Post-Game Talk: | Game # IV | Pens win vs Kings | Goals for Sullys 300th!

[Randy Butternubs]

I didn't get to watch yesterday's or Monday's games.

Regardless, 4th line needs to be getting more minutes for the sake of longevity.

Go Pens!

 

[Icarium]

Good to see the team being so opportunistic. Bad to see Guentzel getting injured but it's the Penguins, gotta have a few injuries. Rakell and Carter's goals were so effortless looking, nice to have such natural goal scorers in your line-up. Kapanen showing some smart passing is also a pleasant development.
Next time start on time, please, we don't want to be "Oops, went behind a few goals in the first 10 minutes" too often like the Oilers.

 

[pistolpete11]

I didn't get to watch yesterday's or Monday's games.

Regardless, 4th line needs to be getting more minutes for the sake of longevity.

Go Pens!

Really?

Managing ice time has been one of my biggest criticisms of Sullivan, but he did well with that yesterday and so far this season (easier to do when you're up big in 3 of 4 games). Yesterday, Rakell led the forward group with just under 18min and Archibald was the only one below 10. He was also able to dial Letang back a few minutes.

 

[AuroraBorealis]

Good to see the team being so opportunistic.

Yep. GSAx may be ambiguous, but this is not:

NHL Stats

The official source for NHL Stats including skaters, goalies, teams stats and more.

www.nhl.com

We're converting like the top shooting % team did last season at the moment.

 

[Randy Butternubs]

Really?

Managing ice time has been one of my biggest criticisms of Sullivan, but he did well with that yesterday and so far this season (easier to do when you're up big in 3 of 4 games). Yesterday, Rakell led the forward group with just under 18min and Archibald was the only one below 10. He was also able to dial Letang back a few minutes.

I must've not looked at the end of game stats. Could've swore McGinn had like 7 minutes.

 

[pistolpete11]

I must've not looked at the end of game stats. Could've swore McGinn had like 7 minutes.

It only seems like he did because he's been that invisible this year

 

[Flying Dego]

Could you guys imagine our blueline if Petts and POJ gained like 10 more lbs each?

 

[SomeDude]

Could you guys imagine our blueline if Petts and POJ gained like 10 more lbs each?

They could hire me as their personal trainer. I'll get them an extra 10 lbs in no time.

 

[Buddy Bizarre]

however game puck goes to Zucker for that extra crosscheck on Lemiuex

Anyone got a vid of that?

 

[Flying Dego]

They could hire me as their personal trainer. I'll get them an extra 10 lbs in no time.

You get them that 10lbs then I'll come in and push them up to 200lbs after. The NHL doesn't test banned substances really right?

Petts at 6'3 200 would be an asset and worth that 4M

 

[SomeDude]

You get them that 10lbs then I'll come in and push them up to 200lbs after. The NHL doesn't test banned substances really right?

Petts at 6'3 200 would be an asset and worth that 4M

Is peanut butter a banned substance? I was counting on that for at least 6 of my 10 lbs. The other 4 lbs would be a combination of various puddings. Weight is weight.

 

[eXile3]

I haven’t seen all the games but I have to wonder about the POJ hate. He’s seems like a serviceable NHL defenseman.

Maybe a little group think happening?

 

[Flying Dego]

Is peanut butter a banned substance? I was counting on that for at least 6 of my 10 lbs. The other 4 lbs would be a combination of various puddings. Weight is weight.

We joke about Petts weight but listen there's really no excuse at the end of the day that a highly paid athlete with dieticians and trainers at their disposal isn't at their peak conditioning.

If I were in his shoes I'd be a brick house on skates. No way I'd want to feel weak when my entire job revolves around being physically fit.

Edit: and I don't want to hear it from the "but what about his speed and agility" crowd...

he's made his choices and he will be what he'll be.

 

[SomeDude]

We joke about Petts weight but listen there's really no excuse at the end of the day that a highly paid athlete with dieticians and trainers at their disposal isn't at their peak conditioning.

If I were in his shoes I'd be a brick house on skates. No way I'd want to feel weak when my entire job revolves around being physically fit.

Edit: and I don't want to hear it from the "but what about his speed and agility" crowd...

he's made his choices and he will be what he'll be.

Petts when he graduates from my program

 

[Randy Butternubs]

You get them that 10lbs then I'll come in and push them up to 200lbs after. The NHL doesn't test banned substances really right?

Petts at 6'3 200 would be an asset and worth that 4M

But what about his mobility?

 

[Flying Dego]

But what about his mobility?

First off it's average at best to begin with. Gaining strength can help with his agility and explosiveness...

If becoming more physically fit impacted his mobility then he probably shouldn't play hockey.

Petts when he graduates from my program

 

[Andy99]

Yep. GSAx may be ambiguous, but this is not:

NHL Stats

The official source for NHL Stats including skaters, goalies, teams stats and more.

www.nhl.com

We're converting like the top shooting % team did last season at the moment.

Can you say unsustainable….I hope we’re converting like this in the POs…then there’s this from Vensel in the PG…

36.4% — expected 5-on-5 goals percentage for the Penguins through two periods, per Natural Stat Trick. The Kings had nine high-danger chances to their three.

 

[Buddy Bizarre]

I haven’t seen all the games but I have to wonder about the POJ hate. He’s seems like a serviceable NHL defenseman.

Maybe a little group think happening?

I agree he's serviceable. But I notice some severe positioning challenges with him. I also noticed yesterday he was carrying it behind the goalline with soft pressure and he panicked and unnecessarily tried to rim it around the boards resulting in a turnover.

I know you can't have all your Dmen being able to skate away from pressure, but he looks scared when he has it in his own end.

Note I think these are correctable.

 

[Turin]

- to Letang for shooting the puck at Guentzel's ear.

- to POJ for taking the penalty that cost Jarry the shutout.

The Pens had no answer for what the Kings brought in the first period, and the Kings showed the blueprint -- for any teams who have the personnel to execute that kind of speed & game plan against the Penguins -- for how to beat them. The Pens better find an answer for that internally.

The blueprint is take a bunch of low danger shots?

 

[SomeDude]

I switched over to the end of the Toronto/Dallas game after our game was over and both teams were noticeably slower than the Pens from just watching them. It was like I was watching it at .75 speed. So that's good I suppose. We'll find out how fast we really are Monday when we play Edmonton.

 

[Peat]

I haven’t seen all the games but I have to wonder about the POJ hate. He’s seems like a serviceable NHL defenseman.

Maybe a little group think happening?

Maybe, but if you only saw this game, you saw by far his best game, because the glaring mistakes have been legion before then. I think most people have given credit for this one.

 

[HandshakeLine]

Really?

Managing ice time has been one of my biggest criticisms of Sullivan, but he did well with that yesterday and so far this season (easier to do when you're up big in 3 of 4 games). Yesterday, Rakell led the forward group with just under 18min and Archibald was the only one below 10. He was also able to dial Letang back a few minutes.

It's a minor criticism now, as we're early on in the season and the team is just clicking. But if the 4th line isn't a line that we can really throw out for more minutes for whatever reasons, I think we should look at shaking it up.

I'm not saying make a trade just to make a trade, but ideally the FO and coaching staff are figuring out what they need from that line or what they want the 4th to be as the games go on and then they make a move for it.

Since the top 6 and the blueline look really good overall this year, I'd hate for us to blow our chances by not icing the very best team we can for that Cinderella ending.

 

[Randy Butternubs]

It's a minor criticism now, as we're early on in the season and the team is just clicking. But if the 4th line isn't a line that we can really throw out for more minutes for whatever reasons, I think we should look at shaking it up.

I'm not saying make a trade just to make a trade, but ideally the FO and coaching staff are figuring out what they need from that line or what they want the 4th to be as the games go on and then they make a move for it.

Since the top 6 and the blueline look really good overall this year, I'd hate for us to blow our chances by not icing the very best team we can for that Cinderella ending.

Getting Blueger back should help.

 

[pistolpete11]

It's a minor criticism now, as we're early on in the season and the team is just clicking. But if the 4th line isn't a line that we can really throw out for more minutes for whatever reasons, I think we should look at shaking it up.

I'm not saying make a trade just to make a trade, but ideally the FO and coaching staff are figuring out what they need from that line or what they want the 4th to be as the games go on and then they make a move for it.

Since the top 6 and the blueline look really good overall this year, I'd hate for us to blow our chances by not icing the very best team we can for that Cinderella ending.

McGinn and Poehling have got ~11-12min every night. How many more minutes do you want them to get? Archibald is the only one who has been under 10min in any game and it's looking like he'll probably be the one to sit when Blueger is back.

Like I said, it's easier to do that when you're scoring 6 goals a game. We'll see if Sullivan keeps it up as they start to play some closer games. I have my doubts, but so far, so good.

 

[Peat]

I'm not sure I agree that an average team should be expected to score more than our current 5 goals per game with our amount of chances. That's #1 in the NHL. We've had some pretty clinical finishing on several we did score. Some examples...

- Rakell's goal today - That's not an expected goal for me because of the acute angle and awkwardness of it all, shooting it in reverse while lunging for the puck
- Poehling's goal is with the goalie totally set at the top of his crease in good position. Wouldn't expect that to go in either. It only did because of a fly-by screen by a King, throwing Quick off
- Zucker and Malkin have had long range slapshot goals go in off posts. Who was expecting goals there, watching those games?
- Carter squeaked one in for his first of the year by sliding it along the ice across Eliott, with pinpoint precision off the far post. I thought Elliott had him.
- Rutta's goal was soft as butter

The list goes on.

But that stat for 23rd in goals above expected isn't for the team scoring 5 goals per game.

That stat was for the team before the LA game, and it was for a team scoring 3 5v5 goals per game. It's a 5v5 stat, all the PP and PK goals don't count.

The stat will probably change after last night. Natural Stat Trick's version of that stat changed dramatically for us after last night, I'm sure MoneyPuck will follow. Indeed, they have. The stats are updated and we're now 15th at 0.98 goals over at 5v5. If you want to count all situations, as you are doing, we're 2.28 ahead of the game, which is 6th best in the NHL. Moneypuck don't have a date filter for me to work out the change, but on NST we're at 3.44 goals ahead of expected at all situations now, and were at 0,09 ahead before last night so there was probably a big change. The stats agree with you that we scored a bunch of unlikely goals last night - but you're taking issue with stats from before last night. It's not a valid criticism of that number to mention goals from last night.

And when you ask the real question the MP stat you found says, should we have scored more than 3 5v5 goals a night in our first three games, then I think yeah, yeah we should. I've lost count of the Pens (Rust) all alone in front of the net without it going in. I thought the first two goalies we faced made a bunch of really smart saves. Those first two games were stupidly dominant and we only got what we deserved from them if that.