Post-Game Talk: Penguins 5, Devils 2: Geno Prevents ColePens from Losing His ****

[AlphaMikeFoxtrots]

https://morehockeystats.com/teams/en

we are legit terrible with our own goalie pulled though. bottom 5.

...aaaand that explains it - generally i feel like 6 on 5 is a horror show, and it's been kind of a while since it was worthwhile for a team to pull their goalie on them, too.

 

[BmxHockey]

Moar grit. Got to transition into playoff gear.... Skill is always there. Keep hitting fools. No moar cute passes to the slot- doesn’t work.

 

[Gurglesons]

I agree with Jesse totally. I think there's very little reason not to considering what Blueger's line has been without him.
You don't have to love ZAR to appreciate what that line was consistently doing for us.
If ZAR goes back to being exactly the same and the Blueger line ditto, then we are much better for it no matter that ZAR himself produces very unspectacular looking showings/stats.

If Blueger's line was to suck even more on ZAR's return.... then we have another debate on it.

The nice part about Bjugstad’s injury is it forces ZAR and Rodrigues into the line up.

Rodrigues - McCann - Hornqvist
ZAR - Bleuger - Tanev

Should improve our bottom six as it is built to our identity of a pesky, fast and physical puck hounding forecheck.

 

[AlphaMikeFoxtrots]

Malkin and Murray saved this team's ass. Murray, aside from what I think was a flukey goal, shined all night. He made some gigantic saves.

Rodrigues, Tanev, and Marleau were really noticeable with their speed and forechecking ability.

My patience with Kris Letang is at an all time low. I have never thought he was such an integral part of the team that we couldn't do it without him as long as we brought in a guy like Schultz of the Cup years who could be a legit PP threat and add some points from the back end. The guy has been more frustrating this season than I can ever remember. Sully taking him off PP1 is exactly what needed to happen, though he will probably be right back on PP1 next game.

not so sure...they've been pretty consistent rolling schultz out the past few games*, for better or worse.

*didn't watch sunday, just caught some bits on the radio, so i may have missed 58 playing up.

What in the world is wrong with Sidney Crosby?

as others have speculated, my guess is he still ain't right from the surgery and now doesn't have the YAY HOCKEY adrenaline carrying him anymore...and both lineys are new, mix-wise at the very least. varying severity of injury and individual healing rates aside, the fact bjugstad took so much time to come back and he's already out again makes me think there's also some fallout now from sid coming back so relatively quickly that he's too stubborn to give into unless finishing with a worse game score than jj tonight gives him a shock. and again, as has been pointed out, at this point he's also conserving some on account of all of the above.

i don't think he's dogging it, just kind of bottomed out on his patched up whatever keeping up with his mind, which at times appears to be the same thing

 

[JTG]

Talk about an imploding moment if ZAR comes back and the team starts rattling off wins again.

 

[EVGENIMERLIN]

Talk about an imploding moment if ZAR comes back and the team starts rattling off wins again.

I’ll be rattled

 

[EightyOne]

I've already come to accept Simon

Now I might have to stop hating ZAR, too?

Grumble

 

[Peat]

Quick stat look...

Geno's line was comfortably our best. Like, long way our best. 6 shots to 2, 7 SC to 1. Mainly against Severson, and Hischier/Zacha lines.

McCann's line was our worst. 2 shots and scoring chances, 4 of each against. Out HDCed. Fairly spread but most against Subban and Zacha.

Sid's and Blueger's lines kinda in the middle - Blueger had the most 5v5 time. Sid got Subban and Hischier, Blueger got players I've never heard of.

Dumo-Tanger outshot, but evenish on SC and HDC. Fairly even spread of units. Did mainly face Hischier and Subban, so oppo best.

Schultz-JJ didn't suck! 9-6 on shots, won on SCs, lost on HDCs. That's despite getting most time with Sid's and McCann's lines (the two worst) which doesn't make sense... ah. Total dominance with Geno's line on ice (a minute's worth). Mainly got Subban and Zacha w/Gusev, so not even super easy.

Marino-Pettersson dominant as mentioned, most with Geno's and Blueger's lines although fairly even. New Jersey didn't have a single chance with Rust and Marino on ice. DOMINATION. Fairly even mix of opposition, Severson more than any other oppo dmen, Zacha and Hischier slight edge.

Hasty conclusions.

Geno's line was great and could elevate others. Marino's pairing was great and could elevate others. Together they were dominant.

Everyone else was good enough save McCann's line (and McCann must have been off ice for Rodrigues' goal as it doesn't count for the line).

 

[Pittsburgh1776]

People criticizing Sid’s effort or commitment are really way off. He’s not right physically you can just tell. I’m not sure he can be the same player this year.

Malkin is knocking on the door. Has been all season. Time to stack his line, play him with the best d pairs, and let him roll. Sullivan has two generational talents, even if he’s blind to that most of the time. Watered down lines won’t work against better teams.

 

[Don'tcry4mejanhrdina]

I like Malkin.

 

[Pittsburgh1776]

The team needs to move on from Kris Letang. His undisciplined, risky, careless style no longer fits here. It’s odd that Sullivan and Rutherford can preach about team concept and playing the right way and watch this guy every night, or sing his praises. Not only did Letang take a stupid penalty, he barked at the ref after like it was not his fault. He always does. To not bench him after that is why I don’t have confidence in Sullivan right now. There is a double standard. Last game Sullivan said the answers were in the lockerroom. That’s a lame way to remove your own decisions as a coach from the equation

 

[Big Friggin Dummy]

I wouldn't mind loading up Zucker-Geno-Rust. That's what I'd run with long-term anyway, with Jake back on Sid's LW next season.

Loads up Geno's line while Sid's still struggling with his injury or whatever is going on there. Give the three of them an early chance to gel and figure each others' games out.

Win-win. We're a one line team anyway, go for it.

 

[TheSniper26]

Yeah, seems pretty clear to me that Sid isn't at 100% right now. Focus less on the spotlight moments when he has the puck and watch his movements/body language without the puck. It's pretty telling.

Thankfully our spare best player in the world is humming along just fine and keeping things afloat for now.

 

[reino]

As bad as Crosby's been for his standard. His PPG is still there with the likes of Eichel and Matthews. Malkin's season has been incredible

 

[Richard]

Malkins shot on that second goal.... split second release... yowzer yowzer yowzer….

 

[Shockmaster]

Yeah, seems pretty clear to me that Sid isn't at 100% right now. Focus less on the spotlight moments when he has the puck and watch his movements/body language without the puck. It's pretty telling.

Thankfully our spare best player in the world is humming along just fine and keeping things afloat for now.

I don't think Crosby is playing as bad as he did in the 1st half of 2015-16, but it seems like it's trending in that direction. Last time it took a coaching change and one his preferred linemates to retire for him to break out of that funk. Sullivan isn't going anywhere (at least this season), and I doubt Sheary or Simon have medical conditions the team has been hiding that'll force them out in the near future.

 

[ncm7772]

Core muscle surgery will do that to you. I don't expect we'll see the real Sid until next season. Hopefully it doesn't take that long, but it probably will. I think it was Giroux who had the same surgery, was awful for an entire season after the surgery, then bounced back afterward the following year to record 100 points.

My guess is Sid will putter along at this 70% version of himself the rest of this year, then hit his stride sometime in November or December of next season.

No doubt. I mean the core essentially controls everything. Yes he got it fixed with the surgery (we would hope), but it's highly unlikely he's anywhere near 100% before next season.

 

[HandshakeLine]

To be fair, everyone should snub DK.

Hell, I'm snubbing DK this very minute!

 

[PensandCaps]

The team needs to move on from Kris Letang. His undisciplined, risky, careless style no longer fits here. It’s odd that Sullivan and Rutherford can preach about team concept and playing the right way and watch this guy every night, or sing his praises. Not only did Letang take a stupid penalty, he barked at the ref after like it was not his fault. He always does. To not bench him after that is why I don’t have confidence in Sullivan right now. There is a double standard. Last game Sullivan said the answers were in the lockerroom. That’s a lame way to remove your own decisions as a coach from the equation

i prefer to keep the elite #1 Dman on a good contract.

if youre advocating to trade Letang becuase of recent run of bad play ,then you should also advocate to trade Sid for his recent awful play, or else youre a hypocrite. Because the facts are that Letang has been great for 90% of the year.


will never understand the Letang hate on here. absurd. absolutely sickening to treat the franchises best Dman, just because hes been bad for a month.

Letang should retire a penguin, just like 87 and 71.

 

[Icarium]

I almost decided not to watch this game, good thing that I changed my mind because that was a much better performance. Good forecheck, actually playing defense, not falling apart in the face of adversity and a magical Geno. But I want to see them come back from behind and win before I declare the crisis to be over.

 

[BHD]

The team had it's moments and certain players were suspect, but... that was one of the better games they've played in a while. It's something to build on.

Sheary and Zucker really stood out for me (in a good way).

 

[Bumpus]

 

[StaalForOne]

As bad as Crosby's been for his standard. His PPG is still there with the likes of Eichel and Matthews. Malkin's season has been incredible
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You had to cut it off at Guentzel didn't you.

Missed this one. I changed my phone wallpaper before the game to a Malkin wallpaper I found. I hate to do this, but I'll take all the credit for this W, thanks.

 

[Malkinstheman]

 

[Andy99]

Quick stat look...

Geno's line was comfortably our best. Like, long way our best. 6 shots to 2, 7 SC to 1. Mainly against Severson, and Hischier/Zacha lines.

McCann's line was our worst. 2 shots and scoring chances, 4 of each against. Out HDCed. Fairly spread but most against Subban and Zacha.

Sid's and Blueger's lines kinda in the middle - Blueger had the most 5v5 time. Sid got Subban and Hischier, Blueger got players I've never heard of.

Dumo-Tanger outshot, but evenish on SC and HDC. Fairly even spread of units. Did mainly face Hischier and Subban, so oppo best.

Schultz-JJ didn't suck! 9-6 on shots, won on SCs, lost on HDCs. That's despite getting most time with Sid's and McCann's lines (the two worst) which doesn't make sense... ah. Total dominance with Geno's line on ice (a minute's worth). Mainly got Subban and Zacha w/Gusev, so not even super easy.

Marino-Pettersson dominant as mentioned, most with Geno's and Blueger's lines although fairly even. New Jersey didn't have a single chance with Rust and Marino on ice. DOMINATION. Fairly even mix of opposition, Severson more than any other oppo dmen, Zacha and Hischier slight edge.

Hasty conclusions.

Geno's line was great and could elevate others. Marino's pairing was great and could elevate others. Together they were dominant.

Everyone else was good enough save McCann's line (and McCann must have been off ice for Rodrigues' goal as it doesn't count for the line).

McCann passed the puck to ERod...no way he was off the ice...weird