Post-Game Talk: Game 5 - f*** this team

[Sidgeni Malkby]

Does it really matter even if this team can somehow beat the NYI?

Do we really think they are good enough to then beat a well rested BOS?

Then good enough to beat the winner of CAR/TBL?

Then good enough to beat the winner of COL/VGK?

If we can get past Boston, then yes!

However, first we have to win game 6 first. Long list of firsts.

 

[HandshakeLine]

I would prefer he rationalize it by saying they didn't put enough pucks in the net and had it come down to a one shot game. Calm em down and focus on the next one. There's no way to play much harder than they did last night so I don't get what a tantrum would do

In its purest sense, tomorrow's the real acid test. If this team wins, it's just a one game series, and this team is perfectly capable of stringing together 2 wins in a row. Boston's a new series, you can move on past the mistakes of this one.

 

[SEALBound]

This is why I get less interested in the game each year. Maybe I'm just getting older, as I certainly don't get worked up about other sports anymore either. We're fortunate to have as many Cups as we do, but it's just too frustrating to care anymore. Every year we roll through the regular system, lighting up the scoreboard, get to the playoffs, the rules change, and get absolutely stoned by some random goalie. We don't have the personnel to play 'playoff hockey' anymore, management has refused to adjust, and the league isn't going to change anything.

To be fair, it's not like we would have liked any playoff hockey related moves JR or Hextall would have made. Could you imagine if JR used a 1st on Coleman or Barclay? What did we want all last off-season? Speed, youth, and skill. JR went out and got that. He built the team everyone here legit wanted. We just can't be happy.

That said, we outplayed the Isles all night. Jarry gave it away. So at the end of the day, what are we really mad at? The loss or the play? We should be mad at the loss, not necessarily how we played. Metric indicate we are playing decent.

 

[lettuceAA]

After a tough loss like last night we will see how much character is in the room next game. Personally I feel there is lots and they will come out and have a great game, Jarry included.

 

[Pancakes]

In its purest sense, tomorrow's the real acid test. If this team wins, it's just a one game series, and this team is perfectly capable of stringing together 2 wins in a row. Boston's a new series, you can move on past the mistakes of this one.

I think Boston will beat us handily if we get that far but I'd still love to have the chance to find out.

 

[HandshakeLine]

I think Boston will beat us handily if we get that far but I'd still love to have the chance to find out.

Yeah, I don't have that feeling like I did in years before that this team could gut it out, but still. They play the games for a reason, once a series is done, it doesn't matter. The team gets to start all over from game 1.

 

[LOGiK]

Just watched the game from dvr...

THAT is how the series was lost?
Jarry pulled a Samsonov...

 

[Terrapin]

To be fair, it's not like we would have liked any playoff hockey related moves JR or Hextall would have made. Could you imagine if JR used a 1st on Coleman or Barclay? What did we want all last off-season? Speed, youth, and skill. JR went out and got that. He built the team everyone here legit wanted. We just can't be happy.

That said, we outplayed the Isles all night. Jarry gave it away. So at the end of the day, what are we really mad at? The loss or the play? We should be mad at the loss, not necessarily how we played. Metric indicate we are playing decent.

Um, is this the first post of mine you've read?? lol.

 

[tom_servo]

In its purest sense, tomorrow's the real acid test. If this team wins, it's just a one game series, and this team is perfectly capable of stringing together 2 wins in a row. Boston's a new series, you can move on past the mistakes of this one.

My fear is that our goalie is f***ed. Not always a disaster being down 3-2 and they did win two in a row but what are they gonna do with Jarry?

 

[BlindWillyMcHurt]

My fear is that our goalie is f***ed. Not always a disaster being down 3-2 and they did win two in a row but what are they gonna do with Jarry?

Is it possible he is still hurting from whatever it was before the series?

He seems to literally be ducking out of the way of shots, flinching, not handling the puck as much and holding his glove a little weird.

I dunno. He could also just not be very good, of course.

 

[tom_servo]

Is it possible he is still hurting from whatever it was before the series?

He seems to literally be ducking out of the way of shots, flinching, not handling the puck as much and holding his glove a little weird.

I dunno. He could also just not be very good, of course.

Yeah I think he's just not that good. But then it's like, why Sorokin? Very annoying.

 

[HandshakeLine]

Who knows with Jarry? Game one I thought he was still injured. Game 2 and 3 he looked okay-ish. The last two have not been great. But that's that goalie lyfe.

I mean, triage it, get Hextall to give a pep talk, hope that CDS can get going if we win a game or two, and then deal with the next series?

 

[Sidney the Kidney]

Updated after including the last game:

Bryan Rust: 9 points in 25 playoff games after the 2017 cup win
Jason Zucker: 11 points in 40 career playoff games
Kasperi Kapanen: 9 points in 30 career playoff games
Jared McCann: 3 points in 11 career playoff games
Zach Aston-Reese: 4 points in 22 career playoff games
Teddy Blueger: 1 point in 10 career playoff games

IMO this team has about 7 players who are actually built the way you want them built for playoff success: Crosby, Malkin, Carter, Tanev, Letang, Dumoulin and Ceci. I'd also include Guentzel (who's hurt right now if I had to guess) and Matheson (who's been fantastic in this series) in that group as well based on actual playoff results. Outside of that group, the Penguins are just littered with soft straight line speedsters without any offensive creativity, soft defensive depth players without any offensive creativity and soft and undersized puck moving D.

This roster is just so monotone. You have literally multiple of the same exact player throughout the lineup. Where's the net front presence? Where's the offensive creativity on the wings? Where's the pure goal scoring talent (not just putting up goals, I mean actually shooting talent) on the wings? Where's the physicality on defense?

Whenever I read one of Emp's posts, I keep thinking he somehow stole all my notes from the past couple of off-seasons when I'd argue these points with people.

 

[Sidney the Kidney]

This is like George Costanza comparing himself to Ted Danson. "We're worse....much, much worse." Their top 4 is absolutely stacked.

It's pixie, what do you expect? He tends to exaggerate to ridiculous degrees to try and push his narrative that there's nothing wrong with our roster.

His take on their forwards is similarly silly. Yeah, they only have a 6'4 puck possession beast in Rantanen, a gritty powerforward in Landeskog, and a 6'4 defensive beast in Nichushkin. But that's pretty much the same as our collection of 5'11 wingers who whack away at pucks from the perimeter.

 

[ColePens]

After a tough loss like last night we will see how much character is in the room next game. Personally I feel there is lots and they will come out and have a great game, Jarry included.

I hate to be the downer because I'm usually the resident optimist. I think this team will go hard for 10 mins and if they get down a goal or two, it's all over. They will wilt over and say "ahh its not meant to be and we already have multiple championships."

I don't buy for a second we make a run. That FG tip should have gone in. Little bad luck there. Jarry just put a knife in this team's back in Game 1 and 5. Really sad stuff.

 

[Icarium]

Hextall to make a shocking return to the ice in game 6?

 

[Andy99]

Man, the hope on this forum for tomorrow’s game is scary....haven’t you all seen this puppy before? They won’t be winning tomorrow...I won’t be watching it, so maybe they have a 1% chance, but I’m 99% convinced it’s over...they shot their wad and they lost...

 

[Shrimper]

Updated after including the last game:

Bryan Rust: 9 points in 25 playoff games after the 2017 cup win
Jason Zucker: 11 points in 40 career playoff games
Kasperi Kapanen: 9 points in 30 career playoff games
Jared McCann: 3 points in 11 career playoff games
Zach Aston-Reese: 4 points in 22 career playoff games
Teddy Blueger: 1 point in 10 career playoff games

IMO this team has about 7 players who are actually built the way you want them built for playoff success: Crosby, Malkin, Carter, Tanev, Letang, Dumoulin and Ceci. I'd also include Guentzel (who's hurt right now if I had to guess) and Matheson (who's been fantastic in this series) in that group as well based on actual playoff results. Outside of that group, the Penguins are just littered with soft straight line speedsters without any offensive creativity, soft defensive depth players without any offensive creativity and soft and undersized puck moving D.

This roster is just so monotone. You have literally multiple of the same exact player throughout the lineup. Where's the net front presence? Where's the offensive creativity on the wings? Where's the pure goal scoring talent (not just putting up goals, I mean actually shooting talent) on the wings? Where's the physicality on defense?

Crosby only has 6 in his last 13 too. 1 in 18-19, 3 in 19-20 and 2 this year

 

[TheSniper26]

Bummer of a game but I think it's important to not overthink the current situation too much. Yes, they're down 3-2 and that sucks. But let's be honest, if their goalie doesn't absolutely beef his pants in games 1 and 5, this thing is probably already over.

I'm not dismissing some real team-wide issues. But no amount of a hand-wringing about lines or Sullivan or size is gonna change the reality of what's actually going to cost them this series and that's goaltending.

 

[Sidney the Kidney]

I hate to be the downer because I'm usually the resident optimist. I think this team will go hard for 10 mins and if they get down a goal or two, it's all over. They will wilt over and say "ahh its not meant to be and we already have multiple championships."

I don't buy for a second we make a run. That FG tip should have gone in. Little bad luck there. Jarry just put a knife in this team's back in Game 1 and 5. Really sad stuff.

If you're being negative, does that mean I have to assume the role of positive one?

I don't like that role. Especially with our goaltending and forward construction.

 

[Empoleon8771]

Crosby only has 6 in his last 13 too. 1 in 18-19, 3 in 19-20 and 2 this year

The difference is that Crosby has an extensive track record of success and he's passing the eye test. I think watching him leads to a conclusion of "he's getting no help out there", even if his performance has left something to be desired overall.

 

[Empoleon8771]

If you're being negative, does that mean I have to assume the role of positive one?

I don't like that role. Especially with our goaltending and forward construction.

I can throw out some positivity, I think a Dumoulin-Letang and Matheson-Marino top-4 is going to be really good for quite a few years.

Matheson has really impressed me in this series (and this season overall) and I think Marino likely bounces back from his sophomore slump.

 

[Gurglesons]

I hate to be the downer because I'm usually the resident optimist. I think this team will go hard for 10 mins and if they get down a goal or two, it's all over. They will wilt over and say "ahh its not meant to be and we already have multiple championships."

I don't buy for a second we make a run. That FG tip should have gone in. Little bad luck there. Jarry just put a knife in this team's back in Game 1 and 5. Really sad stuff.

Yeah, it sucks. But we are 2010-2013 Detroit level. We respect other teams too much, we know what it takes and we are willing to let other teams back into games because we are following the mantra of our coach which is just play. Blueger, McCann, Kappy these are players we need to have swagger and be too dumb to know that they shouldn’t upstage Sid or Geno.

 

[ColePens]

If you're being negative, does that mean I have to assume the role of positive one?

I don't like that role. Especially with our goaltending and forward construction.

I've seen stuff like that break goalies for good. He had two safe options and tried being a hero. I won't be shocked if he ends up like MAF in the playoffs from here on out like 2010-2013.

We played our best game and lost. Jake and McCann are ghosts. I just don't see it. I don't see where they find a way.

Possible? f*** yeah. Anyyyyything is possible in sports. Probable? f*** no.

 

[Shrimper]

I hate to be the downer because I'm usually the resident optimist. I think this team will go hard for 10 mins and if they get down a goal or two, it's all over. They will wilt over and say "ahh its not meant to be and we already have multiple championships."

I don't buy for a second we make a run. That FG tip should have gone in. Little bad luck there. Jarry just put a knife in this team's back in Game 1 and 5. Really sad stuff.

Completely agree. During the Cup runs if they wen't behind it wasn't a problem. You knew they come back. Simce then they seem to just give up when they go behind