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Pre-Game Talk: How will the Penguins fare this season.

Where will the Penguins finish in the Eastern Conference

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    86
  • Poll closed .
Allie Kitsune

Allie Kitsune

...and the Brawla Brawla Sewitt
Jan 7, 2006
9,959
2,345
Pennsylvania
CheckingLineCenter said:
The Penguins will start meh and be around or slightly behind the wildcard spots in November, with some questioning if this is the year they miss.

Then sustain a rash of injuries to key players all at once around mid-November. Things look dire.

Once-plugs and random skaters will step up the lineup, produce miraculous results and the team will be scorching hot through the new year; with all of us excitedly anticipating how loaded a healthy roster could be. They are in contention for the division.

Key injured players return to much excitement, only to see different healthy key players get immediately injured. Pens are still not icing their full roster but only slow down slightly and still play well into Feb, still in the hunt to win the Metro.

Team finally gets healthy. Said plugs slide back down the line up and are mediocre. Injured top of lineup players cannot find chemistry easily. Sullivan reverts to GCR and heavily uses a BART type 4th line. The secondary middle 6 winger acquired at the TDL is solid but not amazing. Penguins limp into postseason with the 3rd seed in Metro or the WC1. The excitement of the midseason hot streak is gone.

Postseason begins. Penguins look incredible and take Game 1. Injuries and goalie play decimate them over the course of the series and they are eliminated in Round 1 by a division rival because they gave up timely goals in bad moments despite largely outplaying the other team.

That rival makes a deep playoff run and we all lament how close we were if we could have gotten past Round 1.
Click to expand...
The record's skipping again >.<
 
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chethejet

Registered User
Feb 4, 2012
8,469
1,869
Pens have one issue....health. If healthy, Pens can finish 2nd or 3rd in Metro. Leafs, TB and I think the Sens can surprise and be in the hunt. Boston injuries are uncertain as to what they do. Goaltending for the Canes is not that good. But if Pens stay reasonably healthy, they can win the division or be in contention for that.
 
LOGiK

LOGiK

Registered User
Nov 14, 2007
18,319
9,042
chethejet said:
Pens have one issue....health. If healthy, Pens can finish 2nd or 3rd in Metro. Leafs, TB and I think the Sens can surprise and be in the hunt. Boston injuries are uncertain as to what they do. Goaltending for the Canes is not that good. But if Pens stay reasonably healthy, they can win the division or be in contention for that.
Click to expand...
What about age?
Chemistry?
Defense?
Goalie(s)?
 

chethejet

Registered User
Feb 4, 2012
8,469
1,869
Pens need to stay healthy in the key guys. In other words, if Sid or Geno or Letang is out, then who knows. Jarry is fine and the D is good enough if the scoring from the forwards is what most expect.
 
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Andy99

Registered User
Jun 26, 2017
50,788
32,845
I still think we’re going to have the same problems as last season besides health: lack of finishing, PP woes and inconsistent goaltending…hopefully find just enough there to nab a PO spot
 

Pancakes

HFBoards Sponsor
Sponsor
Mar 4, 2011
26,300
18,223
Jacob said:
I could be way way off but I foresee us having a somewhat uneventful regular season. Middle-of-the-pack kind of. Not too high but not too low.

I think Petry and Rutta, like, it's debatable if they really make us a contender or vastly improve us but I think they are the types that smooth out wrinkles at least. 2 veteran guys on the blueline that aren't super flashy but defend well and add a lot of depth. Push guys into slots where they are going to perform better in. Our forward group is mostly vets that don't get too high or too low and even our younger guys are matured. Even POJ, while technically a rookie, is mature, seasoned and plays a relatively simple game. Lots of depth, more than we've ever had, so when injuries do hit they could, conceivably, have less impact than previous years because of that much improved depth. Not that our depth was ever bad.
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I wouldn't be surprised to see us struggle early. We're old, and we have I think 14 road games compared to 9 home games in our October-November stretch. Some of those against tough teams.

So we might have a mediocre record in November. People will call for Sullivan to be fired. He won't be. Then we'll have a ton of home games in December and "shockingly" we'll come around record-wise and be comfortably in a playoff spot heading into January.

That's my prediction anyhow
 
BlindWillyMcHurt

BlindWillyMcHurt

ti kallisti
May 31, 2004
34,329
28,332
Well I mean NHL coaches are meant to be desperately clung to for as long as possible.

The history of the sport (and this team) is pretty clear on this and it's effectiveness.
 
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LOGiK

LOGiK

Registered User
Nov 14, 2007
18,319
9,042
BlindWillyMcHurt said:
Well I mean NHL coaches are meant to be desperately clung to for as long as possible.

The history of the sport (and this team) is pretty clear on this and it's effectiveness.
Click to expand...
Hasn't longevity of coaches declined rather steeply since the new millennium?
 
BlindWillyMcHurt

BlindWillyMcHurt

ti kallisti
May 31, 2004
34,329
28,332
LOGiK said:
Hasn't longevity of coaches declined rather steeply since the new millennium?
Click to expand...

No no... of course not. In nearly every case it is shown that the longer NHL coaching stays in place the better they get. Comfort and lack of accountability definitely leads to innovation and creativity.

Anyway... the point is that Sullivan is an odd choice to be White Knighting, particularly after this offseason.
 
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LOGiK

LOGiK

Registered User
Nov 14, 2007
18,319
9,042
BlindWillyMcHurt said:
No no... of course not. In nearly every case it is shown that the longer NHL coaching stays in place the better they get. Comfort and lack of accountability definitely leads to innovation and creativity.

Anyway... the point is that Sullivan is an odd choice to be White Knighting, particularly after this offseason.
Click to expand...
Not sure if I worded that correctly, I meant from the 20's to 2001 - 2001-current...
But you're right --- comfort and lack of accountability... etc
add: i meant painful as in invulnerable... I don't like that. Contract or not... no results / lame results / stagnation = vulnerable. At least it should be imo.
 
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Ugene Magic

Ugene Magic

EVIL LAUGH
Oct 17, 2008
54,351
18,776
Pittsburgh
Fare or fair?

Clown show or actual clown?
pJNon17.gif

Car says 5th...
 
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chethejet

Registered User
Feb 4, 2012
8,469
1,869
I am not concerned over road games early in the season. Yes it is a bummer but this team should handle that. If it was February or March, then yes I think it would be a larger issue. Pens can navigate the early part of the season.
 
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