Post-Game Talk: Don't lose your Hedman! Short handed Pens Malkin life hard for themselves, lose 4-2

[Dipsy Doodle]

I think it's a bit of both. We're not giving anyone else a shot, nor do we really have a good solution on hand (with regard to Kunitz).

Let's put it this way. If the org were to dummy up and divorce Kunitz as a top line LW, and acquire one at the deadline, are we really so far from being a legit playoff team that we should just give up?

To me, that's our one glaring hole. Daley's been fine in a top 4 role, Pouliot's looking better by the game, and a few of our WBS guys have shown they can provide solid depth.

 

[BlindWillyMcHurt]

If history has taught me anything, I fully expect as soon as Malkin comes back for Sid to come down with a lower body injury, and take his month or two off.

IDK. Just pretty jaded. Hard to keep blaming the injuries every year instead of questioning why do we keep an entire injury prone core together for 7 years.

I dunno. I know it doesn't seem to be a popular sentiment but I can't help but wonder the same thing. This is a pretty established issue, at this point.

 

[Sidney the Kidney]

-Afternoon game. This team seems to suck in afternoon games. Every single time I see an afternoon game on the sched (I think tomorrow's is as well), I pretty much figure a loss.

-Zatkoff. I didn't stick around to see the final score, but with about 8 minutes left in the 3rd I saw the shots were 34-18 for the Pens, but they were losing 4-2. 4 goals on 18 shots. Come on, now. Get a decent backup so when Fleury doesn't play, it's not an automatic loss.

-I'm close to giving up on harping on Kunitz on Sid's LW. He's going to play there. We just have to accept it and hope the team does well in spite of him, rather than hoping he'll be demoted or traded.

 

[Shrimper]

Time to watch the highlights and report on it, I'm going to regret this aren't I?

 

[Dipsy Doodle]

I dunno. I know it doesn't seem to be a popular sentiment but I can't help but wonder the same thing. This is a pretty established issue, at this point.

Right now the only injured core member is Malkin, and...I mean there's really no argument for trading Malkin.

 

[BlindWillyMcHurt]

Right now the only injured core member is Malkin, and...I mean there's really no argument for trading Malkin.

That seems to be the consensus. We'll see how long that remains "common sense."

I meant more in general. Not this particular moment in time.

 

[Dipsy Doodle]

Time to watch the highlights and report on it, I'm going to regret this aren't I?

An MS loss is still a more entertaining watch than an MJ win.

The team on the whole actually played decent. Zatkoff's really the main reason we lost.

 

[xxxxxxxxxxxxxx]

Let's put it this way. If the org were to dummy up and divorce Kunitz as a top line LW, and acquire one at the deadline, are we really so far from being a legit playoff team that we should just give up?

To me, that's our one glaring hole. Daley's been fine in a top 4 role, Pouliot's looking better by the game, and a few of our WBS guys have shown they can provide solid depth.

Yes. I think we are farther away from legitimate contention than simply acquiring a new top-6 LW. Getting rid of Kunitz and replacing him with a legitimate LW (ideally a long-term solution) would be of great help, but I'm still not convinced we don't need another 1st/2nd pairing defenseman, and a defensively responsible bottom pairing guy to play with Daley (I don't think Pouliot's gonna be able to handle the speed/physicality of playoff hockey yet).

 

[Dipsy Doodle]

That seems to be the consensus. We'll see how long that remains "common sense."

I meant more in general. Not this particular moment in time.

Our core guys are gamebreakers who we wouldn't get fair value back via trade. Just gotta ride this wave for better or worse for as long as they're elite unless a really intriguing offer comes around, IMO.

 

[Terrapin]

No. You don't watch other games, or you'd understand which way the League is trending.

I have absolutely no idea what league you're watching. If you think the current game is wide open, tons of penalties called, and size is 'neanderthal', I honestly don't know what to tell you. All this speed and talent we have, how many odd man breaks do we get a game? 1, maybe 2? The league is full of interference, holding, hooking, and collapsing defenses. The playoffs will be even tighter (you've watched the playoffs before right?). Yet for some reason you're convinced that speedy little perimeter players is a successful strategy.

Like I said, I don't know what to tell you

 

[Dipsy Doodle]

Yes. I think we are farther away from legitimate contention than simply acquiring a new top-6 LW. Getting rid of Kunitz and replacing him with a legitimate LW (ideally a long-term solution) would be of great help, but I'm still not convinced we don't need another 1st/2nd pairing defenseman, and a defensively responsible bottom pairing guy to play with Daley (I don't think Pouliot's gonna be able to handle the speed/physicality of playoff hockey yet).

To each his own. I don't think we need to build a perfect team before we can do anything but throw up our hands at the prospect of playoff success.

 

[Iffyiffiffer]

Crosby has been pretty healthy for two straight seasons now. If he keeps going like this, it'll be his third. Remember that he played through his last significant injury (his wrist), probably in part because of the false narrative that he's injury prone and often takes "his month or two off".

So you're saying that the Penguins and Crosby make health and hockey decisions based on being scared of false narratives? No wonder why this team remains a mess.

Not that I actually believe that's true.

Pity if the Pens miss out on a playoff spot by a couple points. It would be because they didn't spring for a decent back-up in goal more than anything else....

Yes, it has nothing to do with inability to play defense or score goals or sitting around watching an obviously over his head Johnston for two halves of seasons while Crosby did whatever it was he was doing for months in that system.

IDK. Just pretty jaded. Hard to keep blaming the injuries every year instead of questioning why do we keep an entire injury prone core together for 7 years.

Because a borderline playoff team sells more tickets and merchandise than a basement dweller. I get that student rush is fun, but $20/ticket isn't going to pay iron man Kunitz's $4m contract or Scuderi's millions to play for the high flyin' IceHogs.

 

[Shrimper]

 

[xxxxxxxxxxxxxx]

To each his own. I don't think we need to build a perfect team before we can do anything but throw up our hands at the prospect of playoff success.

It's not about building the perfect team. It's about building a team with as few weaknesses as possible, and finally starting to think about what life's gonna be like when Sid/Geno start to noticeably slow down. We've seen it this season; this team is utter garbage when Sid and Geno aren't flying and on the top of their games. That's a concern, and it's just gonna get more frequent/worse as time goes on.

Hagelin's been fine as far as hustle and stuff goes, but is he going to pick up the slack in a game when Sid or Geno don't show up to the best of their abilities?

Has anyone seen Kessel play like a $7M/yr player since arriving? I mean, his production has had an uptick lately, but let's not pretend that he's been a game-changer. His two goals the other night were follow up, chip in goals. Now, goals are goals, but for as much as we're invested in Kessel, he's gotta be a lot better than he's been imo. Realistic expectations or not, that's the reality of the situation when he's being paid as much as he is, and we've assigned as much responsibility to him.

Hornqvist is what he is, and I ****ing love the guy, but he's a third wheel. We don't have an opposite winger to pair with him that's a good fit for a scoring line. I still think Hornqvist is capable of shifting to LW without a hitch, but we've gotta have a coach committed to it, and Hornqvist to be comfortable/willing to do so.

I don't know. I don't think we're in a very good position now, or going forward--barring some big changes. And that's just at forward.

-edit- I did words bad.

 

[Zirakzigil]

Biggest problems were the powerplay and the officiating. Both were absolutely brutal.

 

[SV1]

Nearly 60 games into the season as a bubble team and they still insist on literally throwing points away with Zatkoff.

He can't play. Just can't. No more. Enough.

 

[Pancakes]

It's not about building the perfect team. It's about building a team with as few weaknesses as possible, and finally starting to think about what life's gonna be like when Sid/Geno start to noticeably slow down. We've seen it this season; this team is utter garbage when Sid and Geno aren't flying and on the top of their games. That's a concern, and it's just gonna get more frequent/worse as time goes on.

Hagelin's been fine as far as hustle and stuff goes, but is he going to pick up the slack in a game when Sid or Geno don't show up to the best of their abilities?

Has anyone seen Kessel play like a $7M/yr player since arriving? I mean, his production has had an uptick lately, but let's not pretend that he's been a game-changer. His two goals the other night were follow up, chip in goals. Now, goals are goals, but for as much as we're invested in Kessel, he's gotta be a lot better than he's been imo. Realistic expectations or not, that's the reality of the situation when he's being paid as much as he is, and we've assigned as much responsibility to him.

Hornqvist is what he is, and I ****ing love the guy, but he's a third wheel. We don't have an opposite winger to pair with him that's a good fit for a scoring line. I still think Hornqvist is capable of shifting to LW without a hitch, but we've gotta have a coach committed to it, and Hornqvist to be comfortable/willing to do so.

I don't know. I don't think we're in a very good position now, or going forward--barring some big changes. And that's just at forward.

-edit- I did words bad.

I tend to agree that we're not in a great position going forward, but I don't think we're in terrible position either. We're just kinda...there. We might make the playoffs, we might not. That's the kinda team we are now. A team where if things go well, we finish anywhere from 8th to 4th. If not, 12th to 9th.

I'm not too stressed about it, though. Thing is, if we do miss, we get that first round pick, and that wouldn't be bad for us. We could really use that pick.

If we make it, we've got more than enough talent to surprise some teams in the playoffs. You simply never know when Sid and Geno might get hot for a stretch, and that could be enough to take us pretty far. Enough to win the cup? I doubt it, but you never know. And hey, playoff hockey is always entertaining.

I'm just beyond relieved that we have our first rounder have a condition on it such that Rutherford can't trade it prior to the end of the season. It's a great failsafe in case the team can't manage to make it.

I do think we'll make it, though. Our main competition is the Devils, and they aren't good. Carolina and Philly are right there too, but they also aren't good. Montreal if healthy would be good, but they're tanking hard and with no Price they're probably done.

So.....we're probably a playoff team.

 

[Sidney the Kidney]

I don't know what was with Sid today. Saw some really poor decisions with the puck that he had seemed to eradicate post coaching change. Honestly, the guy is a such a creature of habit that it wouldn't surprise me if these early games **** with his routine and it throws him off or something.

You know, I actually wonder about this myself. Sid's like the most superstitious, stick-to-his-routine guy ever. So if his routine is based around 7 pm games, these afternoon starts will throw him off.

Hopefully he has a better game tomorrow (another afternoon game). But it wouldn't surprise me if he is out of sorts then as well.

 

[JackFr]

What were the lines at the end of the game?

 

[Darth Vitale]

Nice thread title.

 

[mpp9]

What were the lines at the end of the game?

Think I feel asleep, but I thought they were Hagelin-Crosby-Hornqvist for much of the third. Kunitz-Cullen-Kessel.

 

[xxxxxxxxxxxxxx]

I tend to agree that we're not in a great position going forward, but I don't think we're in terrible position either. We're just kinda...there. We might make the playoffs, we might not. That's the kinda team we are now. A team where if things go well, we finish anywhere from 8th to 4th. If not, 12th to 9th.

I'm not too stressed about it, though. Thing is, if we do miss, we get that first round pick, and that wouldn't be bad for us. We could really use that pick.

If we make it, we've got more than enough talent to surprise some teams in the playoffs. You simply never know when Sid and Geno might get hot for a stretch, and that could be enough to take us pretty far. Enough to win the cup? I doubt it, but you never know. And hey, playoff hockey is always entertaining.

I'm just beyond relieved that we have our first rounder have a condition on it such that Rutherford can't trade it prior to the end of the season. It's a great failsafe in case the team can't manage to make it.

I do think we'll make it, though. Our main competition is the Devils, and they aren't good. Carolina and Philly are right there too, but they also aren't good. Montreal if healthy would be good, but they're tanking hard and with no Price they're probably done.

So.....we're probably a playoff team.

Don't get me wrong, I honestly believe this team is gonna make the playoffs. I've said before, and still believe there's no chance--short of a couple of serious injuries to big players like Sid, Geno or Fleury--that we'll miss the playoffs. There's just too much talent there, and odds are that Sid, Geno and Fleury will get hot for a stretch and we'll make the post season.

I just don't think that's a measure of success, or a positive for a team in the position we're in, and trending down moving forward.

 

[WayneSid9987]

Didn't watch.
Caught the highlights and twitter after game.

Pens never play a solid 60 in afternoon games and theres always a freak/weird injury/illness.

Pointless to have the org's 2nd best goaltender NOT backing up MAF this late in the season when you're fighting for a playoff spot.

Good to see the bottom 6 producing in a 2nd straight game.

 

[xxxxxxxxxxxxxx]

And I wouldn't count out the Devils or Canes making late surges. Schneider's having a ****ing unbelievable year and Carolina's quietly doing well lately.

 

[WayneSid9987]

Don't get me wrong, I honestly believe this team is gonna make the playoffs. I've said before, and still believe there's no chance--short of a couple of serious injuries to big players like Sid, Geno or Fleury--that we'll miss the playoffs. There's just too much talent there, and odds are that Sid, Geno and Fleury will get hot for a stretch and we'll make the post season.

I just don't think that's a measure of success, or a positive for a team in the position we're in, and trending down moving forward.

This is depressing to read man.
Team has played rather well without it's top 2 C, and 3 regular top 9 NHL'ers.
So you'd rather be the Columbus Blue Jackets?
Prepare for post G/Sid and build for that or?