed over the lack of prodection from the bottom 6?
For example, Jake - Sid - X would still produce at a high level. X - Malkin - Rust would as well. Poulin could be one of those X's but that is beside the point.
So we could move Zucker to the 3rd line with McCann and Kapanen for example. Now how much better would that line be than the Marleau /PH combo with McCann? Suddenly we have 3 dangerous lines again. Not just two top lines and a 3rd line that is capable of pitching in here and there but basically another HBK type impact.
And then there is the Tanev/Blueger combo.
That is much better than what we had the last two seasons. So I dont see it as just mindset. I see it as we had lack of talent , or the talent not properly placed throughout the lineup.
Well if you think they were hungry enough, then re-watch periods 1 and 2 of Game 4. That's an elimination, do or die game, after a long ass pause from CoVid when most guys were fresh. I saw no hint of desperation until the 3rd period. By then it was too late. It was honestly pathetic. It's not like we were up against Tampa Bay.
Maybe losing PH is needed. Hard to say. But I'm not sure I agree losing Hossa made the team better. All that happened in 2009 was a full carry from Malkin and Crosby. They had 36 and 32 points, respectively. It was enough to off-set Fleury's poor performance throughout those playoffs, and the suspect defense.
HBK was good because those 3 got along extremely well, had skillsets that balanced the line and were all searching for their 1st Cup. They got good matchups, since Malkin and Crosby got the attention. It was lightning in a bottle. When the 2016-2017 season started, all that chemistry and desperation was gone and the line got disbanded. They had ample opportunity to get it back. To Sullivan's credit, he tried and tried them.
Totally agree that improving the PP is a massive priority. That's why I'm quite pleased to bring Reirden back, who proved before he knows what he's doing with that job. I was looking forward to Hornqvist's increased production on that unit.
I think we do need a player of that caliber on the 3rd line, yes. We're getting into the sketchier territory of Malkin and Crosby's careers. It would be no huge surprise to see a significant drop off at this point. You have to provide insurance in the event that that happens. So you load the 3rd line. Malkin surprised us last year with his fitness and new mindset, but are we really expecting an encore? Is that fair to expect from a 34 year old?
As for your scenario of moving Zucker to the 3rd line, I'm 1000% against that. He has good chemistry with Sid, which is actually pretty rare for wingers throughout his career. Sid is only getting slower. That means they'll play more of a perimeter game. So you need that beast of a shot up there. Guentzel works with Malkin and almost anybody historically, so I have no problem moving him to L2 again.
Kapanen should be tried thoroughly on the RW, but if that fails (and I suspect it will) then I want to see McCann or Tanev over there pronto. Rust can stay with Malkin.
I agree some shifting of lines would help, but I think we're missing a scoring piece still in the bottom 6. That's how Tampa Bay made the Finals this year. They had backups. But it's too late now. We squandered our assets and cap space.
