Post-Game Talk: Pens 5, Habs 3 - Oh, Oh, Oh Part Deux

[NeedleInTheHay]

I’d like to see this for depth

Zar/Crosby/Guentzel
Hgh
Sheary/Sheahan/Kessel
Simon/Brassard/Rust

 

[hagelin1381]

Everyone gives the Penguins shit for their top picks, yet half the boards on here are ecstatic when their team loses.. Weird

 

[Freedom]

What do you mean? Haven't we averaged like 4.5 goals per game since January?

Yeah, but not in last few games. ( don't count empty nets )
Vs. MTL 39 shots / 4 goals
Vs. NYR 40 shots / 3 goals
Vs. DAL 30 shots / 2 goals
Vs. ToR 40 shots / 2 goals ( especially here we should have win )

Our offence is better than this. But it could came together anytime/anywhere.

 

[hagelin1381]

Yeah, but not in last few games. ( don't count empty nets )
Vs. MTL 39 shots / 4 goals
Vs. NYR 40 shots / 3 goals
Vs. DAL 30 shots / 2 goals
Vs. ToR 40 shots / 2 goals ( especially here we should have win )

Our offence is better than this. But it could came together anytime/anywhere.

Not a whole lot of teams that can consistenly put up 35+ shots.. If the volume is there, we'll be alright

 

[JimmyTwoTimes]

Everyone gives the Penguins **** for their top picks, yet half the boards on here are ecstatic when their team loses.. Weird

Imagine if it was the Pens that moved up from 13-14 to 1-2 this past draft...

" league rigged it for pens"

 

[Scandale du Jour]

I was all for replacing Hainsey, Cole and Lovejoy types, just with players with more talent. Not players of equal less talent who play a riskier game.

Letang on the third goal, i mean, what the f***? He gets the puck has an easy outlet (Hags I think), he does not take it and loops back to the corner (why?) then he has no space and instead of soft lobbing it to center ice... he loops back again gets trapped and turns the puck over.

That was one of the dumbest play I have ever seen.

 

[Peat]

+ 2 points for Geno
- not more points for Geno

His mistakes are right up there as part of The Problem. What the hell to do with him isn’t simple.

It is though. Take him back down to the 22-24 minutes a night when he's playing his best hockey. I'm not sure what that means for the rest of the D, but there's a really obvious out just on Letang's form alone.

I am sure he does. But what can he do? Sheary is not his darling, he showed it by benching him yesterday. I am not worried in this case. Sheary is just a temporary thing there. What´s the ZAR´s timetable? Does anybody know?

This. With two guys injured and two lines locked down, its hard to make changes.

 

[Honour Over Glory]

Am I the only one that doesn't give a flying f*** that Rust scored the EN? Good for him. Someone gave him the puck, he had a clear line of sight, he took the shot.

I have exactly ZERO issues with that and if Malkin is mad, well, didn't he say he doesn't watch the scoring race? Just play your game Geno, being mad about this sort of shit is beneath him. Rust just got back from a concussion in a trying season for him, good for him for scoring in that game.

 

[Speaking Moistly]

+ 2 points for Geno
- not more points for Geno



It is though. Take him back down to the 22-24 minutes a night when he's playing his best hockey. I'm not sure what that means for the rest of the D, but there's a really obvious out just on Letang's form alone.



This. With two guys injured and two lines locked down, its hard to make changes.

I meant longer term.

 

[Speaking Moistly]

Am I the only one that doesn't give a flying **** that Rust scored the EN? Good for him. Someone gave him the puck, he had a clear line of sight, he took the shot.

I have exactly ZERO issues with that and if Malkin is mad, well, didn't he say he doesn't watch the scoring race? Just play your game Geno, being mad about this sort of **** is beneath him. Rust just got back from a concussion in a trying season for him, good for him for scoring in that game.

If people are genuinely pissed at Rust then they’re idiots. The Pens have been burned by dicking around with the EN before and I’ve seen Crosby and Malkin stupidly trying to set teammates up to boost their confidence/make them feel good before.

 

[JakeNBake59]

Damn this girl loves god like hockey?
I think I might jump and say the same thing... I met Geno at the Pittston Ice Box in PA .. I donno, 2010? Him and Gonchar were there, I got to hangout with him for a few minutes and he signed his Russian card I had and a Stanley cup poster I had of him... Dood was chill as hell, Geno is alright with me.
Plus I have Geno signed Russian card and Stanley Cup poster.

love Geno, was at game 5 of the playoffs in 2014 against the Rangers... saw Geno score right in front of me, was captured from the opposite side of the ice by the photographer

 

[Rakell67]

21-7-2 last 30 games!

 

[Peat]

I meant longer term.

Boneheaded moments or no, Letang's been a big net positive for us this calendar year and a true number one dman by most metrics (save the power play). I know that stats aren't everything, but I'm seeing nothing on the eye test that suggests they're that screamingly wrong.

To put it another way - I'm not seeing a problem. Maybe he's not playing well enough to definitely kill all trade talk - not while he's still making expensive turnovers - but he's not playing badly enough to be a problem.

 

[WheresRamziAbid]

It's pretty much a 1 line team right now. HGH is insane. Fun to watch. Dynamic. Dominant. Not enough words to describe them. Every shift they are just so much fun to watch and worth every single penny to watch them.

Everything else - very uninspiring. Sid is coasting. Really coasting. Not inspired at all. Hopefully just saving himself. I would have liked the team to rally around Geno a little more.

Not only did it make Ovi great now Malkin, damn doping Russians

 

[NMK11]

Sid is definitely coasting. The reality is, he will likely continue to do this every regular season and then flip the proverbial switch in the playoffs for the rest of his career, and it will work until it doesnt. But until he shows he cant, he gets the benefit of the doubt because hes Sid.

 

[Dey so soff*]

Seriously, where has Letang gone? He has had his poor stretches, but nothing like this. He is making braindead play after braindead play every damn game.
If we win a game 8-3 you can be sure that letang is somehow involved in all the goals against :-(

O’ brother Letang, where art thou?

 

[Mr Jiggyfly]

Yeah. But he really isn't a third liner.

Whoa... he's not?

 

[Randy Butternubs]

Why doesn't Letang try a spin move when forwards bear down on him? He NEVER does the spin move.

Because he would spin INTO the hit.

 

[Hockey4Lyfe]

Letang on the third goal, i mean, what the ****? He gets the puck has an easy outlet (Hags I think), he does not take it and loops back to the corner (why?) then he has no space and instead of soft lobbing it to center ice... he loops back again gets trapped and turns the puck over.

That was one of the dumbest play I have ever seen.

There was a line change happening. I understand why he held the puck, but once a Canadian started to bear down on him, he needed to do something other than holding it. Either slam it off the boards or loft it towards center.

He looked very dumb with how the play turned out.

 

[Human]

Gotta go Symbolic dog.

Crystal Mountain is the best Death song by far.

Zero Tolerance and Perennial Quest.

 

[BHD]

+ The third line. Brassard will shoot the puck the eventually, but right now they're starting to click.

+ The final 50 minutes. The remaining games should be about fine-tuning their game. They've been shaky defensively all year, but last night featured a lot of things to like offensively.

 

[AverageJoeFan]

Only 10 games left? Where did the year go?

I like 3/4 points on the road trip and definitely will take it.

Was it me or was Sheary pulled from the 1st line again? I get that Rowney got hurt, but I wonder how many more times Sheary is going to be kept out of the game before he is a healthy scratch?

Sid was 16/9 on the FO so pretty good there. Had a couple of good hits. Made a couple of defensive plays too. Not his best effort by any means, but not his worst.

I think you can feel Brassard starting to click a bit. Kessel had a burst or two that makes me think he is feeling better. Could be a good sign.

I know I will get roasted for this, but Geuntzel and Sheary are getting smoked on the boards/down low for the most part. Both are giving a good effort for the most part from what I see, but without Sid controlling the puck neither one look like "top line" at this point. Not much can be done right now. Maybe it gets better?

 

[WheresRamziAbid]

It sure would be nice if they had a young talented RW just waiting for an opportunity sitting in the AHL right now.

Sheary is killing me.

 

[wgknestrick]

The problem just doesn't reside with Letang, but the totality of the pair. Dumo (I won't rant on about him anymore), is nothing better than a 3rd pairing D man to go along with Letang's 2nd pairing head. This is exasperated by Sully's penchant of sending them out as if they are always the proper pairing for ANY role or situation. The constant mistakes by these 2 (I'll give Dumo the benefit that most of his are made in the O-zone) leads to GA and little 5v5 offense. Letang's mistakes are everywhere and he's rarely in position to recover from them.

Letang is 5th in 5v5pts/60 among our D, 5th!
Dumo is 4th
Conclusion: they aren't scoring anywhere near a 1st pairing

They are 6th and 7th in 5v5 GF%. (44% and 40% ie negative)
Conclusion: they aren't even treading water in goal differential at 5v5

When your first pairing isn't at least playing the other team even at 5v5, that has to made up by the 2 other pairings. This can be done/negated by Maatta's line, but now we rely on Ruh's line to be the difference maker. Read that again if you think this team has a chance in the playoffs. Flip a coin.

 

[madinsomniac]

The thing about letang is he ALWAYS made a handful of boneheaded plays a game, but he also always had that otherworldly extra gear where he could miraculously get back to defend it... id say he has lost about a quarter step speed wise and just a little reaction time ... not enough that he isnt a useful defender, but enough that his mistakes stand out more...

Lets go back to Therrien's time... Letang would make 8 or so amazing plays in a game that led to scoring opportunities, screw up 4 but cover for 3 of them, and end up benched because that one mistake that led to a scoring chance the other way wasnt acceptable to therrien despite the fact the net gain with Tanger on the ice was way in the Pens favor... he'd get benched or played at wing or demoted...

Now he makes 3 or 4 great plays a game, but still makes 3 or 4 boneheaded moves. he doesnt have that extra gear to cover for those mistakes so they are more pronounced and noticable...