Post-Game Talk: Isles 6, Pens 3 - When Some Things Matter More Than a Game

[madinsomniac]

Sometimes you get the bear and sometimes the Islanders shoot 50% on their first ten shots...

Moving on......

 

[Andy99]

We need to play a more patient, defensive game against them Thursday...they made mistakes in the NZ tonight...hopefully we can take advantage more of their mistakes and turn the table...

 

[EightyOne]

Glad I slept through it.

Oh well. NYI have been doing this all year lol. Sadly, so have the Pens.

 

[Sidney the Kidney]

Tonight's game was just so weird because the Pens looked really, really good but just couldn't beat Lehner/the post, and yet it seemed like every single time they had a slight breakdown, the Isles would score.

I guess the one complaint I have is despite playing well, the defense is still way too prone to giving up odd man rushes. But overall, if we replayed that game 100 times, I think the Pens win the majority of those games.

One "minus" for me tonight was Guentzel. I don't know what he looked like live, but on television I just thought he wasn't really doing all that much. Crosby and Simon seemed to be generating all the chances for that line, with Guentzel just kind of skating around and being there. I don't think Jake's had a very good start to the season, despite his good goal pace.

 

[WayneSid9987]

We need Letang back asap. I bet I'm the first person to make this observation.

That would certainly help things.
No matter who plays, they just have to figure it out and keep picking up pts.
I just don't want bad play to fester.
They were not good in their own zone as 5 man units resulting in prime scoring chances going in(going down 2-0) even tho they outshot their opponent decidedly thru the game.

Also be nice to get Brass back as well.
But if it's his groin, let him take all the time he needs and switch in Wilkes kids if you have to.

 

[EightyOne]

I just don't want bad play to fester.
They were not good in their own zone as 5 man units resulting in prime scoring chances going in....

It's going on 18 months of this inconsistency in the NZ/DZ, though. When the Pens are KILLING teams, it's when they are working as a unit. It's a result, not a coincidence. How the team continues to fail to demand this effort is confusing.

...
But if it's his groin, let him take all the time he needs and switch in Wilkes kids if you have to.

Pfft. That's making lemonade out of lemons. Get rid of such a problem solving mentality. It makes more sense to not try out young players.

 

[WayneSid9987]

It's going on 18 months of this inconsistency in the NZ/DZ, though. When the Pens are KILLING teams, it's when they are working as a unit. It's a result, not a coincidence. How the team continues to fail to demand this effort is confusing.

Well, they did some very good things in the NZ/DZ in TOR, CGY and VAN and would just like to see that continue when they play back in the eastern US now.
Build on that and not let the bad things that happened last night fester, t'was my point.

 

[EightyOne]

Well, they did some very good things in the NZ/DZ in TOR, CGY and VAN and would just like to see that continue when they play back in the eastern US now.
Build on that and not let the bad things that happened last night fester, t'was my point.

Absolutely. When they do the fundamentals, their offensive talent buries the opposition. When they don't, they look mediocre.

You don't want it to fester, but 95% of the regular season struggles as hell, most of that lameness in the playoffs) is a direct result of unengaged forwards and a middling defence treading water, slowly drowning.

 

[Honour Over Glory]

What irks me is that Sullivan is happy to promote players if they are playing well or showing some jump, he does it often with Simon and other guys, but he some how refuses to do it with Sprong.

Today, even a blind man could see that Sprong was the prime candidate to be bumped up and take advantage of the fact that the kid was abso-f***ing-lutely buzzing all game long. He had some brain farts, but the positives insanely outweighed any of the negatives he did in the game. Yet...he wasn't bumped up.

Jake Guentzel has been playing like absolute sweaty ass and he likely needs to be on a different line to find his touch again, but nope...f*** that.

 

[WayneSid9987]

Well i think one thing that plays into that is Phil's desire to play with Geno.
And the other one is Sid likely calling some shots on his own line(wants Jake and prefers Rust, etc. vs Horny).

Really doesn't matter at this point who plays where up front. They sorta know already what does and doesn't work. They gotta realise their backend isn't the greatest, especially with 58 out and bust their butts/put the work/details/focus in.

 

[Zirakzigil]

Tonight's game was just so weird because the Pens looked really, really good but just couldn't beat Lehner/the post, and yet it seemed like every single time they had a slight breakdown, the Isles would score.

I guess the one complaint I have is despite playing well, the defense is still way too prone to giving up odd man rushes. But overall, if we replayed that game 100 times, I think the Pens win the majority of those games.

One "minus" for me tonight was Guentzel. I don't know what he looked like live, but on television I just thought he wasn't really doing all that much. Crosby and Simon seemed to be generating all the chances for that line, with Guentzel just kind of skating around and being there. I don't think Jake's had a very good start to the season, despite his good goal pace.

You watched the game didn’t you?

For whatever reason tonight the Pens couldn’t buy a goal and everything was finding a way to go in for the Isles. Having both Letang and Schultz out was also very noticeable to me. The defense just didn’t seem very in tune tonight.

 

[AverageJoeFan]

I mean these games happen.
It was really obvious Letang was out, for sure. It was also really obvious that the Pens forgot anything they learned on defense. Especially in their own zone.

Loved Sid from what I saw. He has a fire again which is a good thing.

Simon had some impact, fluky goal or not, glad he got one.

Sprong looked much more poised and smooth. Each game he seems to gain some confidence.

No bounces or puck luck. It happens...

 

[Randy Butternubs]

Why was Lehner pulled? Hope he's okay.

 

[Empoleon8771]

Yeah, I don't see exactly what Grant does out there. He really hasn't shown anything in the games I've watched him, he just seems like a warm body. He's a worse version of Fehr or Spaling, just another safe player that does borderline nothing on the ice.

 

[vodeni]

Sheahan and Cullen had an off game?

News to me..

glad to help. otherwise you are trolling, or not watching games...

 

[Burn]

Trotz knows how to beat Sullivan's system. Its that simple.

Way to over aggressive on the puck and always caught up ice.

Plus they're just not as fast as they used to be.

Plus Jake has to be better. All the rolling around in warm ups is fine and dandy but his game is pretty bad right now.

 

[vodeni]

Trotz knows how to beat Sullivan's system. Its that simple.

Way to over aggressive on the puck and always caught up ice.

Plus they're just not as fast as they used to be.

do not read too much into it. when you score 4 goals on 9 shots, thats called- everything going your way. trotz did not seat there and devise some evil plan: I will let Pens have their best game of the season the first 30 minutes, let them hit posts and missed golden opportunities, than we will score on basically first five shots.....than we will clamp down on already disinterested Pens...If he figured that out he truly is genius.

 

[AverageJoeFan]

Yeah, I don't see exactly what Grant does out there. He really hasn't shown anything in the games I've watched him, he just seems like a warm body. He's a worse version of Fehr or Spaling, just another safe player that does borderline nothing on the ice.

Yeah, I think he is more suited for a heavy game not speed and transition. He doesn't bring anything at center and would much rather have Cullen/Sheahan there.

 

[Icarium]

Happy to see that the sky isn't falling (yet). It's pretty clear that Letang is indispensable, I still can't believe we somehow won a Cup without him. Sid and Geno did well but karma was paying us back for all the puck luck on the Canadian road trip, I guess. PP1 was a mess, it sure looked like nobody ever expected Riikola to play on it and he was completely out of sync with the other four players on it.

do not read too much into it. when you score 4 goals on 9 shots, thats called- everything going your way. trotz did not seat there and devise some evil plan: I will let Pens have their best game of the season the first 30 minutes, let them hit posts and missed golden opportunities, than we will score on basically first five shots.....than we will clamp down on already disinterested Pens..

Indeed. Trotz is a good coach and his team exploited our weaknesses well but I am sure he was perfectly aware that they got some huge breaks too (though the Pens did score a goal off a defenceman's skate as well).

 

[AverageJoeFan]

do not read too much into it. when you score 4 goals on 9 shots, thats called- everything going your way. trotz did not seat there and devise some evil plan: I will let Pens have their best game of the season the first 30 minutes, let them hit posts and missed golden opportunities, than we will score on basically first five shots.....than we will clamp down on already disinterested Pens...If he figured that out he truly is genius.

Not going to go with Trotz is a genius, but one thing that did stand out to me was how many times guys were in front of the net all alone or D men stepping up, like way up, into the slot without any pushback.

 

[dr robbie]

5 goals, 2 assists in 10 games. He had a tough night, but come on now people.

Pens fans on HF always need to have a whipping boy...

 

[Burn]

do not read too much into it. when you score 4 goals on 9 shots, thats called- everything going your way. trotz did not seat there and devise some evil plan: I will let Pens have their best game of the season the first 30 minutes, let them hit posts and missed golden opportunities, than we will score on basically first five shots.....than we will clamp down on already disinterested Pens...If he figured that out he truly is genius.

I completely disagree. He's been back dooring the Pens for the better part of three years. The Caps just didn't execute... But the plays were there to beat the Pens.

 

[Icarium]

I completely disagree. He's been back dooring the Pens for the better part of three years. The Caps just didn't execute... But the plays were there to beat the Pens.

He lost a playoff series against a team missing their #1D and starting goalie. Beating them in a the regular season doesn't mean shit.

 

[Pancakes]

Murray couldn't be expected to save most of those goals tonight but at the same time he needs to come up with some big saves occasionally. He looks good when we're defensively responsible and terrible when we aren't.

Good goalies bail their teams out when they aren't at their best defensively and so far this year Murray isn't often doing that. He needs to start coming up with those big saves on occasion.

All that said, it was a game where we mostly played well and I think we win more often than not with that effort. Lehner made some big saves early and then the Isles got a few bounces. It happens. Come out hard Thursday and build an early lead and don't look back.

 

[EightyOne]

This year will say a lot about Murray.