Post-Game Talk: Pens out loser the Sens

[BlindWillyMcHurt]

I’m kind of curious who they even attempt to bring in, but I know it’ll be Keefe.

It would be hilarious if Dubas says he's finally done with his actual GM search and promotes Mike Sullivan. Who then elevates Reirden to HC. There's your nightmare-fuel before I head to bed.

 

[SomeDude]

 

[66-30-33]

It would be hilarious if Dubas says he's finally done with his actual GM search and promotes Mike Sullivan. Who then elevates Reirden to HC. There's your nightmare-fuel before I head to bed.

ZAR as new hc.

This team is just done. Season is over and everyone is just going through the motions

Bring on the playoffs!!! I'm excited to watch them.

 

[BlindWillyMcHurt]

ZAR as new hc.


Bring on the playoffs!!! I'm excited to watch them.

Recently-retired Jack Johnson as special powerplay consultant.

 

[ChaosAgent]

Sullivan is Matt Canada, but it also sucks that the core is Kenny Pickett

 

[Big Friggin Dummy]

f*** it, just let Sullivan keep coaching. Who even cares anymore? Best of all worlds; team tanks and reels in those top-10 picks while the core gets to stick around doing their retirement tour.

It's not like Dubas is gonna fire Sully, hire a competent replacement, or perform surgery on swapping out the like 10 roster spots that need better players.

Experience Pittsburgh Penguins hockey™

 

[BlindWillyMcHurt]

Experience Pittsburgh Penguins hockey™

I'm pulling for a rerun of the X-Gen years recap videos where it would just be like the five actual highlights of the year and then filler clips of a whole bunch of dudes pawing at each other, yelling at the refs and smashing their sticks on the ice in frustration while "Dare You To Move" by Switchfoot plays in the background.

 

[Big Friggin Dummy]

I'm pulling for a rerun of the X-Gen years recap videos where it would just be like the five actual highlights of the year and then filler clips of a whole bunch of dudes pawing at each other, yelling at the refs and smashing their sticks on the ice in frustration while "Dare You To Move" by Switchfoot plays in the background.

Crosby plodding around the ice acting as a mentor for Celebrini and McKenna in like 2027.

-chef's kiss-

 

[BlindWillyMcHurt]

Crosby plodding around the ice acting as a mentor for Celebrini and McKenna in like 2027.

-chef's kiss-

This actually seems WILDLY optimistic, to me.

I can see why you've been looking forward to this if you think that's the outcome. Reality is... they likely won't get top players again any time soon. And even if they did they'd probably Ranger things up.

But at least you can listen to Crowded House's "Don't Dream It's Over" play while they show the one clip over and over again of whatever Morozov-level guy we actually DO get scoring a powerplay goal and grabbing the crest on his jersey!

 

[Big Friggin Dummy]

This actually seems WILDLY optimistic, to me.

I can see why you've been looking forward to this if you think that's the outcome. Reality is... they likely won't get top players again any time soon. And even if they did they'd probably Ranger things up.

But at least you can listen to Crowded House's "Don't Dream It's Over" play while they show the one clip over and over again of whatever Morozov-level guy we actually DO get scoring a powerplay goal and grabbing the crest on his jersey!

Oh, I don't expect it to happen. I just wish it would.

Realistically, this team's just circling the runway waiting for Sid to allow the teardown/rebuild. That won't happen until after the 2026 Winter Olympics, cuz Sid wants to play with MacKinnon and get one last gold--and who can blame him, it'll be the first and last bit of success he'll get for nearly a decade by then.

-edit- And they'll use their first couple of premium picks (top-10) on Sheary and ZAR clones. Noting that they love how they play the right way and know what it takes or win or whatever bullshit GMs say when they make terrible picks.

 

[HandshakeLine]

who can blame him,

I can and will.

 

[Big Friggin Dummy]

I can and will.

I blame him for holding the team hostage, not wanting to play in one final Olympics. fwiw

 

[Andy99]

 

[ChaosAgent]

I blame him for holding the team hostage, not wanting to play in one final Olympics. fwiw

Since I am a Penguins fan and not Canadian, the first part of your post matters much more to me.

IDK though, the core/team is tanking so bad that Dubas/FSG may skip the next 1-2 years of pretend-trying and go straight to tank anyway. The fanbase does not buy it any more.

 

[canadianguy77]

I blame Geno and Letang for sucking so much but to each their own I guess. I’m not going to blame the one guy who is actually holding up his end of the bargain.

 

[TheGoldenJet]

Pretty clear this inability to generate real NHL offense is a feature not a bug at this point. And no single roster move can fix it. Sully straight up became Mike Johnston lol

You’re right, Sullsma is becoming Mike Sullston.

Someone please fire him and end the madness already.

 

[Gurglesons]

Since I am a Penguins fan and not Canadian, the first part of your post matters much more to me.

IDK though, the core/team is tanking so bad that Dubas/FSG may skip the next 1-2 years of pretend-trying and go straight to tank anyway. The fanbase does not buy it any more.

I think Dubas goes for it next year regardless of anything.

He just took back Bunting for that reason in the Guentzel trade.

Sullivan's days are numbered with how this team has looked to finish out the season.

 

[Big Friggin Dummy]

I blame Geno and Letang for sucking so much but to each their own I guess. I’m not going to blame the one guy who is actually holding up his end of the bargain.

People bristle at the wording but whether Sid's actively campaigning for this shit or not, he's the reason the team's unable or unwilling to accept reality and begin the teardown and rebuild phase. This organization's too terrified of doing anything that might possibly make Sid frustrated that they're intentionally driving into iceberg after iceberg for the past six years running. No team turns a blind eye to the trajectory this franchise has been on, refusing to make even basic changes (coach firing), without some kind of influence.

I like Sid, he seems like a genuinely good dude on top of being a top-5 player all time. But we're fooling ourselves if we think it's anybody but Sid keeping this team petrified with indecision for nearly a decade.

 

[HandshakeLine]

Translation: he a fraud.

 

[Big Friggin Dummy]

I think Dubas goes for it next year regardless of anything.

He just took back Bunting for that reason in the Guentzel trade.

Sullivan's days are numbered with how this team has looked to finish out the season.

Hope you're right about Sully being fired. Hope you're wrong about Dubas refusing to pull the plug and continuing to tie this team to lame players with term. The only guy really worthwhile is Reinhart, and I have no idea why he'd come here, or how much the team would have to outbid others to land him.

 

[Dennis Reynolds]

Just finished the game on ESPN+.

MIKE DULLIVAN HOCKEY, BAYBAY!

 

[Gurglesons]

Hope you're right about Sully being fired. Hope you're wrong about Dubas refusing to pull the plug and continuing to tie this team to lame players with term. The only guy really worthwhile is Reinhart, and I have no idea why he'd come here, or how much the team would have to outbid others to land him.

Reinhart is going to sign with Florida without question. Probably for under 8 million.

 

[Sidney the Kidney]

Yeah, Mikey that's totally a new problem and not at all an issue that has been killing the Pens for years. But you will get right on rectifying it, right? Right?!

I don't think Sullivan's watched a single Pens game the past half decade if he thinks that's a new thing.

I mean, it would explain why he sucks. He still thinks it's 2016.

 

[Sidney the Kidney]

Can't? Or doesn't know how?

Maybe the reason Sullivan sticks to what he knows is because that's all he knows how to coach? Maybe the reason he can't adapt to what the league in 2024 is doing is because he has no clue what changes need to be made?

Sullivan's just as much of a one-trick pony as Bylsma was. Found the "secret sauce" for a memorable run, but when the league figured them out they had zero answers.

 

[BusinessGoose]

As a self identified moron, what even is Sullivan's system?

What the hell is so complicated about it?

What is the system?

I don't get what's hard about randomized flinging of pucks up walls and drop passes in the neutral zone.