Post-Game Talk: Pens/Blues: Stick-To-It-Ive-Ness

[Honour Over Glory]

For real. This board used to rock. It’s embarrassing now.

Big 2 points. Keep it going post-Kap life.

The team is f***ing embarrassing. Making the playoffs validates the stupidity. Maybe a lot of us are f***ing tired of it.

Like I give a f*** what someone feels about my fandom of a team. I have my reasons.

 

[BusinessGoose]

Barbashev absolutely rocked Dumo's shit behind the net. Imagine if we had a guy in our bottom-6 entire lineup that did that.

Dumo got rocked a few times

Fell down a bunch

Was rough to watch... And of course he gets like three wide open offensive shots and muffins all of em right into the goalie lol

 

[HandshakeLine]

Nailed it - Exactly. Criticize the personnel and pieces all you want - that's what we're all here for anyway - but come on man. I thought what bonded us all was we all want the same team to win? This place BUMS ME OUT sometimes.

Geno and Rust looked f***ing awesome on their goals tonight.

Laughed when Blueger got robbed by the post. Dude can't catch a break.

I want this storybook ending more than almost anyone else here, I'd warrant. But I still think you need to call out bad play and bad coaching when possible for it to even have a chance of happening.

There's a lot of people who use "always root for the team" as a way to avoid talking about problems with the team, and f*** that noise.

 

[Tender Rip]

The non-productivity of Guentzel is starting to concern me. Makes me wonder if a Horny for Neal trade should be in our future?

As for Guentzel.... he is obviously a very good player. This is not a Neal situation for me. Guentzel is better. Neal simply played with a superior version of Malkin than what Sid or him can do now.
But with Guentzel it all depends what we would get. In a year he will get more money than he is now, perhaps significantly so. And we cannot let him walk.
If you could deal him and get enough to make a real play for Meier for instance, then you do that every day. Meier adds much more of what the team (and Sid) needs to extend OZ time, net crashing/PP, presence down low, intensity etc. Rather pay him 9 for 8 years than give Guentzel 7 next time.

 

[HandshakeLine]

The real question I think for Jake is whether to trade him now or at the draft.

Like @Tender Rip said, if you can get a guy like Meier who might be a lesser goal-scorer but a superior all-around player who is younger, you do it.

 

[HandshakeLine]

So, watching the game today with my coffee and there's a few things that stand out. One is that Malkin looks like he still has a few years in the tank and is very much invested in this club, which is awesome. This is what we all hoped for.

But man, what is Jake doing this year? The team also looks like they just can't handle physical play, which of course is a gigantic red flag for the postseason. Barbashev and Dumo as were mentioned above is probably one of the most visible moments, but there were just quite a few moments where it looked like we were avoiding any sort of physical play.

Also, if the Blues are giving us this much trouble, we're gonna be in for a rough road in Round 1.

 

[ncm7772]

Stick-to-it-ive-ness. Despise that term. But it’s so absurd it’s kind of funny.

Also, if the Blues are giving us this much trouble, we're gonna be in for a rough road in Round 1.

Y’ain’t gotta worry about that. They’ll be done come April.

 

[Tender Rip]

Y’ain’t gotta worry about that. They’ll be done come April.

Avatar bet? I just can’t see it happen outside of an injury to Sid or Geno. Can’t see us win a round either, but being beaten by two among this Isles team, Buffalo and DETROIT?

 

[HandshakeLine]

Avatar bet? I just can’t see it happen outside of an injury to Sid or Geno. Can’t see us win a round either, but being beaten by two among this Isles team, Buffalo and DETROIT?

it's more likely than it's been since 2005 imo.

i think without major surgery we're probably handily behind both buffalo and the isles. detroit no, but we're not that much better than them as things stand now.

 

[Tender Rip]

it's more likely than it's been since 2005 imo.

i think without major surgery we're probably handily behind both buffalo and the isles. detroit no, but we're not that much better than them as things stand now.

Sure its more likely. We are borderline less than a week before the trade deadline.

But we have under-performed massively. We have a goalie who is 17-7-5 who is back healthy (knock on wood), and we have, on paper, an easier schedule than at least Detroit and Buffalo (and Florida for that matter).

NHL Remaining Schedule Strength | Tankathon

Shows the remaining strength of schedule for NHL teams based on the points per game of the opponents left on their schedule.

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I think we will squeeze in. If in the 7th spot there is always the chance that my compatriot Andersen melts down. 8th spot.... I don't buy that Boston are that heavy favorites, as awesome as they look, but it won't be us who beat them.

 

[Icarium]

We have beaten only one playoff team since December 20th. And that was in a game in which DeSmith stood on his head and even so we were minutes away from losing 1-0..The last time we beat a playoff team by more than one goal was November 19th. The team is extremely mentally fragile and has a penchant for losing leads in the third period. If it weren't for our weird ability to beat all Central Division teams, we wouldn't be anywhere near the playoffs but we only have a handful of games against teams from that division.

But three games against the Rags in one week are coming up! Could be quite the massacre.

 

[MrBrightside]

Half the board roots against the team.

Way higher than that.

 

[3ladesof5teel]

Way higher than that.

Right, I mean I don't care. Just find it funny some waste so much of their time rooting against the success of a team they supposedly are fans of. Criticism is fair and definitely deserved but Thousands of post about the same negativity spun 100 different ways.

You hit up a game thread and see "I hope we lose this game" etc.

I could give a shit who people root for but what I do find interesting is the time and post devoted to negativity towards a team. 20 daily...,... I am sure there are some good psych peer reviews on subjects.

 

[Zbynek]

So, watching the game today with my coffee and there's a few things that stand out. One is that Malkin looks like he still has a few years in the tank and is very much invested in this club, which is awesome. This is what we all hoped for.

But man, what is Jake doing this year? The team also looks like they just can't handle physical play, which of course is a gigantic red flag for the postseason. Barbashev and Dumo as were mentioned above is probably one of the most visible moments, but there were just quite a few moments where it looked like we were avoiding any sort of physical play.

Also, if the Blues are giving us this much trouble, we're gonna be in for a rough road in Round 1.

Malkin's celly on Goal 1 was awesome

 

[Gurglesons]

Way higher than that.

Do people really root against this team or just know what’s coming?

Like I said can’t wait for the Blues next goal after we scored, but I wasn’t rooting against the Pens. It is just a matter of fact that the blues were going to even it up.

 

[Rudy Russo]

And outscored them by 1

Lol

Play Carter on the fourth line at right wing.

 

[HandshakeLine]

Malkin's celly on Goal 1 was awesome

Yeah, it's hard not to love the dude, though god knows people try.

 

[StaalForOne]

Need to win the face off to start ot

Yea of all the fair criticisms of Carter, that wasn’t one. He won the draw and got right off the ice which led to sustained zone time and chances to start OT.

Possession is the most important thing for 3v3 and every single team plays it that way. 5 years ago you would rarely see a team leaves the offensive zone intentionally. Now you see it 4 times in any given OT game.

 

[MrBrightside]

Do people really root against this team or just know what’s coming?

Like I said can’t wait for the Blues next goal after we scored, but I wasn’t rooting against the Pens. It is just a matter of fact that the blues were going to even it up.

Some of both. People rooting for Kapanen to have a HT yesterday just to prove some point that Sullivan is really the issue as if the organization will reverse course and fire everyone if that happens. Stuff like that definitely happens.

 

[HandshakeLine]

Some of both. People rooting for Kapanen to have a HT yesterday just to prove some point that Sullivan is really the issue as if the organization will reverse course and fire everyone if that happens. Stuff like that definitely happens.

So? People were hoping Malkin got run out of town a few months ago, and there weren't any passive aggressive "tsk tsk, you're not being a fan the right way" posts.

 

[Coastal Kev]

For real. This board used to rock. It’s embarrassing now.

Big 2 points. Keep it going post-Kap life.

Big for what exactly? Are you excited about them keeping their postseason streak alive?

 

[SEALBound]

As for Guentzel.... he is obviously a very good player. This is not a Neal situation for me. Guentzel is better. Neal simply played with a superior version of Malkin than what Sid or him can do now.
But with Guentzel it all depends what we would get. In a year he will get more money than he is now, perhaps significantly so. And we cannot let him walk.
If you could deal him and get enough to make a real play for Meier for instance, then you do that every day. Meier adds much more of what the team (and Sid) needs to extend OZ time, net crashing/PP, presence down low, intensity etc. Rather pay him 9 for 8 years than give Guentzel 7 next time.

I wasn't comparing Jake to Neal, I was saying that do to some issues with Guentzel's game, do we explore a trade where we get a better/different player play and a minor add. This would be similar to the Jake for Matthew Tkachuk deal I used to pish. Tkachuk was no 40g scorer like Jake but brought several elements Jake doesn't.

That said, if you could send out Jake for a roster player plus picks and use some of it on Meier, then yes I would do that.

 

[bathroomSTAAL]

Big for what exactly? Are you excited about them keeping their postseason streak alive?

Yes I am. It's an insanely impressive streak and something to be proud of

 

[Slaaapshuter]

I wasn't comparing Jake to Neal, I was saying that do to some issues with Guentzel's game, do we explore a trade where we get a better/different player play and a minor add. This would be similar to the Jake for Matthew Tkachuk deal I used to pish. Tkachuk was no 40g scorer like Jake but brought several elements Jake doesn't.

That said, if you could send out Jake for a roster player plus picks and use some of it on Meier, then yes I would do that.

Yes please, I'm very much over watching Guentzel play. And I'm using the word "play" very loosely because besides putting up points (good) it's like he's not even on the ice.

 

[reino]

Pens can easily out play these slower teams. Unfortunately all the good teams are very fast and they have very aggressive forecheck.