Post-Game Talk: Pens 4, Flames 3 - Deserves Got Nothing to Do with It

[Will Hunting]

IMO Sheary's game is rock bottom right now. He probably can't even lace up his own skates. It seems like any time he gets near a scoring chance he fumbles it. Zero confidence right now. I don't know how you solve this, given you know he can play a lot better. Just let him push through i guess. Its very disappointing to see. He might very well play himself out of the league if it doesn't turn around quickly.

IMO, we had a good chance to trade him, not Ian Cole. I imagine that his trade value could have been even higher than Cole´s. But with every game, it drops significantly. It´s embarrassing how bad he is. This is NHL and when you play like this, you have no business being here, let alone making 3M for that. IMO it was a perfect time to trade him while he had value. It can be more and more problematic now. But I still believe it happens at the draft. I don´t think he will be with the boys next season.

 

[Will Hunting]

And we are not talking about small sample with Sheary. It´s dating well back to last year´s playoffs. It looks more and more that his one good regular season was just a fluke. What a shame.

 

[BlankFrank416]

One strange thing is that up until new year PIT was 6th in league with 3.60 PP opportunities per game. Since new year they are 3rd but from the bottom. Only EDM (2.26) and CBJ (2.50) had less PP opportunities per game than PIT (2.52) in games since new year. They also had just 22 PP opp in their last 12 games (1.83 PP opp/GP).

This a concerning trend as we get closer to the playoffs. And there’s not much a team can do to fix it.

 

[SHOOTANDSCORE]

And we are not talking about small sample with Sheary. It´s dating well back to last year´s playoffs. It looks more and more that his one good regular season was just a fluke. What a shame.

Just be thankful that JR didn't sign him to the long term deal Sheary was pushing for.

 

[PensandCaps]

Could you imagine playing the first 60 games of the season without Malkin? We would miss the playoffs handily.

Malkin took over this game and won us Two points by himself.

 

[BlankFrank416]

 

[KIRK]

Well, did you honestly expect this team to do something during a season which they were borderline putrid for three months?

I'm just looking forward to the fact that the Pens will likely make the playoffs, especially after the fact that they were outside looking in not too long ago. Once a team is in, anything can happen.

That was a prerequisite for 2 of 3 cups in the Sid/Geno era, so . . . yes, I thought the turnaround might be for real.

 

[KIRK]

He looks like he's adapted Kessel's way of regular season play, but he doesn't have the talents of Phil's shot. His game is the best in the world for all the amazing small things he does. He couldn't even be bothered staying with his guy tonight in a tied game in the freaking neutral zone where there was no question it was his man. I look at his ice time and he had freaking 21 minutes. I cannot imagine Sully doesn't see it. It's really bad right now.

I just don't believe he's waiting to flip a switch. He's not built like that. His body language is really poor. He is shying away from any and all physical play. Seriously - Jake was playing more defense than i've ever seen from a winger on Sid's line. Sid's purposely playing the winger spot in the d-zone. Something has to be bothering him from an injury standpoint.

Some observations:
- Not playing his typical spot down low defensively
- He does the Kessel avoid contact at all cost thing. Especially in the corners. And if anyone is even close to hitting him while skating with the puck, he flips it to the middle of the ice early so he doesn't get hit.
- His normal burst of speed, especially in the neutral zone, is not there.

Sid's just not built as a human to take shifts off as he preserves himself for the playoffs. If he is - kudos to that damn man. Smart at age 30. But i'm not buying it. He can't even take a week off the sport without going to a pond and playing hockey.

That missing burst of speed is the big tell.

Injury seems like a reasonable answer, and you can see why he'd be playing through it given the standings.

On the other hand, does the body language say he's fighting something physically or that he's just not emotionally invested like he usually is? We've seen similar runs where you just assume he has to be hurt, only to find out after some radical change that isn't it.

What I keep going back to is this: Outside of when he centered Simon-Sprong, has Sid EVER looked comfortable with his linemates all year (for more than maybe a game or two in the better situations)? I really do wonder if that's partially it, that he just can't get into a groove with any combo this year that the frustration is an issue . . .

BUT, then you look at that third period thing where he just let his guy go through the neutral zone last night, and you say 'no way, frustrated or not, that happens'.

****, I don't know . . . and I'm not sure we'll know for sure until somewhere between the start and end of the playoffs.

 

[KIRK]

One strange thing is that up until new year PIT was 6th in league with 3.60 PP opportunities per game. Since new year they are 3rd but from the bottom. Only EDM (2.26) and CBJ (2.50) had less PP opportunities per game than PIT (2.52) in games since new year. They also had just 22 PP opp in their last 12 games (1.83 PP opp/GP).

Maybe the refs don't want Geno to win the Art Ross.

 

[vikingGoalie]

unfortunately this is just part of having Sid on your team. As recently as the previous coach the talking heads where all saying that Crosby was on a steep decline, was probably never gonna be dominate, etc, etc. Then he goes out and wins back-back conn smythe's. As recently as last playoffs, before he got hit in the head by Ovechkin/Niskanen he was as dominant as we have ever seen him. But we've seen it far to often where he coasts for a month or more and then suddenly looks like himself again and no injury in play.

The way Sid trains and takes care of himself he's not gonna go from the most dominant player in the league 9 months ago to this physically anyway. There have been bursts here and there that to my eye show it's not physical.

My money is on something going on in his head, unhappy with line mates, conserving energy, girlfriend issues, someone took his favorite breakfast cereal, who knows. As long as we are in decent shape for the playoffs and he turns it on then.

 

[KIRK]

Sid’s mailing it in didn’t he score the gwg against the Isles?

Yeah. He also had a great shift last night where he almost pulled off that vintage Sid backhand. What's your point?

 

[Pete Gas]

Yeah. He also had a great shift last night where he almost pulled off that vintage Sid backhand. What's your point?

I don’t agree with the statements that he’s mailing it it.

 

[KIRK]

I don’t agree with the statements that he’s mailing it it.

He may not be mailing it in, but there seems to be a question as to his level of emotional investment right now. Better?

 

[Old Gregg]

I honestly think he'll flip the switch once the playoffs start or just before they start. That's my guess. Kind of like what he did end of Dec beginning of January when they were fighting for a playoff spot.

 

[Le Magnifique 66]

LOL at the people saying Sid is mailing it in
Trade da BUM!!!!!!! Package him with Sprong!!!!!!

 

[KIRK]

I honestly think he'll flip the switch once the playoffs start or just before they start. That's my guess. Kind of like what he did end of Dec beginning of January when they were fighting for a playoff spot.

I hope.

You know, he's won all the regular season awards, he hasn't been comfortable with any tandem this year save Simon-Sprong . . . there's an argument for WHY it may be about emotional investment right now.

Obviously, I much prefer the flip switch explanation to the injury one.

 

[Rodgerwilco]

IMO, we had a good chance to trade him, not Ian Cole. I imagine that his trade value could have been even higher than Cole´s. But with every game, it drops significantly. It´s embarrassing how bad he is. This is NHL and when you play like this, you have no business being here, let alone making 3M for that. IMO it was a perfect time to trade him while he had value. It can be more and more problematic now. But I still believe it happens at the draft. I don´t think he will be with the boys next season.

The fact that Sheary wasn't moved really makes me question what the going rate was for him out there... I mean, I would imagine that he would have had high value, but JR has had a track record of making smart moves, so maybe the value just wasn't there on the market. I'm sure other GM's have been seeing the same thing we're seeing and made the decision to steer clear of Sheary for now. Without Sid feeding him pucks, what is Sheary really capable of?

 

[3074326]

This team knows how to win, the sky isn't falling until they stop showing up in the playoffs. They've not let us done with Sully and Murray.

I'm not a religious man, but I have faith in this staff and core.

 

[DesertPenguin]

Anyone think he's pouting over being paired with Hornqvist again? He really doesn't seem to like that.

I don't see a solution for it though. Our top 9 RWs are Kessel, Hornqvist, Rust. 2 of the 3 are locked in. Sheary is garbage right now. ZAR is hurt. Sully/GMJR don't like Sprong's face or something.

At least Guentzel is emerging from his funk just in time.

 

[Old Gregg]

I hope.

You know, he's won all the regular season awards, he hasn't been comfortable with any tandem this year save Simon-Sprong . . . there's an argument for WHY it may be about emotional investment right now.

Obviously, I much prefer the flip switch explanation to the injury one.

I think the constant changes to his wingers aren't helping but I wonder if he is just trying to make it thru the regular season healthy. What makes Crosby Crosby is that he goes to the dirty areas...battles in the corners, in front of the net, drives to the net and he takes a lot of abuse by doing so. Him not going to those areas as often reduces his chances of getting hurt.

But this is really just me hoping this is the case because if it's anything else, our chances of a 3 peat drop significantly.

 

[metalan2]

Definitely won't go down the road of derailing the thread, but that's unfortunately what raising awareness is all about. Now to his antics - I am a big fan of "entertainment" so if a fan is ****ting on a player, I like when they give it back. Keep it at an entertainment level, but tonight would be a night not to do that.

I think there is not a soul on the planet that is not already fully aware. So aware, in fact, that it is impossible to be anymore aware.

That being said, The Flames smacked us in period 3, and the Penguins literally won because they were just more talented. Outworked in all facets of the game. Would love to see Sprong, but DEFENSE.

 

[Turin]

If it is injury I assume it happened fairly recently. He’s been meh all season by his standards but until ZAR went down he didn’t look bad necessarily. He was very good in January and most of February.

 

[HandshakeLine]

He may not be mailing it in, but there seems to be a question as to his level of emotional investment right now. Better?

I mean, my emotional investment in the team is also questionable right now, and frankly, I'm offended that nobody's started a thread about that.

 

[Pancakes]

I think with Sid when he's not playing well he doesn't usually look engaged on the ice either. I think he has the tendency sometimes when he's frustrated to float or be too reactionary to the play. It doesn't mean he doesn't care, it's just that his mentality changes from "that's my puck" to "waiting for something good to happen".

Look at Geno right now. Goes out on shifts and hunts pucks and makes it happen. Then look at Sid. Gets the puck, gives it up quick. Is waiting for good things to happen.

IMO assuming it's not injury related it's totally a confidence thing r ight now.

 

[Tom Hanks]

This a concerning trend as we get closer to the playoffs. And there’s not much a team can do to fix it.

The good news is our scoring has gone up since then.