Post-Game Talk: Penguins 4, Coyotes 2 - Thank You Geno for Not Making Us Watch OT

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Pancakes

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Also, it would help if Sullivan was icing a better line-up(like sit Reaves at least for some games and get Archi in) and if he was putting better line combos.

He's been putting some really bad combos out there lately with many players on off wings and some players like,71 and 72, with negative chemestry.

59-71-81 line was one of our most productive lines before he broke them up, but I understand that he wanted to get the 1st line going and get Guentzel back on there. That line with him, Crosby and Simon looks good. But Sullivan needs to figure out 2nd and 3rd line then and HMK and Sheary-Sheahan-Hornqvist seems like better options than whatever he tried to this point. And 4th line with Archibald-Rowney-Rust seems way more attractive than current line with Reaves and Rust on LW.

Sully is just throwing shit against the wall and hoping it sticks. The offense has been so bad that he's trying anything he can to get it going. He's going full Michel Therrien line blender mode.

If the team actually starts winning again we'll see some consistency with lines probably but not until then.
 

CertifiedLurker

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Aug 13, 2016
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What a snooze fest...

I understand this team is playing like garbage right now, but surely the Sullivan line blenders is just compounding the problems. I really don't know what was wrong with the lines they had during the 5 wins in 6 games stretch they had. Barely beating the yotes is not exactly giving these line-up changes a thumbs up.

It's painful to watch them not because they suck, but because they're actually boring right now. I can watch bad, I don't know if I can consistently watch boring. I might get more entertainment out of whatever JR whips up in the next week.
 

EliteGoaltending

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Sully is just throwing **** against the wall and hoping it sticks. The offense has been so bad that he's trying anything he can to get it going. He's going full Michel Therrien line blender mode.

If the team actually starts winning again we'll see some consistency with lines probably but not until then.
He actually makes it harder to win and harder to score for the team that already starves for ES goals, with his combos.

And his in game juggling sometimes is very weird, like the other game 72-71-81 line looked atrocious and I thought maybe at least going into the 3rd he would change that line, but nope, he kept them and they kept to struggle to gain and maintain possession and all that when we were down a goal and needed offence. In this game, he flipped 15 and 71s wingers and when 2nd line scored a goal, a bit later he flipped the wingers back... He also flipped Simon and Rust, but he does that when first line isn't scoring,even if they look good, to get a spark.
 
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Speaking Moistly

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Time to Neal this down. Put this whatcha Michelak to an end.


Guess he didn't notice the Fleury of things the pens did wrong toKnight.

Yeah, everyone has Suttered enough.

Someone needs to use little words to explain to them that 10% good and 90% bad is aBylsma. You’re technically doing good things but it’s still a lot more bad than good.
 

PensandCaps

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Yeah, everyone has Suttered enough.

Someone needs to use little words to explain to them that 10% good and 90% bad is aBylsma. You’re technically doing good things but it’s still a lot more bad than good.

JR has to Staal for time to make a deal soon. Trade freeze is soon. Should've got a legit 3C in the Summers, not trott men out there like McKegg and stand pat.
 

cheesedanish87

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This game is a perfect example why i think the pens just stink.

The pens played hard, played about as good as they can, and they still almost lost to Arizona.

If they were just going through the motions i would have hope that they could turn it on, but that hasn't been the case at all lately.

I feel bad for Archibald, please put him on waivers so he can go somewhere and play.
 

Speaking Moistly

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Something has to give there.


JR has to Staal for time to make a deal soon. Trade freeze is soon. Should've got a legit 3C in the Summers, not trott men out there like McKegg and stand pat.

It’s Vitale important that JR doesn’t let this get worse but he also can’t make a panic trade as soon as possible. Malkin a mistake he can’t take back could make this go from bad to worse. The 1st round Orpik is most likely gone, though.
 

Sidney the Kidney

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Me thinks that a team with Crosby, Malkin,Kessel and Guenztel will not continue to be the worst 5v5 team in the sport. The luck will turn for the pens.

Yeah, we've been saying "it will come" for 34 games now. At some point, the lack of 5 on 5 production is an issue and not just a "bad streak of luck".
 
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WayneSid9987

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Nov 24, 2009
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I was thinking about that Pens were looking on par with bad teams back to the Philly game. But then back to back wins vs Buffalo, so I thought maybe we still can beat bad teams pretty easily, but nope, Buffalo was just that bad.

So every game remains a bit of a struggle. Scoring 5 on 5 too. And if PP isn't 5 on 3 or 4 on 3 it's not that hot either.

Yea, i thought they picked up some momentum there when Sid started piling up points. Even the NYR game, they heavily outplayed them and i thought, they play like that, alot more pucks are gonna start going in. Then the NYI game. Bit of scare but still battled back. Then it's been a complete down turn from COL to LV to last night. Teams are packing it in, in the slot and Pens are having a tough time getting to the danger areas most nights. Sully isn't doing them any favors with his lines either and icing a guy he's playing 5Min a night or less.
 

Tom Hanks

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It’s Vitale important that JR doesn’t let this get worse but he also can’t make a panic trade as soon as possible. Malkin a mistake he can’t take back could make this go from bad to worse. The 1st round Orpik is most likely gone, though.

I’m just having my Malkin cookies enjoying the puns.

Missed the last 10 minutes. Had my work Christmas party. Went bowling I won too :)

I’m so glad we won though. All points seem pretty important right now and we don’t know how much we will improve through trades.
 

Peat

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Jun 14, 2016
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Watched the first two periods, first Pens hockey I've watched in a while so forgive me if I repeat the obvious with these points -

I saw a decent team, maybe a bit low on confidence, with the problem of just going to bits around either net. Soft goals at our end, plays that didn't quite click at ours. It was the sort of thing you can excuse as a team in a rut but the rut has been 34 games now.

To me, that's a situation where you call in the coach and ask him to explain what he thinks he can do to fix this, and what he'd need, and if he's considered other options. Even a coach like Sully.

People are blaming the line shuffles on current personnel or the rut. Hmm. I remember a lot of line shuffles, frequently prompting expressions of "wtf", last season as well. My view is that Sully likes to shuffle lines and will do it pretty much any time the motor gets a little cold.

Maybe Sully would turn around and ask what do we expect with the current locker room. I'd love to do stats on our record with and without Schultz but am too lazy. I've a hunch we stop scoring when he's out though. The bottom 6 and the winger fit are also things we've been over and over, as too is the deleterious effect of Letang's form going walkabouts.

But I don't know how much I accept that. I think the roster I saw last night should be winning more games than it is. I think the roster with a couple of trades could be dynamite. But that relies on players making the simple reads and passes that they're not at the moment. And when a team frequently doesn't execute the basics, or looks a little lazy, I wonder what's happening off ice. Maybe the younger guys can't replace the veterans in the locker room. Maybe the talk about trading popular locker room members should be more alarming than I thought.

In any case, to return to the game from the mini-rant...

- This team couldn't generate an odd man rush on empty ice right now

- Cole/Hunwick should be an in extremis pairing.

- Simon has the talent and brain to play with Sid, but I'm not sure about the experience levels just yet

- Hornqvist/Hagelin remains a pairing where scoring will be a bonus
 

BHD

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Yeah, we've been saying "it will come" for 34 games now. At some point, the lack of 5 on 5 production is an issue and not just a "bad streak of luck".

We were saying similar things (albeit, different issues) around Christmas time last season. There’s still over half a season left.
 

Shady Machine

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Only JR can fix this now. This roster can go on a mini run if they get some confidence back, but to be an actual threat to go anywhere in the playoffs, they need fairly significant upgrades/better fits.
 
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Mr Jiggyfly

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Only JR can fix this now. This roster can go on a mini run if they get some confidence back, but to be an actual threat to go anywhere in the playoffs, they need fairly significant upgrades/better fits.

Only JR could ever fix it, but it was always just a matter of when he could find the right deals.

I don't recall seeing any posts on here saying the roster as-is was threepeat worthy.

I think some people live in a video game world where JR is dealing with AI and not real, live GMs who are looking to make their own teams better.
 
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TheSniper26

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I think some people live in a video game world where JR is dealing with AI and not real, live GMs who are looking to make their own teams better.
Honestly, a lot of people seem to watch the actual games that way too. Every goal against is a colossal failure by someone as opposed to simply a nice play by the other team. Every loss is an indicator that the team is garbage as opposed to the other team just playing well.

There's very little acknowledgement that the other teams exist and are doing all the same things to win that we're doing. It's one of the weirder parts of sports fandom and it's definitely not unique to Pens fans.
 

KIRK

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I think some people live in a video game world where JR is dealing with AI and not real, live GMs who are looking to make their own teams better.

You don't know what you're talking about. My mommy told me there's a Santa Claus and @Pens x tells me being a GM I'd just like a video game.
 

TheSniper26

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Yeah, I must be missing the Letang signs of life. I still see the guy with the same sub-par IQ. Except now he looks like he might be losing a step. Racking up some points while sharing the ice with Sid/Geno/Phil/Jake doesn't change the fact that he's not really passing the eye test for me.
 
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