Post-Game Talk: Pens cook the Kraken

[Turin]

St. Louis sucks man.

Also, update on Kapanen: he still sucks

Flyers are amazing and they won again. Excellent road team.

Are they amazing or is St. Louis trash

 

[DesertedPenguin]

St. Louis sucks man.

Also, update on Kapanen: he still sucks

Are they amazing or is St. Louis trash

Kasperi Kapanen has one more goal than Noel Acciari and one less than Jeff Carter.

But it's all Mike Sullivan's fault.

 

[Andy99]

I told everyone a couple months ago the Flyers would earn a PO spot…if Pens are going to make it, they’re gonna have to get in as a WC and make it over all but one of the Isles, NJD, Caps, Tampa, Wings…

 

[Luigi Lemieux]

Issue is you're hoping the teams above the Pens and fighting with them suddenly start to tank and they've been more consistent than the Pens even with the recent play by the Pens. It'd take an epic collapse by 2-3 teams in the east for the Pens to really get a solid look at playoffs.


I can't watch those movies again. Depp just grosses me out.

By point % pens are already sitting in wc2. Doesn't require any collapse, pens just need to keep doing what they've been doing over the last month.

I told everyone a couple months ago the Flyers would earn a PO spot…if Pens are going to make it, they’re gonna have to get in as a WC and make it over all but one of the Isles, NJD, Caps, Tampa, Wings…

Pens are a better team than Philly, I wouldn't just hand them a top 3 spot. Only 16 regulation wins, lots of gimmick points.

 

[Honour Over Glory]

By point % pens are already sitting in wc2. Doesn't require any collapse, pens just need to keep doing what they've been doing over the last month.


Pens are a better team than Philly, I wouldn't just hand them a top 3 spot. Only 16 regulation wins, lots of gimmick points.

Hard to say we're better than a team that is 2-1 against the Pens this season.

Look at Blueger's line mates. Not exactly Harkins and Zoho. The third line has just started playing decent hockey. If you remember their offensive metrics sucked for the first 30 games hence not earning the right to be anything but, a defensive line. Honestly it will take a new voice or idea to get the PP going.

You can keep banging your head off the wall but, it's obvious Sullivan isn't going anywhere. So you can keep harping the negative or be happy with small amounts of progress.

I was going to reply to this but the first paragraph has shown me absolute zero understanding of that situation and the current situation.

This would be pointless to even try.

 

[Luigi Lemieux]

Hard to say we're better than a team that is 2-1 against the Pens this season.

Such a small sample doesn't say much. Over the whole season pens have better offensive numbers and better defensive numbers. More regulation wins and better goal differential. The gap is even bigger in advanced stats.

 

[Honour Over Glory]

Such a small sample doesn't say much. Over the whole season pens have better offensive numbers and better defensive numbers. More regulation wins and better goal differential.

Listen mate. You can't say this team is better than any team they've lost to or have a losing season series with. That doesn't change. The results are the results. Pens can be good while also not being as good as the teams that have beat them in the season series and are above them in the standings.

That doesn't hurt your ego to admit. No one will judge you for it.

 

[Luigi Lemieux]

Listen mate. You can't say this team is better than any team they've lost to or have a losing season series with. That doesn't change. The results are the results. Pens can be good while also not being as good as the teams that have beat them in the season series and are above them in the standings.

That doesn't hurt your ego to admit. No one will judge you for it.

I'm tough on the pens when they deserve it. But dictating which team is better based on a small season series makes zero sense. I'm sure the 2016 penguins even lost a season series to someone.

I call it like I see it, not overly positive or negative. Carolina is definitely better than the pens. Philly is not.

 

[Sorry]

They have the game breaking talent to win any one game. Just need to get in the dance.

 

[AuroraBorealis]

I'm tough on the pens when they deserve it. But dictating which team is better based on a small season series makes zero sense. I'm sure the 2016 penguins even lost a season series to someone.

This interested me, so I checked the Crosby era.

Season series records vs all of the following...

2009:
PHI = 4-2-0
WAS = 1-3-0
CAR = 2-1-1
DET = 1-1-0

2016:
NYR = 3-1-0
WAS = 3-2-0
TB = 0-2-1
SJS = 1-1-0

2017:
CBJ = 2-1-1
WAS = 2-2-0
OTT = 1-1-1
NSH = 1-1-0

So you were right. Tampa got them.

 

[CascadiaPenguin]

I'm tough on the pens when they deserve it. But dictating which team is better based on a small season series makes zero sense. I'm sure the 2016 penguins even lost a season series to someone.

I call it like I see it, not overly positive or negative. Carolina is definitely better than the pens. Philly is not.

You would be entirely correct, someones being plural, and it wasn't just Tampa Bay: The Pens not only lost the regular season series to 6 teams in the 2015-16 Cup year, but we were WINLESS against them:

BOS 0-3
TBL 0-3
DAL 0-2
CAL 0-2
LAK 0-2
CHC 0-2

The 2016-17 juggernaut Cup team was winless against CAL, LAK, CHC, and MIN, and also lost season series to TOR, OTT and DET.

In those two seasons, we did not lose a regular season series to a Metro opponent (nor obviously a playoff series).

Sorry about those dang '16 playoffs, Lightning... Mr. Rust sends his regards.

 

[Luigi Lemieux]

You would be entirely correct, someones being plural, and it wasn't just Tampa Bay: The Pens not only lost the regular season series to 6 teams in the 2015-16 Cup year, but we were WINLESS against them:

BOS 0-3
TBL 0-3
DAL 0-2
CAL 0-2
LAK 0-2
CHC 0-2

The 2016-17 juggernaut Cup team was winless against CAL, LAK, CHC, and MIN, and also lost season series to TOR, OTT and DET.

In those two seasons, we did not lose a regular season series to a Metro opponent (nor obviously a playoff series).

Sorry about those dang '16 playoffs, Lightning... Mr. Rust sends his regards.

Yea season series means very little. Another example the other way was when pens swept Boston in the regular season in 2013, but ended up getting swept by them decisively in the playoffs.

 

[Honour Over Glory]

Such a small sample doesn't say much. Over the whole season pens have better offensive numbers and better defensive numbers. More regulation wins and better goal differential. The gap is even bigger in advanced stats.

If a team is good it'll be reflected by where they sit. Simple as that.

 

[Luigi Lemieux]

If a team is good it'll be reflected by where they sit. Simple as that.

I agree, it will be. Washington and NYI are already starting to sink. Philly is next. Their record is propped up by shootout and 3 on 3 points.

 

[Honour Over Glory]

I agree, it will be. Washington and NYI are already starting to sink. Philly is next. Their record is propped up by shootout and 3 on 3 points.

I am not talking probabilities. I am stating right now.

Pens also benefit from the loser point like anyone else and have 19 ROW out of the 21 wins they have. There are no guarantees, especially not with this Penguins team led by this coach. They've dropped games against the Blues, Flyers, Caps, Sens, Hawks, etc.

Ottawa is an absolute shit show of a franchise and yet they're 2-0 vs the Pens with a combined score of 10-6. There are no easy games, unless it's literally the Sharks. Especially with this team.

This is a team that has only multiple wins against the Islanders.

 

[Pancakes]

If a team is good it'll be reflected by where they sit. Simple as that.

I will say that people tend to whine about OTL points and bad luck and this and that and my opinion on all of that is that while luck is 100% a thing in hockey I still think that if your team is any good at all that they'll be able to snag one of 8 playoff spots in a conference.

In other words, if the Pens miss it's not gonna be because the teams above them are luckier or grind OTL points better or whatever other lame excuses we wanna use.

In even smaller words: I agree with you

 

[Luigi Lemieux]

I will say that people tend to whine about OTL points and bad luck and this and that and my opinion on all of that is that while luck is 100% a thing in hockey I still think that if your team is any good at all that they'll be able to snag one of 8 playoff spots in a conference.

In other words, if the Pens miss it's not gonna be because the teams above them are luckier or grind OTL points better or whatever other lame excuses we wanna use.

In even smaller words: I agree with you

I agree, and think by the end things work out as they should. But at this point you can identify some teams that are frauds. Caps were in a playoff spot not long ago, and they stink.

One thing working in the pens favor is a lot of these bubble teams like Detroit, Tampa, Toronto, and NJ are absolutely awful defensively. Toronto is another team looking like a fraud right now. 13 regulation wins.

 

[Icarium]

We can win without nerve-racking final minutes? Amazing.

Rust shaking off the rust, two beautiful goals and being in complete control except for a few minutes in the third. The power play is still terrible but you can't have everything. Games like that tend to make one wonders why there are games where the team can't play any proper defense whatsoever but let's enjoy the win and the short rest for the Pens for now.

 

[Will Hunting]

Just want to say something about "Philly leading us in season series, so they are better than us". Are they really leading us in season series? Depends on how you look at it. In regulation, it is 1x win Pens and 2x ties. Flyers won two 3vs3 competitions against the Pens. Points earned are 4 vs 4 in this season series. Goals scored 8-7 Pens. Don´t really see this as an argument of Flyers being better than the Pens.

 

[3ladesof5teel]

Yea season series means very little. Another example the other way was when pens swept Boston in the regular season in 2013, but ended up getting swept by them decisively in the playoffs.

End of the day the Regular season day to day games don't matter as much as some make it out. There is so much parity in the league that even the worst teams can give the best fits. Despite what some believe here you will lose some bad games to some bad teams and still be a good team.

What matters is going on more good stretches of games than bad stretches and setting up for a playoff run. Get to the playoffs and it's a whole new season.

 

[pistolpete11]

Just want to say something about "Philly leading us in season series, so they are better than us". Are they really leading us in season series? Depends on how you look at it. In regulation, it is 1x win Pens and 2x ties. Flyers won two 3vs3 competitions against the Pens. Points earned are 4 vs 4 in this season series. Goals scored 8-7 Pens. Don´t really see this as an argument of Flyers being better than the Pens.

I was going to say the same thing.

I mean, technically, I guess they would currently have the tie breaker over us because of head-to-head record, but we're splitting hairs here.

 

[Sidgeni Malkby]

Love that we got the win, and 2 points, but the game itself was low on entertainment value. I actually forwarded most of the 3rd period :/.

Seattle seemed sleepy, but whether we beat Seattle, or they beat themselves, who cares! We showed up! Jarry showed up (again, where are all the Jarry detractors?). Sid is sid!

Wondering what's up with Geno...
He seemed to have really slowed down the past 20 games. Doesn't do much with the puck. Doesn't move as much. Most of his plays are based on seeing the ice in a static or slow moving position. Even on the PP, doesn't seem to have a role anymore. His brain works well, but his body just fell apart suddenly. I know Geno (and Crosby for that matter) gets into these funks sometimes....but wondering if this is more than that.

 

[pistolpete11]

Wondering what's up with Geno...
He seemed to have really slowed down the past 20 games. Doesn't do much with the puck. Doesn't move as much. Most of his plays are based on seeing the ice in a static or slow moving position. Even on the PP, doesn't seem to have a role anymore. His brain works well, but his body just fell apart suddenly. I know Geno (and Crosby for that matter) gets into these funks sometimes....but wondering if this is more than that.

He had a point last night and has 4G and 9P in the last 10 games while being a +2.

He's lost a step. It's clear. But outside of a dip that happens to align with when Rakell/Rust were hurt, he's been doing great.

 

[3ladesof5teel]

Love that we got the win, and 2 points, but the game itself was low on entertainment value. I actually forwarded most of the 3rd period :/.

Seattle seemed sleepy, but whether we beat Seattle, or they beat themselves, who cares! We showed up! Jarry showed up (again, where are all the Jarry detractors?). Sid is sid!

Wondering what's up with Geno...
He seemed to have really slowed down the past 20 games. Doesn't do much with the puck. Doesn't move as much. Most of his plays are based on seeing the ice in a static or slow moving position. Even on the PP, doesn't seem to have a role anymore. His brain works well, but his body just fell apart suddenly. I know Geno (and Crosby for that matter) gets into these funks sometimes....but wondering if this is more than that.

L2 has actually looking pretty solid on the eye test the last few games. DOC is establishing himself as a middle 6 winger. Rust is getting his legs back after coming back from injury. Geno has played pretty solid making some good defensive plays, he just missed the open part of the net with a good toe save by the goalie last game.

Hopefully sign of things to come. He's not going to drive play like a younger Geno but the guy still has game. Would love to see a talented winger on his side but it's what we got.

 

[Gurglesons]

Geno on pace for 30 goals and 70 pts at 37.

“I wonder why Geno stinks” - Pens fans.