Post-Game Talk: Penguins 3, Wild 2 - Vanilla Ice With the Game Winner

[Jacob]

Yeah at least ZAR completed a few simple passes last night

Man he looked wild with the blond mustache and black 5 o’clock shadow.

 

[Vyruz Reaper]

I agree. If you could bio-engineer a perfect hockey player I don't know what else you can add to to a Crosby model. Won't be another him for a good long awhile. Big names, goal scorers, ehhhhh... I'll never forget Crosby busting through a whole team of players to score goals and its funny his quote from the other day against the capitals, "I came to play, not talk to OV"
Sid don't play around on the ice.

About 5 more inches

 

[EightyOne]

True enough @pixiesfanyo.

This is what I expect from a healthy roster.

I expected a little better from a roster missing Schultz and [RandomComplimentaryForward].

The tendy issues....were difficult. But a, shitty goalie doesn't mean you forget how to fight for 50/50 pucks in your offensive zone or forget how to pass on a breakout.

I think they are back on track now.

 

[Gurglesons]

True enough @pixiesfanyo.

This is what I expect from a healthy roster.

I expected a little better from a roster missing Schultz and [RandomComplimentaryForward].

The tendy issues....were difficult. But a, ****ty goalie doesn't mean you forget how to fight for 50/50 pucks in your offensive zone or forget how to pass on a breakout.

I think they are back on track now.

But, losing your 3C and a few wingers does cause that to happen. Seven of the ten losses were when we were down Cullen, Crosby Or Brassard.

This is a team that runs through the pivots.

 

[zero8771]

I know you've pulled back a little bit after Cole, but, you saw the same lackadaisical effort that the team was putting forth, right?

I'd get being patient and understanding if everyone on the ice was executing to a T but getting tough breaks.

They weren't even trying most nights.

It's cool that they are skating and putting themselves in better places on the ice, though.

Yes I saw them be lackadaisical the same way they were to start the season the last 3 years. I never thought this pointed to them needing to fire their coach.

 

[zero8771]

Man he looked wild with the blond mustache and black 5 o’clock shadow.

The glory days

 

[CascadiaPenguin]

And mad props to Sully for using Sid/Jake on the PK. I really feel that has given this team an added threat. Cullen is also playing very well...

Cullen is amazing. Was there any doubt he was going to win the late 3rd period FO, playing against the Wild? Not in my household...

 

[Peat]

That was the case last year. I didn’t know if it’s the same issue today.

Was speculating based on his play before and after the Christmas break. Unless it wasn’t physical and he just decided in his head to try harder?

Oh, okay, my bad.

I don't think there's anything concrete known about any recent bad blood between Sully and Kessel, and tbh there might be none other than "I need you to backcheck harder when this is happening" "Hey hey, I'm doing my bit, why don't you go bother X?" style bickering which barely even counts.

 

[SEALBound]

Weve got a stretch of 9-10 games here where we have a serious chance to make up ground. No stretch to suggest a 8-2, 9-1, or even 10-0 run. Tampas at the end of the month...I WANT that game...BAD.

Really anxious to see how we stack up.

Get Rust back, get Maatta healthy. Interesting to see how the roster shakes out when Schultz is back.

Dumo-Tang
Maatta-Riikola
Pettersson-Schultz
Oleksiak-Johnson

is that unreasonable?

 

[Shwag33]

Everyone is shallow in their analysis with goaltending. Sure both are playing great right now, but when you're not giving up 15 odd man breaks a game it's easier to get great goaltending. There were games early in the season we were giving up 5 goals and had great goaltending, but the stats and perception looks like shit

The team defense is what has improved more than anything.

 

[ColePens]

Everyone is shallow in their analysis with goaltending. Sure both are playing great right now, but when you're not giving up 15 odd man breaks a game it's easier to get great goaltending. There were games early in the season we were giving up 5 goals and had great goaltending, but the stats and perception looks like ****

The team defense is what has improved more than anything.

Boy... I don't know. Downplaying how well Murray and DeSmith are right now is nto fair. They are making key saves on some of those odd man rushes you are talking about. And it is giving us time to come out and regain form.

I wouldn't sell those 2 short. They are playing tremendous. Definitely a level above for Murray. And yes, of course team defense is playing well.

 

[froods]

Weve got a stretch of 9-10 games here where we have a serious chance to make up ground. No stretch to suggest a 8-2, 9-1, or even 10-0 run. Tampas at the end of the month...I WANT that game...BAD.

Really anxious to see how we stack up.

Get Rust back, get Maatta healthy. Interesting to see how the roster shakes out when Schultz is back.

Dumo-Tang
Maatta-Riikola
Pettersson-Schultz
Oleksiak-Johnson

is that unreasonable?

JJ isn’t coming out.

 

[Peat]

Boy... I don't know. Downplaying how well Murray and DeSmith are right now is nto fair. They are making key saves on some of those odd man rushes you are talking about. And it is giving us time to come out and regain form.

I wouldn't sell those 2 short. They are playing tremendous. Definitely a level above for Murray. And yes, of course team defense is playing well.

This. And it has been pointed out a lot that previously the team were throwing Murray under the bus and that it was very easy to see, both on screen and numerically, but that its no longer true.

But its also easy to see, on screen and numerically, that Murray is just better than he's been. Does he make that stop he made on Schwartz two months ago? Or that high glove save on Tarasenko? Likelihood is he misses at least one.

 

[Shwag33]

This. And it has been pointed out a lot that previously the team were throwing Murray under the bus and that it was very easy to see, both on screen and numerically, but that its no longer true.

But its also easy to see, on screen and numerically, that Murray is just better than he's been. Does he make that stop he made on Schwartz two months ago? Or that high glove save on Tarasenko? Likelihood is he misses at least one.

Absolutely, I'm not disagreeing that murray is playing much better. It's just as a goalie when you're facing ridiculous chances all game long eventually some go an and your confidence gets crushed. Thats why he was playing deeper in his net playing scared.

I guess my point is that the goaltending issues early were caused by team play not so much the goaltenders themselves even though they did share some of the blame.

 

[EightyOne]

Absolutely, I'm not disagreeing that murray is playing much better. It's just as a goalie when you're facing ridiculous chances all game long eventually some go an and your confidence gets crushed. Thats why he was playing deeper in his net playing scared.

I guess my point is that the goaltending issues early were caused by team play not so much the goaltenders themselves even though they did share some of the blame.

It's hard to say it was only the team when early in the year CDS was putting up better numbers than Murray. And the guys in front were playing just as bad for both.

 

[Peat]

It's hard to say it was only the team when early in the year CDS was putting up better numbers than Murray. And the guys in front were playing just as bad for both.

The difference in High Danger shots they both faced says otherwise. Neither were all that far away from their expected save numbers for the first month or so, just that there was a wild difference in expected save numbers... then Murray dipped a little and DeSmith dipped a little, then Murray came out of the line up.

And people were calling that before people looked at the numbers too - from what I remember, the team was far more structured in front of DeSmith.

 

[Shwag33]

It's hard to say it was only the team when early in the year CDS was putting up better numbers than Murray. And the guys in front were playing just as bad for both.

Watching the games there were many more breakdowns in the games murray played vs CDS. As backed up by what peat just said, the high danger chance save % was similar, even though murray's overall save % was disasatrous and CDS was at aleast respectable.

 

[vodeni]

we tightened up a little bit, chances against are down a little bit, however, its still goaltending that keeping us afloat. Both goalies have been spectacular, but big elephent in the room is that other than Sid's line we are negative in the offensive department, pretty much constant negative Corsi for lines 2 through 4, shots for and chances for lower than against...the goaltending and Sid and Jake and Rust's opportunistic game masked a lot of issuees...