Post-Game Talk: Penguins 7, Flyers 0 - It's Clobberin' Time

[Coastal Kev]

I repeat again: Oleksiak cost us a 4th.

and ZAR cost us nothing.....

 

[USMC607]

and ZAR cost us nothing.....

ZAR did well from a few jitters.

But I still would like him to see some time on line 1 with SID like he was pre injury.

 

[HandshakeLine]

and ZAR cost us nothing.....

Also true and a great point. GMJR's been pretty decent at this whole GMing thang.

 

[USMC607]

Also true and a great point. GMJR's been pretty decent at this whole GMing thang.

I know right.

Boy, have I happily been eating crow these past few years.

Because I was avid about it not being a good move when they made it.

 

[The GM]

Hell of a night. No easy path in playoffs--our opponents are here for a reason, they are all good. Philly isnt out of it.
*edit: on a surprising note: on the Philly PGT, they mentioned Couturier has only scored points in one out of like twenty playoff games--back in 2012...that is crazy.

Totally. I thought their board was like overreacting about him (I'll be honest, I dont follow coaches TOO much), but I guess not. His history is laaaackluster too.

Couts went to the Toews school of intangible leadership

 

[HandshakeLine]

There's really no shame in eating crow on GMJR. Lots of us were kinda down on him when he was hired. I don't remember who I wanted, but it wasn't him, because I only remembered the Staal trade.

 

[BreakfastatMarios]

Who else had to rewatch many plays last night in slow motion to figure it happened. That play where Geno hit the post, how did he get the puck between the two flyers then get around a few more get a shot off that almost went in. Crosby again playing baseball getting a goal by whacking it out of mid air. Thank god for dvr and slow motion dam good game, and dont lose site of the fact first 5 minutes or so of 2nd period Murray kept the pens with the 3 goal cushion and I thought that was the differnece between a rout and a much closer game.

 

[Jaded-Fan]

Yep! and game 2 is the bigger game. the winner of game 2 seems to usually win the series.

90 percent of teams who go up 2 to 0 at home win the series. Higher percentage who do it on the first round.

 

[Jaded-Fan]

Why? Both the Debbie’s & Blow Jackets turtled in the last game to avoid us....

It doesn't mean that they wouldn't have been hard challenges.

If we had played either and blew them out 7 to 0 in game one I would be on board with the it's only one game thing. Philly is a much more flawed team. And we knew and even their fans knew it going into the series. This blow out was more meaningful to most and could shake a young flawed team.

 

[edog37]

It doesn't mean that they wouldn't have been hard challenges.

We are in Columbus’ heads more so than the Craps. Torts melts down worse than Bylsma ever did. The Debbies are in their first playoff series in a few years & don’t have Brodeur in net. We’d run both out of the bldg. The fact they both turtled to avoid us demonstrates how much they feared playing us.

 

[HandshakeLine]

90 percent of teams who go up 2 to 0 at home win the series. Higher percentage who do it on the first round.

Yeah, if the Flyer's don't lay it all out on the ice on Friday, it's going to be tough to come back from. Crosby LOVES playing in Philadelphia.

 

[Speaking Moistly]

I repeat again: Oleksiak cost us a 4th.

Good old Dallas connected defensemen.

 

[Gurglesons]

ZAR did well from a few jitters.

But I still would like him to see some time on line 1 with SID like he was pre injury.

Why? Sid has been red hot since Rust has been put on his line.

Obviously, Rust’s numbers have suffered, but who cares.

 

[HandshakeLine]

Why? Sid has been red hot since Rust has been put on his line.

Obviously, Rust’s numbers have suffered, but who cares.

And Rust's a gamer in the post-season. If it ain't broke (yet)...

 

[vikingGoalie]

the switch has been flipped.

playoff Murray is back. the rest of the team just sucker punched the flyers. but it can't be overstated enough how important it is to have the real Murray back.
all the analysts even say it, that goal tending is key in the playoffs and just ok goal tending gets you out of the playoffs real fast.

just ask the flyers...

 

[ColePens]

The Murray thing just makes me so happy. He constantly talks about being a gamer. Sully calls him a gamer. He talks about his breathing techniques to keep calm. And then he goes out there and delivers when it seemed like the last 3 weeks 3 goals was the standard. He was superb last night.

Double clutch or not, that one save was a beauuuuut.

 

[ColePens]

Oh and in Sully's interview with Madden, he was asked about young guys who could make a big impact for the team. Basically asked about guys out of nowhere who can be a big factor for the Pens. He named.. Rust, Guentzel, and ZAR. I think Sully has a good pulse on his team.

 

[Jaded-Fan]

Oh and in Sully's interview with Madden, he was asked about young guys who could make a big impact for the team. Basically asked about guys out of nowhere who can be a big factor for the Pens. He named.. Rust, Guentzel, and ZAR. I think Sully has a good pulse on his team.

I wonder how many teams would jettison their coach for Sully in a heartbeat if he were available. Or JR and his staff of analytic boy wonders for that matter.

 

[ColePens]

I wonder how many teams would jettison their coach for Sully in a heartbeat if he were available. Or JR and his staff of analytic boy wonders for that matter.

Funny you say that. I heard a lot of Flyers fans say "We need to find our Sully". Pretty impressive.

 

[Jaded-Fan]

Funny you say that. I heard a lot of Flyers fans say "We need to find our Sully". Pretty impressive.

A better question would be how many NHL teams would NOT jettison their coach for Sully or their GM for JR and his analytic whiz kids.

You might not be able to count it on one hand but it would be close.

 

[harmonica]

We have to be happy with the new additions to this years roster and how they performed last night. Sheahan, ZAR and Oleksiak had a lot of positives and very few negatives last night.

 

[Gurglesons]

We have to be happy with the new additions to this years roster and how they performed last night. Sheahan, ZAR and Oleksiak had a lot of positives and very few negatives last night.

Oleksiak’s game is so much more suited for the East. He has been a beast against the Flyers in translation ever since coming over and that hit on Lindholm or whatever rules.

 

[xxxxxxxxxxxxxx]

Sully is exactly the type of guy I wanted us to find--and a big reason I wanted to go after Babcock. He has a commander's presence about him. He speaks and players listen, guys buy into his style. He does a good job of holding guys accountable without going full Torts and alienating players (Cole aside) or creating rifts that f*** up a locker room. His adjustments on the fly and being able to read/assess a game's flow and address issues are just in another f***ing universe from the shit we saw with Bylsma or Johnston.

No coach is perfect with line combos or TOI distribution. All coaches have their pet players. Sully is the exact coach we need on this team regardless of how frustrated we get with his decisions from time to time. There might just be a method to the seemingly chaotic, nonsensical stuff afterall.

 

[ColePens]

A better question would be how many NHL teams would NOT jettison their coach for Sully or their GM for JR and his analytic whiz kids.

You might not be able to count it on one hand but it would be close.

I actually think it'd be a great thread in the offseason on the main board. Whether we lose in the 1st, 2nd, 3rd, or SCF... or hell if we make another magical run - it's still a good question.

I personally think Sully has the toughest job in the entire NHL right now. He has to find new ways to motivate without being too hard on the guys. He has to make it natural. Then he has to coach without overcoaching the insane talent we have. And he's mentioned many times sometimes the coaching staff has to focus on not overcoaching these guys as they think the game at such a high level.

I know people want to look at Sid/Geno/etc. and say it's easy, but it isn't. We saw that with other coaches. To adjust x's and o's while keeping the team focused/engaged is damn near impossible after going back to back. Every excuse is out there to lose focus. That's also a feather in the cap of the leadership.

I'll say it over and over (as you do and many others do) - do not overlook how blessed we are right now. Even if we lose. Take this in. It may never happen again.

 

[Jaded-Fan]

Best part of last night?

Seeing this Murray back.

Look out NHL.