Post-Game Talk: Ducks 4, Penguins 2 - ALMOST

[KIRK]

Look, things like Zac Almost-Reese in the top six SHOULD be rectified once guys are healthy, but until half of this defense is replaced, this team is done.

The Pens lack guys up front who can drive offense individually, and in that case you need more than 1 defensive pair that can break out the puck, support the rush, and support in the offensive zone. Hell, even WITH more of a mix of guys up front who individually can drive offense, you need more than 1 NHL caliber defensive pairing.

Until then, it will be the Pittsburgh ALMOST Penguins.

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[froods]

Maata and Brassard need to go. It’s time.

 

[KIRK]

its not just goals, its they cannot ever established cycle or create any possession,

Hard to do that 2 or 3 on 5.

 

[Darren McCord]

**** the team and **** mike sullivan.

If Sullivan wasn't so bullish and stubborn. This team would have Sprong in the top six and Riikola in the the top four. Maatta, Johnson, or Olesiak would be riding the pine. And Garrett Wilson would be in the AHL where he belongs.

 

[Empoleon8771]

Am I allowed to criticize Kessel or is someone going to make a half page rant at me if I criticize him? Because I thought he really struggled tonight, he was having a lot of issues moving the puck to his linemates.

There really wasn't many positives in this game. Pettersson had a good game, but that's really about it.

 

[TNT87]

Decided to take their christmas break after the first period.

 

[Nadal On Clay]

P-A-T-H-E-T-I-C

 

[Scandale du Jour]

Great first.

Bad last 40.

Nothing else to say that has not been said 200 times.

 

[K Fleur]

This just isn’t a good hockey team.

Shouldn’t be a surprise when they lose.

 

[CanadianPensFan1]

Well. last game they were outshot, out hit, out face off'd and took more penalty minutes.

Tonight .. they took less penalties than their opponent.

So theres some improvement I suppose.

That's all I got.

 

[Dipsy Doodle]

Remember when it seemed as though JJ would get scratched and we'd see both Pettersson and Riikola out there?

Good times.

Maatta continues to impress.

 

[Ugene Magic]

Ducks out hustled and played a great game after the 1st.

Pens shots were not good enough, and there were a ton of rebounds.

 

[froods]

**** the team and **** mike sullivan.

If Sullivan wasn't so bullish and stubborn. This team would have Sprong in the top six and Riikola in the the top four. Maatta, Johnson, or Olesiak would be riding the pine. And Garrett Wilson would be in the AHL where he belongs.

Riikola is not a top 4 defender. At all.

 

[Rudy Russo]

Myself after watching this game tonight still wondering why Wilson & Johnson are playing over Dea and Riikola. This decisions that both the coaching staff, and the front office have made over the past year have been such a joke.

 

[Empoleon8771]

**** the team and **** mike sullivan.

If Sullivan wasn't so bullish and stubborn. This team would have Sprong in the top six and Riikola in the the top four. Maatta, Johnson, or Olesiak would be riding the pine. And Garrett Wilson would be in the AHL where he belongs.

Are we really going to do this? Sprong had a good game for the Ducks, just like Pettersson had for the Penguins. Let's not just make this complaining that Sprong isn't here.

 

[KIRK]

**** the team and **** mike sullivan.

If Sullivan wasn't so bullish and stubborn. This team would have Sprong in the top six and Riikola in the the top four. Maatta, Johnson, or Olesiak would be riding the pine. And Garrett Wilson would be in the AHL where he belongs.

All fair critiques.

That said, the mess that is this defense is 99.99% on Jim Rutherford. He spent the last 18 months deconstructing a cup caliber defense and inundating it with morons.

 

[FreeBobbyFarnham]

**** the team and **** mike sullivan.

If Sullivan wasn't so bullish and stubborn. This team would have Sprong in the top six and Riikola in the the top four. Maatta, Johnson, or Olesiak would be riding the pine. And Garrett Wilson would be in the AHL where he belongs.

Cole would still be here.

 

[metalan2]

Yea I mean, there is no switch this year. They are just bad in all facets if the game.

 

[CertifiedLurker]

Am I allowed to criticize Kessel or is someone going to make a half page rant at me if I criticize him? Because I thought he really struggled tonight, he was having a lot of issues moving the puck to his linemates.

There really wasn't many positives in this game. Pettersson had a good game, but that's really about it.

Hmm, I'm not gonna half page rant, but he mostly looked fine tonight imo. I think ZAR literally does nothing for that line, frankly I think he floats to the open spaces instead of working the boards well or forechecking which is weird because you have two guys on that line who have had 35+ goals, yet he's the one trying to float leaving them to grind. That doesn't make any f***ing sense.

 

[Empoleon8771]

Cole would still be here.

No he wouldn't because JR was definitely not re-signing him.

Hmm, I'm not gonna half page rant, but he mostly looked fine tonight imo.

Idk, I really thought he had trouble getting the puck back to Malkin tonight. That entire line looked like a mess offensively, anyone that Malkin would pass the puck to wouldn't be able to move it to anyone else.

 

[KIRK]

Cole would still be here.

Touche. Yes, Cole would still be here and signed for what we're paying Jack Johnson IF Mike Sullivan weren't an egomaniac.

 

[WayneSid9987]

Olli, Rig, JJ, sometimes Letang with his brain farts, Phil when he's not trying, Brassard, Sheahan...
LOSERS!

Thats the tale of the tape and has been all season with some crappy Rust/G mixed in.

Maybe Riiko gets a regular jersey...
Naw he won't and they'll deserve every loss they get as they continue these crappy decisions.

20 minutes buried them.
ANA score a PP goal. Ok fine.
Somehow Olli-JJ pair gets out post another pk i believe(or at the very tail end of it when it went back to even). JJ chases a hit, Olli's a pilon/perfect screen.
Then Cullen loses a draw and Letang does dumb stuff. 3-2 Final.

 

[metalan2]

It's still unfathomable Garret Wilson is getting ice time.

 

[Ragamuffin Gunner]

Garbage.

Seeing Sprong fire at will was pretty fun. Cool to see what a bit of trust from a coach can do for a young kids confidence.

 

[Honour Over Glory]

Riikola is not a top 4 defender. At all.

How would you know? How would the coaching staff know?

They have given so many opportunities to Johnson, Oleksiak, and Maatta to play through their garbage and they just became more rancid garbage. If you let Riikola play, we might actually figure the f*** out what he is.

 

[Darren McCord]

Riikola is not a top 4 defender. At all.

Your right but neither is oleksiak, or maatta, or johnson. He sure is better than them.