Post-Game Talk: Domination | Penguins 6, Capitals 2

[Malkinstheman]

The Caps fan inferiority complex is going strong on the main board.

If we meet them in the playoffs I hope we crush them. Let the caps forever be regular season juggernauts.

 

[BHD]

The Caps fan inferiority complex is going strong on the main board.

I came here just to say that. Crazy to think what a playoff series between the teams would do.

 

[Ragamuffin Gunner]

The fact alone that Sullivan actually matches lines is a pretty huge difference from Bylsma.

I guess Sully isn't a good enough coach to be able to throw out any line and succeed in the POs like DB thought he could.

 

[Shady Machine]

No question about it. Johnston wasn't the answer regardless, but the roster is almost night and day in certain aspects.

For sure but MJ had some of those options and chose not to use them. They could have easily benched Scuderi and called up Pouliot if they wanted. They could have called up Rust, Wilson, whoever else from the AHL and they didn't.

The trades are a fair point though.

 

[HandshakeLine]

What I find interesting and yet a little depressing is that Sullivan's not even the ideal choice. He makes weird bench management decisions, the power play still sucks, and he's got some weird roster decisions (KUNITZ WAS HERE) going on. And yet, with a half-way decent coach, this team looks like a top seed all of a sudden and against very good opponents.

That said, I think it underscores just how badly fitting Bylsma and Johnston were.

 

[mpp9]

Sullivan figured out that the stars want to play fast. JR made a couple trades to support that idea. The WBS kids have reinforced that. As long as he has the stars buying in, he'll be successful here.

 

[Jaded-Fan]

The Caps fan inferiority complex is going strong on the main board.

The Caps' players showed it more in the game last night.

For a team that has little left to play for, they were among the worst losers I have seen. Acting like 'Roid Rage beer league idiots because they were on the short end of a butt kicking. I do not recall Crosby paralyzing Backstrom because the Caps beat the Pens a couple of times this year.

Chuck Noll had a saying. If you get to the end zone act like you have been there many times before and expect to get there many times in the future. The Caps need a lesson in some of that.

 

[Jaded-Fan]

Sullivan figured out that the stars want to play fast. JR made a couple trades to support that idea. The WBS kids have reinforced that. As long as he has the stars buying in, he'll be successful here.

Accurate analysis but there is more fundamentally going on.

Meaning, at least they picked an identity for this team and made it happen. When is the last time anyone could tell you what Penguins' hockey was? Well, except for stupidity, I will give you that one. But for years the Pens had no identity that you could point to except count on Crosby and/or Malkin to win you games on their own and throw a bunch of unrelated players against the wall and see what sticks.

Now everyone can say 'THIS is Pens' hockey'. Speed, skill.

It is so refreshing and it has been far too long coming.

 

[SHOOTANDSCORE]

I agree but that Flyers series was an absolute blast to watch.

To each his own, I guess.

I hated it so much that I turned it off mid series and, for the first time, didn't watch the rest of our playoffs.

 

[Shrimper]

Just further proof they have no real intentions on making the game safer.

They only care if a player gets injured.

Otherwise, go ahead, concuss everyone.

 

[Fordy]

what is the issue with fleury's poke checks except that one time ever it hit someone in the head and went in?

 

[HandshakeLine]

what is the issue with fleury's poke checks except that one time ever it hit someone in the head and went in?

There was that one time in the WJC and people **** their pants and said Fleury would never win a Cup. But yeah, it was flukey goal, it happens, we still won by 4.

 

[JTG]

I don't think Sullivan is the ideal solution here, but one thing is for sure - his gameplan here works. Fast tempo hockey, they get the puck in deep, and work short passes in tight for taps and chips. With guys who go to the net, that's what you do. Chip it to the mouth of the goal and go to work. This roster is littered with guys who can make that type of game plan happen. He isn't trying to get these guys to do stuff they wouldn't do naturally.

How I see the team right now, we have the secondary pieces working - we now have to get primary pieces going - Malkin and Kessel. It'd be nice to see Schultz also gain some footing and begin to really produce offensively. I can take his defensive gaffs as long as he's putting pucks in. That shot he had yesterday was an absolute bomb. I want more of that.

Rust and Kuhnhackl have that look about them. Games get big, and they grow with it. Kuhnhackl has a real serious shot on him, and if paired with the right guys (as it looks like we have found), I can see him teeing off in a playoff series if his line is getting good matchups. Rust looks like Max Talbot. He's a pest without really using antics. He's just blazing fast and physical and will put his face on the line to score a goal. Those two have been fun to watch.

 

[ozpensfan]

I just wish we'd dress Tom Sestito against Philly and Washington - I just caught up on watching both games and im sick of seeing our star players constantly under fire with questionable hits from their goons and we have no one who can really do anything about it.

Someone needs to play eye for an eye with Gudas, Wilson and Weber

 

[Shrimper]

 

[Speaking Moistly]

I just wish we'd dress Tom Sestito against Philly and Washington - I just caught up on watching both games and im sick of seeing our star players constantly under fire with questionable hits from their goons and we have no one who can really do anything about it.

Someone needs to play eye for an eye with Gudas, Wilson and Weber

We won both of those games and that put them in 2nd place in the division. The 3rd line came up huge and the 4th was solid enough. Who would they have sat for the goon?

Ovechkin took out Dumoulin and Sestito isn't doing **** to or about Ovechkin. Weber went after Rust and would Sestito deter something that stupid? Wilson was quiet and they got out of the Philly game in one piece.

 

[Big McLargehuge]

We won both of those games and that put them in 2nd place in the division. The 3rd line came up huge and the 4th was solid enough. Who would they have sat for the goon?

Ovechkin took out Dumoulin and Sestito isn't doing **** to or about Ovechkin. Weber went after Rust and would Sestito deter something that stupid? Wilson was quiet and they got out of the Philly game in one piece.

Agreed with everything here.

You have to sit someone for Sestito, and I don't know who you possibly scratch right now...and nothing that happened this weekend would have been prevented by Sestito. We'd probably have had another penalty or two to kill, though.

 

[rkhum]

Did anybody here go to the game?
Sounded and looked like there was a surprisingly high amount of red caps fans, very odd.

 

[Jaded-Fan]

Did anybody here go to the game?
Sounded and looked like there was a surprisingly high amount of red caps fans, very odd.

Was there.

And yes, lots of Caps' fans. They appeared to expect a different outcome.

 

[#66]

Sullivan figured out that the stars want to play fast. JR made a couple trades to support that idea. The WBS kids have reinforced that. As long as he has the stars buying in, he'll be successful here.

And up ice. I swear I hate that soccer BS.

 

[madinsomniac]

They only care if a player gets injured.

Otherwise, go ahead, concuss everyone.

You all realize that eventually some person is going to get hurt or killed on the ice and he or his family will sue and have tons of ammo based on the league's own inane punish the result not the action policies... Losing a couple hundred million might be the only thing that changes things

 

[jinx33]

Just an amazing game.

The third line is growing bolder with playoffs coming, the team is showing discipline and stay focus on their game, and hell it's been a while but Crosby is finally showing he's having fun each night he plays.

If only now the power play would be more effective, there is still too much passes, Kessel and Letang should shoot more that puck.

Gotta love Rust and Hornqvist, mad dogs.

 

[joeyjake5]

The power play sucks and will until Malkin gets back. He has the best shot and makes the better pass of any of the others on the PP.

 

[Jaded-Fan]

The power play sucks and will until Malkin gets back. He has the best shot and makes the better pass of any of the others on the PP.

I get that losing Malkin hurts.

The power play still shouldn't suck like this.

 

[Asuna]

http://www.todaysslapshot.com/nhl-e...ins/chris-kunitz-bouncing-back-mike-sullivan/

lolz