Post-Game Talk: Pens/Devils: You already know how it goes

[Andy99]

Maybe the regular season is the money grab movie for the players and the playoffs is their Oscar role.


I think Sullivan’s system is very demanding and the players know it’s a long season. It’s debatable whether they can turn it on when counts.

Other teams running a copycat system look faster and better because they are going at 100% just because we are a measuring stick game and on a broader level they have too play that way just to make the playoffs.

How about changing the system a little then until Feb or March and then putting the work in to get ready for a PO push, like we did in 2016 and like the Caps did last year?

 

[Will Hunting]

I hope people are seriously reconsidering their "we have to keep Sheahan in case Brassard leaves" takes that they had earlier in the season

Sure, Sheahan is what he is. Not his fault, he should be played as a 4th liner on a good team. But there are so many different problems. So many. We have no future anymore, because of moves like Brassard. Contracts like J.Johnson, Hornqvist, Maatta..... And our stars are still very good, but there are some small redflags there too and who knows how much time of being elite do they have. It´s sad really. This organization is going to hell. Only question is if it´s sooner or later. It´s Rutherford´s fault. Even if he wakes up and makes some panic move, it will only kill our future some more. Only logical solution to me is probably trading Maatta. He is the prominent example of what´s wrong with this organization. Making big bucks and playing the hockey the wrong way. He needs to go. But he won´t.

 

[Andy99]

Of course they will say they are working hard. They wouldn’t say otherwise.

G usually tells it how he sees it...he’s not a BSer...

 

[ColePens]

Ask @ColePens about depth being our issue

There is a difference between having good depth and having our depth not play up to their standards. Right now we are looking at like career lows for our depth players, which makes no sense. Hell i don't believe Hags will ever score a goal again.

 

[Byron Bitz]

Is it possible that motivation is an issue? Sid, Kris and Geno have already won three cups with this team and maybe they lack motivation to win a forth. I bet Phil is good with his two cups.

 

[Gurglesons]

There is a difference between having good depth and having our depth not play up to their standards. Right now we are looking at like career lows for our depth players, which makes no sense. Hell i don't believe Hags will ever score a goal again.

I mean, it is two years in a row with basically the same group. Brassard is the only player in our bottom six producing.

Same issue as last year.

 

[ZeroPucksGiven]

I hope people are seriously reconsidering their "we have to keep Sheahan in case Brassard leaves" takes that they had earlier in the season

Well considering Sheahan's body of work last year, it wasn't a stretch to assume he could handle 3C duties.

But you can replace anyone's name on the roster (outside of Crosby/Malkin/Letang ) in your sentence and it wouldn't be any less true.
There is no one on this team outside of those 3 who have lived up to expectations the beginning of this year.

 

[Gurglesons]

Is it possible that motivation is an issue? Sid, Kris and Geno have already won three cups with this team and maybe they lack motivation to win a forth. I bet Phil is good with his two cups.

That would be fine, but those four are our best players this year.

 

[Gurglesons]

Well considering Sheahan's body of work last year, it wasn't a stretch to assume he could handle 3C duties.

But you can replace anyone's name on the roster (outside of Crosby/Malkin/Letang ) in your sentence and it wouldn't be any less true.
There is no one on this team outside of those 3 who have lived up to expectations the beginning of this year.

Dumo and Desmith.

 

[Pancakes]

That would be fine, but those four are our best players this year.

Yeah I'm not seeing it. Geno and Phil have struggled a little lately but were good early. And as they've struggled Sid has suddenly heated up. Letang has been pretty good all year.

 

[Tom Hanks]

Yeah, Sully's so fixated on trying to get all four lines going, he's missing the fact that none of the lines are going because of it.

Stack the top two lines, then just hope the bottom two lines can play well enough defensively and chip in every dozen games like they're currently doing. Right now, at least, that would be better than all four lines looking like they can't do a thing without a super-human effort by one of the elite guys.

It was worth trying to get all the lines going but yeah we are at a stage where he needs to say **** it and stack the top 6. Put it back on JR to make some trades.

It’s nowhere near MJ but he got fired because he played a bad system because he didn’t trust our D. He should have played how he preached and hit up JR for trades to make it work better.

 

[Peat]

There is a difference between having good depth and having our depth not play up to their standards. Right now we are looking at like career lows for our depth players, which makes no sense. Hell i don't believe Hags will ever score a goal again.

The weird bit about this for me is that on the PK, Sheahan/Cullen/Rust/Hagelin look confident, decisive, intelligent, aggressive... do they play with the same snap at 5v5? Do they look like they have the same faith in their abilities and the process?

 

[Tom Hanks]

I hope people are seriously reconsidering their "we have to keep Sheahan in case Brassard leaves" takes that they had earlier in the season

I’m hoping he’s one of the people traded right now. Easily replaceable internally and there will be some cap savings.

 

[Byron Bitz]

That would be fine, but those four are our best players this year.

Of course they are but that’s not saying much when you look at the rest of the roster. Sid and Geno are two of the greatest talents to ever lace them up. They are capable of much more.

 

[Tom Hanks]

The weird bit about this for me is that on the PK, Sheahan/Cullen/Rust/Hagelin look confident, decisive, intelligent, aggressive... do they play with the same snap at 5v5? Do they look like they have the same faith in their abilities and the process?

Put our best wingers currently in the top 6 Jake, Phil, Horny, Simon.

Make the 3rd line Hags-Dad-Rust.
4th line just anyone who won’t get scored on.

 

[Slaaapshuter]

I’m not sure what Sullivan could do to make this roster better right now. We literally have four deadweights at D. He’s had to shelter JR’s 5 year contract defenseman with our best D. Sprong looks to be a bust. Rust and Sheahan are ghosts and Hagelin is in his typical early season rut.

Well for one he could play Riikola over any of your choice of Johnson, Määttä, Oleksiak and Ruhwedel. He can choose not to ice ZAR and some dude named Wilson. And if he absolutely have to get his dozage of effective hustle while accomplishing zilch to get his hard on, does he need two of them?

The final word on Sprong is not out yet, but Sullivan chooses to have him eat nachos and ice ZAR and some dude named Wilson. He doesn't have to reward Rust line promotion for his disappearing act, he doesn't have to play Hagelin on the second line.

There's plenty of things he could do, nothing is certain to work but his choice is to hammer on with things that evidently does not work.

 

[MrBurghundy]

I’m not seeing that. I’m seeing our wingers pinned stationary on the boards while trying to breakout. And then losing puck battles.

I guess it depends on what line we're watching. Besides, if it's not our wingers flying the zone, it's their outlet options.

 

[Gurglesons]

Of course they are but that’s not saying much when you look at the rest of the roster. Sid and Geno are two of the greatest talents to ever lace them up. They are capable of much more.

Are you serious? They’re both on pace for like 90+ pts.

 

[Doogle]

I think that our forwards are struggling because of the defense's inability to make a clean breakout pass. In the last two years we've lost Daley, Cole, and technically Schultz. Who have we replaced them with?

Oleksiak and JJ occasionally make a good first pass, but not consistently. Riikola can but he's inexperienced and needs someone to shelter him, which is impossible considering the rest of the lineup.

Our other problem is that we are now getting owned in the speed game. Get ZAR and Wilson out of the lineup. Hell, maybe Sheahan for a bit. Maata can't skate nor make a quick transitional pass; he's the first guy I'd move. Trading Rust or Hagelin, despite their struggles, only makes us slower. I assume that with someone hitting them in stride, they'll get more opportunities and therefore productivity. That would be a good start

 

[Gurglesons]

Well for one he could play Riikola over any of your choice of Johnson, Määttä, Oleksiak and Ruhwedel. He can choose not to ice ZAR and some dude named Wilson. And if he absolutely have to get his dozage of effective hustle while accomplishing zilch to get his hard on, does he need two of them?

The final word on Sprong is not out yet, but Sullivan chooses to have him eat nachos and ice ZAR and some dude named Wilson. He doesn't have to reward Rust line promotion for his disappearing act, he doesn't have to play Hagelin on the second line.

There's plenty of things he could do, nothing is certain to work but his choice is to hammer on with things that evidently does not work.

I can guarantee you Riikola and Sprong do nothing to solve this team’s problems. The issue is we have four defensemen behind Dumo and Letang that are # 4s on their best day and our bottom six center that should be able to step up is playing like a neutered Sutter.

 

[Peat]

Put our best wingers currently in the top 6 Jake, Phil, Horny, Simon.

Make the 3rd line Hags-Dad-Rust.
4th line just anyone who won’t get scored on.

Its an option. I don't much like it but I don't much like most of what I hear.

 

[Empoleon8771]

I’m hoping he’s one of the people traded right now. Easily replaceable internally and there will be some cap savings.

It's absurd he's making $2 million for what he's bringing this year. I'd rather have Grant over him easily, I really hope they're playing Guentzel and Kessel with Sheahan to prop up his trade value some. At this point, I'd be fine with getting a 3rd rounder back for him, it would basically be getting a year out of Sheahan for free.

I can guarantee you Riikola and Sprong do nothing to solve this team’s problems. The issue is we have four defensemen behind Dumo and Letang that are # 4s on their best day and our bottom six center that should be able to step up is playing like a neutered Sutter.

That may be generous for Sheahan. A neutered Sutter would be able to score a nice goal on the rush once every few games.

 

[canadianguy77]

It was worth trying to get all the lines going but yeah we are at a stage where he needs to say **** it and stack the top 6.

The game-plan going into last night's game was to keep the team's best wingers away from 87/71, when they were playing a top-heavy team that didn't have Hischier. I mean it's pretty absurd when you think about it. The perfect time to go tit-for-tat offensively was last night. These are the Devils we're talking about.

Sullivan's decisions are making less and less sense the further along we go.

 

[Tom Hanks]

Its an option. I don't much like it but I don't much like most of what I hear.

My thinking is we get no depth scoring as is. It’s only when Sid and Geno are on the ice so put the best with them.

Hags, Cullen, Rust should at least be a good puck possession line.

 

[Tom Hanks]

The game-plan going into last night's game was to keep the team's best wingers away from 87/71, when they were playing a top-heavy team that didn't have Hischier. I mean it's pretty absurd when you think about it. The perfect time to go tit-for-tat offensively was last night. These are the Devils we're talking about.

Sullivan's decisions are making less and less sense the further along we go.

I get it he’s trying things and I would have done some similar things to get guys going but now it’s time to win and get in JR’s ear about change.

Start playing like the 2017 cup. Rely on Sid/Geno lines to score and everyone else buckled down.

Just get those wins on the board until some trades can be made.