Post-Game Talk: Pens 3, Sharks 2: Bones With Sweet Chin Music for the W

[Dying Alive]

Geno's son was born this morning. Win it for baby Nikita.

 

[SEALBound]

Because "Veterans Thornton and Marleau Finally Make the Finals" is the main story line. Honestly.

And that's just it. Sharks will get preferential treatment based on this story line.

The hook and dive on Lovejoy at the end was just...terrible. The number of times the Sharks held the Penguins sticks in that game was criminal. Can't believe they got away with it do much.

 

[Pancakes]

I don't want to remove the skill and creativity from Letang's game. In fact, most of the plays I hate are the ones where no skill or creativity are involved. He had a play last night where he goes to one knee to try to hold a puck that had no chance of being held, and even if he did, there were three Sharks breathing down his neck. It created a 3-on-1.

He had another pinch on the left side that had no business happening, because there was no upside. Created an odd man rush.

He's thinking offense in situations where there is NO CHANCE at offense (for his team)

Yep, he's being reckless. I love that he thinks he can keep any puck alive, make any play, but there is a time and a place.

I've played hockey my entire life, and I play defense. The rule on pinching that I was always taught is you only do it if:

A) a player has his back turned to you and is trying to play the puck. If he can see you, he can pass around you, so pinching in that scenario is ill advised.

and

B) if you're sure that you can make a play. Any doubt, and you back off.


Letang is so absurdly talented that he often ignores those rules and often still makes a play, but those one to three times a game this playoffs where he misses on those pinches has often caused a great rush chance for our opponents. Sooner or later they will bury those.

I doubt Letang will change though unless he causes a loss as that has been his MO this playoffs so far: risky as hell until he has to reign it in due to a bad loss and then he plays just about perfect for a game or two before going right back to being risky.

 

[Dying Alive]

 

[Randy Butternubs]

Yes, Letang needs to work on his risk management.

 

[Malkinstheman]

Cullen posted a piece on the players tribune

http://www.theplayerstribune.com/2016-5-30-matt-cullen-penguins-hockey-dad/

Its a must read.

Edit: Just saw that theres already a thread.

 

[UnrealMachine]

Some adjustments I'd to see for game 2:

- 3 on 2's. Please convert one of the several, several opportunities into a shot on goal, or at least a completed pass.
- Odd man rush against. San Jose didn't capitalize on their several odd man rushes & partial breakaways. The Pens gave up way too many of them and were lucky that San Jose didn't get better scoring chances out of them.
- Forecheck. I thought the Pens could have been a little more aggressive on the forecheck. The times that they were, it was rather successful (much like against Tampa).

 

[Honour Over Glory]

Geno's son was born this morning. Win it for baby Nikita.

Wait what? Malkin is a dad?

 

[SEALBound]

Wait what? Malkin is a dad?

Awesome!

Ya know...when Austin was born, Mario went out and scored 5 goals for him...jut saying

 

[Coach Travis]

Sheary has played in 44 NHL games of which over half of those came on the 4th line.

I think the kid is doing great.

I agree that Sheary is doing considerably well considering his experience. I would say, however, that he does tend to drop the ball on some routine plays like picking up a cycled puck off the wall or straight up missing Crosby with a pass or not hitting Crosby with a pass at all while he's flying through the NZ.

Crosby does a lot of talking with Hornqvist getting him to be & play how he needs him to play, hopefully Sid gets Sheary there too.

 

[Jaded-Fan]

Some adjustments I'd to see for game 2:

- 3 on 2's. Please convert one of the several, several opportunities into a shot on goal, or at least a completed pass.
- Odd man rush against. San Jose didn't capitalize on their several odd man rushes & partial breakaways. The Pens gave up way too many of them and were lucky that San Jose didn't get better scoring chances out of them.
- Forecheck. I thought the Pens could have been a little more aggressive on the forecheck. The times that they were, it was rather successful (much like against Tampa).

Number one adjustment. Do not stop playing just because you got a two goal lead. If there is one major criticism of this team it is that tendency. For about eight minutes of the second period they are beaten to loose pucks, and not coincidentally, out shot badly. For the rest of the game it was the opposite. We have seen that happen several times this playoffs. To their credit they put the foot right back on the gas when they happens and usually win the game. But there is no reason for them to lose focus like that, especially when they are now three wins away from the cup.

And yes there is another team out there, a very good team, and if it was merely giving up the couple of goal lead, that happens, especially against good teams. Nut they were being dominated and the shot totals reflected that. Given how the rest of the game went I blame that more on the Pens than on what the Sharks did.

 

[mpp9]

Every time Hagelin is on the ice, and SJ is selling out to keep us pinned in our zone, flip the puck out and watch the SJ D-men **** themselves.

 

[Jaded-Fan]

That looks about right to me.

His model has correctly predicted all but one series. Kind of reminds me of the Nate Silver of Hockey, who also was ridiculed at first, then they looked at the results.

For Halifax math whiz, the fun of hockey is in the numbers

By Patrick Odell

HALIFAX – Micah Blake McCurdy isn’t a typical Canadian whose childhood Saturday nights were spent parked in front of the television to watch hockey.

The 31-year-old father of two who lives in Halifax only started to take an active interest in the game as an adult while studying in Australia for his PhD in category theory — a “kind of pure math”, he says — almost a decade ago. Already well-educated with an extensive background in mathematics, his ears would perk up when the broadcasters’ conversations turned to numbers.

“Every time they would say something about a probability, I would wonder if it was true or not,” he said. “So I’d get out a pen and paper and start to figure it out.”

....


He says the outcomes his models achieve are “about as good” as what people can expect if they bet with the bookkeepers because “prediction is an art as well as a science.” Knowing which elements to include in a model can be tricky, but the more he learns about the predictive powers of each element, the better the models become.

http://globalnews.ca/news/2044747/for-halifax-math-whiz-the-fun-of-hockey-is-in-the-numbers/

Yeah, we are supposed to be humble and all of that. But we have seen this team do this to some of the best teams in hockey and definately the best goalies in the game. There is nothing that shows me that the Sharks are going to flip that Caps' switch and change the dynamic.

Unless things change dramatically I do not see how the Pens can not be favored, and not just because they only need to win three games and the Sharks need to win four of six.

 

[PensandCaps]

A pens fan just told me Letang is the best PP QB in the NHL......

 

[JTG]

Sullivan seems to be incredible at adjusting to someone's game plan

Sullivan and his staff are the first coaching staff I've ever witnessed where I had so much confidence in them not getting beat by the same thing twice. When we lose, they identify what beat us, and it's immediately fixed. Sully is a great ****ing coach.

He represents the difference between and experienced veteran coach, and a coach that is being baptised by fire - i.e. DB and MJ

 

[KrisLetAngry]

We played a strong game. Will need to work on limiting there cycle game.

Excellent read from Hagelin on that pp?

 

[Carolinas Identity*]

Hurricanes fan coming in peace.

Hope this is the right place to ask this, but I am doing San Jose's Game 2 GDT, and just was curious if y'all were expecting any lineup changes, or if they will be the same as Game 1.

Thx for any infos and good luck tomorrow

 

[kodoshin]

Hurricanes fan coming in peace.

Hope this is the right place to ask this, but I am doing San Jose's Game 2 GDT, and just was curious if y'all were expecting any lineup changes, or if they will be the same as Game 1.

Thx for any infos and good luck tomorrow

Rust is apparently Day-to-Day now. Which in Penguinese means he's being administered his last rites. So there is a good chance he'll be out of the lineup.

 

[Speaking Moistly]

Hurricanes fan coming in peace.

Hope this is the right place to ask this, but I am doing San Jose's Game 2 GDT, and just was curious if y'all were expecting any lineup changes, or if they will be the same as Game 1.

Thx for any infos and good luck tomorrow

Rust might be out so someone like Bennett or Sundqvist would be in, the Malkin and Cullen lines might be different because of that. Defense and goalie should stay the same barring Daley hobbling out on one leg to kick Lovejoy out.

 

[Jaded-Fan]

Rust is apparently Day-to-Day now. Which in Penguinese means he's being administered his last rites. So there is a good chance he'll be out of the lineup.

Nah, not at all.

The literal definition is '**** you members of the press, you have to ask, I have to answer. My answer is

****. You.'

We will not know Rust's actual condition until five minutes before game time, if then.

 

[Ugene Magic]

Congrats Geno.....!

I just saw Talbot was in the house. Great to see him with the long flo and in the Burgh.

http://penguins.nhl.com/club/news.htm?id=884437&navid=DL|PIT|home

Game #1 had to be insane to be at.

 

[IcedCapp]

Hurricanes fan coming in peace.

Hope this is the right place to ask this, but I am doing San Jose's Game 2 GDT, and just was curious if y'all were expecting any lineup changes, or if they will be the same as Game 1.

Thx for any infos and good luck tomorrow

Carolina fan, eh?

http://hfboards.mandatory.com/showthread.php?p=118869889&highlight=#post118869889

The metaphorical "us", I suppose

 

[Jaded-Fan]

Some further charts of interest from Micah Blake McCurdy:

Similar to previous series, and what Pens' fans warned of, it is the depth that is the difference. The teams top six were fairly even, but the Pens' third line was simply owning the third line of San Jose. I just do not see how this changes:






And the goalies have been fairly even this playoffs with Murray slightly better than Jones:

 

[Coastal Kev]

Carolina fan, eh?

http://hfboards.mandatory.com/showthread.php?p=118869889&highlight=#post118869889

The metaphorical "us", I suppose

That boy was dun blow'd up!!

 

[mpp9]

So Malkin's getting the 3rd pairing? HBK getting alot of the same matchups Sid is.